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6 Months of Travel In 6 Stunning Photo's
These 6 photos show the awesome diverse range of landscapes in Australia, check em' out!
6 Months of Travel In 6 Stunning Photo's
March 26th, it all began in Melbourne. City life was all we knew of Australia for the first fortnight. By that time we were ready to see something a little different, and a little bit more special.
Port Stephens
...is a beautiful place that we had the pleasure of staying at for 10 days. Having broken away from the pace of Sydney and Newcastle, we camped beside a kangaroo at an awesome bush hostel, and spent an evening on the deserted beach, which was when the above sky happened. Some nights later a brutal storm hit, causing a power-cut and widespread problems across New South Wales. We were trapped, although in no hurry to leave this quiet yet beautiful spot.
The Blue Mountains
...were our first taste of one of Australia's natural wonders, and they did not disappoint. Swathes of green as far as you could see, with peaks of mountains meeting the clouds. It was peaceful and unforgettable. Katoomba was also great, such a quintessential mountain town, with the Flying Fox hostel being our most favourite hostel in Australia yet.
Bellingen
...was somewhere we were recommended by the hostel owners at Port Stephens. A small but lively bohemian town, situated on the edge of the Waterfall Way, this place was breathtakingly beautiful and yet a fairly well-kept secret. It's national park-land had lots of waterfalls nestled amongst it's hilly rainforests. It did rain a lot in Bellingen, but we will always remember it fondly; we met some great people and experienced a truly eclectic hostel.
1770
...is a super small beach community, but attracts a large crowd for its gentle crystal waters, perfect for fishing or dolphin-spotting. We camped at a great site, right on the edge of the sand, and took some of our best photographs with our go-pro. Travelling with our Brisbanite mate Rachel, she brought us on a mini-road-trip that allowed us to see this special spot.
Macadamia farming
At the end of July we settled on our WWOOFing location in Queensland, working towards a 2nd year visa whilst getting to experience rural Australia. Kangaroo's outside your window each morning, utter peace and quiet (apart from the cockatoos), and working amongst the trees, it's been different to the rest of our travels, but really rewarding at the same time.
Rainbow beach
...was a Saturday escape from the farm, where we could let our hair down, and paddle in the warm spring seas. Turquoise waters, sand dunes leading up to stunning panoramic views, and all followed up by a cider and fish and chips; we had such a fun day here. We also visited Tin Can Bay which is just down the road, where we fed wild dolphins their breakfast!
We've had plenty of moments in the past 6 months where we've stopped, taken a deep breath, and stared in silence (and that's not just in the middle of an argument).
Beautiful has been the most over-used word to date on this blog, but we really have seen some stunning sights, taking them in patiently, trying to capture each and every detail in our memories. 6 months doesn't seem a long time; it really it feels like we've only just found our stride, and yet we've been amazed time and time again.
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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![Feeding Wild Dolphins [Tin Can Bay And Rainbow Beach]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1442128289154-SQ7PHBJOGTCOAMP26JNL/image-asset.jpeg)
Feeding Wild Dolphins [Tin Can Bay And Rainbow Beach]
The dolphins feeding is a monitored and sanctioned activity; they are not dependant on the humans, just in the habit of visiting that spot and putting on a cute little show for visitors to get some breaky.
Feeding Wild Dolphins [Tin Can Bay And Rainbow Beach]
Farm work in the rural hinterland of the Fraser coast is turning out to be way more than just hard graft and dust...
Since living here we have been able to tick off some major bucket-list type activities, including whale-watching at Hervey bay. But there's much more to the Fraser coast than just whales. There's dolphins too!
Saturday morning, awake at 3.30am for a drive to Tin Can Bay. For only $10 you can watch wild dolphins, feed them and listen to expert volunteers talk about their fishy friends.
At around 7 am, Patch the dolphin rolled into the bay, slowly coming up to the waters edge to say hello to the volunteers. They know each dolphin by name, and spend most mornings with them, so Patch happily sat right in front of us, but always beside the volunteer, who it clearly knew and trusted. But these are wild dolphins so they are not to be petted like dogs.
We weren't encouraged to do anything other than observe, although they do nuzzle your hand if you put it down in the water. I tried, but it was a bit too shy.
The dolphins feeding is a monitored and sanctioned activity; they are not dependant on the humans, just in the habit of visiting that spot and putting on a cute little show for visitors to get some breaky.
Its so important people have the opportunity to see dolphins in their natural environment and be able to interact in a respectful way, just like when we went whale watching. I don't feel like I want to disturb creatures like this. Maybe some enjoy petting the tame ones and holding onto their fins, but dolphins aren't performing monkeys; they aren't here for us to interfere and interrupt.
People that visit the likes of Sea-world, I get that they're just curious which is understandable, but if we can see these wild beauties in their own habitat, then maybe people will respect the need for them be wild and left to thrive that way.
Shy but still friendly and quietly interested, the dolphin sat in front of us for an hour prior to feeding, occasionally swimming a little bit, often getting people a little bit wet clearing its blow-hole. They call it a 'kiss' when the dolphins squirt you, so I was kissed by a dolphin that day, but basically just squirted with a little bit of snotty water!
Something really adorable happened when a lady in a wheelchair came onto the beach. Patch made a beeline for her. The volunteer expert explained that dolphins get excited and very interested when they see babies, or people with disabilities.
Instinctively they will nudge or touch such people. It was so beautiful to see it rush towards her then gently stop before her. I can't imagine how it might feel to be regarded by a wild animal with such polite curiosity. It definitely made us all appreciate and respect Patch even more; he's a wild animal, but he has manners, something we can all learn from.
The other attraction was definitely the pelican birds, much tamer than most, they hang around getting quite close to people, because they always get a sneaky fish!
By 9 am the dolphins had filled their bellies. Patch was the one Taran and I hand-fed, but a few more turned up afterwards.
We then headed out of this tiny town and onto Rainbow Beach. Rainbow is kind of like a much smaller but equally busy Byron bay, with a stunning turquoise beach, and 4x4's running up and down its sands.
We walked around the Saturday market, and I went into the animal petting zoo. Me and a toddler were lapping it up.
It was so good to be back in our favourite setting. As much as we love the rolling green hills that we live amongst, the beach is always something we always long to return to.
We played in the sea and ran up a ridiculous hill to get the best views across to Fraser Island. All that really made me crawl up this steep sand dune was Taran's promise of a cider, it was definitely a motivating factor...
I couldn't get over the colour of the sea. I mean Aussie has some great beaches and we've seen a few but this was just such a burst of colour having been in the middle of the hot (and often very yellowy green and dusty) countryside.
A long day away from home for us, but just more memories captured of this beautiful slice of Queensland. It was the best day.
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!
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![Crying Over Big Fish [Whale-Watching on the Fraser Coast]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1441869208016-PHCZDEQGNHVP1GYVU811/image-asset.jpeg)
Crying Over Big Fish [Whale-Watching on the Fraser Coast]
Speeding out of the harbour on a baking day, we hit the windy extremes of the open sea, coming up alongside Fraser Island (which looks as cool as we imagined it might), we headed out to find them.
Crying Over Big Fish [Whale-Watching on the Fraser Coast]
We have gone and done the first real tourist-type activity since arriving in Oz 5 months ago, and paid for a 3 hour speed-boat trip at Hervey Bay to watch the Whales that come into the bay between May and October.
We weren't sure if we would definitely see some (although that would be an expensive watching of the sea), if the Whales didn't feel like being followed that day. But lucky for us and about 10 others, they came out in force.
Speeding out of the harbour on a baking hot day, we hit the windy extremes of the open sea, coming up alongside Fraser Island (which looks as cool as we imagined it might), we headed out to find them.
