My worldwide wanderings - travel diary

I found Nemo!

wander-wonder — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 10:58:00 GMT

It felt really good to be back in Oz. I've got great memories from when I visited Perth in my teenage years so I got very excited to finally be in eastern Australia visiting places I've dreamt about coming to for a very long time.

I flew into Cairns via Brisbane which meant flying over the Great Barrier Reef! I'm not ashamed to say I was like I little kid excitedly glued to the window.

I arrived with a few days booked in a central hostel and a broad idea of where I wanted to go and when but thought I'd leave my plans flexible and scope things out more fully whilst I'm here. Turned out well as I got lucky with the first booking agent I spoke to and ended up with my whole itinerary planned. She even booked my bus travel between places and trawled the internet for different tours I wanted and accommodation options for places I'd be staying to look for the best ratings and deals. She was really friendly and helpful and all of what she booked for me worked out really well. The first thing being a full day Great Barrier Reef boat trip for the day after I arrived.

The boat was relatively new and fast which meant it could get to further points less visited/more pristine. We visited Hastings Reef, snorkelling Cabbage Patch (named after a huge cabbage-like coral) in the morning and Manta Point in the afternoon. The corals were amazing - lots of purple, every shade of green including neon, beiges, some slight pinky colours and the occasional bright blue. As for fish, I saw lots of scissor tail sergeants, damsels, half and half pullers, clown fish (anemonefish), humbugs, chromis, wrasse, parrotfish, triggerfish, spotted boxfish, diagonal banded sweetlips, puffers, butterflyfish, angelfish, surgeonfish and moorish idols (phew!). I was surprised by how close to the coral you could get and at times I was scared to use my fins in case I brushed anything. The water was really clear and I think it's pretty lucky to have such good visibility - at least I felt lucky.

The following day I went on a day trip north of Cairns through the Daintree Rainforest up to Cape Tribulation. We passed Port Douglas on the way and stopped at 4 Mile Beach where I waded into the water although only in the small netted off area as, like all the surrounding coast at this time of year, it's not safe to swim in the sea due to jellyfish. Next stop was for a boat trip along the Daintree River where, despite the odds being stacked against us, we saw crocs! Got really close to a big male, saw a female nesting and even a baby in the shallows - full house! For lunch I tried some native barramundi (fish) cooked on the 'barbie' then had a swim in a little stream where, if you stamped your feet, loads of air bubbles rose up like a natural jacuzzi and ticked your legs. We visited an insect and butterfly museum and our guide took us on a short rainforest trek where I wish I'd recorded what he'd said as the Daintree eco system is fascinating. One of the highlights of the day was spending a bit of time on the beach at Cape Tribulation where the rainforest and sand run parallel along the beach. It's a really beautiful place but quite harsh. I felt lucky in that it was only around 50% humidity instead of the 90% it can reach. Also, the sea at Cape Trib must have easily been 40 degrees celsius - far too hot to wade in, let alone swim, even if there weren't jellyfish (it's the heat of the water that brings the jellyfish here to breed). On the way back to Cairns we had to cross back over the Daintree River by driving the minibus onto a boat (of sorts) which is the only way you can cross in a vehicle as there's no bridge or tunnel to get across as, firstly, the whole area has World Heritage status and is therefore protected and, in the wet season, the river can swell exponentially therefore there'd be little point building a bridge.

On my final day in Cairns I spent the day at the Esplanade which is a lovely area next to the sea with lots of grassy areas, trees, BBQ stations and a man made swimming pool to cool off in.

That night I caught an overnight bus down to Airlie Beach and managed to sleep pretty well.

From Airlie I boarded a catamaran for two nights sailing the Whitsunday's. I snorkelled every day and stayed up both nights drinking wine and watching the stars whilst lying on the nets at the front of the boat. The snorkelling experience was incredible. I saw a wider variety of fish in Cairns but in the Whitsunday's I saw turtles too (from the boat anyway!). The highlight of the trip for me was our visit to Whitehaven Beach which is possibly the most beautiful place I've ever been to. The sand on Whitehaven is apparently the purest in the world and I'm told you can even brush your teeth with it (not that I tried!). It's powder soft and squeaks under your feet and the water is shallow but with lots of varying depths which gives it its swirly appearance. Even though the water is shallow there were plenty of small lemon sharks swimming around just meters from our legs and I saw a couple of rays in the water as well. We got to spend over two hours on the beach after accessing it via a smaller boat and a walk through the trees to the other side of the island. Whitehaven is truly stunning and I loved the Whitsunday's boat experience - I could have happily stayed aboard for a week. The people on the trip were great and I did feel genuinely sad to leave it.

