The Homestead - Think 'Deliverance' but with karaoke

The next major stop would be Fraser Island. But this was too far away to manage in one stretch of driving and so we stayed with a family on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Well, it was actually a working cattle station on the Capricorn Coast, and a night to remember.

When we arrived, tired and still severely hungover, we were treated to a hayride around the property, all 12,000 hectares of it. As the dust whirled around my head and the smell of cow dung filled my nostrils, the mother of the family told us all about how the responsibility of working the farm had been passed down for generations. Looking around, it was beautiful but barren and I wondered if their odd looking but cute children might want to rebel and leave the farm to become a dancer in Las Vegas or something.

Our rooms were simply four walls, one of which was a thick sheet of corrugated iron, two bunk beds and a thin rug. The showers and toilets were outside and every time we opened the door hundreds of mosquitoes and other winged things flew in, making us itch. But it was only for one night and I have to say, I have never ever seen stars like I saw that night. They were huge and luminous against the pitch black backdrop. It was very very romantic and another beautiful sight experienced without Nick! However, necks craned, Steph, Abby and I shared a special moment :)

All geared up for an early night, we packed ready for another 6:30am start, settled into bed, closed our eyes and opened them again abruptly as, 'BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM, I want you in my room!' screeched out through the corrugated iron. I couldn't believe it, the family were singing 'Vengaboys' tracks on the karaoke next door. It was like having a nightclub next to my head. We listened as groans from the rest of the group seeped through the breeze block walls and it was another classic travelling moment. Grin and bear it, or else you will have a total breakdown.

Long Island, Beautiful Skies and Free Wine

Choosing to sail the Whitsunday islands for one day rather than two was up there with the best decisions I made whilst travelling. Simply because we got to spend more time on the sumptuous Long Island.

I remember being in a particularly bad mood the day we boarded the ferry to Long Island, one of the 74 islands that make up the Whitsundays on Australia's east coast. There had been a lot of driving and waiting around in the heat, so I was grumpy and eager to change my clothes. But then the ferry came, and we boarded as the sun began to set. Steph and I went straight to the top deck and the salty air blew away my bad mood as the sky turned a purpley pink and the rugged mountains became silhouettes.

Even though the journey to our destination was a short 15 minutes, the sky had completely transformed by the time we reached the jetty. It was now a deep blend of orange and crimson, as if Long Island was showing off for our arrival. I was completely moved by it. Steph more so, she almost shed a tear, claiming it was the most beautiful sky she had ever seen :)

It took us longer than the rest of the group to get from the jetty to the resort because we couldn't stop taking pictures of the sky which seemed to get more impressive with every minute that passed. Finally we followed the twinkly lights through the trees to our room, and as a wallaby hopped past me, I realised I was falling in love with Australia.

That evening we sang karaoke and drank Long Island ice teas at the bar which overlooked the sea. The next two days were perfect. I had come away expecting to find untouched natural beauty, and it was here on Long Island. The small resort was quiet with only a few visitors and the time passed in a haze of swimming, kayaking and sunbathing. The island was nestled between grassy mountains and ahead there was only a massive stretch of clear sea. The majority of the group had chosen to do the two-day sail of the Whitsunday Islands, leaving about 10 of us on the island. The idea of spending two days on a boat seemed like hell to me, especially after the horrors of Wanna Taki cruise in Fiji, so I was more than happy to be marooned in paradise, with what was, essentially, the best of the group.

Following our day of relaxation, we were picked up achingly early for our sail of the Whitsundays. It was a cold and rainy morning and I feared the worst as we were plonked onto the rocky sail boat for a nine-hour jaunt.

We visited Whitehaven Beach and its pure white sand for an hour, which was pleasant, but then I lost track of the afternoon when a huge white freezer box was opened and someone uttered the words, 'all-you-can-drink wine'. Steph, Abby and I certainly took advantage, had a great laugh, sang loudly on the ferry back to Long Island whilst drawing on each other with black marker pen and proceeded to cry for no reason. It was a great day.

Australia - The Rarrier Beef

We arrived safely into Australia after a relatively painless flight and I was happy. I wouldn’t have to see another plane or another currency for eight heavenly weeks. We were in Cairns, North Queensland and had a couple of days to kill before we were due to meet our new Contiki crew, with whom we would travel down the east coast.

Cairns is a holiday spot for Australians and foreigners alike. The weather is great pretty much year-round and there are loads of restaurants, beaches and bars. We spent most of our time chilling on the esplanade and enjoying Coffee Club, watching the world go by.

One of the main reasons why Cairns attracts travellers in their droves, though, is because it is the doorway to the Great Barrier Reef.

We met the Contiki group on a Saturday afternoon and less than eight hours later I was downing sambuca shots and watching Steph win a bar dancing competition. It was a great night and the ice was officially broken with the group.

We got back to the hotel at around 3am and the last thing I remember is Steph muttering, “Fuck the Rarrier Beef” as we fell into bed. Yes, in just four hours we would be on our way to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, a wonder of the world – possibly still drunk.