About 30 minutes in, in the distance, a giant shining white and grey arm flailed about in the horizon. We had found them!
Slapping their monumental fins, coming down heavy against the ocean, i found myself getting a little bit teary-eyed at the sight. Seeing these majestic gargantuan creatures in their natural environment, just letting us roll up alongside them.
We all found ourselves chasing each and every sight of them, as they'd disappear and then reappear very close to the boat. Jaw agape, we just stood marvelling at them.
Their skin looked smooth, solid and like it had seen a fair few fights.
Eventually these guys got bored of being watched by several gormless humans, and we set off to find the next group. This time we just caught a whale breaching as we raced up toward them.
And one point the two of the second group we found seemed to be sleeping, or sitting still, staring in our direction under the water. Ominously planning our demise, or considering whether to come closer and inspect. And that they did. Yet again sinking below the deep blue water and coming up again only a few foot beside our boat.
It was a really amazing way to spend an afternoon, just observing these peaceful giants in their element. Whales should always be watched and appreciated in this respectful way. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing nature thrive in its natural habitat.
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!
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![Becoming Macadamia Farmers [Second Year Visa Work]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1439463404895-AKRMCCK9TZK6HR9IPNE0/image-asset.jpeg)
Becoming Macadamia Farmers [Second Year Visa Work]
I've always fantasized about the idea of living in the old American west, riding horses, days spent amongst the sun and the dust... So to find ourselves donning farm clothes, waking with the day, working amongst nature in the closest possible way, well, it's been bizarre, sometimes hard but mostly amazing. We are living the farming dream!
Becoming Macadamia Farmers [Second Year Visa Work]
Dry mud crunching underfoot, the satisfying sound of a nut hitting the bottom of the bucket, watching the sun disappear behind the distant hills; our first few days working on a Macadamia farm have been pretty cool to say the least.
I've always fantasized about the idea of living in the old American west, riding horses, days spent amongst the sun and the dust. Its a weird fantasy but an idealized little dream that's always been there at the back of my mind.
So to find ourselves donning farm clothes, waking with the day, working amongst nature in the closest possible way, well, it's been bizarre, sometimes hard but mostly amazing. We are living the farming dream!
Not to trivialize the amount of work that goes into maintaining a large farm (the one we live on is 600 acres) but theres an amount of greatness in that graft and struggle.
I can't imagine many people would want to live where they work, but right now, that's exactly what we are doing; living on a Macadamia farm in rural Queensland. We toil in the fields by day, and then return to our little wooden home on stilts, which has beautiful views across the sloping tree plains, across to the forest and the mountains beyond.
The work is varied and some of it plays to our strengths, some of it I'd happily not do again once we leave here.
Wood-chipping for example, involves lifting heavy scratchy branch cut-offs, loading them into the chipper, which then grinds them through and blows them out onto the base of the trees to fertilize them naturally. The spiders and critters that scatter all over the chipper base... shudder, it's making me tickle just thinking about it!
One of my more favourite jobs so far has been sorting. Working with a conveyor belt, the nuts come pouring through and I quickly have to remove rocks, debris and bad nuts. There's a degree of thought and pace that goes into it, and you definitely establish a hypnotic rhythm. I find it more mentally challenging and yet easier than the more manual labour.
Taran has spent most of his time pruning the tree's with chainsaws alongside another backpacker, and I usually work alongside the backpacker's girlfriend; a really nice young couple from the UK, they have definitely made some of the duller work far more bearable.
And we have cosy movie nights beside the pot belly stove during the week! It's homely and really pleasant.
We have a little vegetable garden we hope to build up and we live off solar power so we are all careful with what electricity we use.
We feel very fortunate to have found ourselves here.
We tried for weeks to secure some farm work or fruit-picking, and it really felt like we were just constantly missing out. And the prospect of farm work wasn't even that good. Many paid positions see you work ridiculous and unpredictable hours, being treated like little more than an annoying number.
But here, the family hosting us, they invest in your learning, in your experience, in teaching you brilliant life-skills and imparting their farming knowledge, and in return we work for free, but also share our own unique viewpoints, being from a different culture and generation.
It's a real exchange, as opposed to just a job. And we are also gaining days that will allow us to secure a 2nd year visa.
So we would have another year to explore this vast land, and will have learned how to sort nuts, prune trees, drive four-wheelers and cultivate the land. My biceps have already got bigger, so that's a bonus.
Bigger biceps and some tough outdoor skills. Nomads to farmers in a matter of two weeks. It's been brilliant.
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!
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![The Most Beautiful Camping in Australia [1770 and Agnes Water]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1439087032542-GBNGB24IXJQ2Q2CER27Y/image-asset.jpeg)
The Most Beautiful Camping in Australia [1770 and Agnes Water]
Our mildly desperate hunt for farm work was nicely broken up with a 3 day excursion up the coast with our Brisbanite friend Rachel. We decided to hit up 1770, a small town, right next to an equally small seaside town Agnes Waters.
The Most Beautiful Camping in Australia [1770 and Agnes Water]
We can now say we have seen one of the most beautiful sunsets in our living memories, and we saw it in 1770. Check out if 1770 made it into our 12 photo's, 12 months photography post!
Nope, not that year in history, we aren't time travellers, just regular ones. It is a place, a very pretty one, on the Queensland coast, where a gentle fishing estuary meets the ocean.
Our mildly desperate hunt for farm work was nicely broken up with a 3 day excursion up the coast with our Brisbanite friend Rachel. We decided to hit up 1770, a small town, right next to an equally small seaside town Agnes Water.
The camp-site we chose was literally right next to the beach, with some pitches on the sand. People sat perched on the waters edge fishing in the clear shallow waters, families ate around camp-fires, as we strolled the small beach to watch the sun meet the sea.
When I say the most beautiful sunset, I mean mostly the part after it ended; one of the most purest orange skies was left behind in its wake. Just amazingly rich and bright. No Instagram filter needed.
The camp-site itself was pretty good too, with a well-equipped and social camp kitchen, definitely backpacker friendly, if you have your own pots and pans that is.
Our friend had brought some fishing gear, so on our second day, off we went to attempt to land a big one.
I caught my first fish ever! A tiny pathetic toad-fish, one of many who weren't shy about crowding around my feet to eat the bait, not a hard catch at all!
Taran however hooked something a bit more interesting...
Reeling it in with some force, he dragged ashore the most ugly sea creature, something more resembling off a piece of coral or a sharp rock.
It was a (potentially) deadly stone-fish! We'd seen a youtube video about this fish and its poisonous spikes, which pierce whatever they make contact with, releasing a venom that if it doesn't kill you, it will make you want to die.
Or so we've heard!
It was the weirdest sight, a really human-like grumpy face, looking more like a miserable old man than a frightened fish.
The next night we went to another seaside town, Tannum Sands, where we did more of the lazy same; fishing, reading, relaxing.
Then we got the good news we had been trying for, in the form of a phone call with a potential 2nd year visa role! Most of the time you apply for things and never hear back, let alone get a phone call. It looked like all the roles had been filled but we nonetheless got an invite to come meet our potential wwoofing host.
Our references did us justice and it looked like we might be in!
Only two days later we found ourselves leaving the coast behind, to head inland, into the scenic Queensland countryside, riding in a 4 wheel drive on a dark bumpy road. All perfectly legit though.
Our host had decided during a brief meeting at the local gas station that we weren't going to be trouble, and that was it, we were on our way to start a period of farm work, picking Macadamia nuts, and acquiring some much needed farming skills!
But we were really happy we had got to spend a few days relaxing with our Aussie mate before the hard work began.
Check out how to take epic photos like the one below here!
