Change of address!

I've started a new lifestyle blog at http://veganwhale.blogspot.co.uk.

Come and visit me there :)

Cruising round the Whitsundays

Forget the Opera House, Fraser Island and pretty much everything else - sailing around the gorgeous Whitsundays on a 2 day/2 night tour is the best thing I've done in Australia, it was SO much fun and I met the nicest people! Sunbathing on the deck, gazing up at the Milky Way, making new friends, snorkelling on the reef, being constantly fed beautiful food and gooning it up come dusk - what's not to love! I'd been looking forward to this for weeks and now I'm really sad it's over! I'll let the photos speak for themselves :)

Hervey Bay - my new home until November!

I've just said yes to the best job in the world.

I'd tentatively sent out a bunch of emails back in Noosa to all of the whale watching boats in Hervey Bay - allegedly the best place in the world to get up close to humpback whales on their seasonal migration from the Antarctic to the sub-tropical waters Down Under - to see whether there were any jobs available.

The odds weren't exactly in my favour: despite my love of whales, whale watching and fiery ambition to get into the field, I've never worked on a boat before and my degree in English Literature doesn't exactly scream marine biology expert. However, I received positive replies from 4 boats in Hervey Bay and Brisbane and on my first day in the Bay had managed to score meetings with the captains of two of the boats.

I still can't believe how easy it was - I was shown around the boats, told I would need to go on a first aid course & get an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) qualification and taken on a trial run the following day to see how everything works & get to know the crew...and a week after sending out my first emails I found myself accepting a job!

Rainbow Beach & Fraser Island

I'm not sure how the name of this...village? hamlet?...can be justified when the sand is BLACK (ew). 

Apparently the name derives from the coloured sands and cliffs (not walking distance), but after a long spell of torrential rain the sun fought its way through thick black cloud and brought an actual rainbow with it which was quite nice.

Cutting loose in Noos-a

Since I've come back to Oz, it's felt like I've been on holiday rather than travelling - yes, there's a difference! 

The four days I spent in Noosa were akin to an actual beach holiday, with much of my time dedicated solely to tanning on Main Beach. I did muster up the energy to take myself on a leisurely walk along the coastal fringes of Noosa's National Park, and I'm really glad I did because the coves, open ocean and empty beaches were stunning. I'm guilty of overusing this word, I know, but honestly there were times when I couldn't take more than a few steps without having to stop again to soak up the views.

Why it's so tough staying healthy on the road

Weight-wise, going travelling is like going to uni: you either lose a few kilos because you're not eating properly, or you pack them on...because you're not eating properly. New and exotic foods are one of the highlights of travel but foreign flavours, spices and aromas aren't the only things throwing a spanner in the works when it comes to maintaining a steady weight. I've put on 3kg in the past 6 months and - slowing metabolism now I'm officially in my mid-20s (sob) aside - here are the reasons why.

Back in Straya: chilling out in beautiful Brisbane :)

If I've been away for a while, the descent into London always puts a smile on my face - I am home. 

I had the same feeling when I flew into Brisbane from Auckland; I was back in Australia, I was home :) Even the smallest thing like a quick trip to Coles made me happy that first day - everything was back to being familiar, the weather was beautiful and I felt a sense of belonging. I love it here!

Auckland adventures

'Have you got a map of the city I could take please?' I ask a friendly looking member of staff in the Auckland bus terminal.

'No, sorry...where do you need to go?'

'131 Beach Road. The Station Backpackers.' I then stand and listen to her well-meaning but rather jumbled directions, knowing I will have to ask someone else immediately after exiting the building. The way she's describing it, my hostel is located approximately five hundred thousand miles away, so I ask whether it's best to get a taxi.

'Hmm...maybe,' she replies. 'Let me just show you how far we're talking.' She rummages around for a minute before FINDING A MAP and placing it down on the counter in front of me. I look at her in disbelief.

Mount Maunganui - home come January?

Cape Town, Brazil, New York, Barcelona...there's no shortage of places I've travelled through that have struck me as the perfect place to live. But that was before I'd been to The Mount. In addition to being utterly perfect, it's also the most realistic of the five - Cape Town is too dangerous, there would be visa complications and limitations with New York and Brazil, and my Spanish is so pitifully bad that I've removed it from my resume altogether - adiós Barcelona.

