If you had only 24 hours to spend on the East Coast of Australia, and some kind of epic, futuristic teleportation machine (something like Jeff Goldblum had in ‘The Fly’ but with less dismembered ears, gross body goop and weird mad science vibe), where would you go?
Here are a few suggestions for your time in Queensland and New South Wales – One for every hour of the day! Continue reading A 24 hour guide to Australias East Coast
As the plane touched down on the tarmac for the third and final time and the roar of the wheels on the ground commenced, signalling that the captain was in control of the high speed aircraft, my heart slowly returned to my chest and I managed to tame my breathing to an acceptable rhythm. It was only then that I realised the Indian lady sitting in the center seat was gripping my hand to the arm rest, as well as her husbands in the window seat to her right, eyes closed, quietly praying. Continue reading Rebuilding Fiji – Constructing, Volunteering, Learning…
Don’t you just hate when somebody lives their life a certain way and wants to make you ‘just like them’. Vegans who feel the need to put you off your food, and city centre preachers who damn you to hell for your sins. Continue reading 25 Reasons to Avoid World Travel
I could spend a few hours training these words into some beautiful, endless, Shakespearean passage that will make your tummy fizz, your feet itch and your eyes water. But I’m not that poetic and I love lists. So here’s what I think, in list form.
Travel is…
An escape
A journey
A destination
A means to an end Continue reading What is Travel?
Everybody has one.
It probably grows unexpectedly every time you go somewhere new and exciting.
It might only be a short one, but it still counts.
You may not have given it a name, still counts.
It might not have been formally documented in a Microsoft Project plan, with timescales and budget afforded to it, but it definitely counts.
It may not even be all that realistic, but you still might try, yup, counts.
I want to take a minute to share, with anybody who’ll read it, MY BUCKET LIST!
Continue reading Act Positively, Plan Negatively, And Expect Nothing
Let’s be honest with ourselves, we all have little quirks that annoy others. Friends, family, loved ones, they are most likely to tell you when you’re doing something that causes frustration, or give off clear signals to suggest that your behaviour is not to their liking. But what about people you don’t know? What about the ever-so-polite people you meet every day who you don’t even realise you’re upsetting!
For those with the money to do it in style, I’m sure you’ll shrug off the trusty backpack. Maybe you always choose the upgrade to a private room on group tours, or have a personal chauffeur to drag your overweight suitcases to and from the limousine for you, where you travel with leg room and a three course meal and champagne, served to you by a monkey in a top hat and tails on golden roller skates. Maybe not. I don’t know you. But when you travel on a shoestring budget, you are likely to experience some pretty cosy sleeping arrangements, a few sweaty and awkward public transport journeys and some accidental elbow bumping at hostel mealtimes.
Your experiences whilst travelling are completely unique to you, but wouldn’t a few universal ground rules make things mildly more comfortable? Please take a minute to consider a few suggestions for appropriate backpacker conduct.
The Troublesome Traveller 