Our trip to Buenos Aires was a long one. Lucky for us, the buses in Argentina are unreal! Literally first class all the way, so the 25 hour journey was nearly enjoyable!

Buenos Aires is a fabulous city, so different than any other city in South America as the standard of living is far higher. It’s referred to as the Paris of the Southern Hemisphere and it’s easy to see why. Gorgeous colonial buildings, wide boulevards, and great shopping!

Our first stop was to see where Evita, the wife of the ex-president, and played by Madonna in the film of the same name, was buried. The graveyard is where the rich and famous are buried in Buenos. The whole place is like a miniature city, all coffins are placed in hugely elaborate tombs. An eerie place, but fascinating nonetheless.

We took a visit out to Boca, a working class area of Buenos famous for the soccer team Boca Juniors. It’s an amazing place, full of artistic coloured buildings lining all the streets, with tango dancers and other artists entertaining the crowds. We visited the huge concrete Boca stadium which is where the most passionate soccer fans in the world follow their team. Maradonna, the most famous footballer in Argentina, has his own private box here.

There was no match on in Boca while we were there. However that night Boca’s rivals, River Plate, were playing a match in the north of the city so we went for a look because we heard the atmosphere at matches had to be seen to be believed. It was electric, absolutely mad! The stadium was only half full but the noise was like a jumbo jet taking off! Luckily River Plate won so the crowd was well behaved thank God!

After the match we decided to treat ourselves to something else that Argentina is famous for, their steaks!! We splurged in a pretty fancy restaurant and got the most unbelievable steak we had ever eaten! Full bellies for a few days after that!

During our last couple of days in Buenos, I did a lot of shopping in the numerous shopping districts in the city.

On our last day, we treated ourselves to a tango show in one of the main theatres in the city. I wasn’t too sure what to expect from tango, but it was brilliant! The dancers were amongst the best I’d ever seen. They’d give the guys from Riverdance a run for their money!

Our next stop, and second last of our trip, sniff, was at one of the most famous waterfalls in the world on the Argentinean/Brazilian border, the Iguaçu Falls. The falls are shared by the world heritage parks: Iguazú National Park (Argentina) and Iguaçu National Park (Brazil).

Words can’t really describe how amazing these series of waterfalls were. Imagine the most amazing waterfall you have ever seen on the TV, now multiply it by 200. That’s the amount of waterfalls cascading down into the Iguaçu valley at one time. It really took our breath away. The park was really well laid out and you could walk right underneath some of the biggest waterfalls in the world. Of course we got pretty soaked!!

One the Brazilian side of the falls, you got an overall view of the whole park. You can almost walk under the biggest waterfall at the park, Garganta el Diablo. An amazing experience.

While in Brazil, we also took a visit to the biggest dam and hydroelectric power plant in the world, the Itapao Dam. This dam provides 90% of Paraguay’s power, and 20% of Brazil’s water. It’s certainly big, and created the biggest artificial freshwater lake in the world.

That evening was our last bus trip of our travels!

While we were looking forward to going home, Brazil’s capital, Rio de Janeiro, was certainly not to be missed.

After a 24 hour bus journey we arrived in Rio, to rain, rain and more rain! Our plan of spending our last few days on Copacabana beach topping up the tan seemed to be slipping fast!

After spending nearly a year in hostels, and campsites, it seemed wise to enjoy our last few days away, so we booked into a well swanky hotel on Copacabana. I think I deserved it!!

Unfortunately, the rain didn’t let up for the next three days much to our disgust, so we enjoyed ourselves to the best we could. One of the days I’m ashamed to say, we went to a huge shopping centre for the whole day! Bowling, TGI Fridays, Cinema and more food!

Even in one of the greatest cities in the world, when it rains, you have to entertain yourself somehow!! Luckily for the last two days the sun came out and we wasted no time in checking out Rio.

We headed up to the famous Christ the Redeemer which looks down on the city. The views up there were fabulous, the coastline of Rio was one of the most picturesque we’ve ever seen. After that we got a cable car up to another huge summit called the Sugar Loaf, right on the entrance of the harbour. Here we watched the sunset over the city; it was really a perfect evening.

On our last day, the sun shone, so we finally got our chance to lie on Copacabana beach for the day. This is one of the most famous beaches in the world and it was easy to see why. Gorgeous long beach, great surf, beautiful people(!), and the greatest setting in the world.

