THE BLOG
Couple's Travel to Solo Travel: Going Our Separate Ways
No, we didn’t make a boo-boo and book the wrong flights, we have actually decided that some solo travelling is calling us..
Couple's Travel to Solo Travel: Going Our Separate Ways
Two years have passed nearly, since Taran and I left the UK and began this roller-coaster of a travel adventure in Australia.
Seeing as two years is all us POM’s get before we get thrown back out into the world tanned, kicking and screaming, it’s time to plan for our next destination.
Asia was very much the loose plan for a while; hit up all the usual spots, relax, enjoy some of our last Aussie wages.
And then one day recently, during our big Aussie Outback road-trip, we had a conversation about some stuff that had been playing on both our minds, and that brings us to this blog post…
In around a week I, Hannah, will be flying to New Zealand, and Taran, will be flying to Thailand.
No, we didn’t make a boo-boo and book the wrong flights, we have actually decided that some solo travelling is calling us and now's the perfect time to embark on individual adventures.
Why Now?
When you are with someone for 4 years, 2 of which spent in constant close confines, you can inevitably get a little lost in one another.
Sometimes you are so deep in a set of routines, from routine affection to routine bickering, that you no longer feel as connected or as enriched by your surroundings.
You can start to not bring out the best in one another, or maybe one of you feels held back, or the other feels like they are doing the holding back.
You might be unable to remember the last time you did something on a whim of your own choice, in the exact manner you wanted to do so.
You might also feel like you are going along with certain plans that don’t truly fit, and you end up expressing this in passive-aggressive ways.
Sometimes you argue over irrelevant things purely because there’s an uncomfortable truth sitting in the pit of your stomach that feels too scary to confront.
You basically end up needing space. Space, to as corny as it sounds, to find yourself again.
There won't be any shouting into the void 'WHO AM IIII?', but maybe there will be the time and peace to ask that question by living out each day exactly as you want to.
Space to be a little selfish, develop your own interests, meet different people that you might not usually meet.
Space to remind yourself of what you need and what you want.
The Nature of Love
This need to be alone, of course, can happen in any relationship, but when travel is thrown into the mix, it can present different challenges to what we might have gone through had we been co-habitating in England.
Much of our 2 years has been spent in that place of stress in-between 'backpacker' jobs, when your wages stop and suddenly it feels like the fun does to.
There’s very little security or comfort, even less so than in ‘normal’ life, which for some is the appeal of perpetual travel, whilst for others, like myself, it is a constant source of stress.
I don’t enjoy moving between 2-3 different jobs throughout a year, none of which I truly want to do but merely have to if I don’t want to be forced to return home.
I also don’t enjoy when my partner is unable to find a good gig and things become very unbalanced as a result.
Its upsetting when all you want to do is travel but one of you doesn’t have the funds to do it, but, you are already in it, already amongst other travellers in a place you want to be, yet you are held back because there are two bank accounts to think about.
It can basically suck trying to juggle the differences in your approach to travel.
I wouldn’t say that I am a luxury traveller to Taran’s budget traveller, but I probably do feel more stressed by financial stuff, and I have always been that way inclined.
It isn’t just about money; it really boils down to two people suddenly realizing they want to do travel differently.
At the core is a difference in our goals; I want to start building my career and I want to combine that with travel, whereas Taran is happy to just keep riding the wave of laid-back travels and jobs.
I hope that we can both feel satisfied following our own chosen paths for a while, no matter where we end up with our goals.
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Travel Didn’t Ruin Everything
It’s possible that travel hasn’t wedged a knife between us, and we are just living out a normal situation in a slightly different (and heightened) environment.
In fact, travel has brought us closer through such a big and beautiful shared experience.
Beyond all the doubtful moments or feelings of anxiety, there has been a solid reason to keep at this.
I only have to scroll through my photo’s or read this blog to be reminded of what a truly insane and amazing collection of memories we have made together.
At this point our love and respect for each other is immense.
Our certainty and trust for one another is quite lovely. We have in fact felt very happy and connected since we made the choice to separate as funny as that sounds.
It’s possible that we are living out the idea of ‘If you love someone, you let them go’ and it feels right in some way. It feels grown-up and healthy.
It feels wrong some days though, when we are laughing and holding hands.
Why on earth would be want to be apart for any length of time?
Why would we want to be away from what we have?
Its this simple: our desire for each others happiness is superseding our need to live in one another’s pockets, because right now, our goals are a little too different for this lifestyle to continue and thrive.
Love for one another is not enough when two people stand at a cross-roads and can’t seem to pick the same route. Its logistical, not emotional.
Compatibility might not last a lifetime, even if it has been there for 4 good years, or even 40.
Sometimes people have these moments of realization, and the love doesn’t just stop in this scenario, it just has to be channelled differently.
Who knows where our individual travels will lead us. The uncertainty is part of the reality of choosing adventure, solo, or as a couple.
We both want to return to the UK for Christmas, but after that, things are unclear. Its likely Taran will join me in NZ at some stage this year, but yet again, uncertainty and spontaneity is the nature of this travel lark.
Future Of The Blog
We sincerely love what we do, and it’s pretty amazing to write this blog together, for Taran to make his films and showcase his amazing photo’s. So even in this time of being separate, this blog will continue on.
There will still be beautiful beaches to photograph, mountains to climb, hostel antics to gripe about and truly wondrous moments to be had.
I will be writing from a new perspective, that of solo-female traveller, something I feel truthfully terrified about. For an independent-minded person, I have gotten very used to having someone always around…
Taran too, is a little scared, and feels the same expected separation anxiety, but I know he will make the best of it all, and as usual, befriend people easily (he could find common ground with Donald Trump).
And on that note..
Thank you, to all whom have followed us these past 3 years, and I hope you all know that we are excited to share what comes next.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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Aussie Road Trip - Beauty Of The Outback
Thinking of venturing on an epic journey into the Australian outback? Check out some of the sights you could be seeing..
Aussie Road Trip - Beauty Of The Outback
Thinking of venturing on an epic journey into the Australian outback? Its a gigantic trip that requires some proper preparation, but the pay-off is experiencing untouched lands for as far as the eye can see, some insanely beautiful landscapes and some of the most famous landmarks in the world.
The rainy season in the outback can transform this red dry desert into a lush green oasis. Its still bloody hot though!
There are plenty of different routes to take depending on your desired end location, but be prepared to drive a couple thousand miles which ever way you go..
The emptiness of the outback can be extremely relaxing; you will lose track of days and suddenly the hours mean nothing, the only thing that matters is where the sun is located.
When the clouds make way for a clear night, the starry skies will blow you away.. Make sure you bring a camera for some long exposure photography!!
Coober Pedy is a small mining town in the outback which is famous for its rich stores of opal. The outskirts of the town a littered with open mines and their deposits sitting next to them. Be careful not to fall in one!
Massive 'Road Trains' dominate the outback highways and are quite something to see, especially if you get one overtake you..
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Watch out for car-eating-cows in the outback... they're almost as bad as the drop bears!
Pretty pink salt lakes can be found dotted around the landscape in South Eastern Australia. It can feel like your standing in a massive strawberry milkshake, if only it tasted like one!
After long stretches of dry desert lining each side of the road, hitting a coast line with a beautiful beach will be one of those moments you will remember forever. Run along the sand and jump into the sea and feel yourself instantly refreshed!
Rust buckets line the outback highways as if warning you of a potential fate awaiting your own car, just be sure to bring enough water and food in case you do break down!
If you don't see an Emu on your road-trip then your not looking hard enough! You will spot so many different birds in the outback, including massive eagles and of course the famed Emu which can normally be see in groups of 3/4, just be careful if you do spot one!
Crossing the Nullarbor can be a bore (it includes a road that is completely straight for 90 miles) but it includes some insane sights like the crumbling cliffs that are slowly returning the land to the sea bed.
And of course there is the jewel of the outback, Uluru. Yes its surrounded by controversy and crowded by tourists in the peak seasons, but when you see it with your own eyes it really does blow you away more than any photo can.
Ready for the land down under?!
So now you've seen a sneak peek of what the Australian outback has to offer, start planning your own road trip and get out there! Its an experience that will relax you to the core but also one that will push you to your limits. At the end of it you will have learnt how to survive on your own in one of the harshest environments on the planet.
If your interested in our road trip from Cairns to Perth here's a playlist of our vlogs:
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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Exploring The Great Barrier Reef - Fitzroy Island
Cairns is famous for the Great Barrier Reef where you can snorkel and dive with turtles and sharks. Bonus to this are a range of stunning...
Exploring The Great Barrier Reef - Fitzroy Island
Weeks of working hard have passed by in a blur. We decided we needed to stop the never-ending carousel and do something fun with some of our hard-earned wages and occasional day's off.
Cairns is famous for the Great Barrier Reef where you can snorkel and dive with turtles and sharks. Bonus to this are a range of stunning islands, a short hop from the city by boat.
Fitzroy Island is home to a resort, a restaurant, with beach hire and water-sports too, as well as some relaxed and safe swimming and snorkelling in the warm spring waters.
On the boat ride over we decided places like Fitzroy are why England just kinda sucks, and why people out here are so abundantly fortunate, because they can just jump on a boat and head out to what some would view as an absolute paradise, on the drop of their wide-brimmed hat.
Being able to explore this small exotic gem is one reason why the tropical North of Queensland is definitely worth a longer stay.
We travelled to the island with locally owned Raging Thunder, who offer a range of packages from a basic island transfer to inclusions for snorkelling, lunch and a glass bottom boat tour.
A fun tour with a medium-sized boat, the island didn't feel too overcrowded in the morning, and so we explored the stunning Nudey Beach, where the water is ridiculously clear and inviting.
We snorkelled here briefly but found the better snorkelling to be had was at the more sheltered Welcome Bay where the main hub of activity is.
The water here is stiller, yet the coral beds are still easy to reach, just a few feet from the shoreline.
There is also an awesome floating trampoline in Welcome bay, free to use for Raging Thunder customers throughout the day. You'll find yourself swimming out to it and practising your flips in no time!
The last 2 months have felt great in terms of progressing in our savings goals as well as making new friendships and sampling life in yet another part of Australia, and this was just one aspect of that.
At times our recent busy schedules have made the real beauty and fun of travel feel like a distant memory, and we hoped we could spend this day recuperating from all the crazy-ness, and we did just that.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
The Honest Guide To Hostel Etiquette
Are you keen on the prospect of waking up every day beside 10 other people? You saucy thing you...
The Honest Guide To Hostel Etiquette
Are you keen on the prospect of waking up every day beside 10 other people? You saucy thing you.
Okay, well would you mind being woken at 4am by the piercing brightness of a phone torch?
How would you like having to go the bathroom every time you wish to change your outfit?
And is it a dream of yours to listen to the snoring (and other ablutions) of not just one, but maybe 2, 3, 4 or 8 strangers?
