Just Another Smith...

My Air New Zealand flight over to Auckland felt very fancy, on a shiny new plane. I was a bit upset to not be able to admire the view though - why do people close the blind? They must realise there are other people craning their necks to get a glimpse out of "their" window. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant flight of just over 3hrs, I couldn't help but pity Ben and his mammoth journey out. I would be arriving about an hour after he had landed, I was so excited to be reunited and to explore New Zealand together!! At customs, I had a few concerns about some of my possessions; I had brought over the last of my groceries (risotto rice, tea bags etc), and also had rather grubby shoes. Luckily, having queued to an attended kiosk, I could speak to a lovely chatty man who not only stamped my passport, but also advised me on how to fill out my arrival card properly. For the first time in my life, I had something to declare! Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one and had to endur...

After the most amazing time exploring Western Australia, it was time to head back to where it all began. I had two days in Sydney before my flight to Auckland, where I would begin a whole new adventure with Ben. This was a very reflective time for me, I walked from Bondi to Coogee again, and loved that I could still find my way around the city too. I spent my last evening sitting by Darling Harbour, my old favourite haunt, and reading my blogs. I had had the most amazing experiences, and couldn't believe it was the end; time sure flies when you're having fun!!  People always ask me: "what is the best place you have ever visited?" I honestly find this question so hard to answer, and the more places I visit, the harder it becomes. I can never really have a favourite, because every place is unique and special in its own way, and impossible to compare.  However, I have decided to list some of my top memories from my 351 days down under - in chronological or...

After a few wild days, I was glad to be able to chill out in Perth and take it at a slower pace. That is, of course, once I had dragged all of my belongings into a much nicer hostel halfway across town. I wanted to see a bit more of Perth, bits that I hadn’t been able to see during my whirlwind visit with M. This meant taking a gloriously long sunny walk along Swan River to Kings Park. It felt slightly strange that Perth City itself was not actually on the coast, but of course that didn’t stop them from building “beaches” along the shores of the river. Having wandered around the botanical gardens, admiring the many beautiful plants, I crossed the river to visit the zoo. Perth Zoo was over 120 years old, and had all the classic animals – lions, tigers, bears, rhinos, penguins, and of course a lot of native animals too. I was most impressed by their elephant enrichment demonstration. It was really informative and fun, with the elephants showing how they would raise their legs one at ...

After a quick stop off in Perth that included a very early walk to the hostel, a glorious bag-free wander of the city centre and a trip to gorgeous Fremantle, it was time for another adventure. I was ready for group travel again and had signed up for ‘Secrets of Esperance’ rather last minute when I realised my timing would work out! On the first morning of the tour, I walked from the hostel to the pick-up point and was glad to find myself first. After introducing myself to our guide, Sean, I bagsied the front seat, left my bag and went to grab some snacks. A few minutes after clambering back on board our awesome overlander, our group was complete. There were fourteen of us heading off to explore the South West over the next six days. Naturally, I had a nap almost immediately as we set off towards Western Australia’s oldest inland town, York. We had a quick pit stop and I felt like I spent most of it waiting on my chai latte in the aptly named Grannies Café. However, this long w...

After a cold bus journey, a very lovely Joe collected us from the Roadhouse, I was very grateful for the heater in his car! We arrived in Kalbarri at 12.45am and I was very tired. As I was already in my PJs, I collapsed straight into bed! ~ Unsure whether or not I was booked on a tour, I woke up bright and early just in case. After a quick cuppa and shoving the essentials into my bag, I crept outside to wait. I hung around until it was quite obvious that no-one was coming for me, the phone went unanswered and I hadn’t had any emails, so I assumed I wouldn’t be going that day.   It was a wonderfully sunny morning already, and I decided to make the most of being out and about and explore the town. My walk to the supermarket took me alongside the beautiful Murchison River, and beyond that I could see out to the sea. It was a spectacular view. I bought myself some proper breakfast and headed back to the hostel to enjoy it with a cuppa. It was small and family-run, so it ...