Day 1 - The Journey

After a long, but successful day of travelling we finished our first leg of the journey with a stopover in Dubai. The flight had been smooth and easy and went rather quickly with a couple of films and the series ‘Riverdale’ which I got hooked on and hope that it is on future flights too. After arriving at Dubai airport we immersed ourselves in the culture straight away as always with a good old meal of nachos, garlic bread, and fries. That went down a treat and then we killed a couple of hours before embarking on our second leg of the journey to Bangkok. This flight although shorter felt a lot longer which may have had something to do with the screaming babies all over. However I found riverdale again on the in-flight entertainment so settled down watching that and even managed to catch a few hours sleep too.

On arrival at the airport we were rather nervous of our bags arriving due to the fact we had to put them in a separate area in Heathrow which the check In woman said would be much better but you never really know. Luckily our bags arrived both in one piece so we collected those and set off in search of our hotel. We arrived in Bangkok with limited knowledge of how to get to our hotel (partly due to bad planning). We struggled but somehow got there in not bad time at all. The conditions on the trains were crowded and sweaty and morale was also low after sleeping for 2 hours out of the last 24.

After arriving at our hotel we had a nap to reenergise and then headed out for some food. Nothing too adventurous just a restaurant we stumbled across that looked to our taste. We ordered a couple of snacks starters as neither of us were that hungry. We just needed our bed at this stage. With dinner over we headed back to our hotel as it was hosting a rooftop pool party to bring in the new year. Although weary, we felt we should see in the new year in so when we got back, we headed straight up there where we saw the new year in with music, fireworks and most importantly - great views.

Day 2 - Bangkok Introduction

We started the day slightly later than anticipated due to jet lag getting the better of us. 12:30 we rose shocked at the time but too tired to do anything about it. We started by heading out to find some food which we managed to find within the Siam Shopping Center which is one of the most over the top shopping places I have been to. We had Starbucks as it was familiar (this will become a theme im sure). Not great food available at 3pm so we bought the best we could before having a wander around the shopping centre and the surrounding areas.

We then came back to the hotel to view the sunset from our rooftop pool which was very picturesque as you will see below. We then used this time to make our plans for where we were going to head for dinner that evening and also what we were going to get up to the next day.

We headed for a relatively early dinner out at the Hard Rock Cafe as it’s one of our favourites. After some great food eaten and some below par live music we headed back to the hotel for an early night as we planned on getting up a lot earlier tomorrow for some temple viewing.

Day 3 - Temple Hopping

Sleeping was not easy at all last night!! Jetlag had officially beaten Amy and I. We tried to have a good nights sleep. However we both woke up at around 2ish and couldn’t get back to sleep until after 5am so this meant a 3 hr sleep which was not what the doctor ordered. We started to get ready at 9am for a day of temple hopping and exploring.

We ended up leaving the hotel at around 10am and went in search of breakfast. No surprise we stopped off at Starbucks just a short walk from where we are staying. Bought our coffee and croissants and ate those before starting our journey to the temples. We had found the route the night before so this made it relatively easy navigating our way to where we needed to be. We got the train to the rivers edge and then got on the ‘Chao Prya Tourist Boat’ and started heading up river. The boat was crowded and we just missed out on getting a seat but the breeze was lovely and made it bearable.

We got off the boat at the Wat Arun pier and started to have a look around. The £2.50 entry was well worth it as the temple was beautiful on the eye and a very interesting place. This was no surprise as it is one of the most iconic landmarks in Bangkok. We then set about on making our way across the river on a different boat (which cost a grand total of 50p) to see visit the site of ‘Wat Pho’. This is located next to the grand palace and is best known for its 46 metre long reckoning Buddha statue. One of our highlights at this location was definitely the monks ceremoniously tapping (rather hard) wet brooms on visitors heads in order for them to be blessed by the monks. Me and Amy avoided this purely for the fact that the monks were soaking people which was entertaining to be fair. Out of these two landmarks we both decided we preferred ‘Wat Arun’ as ‘Wat Pho’ felt a lot more touristy and also you felt more vulnerable there than at ‘Wat Arun’.

Amy and I both decided after that we would head back to the hotel rooftop pool and relax for the late afternoon / early evening as we were still struggling from lack of sleep the night before. We arrived back at around 4pm which seemed perfect timing as the pool seemed to become rather busy just after we arrived so glad to have secured the loungers when we did. We relaxed around the pool, ordered some food at the hotel then had an early night again in hope we could finally crack the jetlag tonight.

Day 4 - Pool Day

Amy and I both woke up this morning with the same idea in mind. We thought as today is our last full day before we head off onto our first tour through Cambodia and Vietnam we thought we should have a relaxing day by the pool. We had a leisurely start to the day grabbed a Starbucks then headed to the rooftop at about 11:30. Unfortunately when we arrived at the rooftop all the loungers had been taken so we were on our towels on the floor for the first hour or so. Luckily someone moved and we grabbed our chance to secure two loungers which made the afternoon a lot more comfortable.

We bought lunch up there, slept, chatted and listened to music. The sun kept coming and going due to cloud cover but the temperature never dropped. At about 5:30pm we headed back to our room for a shower before heading out to get Amy some visa photos and then out for dinner.

Getting visa photos isn’t quite the same here as it is back home. You have to go into an electronics shop and they take the picture for you with a proper camera. Strange experience and one I don’t think Amy will be rushing back to. After that we headed to another well know Thai restaurant (Jamie’s Italian). Had a great meal there and then headed back to the hotel to pack our bags and get a reasonably early night before checking out tomorrow.

Day 5 - Tour Introduction

We started off the day not too sure what to do with ourselves as we knew we had to check in at the new hotel at around 3pm so it didn’t really give us enough time to get anything done but a long time just hanging around. We had another lazy morning (also becoming a theme) as we figured it would be the last one for quite a while with the tour starting. We eventually left the hotel at around 11:30am to get some breakfast so went to our good old Starbucks and got the usual of a croissant and an ice latte. We sat there eating and people watching for about half an hour to 45 minutes (Ron was a personal favourite to watch). We then had a wander around the shops and the nearby streets before heading back to the hotel to grab a taxi to the next hotel where we would be meeting up with our group for the upcoming tour (Cambodia Express).

The taxi journey was one of nervousness. Every junction or traffic lights you stopped at you felt it could be your last. However we somehow managed to get the the new hotel - Nouvo City Hotel in one piece. We arrived, checked in, put our stuff in our room (to be greeted by some lovely elephant shaped towels) and then headed to one of the biggest tourist attractions in Bangkok. Khao San Road (KSR) was lively and bustling although the constant men trying to sell me a suit did get rather tedious. We had a stroll up and down the street before stopping at a bar for a couple of beers to watch the word go by as we had some time to kill before our group meeting at 6pm.

We headed back the hotel, grabbed the documents we needed and then went down to the meeting room to meet our other people in the group and also the group leader. The meeting gave us an insight into what we would be doing throughout the trip and made us slightly anxious for what was to follow throughout the next few days. We then all met as a group for dinner just around the corner of the hotel for both Amy and I’s first Thai meal of the trip. I had a Thai classic of pad Thai which was delicious and Amy who was dreading it managed to find something on the menu she liked the look of. Some beef strips in spicy Thai sauce with rice which was more than satisfactory. We got to know two women rather well as we were sat opposite them at dinner and were probably closest in age to ourselves as we are the youngest by a fair distance. Denise is a vice principal at a school in Melbourne - about 30 years old and Ellen (I think was her name will have to confirm tomorrow) - about 28 years old went to university of architecture in Manchester and was an architect before quitting her job to come to the other side of the world to do some travelling. We all enjoyed our meals and then headed for a wander around Khao San Road again before heading back to the hotel as we are due to leave the hotel at around 6:30am tomorrow to kickstart our travel to Cambodia.

Day 6 - Off to Cambodia we go

An early rise this morning as we were meeting at the lobby at 6:30am before heading to the border and then onto our hotel for the next 3 nights in Cambodia. We didn’t hear our alarm at first but luckily we heard it with 20 minutes to spare so we dashed around got our stuff together and then headed down to the lobby, checked out and got on the bus. Their were two buses between us so six on one and five on the other. The bus was reasonably luxurious and even had WiFi on it. The travel time in total including stops was scheduled to be just over 10 hours. The ride to the border was smooth and we got to see a lovely sunrise through the high rise buildings on Bangkok before a brief coffee and pastry stop and then the journey to the border.

The border was intimidating as expected but also went a lot smoother than we had anticipated. A brief check of our passport and documents and we were through no questions asked. When we got through the border you could see quickly the differences between Thailand and Cambodia. Cambodia was a lot more underdeveloped it seemed. We stopped off about an hour and a half after entering Cambodia for lunch at a local restaurant which was actually pretty nice. I had beef lok lao recommended by the guide which was very tasty and even Amy got into the swing of Cambodian food. We were stopped there for about half an hour and then we carried on the last leg of the journey.

We arrived at the hotel at about 4pm and had 90 minutes chill time before heading to the city on tuk tuk’s which was an exciting if not nerve racking experience 😂. We had a brief city tour which included a stop at the street food stalls and we tried various ‘local delicacies’ including crickets, frogs and scorpions. All were not particularly great tasting. After that we then went to a local restaurant for food with everyone which was also a very nice experience. The staff are always really friendly and make the experience as easy as it can be for you. It seems almost law here you have to drink beer with your meals so in Bangkok I drank ‘singha’ and here in Cambodia I am drinking the local ‘angkor’ beer which is pricing up at roughly £2.00 a pint so can’t complain with that. We then all got tuk tuk’s back to the hotel to rest up before a slightly later start tomorrow morning of 8:30am where we are heading to Angkor wat.

Day 7 - Temple Hopping

We woke up at about 7:30am for an 8:30am meeting time at the lobby of the hotel. This latest hotel we are in is reasonable in amenities although the surrounding area is quite loud at all times day and night. So at 8:30 we hopped in the bus with the rest of the group and headed for a day of temple hopping. When visiting temples you have to have your knees covered so I had to unroll my shorts to make them longer and as you can imagine long shorts felt very unnatural to me.

The first temple we visited was called ‘Ta Promh’ which is also known as the jungle temple. We walked through with our guide who we call ‘Chan’ and he was talking about it as we went through. We then stopped off at a couple of other temples before lunch where we went to another local Cambodian restaurant which was a bit more pricey due to it being close to the tourist hub of Angkor Wat. This meal was actually very tasty I had just a chicken chow mein type fish but with rice instead of noodles and of course the customary Angkor beer that you get with every meal.

After lunch we headed to one more temple which to be honest was not as impressive as the other ones we had been to. It was almost completely ruined and was not quite as spectacular as the previous ones and by this time the sun was at its peak and even the locals were saying how hot it was. Humid and 35 degrees was a struggle!!! We then stopped off at a local village on the way back to the hotel just to break up the journey a bit and have a look at some of their stalls and what they were selling. Mainly sugar products from the local palm trees.

We got back to the hotel and had about an hour and a half before we had to be ready at the lobby for another tuk tuk trip into the city for dinner and also viewing traditional Cambodian dancing. We arrived and the food was a buffet and I have to say it was the worst meal I’ve had since being in south east Asia. I did not eat much at all. The entertainment was alright at the start but dragged on a bit especially as it was dancing which wouldn’t be my first choice of entertainment to watch. However the beer was nice and company good so the evening did have its upsides. We then headed back to the hotel at around 9pm as we have an exciting morning ahead of a 4:45am start to go and see the main temple of Angkor Watt at sunrise so hopefully will get some great pictures from that.

Day 8 - Early wake up call

The day started with a wake up call of 4:30am to leave at 4:45am to get to Angkor Wat for sunrise so we were sure it was gonna be worth it. We set off in the pitch black with a few weiry faces. We arrived in the dark and luckily we were some of the first people there so managed to get great spots right near the front. We waited patiently for about 45 minutes before the sun started to rise. It was definitely worth the wait and also the early start especially being at the front of the crowd so getting some great photos. It was a beautiful site and the only thing I feel I can compare it to that I have witnessed is the Taj Mahal. We all then went around the temple for about an hour exploring before heading to the bus back to the hotel for breakfast and a much needed nap.

A bit of a longer nap than I had anticipated as I woke up at 12:30. It was then onto the next activity during the afternoon where we could choose out of a number of different options including zip lining and quad biking. We chose to go to a local village to see the type of environment they live in and also see the wells that they are building to get water which is linked to our guides charity as he grew up in the area with a very tough upbringing. This was one of the best things I’ve done so far on the trip! We travelled in an old school jeep that all 8 of us squeezed into the back of. Stocked up on beers and our guide brought a big speaker with him so we connected up the phones and had ourselves a right little party vehicle. Then at the village we seeing the kids faces when we arrived was special. It was as if we had made their day by just turning up there. We brought them bread and one kid performed a song for us. We then got blessed by the monks which was a rather strange experience. All of us sitting on a mat getting water flicked over us. We then went to the house where Chan (tour guide) grew up and his mum gave us all coconut water out of fresh coconuts which was really tasty.