Well then my friend, hostel dorm living is for you!
It's not all bad though....
Do you also like the prospect of having good, empathetic company, when you want it, and alone time when you need it?
Do you like sharing your stories and life experiences with like-minded individuals?
Well then, yet again, hostel living will bring something uniquely awesome to your travelling life.
For all the up's and downs, nuisances and annoyances that hostel life can bring, we have still contentedly lived in the same hostel for over a month now, and it truly has become home.
Some people hate every moment of not having their own space or being surrounded by people coming and going at all hours, but after 4 months in a somewhat lonely house-share in Noosa, we are firmly not in the hostel hate camp.
We have a unique situation here in Cairns in that we work for our accommodation; we get free access to everything in our well-equipped hostel in return for 4 hours work every other day. We might currently sleep in separate bunks, an interesting scenario for a couple...but we still feel like we are getting extremely good value for our small contribution of time.
Beyond the financial aspect of getting free or cheaper accommodation, and the logistics of having everything we would have in a house-share (and then some) its also just pretty darn cool.
You meet so many people who you bond with, or can just share a chat with when you want to. There are nights out that you don't feel obligated to go along on, but you'll be welcomed openly if you do.
There's a social atmosphere but no associated pressure or judgement; you truly can be yourself, do your own thing but also stave off homesickness or loneliness if you need to.
On the flip-side of all this, you certainly have to practise tolerance for the different levels of inconsiderate behaviour you will undoubtedly encounter.
When you put 50+ people in a smallish space you are going to get irritated by the differing habits of others, but in trying to be a bit more understanding of my fellow travellers, I have a few tips for how to counter the moments where you want to commit a sass attack on someone who's doing an iphone light-show in your pitch-black dorm at 4.25 am (yep, it's happened, more than once).
The Basics
If you have never ever stayed in a hostel before, most of them are very similar in culture but often different in vibe.
The main two types you will come across are the party hostel, and the non-party smaller and cosier hostel that is still cultivating of a social atmosphere, and this type is our favourite.
To name just one like this in Australia, there's the Flying Fox in the Blue Mountains, which had pasta nights and a cosy sitting room with a 3 hour internet ban each evening to encourage social interaction which led to some hilarious conversation and games.
Our current hostel, Globetrotters in Cairns, doesn't go so far as to cut the internet cord but still cultivates a warm and homely atmosphere that makes people not want to leave.
Its TV/gaming area, sofas, pool garden, hammocks, quiz night and free BBQ/daily breakfast are all part of its appeal; its attention to these details of comfort are the secret to its success above the more party-oriented hostels in the clubbing mecca of Cairns.
Free BBQ!! They even include some vege stuff for us :D
Somewhere along the way you will find hostels with very little personality, well-run but often too big or tightly managed to feel like a home.
You will also find the hostels where cleanliness hasn't been made top priority and you feel dirtier after you shower than when you went in...
Checking In
When you check into a hostel you may need to hand over a deposit for your room key and also for basic utensils to cook with, and then in others you will find a fully-stocked kitchen heavily reliant on a guest trust system.
Many hostels have a free-for-all on fridge space and you find yourself squeezing your overflowing food bag into any free gap only for it to be moved by someone.
Our current hostel has a pretty cool system of having fridge lockers which mean your food is far more secure and yet easier to access when you need to.
Quite often hostel receptions have specific check-out and check-in hours and many do not have 24-hour receptions meaning its wise to research these things ahead of rocking up to a hostel door at 6am or trying to check out at a similarly early hour.
Security
It's always wise to make use of hostel lockers, so be sure to bring along a couple of your own locks, but if your hostel doesn't have these, then make sure you put your valuables out of sight, possibly locked away in your backpack under your bed.
If things are out of sight then of course you will detract the opportunist thief but it will give you piece of mind when you leave your room to go out for the day.
When it comes to food, the same idea applies, in that if you don't want a human or ant or cockroach to feast on your banana, keep it bagged up and out of reach. Often though, especially in fridges in kitchens far away from your dorm room, you might be the target of a thief, and they might just go for your new fresh nob of butter (not that I'm holding a grudge or anything...).
Short of putting locks even on your fridge bag, the best thing is to label all your food items clearly and then tie them up in a labelled bag. If your food has your name on it in big black marker pen it's going to dissuade the cheeky ones who will openly use stolen goods in the kitchen.
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Late Nights
Some hostels have a strict policy against all noise/ in-hostel drinking at night and the threat of being ejected for being too rowdy is always there.
Our current hostel has a night manager throughout the evening so things are kept a close eye on, but some hostels we've stayed at before have let people run riot in the corridors and keep everyone awake all night; that's a frustrating and expensive night of absolutely zero sleep we've had the privilege to experience more than a few times.
Pro tip, eye masks and ear-plugs, but also be sure to read hostel reviews before you visit them as commenters will remark on if that hostel is a good one for sleeping or for partying.
Cooking
So as I mentioned earlier, many hostels require a deposit for utensils and others rely on a trust system of you using their stuff, cleaning it and not pilfering the silver-wear...
When we cook we always keep our stuff together and try not to sprawl out on the kitchen-side and put off anyone else wanting to cook; this isn't your own home, even if it sometimes feels like it, so don't act as if there's no-one else also paying for use the facilities.
Take your food scraps out of the sink after you wash-up, wipe the side down and don't let your milk leak in the fridge!
You might argue that hardly anyone else abides by these courtesies but in hostels you can very much lead by example; the dirtiest kitchens we saw were down to one person after another not doing even a cursory post-cooking clean and so nobody else wanted to either.
Showering
At home you might have favoured 10 minutes standing under the shower before you even began to wash your hair but if you do that in a busy hostel, you are gonna annoy people.
Many hostels suggest you stick to 5 minute showers which aren't always realistic but we try and aim to be done quick some days and then maybe have a longer shower another day, which is especially important in a dorm where 10 people are sharing one shower.
Don't leave behind your shower gels and shampoos for the next person to trip over (or nick) and grab those dirty undies too!
Luggage
Some travellers are content with one big backpack and a smaller bag which they can neatly squirrel under their bed, and then other travellers prefer 4-5 bags, and it's all good, we are all entitled to do our thing!
However, a dorm is not a walk in wardrobe as many think it is...it is a shared space where people don't want to have to side-step your case in the middle of the walk-way.
Its cool if you have a ton of stuff, just try to keep it to one zone and respect the personal space of others.
That's our room, the staff dorm. Our beds are the two in the centre. Taran on top, Hannah on the bottom...It looks cluttered but its kept tidy and clean!
Social Life
The best part about hostel life is of course the people you meet. There's an automatic common ground among the different nationalities and personalities in the melting pot of a hostel which makes it easy to talk and have fun.
There's definitely the feeling of all being in the same boat, doing similar trips and excursions and often living off noodles when your out of work, spending hours attached to a laptop trying to change that situation, and then of course the nights out where the drinks help bond you even further.
The only difficult aspect of this is that people constantly move on and leave, sometimes before you can get to know each other, and sometimes just as you've truly forged a relationship.
Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, its not like all contact will be lost, and you can still observe each others travels and lives from afar, but it still feels sad at the time.
Eventually you do get more used to the goodbyes which come as often as the hello's, and over time I think it makes you a more open, friendly and compassionate individual, which almost makes the wrench of constant change a worthwhile part of hostel life.
All of the above advice boils down to: don't be a rude idiot with no self-awareness...
I get that many people travelling for the first time don't set out to be the annoying or ignorant hostel guest; for some its a hard balance of being comfortable and yourself in a hostel space, whilst also remembering that you aren't in your own home or bedroom where your own rules apply.
We have found over time that you definitely don't have to live in a state of unease amidst concerns over all the above hostel issues, and eventually you will learn how to happily cohabit with a building full of different people to the point that you feel no desire to leave.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
Cairns: A Different Kind of Settled Life
After a few weeks of breaking free from the routine of our house-share in Noosa and travelling once again, we...
Cairns Life: A Different Kind of Settled Life
After a few weeks of breaking free from the routine of our house-share in Noosa and travelling once again, we have already found ourselves settled, but this time, in the tropical North, in Cairns.
We did the whole camper-van-trip to explore Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest (both beautiful), eventually bringing our weary selves back to a hostel in Cairns to chill, armed with some of our best photographs (and memories).
An awesome Daintree sunset!
We didn't just stop for a few short days of rest however. What we ended up doing was joining a waiting list to get work for accommodation in a homely hostel called Globetrotters, and soon, began applying for paid jobs too.
Here we are 2 weeks later, and I've struck lucky already securing a job relatively quickly, and we also both now happily work in the hostel to pay for our beds.
Money, for once, isn't horrifically tight. In Noosa, because we were working and paying rent we had less margin for frivolous spending, or even just minor treats, which we have definitely been able to relax on whilst in Cairns.
Taran recently had his birthday, and I treated him to pizza at a traditional Italian restaurant, and then the next day, we took a ride on a jet-boat which was surprisingly fun and super invigorating.
Yes, we have very swiftly found ourselves establishing a repetitive routine of living, fixed to one place, but we have chosen to do this in a bustling hostel, where many other travellers have made a comfortable home. We have set up a new temporary base in an environment where we feel connected, in-touch with others, in a way that was sorely lacking in Noosa.
We have chosen a city that offers easy access to lots of outdoor activities and trips. If we hadn't already ventured into the Atherton Tablelands or traversed the Rainforest, we could easily do so, or if we want, we can do it again.
Just a few steps out of our hostel and we can walk along the busy esplanade, enjoy the surrounding green mountains, observe the occasional street performer and then relax at the weekend markets and watch a band play.
We have tried to cultivate this time to not simply work and save, as we did in Noosa, but to try and be social, build some less transient but more relaxed friendships, and enjoy truly being amongst our fellow travellers.
Many people here share many similarities with us. Many of them are British, but the thing most obvious to us is that those we have met here are like copies of us a year ago, or us 6 months ago; everyone is at a different stage of their own personal journey in Australia, some of which we have ourselves been through.
Some travellers have done their farm work, as we have, whilst others spend their days permanently attached to their laptops as they desperately seek that elusive job which will grant them a 2nd year visa.
Many are working hard saving up to enjoy parts of Australia that we have languished in for over 16 months, with tales of the places we are yet to see.
Our two weeks of non-stop travel satisfied the wanderlust that had grown during our quiet time in Noosa and so our new time of settled life is certainly feeling different to that phase already. We know we can do day-trips to the reef (already having snorkelled Michaelmas Cay) or trips inland to ride horses and explore waterfalls, if we truly want to.
This little guy posed so perfectly for us!