Tutukaka Coast

Oh, the joys of having not just your own room but a luxury hotel room on your travels! I was upgraded on arrival to a $169/night room with a view of the marina which was a nice surprise (and worth almost double what I'd actually paid for, sweet as).* Throw in a 32" plasma with Sky TV, a monster DVD collection and a king size bed and there you have it - a very happy Jen who didn't leave the room until 4pm the next day. What, would you?

Bay of Islands - a slice of paradise?

'Oh wow, you're staying with us for quite a while!'

Translation: 'What the heck are you going to do here for that long, you crazy fool?'

Action: Slash stay by half. And I'm glad I did because there's not an awful lot going on in Paihia, the little beach town where most people base themselves to explore the Bay of Islands. Day 1 of 2 was thrown into disarray by my third and final attempt to swim with dolphins - turns out they'd cancelled the morning trip and not bothered to tell me, and when I got onto the boat for the arvo session they told us there's only a 50% chance of swimming with dolphins normally, and because the swell was so big (6ft waves) there was practically no chance. Ruuubbish. I got outta there, got a full refund (woohoo) and did a couple of walks instead, one 6km return coastal trail to Opua:

Windy windy Wellington

Well, I can certainly say that Wellington lived up to its name; I gave up caring what I looked like about five minutes in and accepted the fact that I would have to embrace a series of eccentric hair styles or be prepared to empty a can of hairspray in 48 hours. As I knew before I'd even arrived - despite peoples' glowing reviews - I found Wellington fairly underwhelming. I feel like it may be one of those places you have to live in to love, but as a visitor I only had 1.5 days and I struggled to fill the hours.

Beautiful Picton

'3 days? What are you going to do for 3 days in Picton?'

This coming from a Kiwi, I started to question my decision to dedicate 3 of my 31 days in New Zealand to Picton, a small town at the top of the South Island which most people use as a convenient one night stopover before catching the ferry to Wellington.

I needn't have worried; in fact, as soon as I'd dumped my stuff at the hostel and headed out to explore, I knew I'd easily be able to fill my three days. The scenery waiting for me at the waterfront was gorgeous:

Kaikoura: seal pups, whale fails and some bloody nice landscapes

After a very chilly first night in a below par hostel (it's colder inside than out, the room is very cramped & one of my roommates is definitely 50+ and currently doing some knitting...) I headed straight for the info centre to get my whale watching and dolphin swim booked, only to find that everything had been cancelled because the wind had turned the sea into a churning body of froth and mighty waves. However, despite the ferocious gale force winds the skies were blue and the sun was shining, so I took myself on the Peninsula Walk and spent the next 3.5 hours happily strolling by the sea, struggling to stay upright on the blustery cliff tops and being thoroughly entertained by playful seal pups.

24 hours in quake-stricken Christchurch

When booking my bus to Kaikoura back in Queenstown I had the option of leaving mandatory stopover Christchurch at 8am or 4pm the next day. I like to give everywhere a chance so went for the 4pm departure...and now understand the look that crossed other travellers' faces when I mentioned I was staying there for a whole 24 hours. '20 minutes is too much' someone jokingly warned, but seriously I didn't need more than three hours and that included getting food.

What's cracking in Queenstown?

Aside from locking myself out of my suitcase for an entire morning and an ill-timed bout of traveller's sickness, Queenstown has been relatively drama free - but absolutely action-packed. With air, water and land adventures, it's been an epic way to kickstart my New Zealand travels. So what's crack-a-lacking?

Photo diary: My year in travelling highlights

Today marks a very special milestone in my life - today, I have been travelling for exactly a year. I can't quite believe it; even my mum said that out of everyone I grew up with I was the last person she expected to jump on a plane, leave England behind and embark on a solo exploration of the world. And yet, one year on here I am in Australia with 7 months left on my working holiday visa, happy memories from time spent in 15 different countries and a truckload of places still on my travel wish list. Things may not have got off to the best start - I got so sunburnt on day 1 of my travels in Ecuador that my skin was bright red for two weeks - but since then I've learnt a lot about how to travel, making the most of the lifestyle and, most importantly, about myself. 

Here are 52 highlights for the 52 weeks I've been on the road: 

South America (April/May 2014)

1* Spotting and photographing a toucan at the last possible opportunity. We'd seen a few during our wildlife safaris in the Pantanal (an area of swampland the size of France!) but they were generally hidden behind branches and always flew off long before we managed to snap even the quickest of photos. I was losing hope of getting a decent view of this seemingly elusive bird when, on our way out of Iguassu Falls (the last place on our itinerary toucans call home) our driver casually pointed one out - and carried on driving! Following a panicked 'can you stop can you stop can you stop' I managed to scramble out of the car, slowly move into position and get the view and shot I'd been waiting for.