1770 brought out all the stops, making what was a brief stay in a quiet place really memorable, delivering an awe-inspiring night-sky, beach-side camping and an escape from the hustle of Bundaberg, setting us up nicely for our new, more simple, rural life.
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!
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Living for Free in Paradise! Working for Accommodation
Arriving in Bargara a few days before getting to Kelly's, we felt a tad apprehensive. Would the people be nice? Would the work be fair? Would it be a good use of our time?
Living for Free in Paradise! Working for Accommodation
3 weeks ago, ensconced on the sofa our friend's home in Brisbane, typing away online seeking work, we saw an Ad on Gumtree having typed in 'Backpackers'.
It was from a beach resort in Bargara, a small seaside town outside of Bundaberg. It was from Kelly's, an eco-certified villa resort by the beach. And it was the very place we had be recommended to contact by Taran's family who visited there last year...
It seemed like the perfect timing. We needed work and money, and whilst this was Help X (aka food and bed for daily work, no money involved) this would allow us to get off the backpacker trail, out of the tent, into a beautiful villa in a stunning resort, all for 4.5 hours of contribution.
Sounds almost too good to be true right?
Arriving in Bargara a few days before getting to Kelly's, we felt a tad apprehensive.
Would the people be nice? Would the work be fair? Would it be a good use of our time?
We turned up having got a lift off of a friend we made in our camp-site down the road, where we had stayed the previous two nights. We were introduced to our 'Bosses', a trio of mother and her two daughters, all super warm and friendly, and then shown to our villa, the sight of a queen-size bed, plus our own kitchen and deck, and a heated pool.
A HEATED POOL...
This was just an insane level of luxury we haven't yet experienced travelling at all, whether in England or Oz! It's not the typical backpacker hangout that's for sure!
A sleepless night before-hand in the tent, hadn't dampened our enthusiasm, this place was a beautiful spot with palm trees, a river, a pond, and a real feel of being somewhere rejuvenating and peaceful. We began work that day, with me working as in the kitchen.
It turned out to be their busiest night in two months, which left me sweaty and ready for that heavenly queen-bed! But I actually enjoyed it, it felt good to put on a uniform and do some graft! And has made all the ciders and ice cream so much more guilt-free...
Taran worked outside doing gardening and other maintenance and spends his afternoons doing whatever he pleases. It's been good to have time apart each day, and we actually feel happy and excited to see each other at the end of each night in our cosy villa, having spent weeks in each others constant company.
We have had such a relaxing and therapeutic time here,it really has been a great way to blend work with saving money and having more of a holiday feeling over the grubby and sometimes uncomfortable backpacker life.
It has been good for our souls, to balance our time out with some blogging, relaxing, working, and eating well for the first time in 3 months!
Bargara itself is rather sleepy but has a decent shopping street, with post office, bank, various cafes, and a really cool little book shop. We have spent most our time at the local beach, a quiet spot where the sun beats down, the wind blows off the cobwebs, and we have both just sat and read.
We have switched off a little from thinking about work or what the immediate future holds on our travel journey.
Although we will be snapped back to reality soon enough in our quest for 2nd-year visa work...
But this place has given us the space to feel more connected to each other, our surroundings, our creative exploits and to the absolutely ridiculous pleasure of swimming at night under the stars in a warm blue oasis.
It's been bloody lovely.
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!
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A Taste of Urban Life: Our Favourite Major City Aussie So Far.
Brisbane was meant to be a two-three day stopover, because it would just be another concrete jungle right? Yes and No.
A Taste of Urban Life: Our Favourite Major City Aussie So Far.
Brisbane was meant to be a two-three day stopover, because it would just be another concrete jungle right? Yes and No.
Smaller than Sydney, more spread out than Melbourne and warmer than both, we felt relaxed and interested here, with the variety in stuff to see, from the fake beach, the upmarket South Bank, the shopping mecca of the CBD, and then the eclectic street markets of the west end neighbourhood.
To be fair to Sid and Mel, we gave Brissy a lot more time and attention, thanks to the awesome local residents we stayed with.
We first couch-surfed with a guy called Lam and his several friendly house mates. They had a big airy open house, with a projector in the garden where we played some games and chilled with some beers!
After a few days there we stayed nearer the CBD at the Aussie Way hostel; clean, quiet and refreshingly old-fashioned in its architecture, near a local cinema and shops, we went to see Mad Max (we liked) and bumped into a guy we met two months previously. Make sure you check out HotelsCombined for great accommodation choices in Brisbane.
It's crazy how we will just be walking through a shopping centre or down the street and will just happen upon someone we once knew along the backpacking trail. Its fun to see what directions these peoples experience takes, this guy was now looking for a job in the city and had gotten a girlfriend, separating from the other guys he'd been travelling with.
Plus it makes Australia feel a lot smaller than it is, although its more the case we are all just following the same well-trodden east-coast route!
Buts its nice to think that goodbye isn't always goodbye, being that the nature of friendships over here are that they are short-lived and hard to maintain on the road. But we also made a new friend in Brisbane who we will be coming back to visit without a doubt!
Rachel picked us up when we were hitch-hiking into town, 5 minutes after we had been dropped at the service station by my cousin from Surfers Paradise. She drove us into the outskirts, told us all about Brisbane, got us to the train station, and then we parted ways thinking we might see each other again, we might not, then a few days later we cheekily asked if she'd might let us couch-surf, which she'd never took part in before. But she took a chance on us, gave us a nicely made bed, and basically made her home, our home.
We had the best week thanks to this friendly and interesting person, who took us out and about, to experience the massive and awesome market at West End, made sure we could feed ourselves with some trips to the shops, treated us to dinner, hung out with us, and was just generally a brilliant host!
But it was eventually time to leave, to begin a work exchange at a beach resort in Bargara, some 4 hours north outside Bargara. We had truly bonded with Rach at this point, and it was actually quite a big wrench to say goodbye, back at a service station, the same scenario as when she originally saved the day for us. She made Brisbane much more memorable and we left happy, relaxed and even more content with how friendly and helpful everyone is towards us here in Australia.
On our final day with Rachel she drove us up the coast to Noosa Heads, along the way we stopped at a little mountain called Mt Coolum for a short 2 hour return hike to the top and back. It was an awesome little mountain with views over the town below and far down the coast! But then the weather started to turn and we watched as a massive rain cloud came along the coast and towards the mountain.. Then we ran for cover under the few small trees we could find as it started to pour down on top of us!
Next up we had the task of reaching Bundaberg, thinking we wouldn't likely reach it that day, we spent two hours on a curb edge, clouds rolling overhead threatening to spill at any second, our brows furrowed in boredom.
Amazingly, moments before we considered putting our bags back on our backs, and stomping off down the road-side, in the vain attempt at reaching the next town, a young couple pulled up in a ute. They were going to Bundaberg too! And it turned out they had just returned from 16 months travelling Europe and Canada!
That's another beauty associated with the community of international travelling, seeing how the more people become part of it, the more empathy and altruism develops, meaning all travellers have a bigger pool of helpful and open-minded people to be looked after by.
Getting us all the way to a camp-site in Bargara, as well as stopping via the supermarket, they made our potentially crap Sunday so much better than we imagined it would be!
Now we begin a two week programme of help exchange, where we live in at a beach resort, provide 4.5 hours per day in return for our bed and meals. This isn't the first time we've done work for accommodation but it already seems more attractive a prospect than what we did back in Byron (toilets and maintenance for the cost of pitching our tent).
Wish us luck!
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!
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Leaving Byron Bay: Surfers To Brisbane
Off to Brisbane via Surfers Paradise we went. Hitch-hiking our way out of town, we spent a good hour, the warmest of the day, holding our weary arms out. We instinctively knew it would only be a matter of time, but that doesn't stop you sweating in the midday sun.