We are in the proximity of amazing activities, most of which we were able to do within our 10-day camper trip, but that doesn't mean we want to swiftly move onto the next thing. We just love the slow pace in our hostel, the hammocks in the palm-lined garden, and the friendly atmosphere amongst the long-termers, versus the hectic movement of some travellers on shorter itineraries and smaller budgets.
The way you view time during your travels is important; you could plan everything to the nth degree and leave no margin for free time, but alternatively, you could endeavour to experience more than just these tried-and-tested tourist experiences.
Travelling slower, pausing more and allowing somewhere to become home, can lead to something entirely more fun, relaxed and ultimately, help you forge a deeper connection to other people and their experiences, in-turn deepening your own memories beyond a reem of photographs and ticked-off to-do-lists.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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Chasing Waterfalls In A Spaceship
We have, until now, relied on hitching and ride-share's to get around...
Chasing Waterfalls In A Spaceship
Australia's roads are dominated by grey nomads in their swish motorhomes, holiday-makers in there 4x4's loaded with gear, and finally, by many a camper-van, hired or owned, shuttling travellers the length and breadth of the land.
With vastly warm and dry weather (outside of wet season) and a wide range of amazing animals and stunning sights to see, people are spoilt for choice of where to visit and park up for a spot of camping in Northern Queensland.
We have, until now, relied on hitching and ride-share's to get around, occasionally lucking out with a car such as when we did our farm work, but mostly, we have been without wheels and the freedom they can bring.
When it came time to leave Noosa behind and follow warmer weather up north, we knew based on all the beautiful things we were yet to see, that the time to drive had arrived. We didn't want to rent a car and use our tent, having spent so long recently camping in wet weather and feeling a bit fed-up by it, and so we began researching camper-van companies...
We happened across Spaceships, highly familiar for their bright orange people-carriers, seen up and down the coast. Offering great value for travellers, with a solid amount of positive reviews, we felt confident in contacting them.
Fast-forward 4 weeks, and the day came to pick up our own Spaceship and embark on a 10-day tour of the Atherton Tablelands and the Daintree Rainforest.
She's not the trademark orange, being a newer silver model, the Beta 2.
Fitted out with an adjustable queen-size bed, two large lockable storage units (underneath the bed) a top-of-the-range fridge (retail for $000's) plus lots of little nifty extras, she was the perfect vehicle to take us on a road-trip in the tropics.
Comfortable and roomy, secure and private, Stargazer (every spaceship has a name) is well designed and much improved on older model vans. With tinted windows, curtains to cordon off the whole bedroom section, plus automatic transmission and a smooth drive, we really lucked out with our little home on wheels.
Our Favourite Camping App
We exclusively used Wikicamp's, and a sat-nav (provided by Spaceships but usually costs extra) to get around and choose where to sleep. Most look-outs, rest areas and points of interest are very well sign-posted too, usually giving you plenty of time to anticipate them.
Wikicamp's is great for not just finding camp-sites for overnight stays but also locating toilets, showers, fuel stops, and things to see and do. You can download the map for each state in Australia, always helpful when you drive in and out of signal black-spots. You can buy the app for lots of extra features (as is required to after the 20-day trial period ends), but we used the free version, timing ir to last our trip.
The thing I like most about the app is the comments section where people leave brief but honest appraisals for their fellow campers, touching on the things you really want to know about free or paid camp-sites, like does the place have hot showers, and if its value for money.
We evidently loved having this app to aid us in our journey, and no, we don't need to be paid to express that!
Our Itinerary
Cairns > Atherton Tablelands
The tablelands are abundant in quaint small towns, sprawling green landscapes and the infamous waterfalls, including Millaa Millaa, with a safe (and completely bone-chilling) swimming pool.
We spent our first night at a site called Bonadio RV and Nature Park, which when we first arrived appeared to be a farm, with no other campers to be seen. It turned out our fellow road-trippers were comfortably nestled away in a paddock just over the hill, just a short walk from the Barron River where you can see platypus. Really friendly hosts only recently opened the site but seemed bowled over with the popularity of their little haven just off the highway.
For $12.50 for the both of us, it was a great place to sleep under the stars, with clean and warm showers, a wildlife viewing platform and a peaceful country-setting.
Atherton Tablelands > Port Douglas
Moving from the tablelands further up the coast, we took the super beautiful highway alongside the ocean up to Port Douglas. Stopping at a few lookouts, and the famous spot where over the years many people have built little rock towers, it was such a pleasant section of driving.
Accommodation was really booked up, so we highly recommend booking ahead for this highly popular location. We did manage to squeeze into the Pandanus campsite for the slightly hefty price of $20 each, but the site itself has a nice pool, well-equipped camp kitchen, showers and laundry, and is a short walk from the beach and the town.
Port Douglas itself has a great vibe and felt like a more beautiful and atmospheric version of Noosa. A beach perfect for a dip, and a main street great for finding affordable eats, onto a sprawling park right beside the ocean and harbour, we know we will be returning to this place.
Port Douglas > Daintree Village
We couldn't wait to visit this part of northern Queensland, not only for the chance of spotting a wild crocodile but also to experience things like Mossman Gorge. We spent the good part of a day here, where they try to dissuade you taking the easy, flat, road-side walking route in favour of their paid bus; we are glad we walked because it wasn't tough or dangerous, at all.
It kinda bugged us that they have cut off the road which leads to the gorge so that their buses can exclusively use it and make money from it, although, the area has big ties to a small aboriginal community located there, so we understood the need to protect that.
For two nights we camped at the Daintree Riverview Lodges and Van park, for $10 each. A rustic but small site, situated right beside a great croc-spotting place on the Daintree river, we loved our chilled out days here. The hosts are friendly and welcoming, the facilities regularly cleaned and there are a few nice cafe's located just across the road.
Daintree Village > Cape Tribulation
The previous few days had been endless sunshine and nice temperatures, but this day, the rain came down full-force. Unfortunately this tainted our visit to the Cape, and we only stayed for one day, at the Jungle Lodge, which was $15 each for a roomy gravel pitch, with access to good facilities, a pool and a camp kitchen.
I think you could easily stop at all the short walks and lookouts available from the ferry, to the end of the main road at the Cape Tribulation, in one day, and it would all be a whole lot more photogenic on a sunny day. Still, the cape itself is a very pretty stretch of beach, frequented by many a croc (no swimming, obviously).
There is no phone signal (or free atm's or cheap shops) in the Cape so we recommend researching your accommodation before getting there, but when you take the ferry (costs $26 return) across you are provided with a great map which marks off all the spots and bays worth stopping at on the drive.
Cape Tribulation > Atherton
We didn't stay long in the cape, not just because of the weather but because there were still things we wanted to see in the tablelands. This day we stopped off at the Woolworths in Mossman (a good spot for getting supplies before going to the Daintree) and then headed over to a rest stop for lunch. We then parked up in the tiny town of Mount Molloy, grabbed a smoothie from the cool spot, Ka-Veh, then camped at a free spot for the night, the Rifle Creek rest area located nearby.
The next day we headed to the waterfalls circuit, where we visited Elinnja and Zillie falls, then headed back towards Malanda to grab lunch, then deciding to head to the coast again for that night.
Atherton > Mission Beach
Mission Beach is a small beach town near the Tully river, which is Banana country; lots of stops for fresh fruit are along the highway here.
We spent one evening here, chilling at a cool hostel, the Mission Beach retreat, with two resident pet dogs and a super friendly owner. $24 for a space in the parking spot and full use of the facilities, this was a comfortable stop after some free stays in random rest areas with cold showers.
Mission Beach > Babinda
Leaving Mission Beach, we headed up the highway again to visit Josephine Falls, where you can safely slide down the side of some huge boulders into the cold torrents below. We then headed to visit the Boulders, a pretty area similar to the gorge with its own swimming hole.
We again camped at a free spot, a really small site right next to the Boulders, which had only around 6 spots limited to 5 people per pitch. A clearly well-maintained site with cold showers and toilets, it was perfectly okay for one evening, with the mountainous setting providing yet more lush green views from the camper-van.
Mission Beach > Cairns
On our last morning we returned to Cairns, pretty tired from 10 days of doing things, driving and visiting unfamiliar places. We checked into the Globetrotters hostel which is an affordable but great value option at $28 a night, with awesome free wifi, free breakfasts, airy bedrooms, and lots of space to relax.
Later that day we took our Spaceship to a car wash and then returned her back to the office.
Walking away we felt a little sad, having bonded with Stargazer, who kept us comfortable and safe as we experienced the beautiful Australian country-side, at our own pace, for a really memorable week.
Stopping off to check out the view on the way to Port Douglas!
Our Spaceships experience was seamless, from picking up the vehicle to navigating the Aussie roads. So if you fancy a break from tent life and coach rides, in favour of road-trippin' affordably but super comfortably, getting your very own set of wheels is the way to go.
*Spaceships kindly supplied us with the van minus the daily rental fee. We also received camp chairs + table, a sat-nav and two awnings, at no cost. We did however pay the daily fee for car insurance and supplied all our own fuel and food, and paid for all camping costs*
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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Bungalow Bay Koala Village: Best Island Hostel In Australia
There's something special about very much still being the same planet as everyone else, but feeling just a tad detached from everything, in a really refreshing way...
Bungalow Bay Koala Village: Best Island Hostel In Australia
When we read about Magnetic Island, a lush green mountainous expanse, home to many an Australian animal, and only 20-minutes by boat from Townsville, we knew we had to visit it.
We are definite island hoppers having spent 2 months living on Fraser Island in a tent!
There's something special about still being on the same planet as everyone else, but feeling just a tad detached from the goings on and ups and downs of normal life.
Researching all Magnetic island had to offer, we stumbled upon Bungalow Bay Koala Village, and of course, the thought of getting up close to some furry Koala goodness (among many other amazing creatures), combined with the fact they offer a great budget camping option, we were really excited to head over, and set up our tent for a few days.
We used Fantasea cruises (passenger and vehicle ferry) to transfer to the island, an absolute steal at $13 a ticket (one-way).
On the island, everywhere (its a pretty small place) is served by the bus route, which can cheaply move you from the ferry to all the main points of interest. There are also taxi's, hire vehicles and the popular mini moke.
Bungalow Bay is located in the beautiful Horsehoe Bay, where we witnessed a ridiculously vibrant sunset sky and enjoyed some top-notch takeaway burger and chips.
Beautiful Camping and Bungalows
Technically a YHA hostel largely frequented by backpackers, we camped alongside many different people, from families to couples and friends, with its spacious and natural setting in the bush, amongst palms, open green space and of course, abundant wildlife.
Accommodation ranges from camping to cabins, with lots of outdoor and undercover spaces to relax, ample room to set up your tent or camper-van, plus facilities (laundry and bathrooms) and a well-stocked camp kitchen. The kitchen is pleasantly large and cleaned regularly, which is really good to experience when you live your life on the road as we do.