Next stop was Noosa. Cairns and Airlie had a young, clubby vibe however Noosa is rather posh. It's quite a spread out town and at the end I was staying I was surrounded by national parkland. I went on a couple of treks and spent time at the main beach and a few of the coves that run alongside the national park. In Noosa there are these lovely wooden elevated walkways that run alongside the beach which are shaded by overhanging trees. Walking along I saw dozens of surfers carrying their boards from one cove to another and along the walkways of the national park to get to good surf spots. Before moving on from Noosa I got up early to walk to the long Sunshine Beach which was virtually deserted apart from a few surfers and dog walkers.

After Noosa I spent a couple of nights in Byron Bay which is another surf town but with more of a hippy vibe. Also, unlike Noosa, Byron turned into a crazy party town at night. And here's where it happened... I started to show my age! Instead of following the backpacker ritual of instant noodles for dinner (therefore saving money for boozing) I laid off the alcohol and instead indulged in eggs florentine for breakfast with freshly pressed juice, chocolate sorbet in the afternoon and smoked salmon and avocado for dinner - mmm, mmmm. Certain fresh produce is extra delicious here. Even melon, which I'm not usually fond of, is really tasty. As well as scoffing I did take a really nice coastal walk to the most easterly point in mainland Australia. I also bumped into one of the guys from my travels in New Zealand who happened to be staying in the same hostel - very funny.

On the way through from Noosa to Byron I spent an hour or so walking around Brisbane which seemed nice enough. I went to King George Square, walked a few of the main streets lined with high-rises and had some lunch at a little artisan cafe with small tables in the alley that ran alongside it. Another place I passed (this time even more briefly) between Noosa and Byron was Surfers Paradise which is full of modern high-rise hotels, casinos and clubs - apparently very popular for booze-fuelled weekenders.

After Byron my next stop was Sydney where my first impression was a little underwhelming. Maybe it was the rain but after my first two hours walking the city centre I found it to be bland with no character of its own besides the the Opera House. However the more time I spent in Sydney the more I liked it. On the first day I walked to Darling Harbour, the Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and all around the huge waterside Botanical Gardens plus I covered a large part of the city by foot and my favourite thing was the gardens. The following day I went on a day trip to the Blue Mountains which were incredibly beautiful. Our guide took us to Wentworth Falls, where we got to walk across one section of it, and the famous Three Sisters rock formation but also to a less trodden paths which were incredible. We also climbed up onto a natural shelf in the rocks and sat from a while in the shallow cave looking out across what appeared as endless forest. That night I went on a long walk around the city with a few people from my hostel and places that hadn't previously impressed me, like Darling Harbour, looked great at night, helped by a number of light up art installations floating on the water. The day after me and a girl from my room took a ferry ride to Manly Beach where we watched surf and skateboarding competitions, swam, sunbathed and later got a bit tipsy at a wharf side bar before catching the ferry back into Circular Quay. By which time it was well after sundown so we got to sail in towards the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge fully illuminated which was pretty special.

Before arriving in Melbourne I spent half a day in the capital city Canberra and a wonderful, wonderful brother and sister from the area that I met in New Zealand met me and gave me the most brilliant tour. They drove me around for hours and we stopped firstly at the War Memorial which is an immense building and particularly beautiful. Following that we went to the Old Parliament House followed by the new Parliament House where we got to sit in on some proceedings before going onto the roof (which is covered in grass along with the sloped sides of the building) for some amazing views. We also drove up two of the surrounding mountains for some more special views of the city before a walk along part of the ginormous lake and dinner and drinks. One thing for certain is that Canberra does architectural significance on a scale I've never seen (and there's a good story to that). I am so, so grateful to Alison and James for showing me around as I would never have got to see those wonderful sights by foot or public transport no matter how long I had to explore the capital.

So, onto my last, but no means least, stop of Melbourne. I loved Melbourne. I think if I'd finished my trip in Sydney I wouldn't have felt as good overall about my east coast adventure. I'd even go as far to say that Melbourne has now surpassed London as my favourite city and I've been a passionate advocate of London for many years. It's got everything - the free city trams, the food, the beaches, the history, the parks, the vibrant artistic feel... I could go on and on. Also there are so many events going on. I saw a Greek festival, fireworks outside the casino plus I got caught up in the buzz of the Cricket World Cup match being played in the city and there are banners everywhere for events coming up over the next few weeks. I think I'd find it impossible to get bored in Melbourne.

On my first day I walked around the Southbank area that runs alongside the Yarra River before taking a tram to St Kilda where I stayed for four nights and walked around the Luna Park funfair, along the beach and checked out the botanical garden. St Kilda is hip and laid back with tons of restaurants and I felt really pleased I chose to stay there instead of the inner city.