And so the last day of our 10 and a half months adventure arrived. Taxi to the airport, 14hours to London, and then onto Dublin, and yet, it still didn’t feel like we were going home. Though once we emerged into the glorious Irish weather complete with yes, rain, rain and more rain it felt like home!

I’m back at home a week, and looking back over the last year, it’s difficult to pick out the highlights of the trip, as every country, had so much to offer, different traditions, languages, and cultures all so unique in so many ways.

But my top10 are:

1. Experiencing the energy that Hong Kong has to offer
2. Island hopping in Thailand – Ko Tao is paradise
3. Learning to surf in Bali
4. Jumping crocs in Darwin!
5. Driving the circuit of Australia – Magic
6. Living and enjoying Sydney – One of the greatest cities on Earth
7. Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef
8. Climbing the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand
9. Inca trail in Peru
10. Iguaçu Falls in Argentina/Brazil

My one piece of advice to everyone is: If you get the opportunity to travel, DO IT, you’ll never regret it. It was one of the best experiences of my life and the memories that I have I’ll never forget.

 I hope you all enjoyed my travel blog, thanks for keeping up with my adventures!

Slan go fóill
Róisín
xxx 

I left Cusco and headed for Puno which is located on Lake Titicaca - one of the worlds highest lakes. Heading out on the lake is a must do in Puno, and I was curious to see what they refer to as the floating islands.

The Islas Flotantes have to be seen to be believed. They are made by the island people by digging up the roots of the reeds and tying them together block by block. When they have enough blocks they secure the island to the bottom of the lake using rope and then put a thick layer of reeds on the surface. Even the houses were made mostly of reeds!

The houses can be picked up and moved around the island so that the reeds can be replaced! The people on the islands were very welcoming and showed us around their simple homes. We left the floating islands to head further out on the lake to the island of Taquile!

The first thing you are greeted by on the island is small children looking for money. They are so sweet and very hard to say no to. We had lunch in the main square of the island and while we were there the local government was presenting all the mothers on the island with gifts, as mothers day had been the day before. Each mother was presented with a coloured basin and a bottle of fizzy drink- just shows you how different life is here.

Men on the islands wear different coloured hats according to their marital status and women wear red and black clothes if they are married and multicoloured clothing if they are single. Also if women are married they tie their plaits together and if they are single they leave them untied.

After Puno it was south to Bolivia, and to one of the highest cities in the world, La Paz. La Paz is a vibrant city with so many market stalls its hard to imagine that they all make a living! A great place to shop and get bargains though as Bolivia is one of the cheapest countries in South America. La Paz is home to the worlds most dangerous road and what do tour companies do but bring tourists mountain biking on it! From the beginning of the tour until the end, our tour guide Dale told us horror stories about people getting hurt and killed on the road and you can see why.

The road hugs a cliff and the drop is about 300 feet in some parts and to make it more dangerous you go down the road on the left side i.e beside the drop. To make things even more adventurous there road is gravel and stone for two thirds of the ride down! Anyway guys I survived! I had a few skids on the way down which resulted in near heart failure but I did it. I promised my mother that this would be the last dangerous thing I do before coming home to Ireland!

Next on the agenda was Uyuni a small town in the south which was our entry point to the massive Salt Flats. I had seen pictures of the Salt Flats and was curious to see a never ending landscape of Salt. Imagine a desert, completely white, flat, and covering 20,000sq kilometres! We took a day tour out in a jeep from Uyuni. Walking on the salt for the first time is strange because it looks so much like snow but has a completely different texture. The locals stack up piles of the salt which are then taken away to be processed for consumption.

We stopped in one village and were shown how they process the salt. Our guide told us that there was a sea where the salt flats were thousands of years ago, and that is why so much salt still remains. We stopped at the Salt Hotel which is a complete hotel built with salt bricks, everything inside was made with salt too! It was a sight to behold. We then headed up to Isla de los Pescadores which was a strange island in the middle of the desert covered in cacti; there was coral on the island again indicating that there was sea there at some stage. Our final stop was the nearby volcano where some pink flamingo birds were feeding.

I’m heading to Argentina next. It’s going to be a long journey to Buenos Aires! I’m hoping to find some warmer weather there as I’ve been freezing since I first arrived in South America!  I’ll let you know how it goes amigos!
Rois x

I arrived in Santiago, Chile, at 12:30 pm on the 25^th April after a 13hr flight, having left New Zealand at 16:00pm on the same day due to the crossing of the International Date Line. A great way to go back in time!