Leaving Byron Bay: Surfers To Brisbane
The time finally came for us to leave Byron Bay. We were doing what many had not yet managed, breaking away from the clutches of the beautiful beaches, laid-back vibe and it's small-town charm.
We had to keep moving on up North, in the quest for farm work, and to keep with our desire to see new things and experience different sights. The people living in Byron seemed in a permanent ground-hog day, albeit a pleasant one, entrenched in routine, one which was no longer working for us.
Off to Brisbane via Surfers Paradise we went. Hitch-hiking our way out of town, we spent a good hour, the warmest of the day, holding our weary arms out. We instinctively knew it would only be a matter of time, but that doesn't stop you sweating in the midday sun.
Finally a big 4-by-4 pulled up, full to the brim with passengers and baggage. Surely we wouldn't fit too?
But we squeezed ourselves in, to be greeted with three young guys with varied accents, telling us of how they had just acquired a ton of free bread from some supermarket bins. We envy their freegan ways! We haven't yet got to dumpster-dive, but it's on our to-do list!
An Irish man, a Canadian, an American, and us, plus a whole load of rescued bread, on our way along the breezy highway.
We got to know them a little bit, sharing our tales of past hitching successes and even got onto to discussing what we'd want to be if we were famous. I said I'd want to be something people respected, as opposed to someone who was endlessly chased by the paparazzi, he who asked the question wanted to be a comedian. But the funniest thing we found was how the Irish guy was taking the term nomad to the extreme, with nothing but 20-cents to his name!
Dropped on the dusty side of a busy roundabout, we had a little way to go before reaching Surfer's.
Waddling along a dual carriageway for 10 minutes, we then saw a car pull over, and beckon us over. A young guy introduced himself as Sascha,who took pity on our tired, hunched frames and he loaded our things into his little vehicle. He didn't just drive in some of the way though, he took us on a tour of Surfers, then dropping us at our hostel.
Down Under Hostel on Appel street would be our first proper bed in a month, and it was so welcome! Free wifi, imac's, laundry and a modern hostel, made this a really luxurious break from tent-life.
We explored the beach and the local shopping area, marvelling at the sky-line dotted with tall glinting structures, right next to a beautiful beach.
Walking to a local shopping centre the next day, Sascha got hold of us again, and took us even further afield to his home area of Currumbin, stopping at Burleigh Heads, an awesome place to see the imposing glamour of the Surfers coast-line.
Taking us around until sunset then off to view an amazing panorama of the whole coast-line after dark, he went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, and wanted us to witness the best and most beautiful parts of his home-town, meaning we got to see more than what many just passing through will ever see.
The next night was a really special one for me.
I got to meet family who I had only ever seen in photos or on facebook. A night of chatting about anything and everything, the odd tear, some excited little boys and really kind, generous people, it was so worth the visit to this affluent (sometimes described as tacky) place.
With some help from my new-found family, we began our next step the following morning, of heading to Brisbane, which was supposed to be a short stay... We got our hitch-hike within 10 minutes, from a local Brisbanite Rachel, who helped us get to the city (and is currently hosting us in her home). Yet more super friendly and helpful Australians making our nomadic life just that much easier!
1 week later and we remain ensconced in the relatively interesting and bustling Brisbane, seeking work further north, but in the mean-time just living day-to-day, taking in as much as we can, soaking up all that this varied country is throwing our way!
Top 5 Things to Do in and around Surfers:
- Theme parks: sea-world (avoid, cause, it's sea-world) Wet'n'Wild, Dream-world and Movie-World.
- Hanlan Street: Food, shops, a general buzz near the beach, people playing volleyball and chilling out!
- Burleigh Heads: A bit further out, but worth a visit for the view of the Surfer's sky-line.
- Currumbin: Home to a beautiful and safe cordoned lake, rock-pools and more amazing views.
- The Q1 Building: One of the world's tallest residential buildings, this thing dominates the Surfer's coast-line.
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!
Recommended Reads:
Nimbin Mardigrass Festival
This was more than just a pot-fest, this was a sensical display highlighting just how non-sensical the laws around cannabis are; its hopefully something that won't be debated in the future, once it becomes legal and common-place across the world, not in just some places.
Nimbin Mardigrass Festival
Our first impression of Nimbin was that it was wet, and dark, as we turned up to our camp-site, the Rainbow Retreat, in the pouring rain at 8pm at night. Spartacus navigated some precarious roads, and we were lucky that the river hadn't yet blocked the drive into the camp. It did later that night, and we though we might be trapped in this boggy place for the whole weekend!
We paid for our pitch, and then gravely made our way over to a gazebo where we decided to unfurl our still-damp tent and try to put it up without the rain getting inside. Rain is a pain in the arse for a traveller, when all your belongings are in one backpack, and your home is essentially a sheet and two fabric walls, not much to protect you against the elements.
Hungry but with little supplies left, we made some noodles in the 'kitchen'. It had most of the facilities that you need to cook but it was basically just a shack with electricity. Damp and tired, but still buzzing about resucing a baby Koala, we hung out with our friend Innis who had took a weekend detour from his route on the coast to come hang out again.
Sunshine woke us the next morning, although we hadn't slept a whole lot, thanks to the hard ground and the two guys having a bizzarre drunken argument around 4am. Weary but now warm, we headed into town. It was really hot by the time we reached the Mardi-Grass festivities, so we ambled around just taking in the vibe and checking out the stands being set-up.
A day-pass was $30 which was quite a lot considering the paid entry areas were not the most interesting, and we spent most of our time just walking up and down the main street, people-watching, checking out the awesome shops and food stalls.
We did go to one seminar, where people whom were pro-medicinal-cannabis were talking about how cannabis oil had radically helped them or their children; we didn't expect to get emotional, but one woman's tale had us both in tears, telling of how her son had gone from a horrible existence of countless life-threating seizures to now leading a happy daily life since beginning on the oil. This was more than just a pot-fest, this was a sensical display highlighting just how non-sensical the laws around cannabis are; its hopefully something that won't be debated in the future, once it becomes legal and common-place across the world, not in just some places.
That night we had a little chill (and maybe a cheeky smoke...) and then headed back in to check out the bands for the evening. Repetitive thumpy club music was pumping out one place, but there was various bands performing in different places, with one band's lead singers sounding kinda tone-deaf...but that was so fun about it all, everyone who wanted to be creative and express themselves, could be.
The next day was much of the same, but it was also time for the march. Hundreds of people lined the streets anticipating the hoard of people and the oncoming mass light-up of doobies. Then it began... Dancers dressed with sequin marijuana leaves on their heads, moving gracefully. Lots of flags waving, people smoking, a man tending to a pile of burning weed, a topless lady shaking everybody's hands, roller-skating women dressed in green, a man dressed as a woman pushing another grown man in a buggy, the giant inflatable spliff, and then finally, we joined the end of the march. We probably ended up in lots of people's photos as they all took pictures of us and the more interesting people in front.
Mardi-Grass was not a crazy weekend per-se, because weed generally makes you relaxed and laid back, so everyone at the festival was too, and we saw no trouble all weekend. The only people who didn't have fun were the police, faced with the task of hundred's of people, many obviously high. But it was super surreal and we are glad we went, it felt like we were part of something important, and we left feeling more pro-reform than ever. But we couldn't wait to leave the boggy camp-site and its ramshackle buildings. A relaxing weekend with awesome street-food, friendly and happy people, and a great atmosphere of positivity, Mardi-Grass was radical dude...
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!