With the beach nearby, plus small cafes and restaurants, and everything else only a short drive or bus-ride away, its the perfect spot to feel like you truly are on an island; bush walks, mountainous tracks and numerous stunning bays, there is so much to see and do, with Bungalow Bay the perfect base from which to do it all.
As we set up our tent on a powered site, a roo hopped by us, the first of many we'd see in the coming days. This brought back memories of our time at Melaleuca Surfside in Port Stephens, where the resident rescue roo Josie would keep us company (and try to eat our guide ropes).
That place too had the same feel, one of being very mindful and conscious of the environment in which its operating, treating it kindly and allowing it to thrive whilst allowing others to enjoy it.
There are signs near the well-kept and large kitchen, asking you to kindly not feed the resident animals: wait until 4.30pm in the afternoon and you get to hand-feed the Lorikeets!
A Responsible Wildlife Tour
On our first day, not long after setting up camp, we booked ourselves onto the next wildlife tour. Tours run 3 times a day ending at 4.30pm.
For $29 (adult price) you get 2 hours with a knowledgable guide who takes you through the small animal sanctuary, allowing you to handle and interact with an array of exotic animals. For an extra $18 you can be photographed holding a koala, alongside your family or friends. You can also bring your own photography equipment in, but just be sure to let the guide do their talking and respect where you put your lens!
I was most looking forward to seeing my first crocodile, and the only other animal we had yet to see in Aussie, a wombat.
The tour group was small which we really liked.
We are very conscious about attending animal-oriented tourist outlets, because we believe animals should be kept out of the wild for solidly valid reasons, such as providing sanctuary and conservation to an at-threat species, or keeping a sick animal alive that could not survive in the wild.
Its important to then utilize these facilities to educate others on these animals so that they care a little more about the natural world around them and the role they play as the keepers of it.
We appreciate that when well-managed and organized, animal sanctuaries such as this one at Bungalow Bay, are pivotal in cultivating an informed respect for these animals, but in a selfish way, we also love that for a brief few moments, we got to carefully handle these stunning animals.
Set slightly away from the other camp buildings, surrounded by bush, the sanctuary is home to only a few animals, which really appealed to us; less animals means more focus and time on their individual care and well-being.
This is not a zoo in any sense, and there is none of the usual sadness when you see vibrant animals living a life of miserable captivity. This is not anything resembling that.
It appears as a well-maintained haven for a range of animals, many of which are living so openly during the day, you wonder why (or how) they haven't yet escaped. But we mused, they clearly have all they could want or need in Bungalow Bay.
I got to hold Pebbles the koala, whom whilst not the first one I've held (since our random rescue of a baby from a road-side) this interaction was in much better circumstances.
Her heavy little body supported by my hand and held still, she was as docile and seemingly content as you would expect of the famously relaxed Australia native. Yes, the urge to rock her like a baby was big, but we were succinctly instructed on how exactly Pebbles should be held, with her welfare clearly of primary concern.
We observed as we held the different animals, some which appear threatening, either with dangerous looking spikes or sharp claws, are all actually, fundamentally vulnerable. They are literally soft and smooth in fact, and many of them, are so small, timid, and completely unassuming.
They are vulnerable to other animals but most importantly to us.
We are the ones who have taken over the running of this planet but we are not secondary to the beautiful variety of species that we inhabit it alongside.
We felt this acutely whilst at Bungalow Bay, as we walked from one side of the camp to the next, we were greeted by a possum, a group of nibbling wallabies and a bush-stone curlew (a funny-looking long-legged nocturnal bird). The nature here is of course widely tame, used to humans and the little tasty treats we inevitably leave lying around for them.
But still, it feels so good to be living amongst, if only briefly, such an array of animals, whom all live side-by-side, mostly in peace, and approach us with a curious yet reserved respect.
Treating Animals How They Treat Us
If we regard animals the way many do us, we would treat them with slight fear and curiosity, but ultimately we'd be kind and gentle, and of course, many of us already do this. Many of us are animal lovers and desire to be close to nature, in fact, what's the first thing many of us say out loud as we slowly approach a wide-eyed creature?
We say 'It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you'.
Amongst the mentality of regarding animals as they would us, there is a complete absence of mindlessness, malice or the prioritizing of ones own needs over those of the small and large, furry and spiky beings, whom we share the environment with.
Bungalow Bay re-instilled this in our minds, despite it being something we have always believed, so we really hope it has the same effect on other visitors.
A Comfortable Stay with A Conscience
This place was a real experience, but also one where the comfort of the accommodation is not sacrificed in the face of the wider ethos of the place.
We camped happily for 3 days, and had everything we needed. Despite a freak weather-front of windy rain, we never felt like we wanted to leave. In fact, we had some of the best experiences of nature, from seeing a wild koala, to holding a crocodile, to watching the most richest red sunset.
In fact, our Magnetic Island visit turned out to be one of our favourite excursions in our whole time in Australia.
You should probably check it out, because we think you might just love it...
*DISCLAIMER: All these thoughts here are our own, and we only ever review things and places we love. Bungalow Bay kindly allowed to us to camp for free. We both purchased the tour tickets and photograph holding a Koala ourselves*
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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Noosa to Townsville: An Ode To The Road and The Mountains
We have gone back out into the world, left behind Noosa, a bubble of abundant wealth and neat beauty...
Noosa to Townsville: An Ode To The Road and The Mountains
We have gone back out into the world, left behind Noosa, a bubble of abundant wealth and neat beauty. Rich man's playground and poor man's workplace.
I sit in the back of an old if not determined commodore, head resting against the solid mass of my backpack, the place I stow all my worldly possessions. Well, the ones I choose to bring along on this journey.
My leg is twisted awkwardly, resting along the window edge. A steady flow of cool air kisses my face, coming in from the driver-side window.
Its the blackest night, punctuated by the occasional reflective sign, made less quiet by the sound of music of every genre.
Daniel, our driver (found via a Facebook ride-share group), a fun and kind-spirited German dude, plays some of his own recordings. We move between our home-grown favourites and some other classics.
The road is ours and ours alone, or so it feels.
In our metal cocoon we fly along the highway, feeling each bump and hump as we soar.
The conversation is real and interesting, truths being spoken with open ease.
I rest my eyes and let sleep take me in short bursts, waking not to see if we have reached our destination but to stare back out into the black.
Is there anywhere more peaceful, suspended from real life and real time, than being out there on the road?
You are moving away from one part of your story, running toward the next chapter. But you are merely a passenger, along for the ride, letting the road deliver you forward. Your mind can wanderer faraway, or stay right there, immersed in the moment before the next thing begins.
Who knows what comes next?
Townsville
Arriving in Townsville at 7am, the sun just rising in the sky, the car slowly moved toward the strand, where we could stretch our tangled limbs and dip our toes in the ocean.
In the distance sat the tall and lush green Magnetic Island; we would be heading there tomorrow.
We made our way to sleepily find food and eventually check into a hostel, at which point Daniel would be going off on his own way. We hugged and said goodbye, aware that we might not see him again, most likely won't.
That's the nature of many of the connections you make on the road; brief but often really awesome and memorable.
Tired and bedraggled, we thought, lets not just sit around and relax, lets climb Castle Hill, the imposing orangey-red rock-face visible across the whole of Townsville.
There isn't a lot to Towsville, other than being the gateway to Magnetic and home to a lot of industry, but its flat range of buildings are encircled at the edges by more lush green mountains, making the climb up Castle Hill well worth the hike.
I decided to take the hill at my own pace, allowing Taran to go ahead by himself. Sandy stones crunching underfoot, the path edged up toward the uneven and steep steps.
I felt out of breath and languid in my legs almost right away. 4 months of sitting behind my laptop working on the blog plus not having the most difficult hospitality job meant my fitness has definitely gone down-hill, no pun intended.
Quarter of the way up the walk a man twice my age past me heading down, and seeing my puffy red face asked if I had water and made sure I was stopping to drink it. The fact my woeful fitness was trumped by someone much older than myself did little for my confidence in climbing the hill.
In reality the hill isn't that tall or difficult a climb, not for anyone of reasonable health, not at all. But its the same with all challenges or obstacles in life, some of us take a little longer to surmount them.
Yet this was a challenge I chose to take on, because I knew I would find it difficult but I knew the pain would be worthwhile.
Most importantly the desire to do what deep down I knew I could do, was stronger than the voice in my head (and my aching limbs) telling me what I couldn't do.
I kept my eyes on my feet, as they moved upward, taking each step at a pace I was comfortable with. I didn't look up at what I still had to climb nor did I look back at what I had already done. I kept entirely present and focused.
Sometimes if we focus on the main goal and not the incremental small tasks and successes, we just don't even bother trying.
I took the climb one step at a time and I can't think of a better metaphor for how to live your life than that.
Reaching the top, walking the last few steps up to the viewing platform, I leaned over the edge of the railing and felt a great whoosh of fresh breeze embrace me. I could see everything, 360-degree views of this small slice of Australia, looking out to Magnetic and behind to the distant mountainous walls guarding the city.
It was understandably worth it. My mind quietened having spent the past hour talking me in and out of finishing this hot uphill trek.
Cramped, long-distance car rides followed by steep and hot midday hikes, might sound uncomfortable and painful, but in reality these things can be as wholly simplistic as they are unexpectedly beautiful.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
Our Biggest Challenge Yet As A Travelling Couple.
We have had our ups and downs over our 3 years together, but this has been mostly down...
Our Biggest Challenge Yet As A Travelling Couple.
For almost 2 months now we have been settled down in Noosa, Australia. Our bedroom has lime green walls and a cat that sits on the windowsill the same time every night. The sun shines most days and the winter wind is making its way through.
The reason we stopped travelling was because we needed to earn some more money to keep going. Working travel is not funded by fairy dust. Whilst its a pause made out of necessity, it has been a great time to work on our blog and my book.
Why Noosa
We hopped on a train, and then a bus, for a few days by the beach after a week in the big Brisbane city. We had been here only a day, enjoying this place that we hadn't really seen properly, even though we passed through it one night last year.I had a good feeling, and could see myself settling here. There's definitely a buzz, also a beautiful beach, all combined with a safe small-town vibe.
And so, I rushed out a few emails at 7am one morning on our 2nd day here (I was super productive thanks to jet-lag waking me up at 5am), and I got so ridiculously lucky because by the next day I had a job.
I wasn't just applying for fun, I was acutely aware of our decreasing bank accounts, so now seemed as good a time as any to stop and earn. But getting a job that quick? it certainly doesn't happen that way out here usually folks.
And then, a few hours later, we had a room in a house, that has now become home.
I couldn't believe it, I had never had such a quick turn-around from unemployed and anxious, to having an income again, and feeling secure. I was so relieved. Taran was happy to have found a spot with some good surfing and water sports nearby. It seemed like we were going to have a really cool few months even if we weren't on the road where we truly wanted to be.