The first thing you notice when you hit Santiago is the smog that seems to sit over the city. Taking a photo of the city skyline is an impossible task. I spent a day strolling around the city which has a great atmosphere, lots of music on the streets and lots of stalls set up as it was the weekend. There are nice parks near the city. One of them Cerro Santa Lucia had lovely ruins in it and the Parque Metropolitano was near our hostel. From Santiago I headed to the port city of Valparaiso for the day, as it was a Sunday it was very quiet but a much more low key city than Santiago.

From Santiago I got a 30 hour bus journey to Arica which is on the border between Chile and Peru. A thirty hour bus journey sounds woeful but really it wasn’t that bad. I got a Cama or bed bus with really comfortable leather reclinable seats, food was brought to your seat and there was entertainment too.

We drove through the Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world, for a lot of the journey. About 2 hours before Arica there is a prison in the middle of nowhere and beside it Coca Cola have printed a massive logo on the sand. It was really random. Arica is a lovely city with lots of atmosphere. The town was bustling during the day, there is a lovely beach there but it was eerily deserted when I went down there for a walk.

From Arica the next stop was Cusco in Peru which was a bit of a nightmare journey. I got a bus across the border to Tacna and from there found out that I had to wait 6 hours for the next bus. I took a 12 hour bus from there to Puno overnight and then another 7 hour bus to Cusco. The buses were not as comfy as the bus from Santiago had been so I was wrecked by the time I reached Cusco. As it had taken so long to get to Cusco I had to go straight for my orientation for the Inca Trail which was starting the next morning at 5.45. I was slightly worried that I hadn’t spent more time in Cusco as they say you should acclimatise for a few days but thankfully I was fine!

We took a bus to the beginning of the trail and started our first days hiking at 9am. They say the first day is easy but due to the high altitude you are breathless within minutes. The weather was good and we stopped for a three course meal prepared by the chef that was accompanying our group. We walked again for the afternoon. It was relatively challenging and came to our campsite before dark. Our porters had set up our tents and we had another delicious meal. It was pretty cold that night but I was so wrecked I snoozed. I was not looking forward to the second day of trekking as they say it is the challenging day. We also were climbing 1000m so I was worried about getting sick from climbing so much in one morning.

The morning was really tough, they call the uphill climb Dead Woman’s Pass and literally every couple of steps you had to stop and rest! It was such a relief to get to Warmiwanusa which is 4198m above sea level. We saw two Inca sites on the way down. Our guide was so informative telling us the history of the Incas and how the Spanish took down this great empire.

That night our guides decided to give us Quechan names (Quechan is one of the native languages of the Andes). They give me the name Moo-ni-pee-pin-to which means butterfly in Quechan! We also had Quechan tea which was delicious, full of fruits, black tea and cinnamon.  The next day was less painful thank God. We saw some amazing Inca sites with large terraces. Our guide showed us the irrigation system the Incan farmers used and the stream was still flowing the way they had built it. Our guides explained the possible functions of all the areas of the Inca sites and like Celtic sites the buildings were built with astronomical alignment in mind. The last day we were up at 4 in the morning. We headed to Intipunku (Sungate) to watch the sun rise over Machu Picchu, one of the new 7 Wonders of the World.

Machu Picchu is seriously breathtaking; it takes you a while to take it all in. Our guide explained how the city was considered the scientific centre of the Incan empire, and that only the noble and educated Incas knew of its existence. As a result the Spanish never found it and it remained lost to the world until 1911 when it was rediscovered by an American explorer. We explored the ruins for about 4 hours and learned so much from our guide Abraham. We left in the early afternoon just before the big crowds arrived. I was glad we got there early as it really was overrun by people at that stage. Apparently the whole site is slipping down the mountain at a rate of 1cm per month due to the amount of visitors. One only hopes they can put some sort of restriction on the crowds before the site is lost for future generations.

It was a fantastic trek, one I would highly recommend as it is very rewarding and the landscape in the Andes is one of the most beautiful I have ever experienced. Word of warning, if you are planning on taking the trip, book a porter to carry your rucksack unless you’re super strong and fit!

We took a few days to recover in Cusco. It’s a great town. I took a trip to the Inca museum learn more about the Incan culture. They have a great collection of artefacts and even have some mummies! It is believed that the Incas offered people as sacrifices to the Gods! Glad I wasn’t around then!

