Since being away, I haven't blogged quite as much as I would have liked to.
However, I have a pretty good excuse; I've been too busy having fun to spend time typing away on a keyboard!
Now seems an opportune moment as we have a couple of hours to kill until we have to board the greyhound bus to our next destination, Hervey Bay.
After 5 days in Surfers, we travelled a couple of hours further up the coast to Maroochydore. The first few days here saw us trapped indoors due to extreme heavy rain which got quite scary. Unfortunately we're not massive fans of our hostel, nor the people staying here who keep the rest of us awake until the crack of dawn with their drunken antics and loud voices, so being stuck indoors wasn't much fun!
So as soon as the rain stopped, we road-tripped it to the Australia Zoo which was a fantastic day out! As well as getting to see all the animals, we fed elephants, stroked and fed kangaroos and patted koalas! I've never been much of an animal person, but I completely fell in love with the animals there. Well, maybe not the snakes, lizards and crocodiles, but all the rest were great!!
Today we are headed a further 5 hours up the coast to Hervey Bay, and from there we'll go to Airlie Beach where I'll be celebrating my birthday!
I'm still ever so in love with this country, and my life plan at the moment is to save up as much money as quickly as possible when I get home, and then return out here with a one year working visa. This is a plan that I really want to stick too!
So that was a quick update on my part. Again I am writing this on my iPod so it's not the longest of posts - I will get around to writing an essay soon!!
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Australia, I love you.
So, as you can see by the title of this blog, I love Australia.
We're currently in our fourth location up the coast, and it's not only living up to my expectations but it's exceeding them everyday.
So far we've spent time in the beautiful city that is Sydney, the quiet yet pretty town of Coffs Harbour, party central Byron Bay, and we're currently in Surfers Paradise; it really is paradise.
Staying in hostels has been an interesting experience.. We were spoilt in Sydney with a large room with an en-suite and an amazing power shower. Our rooms since then have been slightly smaller, less air-conned and minus our own bathroom.
However, we've been lucky to share our rooms with some nice people, hopefully people who we'll now stay in touch with.
Nights out have also allowed us to meet other travellers and habitants of Australia, all with different reasons for being here and all with fantastic plans for their life!
I can't really explain why I have fallen so in love with Australia, but it now feels like home and I already know I want to save up to come back as soon as possible. And despite bad weather warnings around Queensland and NSW, so far we have been extremely lucky with the weather.. *touch wood*
Next stop for us is Brisbane, where our main activity will be visiting the Steve Irwin zoo which is meant to be amazing. But will it live up to last week in Coffs where I got a kiss from both a seal and a dolphin?!
Anyway, writing all this on an iPod is quite hard work, so I'll write a longer post next time I use a computer :)
And a suggestion for anyone who hasn't been to Australia.. You probably should!
Lots of love from down under xoxo
We're currently in our fourth location up the coast, and it's not only living up to my expectations but it's exceeding them everyday.
So far we've spent time in the beautiful city that is Sydney, the quiet yet pretty town of Coffs Harbour, party central Byron Bay, and we're currently in Surfers Paradise; it really is paradise.
Staying in hostels has been an interesting experience.. We were spoilt in Sydney with a large room with an en-suite and an amazing power shower. Our rooms since then have been slightly smaller, less air-conned and minus our own bathroom.
However, we've been lucky to share our rooms with some nice people, hopefully people who we'll now stay in touch with.
Nights out have also allowed us to meet other travellers and habitants of Australia, all with different reasons for being here and all with fantastic plans for their life!
I can't really explain why I have fallen so in love with Australia, but it now feels like home and I already know I want to save up to come back as soon as possible. And despite bad weather warnings around Queensland and NSW, so far we have been extremely lucky with the weather.. *touch wood*
Next stop for us is Brisbane, where our main activity will be visiting the Steve Irwin zoo which is meant to be amazing. But will it live up to last week in Coffs where I got a kiss from both a seal and a dolphin?!
Anyway, writing all this on an iPod is quite hard work, so I'll write a longer post next time I use a computer :)
And a suggestion for anyone who hasn't been to Australia.. You probably should!
Lots of love from down under xoxo
Monday, 20 February 2012
The Asia Adventure..!
This is the first opportunity since we left on February 2nd to sit down and write a blog about our adventure so far.
Asia, in my opinion, is hard to sum up. We have only seen a fraction of the continent - Thailand and Malaysia - yet what we have seen does not seem to differ from region to region. The one word that myself and Ellen have used repeatedly whilst here has been 'mental'. Back home, I would use such a word when something is either extremely good or extremely crazy. Here it definitely means the latter.