Fast forward a few weeks, nearly two months, and I still have my job, which I'm enjoying, whilst saving up a little bit and paying my bills.
Taran on the other hand, remains unemployed, having had not so much as one interview.
Despite his decent resume and his constant trying, its been impossible. Many of the people we have been in contact with are useless at calling back, replying to emails or are just saying no.
It has really brought us down.
It is really not an understatement when we say that this has been the biggest challenge for us as a travelling couple, so far.
In 3 years of being together we have always been equal partners. We share the costs of our lives together, and we treat each other on special occasions. We are obviously minimalists and money isn't a big motivator for us, but still, we have both been relatively secure and able to enjoy our time together.
Right now, we are so unbalanced in our situations that it has almost ruined our relationship.
Poor Taran is trying super hard to find work, whilst doing a hell of a lot of work on the blog. I help him where possible, and we spend time looking for opportunities together, I then help write emails and perfect his resume. We are trying to deal with this crappy time as a united team. But it's been extremely hard to do this.
I am currently paying the majority of the rent each week. I buy all of the food despite Taran eating a small portion and a limited menu.
We go without constantly.
My mobile phone is 90% broke and needs replacing desperately but I cant afford it.
We never get to do anything, go anywhere further afield, or even just treat ourselves.
We are basically living a relatively small, extremely quiet and restrictive life in a place where we shouldn't be. This wasn't what we signed up for.
We should be doing all the awesome water-sport's Noosa has on offer. We should be exploring the quaint and beautiful towns surrounding the sunshine coast. But most importantly, we should be saving up enough to sustain our travel dreams.
We aren't just travelling on a whim, we fully committed to this lifestyle two years ago. We both gave a lot up back home to come to Australia. It hasn't been a light journey, its been up and down, but never has it felt so stressful as it does right now.
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We fight even though its the last thing we want to be doing.
The tension between us has peaks and troughs. Sometimes we feel fine, we muddle through, and we focus on the positives. Then other times I feel so frustrated and believe that we are just wasting time, and money, paying rent whilst not building our savings.
The only way we have survived thus far is by being honest and by talking things out as much as possible...
There have been some hard conversations, like me telling Taran that I doubted him and his efforts, and then him evidently showing signs of extreme stress at his situation, which has put us into a cycle that can only be broken by one thing: Taran getting a job.
Why don't we just leave town?
You might be wondering, why don't we just leave Noosa.
There's a number of reasons...aside from loving our house, and the time that settling here has given us to work on the blog, and me, the right environment to write my book.
But also, I am not willing to leave a good job in order for Taran to find one elsewhere. I had such a tough time in a previous job in Australia, that I just want to live out this lucky time to its fullest.
Maybe that's selfish but it fills me with major anxiety to walk away from a good opportunity, with not a lot of savings, having essentially wasted 2 months, and yet be no nearer our goals.
I committed to my employer to at least 3 months, and I had a figure in mind for what I wanted to save up; we both did. And we won't have achieved that, not by a mile. But there is another valid reason to stay put.
For tax purposes, it is beneficial to remain in one place for 6 months in Australia to ensure maximum tax rebate come the end of the financial year. To be considered a resident for tax rebate purposes this is generally a requirement. I am just trying to make our life a bit easier down the line when we go to try and recoup the thousands of dollars we will have paid in tax.
If we stay here and work for 6 months, we won't simply save a lot via our earnings, we will be saving up lots in tax too.
We haven't yet lost all hope or succumbed to the idea that we have to start over elsewhere.
We know that an opportunity could arise at any moment, and our worries could be gone, just how it happened for me.
We have however realized that based on present circumstances, its possible Taran will actually have to leave me. He may have to move further away to find work. That is not what we want, obviously.
Space is sometimes good, absence can make the heart grow fonder and all that, but when you set out to experience travel with the person you love the most, being torn apart by money, is a very sad prospect.
We are already thousands of miles away from home. We are already isolated from the others who we care about the most. We are already limiting our experience by not having the funds to enjoy our temporary home. We are struggling enough, we don't want to throw separation into the mix. But it might have to happen out of necessity.
We didn't sign up for this, but its real life.
I think the distance could be painful and I could end up wanting to leave my job sooner than I can. I just generally fear what the time away could do to us if I am being completely honest, especially seeing as we don't just work together on the blog, but we are best friends.
We keep each other laughing, happy, entertained, grounded and creative. We give each other encouragement and energy.
We can be really good for each other, but right now we aren't...
I really hope this situation changes soon and that we will have good news to report back. I also hope we can overcome the stress this has put on our relationship, and that we can become equal again, because for money to force us apart, that would truly truly suck.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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1 Year In Oz - Photography
Will these 12 reasons be enough to get you on a plane to Australia?!
1 Year In Oz - Photo Book ☀
So its been 12 whole months since we left the UK, the time really hasn't gone fast at all.. In fact its gone quite slow!! This past year has felt like a lifetime in Australia, but that's what happens when you change your routine all the time. We have had 4 different jobs in that time and are just about to start new ones, travelled to beautiful islands, partook in a cannabis festival, took shelter for two days while a massive storm destroyed the camp ground we were staying at, hitch hiked up the east coast, watched whales migrate to warmer seas, spent Christmas on a isolated desert island, jumped out of a plane and so much more!!
So here we are, our 12 most favourite snaps that capture the journey we have been on so far! Enjoy!
1 - Port Stephens, a small area home to the largest sand dune system in Australia! We really did feel like we had just been dropped off in the middle of a desert..
2 - Crystal Falls near the old fashioned town of Bellingen, we went on a trek into the local rainforest filled with views like this!
3 - We worked for a month at a beach resort in a small beach town called Bargara, the views of the milky way were spectacular! Another shot taken on a bloomin GoPro!!
4 - Second year visa farm work in Australia ain't all bad, we landed WWOOFing positions on a small macadamia farm in the middle of know where. This photo was taken during one of the forest burns we took part in (That was Hannah's 4x4)
5 - The storms over our farm house! We spent hours just sitting out on the balcony watching the lightning and listening to the thunder. We also had to run out into and get wet :P
6 - This haunting photo was taken just after sunset on our GoPro in the town of 1770. You can even see a few stars starting to shine in the sky!
7 - After working on the farm we headed to Fraser Island to do some paid work at a camp ground. Over the course of the 2 months we spent there we spotted so much wildlife, this is one of the native Dingos patrolling the beach.
8 - This is Fraser Islands west coast, none of the tours go to this side of the island, which made it such a peaceful experience. Fraser truly is a beautiful place!
9 - The Whitsunday Islands, home to the famous Whitehaven Beach. We got dropped of by a small boat and spent 2 nights camping on the island, during the day the beach was full of day trippers, but in the evening we were the only people on the island..
10 - Sunset on Whitehaven beach, an empty beach and a warm beer (next time we will take a cool box) perfection! We had so much fun here that we would recommend it to anyone travelling in Oz.
11 - Cape Hillsborough, a small area near Airlie Beach. If you go to the beach in the early hours of the morning just as the sun is rising, you will be greeted by a group of kangaroos and wallabies! They all seem to love the attention and pose for the camera like professionals.
12 - Finally we have Noosa, our current base. An up and coming beach town with a beautiful river system running around it (also great views of the mountains as you can see above).
The year ahead will be quite different, as we head up to the rainforest's of Cairns, then into the dusty red outback. We can't wait to see the real and raw Australia!
Thanks for joining us on this epic adventure!! ✌
Cheers for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Nomads in Noosa: Taking a break from travel?
The beauty of travel is not always found in constant movement or change, sometimes its in living somewhere long enough to love it, but not long enough to hate it.
Nomads in Noosa: Taking a break from travel?
We had only been back in Australia 1 week, and we found ourselves in Noosa, looking at houses and applying for jobs. Then suddenly one of us had a job, and then we had a room in a house to call our own.
It wasn't part of our plan for when we came back from England. In fact we had no plan, which became clear as we spent a few days relaxing in Brisbane totally unsure of our next move.
Noosa was somewhere we had briefly stayed over night, and so we had never seen the beach, said to be one of best on the east coast. So it was a definite sign, a few days of planning in Brisbane and still none-the-wiser in where to go next, when I noticed that a friend of ours was living there. Off to Noosa we went!!!
One of the views along the Noosa national park coastal walk.
When we arrived we found a bustling holiday town, with a super pretty river full of people kayaking and paddle-boarding, leading down to a super sweet beach, the perfect mix of gentle lapping waves and a bit of surf action. Something just felt right about the place. Enough to make me think about living here for a while, looking up house-shares on gumtree, and wondering how much it would actually cost. We also met an awesome young couple at our campsite, Elise and Jordan, who both seemed to love Noosa. They took us on a hike the next day, then we went and ate burgers on the river front. They were there to encourage us and take us around Noosa, helping us decide to put down some roots.
That same morning, the 2nd in Noosa, I had happened upon a job ad on gumtree for housekeeping at a local luxury resort. I applied thinking I didn't stand much chance, yet a few hours later I had a phone call with an invite to be interviewed. We then viewed two houses that same day, choosing the second, a large spread-out and airy house in a nice residential area just 15 minutes from town.
Waking up early the next day in our new bed, a mix of stubborn jet-lag combined with nerves, I went to my interview in my newly acquired dress (thanks to a mad shop dash courtesy of our new buddies, Elise and Jordan), and 10 minutes later I had been hired!! Say whattttt! I was so relieved and a little dumb-founded.
I wasn't super confident, and there was definitely no marvellous display of perfect interview etiquette. I must have just fitted the bill on paper, plus the manager was clearly a busy lady used to making quick decisions. She said to my colleague, referring to me, that she had 'a good feeling about this one'... Admittedly I am only in housekeeping, it isn't rocket science, but I am actually liking it so far. I get to work in a nice quiet hotel, with friendly staff, and I get paid to clean. I get paid for doing one of my hobbies.
The environment is so much better than the previous one we worked in on Fraser Island. Everyone is supportive, motivational, friendly and just chilled out. The tools we are provided with to clean make the job vastly easier. Any housekeeper will understand what I mean when I say 'YAY!' about cleaning floors without mop buckets and using non-toxic chemicals; it's basically awesome.
What's more, the hotel is right beside the beach, and is on the famous Hastings street, a strip of super nice bars, restaurants and my new favourite haunt, Boost juice. I loving spending time before and after work enjoying the beach, cooling off and soaking in the late summer Noosa vibe.
Meanwhile..
Taran is still on the look-out for work but being here, getting ourselves a base from which to be creative, is hopefully going to push the blog to the next level. The last few times we had a base, back in Bundaberg for instance, we were able to create lots more content, and engage with our audience more regularly. We actually had time to not just post sporadic or quick posts but to enjoy writing, sharing, chatting to other bloggers and reading their inspirational stuff.