We then headed back to the hotel and we had a free evening to choose whatever we wanted to do. Me and Amy went to the Hard Rock Cafe for some western food as we have the Home stay tomorrow so weren’t too sure what we would be eating so wanted to get Amy a good meal before that. We then met up with a few other in the group on ‘pub street’ for a few drinks which was a good laugh. A few stayed longer but 5 of us decided to get a tuk tuk back to the hotel at about 12 and then headed to bed after that.

Day 9 - The Homestay has arrived

It was a leisurely start after last night and we headed to breakfast at the hotel at around 9:30am where we met Denise (Aussie) and Emma (Hackney). We ate plenty of toast and then went back to our room as we had to book our next trip after the tour finishes on the 12th. We got that done with flights and hotel booked for the island of phu Quoc in southern Vietnam. With that done we packed the rest of our stuff up to check out for 12pm and start the next journey.

We stopped for lunch at a very nice place off the main road it almost felt like a restaurant in a jungle. It was all outside and wooden all around. Very nice indeed. We then carried on the journey to a floating village where we had a boat tour and saw a bit of what life was like for these people - some of the poorest in the country earning only around $4 a week. The conditions were squalid but all people living there had a smile on their face which just shows you can make a good situation of anything. The houses were also all built on stilts due to the water rising at certain times of the year.

This lasted a couple of hours before our last leg of the journey to the homestay where we would be having dinner and staying the night. We arrived at about 7pm and got shown to where we would be sleeping. All 12 of us in one room with a mat each and a mosquito net. The mat actually seemed like it was going to be more comfortable than I had imagined. After this we all sat around and had diner that was prepared by the family who live here and it was very tasty. I had pork and then the chicken soup. We then all sat around with a few beers before heading to ‘bed’. This is where I am writing this from now and I think sleep could be limited tonight. Not overly comfortable and the fans are rather loud but we will see how it goes with an update tomorrow.

Day 10 - Travelling to Phnom Penh

First of all just like to say that the homestay sleep was nowhere near as bad as I thought!!! I woke up a couple of times but fell straight back to sleep again so all in all I have no complaints whatsoever. Wouldn’t like to do it every night but for a one off it was not too bad at all. We woke up to a traditional Cambodian breakfast which wasn’t overly to my taste. Cooked rice and meat for breakfast is never a winner in my eyes. So I had as much as I could of that (not very much) and then we all set off in oxcarts to a local temple. This was two to a cart so me and Amy shared of course. It was not the greatest experience - very uncomfortable and felt sorry for the cows towing us getting whipped so was relieved when we arrived at the temple after about 15/20 minutes. We had a brief tour around which was very quiet as not many tourists at all and then we hopped back on the bus for our travelling to Cambodia’s capital city.

It was around a 4 hour journey with a brief stop for lunch in a horrendous place. Food was horrible and there were flys everywhere. Worst food experience of the trip so far without a doubt. That was a brief stop before we got back on the bus and headed for our final leg of the trip.

We arrived in Phnom Penh which was bustling city much busier than Siem Reap and also felt a lot more built up. We then had a city tour on a tuk tuk which was enjoyable and saw a few of the local sights before heading to dinner on the river. This was a great restaurant with happy hour so 3 pints cost only $1.75 and I had a Thai green curry which tasted amazing if not a bit spicy!! Amy couldn’t resist the western food and went for pasta with chorizo which tasted amazing also. Many people in the group had western food on offer from pizzas to burgers just for a bit of normality from the constant Thai dishes. We all ate and drank before heading back to the hotel for bed as another early start was looming tomorrow.

Day 11 - Killing Fields and ‘Sunset’ River Cruise

Relatively early start today as needed to leave at a decent time to avoid the traffic to get to the killing fields just outside of the city. We got picked up by a huge coach considering there is only 12 of us and had a brief background given to us on what went on during the Khmer Rouge regime and what the killing fields was all about. Some shocking stories and stats surrounding this time in Cambodian history and the fact that it was only about 40 years ago was even more shocking.

We arrived at the killing fields and started our tour. It was a strange environment there. You felt almost awkward taking pictures as it was all so fresh you were walking over bones in the ground from the people who were brutally murdered but the tour guide said they want us to take pictures so we can show people what it was really like for these people at this time. In just a 4 year period around 2.5 million people were murdered which was around 1/3 of the entire population. We went round with the tour guide and by the time it was finished you did feel shock at what happened.

We then left the killing fields and headed back to the hotel for a free afternoon before all of us in the group heading out for a sunset cruise dinner which we were really looking forward to. When we arrived at he cruise we were a bit sceptical as it didn’t look very legit but then again nothing does in Cambodia so was relatively normal. Their wasn’t much of a sunset but the weather was still very warm and perfect for an outside dinner. We were on the boat for about 2-3 hours which was a real laugh with everyone with great food and great music.

This finished at around 8:30pm so we all went out for a few drinks to a place called ‘beer city’ and then a reggae rooftop bar. Both rather strange places but we had a laugh and didn’t stay out too late as we are up early in the morning for the long coach journey to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 12 - Travelling to Ho Chi Minh City

Not a lot happened today really. The journey to Ho Chi Minh took over 9 hours so was very much bus focused today. We left at 8am on our long journey. The bus was really nice with charging ports and WiFi so that did make it more bearable. We stopped off at the border for lunch which was brief and then carried on our trip to the city.

We arrived eventually at around 4:30-5pm after some trouble finding our actual hotel which included roaming around the city with our heavy bags. Not ideal however we were given a couple of hours to freshen up and get ready before our last meal with everyone. We went to a local Vietnamese place although you could order western food if you wanted (Amy did not hesitate in ordering the nachos). I ordered a chicken curry which was incredible. I wa starving which helped but it really did hit the spot!! We then all went out to a local bar for a few drinks (buckets) and all had a bit of a blow out as it was our last night. We were out until about 2am and everyone seemed to have a great night. We then headed back to the hotel knowing a lie in was on the cards for the first time in many days which was an exciting prospect.

Day 13 - Brief look around Ho Chi Minh

Today started slowly after a lively night out in the city last night. As it was our last night we all went out together as a group and went to a place called ‘Donkey Club’ where we played pool and darts, had a drink and a boogie. We were drinking buckets which tasted awful but were great value.

We rose eventually from our hotel room to check out at around 11:30am to find Denise in the lobby so we checked out and then all went to get food and have a stroll around the city. We went to a wood fire pizza restaurant which was just what was required after the night before. We then went in search of the bitexco finance tower where you can go to the top and have great views over the city. On arrival we found out if you wanted to go to the very top you had to take part in the Heineken experience. We agreed to do this although we’ve already done it in Amsterdam. When that finally finished and we got to the top it was clear how polluted the city was. Very hazey from the top but a great view nonetheless.

We then had a fair few hours to kill before we needed to go to the airport for our flight to Phu Quoc. We wandered around, went to the markets and then went back to the hotel lobby to chill for a bit before heading for dinner. We went to the same place as the night before with the group and it was really nice food and great value so we headed there and had another tasty meal.

We headed to the airport at about midnight to then sit in McDonald’s for 4 hours before our check in opened. We didn’t want to get a hotel for this night as we would of had to leave at about 2:30am anyway so thought this would be a solid alternative. Although very tiring it was definitely worth it just to save the money.

Day 14 - First day of Island Life

Our flight out to Phu Quoc was at 6am and we landed at 7:05am. Due to lack of sleep me and Amy both fell asleep before take off and woke up while landing. The perfect flight. We then got to the hotel but unfortunately our room wouldn’t be ready for a couple of hours which was tough to hear as we just wanted a nap before we explored a bit. However this couldn’t be the case so we got our swim stuff on and went to the local beach just across the road for a sunbathe and nap.

It was very windy which meant you couldn’t feel the heat from the sun which is always a recipe for disaster as I found out. I hadn’t put sun cream on as it was early and it didn’t feel that hot and it was in the main luggage which I couldn’t be bothered to get at. So now I’m suffering from this choice. My front is burnt to a crisp so have been layering up on aftersun in hope that it turns to tan as soon as possible as it is rather painful.

Our room was available at 12 so we went upstairs to get yourselves sorted and have an afternoon nap in a proper bed (also with the state of my body I couldn’t lie in the sun anymore today). We then had a look at recommended restaurants in the area and decided on a place called ‘winston’s burger and beer’ which sounded ideal. We got a taxi there which cost a huge 92p. The burgers were amazing and the whole meal came to £15 so even better!!

I then proceeded to spend the rest of the evening putting after sun on in hope of the burn healing a little overnight but we will see how that pans out tomorrow.

Day 15 - First full day on the island

We had found a really nice looking beach bar online yesterday so decided we would go and see what it’s all about! We walked into the town where it was which took about 10/15 minutes and then started to sunbathe and relax for about 2 hours in the scorching sun. I had to wear a t shirt as I felt it wasn’t safe for the burn I had got from yesterday to be out in the elements. It definitely needs some recovery time.

At about 1pm we both decided we were rather peckish so went into the beach bar to get a bit of lunch. A couple of open baguettes which were very nice indeed. We then proceeded to spend the afternoon in the bar which was a lot of fun. Soaking up the sun on the sand in the afternoon and then retreating back to the more luxurious seats in the late afternoon once the sun had gone. All in all a very relaxing day that we both enjoyed. Especially as it helped our recovery from burn on the first day!!!!

We then went out to dinner at a place also in the town which we had seen had good reviews. The food was nice although the service was very slow. There was also some less than impressive live music too...

Day 16 - Beach Day

Today started with breakfast at the hotel as per. I discovered the pancakes so had to make the most of this of course!! After a satisfyingly large amount of pancakes consumed we headed to the local beach just opposite the hotel for a couple of hours chilling and dipping in the ocean. The sky was the bluest I’ve seen it here so we had to make the most of it. Although due to the burning issues I had to be one of those people that I judge who was wearing a t shirt on the beach. Not a pretty sight.

We then headed along the beach to our favourite place in Phu Quoc which is Rory’s bar. We ordered some lunch and played card games and scrabble all afternoon which was a good laugh and we were hoping to see the sunset but unfortunately another day passed where the cloud cover came over in the late afternoon so it was looking more and more like we wouldn’t be seeing an iconic Phu Quoc sunset after all.

As it got to about 6:30pm we decided we may as well have dinner here too so we ordered some food. I had barramundi and chips which was incredible. Amy had a burger which looked equally impressive. We ate those had a couple more drinks and then headed back to the hotel with another relaxing day behind us.

Day 17 - Sao Beach

Today started much earlier as we were beading to a beach called ‘Sao Beach’ which is known for being the most beautiful and picturesque beach on the island and we had read to get there before the flock of tourists do. We set our alarms for 6:45am and hoped for good sunny weather. We headed down to breakfast had a more brief breakfast than previous days, then applied extensive amounts of sun tan lotion before ordering a taxi and heading to the beach.

We arrived at about 9am and the place was perfect and quiet. Not quite blue skies but it did look like the sun was threatening to burn through so we held out hope. The iconic swings were what we wanted to see most of all and we found them. But as always as it was a tourist place the locals had seen there was money to be made and so they charged 20,000 VND (64p) to sit on the swing and take pictures. By this time the blue sky had started to come out and we got some great pictures.

We then stayed around the beach for a bit before getting our taxi back that we had arranged to pick us up at around 12. We headed back to the hotel got ourselves sorted and then headed to.... you guessed it, Rory’s. We were meeting Denisse from the tour who had arrived in Phu Quoc yesterday night. We had a few drinks and dinner which was lovely as always.

We also finally got to see the sunset as well which was an extra bonus!! It was as if it had saved it for our last night. So we could leave the island happy knowing we had got that sunset we wanted. We then headed back to the hotel as our flight tomorrow to Phuket is at 7:40am.

Day 18 - Travel to Phuket

Our alarms went off at 5:00am as we had to leave the hotel by 6 to get our flight to Ho Chi Minh City to then go from there to Phuket. Bleary eyed we made our way down to the lobby to check out which was easy enough. I had to pay for laundry that I had done but for some reason we weren’t allowed to pay by card and we had nowhere near enough cash but the person at the desk took what we had so ended up with a great discount on my washing.

There was nothing at the Phu Quoc airport at all to speak of. It’s even smaller than the Guernsey airport. So we decided to hold out until Ho Chi Minh to grab some breakfast as we knew they had a few places to choose from. On arrival at Ho Chi Minh we felt like locals having already been at the airport a few days previous so we knew exactly where the breakfast places were so we grabbed a coffe and croissant from Starbucks and headed to check in. This took longer than usual due to a massive group in front of us who had no clue what was going on. Eventually we managed to check in and we thought we were a bit tight for time. However turned out the flight was delayed an hour so that gave us enough time to gather ourselves before heading on board.

The flight went by pretty quickly as I watched another episode of peaky blinders which has been a life saver on some of the travelling days. We arrived and to start with the bus from the plane to arrivals dropped us at the wrong place so after a bit of confusion we were all rounded up, put back on the bus and taken to the right place where border control was swift and our bags were there waiting for us. We then jumped in a taxi and headed for our newest accommodation of the Yama Hotel in Kata Beach area of Phuket.