Bangkok, our first destination, was nothing like I had (or could have) anticipated nor predicted. Our taxi dropped us off at the end of Khao San Road which is where our accomodation was. If you are not familar with this road, do google it and have a look at the images. You'll understand what I mean by 'mental'. We were both tired from a long flight which then turned to aggrevation as we struggled to find our hotel. We really had chosen the busiest destination first, which couldn't have been more different from home if it tried. And then came the torrential rain..! Our backpacks were fortunate enough to come equpipped with waterproof covers. The two of us however, weren't so well prepared!
Whilst in Bangkok, we spent a majority of our time visiting touristy-type attractions, mainly temples and markets.
The weather was high 30's day in and out. Humid is an understatement and we definitely lost a noticeable amount of weight in sweat!
We struggled with the food whilst in Bangkok, which was unfortunate, especially as the variety wasn't much better when we got to Phuket.
Phuket was similar to Bangkok in many ways. The roads were busy, there are no pavements, market stalls swarm the place and none of them seem to smell very nice! However we were so chuffed with our accomodation, particularly as we were on a main road. The resort was set just off Nanai Road, amongst tropical trees which made us felt like we were miles away from the hustle and bustle of Patong.
The weather was truly fantastic for the majority of our stay, meaing that we could spend hours lazing by the pool and soaking up the sunshine whilst our friends and family back home were experiencing snow and sub-zero temperatures!!
A trip to Phuket would, of course, been incomplete without a visit to the notorious Phi Phi Island.
We debated whether or not to do a tour, and if it would be better to go via speed boat or ferry.
In the end we opted for a ferry direct to Phi Phi Island. The speed boat would have taken a fraction of the time to cross the water, but the waves on our outbound trip would have made it somewhat unenjoyable, whereas the ferry took it all in its stride.
Upon approaching the island, it was mesmerising to see it appear out of the water in all its glory. It really does look like what it does on all the websites and postcards that I've seen - Truly beautiful, despite the tsunami which had tried its best to wipe it out a few years ago.
Once we had disembarked, we had a light lunch and then chose to spend our few hours on the island climbing to the top of the mountains where a view point would give us a view of the entire island. (Phi Phi is actually two islands which are joined together by a small strip of land - This is the area where the tsunami hit.)
A 35 minute uphill climb, in blistering heat was not normally something that I would opt to do, but my word it was worth it.
Clearly not many others had wanted to make the climb in the midday sun, as there was only a handful of tourists there. The view was truly spectacular and a definite highlight of the trip so far. Unfortunately the pictures of us that we took whilst up there show just had testing the walk was, but at least we had proof that we did it and actually saw the island from the highest peak!
As I write this, we're in Kuala Lumpur where the sun has blessed us with its presence for only a couple of hours in three days, and the rain has showed us that England really doesn't know how to do rain - When it rains here, it sure as hell rains!
On our first day here, we were up at 6.30am to head into KLCC and secure tickets to go up the Petronas Towers, which are now the tallest twin towers in the world. They aren't close to some of the tallest buildings around the globe, but stood side by side, they are somewhat magnificent to look at.
We were taken up to the bridge which connects the two towers together on the 41st and 42nd floor. That was scary enough, but then we went up to the 86th of 88 floors! The view was fantastic despite the sun not shining, and it was really interesting to learn about their significance.
The rest of our time here has been spent around the local area of Chinatown where we are staying, browsing the markets and filling up on three large meals a day - Yes, the food is so much better in Malaysia compared to Thailand!! The only food that I'm now really missing is Cadbury's chocolate (nowhere seems to make it quite like England do), mashed and roast potatoes and pasta with grated cheddar on top!
Luckily I am yet to feel too homesick. Of course I miss my family and friends, as well as being able to have bubble baths, power showers and a very comfy bed, but so far so good. Although I really am sad to be missing our puppy grow from tiny to mega fluffy by the looks and sounds of things! Hopefully he will delay any further growth until I'm home.
So.. That's a brief update from me, and hopefully I won't leave it so long until the next one.
Tomorrow we depart for Singapore, but for now it's my dinner time!
xoxo
Asia, in my opinion, is hard to sum up. We have only seen a fraction of the continent - Thailand and Malaysia - yet what we have seen does not seem to differ from region to region. The one word that myself and Ellen have used repeatedly whilst here has been 'mental'. Back home, I would use such a word when something is either extremely good or extremely crazy. Here it definitely means the latter.