Travelling might be the opposite of stopping, setting down roots and working, as if you never even left home to begin with. But every now and then it provides a needed break, a moment of pause in which you can experience somewhere like a true local. And every place we live, every job we have, every few weeks where we can pad away on our laptops working on the blog, we are still living out a reality we dreamed of and worked toward for a year. Home might have been England for 25 years, but for now, it can be a little bedroom in a beachy holiday town somewhere in Australia. And then before we know it, it will be somewhere else entirely. Most likely our trusty tent.
The beauty of travel is not always found in constant movement or change, sometimes its in living somewhere long enough to love it, but not long enough to hate it.
Yo!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Going Home [Why we went]
I needed to be with my lovely family, as did Taran. as much for them as for us.
Going Home - Why we went
Okay so we have come home, but only for 2 weeks...
We had decided months ago that a visit home in-between our two years in Australia would be a nice break. We kept fairly quiet across social media around late January, just to contain our excitement at coming home, because we had planned to surprise everyone. And we did, and got it all on film....It was super emotional and we loved every startled expression we got.
One part of the social media silence was due to my homesickness. I didn't want to prattle on to everybody about the moments, sometimes days, where I felt like I wanted to close my eyes and wake up at home in my own bed. It wasn't one thing, or person, making me feel this way, it was a culmination. From living in an isolated place for months, to the stress of working over the Christmas holidays, I knew a while ago, that I simply had to go home.
I needed to be with my lovely family, as did Taran. as much for them as for us. They suffer with the distance much more than we do. They are the ones living their lives as normal, wondering when the next skype call will be, unable to get in contact with us because of the nature our travelling life. It is hard for them, and in turn, it became an emotional wrench for us.
But there was another justification for flying several thousand km's home.
I wanted to remind myself why I left. I'd had some days where I truly questioned what I was doing in Australia. Nothing was appealing to me, I had lost a sense of intrigue and excitement. But going home for good would not solve that. I was bored in England too, uninspired and unchallenged. I didn't have a passion, and apart from beginning this blog in 2014, I was pretty much idling along, not living at my full potential. I was argumentative and unappreciative of those around me, for I couldn't see much to plan for or look forward to. And that isn't because that's what life is like at home.
My family and friends live purposeful, fulfilling and happy lives, right here in England, come rain or shine. But I had always felt like something was missing in my life and I had no idea what. I was in a comfort-zone and yet uncomfortable at the same time. I really did need to just leave. I had to experience life that is happening far across the other side of the planet, to get perspective on my own.
Travel was the right thing to do, leaving home was incredibly beneficial to Taran and I, and we have only really scratched the surface of what we want to do, and see. But coming home was also the right thing to do.
Our families can rest easy having seen us, checked us over for visible wounds, taking us in and just being with us. Yes its cool to tell all our stories but it's more about embracing the easy and cosy mundanity of it all, like an easy afternoon chat over a cup of tea talking about jack-shit with my mum. Those moments were the ones I missed the most in Australia. I realized the day-to-day sharing of your lives with the people you care about the most was actually a beautiful thing to cherish and love.
The beauty of appreciating the health and happiness of your loved ones, by just being in their company.
I do want to make some changes when we get back to Australia however.
- I want to make sure I Skype more, even if its hard to find a decent and cheap WiFi connection, its important and its worth it.
- I want to embrace the adventure but not get so wrapped up within it that I forget the people missing us at home.
We will make the most of each opportunity thrown our way, because we have made sacrifices and being home has reiterated that.
HEY!
Hannah here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I love reading, the beach, proper fish and chips, and a good cup of tea. But I mostly like to chat about minimalism, simplifying your life, the beauty of travel and sometimes I get a bit deep.
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10 Annoying Things About Australia: An English Person's Guide.
Australia has become home for the past year, and as much as we love it, it certainly isn't perfect...
10 Annoying Things About Australia: An English Person's Guide
So Australia is super pretty, breathtaking in places, and perfect for a first-time traveller. But with that good comes the annoying, and it can take some adjusting to when you're English...
There are numerous cultural similarities and on the East Coast you will come across many of your fellow Europeans, but still, Australia has its funny little ways and a bold specific personality of it's own.
During your time here prepare to pick up new phrases that will sound super odd if you utter them back in gloomy old blighty, and you will soon learn to live without TV because, well, it's really really poor!
10 Annoying (but totally bearable) Things About Australia:
1. Supermarkets close super early and don't sell alcohol. 5pm on a Saturday? There's simply no accounting for the desire that might strike me at 5.05pm whereby I require 1 fruity cider and a vat of ice cream. Distressing.
2. There's many big cars. Mildly intimidating as a foreigner driving around in rental cars, Aussie's love their pick-up trucks, and they love getting up your bottom on the highway.
That time we drove our own trucks around!
3. Hostels rarely succeed in having the backpacker trifecta; decent (hopefully free or cheap) wifi, air-con and a kitchen that actually has utensils in it. Hiring a saucepan for $10? Takeaway it is then.
4. Going back to that need for decent internet, WIFI in Australia is incredibly overpriced, especially for travelers trying to save a buck staying at camp-sites. Sort it out Australian internet bosses, or at least tell someone to hurry up on inventing those wifi tree's.
5. You are no longer English here, you are now a Pom/Pommy/Pommy bastard. Forget about even telling them your given name. And if you take a dislike to your new nickname, prepare for them to add 'Whinging', to that Pom.
6. Australian TV is basically American TV. Adverts every 5-6 minutes, programmes that take basic concepts to their extremist of lengths, and just a bizarre slew of programming, you better hope you don't run out of movies on your hard-drive on those quiet or rainy days.
7. The fish and chips vastly suck. How many times I have longed for fat soggy chips laden in salt and vinegar, delivered in a hot soggy bag, and I've been given dried out skinny fries in a box. Endless disappointment.
8. The Australian weather is incredibly overzealous. 25 degree's at 7am? Cheers sun.Then again, waking up to sunshine is pretty nice...
9. People talk funny and are mildly confusing. Be prepared to be told you are "too easy" but don't be offended, it just means "that's great". Or is it "not a problem", I can't be too sure.. and then there's the shortening of every word in the world, which usually results in the addition of syllables plus a 'y' at the end of each word.
10. The sea has this way of being so warm, like a bath, that it's almost not refreshing you know?
AH, WHO AM I KIDDING, Australia is actually pretty bloody brilliant!
10 Awesome Things About Australia:
1. The people are friendly, chatty and outwardly positive. Maybe its all the sun and warm weather they get because they are far more chilled and easy-going than people back home.
2. Waking up to blue skies is the norm, and when you do get storms, they are usually quite spectacular and often short-lived.
3. Life is lived outdoors all year long, whether its taking in the beach views, or catching the waves when the swell picks up. The lack of TV or other entertainment as a traveller on a budget is more than made up for by the numerous fun outdoor activities on offer, from adrenaline exploits to a relaxed stand-up paddle-boarding stint.
4. People have more space and room to move and breathe, unlike the more over populated areas we both come from, crammed side-by-side in little old England.
5. Healthy (and tasty) food options are abundantly available, with food market culture alive and thriving.
6. Its often easy to move place to place, with some public transport working out incredibly cheap; we travelled 2 hours out of Sydney to the Blue Mountains for $3 each at the time.
7. Its a traveller/tourist paradise, fusing modern attractions and numerous tour options, with its natural wonders and national parks.
8. It has a rich indigenous culture and sparsely untouched beauty lies intact, making it a land of diverse geography and history.
9. The contrasting wild-life on offer combines cute with deadly,from roo's, possums and Koala's, to snakes, spiders and croc's.
10. Its such a perfect place to begin your travels, as you are able to ease yourself into experiencing different cultures by first being amongst one, very much like your own, but with an entirely different landscape and lifestyle on offer.
What do you love (or hate) about Australia?
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Waking Up With Kangaroos!
Rousing ourselves sleepily at 5am, we crawled out the tent, and took the short hop over a fence and..
Waking Up With Kangaroos!
Australian sunrises and sunsets, have a particular serene beauty about them, something peaceful, warm and calm. Australia also has a shit-ton of kangaroos hopping around. When you combine the two, its pretty spectacular.
We stopped at Cape Hillsborough (an hour south from Airlie beach) to see the scene for ourselves; wallabies and roo's gather on the beach at sunrise, get their morning munch on, and just generally pose for the cameras.
Rousing ourselves sleepily at 5am, we crawled out the tent, and took the short hop over a fence down to the beach. A small crowd of equally sleepy people had gathered, like some kind of zombie hord, all stood around staring. Then a man walked down the beach headed straight for the shoreline, and the roo's and wallabies came to life, hopping a great speed towards the man. Turns out he was dropping out some feed for them. Ah, so that's why they all hang out at this beach for breaky!
It was so funny to watch the roo's and wallabies interacting, the roo's often shoving the little wallabies out the way, claiming their food pile. The wallabies didn't dare fight back with their bigger cousins, who's claws can gut a man at record speed.
Gathering with our camera's, a couple of the roo's finished eating and started to inspect the captive audience. One hopped straight over to a young boy who was sat staring at his ipad on a towel (no idea why) much to the kid's shock. It was such a classic moment, seeing this roo demand the attention of the only person not snapping photo's.
This particular roo is the star of the tourist guide for the local region, so its no wonder he felt worthy of all the eyes and lenses.
Quietly sitting, not at all nervous, the roo allowed everyone to observe it. Breaking away from the crowd, they moved to the edge of the beach, where only a few determined photographers remained and had some one-on-one sessions.
Taran got some great photo's, as did I; the sunrise provides a stunning backdrop for a kangaroo silhouette!
If your interested in reading more about Australian wildlife, check out this extensive post by our pals Travelling Weasels: How to Find Australian Animals (and how to avoid the nasty ones)
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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![I Believe We Can Fly [I believe we just touched the sky]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1453896991499-W0TQ4403CXK2O6NGHVED/image-asset.jpeg)
I Believe We Can Fly [I believe we just touched the sky]
"he finally woke up, rising to his feet, clearly utterly oblivious to what had just happened."
I Believe We Can Fly - I Believe We Just Touched The Sky
At home in the U.K., Taran took me indoor skydiving and paragliding, whereas I made him do something he never wanted to do, and that was a bungee jump.
So naturally we had to take the thrills up a notch in Australia, with Taran adamant that a real outdoor skydive was going to happen, despite my flat-out refusal.
It wasn't so much the heights, or flying, that was off-putting to me, just the part when you manoeuvrer yourself to the edge of an open door, thousands of feet off the ground, which seemed beyond extreme....
Well, it took ten months but he finally got it booked and paid for, and there was no going back. I had agreed to do this and only 2 days before the event.