After a rather dodgy taxi ride where we both felt rather unwell from we were pleasantly surprised with the standard of the hotel we had booked. We knew it was going to be pretty nice but this surpassed all our expectations. It’s modern, great views, great staff - and all for not a bad price at all. We settled into our room had a look around the place, saw a gorgeous sunset and then got some food at the hotel before having an early night in preparation for getting up tomorrow morning and heading into the town/beach area.

Day 19 - Kata Beach

We woke up aiming to get the first free shuttle from the hotel to the beach at 10am. We woke on good time and had a leisurely breakfast by the pool. Always a winner when pancakes are on offer. We then went to the lobby to get the shuttle only to find that you had to have pre booked and unfortunately the first shuttle was full so we had to wait an hour to get into one which wasnt the end of the world we just sat by the pool for an hour and jumped onto the next one.

We arrived at Kata Beach as it was mayhem. One of the busiest beaches I have been at. The sand was white and the sea was blue. However you couldn’t get the full aesthetic of the ages with the thousands upon thousands of people there. The weather was perfect with blue skies and warm sun. We swan and sunbathed for a few hours in the searing heat before heading to the top of the beach to grab some lunch at a place called Calcio. Amy was craving mozzarella so got a caprese salad (tomato and mozzy) and garlic bread and I got a Hawaiian pizza which I have grown to love while being away. It might be because the pineapple adds a refreshing element to it with the hot climates.

We then jumped back on the shuttle to chill by the pool for a few hours. The pool area at the hotel is perfect and we are trying to make the most of it while we’re here. We stayed around it for a few hours before grabbing showers and getting our free complimentary cocktail (blueberry and kiwi mojito which was superb) from the rooftop bar and then dinner at the restaurant by the pool. I got the massaman curry which tasted amazing but the chef was very generous with the spice and also accompanied with my new favourite beer ‘Singha’.

We then headed back to the room for a relatively early night as we are up early in the morning to go to the Phuket elephant sanctuary and are being picked up at 8am.

Day 20 - Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Early start this morning as our pick up time was 8am. Alarm went off at 6:45 allowing enough time for a quick breakfast in the restaurant and to get ready for the day ahead.

Taxi arrived at 8 on the dot which was ideal and we set off on a 45 minute drive to the sanctuary. We arrived at the meeting point outside of the sanctuary where you sign in and pay for the experience. We then were taken with other people by jeep to the actual sanctuary where we were to spend the rest of our time. We arrived to friendly faces and a nice spread of food laid out which we made the most of. We then watched a film about how badly elephants are treated within the tourist industry which was very hard to watch. Also made me feel quite guilty having ridden an elephant in India on a school trip. Something that after seeing this video I very much regret. To put it bluntly elephants are taken deep into the jungle and tortured until they are distressed and have no concept of happiness and what life used to be like. They are then taken to circuses etc where they are constantly being beaten, stabbed, or taking hooks and slingshots to the eyes so they obey what their mahood (trainer) wants from them.

After the video a couple of elephants were guided to the area we were at for some feeding. Everyone had a chance to feed them a variety of foods from watermelon, to bananas, to cucumbers. The elephants weren’t fussy and nommed it down in seconds. After this special encounter we were then split into groups to walk around the sanctuary and see the rest of the elephants. Emphasis was really put on only touching or interfering with the elephants if they come to you, you can never go to them. There was one bit where the elephants came so close it felt like a face off but you never felt threatened as the cliche’d saying goes - they really are gentle giants.

After the walk around we watched them bathe together in the water before heading back to the starting area for a buffet which was very tasty and then we bought a couple of souvenirs from the sanctuary shop. We stayed in this area for about 45 minutes before getting the jeeps back to where our taxi was waiting to take us back to the hotel. This whole experience was my most enjoyable of the trip so far as it really make you understand what this sanctuary are doing to help these elephants and get them out of the tourist industry.

We then got back to the hotel to spend the afternoon by the pool although it was slightly cloudy this was not a problem and in fact made it a lot more bearable. We had planned to head to the rooftop for dinner as they were having a sunset bbq. However this did not take place in the end as a thunderstorm came in again. Seems a regular occurrence here on most nights and this led to some of the heaviest rain I’ve ever seen. So we just got a regular dinner from the hotel before heading off to bed.

Day 21 - Kata Beach

Today started in a much more relaxing fashion compared with yesterday’s early wake up call. We woke up at around 8:30 and headed to get some breakfast before getting the hotel shuttle to the beach as it was a sunny morning but was expected to cloud over later on.

We sunbathed and wallowed around in the sea which is really warm here. Refreshing but you are able to stay in for ages no problem. We then got lunch at a place called surf house which is an outdoor surf simulator which was very entertaining seeing grown men think they were so cool doing it and falling flat on their fave everytime. I got a burger called the big kahuna which was amazing. Pineapple in a burger is definitely the way forward!!

We then headed back to the hotel pool as the clouds were starting to close in and then if necessary we would be able to just head into the hotel room if it started to rain... which indeed it did at around 4pm. When it rains here it pours so that stopped any chance of a last few hours in the sun for today. We then started to sort a few of our things to get ready for packing as we are heading off to start our island hopping tour on the boat tomorrow. Very excited for that.

We then grabbed a bit of food at the hotel, nothing massive as lunch was huge and quite late. We then headed to bed for our last sleep in the Yama Hotel, which has been a great hotel. We didn’t expect it to be anywhere as nice as this and location is perfect so all in all a great choice of accommodation.

Day 22 - The start of Island Hopping

We woke up for the last time in the Yama, had breakfast then got all of our stuff packed and sorted before checking out and heading onto the meeting point for our boat tour around the southern Thailand islands.

When asking for a taxi there was a bit of confusion because the restaurant we were meeting at seemed to have a few different names but after a bit of a confused delay we managed to get there in good time then we ventured in to the restaurant to be greeted by a very tanned Greek man who was to be our tour guide. He said we had about half an hour before the meeting started so we grabbed a drink and sat down before everyone was called over at 1 to start the tour.

We then hopped into a water dingy which had to do 3 trips in total to the main boat. One just for bags then a group of 6 and a group of 7. We arrived at a beautiful catamaran in the harbour and from the moment we got on you knew it was going to be a great relaxing few days.

The first day was very much a travel day to get the our docking destination where we could have a swim and have dinner. The start of the journey was rather choppy I must say and I was feeling a little ropey with that but I think it was just my body adjusting to the boat life. After a nap and an hour or so on board it started to feel a lot more normal.

We arrived at the docking point at around 5ish where we then all went for a swim and then had an amazing dinner before a few drinks on board with everyone and then settling down for the night.

Day 23 - Life is very tough....

Well all in all not the best nights sleep I’ve ever had. The pod we are sleeping in is not the most roomy which I expected but the heat down in the cabin was nearly unbearable. We have a small fan which helped a little. Hopefully we will just get used to it!!

Due to the heat though we woke up at 6:00am which was great because we were able to come up on deck and watch the sunrise over the water which was rather special. We then had a great breakfast of eggs and bacon which went down an absolute treat before heading off to our next destination of a nice private lagoon and then onto ‘James bond island’. The lagoon was amazing - very picturesque and quiet. Our tour guide had already said James Bond island was his worst island purely because of how busy it was. He was absolutely spot on. The amount of tourists there made it very chaotic and unrelaxing. We didn’t spend too much time here just for a few iconic pictures before heading off to our docking spot.

We arrived here at around 2:30pm and we were able to get the kayaks and paddle boards out and just float around the island we were docked by. It was a pretty surreal experience and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. We paddled around, dipped in the water for a bit which was very refreshing on a boiling day like today.

During the later stages of daylight you could see there was a rather considerably sized storm on its way so we prepared for a rather bumpy dinner and sleep. This came to fruition with thunder, lightning, and pouring rain. However this did cool the temperature down which was a bonus. We got the sides of the earring area down to shelter is from the rain before enjoying another great meal. Before the trip I hadn’t expected the food to be up to much as we were on a boat but it has been amazing throughout and I have eaten more fish in the last few days than I had in the last few years I reckon.

After dinner and a few more drinks and games we headed to bed on a rather more rocking boat than the night before.

Day 24 - Another day in Paradise

After a bit of a better sleep I woke up at 6am again which I am actually enjoying. Being able to wake up to sunrise over the water from the boat is something very special.

Early indications suggested that it was going to be another hot day today with clear blue skies. We had another great breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs before heading off to our next location where apparently the waters are clear and is a great place for snorkelling. We arrived there at about 11am and got out all the gear. Flippers, snorkels, goggles, the lot!! I hadn’t worn flippers in about 10 years so was rather strange at first but got used to it. One thing we did get warned out was to watch out for the jellyfish. I assumed they would be quite obvious but there were also some tiny ones in there that were harder to spot and I got a sting on the arm which is actually not as bad as I thought it would be. It just feels like someone is resting a stinging nettle on your skin. Apart from this we saw some amazing little fish here and someone even saw a reef shark. We got some great GoPro footage under the water.

We then had lunch before heading to railay beach which is where we would spend the afternoon on land. A few of us went to a couple of the bars on the island which were shack life but it added to the island experience. We then had to get back to the boat for 6pm to get ready before having dinner on land too at a local restaurant.

We showered and then headed to dinner which was about a 15 minute walk from the boat. The food was ok, if not a little basic. The restaurant was linked to a bar so we went there for a few drinks afterwards. There was also a Muay Thai event at the bar so we watched that which was absolutely brutal but good entertainment nonetheless. There was then a fire show which looked really cool with fire being thrown and all sorts.

After this was over we headed back to the boat before crashing out for the night before our final day aboard the boat tomorrow.

Day 25 - Last day on the boat

We woke up early once again and managed to catch the sunrise again on our last morning on the boat. It was by far the best sleep I had on their as I didn’t wake up once and slept the whole way through. Seemed like I was finally getting used to it.

We had breakfast same time as usual around 8:30am before a 2 1/2 hour journey to koh Phi Phi where Amy and I and a few others would be departing the boat for the final time. It was also the hottest day we have had so far on board so we made the most of it and spent the journey sunbathing on the front deck which was lovely with the breeze. We arrived at Phi Phi and said farewell to our travellers as we went in search of our accommodation for the night.

First impressions of Phi Phi were not overly impressive. It was very touristy and felt like a glorified magaluf or zante. We found our hotel which was pleasant enough. We hadn’t gone for a particularly nice place as it is just one night but it was better than expected and had everything we needed for one night.

We then decided we wanted to go and do the only thing we were set on doing while being on the island. This was trek up to the phi phi viewpoint. This walk was a lot more challenging than expected with plenty of hills and was very humid so worked up a sweat but was definitely worth it for the views from the top.

We then headed back to the main town where we were staying and grabbed a quick bite to eat although we both weren’t feeling great. Think it was being back on dry land we both kept feeling a bit motion sick. So although this island is tagged as the party island we really didn’t feel like going for drinks at all so we just headed back to the hotel. We knew we were up early for our departing ferry so this was probably a good idea.

Day 26 - Travel Day

Today was a very non eventful day full of travelling. We had to catch the ferry from koh phi phi to Phuket at 9am so left the hotel at around 8:15 to make sure we got there on time. We arrived in Phuket at 11am and had a taxi waiting for us there to get to the airport to get on a flight to Singapore.

We arrived pretty early at the airport so went and got some food. A good old Burger King which went down a treat before checking in for our flight.

The flight wasn’t too long at all only 1 1/2 hours so went reasonably quickly. We wanted to get through the airport at Singapore as quickly as possible to make the most of the amazing hotel we were staying at in Singapore. We ended up arriving at the hotel at 8pm so checked in where we got upgraded to a suite which had an amazing view and was one of the most amazing hotel rooms I’ve stayed in. After heading to our room we quickly got ready and headed up to the pool which is the longest and highest rooftop pool in the world on the 57th floor.

The views were as breathtaking as we thought they would be. Felt very surreal swimming above all the skyscrapers in the city.

We then went and got some food later on at about 11pm when the pool closed before heading to bed as we wanted to be up early to make the most of the pool in the morning before checkout.

Day 27 - Exploring the weird and wonderful Singapore

We woke up early to make the most of the amazing infinity pool at the hotel. We went up there at 7:30am and chilled out and had some breakfast. The pool was freezing but didn’t distract from the amazing views of the city from up on the 57th floor. We were up there until about 10am before heading back to the room for a check out time of 11.

We then started exploring the weird and wonderful city we were in. We went to the gardens of the bay and had a look around which is a man made eco system. Very strange indeed. We then just carried on wandering around the city nipping in and out of a few shops mostly for the air con rather than anything else. The weather wasn’t great it was very humid and rainy so not too conjusive for doing too much so we carried on wandering around and ended up finding a shop that we both love called comme des garcons and couldn’t resist purchasing a top each as it was much cheaper than in England.

We then went back to the hotel to grab our bags and headed to the airport to catch our next flight to Melbourne. We boarded the flight at 10:40pm and were due to be arriving in Melbourne at 9:00am and we were really looking forward to it.

