From Cornwall to the World

I'm not sure people will believe me when I say I found my guardian angel on an island off the coast of Townsville, Australia.

He was a middle aged taxi driver, with a huge beard; so not necessarily what you'd expect. But he was definitely our saviour on a roller coaster hill with no street lights, as the first car both me or my backpacker buddy had ever hired- a vivid pink Barbie-sized car- spluttered and stumbled to a halt in the middle of the road.

Magnetic island is a tropical punch of paradise views, rainbow birds and sea so warm I never wanted to swim in a pool again. It feels remote, but not in a threatening way and, like where I grew up on the Isles of Scilly, relies on tourism to survive, holiday vibe swarming all around the island. Stepping off the ferry, palm trees shrouding me in my hungover haze from the sweltering sun, the place felt the least backpacker-like in our travels from Sydney to Cairns.

We had seen, on the backpacker grapevine that is Instagram, that topless car rentals were the way to get around the few miles of drive-able road on the island. For 4 of us it worked out $22 a person (including petrol); highly advised though is asking for a car with a radio, and a serious check of the car...

The day had gone pretty smoothly from stopping to swim at secluded spots, attempting to pet rock wallabies, and BBQ-ing with a sunset backdrop at Horseshoe Bay. Then, the clutch started to sound, and smell, a bit weird. Drunk on sunshine, we told ourselves it was fine. Not our most sensible moment.

Pitch black rainforest surrounding us a couple of hours later, it's not gripping onto my seat in terror that I'll remember whenever I next take a roadtrip; it will be how Grant the taxi driver barricaded us from danger. Precariously positioning his taxi behind us, he handed us a torch to signal to buses barging round the corner that we were there, (yes, our headlights had also failed us).

I'll never forget how we laughed and laughed, once we felt safe, as I hopped out of the car, wary of lizards licking my feet through the bushes. I pushed hard on the bonnet, and my friend steered, successfully rolling the tiny car into a ditch on the side of the road.

I discovered something I'll never forget from my gap year that night on Magnetic island- you can be in the most un-perfect situation, but a perfect memory will come out of it. It's definitely people you remember, and I'll never forget Our Aussie hero (and he probably won't forget us)