Recommended reads:
Byron Bay Day's: The Place That Backpacker's Never Leave
The hostel is home to water lizards, greedy birds, lots of pesky bush turkeys and many mosquito's! The guy who does the entertainment has a cockatoo who says "Let me out!. It's quite a cool setting, with a pond, lots of bush-land and some lazy hammocks to relax in.
Byron Bay Day's: The Place That Backpacker's Never Leave
Byron Bay, a place we didn't have any expectations or knowledge of before arriving. We got there via a hitch-hike from Nimbin, from a french guy in a 4x4, who took us directly to our hostel, the infamous Arts Factory Lodge, which featured in British comedy film 'The Inbetweener's 2'. So we knew a little something about Byron, and had heard that it compared to Bondi in terms of the eclectic people and awesome surf.
Nimbin had been a super intense weekend in terms of camping discomfort; setting up our tent in the pouring rain, negotiating the most basic showers and toilets ever, and having two cold and painful sleepless nights. So I was a tad emotional that afternoon when we got to the hostel. It seemed hectic and bustling, with friendly staff, all good signs, but when we headed to the camp-ground, nicknamed 'Tent city' I had a mini break-down of sorts... There was just tents, tents everywhere! Many had clearly been there a long time. And we couldn't find a pitch for our small but perfectly formed 3-person palace.
Two people said 'Welcome to the Jungle', which felt like a grave prison greeting for me in that moment (dramatic I know). I put it down to the tiredness, because by the next day we had decided to stay in the camp-site and in Byron for the foreseeable future!
The hostel is home to water lizards, greedy birds, lots of pesky bush turkeys and many mosquito's! The guy who does the entertainment has a cockatoo who says "Let me out!" It's quite a cool setting, with a pond, lots of bush-land and some lazy hammocks to relax in.
We saw a sign for 'Work for Accommodation' and the next morning signed up to begin working to cover the cost of our tent pitch and use of all the hostel facilities, saving us each $120 a week! I was assigned to toilet cleaning and Taran to maintenance. On our first working day I spent 1 and half hours longer working than I was supposed to, cleaning 6 well-used bathrooms in such a busy hostel is no easy task! Taran had a slightly easier time, raking and sweeping around the site. But it felt good to be useful people once again, and made our relaxation time even more deserved!
Work for accommodation is kind of what you make of it, you either accept the challenge and try your best or you throw in the towel at the first sign of hard-work. By the next day I had got my work time down to the 3 hours, even if when I finished I was exhausted from the sheer pace and intensity of my efforts.
There were some blocked toilets to plunge, many a wad of wet hair to dispose of and many people treating the 'Closed for cleaning' sign as a hurdle, only to find sweaty and wild-haired me sending them on there way to another loo. I will be Scary Cleaner Lady within a week, I hope.
People got on my nerves to varying degrees over the next few days, due to large amount of guests at Arts Factory, I found it hard to find a peaceful space to just chill and not be bothered by the incessant noise of the place. And then there was a drunken incident involving a guy who decided to step onto the table I was working at, sending my mug flying and shattering, spilling drink over our laptop bag, also bashing the table into my knee. A pretty horrid experience followed by the guys friends laughing and me sat there, on the brink of tears.
Homesickness had set in that day... I wanted quiet, peace, my bed and my family, and then some idiot decides to get up in my grill and brake my precious stripey cup.
After that fun incident, I wanted to leave this place before the first week of work was even finished, but we had committed ourselves to it, and thankfully, the place started to feel more comfortable and actually quite nice in the coming days.
There's hammocks for lazing in the sun, some cool nights like Talent-Show Tuesday, and plenty of places to people-watch as you a sip a hot coco, plus its only a short walk from town and the best bit about Byron, it's coast-line.
This fortnight hasn't been the best we've had in Australia. Any week where you've had to plunge a toilet full to the brim with 'stuff' or dealt with insensitive travellers whilst feeling sad, is always going to take a bit of positivity to push through, to try and find some joy where possible.
I've found that instead of feeling insular and self-contained due to the amount of people, many whom I now hold a grudge against after they broke my mug and nearly my knee, I have actually felt a sense of affection for some other travellers.
Seeing people eating alone or recognizing that familiar look in the eyes of someone who's tired, a little bit lost and seeking something that all us travellers are (and not looking for it at the bottom of a bottle). We've made some good friends too, with really kind people, from all over the world.
And this week was also good because we caught a sighting of dolphins, bouncing among the waves, glinting in the sun, exuding pure happiness at being in the beautiful Aussie sea.
The Byron Bay to Lighthouse walk, whilst a tad tough in the heat, has to be done, if not for the Dolphins then for the potential Whale sightings, and the stunning panorama's across the bay.
Byron might be over-run with backpackers and thus bound to have a few idiots, but even in such a traveller mecca, you are bound to want to stick around and if you want to just pass through, there's always a beautiful beach and a really good shop in town selling yummy brownies for 5-bucks. Oh and an awesome Gelato shop selling the best 9-dollar Gourmet Milkshakes. So there's 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!
Recommended reads:
The Hippy Trail: Bellingen to Nimbin
Word of the Mardi-Grass festival in the hippy-town Nimbin had reached our ears..
The Hippy Trail: Bellingen to Nimbin
Arriving in Bellingen, thanks to a nice easy bus ride (had a break from hitch-hiking for the day) we walked to our next hostel. No, we weren't breaking entirely from our cheap ways and getting a dorm, we were staying in 'The Palace' again (our tent). The YHA in Bello (the only hostel in town) had a small selection of gravel camp spots, on a sloped hill overhanging with trees, looking down to a river.
A beautifully shaded site with a canopy over-top, I was initially dubious thanks to an eight-legged dude perching on a post in the entrance-way to our plot.
The hostel itself was comfortable, sociable and clean, which is always a blessing when your only base is your tent. An eclectic mix of older and younger people made up the other guests, and yet again they had a hostel cat, spending its days languishing beside you on the sofa, occasionally placing its bum on your lap whilst you have your laptop on it... classic cat antics.
We had a relaxing few days in the heat, visiting Dorrigo National Park, a rainforest with waterfalls and beautiful views all the way back out the New South Wales coast-line.
Then, the rain came. The rain has followed us for the last two weeks, flooding our tent in Port Stephens (read about it here), and now making us all wet and cold again. Taran likes the rain, and of course I do too, from the comfort of a bed, under a blanket, with a hot chocolate... But it did make for some mystical views of the rolling green hills outside the hostel veranda.
After 4 days it was time to head to Nimbin. Word of the Mardi-Grass festival in the hippy-town Nimbin had reached our ears and our friend Spartacus (fellow Englishman, now expat, adorable 3-year old son called Apollo) offered us a free ride in the back of his camper. So we figured we could move forward on our planned route and take a little detour to the place where people openly smoke pot in the streets. And guess what, it isn't a lawless pit of hell!
Still raining, barely letting up for a second, we embarked on the road to Nimbin, relaxing in the back of the van. A while into the journey we got sent on a detour, off down a narrow road much like an english country-lane.
Bombing along bumpily, we drove past what we first thought was a cat, but no, this is Australia guys, so it wasn't a humble kitty, it was a baby koala!! Sitting alone in the pouring rain, either accidentally separated from it's Mumma, or wounded. Spart ran over to it, bundling it in his jacket. I then cradled the little thing all the way to the next town, in absolute awe and love with this tiny, docile little creature. We thought maybe we'd see a koala in a zoo, they spend most their time high up trees out of sight, but this was the kind of closeness we could never have imagined having. Spart has been in Oz several times in the last 13 years and has never seen one!