The second day I took a trip along the Great Ocean Road to see the 12 Apostles which...were...stunning!! On leaving St Kilda there was extremely heavy rain which I though might hold out for the day but as we approached the Great Ocean Road the rain disappeared completely and the visibility became great which was very lucky as what was one of my favourite days could have been a write-off. On the way to the 12 Apostles we passed the lighthouse where Round The Twist was filmed which was one of my favourite shows when I was a kid - I can still remember the theme tune! We also stopped to learn about the history of the road, we went for a walk in the Ash Gully rainforest and we stopped to spot wild koalas - so cute. The views from the bus all along the Great Ocean Road were truly beautiful. After spending some time at the 12 Apostles we went down onto a small nearby beach surrounded by cliff faces full of caves that were jam packed with stalactites. This day equalled Whitehaven for me. Both were incredible.

The following day I spent a whole day walking the city centre including the fab laneways, Federation Square, Lygon Street and chilled out at Carlton Park. I saw so much but those were my fav bits.

On my last day in Melbourne I took a tour to the Mornington Peninsular for a day of Britishness before heading for Asia which included a pub lunch, strawberry picking and an 'enchanted garden' including many mazes, walkways up in the trees, tube slides and huge climb on logic puzzles. Finally we stopped at a beach lined with Victorian beach huts where I spent my last bit of time on Aussie sand before leaving the east coast of Australia to meet up with my mum in Singapore...

Photos: Australia

wander-wonder — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 23:18:00 GMT

New Zealand round up

wander-wonder — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 11:11:00 GMT

Trying a different 'diary' style - mixing it up a little. So...

Mount Cook - 16 Jan
Driving to Mount Cook we passed the most incredible lake of bright blue water. The lake and stream at the bottom of the mountains were a pale grey colour which was a stark contrast to the lake so close by. We went for a walk around the base of the mountain (it was too windy to go higher/further). For dinner we made another group meal and ate it on the grass outside surrounded by mountains.

Rangitata - 17 Jan
Here I did some grade 5 white water rafting for the first time. The water we rafted on was glacial water that had melted just 12 hours before from nearby mountains. Another cool fact is that the area we rafted through was one of the film locations for Lords of the Rings (apparently you can see a couple of the rafts on the river in the background if you know the right second to pause - I've been told the spot so I'll be checking it out when I get home). The team/raft I was in was pretty successful in navigating through the rapids which felt great at the time however another team that capsized were absolutely buzzing at the end - think they had an even better time lol. The rafting guides were great fun and back at the wooden lodge we relaxed with a BBQ and movies.

Christchurch - 18 Jan
The city is still undergoing major, major works since the earthquake of 2011 however there are tons of artsy projects around town that add a lot of character to what is otherwise a ginormous building operation. We also stumbled upon a few free shows in town. There were a couple of gymnasts on stage down a side street set up with food stalls and bunting - someone I was with even recognised the performers from the Royal Variety Show. There were also two singers in the park who were really, really good. Loads of people were gathered listening to them with a picnic / ice lollies under the shade of the trees. After dinner we passed back past the stage area and there was a cabaret performance with jugglers, arial artists and fire eaters. I stayed the night in a converted jailhouse which was ace - full of character and I quite enjoyed the heavy doors and bars on the window haha.

Kaikoura - 19 Jan
Here I had a lazy day by the beach. I visited a seal colony, walked along the sea front and read under a tree.

Picton - 20 Jan
Picton is where you catch the ferry from the south island to the north island. The accommodation was really cute, kinda had the feel of a grandma's house. Me and a couple of the girls took some bikes out and cycled a path that ran along a hillside track.

Wellington - 21 Jan
Gorgeous meal at Rasa on the very cool Cuba Street where Elijah Wood and the other hobbits ate. I had serving bowl sized portion of laksa that was delicious. In the morning Rosie, my fab travel buddy, and I ran along the coast line through town to Oriental Bay which was a surprisingly lovely beach just minutes from the main hubbub of the capital. We decided to go up Mount Victoria to the look out point which took 30 mins to climb and just 10 to descend, then continued our run back along the coast. I'm really, really pleased to have got the chance to explore Wellington further as it has so much more to offer than what I originally saw.

Rotorua - 22 Jan
This is the first time I've taken any transport in New Zealand apart from the hop on hop off tour bus I've been travelling with and, not that I'm led by my stomach at all (!), I was totally bowled over (doesn't take much to make me happy haha). The six hour bus journey cost only £5, we had free wifi, plug sockets and complimentary water, tea, coffee, sweets, choc chip cookies and ice cream! I've loved my Stray tour bus and have had such good experiences with the friends I've made on it but this Mana Bus is also a great way to travel the long distances around NZ. Whilst on the bus we passed (for a second time) through a town called Bulls which is very cute/funny. In Bulls pretty much everything is named with a nod to the town name e.g. the police station has the placard 'const-a-bull' above the door, the information centre 'inform-a-bull' and so on. The whole town is in on it and it's fun to walk about and check out all the silly and inventive shop signs. Rotorua is where Rosie and I stayed before picking up the final leg of our tour with the Stray bus - a few days around the east of the north island. We were lucky enough to have stayed in Rotorua on a night when the night market was running. It was nearly all food stalls and within 10 minutes we'd been given so many free samples I was reconsidering if I'd need any dinner (I managed to squeeze it in!). We stayed above an Irish pub which actually felt quite homely - the free cups of tea helped.