I’ll never forget the agony I felt at 7am that morning, as my alarm bleeped obnoxiously. Wearing last night’s makeup and with a thumping head I tried to dress and pack a bag for the day, all the while wondering whether I should just give up and climb back into bed. I mean, how ‘Great’ could this reef be?

Somehow I found myself on the coach to the port. The scenery was beautiful with views of black rocks jutting from the green sea, kids on rope swings and deserted beaches. But the roads were narrow and windy. I got off and promptly threw up.

Mid morning we boarded the QuickSilver for a two-hour sail to the Reef. I was feeling a little better because Steph and Abby, a fantastic 18 year-old from Derby, were making me laugh. Abby was living in Sydney on a year out and the three of us were inseparable for the next two weeks.

The Great Barrier Reef was magical from the moment I stepped off the boat and onto the pontoon. Over in the corner were some metal steps leading to the sea and a man in a diving suit was crouched over, the water bubbling beneath his outstretched hands. As I got closer, I saw that he was feeding fish. Hundreds of absolutely huge, rainbow coloured fish. They bobbed up and down and poked their massive heads out of the water. I’d never seen anything like it, the hangover vanished and I couldn’t wait to get my snorkel gear on and go exploring.

The reef didn’t disappoint. It was like finding a treasure chest under the sea. The coral was so beautiful and untouched that it literally took my breath away and I struggled to keep my breathing steady enough to avoid sucking in mouthfuls of sea water. I wasn’t expecting to come face-to-face with the fish either, they were huge and not timid at all. The whole experience was made even more exhilarating by how scary it could be. The current was strong and I often found myself unable to get away from the rugged coral in time to avoid brushing my legs against it, which felt like sharp knives on my skin. It was also easy to swim out quite far without even realising it and I had visions of popping my head out of the water to see the boat pulling away. That actually did happen to an unfortunate couple in the past, but luckily I made it back to the boat, weary after swimming for two hours, but content that I had just created a pretty amazing memory, and positive that travelling had been worth every single penny.

The boat ride back was hilarious because of Abby. We were sat on one side of a table, facing a young couple. Abby was feeling sea sick and rested her head on the table and stretched her legs out, wrapping them around what she thought was the table leg. She must have been snoozing for over an hour when she sat up, a little mortified and whispered to me that her legs had actually been tightly wrapped around the young man’s leg in front of her. He had been too polite to pull away and had just sat there, probably hoping his girlfriend wouldn’t notice their embrace before very slowly trying to remove his leg from Abby’s grip. We must have laughed for an hour.

Abby if you’re reading this, I miss you, you’re one of the coolest people I know and I hope you are making good use of that hairdryer I sold you for $5.

Steph - It Started with a Twin Room

I couldn’t write this travel blog without mentioning the person who started it all – Stephanie Reed.

It was a cold and dreary Monday morning when I received an email from Steph asking if I would be interested or knew anyone who might be interested in travelling for five months.

After seeing the itinerary, and with my colleague Ellie’s strong support, I knew this was something I was going to do.

Although we had been friends during our Journalism course at Sheffield Uni, the subsequent years, different friendship groups and full time jobs had caused us to naturally drift apart.

We shared a room across America and got to know each other again, drifting off to sleep sharing stories, happy and sad, shameful and funny.

But I think the first time I realised how much fun Steph would be was when I drunkenly fell backwards into a bath in Miami. We laughed until we cried and went on to giggle our way around the world.

Basically I would like to say thank you, Steph, for inviting me on the trip you had so carefully planned and researched. You dragged me out of a rut and my life has changed for the better.

You have appreciated this trip every step of the way and made me laugh even when I felt homesick and tired. When we eventually do separate it will be like losing an arm.

I will miss the way you never get bored of beautiful sunsets, and aren’t embarrassed to shed the occasional tear over a scenic photograph in a calendar!

I will miss waking up after a heavy night out and hearing how ‘tragic’ you feel. I’ll miss your loud and infectious laugh and your hilarious impressions.

I have loved dancing like an idiot in clubs across the world with you, dreaming up documentaries which we are so certain will ‘take the media by storm’, pouring over star signs in coffee shops and bursting into hostel rooms in the early hours doing that drunken ‘whispering’ that turns out to be louder than actual speaking.

We have shared so much over the past four months, not just the amazing experiences, but stories, secrets, food, money, rooms and even a bed! You’re a fiercely loyal and selfless friend, a fellow dreamer with a brilliant sense of humour and a big heart. I’ll never be able to look at another Mint Aero without thinking of you, and I’m sure the shop assistant at our local 7-eleven who ordered them in especially for you won’t either!

The perfect travel buddy, my singing partner, my wingman, my confidante and my bloody good friend, you have earned yourself bridesmaid status, missy – let’s just hope you suit the shade ‘Tangerine Queen’. Haha. Love you.