The little guy/girl sat comfortably in my arms, as we made our way along wet and windy roads. He made some small winny-noises and only showed minor aggression when we unravelled him from his warm cocoon of blankets to hand him over to someone in town who could help him out. But it was impossible to be scared of him, despite his long nails and sharp-looking teeth. We all surrounded it for more photos and just to marvel at it up-close, as it then fell dozed off a bit in Tarans arms.
Nimbin was still wet, and we had the task of setting up The Palace in amidst the mud and already sodden ground. Once set up we spent the evening trying to dry indoors the hut where the kitchen and lounge were. This camp-site was make-shift to say the least, the most basic and ramshackle of any place we had yet stayed.
The next day it was time to immerse ourselves in the self-professed hippy town of Nimbin, with its one short street of hippy-shops. But this town was geared up for its annual pot-fest, and we had quite a lot of interesting stuff still to experience on our little hippy-trail....
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!
Recommended reads:
Port Stephens: A Hidden Coastal Paradise
Arriving at Melaleuca we found it to be like a cross between Tarzan's house and the Swiss Family Robinson; palm trees, wooden decking passageways through the plant-life between buildings, and to top it off, a rescue Kangaroo called Josie!
Port Stephens: A Hidden Coastal Paradise
Okay so I don't know how well known Port Stephen's is. It would appear many travellers bypass it, and we only heard from it from a random magazine article. Then again maybe many already know about it's stunning beaches, laid-back atmosphere and the awesome hostel experience that is Melaleuca Surfside Backpackers.
Port Stephens is an hour from Newcastle, where we spent one night in a hostel that shall not be named. If you like being woken up at 1am, 4am and then 8am by loud obnoxious drunkards sitting outside your door, then gimme a shout and I'll tell you it's name...
Tired and simultaneously wired, we awaited our coach to Melaleuca, where we hoped to camp for a little bit, chill at the beach and just relax in warmer temperatures after an amazing but chilly time in the Blue Mountains. The journey cost next to nothing, thanks to the Opal card, kind of like an Oyster card, but it's used across New South Wales and ensures fair and cheap fares across the trains and buses. Australia might be generally expensive, but it's public transport is brilliant.
Arriving at Melaleuca we found it to be like a cross between Tarzan's house and the Swiss Family Robinson; palm trees, wooden decking passageways through the plant-life between buildings, and to top it off, a rescue Kangaroo called Josie! Speaking of kangaroos, we also met wild ones at sunset, it was a magical experience.
Pitching our tiny two man tent, our new 'Tiny House' for the time being, we then walked down to the local beach, literally across the road, One Mile. The sun was nearly gone out the sky and the sea had been warmed all day, and now gently lapped the shore, as the sky changed into a volcanic orange/red shade.
Check out some more awesome photos of Australia!
The next day we walked to Stockton Beach, home to the largest expanse of moving sand-dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. Sometimes things with such bold titles, don't always live up to them, but this was one of the most 'wow' moments we've had thus far in Oz.
Lush green-land in the distance, then rolling hills of the softest golden sands, followed by the rough coastal beach, waves crashing against the land. Such a landscape of contrasts, and all a half hour walk from Melaleuca.
We didn't fancy doing the camel ride that appeared to last all of 15 minutes so instead we went sand-boarding! Pretty fun!
The guy said Taran couldn't stand up for safety reasons but he let him anyway. I kept to what was safe for a clumsy person and did the sitting down boarding, which was not scary at all! I laughed like a demon all the way down.
The next days were a blur of beautiful beaches, beginning with snorkelling at Nelson Bay. Our friend Innes who we met in the Blue Mountains joined us at Melaleuca, and came out for his first taste of Port Stephen's warm weather and not so warm sea. We stayed quite shallow and only swam for about an hour, but spotted a seahorse, a small puffer and schools of tiny dancing fish.
Being here feels like our beach-side camping in Cornwall, sun-soaked days of doing nothing too taxing, but slightly more tropical sights and warmer weather. After another relaxing afternoon of paddling at One Mile beach, we relaxed with pizza and card games with Innes. A tour group called 'Ultimate Oz' were now staying at Melaleuca too, and there drinking game of 'I have never' provided a little bit of entertainment, and too much information...
The next day came shark-spotting at Fingal Bay. We did our second day of hitch-hiking to get to Fingal, a nice guy who'd once lived in England took us all the way to beach. We would of got the bus but the times are really scant here, and the locals are super friendly so it made sense to gain more hitching confidence.
Once at Fingal, a pretty and sheltered cove, Taran and I walked the the Spit, across knee-deep crystal waters to reach a small island home to a white light-house. Making it back across the rising tides we relaxed and looked out onto the stunning Shoal Bay and Zenith beach across the gentle sea. The ocean was rough on one side of the spit and gentle on the other, which was also dotted with small green mountainous islands. It felt like like we'd landed in Thailand, or maybe the island out of 'Lost'! Oh yeah, whilst walking back along the beach we only saw a shark didn't we!
A fisherman pointed out its shiny white tummy darting through the waves catching all the jumping mullet fish. It wasn't the clearest view, not like an aquarium, but to be honest, it was much better. Seeing this giant scary but harmless creature doing its thing happily in the open sea... well 10 ft from the edge and miles from the open sea, a tad close for comfort when we had only been paddling an hour earlier!
The next few days were taken up with the terrible storm that hit the coast. Held hostage by the battering winds and torrential downpour, we had an interesting experience (read about it here!).
But the crazy weather didn't mar our time in what was a relaxed and unexpectedly beautiful seaside town. We definitely recommend it as a stop on your East-Coast travels!
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!
Recommended reads:
The Storm..
The sound of thunder fills our ears, adrenaline surges through us, as we scramble our things into our backpacks, ready to run...
The Storm..
Port Stephens, Melaleuca Backpackers, the place which has been soaked in heat and sunshine for the last week, the birds and the baking sun waking us at 8am most days.
Now it is 12.30am on a Monday night. A storm rages, not yet tired having lasted all day, steadily worsening.
We (Taran, me and our Scottish friend Innes) are sat indoors a wood cabin that houses the hostel kitchen and lounge area, which has become our little bolt-hole for most of the day, as we bury ourselves in our phones and laptops, comforted and simultaneously quiet against the rattling and thumping coming from the bushland surrounding us.
Hours before, Taran and I had gone to swim in the sea, finding it like a warm blanket against the relentless chilly rainfall. Taran's cheeks turned a little bit blue but it was the most fun we've ever had in such horrid weather.
Finally, at this late and still loud hour, we decide to brave the winds that have battered the hostel and the rains that have drowned the camp-site, and walk to our tents. Wading through puddles that have deepened to over 4ft in the past hour, we get whipped with rainwater. Reaching our little make-shift homes, Josie the kangaroo cowers at the back of our friend Innes's tent. Her tail is poking into the outer sheet. Her whole body is soaked but god forbid her tail gets wet.
Innes goes into his tent, a $32 3-man from K-mart, to find the tent was moving quite a lot, as to be expected in the winds that are at this point, Wizard of Oz-blowing-dorothy-away levels.
Yes it felt a bit wet inside but that must of been from opening the door right? No. Touching all his belongings he realizes, water has penetrated his tent and soaked all his stuff, including tickets, mementos, his electricals and his thermals. A little piece inside Innes dies. Even as I write this Innes writhes in discomfort on the sofa at the memory of finding everything he owns soggy and useless, including the thermals he'd not long before thought about putting on to keep warm.
The sound of thunder fills our ears, adrenaline surges through us, as we scramble our things into our backpacks, ready to run back to the relative safety of the lounge; a building surrounded by trees, perched on stilts, frequented by greedy mice and cheeky possums...