Gisborne - 23 Jan
Our new Stray guide took us to Poverty Bay which is the first place in NZ visited by Captain Cook. Afterwards we picked up a takeaway roast dinner and sat on a quiet, big stretch of beach and ate our roast. We stayed the night in a house by the beach and had a campfire on the sand and toasted marshmallows. The stars in Gisborne are incredible! We even got a really good sighting of the Milky Way. Gisborne is known as the most easterly city in the world therefore first to welcome the sunrise. The beach we stayed next to was easterly facing so we rose early and sat on the beach to be amongst the first to see the sun rise on 24 Jan 2015.

Te Araroa - 24 Jan
Before leaving Gisborne I went for my very first surf lesson. I say lesson but the usual instructor was taking part in a competition so a Swedish guy from our accommodation took me and another girl from my trip out to the beach for a couple of hours, stuck with us initially and gave us a few pointers before leaving us to our own devices which was actually great - the instructions were nice and simple and we had loads and loads of space to go with our instincts. There are so few people in this part and I loved the relaxed feel of the experience. As for surfing I really enjoyed it. I caught a few really good waves and although I didn't get all the way to standing up I enjoyed the sensation of paddling, waiting for a wave then the powerful rush of the water pulling you into shore. I'll definitely look to do more surfing on this trip. After surfing we visited more beaches on our way to Te Araroa and a really nice church that combined Christian and Maori styles. We stayed the night at a camp site where a napped on the beach before a meat heavy BBQ - hard life!

Te Kaha - 25 Jan
Started the day with a trip to the most easterly lighthouse followed by a look around the studio of a Maori carving school that was also full of art work before going to a macadamia nut farm for ice cream with a view of the sea. Then it was off to our accommodation for the evening and wow! Such a warm welcome from the owner of the accommodation. Another beach front location, this time with a beautiful garden with steps down to the shore and a hot tub with views out to sea. We had a beautiful dinner prepared by the owner of kingfish caught freshly that day plus a side of some smoked kingfish that had been smoked on site. Before leaving, three of us woke at 6am to start the day with some body boarding and swimming in the sea as the sun came up.

Auckland - 26 Jan
Drove to Auckland via Rotorua where we had a few hours to wonder the lake and sunbathe in beautiful, flower-filled Government Gardens between busses. This was the third time Rosie and I had spent time in Rotorua and I enjoyed it more and more each time. By coincidence we arrived back in Auckland on Auckland Anniversary Day where there was a free festival by the marina. We were a bit late to gain entry but there was still a good buzz about the place so we sat and listened from under some trees nearby. And that concluded my trip to NZ!

General ramblings:
Here are some things that potentially everyone else knew about New Zealand but interested me...
Ozone - there isn't one over here. Just like Oz there is a hole in the ozone layer above meaning the sun is harsh. Weather forecasts here give 'burn time' i.e. how many minutes in the sun without sunscreen you're likely to withstand before burning - one forecast said 6 minute burn time so you really can't even just nip to the shops without factor on.
Change - despite price tags such as $14.99 or a food bill of say $17.24 the smallest coin here is 10 cents so they round off to $15 or $17.20 which feels kinda strange.
Population - minuscule! About 4.5 million people across a land mass the same as the UK and less than 1 million of those residents live on the south island. As a Brit, cities here seem so tiny.
Animals/vegetation/culture - apparently every four legged creature found in New Zealand has been introduced, hence I guess why there is a lot of interest in the native birds here. And in huge areas of bush/forest they are trying to eradicate non native plants and trees to get New Zealand back to its natural state pre European settlers which goes to demonstrate the passion that New Zealanders have for their country which also extends to the embracing of Maori culture and language.

In summary I've really enjoyed NZ. Some bits are incredibly beautiful. I've also enjoyed the benefits of having the (largely) same group of people with me to share the activities and experiences with along the way. For any Stray travellers reading this I want to extend a massive thank you for being pivotal to the great memories I now have of New Zealand. You've all been amazing.

Looking forward now to my Aussie road trip.

I heart south island

wander-wonder — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 06:33:00 GMT

My arrival on the south island started with blazing sunshine, a drive through the vineyards of Marlborough (stopping for a cheeky wine tasting session along the way) to Abel Tasman National Park and finished with a beautiful pink sunset by the beach with misty topped mountains behind me. I've been on a three hour trek through the park which was gorgeous - thick, green forest with the occasional view of some really beautiful beaches. We finished our walk at a small sandy cove where we met a kayak guide who took us out on the Tasman Sea to Adele Island where we got really close to seals on the rocks including babies and one even swam near our kayaks very causally twisting and turning around in the water. After kayaking for a bit longer we pulled our four two-man kayaks alongside each other and created a makeshift raft with a sail that pulled us into another bigger beach that had loads of water taxis coming straight off the sea, one after another, straight onto the back of tractors waiting on the shoreline to tow them in - so slick. Later I cooked up a big veggie curry for seven of us from the bus which we had with a drink or two - bit of bonding.