Bangkok, our first destination, was nothing like I had (or could have) anticipated nor predicted. Our taxi dropped us off at the end of Khao San Road which is where our accomodation was. If you are not familar with this road, do google it and have a look at the images. You'll understand what I mean by 'mental'. We were both tired from a long flight which then turned to aggrevation as we struggled to find our hotel. We really had chosen the busiest destination first, which couldn't have been more different from home if it tried. And then came the torrential rain..! Our backpacks were fortunate enough to come equpipped with waterproof covers. The two of us however, weren't so well prepared!
Whilst in Bangkok, we spent a majority of our time visiting touristy-type attractions, mainly temples and markets.
The weather was high 30's day in and out. Humid is an understatement and we definitely lost a noticeable amount of weight in sweat!
We struggled with the food whilst in Bangkok, which was unfortunate, especially as the variety wasn't much better when we got to Phuket.
Phuket was similar to Bangkok in many ways. The roads were busy, there are no pavements, market stalls swarm the place and none of them seem to smell very nice! However we were so chuffed with our accomodation, particularly as we were on a main road. The resort was set just off Nanai Road, amongst tropical trees which made us felt like we were miles away from the hustle and bustle of Patong.
The weather was truly fantastic for the majority of our stay, meaing that we could spend hours lazing by the pool and soaking up the sunshine whilst our friends and family back home were experiencing snow and sub-zero temperatures!!
A trip to Phuket would, of course, been incomplete without a visit to the notorious Phi Phi Island.
We debated whether or not to do a tour, and if it would be better to go via speed boat or ferry.
In the end we opted for a ferry direct to Phi Phi Island. The speed boat would have taken a fraction of the time to cross the water, but the waves on our outbound trip would have made it somewhat unenjoyable, whereas the ferry took it all in its stride.
Upon approaching the island, it was mesmerising to see it appear out of the water in all its glory. It really does look like what it does on all the websites and postcards that I've seen - Truly beautiful, despite the tsunami which had tried its best to wipe it out a few years ago.
Once we had disembarked, we had a light lunch and then chose to spend our few hours on the island climbing to the top of the mountains where a view point would give us a view of the entire island. (Phi Phi is actually two islands which are joined together by a small strip of land - This is the area where the tsunami hit.)
A 35 minute uphill climb, in blistering heat was not normally something that I would opt to do, but my word it was worth it.
Clearly not many others had wanted to make the climb in the midday sun, as there was only a handful of tourists there. The view was truly spectacular and a definite highlight of the trip so far. Unfortunately the pictures of us that we took whilst up there show just had testing the walk was, but at least we had proof that we did it and actually saw the island from the highest peak!
As I write this, we're in Kuala Lumpur where the sun has blessed us with its presence for only a couple of hours in three days, and the rain has showed us that England really doesn't know how to do rain - When it rains here, it sure as hell rains!
On our first day here, we were up at 6.30am to head into KLCC and secure tickets to go up the Petronas Towers, which are now the tallest twin towers in the world. They aren't close to some of the tallest buildings around the globe, but stood side by side, they are somewhat magnificent to look at.
We were taken up to the bridge which connects the two towers together on the 41st and 42nd floor. That was scary enough, but then we went up to the 86th of 88 floors! The view was fantastic despite the sun not shining, and it was really interesting to learn about their significance.
The rest of our time here has been spent around the local area of Chinatown where we are staying, browsing the markets and filling up on three large meals a day - Yes, the food is so much better in Malaysia compared to Thailand!! The only food that I'm now really missing is Cadbury's chocolate (nowhere seems to make it quite like England do), mashed and roast potatoes and pasta with grated cheddar on top!
Luckily I am yet to feel too homesick. Of course I miss my family and friends, as well as being able to have bubble baths, power showers and a very comfy bed, but so far so good. Although I really am sad to be missing our puppy grow from tiny to mega fluffy by the looks and sounds of things! Hopefully he will delay any further growth until I'm home.
So.. That's a brief update from me, and hopefully I won't leave it so long until the next one.
Tomorrow we depart for Singapore, but for now it's my dinner time!
xoxo
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Two Weeks To Go (And Counting)!!
As I write this, I really can't believe that it is now only TWO WEEKS until Ellen and I depart on our adventure!
We booked our flights back in October when our trip seemed far-off in the future. But here we are with only fourteen days to go. Unbelievable.
I've just had a quick look at images online of some of the destinations we'll be visiting, which makes me even more excited;
We booked our flights back in October when our trip seemed far-off in the future. But here we are with only fourteen days to go. Unbelievable.
I've just had a quick look at images online of some of the destinations we'll be visiting, which makes me even more excited;
Bangkok..
The Gold Coast..
The Great Barrier Reef..
Phuket..
Singapore..
Kuala Lumpur..
Sydney..
Whitsundays..
Brisbane..