Day 28 - First Day in Aus

We arrived at 9am today with Dan picking us up from the airport which was a bonus rather than having to find our way into the city. We then drove straight to Chris and Charlotte’s house to meet them and their 3 boys Felix,, Jasper, and Orlando. We spent a couple of hours there getting to know them which was a laugh. It’s been an absolutely sweltering day today. 34 degrees but the humidity made it feel like closer to 40 which was very sweaty indeed.

We then headed back to Dan’s to get our stuff sorted before heading out for some lunch in the city. We went to a place called Grill’d which is a burger place. The burger was amazing and a very cool area which seemed to be a theme of Melbourne. Lots of cool areas. We then went back to Dans to get ready before heading out for a few drinks in the evening.

We tried getting into a rooftop bar called QT but unfortunately weren’t allowed in as we were wearing t shirts. Instead we went to the national gallery where they were having a drinks event which was very expensive but very nice cocktails. We then went to a different rooftop bar called Madame Brussels which was a well known place in the city. We had a few drinks there too before heading back to dans and heading to bed before another very hot day tomorrow.

Day 29 - Australian Open Finals Day

Today really was an absolute scorcher. We left the apartment at about 10am and it was already 35 degrees. We headed to Charlotte and Chris’ house just to pop in as it was their son (Jasper) birthday today who was turning 7. We chilled at theirs around the pool which was a relief in the heat. We then chatted for a fair while with them before heading onto Georgie and Hocks house (Hocks is Dan’s godfather). We got a lift from Chris in his new Tesla which was a crazy experience. Felt like a rocket ship. We then arrived at Hocks’ house which was incredible. It was the nice part of town and the house was something to behold. I’m talking games room, cinema room, big pool area all sorts!! We spent a bit of time there before heading back to Dans to get ourselves sorted and heading to the final of the Aussie open. We bought ground passes the day before so weren’t in the actual arena but nevertheless was still great to be in the atmosphere and watching federer reach 20 slams.

We found a great spot at the tennis on the grass where we stayed for the whole 6 hours we were there. Sipping on many a beer and aperol spritz it was a near perfect evening with the temperature not dipping below 35 degrees at any stage.

The match was a lot more entertaining than we thought as well with Cilic making a proper contest of it. We stayed for the ceremony at the end too so didn’t leave until after 11pm and went straight back to dans before an earlyish start tomorrow as we are meeting Di and Guy for breakfast who are also in Melbourne.

Day 30 - Tourist Day

Today started with a breakfast at a place called KettleBlack which was known as one of the best breakfast places in Melbourne so we had to try it. We were meeting Di and Guy at 9:30 as they were here for the morning before heading north for a few days in Yarra Valley. We had a great breakfast although the portion sizes were something to behold. Di, Dan and I all ordered hot cakes which we thought would be a little like pancakes. They were delicious but absolutely massive. It was literally the size of a family birthday cake but for one person. So we all had to get a doggy bag as no one was able to finish.

After breakfast we said farewell to Di and Guy before heading into the city to explore a few of the tourist destinations. The first place we went to was Hosier Lane which is known for street art and it didn’t disappoint. It was everywhere and was really cool looking. We then ventured further into the city and just wandered around a few of the laneways which Melbourne is full of. We then got lunch later on before heading back to dans to chill for a bit and then headed to he supermarket to get some food for dinner as we decided we would cook dinner at the apartment this evening.

We bought ingredients for tacos which tasted fantastic and then just had a night in at the apartment.

Day 31 - Introduced to Fitzroy

We started the morning with breakfast at dans before heading to the eureka tower which is the tallest building and the viewpoint to see over the whole of Melbourne. It wasn’t the clearest day but still adequate. It actually felt like a classic English summer day with overcast clouds and drizzle and around 18 degrees. A drastic change to the previous 3 days. The eureka was great and you could go outside at the top which was great if not rather windy. We took in the views with dan explaining where a few things were.

We then went and grabbed a small lunch where I tried sushi for the first time as this is massive here in Australia. It wasn’t too bad at all. I had 3 rolls one with tuna, one with prawns and one with chicken. All tasted very good.

We then ventured into an area of the city called Fitzroy which is where we were meeting someone from our tour in Cambodia for drinks as she lived there. Fitzroy was a very ‘edgy’ area and quite alternative. A bit like Camden in London or Northern Quarter in Manchester. We went into a few vintage shops before heading to a place for afternoon drinks. A rooftop place called The Provincial Hotel where it was happy hour. We had a couple of drinks there before meeting Denisse at a bar called ‘Naked for Satan’. This bar was amazing with great views over the whole of Melbourne skyline. We were here for a few hours before briefly going to Denise’s to try the Australian delicacy of vegemite which was actually pretty nice and then went back to dans to bed.

Day 32 - The drizzle continues...

We woke up to English weather once again. Wind and drizzle. This meant we needed an indoor activity so we decided to go to the sports museum located within the MCG cricket ground. It was very interesting with lots of interactive things to do there so we were very glad we managed to find a morning free to head there.

By the time we had finished in there the sun had come out too so we decided to head to a well known street in Melbourne called chapel street. We headed there via the shrine memorial which was lovely and peaceful and very picturesque with the blue skies.

We then went to Chapel street which was a very busy place with plenty of shops, restaurants and bars. We had a wander around there before getting some lunch at Mr Burger which was nice but not as good as the burger we had at Grill’d earlier in the week. We then strolled around some more before heading back to dans to relax before going out for drinks and then dinner with Hocks and Georgie. We went to a posh wine bar before heading for dinner at Fonda which was an amazing Mexican restaurant. Some of the best I’ve ever eaten.

We then went to a hidden bar which at the front was a sandwich shop before heading through the ‘staff only’ door into the secret bar in the back. After a few of the best cocktails we have had we then headed back to dans again for some much needed sleep.

Day 33 - Beach Day

With it being our last full day in Melbourne and the sunshine out we thought no better way to spend it than heading down the coast to a few nice little beach spots. We got up early as we wanted a full day of beach action. We got the tram to Charlotte and chris’ as we were borrowing their car to drive the coast.

With the sun out and music playing we headed to our first destination of the day which was a place called Mt Martha. A small place with some big houses there. We walked along the beach to grab a coffee and some bits for lunch. We made our own wraps which were actually tremendous and just what we needed. We then set off to our next and main destination which was Sorrento. A lot further south this place was Dreamy. So quiet as everyone had gone back to school and we met with Charlotte and her kids Jasper and Felix as they have a house there. We spent a few hours on the beach swimming and playing football before going back to their house for a chill out and some coffee.

The house was amazing. Very rustic on the outside but recently renovated on the inside made it feel modern but also homely at the same time. We stayed here for an hour or so before a long drive back to Melbourne city where we had a brief shower and got ready for our final dinner.

We went to a place called Pellegrini’s which was a rustic Italian that was created in the 60’s and hadn’t changed since. Great food and good value this was one of my food highlights of my time in Melbourne of which their were many that’s for sure!! We then went for a few drinks at another rooftop bar called Loop Bar before calling it a night and back to Dans.

Day 34 - A very sad Melbourne farewell

The day we were leaving Melbourne was upon us and we were both gutted. Melbourne had stolen our hearts and had without doubt been our favourite destination on the trip so far. Everything about it we absolutely loved from the culture, to the people, to the food. Everything was perfect and I think it also helped we had Dan showing us around so made us feel even more like locals.

With our flight not being until the afternoon we decided to go for breakfast at a place called Ned’s which had some of the best looking pastries I’ve seen. Me and Dan both got two croissants one plain and one with Nutella which was incredible and Amy got poached eggs with avocado on toast (very aus I know). So with that done we headed back to dans to grab our stuff before he then drove us to the airport.

With a sad goodbye we set onto our next venture. Our plane journey to cairns. We arrived there at about 6pm and headed straight into town as we wanted to book our activities over the next couple of days as we only had 2 days there. We booked to do both a Skydive and a reef tour with snorkelling. The Skydive is tomorrow and we are both extremely excited for it. I’m sure the nerves will kick in tomorrow. With that done we grabbed a dominos as they’re only $5 and went back to the hotel as we are being picked up at 6:30am in the morning for the Skydive.

Day 35 - Once in a lifetime experience

Our alarm went off at 5:30am with our pick up time being 6:30am. After a quick shower we set off to our pick up point just a couple minutes walk from our accommodation. We were then taken to an office where everyone who was skydiving got onto one bus where we then set off on our 2 hour drive to Mission Beach where we would be jumping out of the plane. The weather was perfect for it. Warm and clear day just what was required for some great views.

Amy and I were in the first group and so were the first to get kitted up and instructed on what was to happen. It all was done very quickly and I assume they do this on purpose so you don’t have time to get nervous about it. The first group which was 8 of us then jumped into a bus to take us about 15 minutes to the take off point. We were then stood by the plane for a brief group photo before being put on the plane and getting strapped in. I was still not very nervous at all surprisingly. The plane set off and in no time at all we were above the clouds. I was right at the front of the plane which meant I was the last one off so I watched everyone else leave the plane before me. I could feel my heart rate increasing slightly but the only time I felt truly nervous was when I first leaned out the door. The wind hits you and then before you know it you’re free falling 16,000 feet in the air. The views were amazing and I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

We then landed right by where we had first arrived on the beach which was very surreal. We then had a long wait for everyone else to do their dive so we just milled around, had some food and waited for the rest of the groups to go before we could head back to cairns. In this time our video and pictures had been made from the GoPro that our instructor brought up with them so we had a watch of that which was very entertaining. We headed back to cairns arriving back at about 6pm. We found a place that allowed us to email the photos from the memory stick to ourselves so we had them on our phones. We then went for dinner and Nando’s was very close so thought we may as well go there. After feeling very satisfied with dinner we headed back to our accommodation as we have another early start tomorrow as we have to be at the marina for 8am as we are heading out into the Great Barrier Reef on a snorkelling tour.

Day 36 - Snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef

Another early start this morning. We had to be at the boat terminal at 8am for check in before departing for the reef. The weather wasn’t great. Very hot but grey and drizzly so we hoped this would improve throughout the day.

The boat left at 8:30 and we were told it would take 2 hours to reach our first reef and this was called ‘Saxon Reef’. As we travelled the sky turned bluer by the minute and by the time we arrived we had perfect conditions for snorkelling. We grabbed our gear which was very fashionable indeed (not). We had to wear stinger suits as it was jellyfish season. These were very fetching and we both looked incredibly professional in them. Equipped with flippers, goggles and snorkels we were given an hour and a half to explore. It was amazing the fish you could see. We had been briefed before about what we would see and this helped as you actually had a rough idea of what the fish were that you were swimming with. Some of the colours were amazing.

We then had lunch at about 12:30 before heading to our next reef which was called ‘Norman Reef’. This was only a short 20 minute boat ride away so we were straight back in the water. I enjoyed this place more as I felt like their was more variety of fish and more colours too. I stayed in for longer in this one but Amy got out as she was getting tired from all the swimming around.

We then had a 2 hour boat ride back to Cairns which was a recipe for burnt skin with the wind and the direct sun but we braved it out and in the end didn’t get burnt at all. We’re definitely learning about using sun cream sensibly at last.

We got back to cairns and headed straight back to the motel at around 6ish. We were knackered after a long two days so decided to get a pizza just a 5 minute walk away from our accommodation and then chilled for a bit before going to bed as the campervan experience starts in the morning.

Day 37 - Torrential Rain

Today we were awoken by the torrential downpour that had been forecasted and was set to stay in and around the cairns area for about 3 days so we decided as we were picking up our campervan this morning that we would get out of here as quickly as possible and head south. Our end destination with the campervan is Brisbane on the 20th February.

We packed up our things and checked out before heading to the Britz office to pick up our little beauty. Excited but also a bit apprehensive as neither of us have done anything like this before. We headed off on a 4 hour drive to Townsville where we decided we were going to stay the night as the weather was a little better there and also it was the home of a place called ‘Magnetic Island’ which we wanted to visit so it worked out well. We drove down in torrential rain and that was all today consisted of really. Although I did find out that I do enjoy driving an automatic as opposed to a manual vehicle. We stopped briefly for some lunch and then carried on arriving at the campsite at around 5ish where we set up for the night which took a bit longer than it should as we were getting used to everything but from tomorrow we will be pro’s at this.

Day 38 - Magnetic Island

We left the campsite at around 9:30 and headed for the marina where we could get on a ferry to take us to magnetic island for the day. The weather was looking much better than yesterday so we left in good spirits.

We jumped on the ferry which was rough to say the least. It took 20 minutes and Amy had to try very hard not to be sea sick but she just about managed it. We arrived to a more built up island than I had imagined but there were still some very scenic spots so we headed to a place called horseshoe bay where we ended up spending the afternoon. We made a packed lunch before arrival on the island so found a nice picnic bench spot and ate that before finding a partly shaded spot on the beach to rest up for the afternoon. We then got the bus back to the pier where the ferry was departing back to where we left the campervan.

We then headed off in search of our accommodation for the night. An hour and a half south of Townsville we arrived at our destination in a place called Alva Beach. This was much nicer than our accommodation on the first night but this may have been down to the fact that it was sunny and not pouring it down. We then cooked up some tacos before chilling for a bit and then heading to bed.