The following day I managed my first run for three months following my hip injury and I managed 40 minutes along the coastal track with relative ease - so relieved. After the morning run we trekked the most beautiful path yet before taking in the 'pancake rocks' and blowholes.

The next two nights were spent in Franz Josef which, with neighbouring Fox Glacier, form two of only three glaciers in the world that run directly into rainforest. I was lucky enough to catch a helicopter ride up to Fox Glacier where I took part in a two hour ice hike which was amazing but touched with a little sadness as you can visibly see how quickly the ice is melting away. I took better than I expected though to the crampons and the helicopter ride itself was awesome. The heliport at Franz Josef is one if the busiest in the world and the pilot I had was fab - swerving the sides of the mountains and suddenly ascending making my stomach go, which I loved. Best thing about the day though was Dermot and Charlotte, an Irish couple I'd been travelling with for a couple of weeks, getting engaged. Dermot popped the question on the glacier and Charlotte said yes!! So thrilled for them as they're a fab couple and honoured to have been part of that exciting time. After the fun of the glacier a few of us went to the open air hot pools for a nice soak.

On leaving Franz we travelled through Haast Pass. It was a shame that this part of our journey was rainy as it's meant to be one of the most beautiful drives in NZ however the rain did bring with it the spectacle of waterfall after waterfall coming down from the mountains at the sides of the road on our way to Wanaka.

Wanaka was a real treat. I wasn't expecting much - just a small town to rest up in between Franz Josef and Queenstown however I had such a great stay there. We went a little one-off cinema that had all sorts of eclectic seats you could choose to watch the movie from - I sat in a gigantic squishy armchair that both reclined and rocked - and at a half time interval slot they served freshly baked cookies - heaven. The following morning I went for another run around the lake past vineyards and ice capped mountains before spontaneously taking a swim in the lake from the end of a small wooden jetty. In that moment I felt so good - exhilarated haha.

After Wanaka we hit Queenstown, stopping along the way for a couple of girls in our group to do a bungy jump (once is enough for me) which we all cheered on. Queenstown is another place that was so much more than I expected. Given its rep as the adventure capital of the world I had an image that it might be full of drunk 18 year olds and touts but it's really very beautiful. In fact it's the first place I've come across in NZ that I could see myself living in. Mainly because the areas a few hours drive around it are incredibly beautiful and in Queenstown itself you have everything you could possibly want including some amazing places to eat. We had dinner from Fergburger which was once credited as making the best burger in the world. I had a classic burger, and was tempted to go for another when passing back through, and afterwards ate a lemon meringue ice cream from Mrs Ferg's next door (pig I know but it was sooo good).

Next up came one of the biggest must dos in NZ - Milford Sound. Just the drive there had my jaw slackening it was so beautiful. The drive also featured a steep and rather rugged tunnel through one of the mountains which we entered in sunshine and came out the other side surrounded in thick cloud. We took a two hour cruise through Milford Sound which is actually a fiord created by ice. The boat got really close to a waterfall which covered us in spray which was fun but we were really, really lucky to have visited on a dry, sunny day as it apparently rains 300 days of the year there which must hamper the visibility massively so I was very fortunate. That night we stayed at a place called Gunns Camp which was like a step back in time - reminded me of brownie camp.

Following Gunns Camp we drove to the far south via Invercargill, the worlds most southerly city and home to Burt Munro on whom the film The World's Fastest Indian is based. Next stop for the night was Stewart Island which has a rep for its nature. We saw a couple of blue penguins here, the smallest penguins in the world that only weigh an average of 1kg each. We also took a midnight walk to see if we could spot the elusive nocturnal kiwi bird. Unfortunately we didn't see any but we did hear one call which was pretty exciting in itself as they're so rare. Best bit of Stewart Island though was Bathing Beach which was the most beautiful beach yet and completely deserted - bliss.

From here I'm staying in a different place every single night in NZ making my way up along the east coast of the south island before taking in the east of the north island then finishing up back in Auckland. Next stop Mount Cook...

Photos: New Zealand

wander-wonder — Thu, 8 Jan 2015 19:52:00 GMT

Kia Ora (not just a juice but also a Maori greeting - who knew!?)

wander-wonder — Tue, 6 Jan 2015 08:52:00 GMT

Right! So much to catch up on! Wifi access in NZ is pants but need to ensure I post more often as this is a marathon update...