I find myself panicking as I collect my stuff, also thinking how dry the tent still is inside. Until I touch below my bed-roller, to find the floor damp; the water is coming in from underneath.
I run through the newly-formed lakes, negotiate the slippery platform, and make it into the dry of the building, dropping my bag which is already soaked, putting my sleeping bag down on my new bed, the sofa. I know I have to go back out there, to where Taran is securing the tent and Innes is slowly and sadly gathering his stuff together. I wonder why he's taking so long.
I cautiously walk through the lake again, to pack up Taran's things.
A part of me thinks the water will have crocodiles and snakes in it now, so I make a child-like whinny as I walk. I load Taran's bag onto my back and then ask him how I can help, as he fiddles with the tent. There is a rising tide of fear inside me as the extremes pound down on us, tents falling around us, chair cushions floating, a sad wet kangaroo now nowhere to be seen.
I race back indoors. Standing at the open door, yelling for them to come in, annoying myself with how shrill I sound. I see torch lights, so know they are not yet not struck down by a tree or lightning. I sit down on my phone next to the heater to inform Facebook of the situation, of course. Soon comes the slow down-cast figure of Innes. He has to make several trips to bring his things in.
Taran meanwhile chooses to stand outside amidst the elements, because, that's what Taran does. I have had my share of excitement already, and am quite happy to be in the warm and dry, even if tree debris is hitting the roof every other minute. Eventually we are all inside, stood like scarecrow's in our wet clothing.
Innes slowly sorts his things into wet piles and dry piles. I make a bed on the sofa. Taran fidgets and looks out the window a lot. Then as we are all stood up, out goes the lights.
Pitch black...
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!
Recommended reads:
The Blue Mountains: There Are No Words
This was the first time both Taran and I felt like we were really experiencing the beauty of Australia, not simply looking out a window, or mindlessly wandering through busy cities past shops and cafe's, but actually seeing something special and unique to this country.
The Blue Mountains: There Are No Words
When you are stood a-top a mountain-side, the wind whipping through you, and you look out upon something so utterly stunning, you simply can't do anything but gaze upon it and grin.
That was the scene when we first reached Echo Point, in Katoomba, the main town in the Blue Mountains, and the real gateway to some of the best (and most challenging) bush-walks.
We arrived in Katoomba that lunch-time, had a quick introduction to our Hostel from Ross the owner, then having chatted to a couple fellow travellers, we all decided to embark together on our first hike. I suppose I expected an easy one, to guide me lightly into a few days of hiking-type exercise, but no...
Marching enthusiastically to the Three Sisters, our first mountain look-out point, we were rained on, which made for a pretty spectacular rainbow, pouring down into the canyon of tree's. Japanese tourists ran excitedly to the edge to take photo's, and I found myself breaking into a jog too...
This was the first time both Taran and I felt like we were really experiencing the beauty of Australia, not simply looking out a window, or mindlessly wandering through busy cities past shops and café's, but actually seeing something special and unique to this country.
We decided to walk to Katoomba Falls, which was a mostly easy descent across several look-outs, down past the cascades, eventually finding the four of us stood at the foot of a waterfall, and at the precipice of a deathly drop into the rocks below. The wind blew the falls over us, cooling us down, as we looked out on the blue skies and landscape of green hills stretching as far as we could see. Carefully negotiating the rocks we had all climbed over the low and utterly pointless barrier to go near the edge of the falls, but we kept well back, knowing one false step and it would not be good...
Up to now it had been a pleasant walk, full of 'Ooh's and Aah's', then came time to head back. We were going to be losing daylight soon, and our proposed route back, the Federal Pass, was around 1 hour 30 minutes long. Oh, and then we had some steps to walk up. Didn't sound too taxing at that point, but some steps doesn't really accurately describe what we soon found...
We made our way deeper down passing over-hanging rock caves, passing further into the rainforest, amongst the squawking birds and failing sunlight. A brisk slog turned into a slower walk, and then it seemed like we had to pick up pace before it got dark and dangerous.
The thing about fear and caution, is you might be facing a perilous situation but a part of you always assumes everything will be just fine. Yes there are all manner of deadly animals and arachnids surrounding me for miles, and there are muddy, steep steps to be climbed, but you only really focus on each foot movement, on your sweat, your breath, and your desire to reach the end of the path.
There were no tears but plenty of sweat and borderline collapsing, but we kept going, via the light off one of our mobile phones. Soon it was just Taran and I at the rear, the other guys having conquered their climb. Taran tried to motivate me, but I shut him down pretty swiftly. I was trying to get into my head and just tell myself 'You can do it!', mostly because I had no choice! We couldn't stay lost in a tropical forest.
A light, and this time it wasn't just the stars, it was a street-lamp! We'd made it!
Hugs of success and it was time to get the beers! Delirious we walked along, tired and a bit wobbly, but ecstatic. It was such a physical and mental feat for all of us, some of us struggled more than others...
Cider never tasted so good. Pasta with cheese never tasted so deserved. A tired but triumphant game of cards and then bed. Such an amazing first day in the Blue Mountains, one of those days we will never forget, for the beauty, the pain and the beers.
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!
Recommend reads:
Sydney: Bugs, Friends and Bondi
Rain, Sunshine, Cockroaches, Hammocks, Friends and A few famous landmarks in Sydney.
Sydney: Bugs, Friends and Bondi
Sydney, Wednesday the 1st April at 7pm, a muggy evening, and these two sweaty, tired travellers reach our next destination, lug our packs to the train station, then struggle to find our first accommodation, a couch-surf with a guy called Nurman, in a Sydney suburb called Hornsby.
We are so happy to finally arrive at Nurman's lovely apartment, to have some hot showers and then amazingly, a healthy home-cooked meal. Nurman was super welcoming and warm, making us feel instantly at home. It was crazy to think that this exchange of kindness and hospitality involved no money, just a mutual interest in each others lives and good conversation, as well as the gift of some yummy muffins from us.
Our first day of exploring Sydney began at a bank. Boring admin to open our Australia accounts, ticked off our to-do-list of 'Grown-up Responsible Stuff'.
Then after losing each other in Woolworth's, thanks to the mad crowds of lunch-seekers, we made it to the calm and peace of Hyde Park, where the local pest birds, the White Ibis, invited themselves to our picnic. We nicknamed them Pecky's. They were much more novel than your humble English pigeon, thanks to their bizarrely long beaks and skittish but brave manner. Like the tourists that we are, we fed them tid-bits, encouraging their pesty ways.
A walk around the Anzac Memorial and peaceful reflection pool, we then explored the rest of the park, as well as the Cathedral, dipping our feet in a fountain. It was around 23-degrees but very humid, so we were missing the beaches of Melbourne at this point.
Approaching the harbour via the Botanical Gardens we were able to see some huge spiders, hear some squawking tropical birds and feel like we were even more further afield than Australia.
Then we went into the New South Wales art gallery, mostly to escape the heat, but actually found it quite relaxing to look at some famous paintings from Australian and British artists of the 18-1900's.
Then strolling along the rough water's edge, we came up on the famous Opera-House. Taran looked at me, and smiled, having one of those 'We are actually here!' moments.
Sadly this was our last night at Nurman's in our lovely bed, the next day came our first Australian hostel, Tokyo Village, in central sydney. We met up with our friend from England, Ashleigh, who made the next two rainy days awesome, all of us holed up in the stuffy somewhat dirty hostel we had booked at the last minute.
Our first night Taran spotted some kind of small cock-roach bug crawling across his laptop, and then our friend slept-talked, saying "'I've just seen a ghost', so an interesting first night to say the least...
Despite the shower-room that was more like a swimming-pool, and the toenails we found sitting on our dorm floor, we had a fun time watching a random horror movie, drinking ciders and playing cards.