Day 39 - Travelling to Airlie Beach

We woke up to a very warm morning. Luckily there was a strong breeze through the campervan or sleeping would have been hard. We woke up at about 8am to get ready and all our stuff together before heading further south to Airlie Beach where we will be spending our next few days.

We had breakfast and then got in the van and started our 3 hour drive towards Airlie Beach. There wasn’t much to see on the drive at all, very straight roads with fields either side so it wasn’t the most exciting of drives. We arrived at the campsite at about 2:30pm to check in before heading to Woolworths supermarket to grab a couple of essentials that we needed.

We then set up camp with a lovely warm sunny evening ahead so we decided to crack open a couple of drinks before dinner and chilled for a bit before making dinner.

Today was a rather non eventful day as it was all travelling. We’re hoping the next few days have a lot more to offer and we’re sure they will.

Day 40 - The rain strikes

We woke up to the sound of the pouring rain on our little campervan, which was actually quite soothing in a way. Although rain was not what the doctor ordered, especially in Airlie Beach where everything to do is outside.

We got up had some breakfast and it looked like the rain was easing up a bit so we went for a wander into the town just to see what was happening and what it was all about. About halfway along the walk we got caught in a rather heavy storm. We got drenched which was not an ideal start to the day and this time with no sign of the weather easing up. We wandered around a few shops mostly to try and dry off by using the air conditioning units in the shops.

We then grabbed some lunch before heading back to the campsite as there really was not a lot to do here when the weather was as grotty as this so we headed back to the campervan to plan what we were going to do for the next few days.

Day 41 - Chill day at the Lagoon

We woke up today with the weather looking reasonably better. Still expected showers but with sunny intervals. We saw that there was sun forecasted so we planned to spend the day at Airlie Lagoon which is a man made beach due to the fact it isn’t safe to swim in the sea here because of the jellyfish.

We headed there and spent a few hours chilling before the first rain shower came. We went and got some lunch while this happened and then headed back out for a couple of hours as the sun came out again in the afternoon. The rain was made a little easier to bear as the two days we really needed sun are Saturday and Sunday while on our whitsundays boat tour and they are expected to be clear skies both days so this made the rain easier to withstand.

After a day around the lagoon and no food in the campervan we decided to get a 5 dollar dominos to bring back to the campervan from town and have that for dinner. We then got our stuff ready for the tour and had an early night as we had to be up bright and early for the departure of our boat tomorrow morning.

Day 42 - Whitehaven Beach

The day started early as we needed to be at the marina for 8am to check in for departure. We set our alarms for 6:30 as we needed to put the campervan into storage in the campsite and then get the bus to the marina. This all went strangely smoothly and we were at the marina for 8am on the dot.

It was a scene of chaos with many boats departing from the same place at the same time. We managed to locate where our group were and we checked in along with 12 other passengers. A variety of nationalities which included a few different ones from Europe which was not what we were accustomed to as normally it was just American, Australian and British on the tours we’ve been on.

Luckily there was another English couple (Alice and Jamie) who were the same age as us which was also a rarity on these tours - a great start. These were the two we got lost friendly with over the 2 days for sure as we had a lot in common. They’re loving out here in Sydney for a year studying and are currently on their winter break (not a bad place to spend it). We set sail at 8:30am and headed for Whitehaven beach where we would arrive at around 1ish. We stopped off at 12 for lunch which was pleasant and then made the final effort to Whitehaven beach which I expected great things as it had been bigged up so much.

It didn’t disappoint. We first headed to the lookout to get an aerial view of the beaches before heading down and spending the afternoon wallowing in the shallows with the very fetching stinger suits on as it is stinger season. Amy, Alice, Jamie and I spent 3 solid hours in the shallows just chilling in possible the warmest sea I’ve been in. It felt like a bath in some places. We then went in search for some animals in the shallows that we had been told about. Specifically as baby lemon shark that are known to be there and are totally harmless. We eventually found one right at the end but it shot off so fast we didn’t get the greatest look at it.

We then had to head back to the boat where we then found a spot to stop for the night and have dinner and a few drinks on board. We had some drinks and watched the sun set over the islands which was magical. The crew also dangled a big LED light into the water for the evening where it attracted many different fish to watch which seemed to entertain for hours before heading to bed for another early wake up tomorrow.

Day 43 - Snorkelling and back to dry land

The day started very early as it always seems to when we sleep on a boat. We woke up at 6:30am and were wide awake so headed up onto deck to get some breeze (not that there was much) and breakfast was at 7am so that all worked out very well in the end. It was a perfect day for snorkelling. The calmest their had been in a few weeks the crew said.

We set off for our first snorkelling spot and by 8:30 we were in the water swimming around. This place was a massive disappointment as the water seemed very merky and there didn’t seem to be much sea life there at all. We finished up here pretty swiftly before heading to our n day destination. This was much better with all different kinds of fish and coral. The colours were amazing and it definitely made up for the first place we went to.

We finished up here and had lunch on the boat on as perfect a weather day as we could have asked for. We then set sail back to shore set to arrive in at about 3:30pm. Travelling back was lovely as it provided a breeze to be able to sit in the sun. We arrived back and walked into town from the marina and then from there back to the campsite where we laid around in the sun for the last of the sun and then headed back into town to get dinner. Then back to the campervan to sleep before leaving onto our next destination of Cape Hillsborough.

Day 44 - Leaving Airlie Beach

We awoke to another very hot morning here in Airlie Beach. We planned to leave here around 9:30am to embark on a 2 and a half hour trip south to our next campsite which was in the Cape Hillsborough National Park.

We left on time and set off in the van we now knew as ‘Bruce’. The affection really is growing for our little 4 wheeler home. We arrived to a lovely little campsite where the woman who greeted us was lovely in giving us some great info on the area we were in and what time was best to see the kangaroos on the beach which is what this area is known for.

We were on a beach front pitch which was lovely and provided a great breeze through the van. We then went in search of a supermarket which was a bit longer than we had anticipated as we really were in the middle of nowhere. After about 2 and a half hours we returned back with the goods. We then went on a walk to a viewpoint which the lady at check in had recommended. Unfortunately this walk didn’t last too long as the path we needed to take was through a rocky cliff sort of thing and there were rustles everywhere. We were both shaken at the sight of a couple of snakes with some a little more than others (Amy). This led us to the decision to turn back as we had no idea how far it was and another sighting of a snake would have seen Amy have a panic attack. So we headed back to the van and grabbed a couple of drinks and headed to our beach just 50ft in front of us.

We watched the sunset and had a couple of drinks before heading back to the van to make dinner. We then headed to the bathrooms to brush our teeth before dinner and this was a very entertaining if not unnerving journey. We were walking back with our phone as a flashlight when we heard rustling and shon the light that direction which revealed a kangaroo standing face onto us looking like it was about to go for us (it probably wasn’t but we weren’t to know that) so we ran back to the van and locked the doors as quickly as we could!!! We then went to sleep as an early start was ahead of us as we wanted to wake up before sunrise to see the kangaroos feeding on the beach.

Day 45 - Kangaroos on the beach

Our alarms sounded at 5:30am in order to see the kangaroos feeding. We chucked on some shorts and t shirts and went out to the beach to see the sight. It was amazing not only a good effect sunrise but there was around 12-15 kangaroos just feeding minding their own business. We stayed here for a solid hour just watching them and taking pictures and videos. This was definitely one of my highlights of Australia so far for sure.

After that we headed back to the camper to grab some breakfast before packing up as we had a long drive to our next destination of Rockhampton. 4 and a half hour drive in total ahead of us.

We set off at 10am on one of the hottest days we’ve had for sure. The thermometer in the camper clocked a high of 40 degrees on the way to Rockhampton. We listened to music and podcasts to make the time pass quicker. Both reggie Yates podcast called ‘Talking Stew’ and Flintoff, Savage and the Ping Ping Guy have taken our fancy and we downloaded many episodes onto our phones to listen to while driving.

This journey also led to our first and hopefully only nervous time regarding petrol running out. We were running dangerously low with no petrol station in sight for ages until eventually a stroke of luck as we came across one in the middle of nowhere and I have never been so excited to see a petrol station in my life. We filled up and carried on the rest of our journey.

We arrived in the end at around 3:30pm where for the rest of the day we didn’t do much at all. The place were in doesn’t have much to do at all it is more just a middle destination between where we were and where we need to get to. I guess not all campsites can have kangaroos feeding just 50 feet away from your campervan. So we just chilled out and had some dinner before heading to bed.

Day 46 - Valentine’s Day Scrabble

Today we planned to do very little at all as we had travelled a lot the last couple of days and had more to come over the next couple. This meant a day of chilling around the campsite in the sun which means unfortunately not much to right about in the journal for today.

The weather was a scorcher which meant finding whatever shade possible. We went to the shop in the morning to grab a couple of bits for lunch before lounging around and snoozing in the afternoon sun. We then decided late afternoon to get out the scrabble to actually do something. It got very competitive as always and I’m gutted to say Amy beat me for the second time in a row (this can’t continue).

We then made dinner before retiring for another early night as we have a full on day of travelling tomorrow so we want to be leaving as early as we can.

Day 47 - 5 and a Half hour drive

Again another rather dull day today but it was to be expected. We had to travel from where we were in Rockhampton to get to Hervey Bay as we were departing Hervey Bay tomorrow morning for Fraser Island and we were very excited for this. The drive took a total of 5+ hours which meant a swap in driving halfway through. Luckily we had downloaded many podcasts to listen too which sped the time up which was a bonus. Plenty of Jamie Laing and Flintoff and Savage. We arrived in Hervey Bay at around 4pm and were both knackered from the drive. We grabbed some food before lounging around the campsite and getting our stuff ready for our departure tomorrow to Fraser Island.

Not an exciting day but had to be done. The days should get a little more exiting from tomorrow!!

Day 48 - First day on Fraser Island

We woke up early as we were being picked up from the campsite at 7:30am to depart on the ferry for Fraser Island. We were excited after a couple of days of doing very little to actually be out and about.

We hopped on the bus that picked us up and headed for the harbour. We got chatting to a couple of people who were doing the same trip and they seemed nice so it was a good start. I grabbed a coffee before hopping on board the ferry and we headed to Fraser. The ferry took about 45 minutes.

We arrived and the weather was perfect. Bright blue skies and sunshine. The first activity planned on the itinerary was to visit a place called Lake McKenzie. A freshwater lake on the island. Our transport around the island was a 4x4 bus. I wasn’t sure what to expect by this but it was a lot of fun. All the tracks around the island are sandy and this meant the drivers can go for it. Top speeds of 60km/h feels much faster when you’re in and out of the forest and drifting round corners. It was a lot of fun. We arrived and it was some of the clearest water I have ever seen. It was similar to Whitehaven Beach in the whitsundays. We stayed here for about an hour before heading back to where the bus had dropped us for some lunch. Lunch was good the only thing that everyone struggled with was the Kookaburra’s that scavenged the food. At one point they even flew down and just took someone’s food straight off their plate even though they were eating off it (Sally would have loved that).

We then headed into the sun tropical rainforest for a walk which was ur guide said was one of the most picturesque walks on the island. It was lovely especially due to the tree cover so it was very shaded too.

We then headed to our accommodation to find out where we would be staying. Normally on the island you have to camp but the trip we booked meant we were staying in lodges. We arrived and these were basic but perfect for what we needed for just one night here. We then got ready and headed for dinner with everyone else at the dingo bar just across the road. Dinner was good nothing spectacular and then we had a couple of drinks and played some pool before heading back to our lodge as we have to be up at 6:30am tomorrow morning.

Day 49 - Bus on the Beach

The day started early as we had to be at breakfast for 6:45am. We then headed off on ur activities for today starting with the 4x4 bus taking us firstly through the jungle and then out onto the beach. It felt like a rollercoaster ride getting thrown around everywhere but it was a lot of fun. We then drove along 75 mile beach until we arrived at the Maheno shipwreck that we stopped off at and had a look.

We then spent a couple of hours at Eli Creek, a fresh water river just behind the beach. We chilled here and tubed down it in rubber rings which was a lot of fun. We then had some lunch before heading to Indian head lookout for some great views of the coastline. We then finished off the activities with a trip to the champagne pools which definitely was a highlight for me. Natural rock pools that had been created and were big enough to lounge around in. With the waves from the ocean crashing over the rocks it really was a great location.

We then headed back to the lodges for dinner and then got on the ferry back to the mainland having to leave Fraser Island. I’m sad to leave as Fraser Island surpasses my expectation as to what it had to offer and really enjoyed my time there.

Day 50 - Heading to Noosa

Noosa is our last destination on the road trip so we headed off at around 10am this morning to get there. The drive wasn’t too long only a 2 hour drive so we arrived at the campsite at around 1pm.

The weather had cleared compared to the start of the day and it looked like a clear afternoon in store. We headed into town to grab some lunch and also just have a little wander around and get our bearings. I didn’t realise that Noosa was a place for the rich and wealthy but wow it most definitely is. Some of the villas we saw on the walk into town were some of the biggest I’ve ever seen. We grabbed some lunch and wandered down to the beach where the waves were amazing.