My time in New Zealand got off to a slow start but I guess that was to be expected with it being the Christmas period. Since Christmas however I've been packing in much more and travelling with a great group of people on a hop on hop off tour bus.

In the first week I spent 1 night in Auckland and 4 nights in Paihia followed by another 2 nights in Auckland. Other travellers were a bit disparaging about Auckland, saying that there's not much to do, but I liked it. The main 'downtown' area is small but a lot more stylish than I expected. It's crammed full of nice bars, restaurants and cheap eastern eateries. I walked around the whole city including a couple if suburbs, several parks, to the top of Mount Eden, the shopping area and marina all in a day. Also watched the final Hobbit movie in Auckland (seemed fitting to watch it here - see if I can recognise any of the film locations as I go around) and there's a nice tribute to the people of New Zealand at the beginning that I presume is only being played here so was nice to see.

Paihia (said pie-hear) is in the Bay of Islands region north of Auckland which is meant to be the sunniest area of NZ. It was a bit grey and wet whilst I was there however I still saw all I wanted to even if it was a bit murky (New Zealand definitely has the most unpredictable and changeable weather I've experienced). It was this area where I spent Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. On Christmas Eve I took a walk along the beach (cool for a British girl who's usually in 5 layers of clothing at this time of the year) and another walk up through a forest to a look out point over the harbour before a BBQ dinner then watched Home Alone with a couple of the girls from my dorm to get us in the Christmas spirit. Christmas Day morning I walked (for 5 hours all in all) to a waterfall via the beach, more forest and mangroves before Christmas dinner at the hostel. Here alcohol isn't served on Christmas Day (unless you're eating out) so the bars stop serving alcohol at midnight on Christmas Eve and you can't buy any from shops until Boxing Day - was not expecting that, especially as xmas seems to revolve around alcohol back home. The group Christmas dinner at the hostel was, umm, a good effort... ham, chicken, stuffing, mash, peas (not too weird at this point), caesar salad, pasta, olives and garlic bread that had been cooked on the BBQ followed by tinned fruit and ice cream. What was really fun and unexpected was that we were given little Christmas gifts from a lucky dip - I got a flashing Rudolph nose - and a guy at our table won a $50 bar tab which he really kindly shared amongst all of us so free drinks all night - pretty cool Christmas present. On Boxing Day I took a boat tour around some of the 144 islands within the bay. We saw lots of dolphins including babies and stopped off at one of the islands for a walkabout and the views from there were beautiful. The day after Boxing Day we went to the most northern tip of New Zealand, Cape Reinga, which we reached via '90 mile beach' literally driving in our full sized coach along the sand for miles and miles north stopping for some more sand boarding along the way - so much fun. It's at Cape Reinga that the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. Luckily the sun came out and you could see an actual line (change in water colour - deep blue in the Pacific side and more green blue on the Tasman side) where the two bodies of water come together - beautiful.

Now I've just finished working my way across and down the North Island (bar the east which I'll do last). I had really itchy feet after the first week but the last 7 days have been brilliant. On 30 Dec I connected with a bigger bus and we stayed in a surfing town called Raglan with a black beach and really laid back feeling. Our dorm even had a sea view - very cool. The following morning I went on a trip into the Waitomo caves which included a little boat ride into a pitch black cave all but for thousands of glow worms hanging from the ceiling which was amazing. After Waitomo we went to Mourea and stayed in a Marae (traditional Maori meeting house) where they cooked us dinner and performed a cultural show that we later took part in - the girls performing a dance with a poi and the boys a haka. Because it was New Year and you can't drink alcohol at a Marae we were invited to one of the Maori family's home were they'd put up some gazebos in the garden. The adults from the show were there and we played drinking games 'til the early hours - brilliant fun and so generous. So that takes me to New Year's Day! First of all we spent a few hours in Rotorua were there's lots of geothermal activity and bubbling mud pools before going to a lake side lodge where we had a hangi which is like an underground BBQ where the food is places on hot rocks in a pit then covered with wet cloths and dirt so the food is steamed and gets a lovely smoky taste - incredible. I helped make fried bread rolls to have with dinner which were like these amazing fluffy savoury doughnuts and they've passed on the recipe so watch out waistline. The next day we went to a working farm set amongst national park land for a two night stay. Here we sang (tipsily) around a camp fire before a full on day of wilderness activity - hair whitening ride in a quad, kayak trip around and along from a waterfall, hike to an extremely high point with sheer cliff drops either side then some clay pigeon shooting activity back at the lodge. After the farm came the best day yet... the day I did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing!… a near 2000m high, 19.4km hike across an active volcano. The area features in the Lord of the Rings and it was truly stunning. When we reached the top, clouds swooped in and for a short time we could spin 360 degrees around and see nothing much but the white of the clouds - amazing. The following day we hit Wellington and one of the girls I was with in the first week who has lived in Wellington for the last 11 months showed us around which was great.