We used the Australian website, book me, to locate the best deal, but we knew we wanted to jump near or over Fraser Island. Working there for 2 months, we naturally developed a connection with the place, and this felt like a cool and almost symbolic way to wrap up that phase of our travels. Plus its a beautiful part of the Queensland coast!
Skydive Hervey Bay were the ones we chose, and we are so glad we did. Great reviews online plus competitive rates were good enough, but Pete and his team were also a solidly friendly and exuberant bunch, who put us at ease immediately. It's hard to be super happy at 7.45am on a Monday, and it's surely hard to be enthusiastic after 6000 jumps, but these guys made us feel good way before the dive.
Soon after arriving, we were into our harnesses, tightened around our legs and shoulders, as we went over the jump procedure. Then came the walk to the tiny plane, just the 5 of us including the pilot and our two jump buddy's. Leaving the ground along the runway, which we have travelled on with Air Fraser, it felt familiar and definitively okay. No nerves just yet. Taking off up into the plush white clouds, we travelled across Hervey Bay and toward Fraser and the ocean. The clouds created giant shadows across the water, the sun glinting off the rest of the blue-green expanse.
There was some mild turbulence as we passed through some thick marshmallow formations, and then it was time for a pre-dive recap...Taran is pulled onto Pete's lap, and attached tightly to him. I am too, and notice how the tight the pull is across my waist; it's all good, it reassured me that the jump wouldn't go like this.
Pete shouted some numbers to the pilot, co-ordinates of where we would jump from I assume, over the din of the loud engines. Then came the great whoosh of reality, as the door was levered open, and we were suddenly not just on a plane ride. This plane was landing without us.
Taran pulled his legs out of the door, dangling out the edge, and suddenly, he was gone!
I couldn't really take in the cartoon-like blue and white outside. I just stared numbly at the empty space on the plane floor, which I soon filled as my instructor shuffled us to the edge. I pulled my resistant feet out of the hole, pulled my hands across my chest, and tilted my chin up. My survival instincts were clearly switched off, and I felt mildly zombie-like, forcing my limbs to hang out a tiny object suspended in the air.
And then we were out! Rolling, spinning, then flattening out into the free-fall, hands moved out to the side, peter pan style. I had expected a strong mighty wind in my face, making breathing a tad hard, but amidst the assault on my senses, I felt quite peaceful. My fear dissipated, and a little voice in my head told me to take it all in, marvel at this true sea-view, and love every second...
All too soon the parachute deployed safely and I was gently gliding slowly down to earth. We spotted a dugong, or maybe a big dolphin, and I steered the parachute briefly. It was then I began to feel nauseous. I get motion sickness all too easily, so it was no surprise, but it did make me want to land faster. Soon enough we were speeding up and purposefully lowering, turning, and coming in to land, legs and bottom pushed up for a seated landing.
I sat there, very aware of the feeling of the sand beneath me, the hardness of being back on the ground, contrasted to the lightness of flying. I took a moment to gather myself, looking to the horizon and breathing deeply to relieve the sickness, when I looked over to Taran.
Slumped forward, limbs limp, Pete was trying to rouse him, speaking loudly to him, repeating his name and telling him to wake up.
I was very confused, and thought, if anyone was gonna take a funny a turn it would be me, and I would be mocked for weeks to come. But nope, Taran blacked out for about 2-3 minutes, which felt like an age. Such relief when he finally woke up, rising to his feet, clearly utterly oblivious to what had just happened. Once we were in the van, headed back to the base, Taran said “Yeah I felt very constricted by the harness, but nope, never fainted in my life” to which I got the trainer to confirm, yep mate, you did just faint.
He laughed in disbelief, as we recounted his little brain reboot session. Turns out Taran was struggling to breathe once the parachute deployed, his arms going numb, but he had managed to hold it together just enough to pull his legs up for landing, stand up, then sit down again, proceeding to switch off.
Relieved, exhilarated, a tiny bit sickly, but with a lazy satisfied smiles on our faces, we sat down as our awesome souvenir video's were edited. Oh yeah, they go-pro the whole thing, if it wasn't enough that they are being safe and making it the best dive experience possible, they also have to be camera-men.
Skydive Hervey Bay were so good to us, and it made something we were apprehensive about, not just a smooth and safe adventure, but they left a really great impression on us. Not everyone in Australia has treated us with much regard or respect, lumping us in the category of middle-class English small-minded loutish backpacker, following the crowd, will work for shit money and tolerate crap. But there's clearly some good guys out here, and luckily there the ones who push you out of planes.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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We Found Heaven on Earth (Whitehaven and the Whitsundays)
Camping on Whitehaven beach was a privilege and an amazing experience; we never wanted to leave!
We Found Heaven on Earth:Whitehaven and the Whitsunday's
There are corners of this world where the beauty is so pure and breathtaking, you find your anxieties, fears and your entire reality, disintegrate.
They're just too perfect, too natural and real, for any of your everyday concerns to matter. One corner that has had this affect upon us is Whitehaven Beach, the Whitsunday Islands.
Soft white silica sands, and a haven in every sense of the word, this sun-soaked azure paradise was somewhere we really wanted to visit before arriving in Australia.
Famous for the crystal waters, abundant with turtles, dolphins and other sea-life, if you only have a short time in Australia, it is a must-see.
We may have only just returned from a stunning island (Fraser, lower down the Queensland coast) but we knew this one would be special, so we headed here as soon as we could.
There are the usual backpacker tours that run all around the Whitsundays, most of which involve 2 days of island-hopping, with everyone crammed onto a boat, unable to experience anywhere for too long.
We got pursued by one of the tour salespeople whilst walking along Airlie Beach main street, vying for our business. He tried to say that you couldn't camp on Whitehaven, but we just smiled and walked off, knowing that the next morning we were booked onto a boat bound for the island, and the permits were all in place. Ignorant or just trying to fool us into handing over cash for the easy option of a backpacker tour, we were so glad that we had done our research into this place.
Getting the independence to camp on the beach seemed pretty amazing compared to spending $500 to share a tiny boat with 12 others, and only getting to spend around an hour at each destination.
We used a water taxi to get to Whitehaven (we used Scamper, who arranged permits for us, which cost $155 for a return trip, plus $40 for a camp kit which has everything 2 people might need, plus $15 for stinger suits) and pitched up for two nights in the small camping ground. By camp-ground I mean the patch of land set back only a few steps from the waters edge, with space for very few tents, sheltered by a smattering of trees, and frequently visited by guana's and wallabies.
The site itself is $5.50 per night, a standard permit cost in a national park in Australia, which is super reasonable considering you get the privilege of sleeping, eating, drinking (and using a relatively luxurious long-drop toilet) on one of the most pristine stretches of beach in the whole of Australia.
Some curious guanna's made their presence known straight away, trampling around the site to see what goodies we had brought.
During the day we snorkelled and just revelled in the beautiful warm ocean. At one point a boat which was anchored just off the shore, was also providing shelter to hundreds of little fish, all of whom went crazy for the fish feed that was thrown overboard at us!
We truly were away from it all, wrapped up in the quiet sounds of mother-nature, the gentle lapping of the ocean, an expanse so clear it doesn't feel real.
Hannah with a fish for a head!
In fact it feels so smooth and clean to swim in, it's a struggle to get out. Although you wear a full-body stinger suit if your going to swim out properly, as this area is notorious for the Irukanji, a deadly jellyfish. It may look a bit daft but the last thing you want on an island is sting!
I know its probably odd to bring a laptop to a deserted island, but I knew once the dark evening descended I'd probably feel inspired to talk about it all!
We were 3 of only 5 people in the camp-ground, and thus the only people on the whole island overnight, bar a few boats moored just off the shoreline, the only things punctuating the landscape with their lights and engine noise.
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DAY 2
On our second day we did a 2hr walk along the beach to reach the end point, a famous expanse of shallow waters often seen on postcards and mostly photographed from Hill Inlet. We didn't fancy the mountainous climb in our flip-flops so we just did a pleasant flat walk, followed up by more snorkelling.
We saw lots of stingrays but they are so flighty we could never get too close. We also saw some tiny sharks! Tiny as in the size of large fish as opposed to the size of a boat...
We both got a bit burnt on the walk back, the sun beating against our backs. We decided to brave a quick swim without our stinger suits and its just ridiculous how water can feel so smooth and soft.
That night after dark we walked again down to the edge of the sand, dipped our toes in the dark gentle waters, and just marvelled at the beauty around us. I even got a bit teary-eyed. It is simply stunning beyond what I could of expected or what I can get across. You really have to experience it to understand that its more than just a pretty beach.
So I guess you could say we quite liked Whitehaven, just a bit.... it truly has stolen our senses and given us some peace, if only for two days, but we'll probably think about it forever. It will be the happy place we go to in our minds when we're on another 13 hour coach ride (we travelled from Rainbow to Airlie overnight and our feet are still swollen from the long trip).
It truly is the most beautiful place we have seen in Australia, alongside the Blue Mountains and Port Stephens.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Paradise Lost (Leaving Fraser Island)
We have returned to the life of travel, having lived on a farm for 3 months and an island for 2!
Paradise Lost - Leaving Fraser Island
Its 10am, a warm 28 degrees in Rainbow Beach, Australia.
Myself, Taran and Sean (our mate from England whose currently visiting and travelling with us) are sitting beside a pool, taking cover in the shade after a few too many rays yesterday. Only 24 hours ago we were still on Fraser Island, a special place that had become home over the last 2 months. We lived in a safari tent, just up from a beach, on the grounds of an extremely popular holiday resort (and the only privately owned campsite on the island). We worked hard for 2 months, pulling a few long stretches with very few days off, and do you know what, it simply got old. Living on a tropical island got old.
The only place we could get signal...
We just couldn't do it any more. Maybe it was the fact we had come from a farm, another remote living situation, straight into an intense workplace, also in a super isolated spot.
We just got to a point within our 5th month of being away from civilisation, where we just needed to re-join it. Not least to come back to our passion of doing this blog. We had half-decent internet at the farm and we didn't feel entirely disconnected from the website, but there's a lot that goes into this blog, and only now, having come back to 'mainland' (as it will always now be referred to since island living) can we fully absorb back into the swing of it.
Not to say we wont be doing some full on travelling having worked hard for 5 months. We are off to Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays in the coming days, to experience the extreme beauty that is Whitehaven Beach.
But for a brief moment, we are resting up, enjoying the chilled vibes of Rainbow Beach, whilst being able to just decompress a little. It definitely does something to you, being isolated, spending all your days with a tight-knit group of individuals. When you re-join the masses back on mainland, its jarring, comforting and bizarre all at the same time. We suddenly have free time again, time stretching out ahead of us that is ours, that we can mould and plan as we wish. We are away from the stresses of working in a busy resort during peak season, finished with what was a more difficult phase of our 10 months in Australia.
