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.