Many people skip the North Island and are only interested in the South Island due to the more dramatic scenery so, as I'm sure you can imagine, I am very excited on the ferry crossing to the South Island now and can't wait to explore more of what New Zealand has to offer.

Farewell Fiji

wander-wonder — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 05:02:00 GMT

My time in Fiji has now come to an end. I could easily spend weeks on end here jumping from one island to another although I feel good about what I've managed to see - four days doing a full loop of the main island, three days in the Yasawa's and a day trip around the Mamanuca's. The whole trip has gone really smoothly and I'm now getting savvy to backpacker ways and feeling quite at ease. Of course it helps that I've been continually chatting to such nice people. I've not eaten alone once since arriving in Fiji. After the tour around the main island, which I spent with the girls I met on my first day here, and after travelling alone to the Yasawa's I ate with another girl from Holland and a couple of guys from Taiwan then last night I had dinner with my American roomie. I'm loving hearing everyones stories of their travels and future plans but I'm also loving learning about other countries that I'm not even visiting through other travellers stories of home.

So, about my last few days in Fiji...

The Blue Lagoon Resort on Nacula in the Yasawa group of islands was bliss! I can't believe backpacker resorts like it exist! I fully expected all the best beaches to have been bought up and privatised by high end hotels but by all accounts I found myself at one of the best of the outer islands (all that pre-planning paid off). It had one of the most beautiful beaches, fab food (three courses for dinner with sorbet in-between - very fancy) and free wifi so I managed to load a few sick-making pictures hehe. The sea was really shallow and warm and when I took a walk along the kilometre of sand I didn't see another sole - can't remember the last time I felt as relaxed. I only wish the photos could better show how blue the sea was. On my two nights at Blue Lagoon there were thunder storms in the distance and it was so nice to be warm and dry, sitting and watching the far off lightning from the beach.

For my final day I went on a day sailing trip around around some of the Mamanuca Islands (closer to the main island than the Yasawa Islands). All the food and drink was included and we started with champagne which was an unexpected treat. The BBQ lunch was also amazing but the highlight was spending an hour at Modriki, the island where the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks was filmed. We snorkelled off the beach there and took a very short walk into the cover of the coconut trees and drank from some coconuts that our guide climbed and pulled down from one of the trees for us.

The things that have characterised Fiji for me are:
- singing: I've never heard so much singing and acoustic guitar playing and it's so good
- a numb tongue: from all the kava drinking (it has an anaesthetic quality)
- beauty: see pictures
- warmth: from the 13 hours of blazing sun a day, the water in the pools and sea and the lovely people

The locals right across Fiji have been so friendly. So many have stuck around after their shifts just to sit and chat. One older guy I was talking to was in the army for many years and has travelled to most continents and when I asked which was his favourite he said he liked no place more than Fiji as here they don't pay rent or mortgages, they eat what they grow and there's a better sense of community - says so much.

On a light note, here's some more of the silly stuff from my travels:
- I've discovered my insect repellant designed to be applied to my skin removes nail varnish! Slightly worrying
- Animals, domestic and livestock, are free to roam here so I've seen many a cow and goat strolling along the main ring-road around the island
- I've had no issues with all the boats I've been on however I got motion dizziness for an hour from reading the instructions on the laundrette washing machine whilst in mid-cycle! lol

So, 2 of 10 countries and 2 of 23 weeks away from England now complete. By lunchtime I'll be in New Zealand!

Photos: Fiji

wander-wonder — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 20:13:00 GMT

Fiji

Bula vinaka!!!!

wander-wonder — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 20:56:00 GMT

Wow! Fiji is amazing!!!!

I'm travelling with 3 others girls that are also all solo backpacking; one Yorkshire lass, a Dutch girl and a German girl. We're on a tour around the main island with our guide, Emy, who is so much fun plus we seem to get treated extra special when we're with her as she's so popular, and a driver, Ravi.

The hostels I've stayed in so far have been incredible (it'll be a shock to the system when I get to the norm dorms haha). The first was a real party place where we stayed with the Aussie under 21 hockey teams (lively bunch!). We had a bonfire and fireworks on the beach and stayed up until 3am swimming, dancing to a dodgy Aussie playlist and drinking. The second was like a 5 star resort (with bunk beds!) - huge padded sun loungers, beanbags on the beach, an outdoor shower in a walled private garden and a buffet breakfast of made-to-order omelettes, pancakes and tropical fruit salad. All the food has been seriously good. I'm going to put on weight but should loose it in Asia haha. Also, had a couple of fresh young coconuts to drink from and a snack of deep fried coconut, all complimentary along with the kava (a traditional drink that gets you mildly stoned - it's considered rude to refuse!).