Some evenings, after a packed day, I'd lay down to read or relax after work, and sink into a deep sleep. Then at 6am I'd groggily wake up for another 12 hour day, feeling a bit of a dread for what I knew would be another crazy day. It was draining, but also fulfilling and fun too. The team were such a great lot, all working hard together to get through our hectic days. We could all relate with missing our families and friends; island life isn't really conducive to messaging let alone skyping home. So that added to the homesickness I felt for the last month or so, which prompted us to hand in our notice a few weeks before we had originally planned to leave.
It feels like the right decision to have made, as I sit here feeling reinvigorated and back in touch with the creativity that has been absent for a while now.
Admittedly, our bank accounts aren't as bursting as we'd of hoped, nonetheless there a bit fuller. Enough to travel some more, relax a lot more and blog a hell of a lot more...
Now check out our best photographs from Fraser Island!
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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![The far from perfect life of a working traveller [Fraser Update]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1448758709313-Y3GVPFJ26PT7072U8JTP/image-asset.jpeg)
The far from perfect life of a working traveller [Fraser Update]
A month or so ago, when we applied for jobs here on Fraser Island, we didn't know what to expect...
The far from perfect life of a working traveller - Fraser Update
A month or so ago, when we applied for jobs here on Fraser Island, we didn't know what to expect, but we hoped for a nice team, opportunities to see all that Fraser Island had to offer, and to save up for future travels. So far we haven't seen beyond our own slice of beach and we've been working on our days off...
Chilling round the fire with our fellow islanders.
Truth: jobs when you travel can be just as stressful and frustrating as normal jobs! Shock horror....
Don't get me wrong, if it was terrible here, if we weren't living on a beautiful island, with the promise of experiencing it somewhere on the horizon, we would have left by now. We hope to see much more of it, maybe even coming back and renting a 4x4.
But the problem is we've come into new jobs right at the start of the peak holiday season in Australia. We've been learning the ropes of a new job, new team, and also witnessed one person start and last a grand total of 2 days before they were sent packing... The boss doesn't suffer fools or people with attitude.
The crazy big 'Bull Ant'
So we have been plodding along, keeping our heads down, working hard and trying to quell the pangs of cabin fever that are inevitable when you work 10 days straight without a break. We aren't the only people here who are working hard. The team are great and can all appreciate how stretched it is right now. But it should all improve once new staff arrive, as they are expected to in coming days.
This isn't the kind of blog post I thought I would end up writing whilst in Australia. But unfortunately jobs can suck no matter where you are in the world!
Life can suck even if its playing out on a sandy beach beneath endless blue skies in temperatures of 25 and above. Or maybe just up from a beautiful beach in a busy resort where you are on your feet without stopping for much of the day.
The awesome night sky out here!!
But what keeps us from giving up and giving in is that we know it isn't forever. Most things are tolerable if they are temporary. In fact it's a beauty of travel that no jobs last for too long. You never have to stay in a filthy cockroach ridden hostel for weeks on end, nor do you have to live in a two man tent for more than a month if you don't want to. We did both those things and came out fine.
Even this being the most testing and tiring episode of our travels will one day just be a memory, an experience that will we inevitably take some positives away from.
And that is the thought we just have to carry with us when we wake up and put on our uniforms! We are employed, earning, saving and are probably the envy of some backpackers, who are scraping by on their last dollars and willing to do anything.
You just have to take it day by day, whilst also remembering why you are doing what you are doing.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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![Living And Working on The World's Largest Sand Island! [Fraser Life]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1446861428721-KT0S652EBUC2K3P37WJ8/image-asset.jpeg)
Living And Working on The World's Largest Sand Island! [Fraser Life]
Just 2 weeks ago we got some awesome news, we had secured paid work on Fraser Island!
Living And Working on The World's Largest Sand Island! - Fraser Life
Just 2 weeks ago we got some awesome news, we had secured paid work on Fraser Island! Now we sit here a few days in, having seen our first Dingo, amazing night skies and having hanged with a sleepy python.
We only got here last week and yet we continue our record of managing to see all the famous Australian animals some people manage to evade the entirety of their time here.
Back to where this all began...
Having accepted this hard-fought for job opportunity, we would be leaving our farm-life and pretty much beginning new work right away. It was a whirlwind of change, and it was a rushed goodbye. I would of happily stayed on the farm longer, in our lovely home. But another beautiful setting was beckoning us on.
Arriving on the island via a tiny plane, it was a pretty amazing way to show us the vast sand island that sits adjacent to Rainbow Beach and Hervey Bay. A rickety 4x4 ride later and we found ourselves at our new home. Mixed feelings of apprehension and enthusiasm meant our first few work days were a bit intense. Lots of new things to learn as well as people. Hospitality is something fairly new to us both, although it suits us quite nicely.
I work in the store (which is also a coffee shop, cafe and reception desk). It is the centre of the camp's operations, and it is a super well-stocked shop, so you are never ever short of work to do. Taran is in the yard, doing maintenance and cleaning across the site. We no longer see each other all day as we did on the farm, so its always lovely to return to our little two room tent each evening. No TV's or luxuries here, just our laptops to play games and write blog posts on. No internet either. Well its available, either at cost, or at the top of a sand-dune out the front. But when its not easily there on tap you use it more wisely. And you don't waste time scrolling through nothingness!
Sharing our tent with a few ants and some spiders (which remain outside and are remaining alive to act as our fly-guard team) we live nearby the other workers caravans. It's a mostly British team, so I don't think we will ever feel lonely whilst we're here. I did have one moment not long after we started work, which bordered on panic. My brain was already working at full capacity trying to take in all my new surroundings and responsibilities, and suddenly, I found myself thinking 'I'm on an island. I'm trapped, I can't get off'. It sounds funny even to myself now, but at the time I was a bit overwhelmed.
Travelling has been all about changes, making transitions and starting over, and each new change has brought us new skills, knowledge and fun! Sometimes we've approached a new change with too much fear or too much excitement, neither emotion based in reality. You usually find something much different, sometimes worse, but mostly better.
Nothing has been a waste of time on our trip so far. Everything has been purposeful. Even the weeks on end where it seems like you are doing little to nothing, those weeks make the ones where you work yourself silly much more bearable.
We hope to see all of this sandy paradise bit by bit over the next 3 months, all the while just enjoying our good fortune. Living on a remote farm to living on an island, we aren't doing this Australia thing in half-measures. And we've never been happier.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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8 Realities of Farm Work [The good, the bad, the eight-legged]
So do you want to live and work on a farm in rural Australia? Well here's some useful tips on the realities of the experience!
8 Realities of Farm Work - The good, the bad, the eight-legged
It's one of the few ways you can obtain a 2nd year visa in Australia, and for some, it is a bit of a scary prospect. It can be a completely alien environment for many, especially those not used to outdoor work or Australia's heat. But now, nearly at the end of our 88 days, we are no longer scared of it, or apprehensive about what's involved.
So do you fancy living and working on a farm in rural Australia? Well here's some useful stuff we've found out along the way....
Weather
It will be hot, and you will pray for cloud cover when your out in the fields. But not the grey kind, cause rain means mud! Of course the crops need a nice shower now and again, and drout is a terrifying reality, but if it does rain, you will struggle to have anything to do. Although if your house relies on water in the water tank, rain will be a mixed blessing. Basically you will experience the extremes, and you will celebrate the rain and the sunshine, as long as they come in balance!
Early Morning Starts
Because of said hot weather, you do have to begin your work whilst it's not yet horrifically warm. At first waking up at 6am will seem beautiful, the farm is always a pretty site just after sun-rise. Maybe 5 days in, you will be thankful for even an extra hour in bed. But soon enough you get used to it. Your body clock adapts, and even at the weekends you want to get up early enough to make the best of the day. Plus sleep will be a warm blanket of beautifulness each night.
Cute Creatures
Whether it's moths trying to invade your house at night, spiders trying to sneak in with your laundry, or frogs hopping on your veranda, you will share your farm life with a whole host of nature. There's also the cuter ones; the roo's, the wallabies and maybe a farm dog.
Crawling Critters
By the end of your time you will be less likely to want to squish each and every little bug that harasses you. You will become a better more tolerant person for allowing these guys to share your house and your bedroom curtain.... Who am I kidding this spider dude was removed from the house, but not killed. I'm getting there!
Sweat And Dust
Never will be a hot shower be so welcome as after a day where sweat and dust fuse to create an extra new layer of skin. But you will shed it and regain it by the end of the next day. Just embrace it. Revel in it. You will be clean again one day. Definitely bring a lot a bumper size of body wash and a nail brush.
Remote Living
We were quite lucky at our farm, as it's only a 40 minute drive from the nearest big town, and ten minutes from a small one. A lot of farms are much farther in-land, and this can lead to a bit of cabin-fever over time. Food shopping will be a bit different too; it might be weekly or even monthly. It just takes some getting used to and some well-though-out shopping lists.
The best way to push through the remoteness is to enjoy all the relaxation that can come with being in the middle of nowhere. Look after your home, enjoy it, walk around your farm and explore it. Sometimes you have some beautiful local gems, like our farm, that has a lagoon about a 20 minute drive away, as well as Fraser Island and other beaches an hour down the road.
If you aren't so lucky as to have lots of attractions nearby, use the time differently. Maybe read or learn a new language. Make time to truly rest. You may want to invest in a wifi dongle and some data though, staying connected to those you love will still be important, and will help you through the weeks or months.
Pump Those Muscles
It's part and parcel of farm-work, that there will be some lifting, throwing, chopping, digging and then there's the old vehicles with temperamental gear sticks. I hate to admit the amount of times I tense my right bicep to see how it's coming along. It's worrying, but so satisfying to see your body change and strengthen amidst the hard-work.
Bum-Fluff And Grease Those Nipples
Yes these are actual farm terms, this post didn't take a weird turn. As you'd expect, your face, hair and clothes will inevitably get a good coating of dirt, but your hands too, these bad boys will be the hands of a mechanic by the end. Be prepared to work on the vehicles and tractors you use; before you know it your changing oils, and greasing nipples, which is as it sounds, applying gooey grease to certain parts of the machine to keep it all moving smoothly.
If you find yourself doing a tree-pruning job, remember to bend your knees when you bumfluff; the water-shoots or weeds around macadamia tree's will sometimes need you to hand-prune them, and so bumfluff, you must!
We wouldn't swap any of the sweat, spiders, 6am starts or greasy hands for having been anywhere else the last 3 months. It's been a really awesome experience, made even better by living on the farm, getting to admire and enjoy the results of our labours from our veranda, with a cold cider
It's natural to be afraid of the unknown and to want to avoid the difficult, and farm-work isn't always easy. With positivity and a good attitude, you can get out as much as you put into your farm-work, and it will end up being a really memorable phase, where you at first adapt, and then thrive.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
WANT MORE?
Taran & Makoto here, together we form Nomader How Far photography.
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