I’m off to Puno in southern Peru - I’ll let ye know how the adventure goes!!

Next on the trip was the glacial valleys of Milford Sound. The roads there are really hilly and windy but Milford Sound is beautiful apart from the Sandflies that are everywhere. There is an old Maori story that says they are there so that no one will stay in paradise too long!

We headed south to the city of Invercargill. We took a drive out to Bluff; New Zealand’s most southerly point. It’s actually freezing down this far south and when I wake up and there are hailstones on the ground it makes me think it’s a good thing to be heading north again! We take a drive through the Caitlins which is an area of outstanding beauty with beautiful beaches and mountains but again the weather wasn’t the best for enjoying it!

We arrived in Dunedin on the east coast just in time for the weekend. I was very excited to be in Dunedin as there is a Cadbury’s factory there and they do tours! We headed there early Saturday morning. It was pretty cool and we got to see a ton of chocolate drop down a silo and it smelt really good! Unfortunately we weren’t allowed cameras in so I can’t divulge any secrets!

After the chocolate experience we headed out to Taiaroa Head which is the only place the only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross birds. We got to see the baby chicks all nestled in various areas on the cliff and we saw one albatross come in to feed him chick. They are massive birds, the largest in the world, with a wing span of over 3 metres so it was amazing to see one  so close by. We also climbed the steepest street in the world; Baldwin Street.  I wouldn’t like to drive up this street on a frosty morning!

From Dunedin we headed up towards Christchurch and stopped at the Moeraki boulders on the way. They are such unusual rocks, perfectly spherical, with honeycomb type surfaces, such an unusual shape! Instead of heading straight for Christchurch we headed east to the Banks Peninsula to a little coastal town called Akaroa. The town has a really French influence with all the shops bearing French names. The drive from there to Christchurch is a really scenic  one. We drove up north to Kaikoura which is a great spot for whales, dolphins, seals and other wildlife.

I was really keen to go swimming with wild dolphins. We booked a trip for 5.30 in the morning, got our wetsuits on and headed out on the boat. We were on the boat for an hour, saw some dolphins swimming in the water and were then told that the sea was too rough for us to go in swimming with them. I was gutted! But c’est la vie!

I’m now in Christchurch where I’m going to spend my last two days in New Zealand. Then it’s off to South America!

Only 6 weeks left until I’m back in Ireland- scary!

I flew from Sydney to Auckland and spent two days there with friends. Auckland is a cool city after spending the day there but after that I was eager to get on the road.

We decided to do the whole campervan thing in New Zealand; we rented a fab orange one just so everyone would know we were tourists! We travelled east from Auckland and went up around the Coromandel Peninsula, beautiful scenery going up the winding mountain road and amazing beaches. It reminded me an awful lot of Ireland.

Cathedral Cove is one of the highlights on the peninsula. You take a walk down along the cliffs to the stunning beach with Cathedral like caves. We also stopped at Hot water beach where just before low tide you can dig in the sand for hot water springs. As usual my timing wasn’t the best so I didn’t get to partake in this fun activity. 

We stayed a night at Waihi beach and then headed for Rotorua. We were now entering a geo thermal area! After a long drive to Rotorua we headed to the Polynesian spa which has lots of thermal pools to relax in. A warning for you if you are considering heading to Rotorua…the place smells like eggs- it has to be smelt to be believed! This is due to all the sulphur in the air from the geo thermal activity. I know that sounds disgusting but you actually get used to it within a matter of hours!

Rotorua is the only place in New Zealand you can do zorbing. Zorbing is when you climb into a massive blown up ball and get pushed down a hill. Its madness! You can either get tied into the ball and rolled down the hill or they pump water into the ball and then roll you down ! I tried both and much prefer the zorb with water as it was way crazier!

After the zorbing we headed to a buried village. This village was wiped out when Mount Tarawera erupted in 1886. The ruins have been dug up and some of them reconstructed. It was interesting to read accounts of the event which were written by the survivors. Wai-o-Tapu is one of the coolest placest to visit in the region especially if you want to see craters, boiling mud and lakes and rivers with varying colours. Each morning they trigger the lady knox geyser by throwing soap into the geyser. It’s pretty cool once you can stand the beautiful sulphur odour.