Then came our third Hostel in the backpacker location Kings Cross, Eva's Backpackers, a totally different experience to Tokyo Village. Clean, tidy and welcoming, with an awesome roof-top to look out over Sydney, this place was a breath of fresh (clean) air. And clean showers!
The next day started hot and sunny so we finally made the backpacker pilgrimage to Bondi Beach. The water was surprisingly warm, and it was pretty awesome having our first proper play in the Australia ocean. Then the storm clouds rolled in, and we went for a coastal walk, taking refuge under some cliff-rocks, whilst Taran braved a mini-waterfall.
Sydney was all about making new friends, seeing old ones, exploring all that was typically touristy, making us quite relieved to escape into the Blue Mountains 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!
Recommended reads:
RoadTrip to Sydney: Kangaroo's, Blue Skies and Good Music
...We found ourselves keen to move onto the next place, and we had planned to go to Canberra, but we then settled on going straight to Sydney, as we found a cheap ride there via Co-seats.
RoadTrip to Sydney: Kangaroo's, Blue Skies and Good Music
Melbourne was a great place to begin our trip, with the beach in walking distance to our little Air'B'n'B house, which gave us a few relaxing days to get over our jet-lag.
Bye bye Melbourne!
But we found ourselves keen to move onto the next place, and we had planned to go toCanberra, but we then settled on going straight to Sydney, as we found a cheap ride there via Co-seats.
We knew we weren't city people before we arrived in Oz, but our short time in Melbourne only confirmed this. We longed for wide open spaces, wildlife, and really experiencing the beauty of this country...not that Sydney would provide this, but it would take us that bit further up the East Coast, to where we really want to be.
5am Wednesday morning, alarm clock goes off, and it's time to head to the train into central, where our lift would be meeting us.
A few minutes of waiting on a street corner at 7am, and a guy suddenly came and stood next to us. I instinctively leaped back, slightly dramatically, wondering what the hell was going on, it was too early for weirdo's, or in fact the best time to be mugged.. and so a few seconds later the guy said my name, turns out our ride's boyfriend was just messing with us...
Into the car with who we knew then was Tumi and his girlfriend Gabby, a really laid-back pair with great music taste. So the ride began with some Sigur Ros, and the sun rising to begun another hot day in paradise.
It wasn't long before we saw a kangaroo, albeit a dead one of the side of the road... but then, on the brow of a sun-bleached hill, in the distance, a pouncing animal, we got a live one! Our first Roo, and it was miles away, but it was still a surreal sight.
Cruising down a long and quiet road, sun blasting through the car, the music changed to the 'Into The Wild' film soundtrack, which was also surreal for us, it having been a major inspiration for us, the music of Eddie Vedder playing out for months in the build up to Oz.
Taran took a turn at driving to give gabby a break. He was a bit freaked out by the automatic gearbox at first, and kept reaching to change gears. I had been too nervy to drive, but once he settled into it, it was just us in the front, taking in all the beauty of the open road.
We made a few pit-stops including one in Goulbourn, which had not only a Subway, but also a bloody enormous sheep! It made no sense to us at the time, but was something to do with the big sheep industry over here...no idea.
As we neared Sydney, Gabby drove again, we weren't quite ready for the busy over-zealous city-centre drivers! We had spent a peaceful 8 hours on near-empty roads, bar the vintage classic cars occasionally overtaking us on their way to an event.
Hitting traffic as we came in, we slowly made it through, passing down the main street in Newtown, an eclectic suburb, home to another branch of the 'Lentil as Anything' restaurant.
We came across some other cool sights, including a building that looked like something out of a post-apocalyptic world...
Arriving into the centre of this super famous Australian city, and as expected, we had traded one humid and over-crowded tourist Mecca for another. But there was definitely some awesome and interesting experiences to come, even if we felt a bit sceptical at first...
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!
Recommend reads:
Melbourne: 4 Seasons In One Day
24 hours of plane travel, two movies, several hours of broken sleep, 4 meals, 1 stop in Singapore, 1 long bus ride and we made it into Melbourne Australia!
Melbourne: 4 Seasons In One Day.
UPDATED JUNE 2016: We have now been in Australia over 16 months, catch up with our latest adventure.
24 hours of plane travel, two movie's, several hours of broken sleep, 4 meals, 1 stop in Singapore, 1 long bus ride and we made it into Melbourne! Check out our first Travel Film!
Our first days here have seen us fall asleep by 7pm, wake at 5am, and spend much of our day slowly walking and exploring.
Jet-lag is real, and annoying! But we are enjoying what time we have spent out and about in Elwood (the neighbourhood we are staying in) St. Kilda, and the CBD.
On our first day, having got a bus into central from the airport, we kind of wanted to escape the bustle and the traffic, so off we trekked through the centre down to the beach.
Much of our walk was looking at the characterful little homes and wide, tree-lined streets. Marvelling at everything mixed with tiredness, we still were a bit dazed at this point.
So it really was something to behold the first moment we stepped onto the Australian sands.
At the end of the streets and across a busy road, there sat the deserted and pretty coastline.
Out came the flip-flops, brand new and ready to be worn to absolute death.
And so we continued walking on to our first accommodation, a little house in the suburb of Elwood.
After a brief stop for Hannah to be sick (yes, actually throw up onto our first Australian beach), we had a little rest on the warm sands, as the breeze shocked us a tad. Australia was not quite delivering on endless summer weather, but many people had told us that Melbourne has a temperamental climate and we were visiting it in Autumn.
Eventually making it to our Air b'n'b stay, what greeted us was another characterful little house, a cosy mattress to pile onto and a very chilled out vibe. Alternatively, if you prefer a hotel, check out HotelsCombined for some great deals.
Dragging ourselves back up off the bed was a task, but food was needed desperately at this point.
That night we fell asleep at about 6.30pm, utterly failing at preventing jet-lag...
Awesome tasty vegan food at 'Lentil As Anything'
The next morning after a 5am wake-up, we both relaxed and eventually set-off for a walk around the local area, off towards St. Kilda, where we had lunch at 'Lentil As Anything', where you decide how much to pay based on what you feel your meal was worth... interesting concept, probably drawing many a cheeky person. But they discourage low donations with a sign, so in the end lunch was a decent $12 each.
We then went into the St. Kilda botanical gardens, a really relaxed little corner of paradise set amongst concrete suburbia.
Once home we fell asleep early again!
The next day saw us get the train into the centre, giving our feet a bit of a rest, where we meandered around the local hot-spots such as Federation Square and Hosier lane, stopping for lunch, choosing a very exotic local cuisine, Subway...
We then found a Woolworth's, which in Aus is a big cheaply priced supermarket, where we bought some random food stuff to keep us going.
Yes, food is seemingly more expensive out here, but when you make the effort to shop around and not go to convenience stores, making sure you stock up on the basics for breakfast and dinner, you definitely can save some pennies.
That evening we managed a respectable bed-time of 9.30pm...there's not a whole lot to do in the evenings which doesn't involve spending money, and we've found that staying in an Air b'n'b as opposed to a hostel, whilst a cheaper option, means you have much less socializing to stave off the late-evening boredom of being a stingy backpacker.
Today we stayed local and decided to walk along the coastal path, and we definitely found the best view of Melbourne.
It was also pretty hot, so it was shorts out, hoodie's off and sun-lotion on, the absolute perfect day for a beach stroll.
We happened across a part of the beach where tons of dogs were lolloping around happily in the water, which made me giddy and excited like the dog-obsessive that I am.
Later on, sitting on some rocks, sipping ciders looking across the water to the city, it was probably the best moment in Melbourne thus far, and the end to a beautiful day..
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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