J Hey Hey x

(just livin’ ma life!)

Auckland - Brief but Eventful...

Arriving into Auckland, New Zealand after eight days in Fiji was heavenly. I was ready for western comforts. And not only was it western, Auckland city centre reminded me of Manchester. So I felt like I was home.

But it was at Base Backpacker hostel where we would be jolted from our cosy traveller bubble, and reminded that we were three girls, travelling alone.

We arrived at Base at around 3am on the Sunday morning to find that our booking was actually for the following night, meaning we were effectively homeless. Luckily, there was space for us, but it meant splitting up and going into mixed dorms. After a quick discussion, it was decided that Sarwah and I would go into one room, and Steph would go next door. We were all exhausted and so didn’t worry too much about the split.

The next morning after a restless night’s sleep I was getting ready in the shared bathroom when Steph walked in looking a little shell-shocked. She managed to say, “Something really traumatic happened last night”, before bursting into tears.

After we had gone to bed, Steph had gone to the bathroom, leaving her key in the dorm. The annoying thing about Base hostels is that doors automatically lock, so she was left stranded in the corridor. It was almost 4am so Steph knocked hoping someone might wake up and let her in. Eventually a tall, bearded German guy opened the door. She was thankful and climbed into her top bunk.

The room was dark and everyone was sleeping, but the German bloke kept talking to Steph, asking where she was from and where she had travelled to. Aware of her other room mates, Steph was polite but blunt and closed her eyes to sleep. The next thing she knew the bunk was gently shaking and she opened her eyes to find that the guy had climbed up the ladders and was hovering over her. Steph lay terrified as she watched the stranger calmly climb in to bed next to her. He kept trying to massage her feet but after a lot of hushed shouting he finally climbed back out. There were about four other guys in that room and no one did a thing to help.

I felt shock, anger, guilt and fear all in the space of a few seconds. We complained but nothing was done. I think we had become a little complacent because of our previous good luck with the other guys room mates. But Steph’s traumatic experience meant we all had our guards back up.

The drama in Auckland didn’t end there as when we were due to leave it turned out STA Travel had messed up some of our flights, meaning we were stuck in Auckland for another night because of the time differences between the UK and NZ.

After getting up at 3am only to head back to Base hostel, we didnt appreciate the bag storage guy taking a dislike to Steph and he proceeded to make our lives even more difficult for the last few hours that we were stranded there. That basically ended with Steph shouting, “I cannot believe people like you exist, dickhead!” In a very Geordie accent.

It wasn’t all bad though. During our four days there we had an amazing night out, repaired our stomachs with some good food and did a lot of relaxing, resting and reading in coffee shops.

When everything was finally sorted, we were on our way to Cairns.

Bloody Bula - A Guest Post

Imagine a world without soap, where bathroom doors come in the form of plastic sheets, dorm rooms look like gas chambers and the only way out is on a boat that never comes. Welcome to Fiji.

But that's enough from me, please do enjoy my lovely friend, Steph's account of our very own slice of 'paradise'.


http://lifeis2short-liveit.blogspot.com/

The City Of Angels...and Nut Jobs

I think sometimes a good cry really helps and after I had cried out all the pent up emotion, I ended up having a fantastic few days in LA.

We were up bright and early and wandered down the star-studded boulevard and put our hands into the celebrities’ imprints at Mann’s Chinese Theatre. I was thrilled to find that mine and Marilyn’s hands are dead on the same size and then we took a sight-seeing tour bus through Beverly Hills.

We had lunch at the Farmer’s Market and I was fascinated to see The Viper Room and Whiskey A-go-go, where Goldie Hawn had worked before she rocketed to fame.

A lot of people are generally let down by LA and I think this is because they expect pristine streets lined with gold and celebrities on every corner. I knew what to expect. Hollywood is slightly grungy, charming and edgy and not as glitzy as Beverley Hills 90210 has led us to believe. It’s a place for the young and carefree and the rich and poor alike. And Hollywood Boulevard is a fantastic place to walk down early evening to watch the weird and wonderful at their best.

That night we intended to have a relatively quiet one, but this was the most social hostel ever and we had a crazy time with the other backpackers, playing music in the dingy bar and drinking Jack Daniels until 3am. I fell into bed and was up a few hours later to head for Universal Studios.

After a jam-packed day at the park, we got dressed up intending to see LA’s nightlife. We played drinking games with some hilarious British guys from the hostel and then ventured out to find that LA does not come alive midweek, unless you know the doormen. Heading back to the hostel, we had a few drinks and got an early night.

The next day we were leaving for Fiji and we were all sad to say goodbye to Brendan, who we had grown close to over the past three weeks. After a spot of shopping on Melrose Avenue and the obligatory Caramel Frappucino in honour of Britney, our mini bus came to take us to the airport. I couldn’t believe we were leaving America after such a fantastic few weeks and it felt like months had passed since arriving into Miami.

North America – check.