I couldn’t resist going in for a little dip to play in the massive waves. It was a lot of fun and we then dried off on the beach before heading back to the campsite to get a shower before heading back into town for dinner. We went to Betty’s burgers which was great food although the service was poor.

We had a quick drink before going back to the camper for some sleep in preparation for tomorrow our only full day in Noosa.

Day 51 - Noosa Headland Walk

It was another clear day today. We had heard from locals that although the main beach was nice, you could do a walk around the headlands where you can find much more secluded beaches and see the surfers from different views so we thought we would try that today.

We wandered into town to get breakfast before heading on our walk. Breakfast was amazing I had scrambled egg and bacon on sourdough which hit the spot perfectly. We then set off on our walk. The sun was out which made it extremely hot. Luckily the pathway was shaded for the majority which made it a lot more bearable. After around 2 hours walking with a few stops along the way to watch the surfers we arrived at the point we were aiming for which was called ‘Hells Gateway’. We sat here for a bit before starting the route back to the town as we were getting a bit peckish again at this stage.

We arrived back and got some lunch before heading to the beach to lay there for the rest of the afternoon. It was a lovely lazy time. We then headed back to the camper like yesterday to grab a shower before heading for dinner. We went to a pizza restaurant this time which had some great tasting pizza. We had another drink before once again heading back to our final night in the campervan.

Day 52 - Goodbye to the Campervan

Due to it being the day we had to deliver back the campervan this meant sorting out a few things before we departed Noosa. We had to get everything to its original state as we had found it which was quite a long task but had to be done. After this was completed we headed into town for breakfast before our drive to Brisbane to drop off the camper.

We dropped it off in Brisbane at around 1pm and then got a taxi to Alex and jimmys who we were staying with. They were both at work but Alex had given me instructions of where she had left some keys so there was no issues there. We let ourselves in before dropping out bags off and heading for a wander into town. This took a little longer than expected after taking not the most direct route to say the least. After 2 hours of walking we managed to navigate into the city and were absolutely starving at this stage so went straight to get some food.

We then had a brief wander before heading back to Alex and Jimmys. We got back with them both back from work so we had a couple of drinks and dinner together before heading to bed.

Day 53 - Getting to know Brisbane

We planned on spending the day exploring Brisbane and seeing what it has to offer. We had breakfast at the apartment before heading into town for a wander around. The weather wasn’t great but we weren’t going to let that stop us. We jumped on the free ferry into town and first of all had a look around some of the shops which by the way are far better than English ones.

We then went into a place to sort out our travel around New Zealand as we realised it was pretty soon and we hadn’t sorted anything. We booked a car to travel round for the 3 weeks which we found rather stressful but eventually we got it booked and sorted. By the time we had finished this it was time to head back to the apartment as we were having a bbq with Alex and jimmy.

The weather didn’t play ball unfortunately so we had to eat on the balcony rather than heading to kangaroo cliffs which was the original plan. The food was still lovely however and we had a lovely evening and then headed to bed.

Day 54 - first round of golf in 2 months

Another grey day here but we still wanted to get out and about. Alex had given us the idea of heading to the gallery of modern art. So we decided this would be a good idea as rain was forecasted. We spent a couple of hours here and tried our best to engage with it and at least make it look like we knew what was going on. We gave it a good go and there were some nice pieces but the experience confirmed galleries were still definitely not for us.

We then went back to the apartment as jimmy managed to get out of work during the afternoon to play some golf. We headed to the Brisbane golf club at 3ish for nine holes. Took me a couple of holes to remember how to hit a ball but it was a lot of fun and we had a good laugh. It was an amazing course as well. We then went back to the apartment to get ready for dinner as the 4 or us were heading out to the Bavarian beer cafe for dinner and drinks on the river. Jimmy ordered me my drink of a litre of a German beer which was actually very tasty. After plenty of beer and hotdogs we went to the bar next door for one more drink before going back to the apartment as Alex and jimmy both had work early the next morning.

Day 55 - Heading to Sydney

Very kindly Jimmy offered to take us to the airport as he didn’t have any meetings at the time we needed to be there. This made things a lot easier so we left in his car and arrived at the airport at 9:30am for an 11am flight. We grabbed a coffee and muffin before waiting to board the flight.

We boarded and it was only a short flight of 1.5 hours so nothing too taxing. We arrived in Sydney at around 1:30pm with the time difference. We had been given instructions by our air bnb host as to how to get to our accommodation so we used this to navigate our way. One train and one bus later we arrived to a lovely little house in an area called Balmain. It reminded me a bit of Wimbledon village. It was an ideal location. Only a 15 minute bus ride into circular quay but far enough outside of the hustle and bustle.

We then dumped our bags and headed into the city to see the classic sights of the opera house and the harbour bridge. We didn’t have long as we had planned to meet Brian and hazel from Turvey for a drink and some dinner where they lived. This was very nice to see some more familiar faces across the other side of the world. We went to a pub and grabbed a couple of beers and dinner which was not the tenderest steak I’ve ever had but still tasty nonetheless.

We then parted with hazel and Brian as we wandered into Barangaroo (a very happening place in Sydney). We had a wander around before heading back to the house to bed as we have a packed day ahead tomorrow.

Day 56 - Jam Packed Day

We set our alarms early as we wanted to get as much done today as possible as the weather is not meant to be great tomorrow. We got the train to Bondi Junction and spent the morning down in Bondi. It was a fabulous morning with blue skies and warm sun. We sat outside and had an amazing breakfast. Poached eggs in a tomato, pepper and chilli raggu. Very tasty start to the day. We then went on a walk around the headland starting at Bondi and seeing how far we could get. In the end we didn’t get too far as it was boiling in the sun. We stopped off at a picturesque cliff for a sit down and to soak up where we were before heading back to the actual beach area of Bondi.

We then decided we wanted to go to Manley to see that area while the sun was out. Especially as it had been voted Australia’s number 1 beach. We had to go back into town to then get the ferry out to Manley. We arrived and it didn’t feel anything like Sydney. It felt miles away although it was only a 20 minute ferry ride. A small beach town which was loaded with small shops and places to eat. The beach itself didn’t seem like it was anything to shout about but I really liked the area itself. We stopped for a burger from Benbry Burgers and it is up there with the best burger I’ve ever had. It was amazing. After this we headed back to the apartment to have showers and get ready for the evening.

We were supposed to be meeting friends who we had met on our boat trip on the whitsundays who were currently studying here for a year. Unfortunately they had to cancel as they hadn’t actually found a house to live in so understandably had this on their mind but we’ve said we’ll meet up once they’re back in England in the summer. We went to a lovely Italian in bawoogaroo which hit the spot perfectly. I’ve grown into pale ales here as they do them way better than in England so had a couple of those and then we headed back to our accommodation to bed.

Day 57 - A wash out

We had planned for rain as that was the forecast suggested. It did not disappoint. We woke up to a very overcast sky. We headed out to grab some breakfast in the city. We then wandered around a bit dipping in and out of shops before deciding what to do with our day. Sydney is quite limited when it rains as everything to do is basically outside. The heavens opened at midday and did not stop for the rest of the day.

After a bit more wandering around we decided to head back to our accommodation and to use the afternoon to plan our first few days in New Zealand as we hadn’t really done that yet. We got some accommodation booked and an itinerary sorted which made it into a productive afternoon in the end. We wanted to head out to dinner so we went to a local Italian in Balmain which had been very busy the evening before. The food there was amazing and was very busy again when we went. Always a good sign. We then headed back after dinner as we needed to sort our stuff out as we are leaving for the airport at 5:30am.

Day 58 - Hello New Zealand

An early start today as we were flying from Sydney to Christchurch. With an 8:45am flight we had to be at the airport 2 hours before which meant leaving our accommodation at 5:30am. It was still pouring it down so we decided to get a taxi to the train station rather than bus as we didn’t want to be soggy for our flight.

We arrived at the airport grabbed a coffee and croissant before waiting for departure. The flight itself was actually very pleasant. Although it was only a 2 and a half hour flight we were on a big plane and the TV’s on there were massive. I watched a couple of episodes of peaky blinders and before I knew it we were landing in Christchurch. Our mode of transport in New Zealand is car hire so we had to get a shuttle bus to the car hire area. We picked up our car which to be honest is an old banger but we’re hoping it will last the 3 weeks.

We then drove a short 20 minutes to our first accommodation which is in fact a hostel (Mum will be proud). We plan to stay in hostels throughout the whole of New Zealand as the budget is shrinking as expected the further we get through our trip. We then wandered into town to get some dinner. A few people had said Christchurch doesn’t have much to do and they were definitely correct. It seems smaller than Bedford so we found a decent looking place to eat before hearing back to the hostel to chill before bed.

We got chatting to a couple of people who were starting a tour tomorrow doing literally the same route as us so might see them again along our travels.

We then headed to our room to our bunk bed. Me on the top bunk and Amy taking the bottom. So let’s see how our first night in a hostel goes.

Day 59 - First test of the car

First night in a hostel was a success. Quiet and peaceful and slept all the way through. Could they be the way forward? We will have to wait and see. We checked out at 10am and started our drive to Hanmer Springs.

We got a McDonald’s breakfast on our way and arrived at around 2ish. We checked into our accommodation (another hostel). We put our stuff in our room and headed straight into town and the biggest attraction in Hanmer Springs which is the thermal pools. They use water from the natural Springs in the area to create heated pools for the public to enjoy. They were very nice but also very synthetic in the fact that they all just looked like big swimming pools. Later on in the trip we are hoping to venture to some more natural Springs for a dip.

We spent a good few hours soaking in the warm waters before grabbing some dinner in the local Irish pub and a couple of drinks before our short walk back to the hostel to settle in for the night.

Day 60 - Walking up hills

We woke up to rain which was forecasted. The weather was very unappealing but we had said yesterday that we wanted to walk up to a viewpoint that was well known around here. We headed into the town to grab some breakfast and got a classic full English which was pricey but absolutely worth it. The first in a very long time and in this sort of weather it was absolutely perfect.

We let that digest and the started our walk up the mountain. It took us around an hour to get to where we wanted with some lovely views over the mountains. The rain had stopped as well so the conditions were great for it. Bit cloudy but can’t ask for everything. We sat down for a bit admiring the view and then headed back down. We then headed back to our accommodation for a shower and then went into town to find dinner. We decided to get some fish and chips from the local fish and chip shop which was actually very nice indeed.

We were both pretty tired after our activities today so we headed back to go to sleep as we have a reasonably long drive in the morning.

Day 61 - Not our finest choice of accommodation

We left Hanmer Springs at about 10am to embark on a reasonably long journey to Greymouth. We hadn’t heard much about this place it was mostly just a halfway point to where we wanted to get to.

We arrived in the pouring rain which we were used to by now. It was like a ghost town. Small, grey and nothing to do. The hostel also was rather dour which didn’t exactly brighten our mood. We decided to drive about 45 minutes north to the pancake rocks. Something that we had seen spoken about before so we thought why not head there.

The pancake rocks were nice although nothing spectacular. This may have had something to do with the grey weather. We spent about an hour here and then got some dinner from the cafe. Trying to put off going back to greymouth \240for as long as possible.

We eventually headed back in the evening and just spent our time in the hostel common room. We then retired to bed rather early with plans to just leave as soon as we woke up and head to Franz Josef.

Day 62 - Onto glacier country

We left greymouth as early as we could. Checked out at 8:30am and set on our way to Franz Josef. The weather forecast was dire and it didn’t fail to live up to this.

Not much to say on this day at all really. We travelled in the rain and arrived in the village of Franz Josef at around mid afternoon. There is not a lot to do there at all when the weather is not good so we just chilled in our accommodation. Wandered around the village before retiring for the night with a plan to head to the glacier tomorrow whatever the weather.

Day 63 - Exploring the glacier

We woke up to dry but overcast weather. We had seen that the rain was expected to ease as the day went on. So we had a leisurely start to the day and went to the local restaurant for a breakfast before setting off up to the glacier. We had to make a quick stop off in the village to buy Amy a rain jacket as she hasn’t had one all trip but it was very much needed today.

The rain was on and off but we started the walk to the glacier which was about an hour there and an hour back. With low fog the views weren’t great but we came across some lovely waterfalls along the way which almost turned into the highlight of the walk. We stopped off a couple of times to admire these. At one point we had to navigate across a running river playing hopscotch along the stones which was risky as we didn’t really have the correct footwear to get wet.

The glacier was impressive even with the cloud. We got to the viewing point and stopped off to admire and take a couple of pictures. Apparently due to global warming the glacier may almost have disappeared in the next 15 years.

We then headed back to the car to drive back to the village. The rain came again and set in for the afternoon so again we just spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing in the accommodation.

We cooked our own dinner in the room to save money which was nice. We then watched a bit of New Zealand tv before heading to bed.

Day 64 - All roads lead to Queenstown

We woke up excited as we were heading to a place we had heard a lot of great things about. This was the ‘legendary’ Queenstown. We set off mid morning on our 4 hour drive there. The roads were very twisty to begin with but eventually flattened out.