As for activities, upon landing I was given a beautiful shell necklace and within 2 hours we were on a pristine beach called Natadola. Also been sand boarding and swam in a waterfall that we trekked up to but returned to our bus by swimming, jumping and sliding our way downhill from one waterfall to another which was scary at times, hilarious and totally stunning. At the main/highest waterfall we swam behind the waterfall and at the bottom we took a boat ride downstream through a forest which came out at a beautiful sandy beach we were staying at the other end of. We've been to a mud pool and got caked head to toe then washed off in a hot spring before visiting a orphanage later the same day. My favourite thing so far though has been a trip to a village where we took part in a traditional ceremony, ate a delicious Fijian meal made solely from the crops of the village including cassava and lots of spinach, went for a trip on bamboo rafts and danced with the villagers where I think I've scored myself a potential Fijian husband lol. We've been introduced to lots of Fijian customs which has been special.

Tomorrow I'm heading to one of the outer islands for a two night stay in the blue lagoon area of the Yasawa Islands via a 4.5 hour catamaran trip past many if the smaller island and as I love boats I'm really excited.

It's down season at the moment in Fiji so we've had pools and beaches almost entirely to ourselves which has been great and the water is so warm in both.

The girls I'm travelling with are really well travelled, full of pointers and we're already planning to meet up again.

Fiji has given me my first taste of backpacking (continually moving from one place to the next and shared rooms). Initial observations... It's funny how:
1. Quickly I've felt like family with the girls I'm travelling with
2. Often someone can say "In Peru..."
3. Some of my sensibilities have instantly gone out the window, like eating raw sugar cane prepared with a rusty machete (I didn't want to appear rude so I ate it with everyone else and glad I did - it was good)

I'm struggling to maintain an internet connection but hope to load pictures and more stories of my Fijian adventures shortly...

Time to board my next plane already!

wander-wonder — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 22:40:00 GMT

Have loved Hong Kong. I've found it to be such a polite city - hardly any jostling or raised voices - about as zen as you could possibly get for somewhere with so many inhabitants.

Victoria Peak and just the tram ride up itself was amazing as was the day trip to Lantau Island - so lush. I don't think my ears have ever popped so much!... On the cable car, Victoria peak tram and in the lift up to the viewing gallery on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre building which was really cool and futuristic feeling. It seems all the main attractions have a mall attached - there's even one next to Big Buddha and one at the top of the Peak which I wasn't expecting. And how could I not mention the food?! I know a few of you want to know if I've eaten any 'weird stuff'. The weirdest thing I ate was rice rolls - thick gelatinous sheets, similar to dim sum casings, layered with pork, rolled, steamed and served with soy - kind of like Chinese cannelloni! The weirdest drink was a hot honey tea that was thick and brown but surprisingly good. I also had my first bubble tea (passion fruit green tea with strawberry 'pearls') which was actually delicious.

I've managed to load some pictures and individually label them so you can see what I've been up to (will also serve as a nice reminder for me as I'm already looking back and thinking 'oh yeah, so and so' haha).

Next stop... Fiji!

(My access to the internet will be patchy from this point on so don't worry if the next post doesn't follow for a week although I'll try to update soon.)

Photos: Hong Kong

wander-wonder — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 10:14:00 GMT

Here it begins!

wander-wonder — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 09:15:00 GMT

I'm pleased to report my trip has got off to a good start (and long may it continue!)... The inaugural direct flight from Manchester to Hong Kong I borded was something in itself to behold - check in desk greeting from a dragon dancing to Chinese techno and free cupcakes, which I declined - me! I wasn't so shy though with the free champagne, chocolates and inscribed Hong Kong travel planner - all very lovely. In fact, so far everything has exceeded my expectations. In my first 48 hours in Hong Kong I stumbled upon the mid level escalators, botanical garden and free zoo. I've been to Man Mo Temple and lit incense to bless my travels. Took a bus to the south of Hong Kong Island and caught a glimpse of Stanley and Repulse Bay (sadly a bit chilly to take a dip but beautiful beach). This bus journey also took me to Aberdeen where I boarded a traditional sampan (small fishing boat) for a tour around Aberdeen fishing village. I've also been on my first Star Ferry boat ride across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon and seen the Symphony of Lights nightly laser show. Today I'll explore more of Kowloon and its markets and hopefully get my first sample of the street food - can't wait! As for tomorrow, I've signed up for a trip to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery and a stilt village via a glass bottomed cable car - eek! All that and I've still got Victoria Peak, a harbour tour and many other things to see.

Apologies for the lack of pictures so far. It's been a bit smoggy so they haven't come out that well but hope to rectify soon.

As for beyond Hong Kong and so you can plot roughly where I'll be and when, here's the plan:

Hong Kong to 14 Dec

Fiji to 23 Dec

New Zealand to 27 Jan

Australia (Cairns to Melbourne) to 17 Feb

Singapore to 22 Feb then 3 months free-flow through

Malaysia

Thailand

Laos

Cambodia

Vietnam

Keep in touch via comments / email.