2* Standing alone in the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia surrounded by blinding white, feeling simultaneously absolutely insignificant and all-powerful. As someone who asks for the Planet Earth DVDs for their birthday, I've always been in awe of the natural world, but this experience was one of the first to really bring it home.

3* Watching the thick cloud clear in an instant and reveal Machu Picchu shining under beautifully clear skies. It was one of those moments where you're utterly transfixed - I just sat staring for ten minutes before I felt I was able to get up and start exploring. 

4* Underwater experiences in the Galápagos Islands: getting the fright of my life when a gigantic sea turtle came into view during a snorkelling sesh, swimming with sea lion cubs and paddling with infant black tip sharks.

5* Finding the absolutely stunning natural saltwater pool in Trindade, near Paraty. Shallow water shimmering in the afternoon sun, curious blue and yellow fish drawn to you like a magnet, flat rocks perfect for sun baking, ocean on one side and jungle on the other = one of the best and most relaxing day trips I've experienced.

6* Swimming in the warm tropical waters off Paraty during a caipirinha booze cruise, strolling along hidden beaches and scrambling up slippery rocks to feed minuscule fluffy monkeys pieces of apple.

7* The breathtaking nighttime view of Rio from Sugarloaf. There's something about a city when it's fallen under the spell of darkness; the twinkle of brightly lit homes and an otherworldly sense of beauty that holds your gaze even when the sinking sun brings about a dramatic change in temperature. Standing on top of Signal Hill in Cape Town watching the sun set over the ocean and the city was worth the freezing cold, and New York is equally stunning at night. Times Square is so well lit that it feels like the middle of the day, even at midnight, plus all the stores are open until 1am.

The States (May/June 2014)

8* Feeling completely relaxed and at one with the world in a gorgeously warm outdoor hot tub gazing up at a pitch black sky lit up with countless bright white stars in the Eastern Sierras. 

9* Being absolutely mesmerised by the beauty and colours of Horseshoe Bend - why this was only a half an hour stop en route I'll never know.

10* Yosemite National Park. All of it - the waterfalls gushing down from great heights in a powerful rage, the mirror-effect lakes, the lovely beaches framed by towering mountains, the lush greenery and clean air that came as a relief after two weeks spent in desert-like landscapes...everything was just epic. Clambering onto and crawling through fallen sequoias was a definite highlight.

11* Getting mashed at my first ever rodeo and barn dance. Who knew watching crazy fools getting thrown off angry-ass horses could be so much fun?

12* Going horseback riding through the Wild West and chowing down on an amazing homemade meal at cowboy camp 

13* Shedding my flip cup and dirty Jenga v-plates in the cowboy camp party barn 

14* Rocking up to a VIP pool party in Vegas for free where we watched Zedd do a DJ set. Being stone cold sober and having one of the best nights of my life

15* Chatting to the locals in New York - probably the friendliest bunch of people I've met. 

16* Sipping fancy cocktails and socialising at a swanky rooftop bar in NYC wearing a fluffy red dressing gown. Watching the Empire State Building glitter in the background made it well worth the cold

17* Strolling across Brooklyn Bridge. I can't explain why I enjoyed this so much but it's a memory that stands out whenever I think back to New York.

Europe (July/August 2014)

18* Sitting on the sidewalk watching a lightning storm rage over St Mark's Square in Venice. There was no thunder, 'just' what felt like hundreds of purple flashes per minute.

19* Blogging down the side streets & on the main path by the canals and open water in Venice soaking up the beauty of my surroundings. I remember finally understanding the role this incredible floating city played in the creation of literary masterpieces dreamed up by the Romantic poets.

20* Similarly, blogging in the afternoon sun on Champs de Mars with the Eiffel Tower as a rather spectacular backdrop. Talk about inspiration! I crafted the blog post I'm most proud of during my time in Paris; you can read it here. 

21* The sense of achievement after finally finding the old railway line that runs around the city, La Petite Ceinture; and the solitude and padlocked gates giving it a forbidden air that only made me want to explore more.  

22* Breezing straight through the Barcelona night clubs we'd queued to get into and making a beeline for the beach - and staying there until 6am

23* Meeting Lakk. Funny how you meet someone for a couple of days in a random city then end up hanging out with them every weekend when you happen to move to their home city #Barcabesties #babutz 

24* Making the taxi driver take a late night detour and stop for 10 minutes at the Sagrada Familia en route to the airport because it's one of my favourite buildings in the world - and because it features in a scene in an Almodovar movie that I love and moves me to tears every time. 