We arrived late afternoon and checked into the hostel we are staying in before going out to book our activities for the next couple of days. We had arrived knowing exactly what we wanted to do so we got both things booked in. We planned to travel to the ‘8th wonder of the world’ Milford Sound tomorrow and then do the famous canyon swing on Tuesday. With that app sorted we then went to a famous restaurant called Fergburger. It did not disappoint with an incredible burger. I had the tropical swine which included bacon, pineapple and avocado and was very tasty indeed. We ate this at the harbour with the sun setting.

After that we headed back to our accommodation as we had to sort our things out for our early start tomorrow heading to Milford Sound.

Day 65 - Milford Sound experience

We rose early as we needed to be outside our hostel at 7:15am for the coach to pick us up. The coach arrived and we boarded and found ourselves a seat. We had paid a bit more to go on a tour where the coach had a glass roof. This meant better views of the mountains which I was sceptical of at first but it was definitely worth the extra money.

The coach journey took approximately 5 hours if not a bit longer. This included a couple of stops on the way to stretch legs. We arrived at Milford ferry port at 1:30 and were due to set off on the cruise at 2. The views were breathtaking from the moment we arrived. I had seen pictures but this place was even more amazing in person. The cruise was two hours long and was not too long at all. Everywhere you looked the views were incredible and we were especially lucky as the weather was perfect for it. Blue skies for the first time in New Zealand and what a day for that to happen.

We got off the ferry and headed back to queenstown which was going to be a bit shorter than on the way as we weren’t stopping anywhere for the tour guide to show us anything. We arrived back at around 8pm. Headed out to grab some food for dinner from ‘Erick’s Chippy’ which was great fish and great value too.

We headed back to the hostel after and met our roommates who were nice and chatted to them for quite a while before heading to bed.

Day 66 - Canyon Swing Time

We woke up and headed into town to grab some breakfast before heading to the canyon swing. We arrived at the canyon swing shop where we were being picked up and taken to the actual canyon swing location.

We were both a bit nervous but also excited for it. We had to decide how we wanted to jump off the edge and we opted for different ways. Amy was hung from the edge and they cut the wire so she just dropped. I decided to do a backflip off the edge. There was 8 of us in total in the group and Amy went 3rd and me 4th. The nerves got worse the closer it got to our go but we just thought we had to go through with it. We were both ecstatic afterwards and really glad we did it. A similar feeling to after the skydive although not quite as excited.

We then went back to the town to get some lunch. We planned to go up the gondola to see amazing views over queenstown. They also have ‘luge racing’ at the top of the mountain which once we were at the top we felt we had to try. We hadn’t planned on doing it but wow we were glad we did it in the end. It was great fun racing each other on the tracks and we both came off it thrillled that we had done it.

We then went back to the hostel to chill for a bit before heading to the classic Erick’s Chippy for fish and chips. Poppy Lucas was in queenstown also with a couple of friends so we went out to meet up with them for a drink and a brief catchup as they were on a bar crawl with their tour group. They are in Auckland at the same time as us so we are going to organise lunch or something and have a proper catch up.

Day 67 - Travelling up North

Not a lot to chat about on this day. We left queenstown and embarked on a long long drive up to Christchurch on our way up to the north island. We arrived at around 6pm got some dinner and then headed to bed.

Day 68 - More driving

Once again the day was spent in the car. We left Christchurch and headed for Picton where we were staying the night before catching the ferry in the morning to Wellington. Very similar to the day before we arrived at around 6pm grabbed some dinner and then chilled in the hostel before heading to bed.

Day 69 - Picton to Wellington ferry

We woke up in Picton with our ferry departing at 2pm. There was not much to do at all so we had a leisurely morning. Got some breakfast in the hostel and then got a coffee down in the main town. Our ferry was slightly delayed but eventually we drove onto the ferry at 2:45pm. We headed up into the restaurant and seating area to get some food and find a place for the 3 hour journey.

The wind made the sea very choppy and this made the ferry ride a struggle. It made me feel very motion sick so I just tried to sleep until we got into Wellington. I somehow managed to do this and headed down and got the car and drove to our latest hostel.

We arrived to the news that we had been put in different rooms due to booking the last 2 beds and they weren’t in the same room. So we went in and dropped our bags before heading into the city for a wander around and some dinner. As it is our anniversary tomorrow we thought we would treat ourself to a nice dinner while in Wellington. We went to a Mexican restaurant with some great food and had a couple of drinks before heading back to the hostel.

Day 70 - Anniversary

We woke up and got ready before checking out of our hostel to find somewhere to have a nice anniversary brunch before having to leave Wellington and head to Taupo. We found a lovely place called Floriditas where we both ordered eggs, bacon and sausages on toast which was very nice indeed.

We then wandered around the streets of Wellington in and out of a few shops before heading back to the car as we needed to get on the toad to Taupo as we had a 5 hour drive ahead of us. (lovely way to spend our anniversary)

We arrived in Taupo to lovely blue skies and a nice looking hostel. We checked in and headed to our room to get our stuff ready for tomorrow as we are heading to the Tongoriro Crossing which is a 20km trek across a volcano. We also met a Scottish couple in our dorm who were doing the same as us so we got chatting about our trips so far as you generally do. We then headed for bed as we have a rather early wake up call of 4:30am tomorrow morning.

Day 71 - 20km Trek

Our day started with an alarm at 4:30am as we were due to be picked up at 5:15am as it takes over an hour to drive to the start of our trek. We were walking 20km at a place called the Tongoriro Alpine Crossing. The weather was due to be great and it did not disappoint.

We arrived at around 6:45am just as the sun was starting to rise but boy was it cold. I decided shorts were the best idea and at this stage I was definitely regretting this decision. It was hovering around 2 or 3 degrees and we both definitely felt it. The walk was tough but definitely worthwhile. The cold subsided as the sun rose and as it got warmer it was definitely more enjoyable. Plenty of different terrains and views.

We reached the summit in good time and had some ‘fun’ going down the other side as it was a very steep slope with people slipping over all over the place. After this we stopped off for around 45 minutes with the couple we met yesterday to have some food and a chat before finishing the rest of the walk.

We finished at around 2pm so in total the walk took around 7 hours which is what it was meant to be so we were happy with that. We were knackered and had a rest when we got back to the hostel before heading into town to grab dominos with Andrew and Catriona. We then ate that in the sun in the garden of the hostel before retiring back to our dorm.

Day 72 - Taupo to Rotorua

Today was not a very eventful one. We left Taupo via Hika Falls to take some nice pictures before the drive to Rotorua. We arrived in Rotorua mid afternoon and checked into our hostel before a wander around the town. We grabbed some food before hearing back to the hostel as the weather was closing in.

Not a lot else was achieved today as it poured with rain for the rest of the day and all night so we decided to just chill at our accommodation.

Day 73 - Rafting day

We woke up this morning and had a leisurely morning as our activity for the day (rafting) did not start until 12:30. So we lazed around at our accommodation for a bit before heading to our pick up point where we were meeting the shuttle bus that was taking us to the rafting location.

We were picked up along with about 10 other people and drove about 10 minutes to the rafting venue. We arrived and were briefed on what we were doing and were then given our clothing that we had to change into. We then headed to the rapids where we were put into groups of 6 and taught how to raft.

The rafting we had chosen has a grade 5 waterfall which is the most difficult and this particular one is also the highest commercial waterfall in the world. The actual rafting itself took around 45 minutes and was full of thrills and exciting drops and rough rapids.

When finished we got changed into dry clothes and viewed the pictures taken to see whether we wanted to purchase them. They looked very good so we went ahead and bought them. We then got the bus back to the accommodation and by this time it was late afternoon. We decided to have a little nap as the rafting took a lot out of you and was very tiring.

We then went to grab some dinner later on before heading to bed.

Day 74 - Redwoods

We had seen a couple who Amy watches on YouTube go to a really nice looking cafe in Rotorua so we decided to go there for breakfast this morning. It was known for being healthy but we were sure we could find something that we liked. The interior was lovely and food amazing too. I had a full English and Amy had eggs and Avo on toast.

We then headed to the redwoods treewalk. A treetop walk through the great redwood trees of the area. This was a much more relaxing activity compared to others in New Zealand but we enjoyed it nonetheless. We wandered around taking pictures and admiring the sheer size of the trees.

This took up the majority of the afternoon and by the time we had finished it was late afternoon / early evening. So we headed back to our accommodation to sort ourselves out before heading to get dinner and then heading to bed. Before dinner we went to watch the sunset over the lake which was a lovely sight and the colours were amazing.

Day 75 - Travelling to Hahei

We left Rororua around 10:30am with roughly a 3 hour drive ahead of us to Hahei which is within the Coromandel Peninsula. We had only seen and heard of this place because of some vloggers Amy watches on YouTube and it looked stunning so we thought we would check it out.

We arrived mid afternoon to an overcast day and did not do too much at all. We laid on the beach for a couple of hours although it was not overly warm. We were in shorts and jumpers. Felt a little like ferring in a way. We then wandered into town to grab some dinner from the local restaurant which was very nice. Pizza and pasta were consumed before heading back to get some sleep as we were planning a long day tomorrow with a long walk to get us to cathedral cove which is supposed to be the most picturesque beach in these areas.

Day 76 - first New Zealand beach day

I woke up early for sunrise and was not disappointed. It was amazing and just what I wanted to wake up to. I then grabbed a coffee from the holiday park shop and went back to the room where Amy was still peacefully sleeping. The weather was supposed to stay clear and sunny all day so we decided to head to cathedral cove where we had heard a lot of good things about.

We didn’t quite realise how long the walk was but we were set on getting there. After a few stops off and plenty of water we arrived at the beach for a day of sunbathing and relaxing. It was the best weather we have had so far in New Zealand and we were in a great setting to enjoy it. Almost felt like we were back on an Australian beach.

After plenty of relaxing we headed back to the holiday park where we were staying. We had a shower and got changed before grabbing some dinner at the burger van within the accommodation. We then ate that and relaxed before heading to bed. Off to Auckland tomorrow.

Day 77 - Travelling to the Big Smoke

Today was a day of driving so not too much to speak about. We left Hahei at around 10ish and headed for Auckland. The drive was not too long although the traffic was dreadful around auckland but we eventually made it to our hostel around mid afternoon. We were starving by this stage so we headed to grab a quick bite in the city.

We then had to go to peter pans travel agents who we sorted our Fiji trip out with just to finalise the last few bits. We then had a stroll around the city and got to know it a bit more and get our bearings.

We then headed to bed reasonably early as we had a full day of exploring the city tomorrow.

Day 78 - Volvo Ocean Race

Today was another fine weather day and we wanted to make the most of it. We left our accommodation at around 10am and went to get some brunch from a local cafe by the harbour which was lovely. We then went for a stroll and by pure coincidence came across the start of the Volvo Ocean boat race. This is a round the world boat race and one stop is in Auckland and today the race was starting again and this leg was from Auckland to Brazil.

With the spectacular weather we found a bean bag by a big screen and set in for a good few hours to watch. It had a Wimbledon vibe to it and was very pleasant indeed. The fact it was free made it even better as we are on a rather tight budget for our remaining time on the travels.

We then had another wander around the city and got some good views of the sky tower before getting some dinner. A classic $5 dominos can never go wrong with that.

We then wandered back to our hostel where we chilled out for a bit and then headed to bed for the last time in New Zealand.

Day 79 - flying to paradise

Today was another travelling day so not too much happened. Although this time it was a different type of travelling. Flying to the sunny beach paradise of Fiji. We drove to the airport and dropped off the trusty car that had lasted us 3 weeks in New Zealand.

We checked in and headed to get some food before the flight. Not a lot of options so Burger King it was. We then boarded our 3 hour flight. The flight itself was very non eventful. One film watched and then we had basically arrived.

We were picked up at the airport by the company who we had booked our fiji trip with and were taken to our first accommodation called smugglers cove. This accommodation is a hostel very much for people who have just arrived into nadi airport or are about to leave. It is situated on the coast but is not exactly the beautiful white sandy beaches you expect in Fiji. It was nice enough though and food and drink was cheap compared to what we were to expect for the next 2 weeks so we had a beer and a cocktail overlooking the sea before grabbing some dinner.

Over dinner we met a fellow English girl who had just arrived too and we got on wel with her. We exchanged travel stories as per usual and had a lovely evening with her along with a Canadian couple and a Dutch guy who actually works for the Volvo Ocean boat race, the event we were at yesterday.

We then headed to bed as we wanted to be up and out early tomorrow to make the most of our time in luxury at the Hilton hotel in Denarau which I bought Amy for her birthday and we are very excited for.

Day 80 - Arrival \240into the Blissful Hilton

We checked out of smugglers cove at 9:30am and got in a taxi to make the 15 minute journey to Denerau where the Hilton is located. The taxi driver was called Mukesh. A very friendly man although quite strange and very forward. Especially when asking if I had WhatsApp so he could send pictures of places to visit when we are back on the mainland after island hopping. But the drive was quick so we arrived at the Hilton and our room obviously wasn’t ready but that was no problem as we knew that would be the case. We just wanted to make the most out of the facilities and luxury lifestyle.