In terms of organisation, we're doing pretty well. Our accommodation and internal flights around Asia are all booked and paid for, and we have accommodation sorted for our first destination in Australia.
We've booked a 'hop-on, hop-off' bus ticket for Australia which means our travel up the East Coast is dealt with, so hopefully all we'll have to do is decide when we want to go to our next destination, jump on the bus and book into a hostel!
There isn't a whole lot else that we can do now before we go. Our to-do lists are getting smaller and smaller, with nothing too 'major' left to do. Things like get our hair cut, exchange money and pack are the priorities now.
Speaking of packing, my backpack is looking pretty small now that I have pulled my wardrobe to pieces and spent quite a lot of money on clothes, bikini's and flip flops! I have no idea how it's all supposed to fit in my bag, let alone how I'm going to carry it! The items that I want to take with me have been sitting on my sofa in my bedroom for well over a week now, however I'm doing a great job of avoiding any attempt to pack.
Apparently there's an art to doing so, but I have a funny feeling I am going to end up with some very creased clothes. A travel iron may need to be added to my shopping list..
So, only fourteen days to go now. Which also means I only have 8 shifts lefts at work - This is an amazing feeling!! I've been working almost every day for the past couple of months in order to afford this trip. I know that I'm fortunate to have only needed to work full time to pay for my travels rather than in order to survive, but I still haven't enjoyed it very much!
Anyway, I should probably read up on how to pack my rucksack. Or at least debate if it's really necessary to take so many clothes with me...
We've booked a 'hop-on, hop-off' bus ticket for Australia which means our travel up the East Coast is dealt with, so hopefully all we'll have to do is decide when we want to go to our next destination, jump on the bus and book into a hostel!
There isn't a whole lot else that we can do now before we go. Our to-do lists are getting smaller and smaller, with nothing too 'major' left to do. Things like get our hair cut, exchange money and pack are the priorities now.
Speaking of packing, my backpack is looking pretty small now that I have pulled my wardrobe to pieces and spent quite a lot of money on clothes, bikini's and flip flops! I have no idea how it's all supposed to fit in my bag, let alone how I'm going to carry it! The items that I want to take with me have been sitting on my sofa in my bedroom for well over a week now, however I'm doing a great job of avoiding any attempt to pack.
Apparently there's an art to doing so, but I have a funny feeling I am going to end up with some very creased clothes. A travel iron may need to be added to my shopping list..
So, only fourteen days to go now. Which also means I only have 8 shifts lefts at work - This is an amazing feeling!! I've been working almost every day for the past couple of months in order to afford this trip. I know that I'm fortunate to have only needed to work full time to pay for my travels rather than in order to survive, but I still haven't enjoyed it very much!
Anyway, I should probably read up on how to pack my rucksack. Or at least debate if it's really necessary to take so many clothes with me...
Thursday, 22 December 2011
An Introduction..
Six weeks to go..
Six weeks until we'll be headed for Bangkok, followed by Phuket, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Then we'll be flying out to Sydney and working our way up the East Coast of Australia until we reach Cairns, our final destination.
I'm very, very, very excited and cannot wait to begin exploring parts of the world that I've dreamt of visiting for many years.
Australia is somewhere that I have wanted to visit for a long time, although I can't really explain why. We're aiming to visit at least 14 locations along the East Coast and I still can't believe how fortunate I am to be doing so. Our rough itinerary proposes that we will be spending my birthday on Whitsunday Island.. Wow. Talk about best birthday ever!
Phuket has also been on my list ever since watching 'The Beach' and seeing the beautiful islands surrounding it.
Until planning this trip, I haven't known very much about the other locations that we're visiting whilst in South East Asia, but having done a lot of research on them over the last couple of months I am eager to get there and begin the adventure.
The title 'The Adventures of Roo and Koala' is somewhat strange I know, but let me explain.
Australia is home to a number of wildlife species that I have never seen in the flesh before. The koala bear is at the top of my favourites list, although I've heard rumours that they're quite smelly. Upon telling my dear friend Ellen about their odour, she claimed that she wanted to smell like a koala bear.. Strange I know, but since then I have called her Koala!
This of course meant that I couldn't be without an Australian animal nickname, so she chose to call me Roo for no reason whatsoever except that it sounded cute.
So what else could I possibly call my blog for our trip besides 'The Adventures of Roo and Koala'!?!
With Christmas a matter of days away, and with 2012 beginning next week, I have a sneaky suspicion (and hope) that 42 days are going to fly by pretty quick.
On the lead up to our departure date, I will be writing the odd post about our plans and preparations. Then once we are away I am hoping to write as often as possible to document our experiences and adventure!!!
42 days to go and counting...
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