Africa (August/September 2014)

25* Watching in awe as a giraffe stepped out right in front of our boat on my first ever African safari. It was so close I could hardly breathe; plus I'd got the shock of my life as it had been surprisingly well camouflaged in the bushes 

26* Feeling like I was on a movie set with so many species of exotic animal everywhere I looked 

27* Eating beautifully cooked dinners around the campfire while herds of zebra walked past or foraged in nearby bushes for food

28* Frozen in a bizarre mix of wonder and terror as a territorial white rhino charged straight towards our window in the truck (luckily it was all bravado and it didn't come too close)

29* Spotting an elusive leopard and watching it drag its kill up a nearby tree

30* Watching as a huge elephant lumbered straight in-between our safari truck and another. Getting closer than I ever thought possible to these animals in the wild (until I got to Asia)

31* Being lulled to sleep by the sounds of elephants in the distance and waking up to a pack of lions frolicking in the grass (a safe distance away) and tales of hyenas, giraffes & lions gracing our camp site during the night

32* The ocean views and beautiful houses at Clifton on a very long walk back from Camp's Bay back to my hostel in Cape Town (Atlantic Point)

33* Drinking the AP bar dry of wine #somethingsneverchange 

34* Meeting Matty. Tacos. Strawberry daiquiris. Pancakes. Camp's Bay. Waterfront. KFC. Game of Thrones. Duvet days. Grilled cheese. Coastal walks. Laughter, happiness, love. A month I will never forget :)  

35* Demolishing the best pizza I've ever tasted in my life at Meloncino 

36* Getting an amazing bird's eye view of a whale on the cliff tops at Cape Point as it surfaced

37* Watching Southern Right whales breach just off the coast in chilly Hermanus, drinking hot chocolate and all snuggled up in fluffy blankets 

38* Being wowed rather than terrified by four metre long great white sharks breaching in the middle of the ocean 

39* Braai night at AP - melt in your mouth steak and dangerously delicious toasted cheese sandwiches. Good food, good company, stupid amounts of ping pong...Wednesday nights were the biz.

40* Soaking up the view from the top of Lion's Head. Only remembering my fear of heights once I'd reached the top (duh) and having to scale back down ladders, foot holds and slippery paths with shaky legs and a dizzy head. Perhaps not a highlight in itself but a proud accomplishment given the circumstances!

41* Meeting the friendliest, most wonderful people at AP. I'm lucky to call lots of places my second home but this really, truly is. I would love to go back one day.

South East Asia (October/November 2014)

42* Watching hundreds of glowing orange lanterns float into the night sky at the Yi Peng festival in Chiang Mai. The festival had been on my wish list for years, and it was nothing short of magical to finally be there in person, and release my own lantern.

43* Spending a day with rescued elephants in Chiang Mai. Feeding, bathing and getting to know these enormous yet incredibly docile animals remains one of my best experiences to date - if you ever go to Thailand's northern provinces I would 100% recommend spending time at the Elephant Retirement Park.

44* Spotting endangered 'pink' dolphins, or Chinese white dolphins, in Hong Kong. Learning that while they (and Amazon river dolphins) appear pink they are actually white; the pink colour comes from blood rushing to the surface following exertion such as swimming, breaching etc.

45* Strolling along the waterfront promenade in Hong Kong. Simple pleasures are sometimes the greatest 

Australia (November - April 2014/2015)

46* Going on a day trip down the Great Ocean Road - soaking up the views of secluded beaches, the shimmering deep blue ocean and spotting koalas in the wild for the first time

47* Signing for the Weston Street house. WHAT a house - awesome housemates, epic house parties and the best location with pubs & bars on one side and Italian/Lebanese restaurants on the other 

48* The beach! Being close (ish) enough to the beach to spend a day there at the weekends and go on some beautiful coastal walks, my second favourite thing to do after whale watching :)

49* Walking in Princes Park, the local park just around the corner from my house. This may not sound like much, but with palm trees, exotic birdlife and the opportunity to make the most of the weather, the park reminds me that I'm 16,000 km away from home whenever I'm feeling settled and restless.

50* Living in the city. There's no going back to country bumpkin living after this; with beaches, parks, street art, laneways, hidden bars, rooftops and avocado brunch recipes to boot, Melbourne is a great place to live.