We went straight to the pool where we had a lovely morning of doing absolutely nothing other than lieing around by the pool and taking an occasional dip into it. (I feel this could be a theme while in Fiji).

We had a snacky lunch around the pool and then went to see if our room was ready. The room was ready so we were driven in a golf buggy to where we were staying. All I can say is WOW. The room was more like a villa. It had 2 levels, a living room, dining room, kitchen and a huge balcony. We couldn’t believe the room we had been put in. We sorted our things out before heading back to the pool for an afternoon swim and chill. The clouds started to close in late afternoon so we retired to our room while the storm came.

Once it had stopped we walked to the port where there are a few restaurants so had dinner there and then came back to the hotel to relax in the room and head to bed as we wanted a reasonably early start with it being our only full day at the hotel.

Day 81 - Full day in the sun

We woke up early to make the most of the day. We headed to one of the restaurants for breakfast. We ordered pancakes and eggs benedict. This was a lovely start to the day. We then wandered to the port as we needed to check in for our ferry journey tomorrow. We did that and picked up some essentials for the island like extra water and a few snacks.

We then walked back and spent the rest of the day by the pool once again. Not a lot was achieved today but it was Blissful. The hotel makes you feel like celebrities always asking if you’re ok for food and drinks which is lovely. The clouds held off long enough for a lovely sunset today as well which is always a bonus and very nice to see as we didn’t manage to get one yesterday.

We decided to make the most of our accommodation and so ordered room service. We had a relaxing evening watch my tv and eating the food we ordered.

Day 82 - Island Adventure Begins

We were due to be picked up at 7:50am to head to the port for departure. We were picked up and given our vouchers for the next 9 days on the islands. We then checked our bags in and got on the boat. The journey from the port to our first island of south Sea Island was only a 30 minute one. South Sea is the smallest island we are visiting and takes a total of 3 minutes to walk around the whole island.

We arrived to a classic Bula welcome of ukuleles and grass skirts. We checked in and put our bags in our room. We were given a brief tour and were told what happens when throughout the day. We then found our spot where we would set up camp for the day.

At lunch we met a girl who had stayed here last night and was staying again tonight so we got chatting to her about her island experiences as she had spent the last 2 weeks on different islands. After lunch we spent some more time in the sun before afternoon tea was laid out for the guests at 3:30pm. We tucked into that and a few more people arrived on another boat. We met them and got on well. We chatted for a while and then had a couple of drinks during happy hour before dinner.

Dinner was nice with a starter, main and desert. Everyone staying on the island sat at the same table as there was only 12 of us. The evening was then spent layed on the beach with one of the workers playing guitar.

Day 83 - Unfortunate turn of weather

We awoke to the sound of pouring rain on the roof. Not ideal considering we were meant to be heading out on an all day boat trip. The storm had come in overnight and looked like it was staying for a few hours. This meant unfortunately that our trip was cancelled as the sea was too choppy. This meant a day once again of total relaxation which we were not too disappointed about.

Yhe rain meant tanning was not possible. However luckily we had the supplies. We played a couple of games of scrabble with fellow islanders and then went onto a card game called 500 which was a lot of fun also.

By the time we had finished all this it was lunch time so we had lunch and then the rain had stopped so we attempted to lie on the beach. We both fell asleep and luckily the rain kept away for the rest of the day. We then lazed around by the pool with a few others again before some went back to mainland on the last boat out while Amy, myself and a few others were staying the night again.

This evening had a similar routine of dinner and then a few game like activities. One activity was a talent show and deary me it was a shocker. This could quite possibly be my least liked entertainment and we all had to perform so there was no getting away from it. We were put into countries and there were 4 of us brits. Our performance was a mix up of oasis, yellow submarine and the girls did spice girls. It was gastly and went down like a led balloon.

We then relaxed on the beach again with a few songs on the guitar before retiring to bed as we are checking out early tomorrow morning to head to our next island.

Day 84 - Arrival at Barefoot Kuata

We woke up for breakfast at 7 again. This time however it was a more swift breakfast as we needed to get our stuff together to leave the island as we were moving onto our next one. Barefoot Kuata it is called. The weather was nice and we were looking forward to seeing what the next island had to offer.

We departed south Sea at 9:00am. The ferry journey was around an hour. We arrived to a classic warm bula welcome. We checked in and were showed to our room. This was much more like I imagined Fiji accommodation to be. A glamping type of tent on the beach was just what the doctor ordered. We were in our element. We then went for a walk around the resort and it was amazing. We found the pool which was set just above the beach with an amazing view of the ocean and other islands. We lazed around here for majority of the day. The food was also definitely a step up from the last island with lunch an amazing array of bbq food which we dived into to get our money’s worth.

The afternoon carried on the theme of lazing around the pool area. We were sat in the pool with Jonathan, a friend we had made on the previous island who lives in New York but is currently travelling indefinitely. We then went and got drinks from the bar has happy hour began. We sat around and chatted with a couple of people who we had met that day too. We then had a traditional Fijian dinner which was amazing. All the meat and fish you could want in one place.

After dinner a traditional kava ceremony took place which involved drinking their traditional drink. So we all took part in this before heading to bed as Island life is very tiring indeed.

Day 85 - Snorkelling with Sharks

Breakfast was at 7:30am so we wandered down to see what was on offer. A lovely buffet breakfast with all sorts. I spotted the pancakes and naturally gravitated towards this area. This was just what I needed and they went down a treat. The sun was out so we layed by the pool for a couple of hours before our main activity of the day. This was to go snorkelling with reef sharks.

We went and got Amy’s GoPro and then walked to the dive shop area where we would get our equipment needed. We were waiting around for a bit as the day trippers to the island had to get checked in. Many Chinese people and they had ALL the gear. They eventually got themselves sorted and we headed off 20 minutes on the boat to the reef site. As soon as we got there you could see them swimming around the boat. It was slightly unnerving but we had been assured they would not pay any interest to us so we just hopped into the water. It was amazing to see. There was loads of the sharks and you could get very close to them. It was a great sight to see. We were swimming with them for about 45 minutes before we were called into the boat to head back to the island.

We got back just in time for lunch. Another lovely buffet went down a treat. We then spent the afternoon doing what we do best. Laying around the pool and having a dip every now and again. Similar to yesterday really. We grabbed showers before heading to the bar for a couple of drinks at happy hour before dinner. Dinner was an interesting experience. The food lovely, the service questionable. The staff were very nice just a bit disorganised. We then sat around and chatted a bit more before retiring off to bed once again.

Day 86 - off to the next island

We woke up early again and grabbed some pancakes at breakfast. The weather was not looking good however. Torrential rain to start the day is never ideal especially on the islands.

We spent our last hour or so in the bar hoping for the rain to subside but unfortunately this didn’t happen. Our boat arrived and we headed to our next destination. A place called Botaira which not many people had heard of which was making us a bit nervous. We arrived and we were the only ones to get off.

The rain had eased off and we were greeted with a warm welcome. We had lunch and then sat on the beach for the afternoon as the sun came out for an appearance which was a welcome relief. We then got ourselves sorted and went to dinner. We were actually the only house guests staying here along with a group of 20 American university students studying marine biology on a trip here.

Dinner was alright nothing amazing. We finished dinner and then chilled in our accommodation as we actually ended up staying in a bure for 2 people which was nice rather than a dorm.

Day 87 - A damp day in many ways

We woke up again to pouring rain. This was becoming a bit of an unwanted theme. We went to breakfast before heading back to our bure. This island is the most basic we had been too and there was zero things to do without the sun. We played scrabble on the porch while the rain fell.

This location was almost quite a depressing place to be in these conditions and it was the first time on the whole trip we both decided we have had a bad day. It was getting to us. Being cooped up while the rain poured with absolutely nothing to do. Normally I’m able to find the good out of most days but today was not one of these.

It really was depressing and we just wanted tomorrow to arrive so we could get on the boat to our next destination and put this place behind us. The food was not helping either. The whole experience was not good at all and we were counting down the hours.

We went to bed straight after dinner so hopefully tomorrow comes soon and we can head off to the next island of blue lagoon.

Day 88 - light at the end of the tunnel

We woke up at 7:30 for breakfast and just wanted the morning to go as quickly as possible to get on the boat to take us to our next destination. Breakfast was endured and then we headed to our room to sort our stuff. This was done and we hopped on the boat to our next resort of blue lagoon. We had heard great things about this place and were very much looking forward to it.

We arrived at blue lagoon at 12:45 and got checked in and headed to lunch. At lunch we were reunited with a few friends we had made along the way which was great. Lunch was amazing. An a la Carte menu of which I chose carbonara and this tasted incredible. We then lazed around by the pool and on the beach for the afternoon. The weather was overcast but still hot.

Dinner was also a fantastic feast. Again an a la carte menu of which I chose prawns for starter, steak for main, and vanilla panacotta for desert. It did not feel like backpacking and was by far the best food we have had since being in Fiji. The group of 8 of us then were a team for the Fiji survivor quiz. We unfortunately came 3rd out of 4 but had a great time. We then played a few card games before heading to bed for a full day of plenty of the same tomorrow I’m sure.

Day 89 - Swimming in the Rain

We woke up to a overcast but pleasant morning. We went for breakfast and we were not disappointed with the buffet on offer. All sorts was available. Naturally I gravitated towards the pancakes and filled my boots with those before heading to the beach for a lay down as it was a dry morning so far.

We then decided to go for a swim out to the inflatable slide and pontoon with a couple of friends we have made along the way on the islands. While out there the storm came in and boy it was a big one. It was actually quite therapeutic swimming in the torrential rain. There were 8 of us out there and it was actually a bit of a novelty.

We stayed out there for the majority of the storm before coming in to dry off as a few people were leaving the island today to move onto the next. We then had lunch which was a bbq and again it was amazing food. The rain had set in for the day it seemed.

We chilled around the bar area as it was undercover and then ventured out for another swim when the rain eased. This was a strenuous as the afternoon got. We then got ready for dinner which was nice but I was feeling a bit under the weather and struggled to eat much. The Fijian food was catching up with me a bit I think. This meant an early night and hopefully I would be able to sleep it off.

Day 90 - Back to mainland

Today was the day we were leaving the islands and heading back to the mainland. We had breakfast and then got our stuff ready and headed to the ferry for our 6 hour boat ride back to mainland.

The weather was not idea. Wind and rain meant for a rough journey back. It was a very rough journey with the boat jumping all over the place. However we made it back in one piece. We jumped onto the shuttle bus back to the hotel and grabbed some dinner before heading to bed after what had felt like a very long day

Day 91 - Cyclone Josie hits

We awoke to the sound of rain of course. We headed down for breakfast before having to check out of our current room as we were being moved to a new one. Today was a very non eventful day as the rain poured all day.

We sat around in the hotel rather depressed with not much to do. The only things we could do is eat so we had lunch and dinner at the hotel before heading to bed. Hopefully the weather improves tomorrow.

Day 92 - A recurring theme

Same again today with very little to talk about. The rain was coming down harder and the wind was some of he strongest I’d seen. Not a lot to do once again apart from hang around and hope for the rain to ease which of course it did not. Same routine again of lunch and dinner before heading to bed.

Day 93 - Off to the sunny west coast

Today was the day we were leaving Fiji and to be honest we are both pretty glad to be leaving at this time. We spent the morning in the hotel before heading to the airport. We got in the shuttle bus and went to the airport. We had an 11 hour flight ahead of us which was very strange as it left at 9pm and arrived on the same day at midday in LA.

We arrived in LA and went to the hostel to drop our stuff off before wandering around the area of Santa Monica where we were staying. We had a look in the shops and went to our favourite American Mexican place called Chipotle. That was lovely and then we wandered down to the pier and along the beach to watch the sunset. Lovely end to the day before heading back to the hostel to relax and get an early night before a full day of tourist activities tomorrow.

Day 94 - Sightseeing in LA

We had an early start and headed to the pier to get our tickets for the city sightseeing bus around the city as this would be the best way to see the city in the short space of time we had. We had a few spots that we wanted to visit and fit it into the one day. The first places we visited were Rodeo Drive area which is a very upmarket area with plenty of nice cars and shops. We had a stroll around here before heading to Hollywood and Beverley hills area. This place was very touristy and felt a lot like touristy parts of London. It was good to see the Hollywood sign and the walk of fame but apart from this it wasn’t overly exciting. We then headed back towards the pier while the sun went down.

A day very well spent seeing the sights and nice areas of LA. The weather was perfect and was nice to have a day in the sun for a while. We then went back to Santa Monica for a last wander around before heading to the hostel as we needed to sort our stuff out to head to San Francisco tomorrow.

Day 95 - LA > San Francisco

Today was a travelling day. We were getting a flight from La to San Francisco. A short flight only an hour and a half. We landed in San Francisco to a grey day. We had a walk around the local area where we were staying which was lovely. It was quite late when we arrived so we didn’t have time for much before heading to bed as tomorrow is our main day of sightseeing as we are heading to Alcatraz down at fisherman’s wharf.