51* The sun coming out for a trip to Bondi after two days of torrential rain

52* Booking my flights to New Zealand! With NZ, the east coast of Aus and possibly Fiji or Bali on the cards over the next couple of months, I can't wait to make new memories during my second year of travel. 

Hello travel bug

One of the reasons I didn't enjoy Asia (I've lost count of how many people have been left shocked by this) is because I wasn't really in the travel zone. I was really looking forward to Aus because, among other things, I would have the chance to settle, unpack my stuff, have my own space - and earn some money of course. I was getting fed up with packing my things every few days and travelling some place new, especially when I didn't particularly enjoy the cities I visited. I've been in Aus since mid-November and in my house since the beginning of January, so I've had a good couple of months with the privacy of my own room, the joy of not living out of a backpack and the chance to refresh my tattered wardrobe. It's been good - especially as I had a slight panic when I was last home that I should be thinking about settling down and being more of a grown up i.e. get a job/boyfriend/house otherwise I could very well get to 30 and not have a career, S.O. or my own place. With a few of my close friends leading 'proper' lives now (long term r'ships, buying houses etc) it freaked me out when I was home over the summer & catching up with everyone that I wasn't doing the same. 

Then I get back on the road and wonder what the hell I was thinking. I've been doing the settling down thing for 2 months now - as well as you can when you're a traveller anyway - and I'm getting restless. It's not that I don't like it here; I've got good friends, a great house and there's always heaps going on. But there's something missing...I don't feel like I'm abroad at all really now I'm back into a routine and super busy & stressed during the week. Maybe if I lived nearer the beach this would be different - or had a car to make the most of Melbourne's surroundings. Plus the job has thrown up a few issues that I'm not particularly happy with - won't go into details but it's been very stressful and I felt physically ill from exhaustion last week. 

I said in my interview I would stay until mid-May so I'll hold myself to that; stick it out and try to ignore the huge part of me that wants to go travelling again, and see the rest of the world. However. When it gets to May - or July (I'm allowed to work for TMG for 6 months on this visa) - all of that will change. I think. Like I say, if there's one thing I've learnt about myself it's that my plans always change. It's good to have some idea where things are going though, and on that basis here is draft 1 of my travel plans for 2015/16:

2015

July/August - east coast! Cairns (Great Barrier Reef, Cape Tribulation, whales!), Airlie Beach & Whitsundays, Fraser Island, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Byron Bay

Aug/Sept/Oct - New Zealand & Cook Islands...then back to Melbourne 

Oct/Nov - HOME!

Nov - Norway, Prague, Budapest

Dec - Home for Xmas :) :) :) apply for a new passport!

2016

Jan/Feb - Brazil! Then work my way through South & Central America to Canada :) might check in on Hawaii and Florida keys on route...

Making the most of Melbs

A few weeks ago I promised myself that I'd do one new thing or visit one new place every weekend to make the most of living in Melbourne. Here's how I've been passing the time:

Coastal walk - from St Kilda to South Melbourne, gorgeous secluded beaches

Botanic gardens - so peaceful and a nice escape from the city

Gin Palace - snazzy little bar with private booths

My two fave housies, Megan & Beth <3 

B.east - burger and live music bar across the street 

White Night - cultural Festival of Lights in the CBD running from 7pm to 7am

Pancake Parlour - to make up for missing Shrove Tuesday

Fox FM rooftop - "the world famous rooftop" VIP event with Jessica Mauboy, famous radio DJs & free food, drinks and music from 5-9, then an afterparty in St Kilda

Me with my best Melbourne buddy Anthony! Not my new fella - sorry to disappoint everyone who's asked!

Melbourne Storm (rugby team) season launch lunch at Crown Casino - corporate lunch with players, coaches, sponsors in Shane Warne's lounge bar Club 23

House party!! - our first one, so much fun!

Sydney Road street party - markets, live music, street performers and food

Next weekend we have another public holiday woohoo! So I'm planning on getting out of Melbourne for a couple of days. I'm feeling a bit too settled & if I'm honest I can feeling the travel bug stirring again...which isn't ideal as I need to stay in this job for a while longer yet...so the plan is to spent a few weekends over the next couple of months on the Great Ocean Road, in Mornington (coastal walk central, hot springs), at Wilson's Prom (national park territory with heaps of hiking routes, might need to get hold of a tent for that one) and the Grampians (mountains, hiking). 

But what I'm most looking forward to is July...see next post! This pesky travel bug is just never satisfied...