We headed for lake Taupo next.  We went up to Aratiatia dam to see the flood gates being opened. It was pretty cool to see the water rushing through the gates and to learn that by doing this 3 times a day, 65% of the North Island’s geo thermal energy is provided. Taupo has its own hot springs so we headed there for a couple of hours. 

The next day we headed for a small village in the middle of the island called Whakapapa village. From here you can do the Tongariro crossing. A 20km mountain crossing which was made famous as Lord of the rings was shot up there. We had to get the bus at 7am to the beginning of the walk and it was freezing! The beautiful scenery made up for this though! The climb was very tough for the first few hours. They have built the Devil’s staircase into the side of the mountain and that is painful to get up but once you make it up there the climb gets a lot easier. It was a little foggy the day I did it but the views were still amazing. To see “Mount Doom” up close was a cool experience. The walk takes 7 hours and by the end you are wrecked. The last hour through a forest is the worst part as you keep thinking you must be nearly there and it feels like it goes on forever.

We headed south from Whakapapa to a place near Taihape called River Valley. This is a lodge located deep in the countryside and we went there as friends of ours had recommended it for the white water rafting. We headed down the river early in the morning with our two guides and Ant and Koryn and it was such a blast! Hard work though! The bold Ant was trying to make sure that we capsized the boat and tried every trick in the book to get us in the water and eventually succeeded by throwing us down a steep rapid and telling us not to paddle! The trip along the river was fantastic. We jumped into falls, jumped off rocks and floated down some small rapids! I had the time of my life!

We headed from there to Wellington and stayed there for the weekend. The weather was pretty brutal for the weekend so we headed to Te Papa museum which is a great place to spend a rainy afternoon. It is very interactive and had a whale exhibition when we were there. Wellington is lovely in the fact that the city centre is built by the sea and there is a lovely promenade which can be enjoyed when the sun shines. We’re heading to the South island from here. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this beautiful country.

I’ll let ye know how it goes,

Roisin x

On leaving Fraser we made our way to Airlie Beach, stopping off at Hervey Bay for a night and then the town of Mackay, with its lovely wide streets lined with cafes and bars.

From Airlie Beach we took a two day cruise around the Whitsunday islands on the boat New Horizon.

The weather was wonderful, so it was nice to be out on the sea sailing to various parts of the Whitsundays. One of the most beautiful spots was Whitehaven Beach. We went for a swim (in our stinger suits- suits that stop you being stung by dangerous jellyfish!) and then up to the view point where we were treated to amazing views of the surrounding islands.

We also stopped off at Blue Pearl harbour where I did some scuba-diving. Though I was really nervous beforehand, I loved it. It was amazing being under the water for 20 minutes (!) getting close to the fishies and coral! My instructor Sam was a legend!

The day we returned to Airlie Beach, it was Paddy’s Day and the place was hopping with Irish music and practically everyone was wearing green! I threw on a pair of my brothers GAA shorts just to get in the spirit of things!!

We left the trad music behind us to make our way to Mission Beach where I went skydiving!

I was not as nervous as I had expected given that I was about to jump out of a plane at 14,000 feet. I had the giggles that was about it!

It was such a class experience, freefalling for about a minute and then floating for another couple of minutes looking down on the beach and the islands out from it! It was legend! I still can't believe I did it!

Last stop on our trip east was Cairns. We visited Cape Tribulation where Captain Cook’s ship ran aground off the Great Barrier Reef as he explored the continent! He gave the Cape its name because it caused him so much stress!

Cape Tribulation is beautiful. A rainforest stretches to the beach. It is full of lovely forest walks and there are also great walks long the cape.  

Of course we paid a trip to the Great Barrier Reef where we went snorkling. It was amazing. I saw a giant clam which was class. We took a snorkel tour where I saw a clown fish aka Nemo. Our guide showed us how sea creatures protect themselves from attack!

The next day we flew back to Sydney. My one bit of advice to those planning a trip on the east coast is to give yourself more than three weeks. Our trip felt really rushed. Four weeks would give more time to relax.

I enjoyed chilling out in Sydney for a few days before leaving Oz! I went back to Bondi to reminisce on the good old days when I lived there earlier this year. My best friend Alison had just flown in from Ireland so it was nice to spend some time with her. On my last day in Sydney I decided it would be fitting to climb the Harbour Bridge.

I was all set for a huge challenge but the climb it was actually a piece of cake. The views of Sydney from the top of the bridge are legend and it was a lovely way to end my time in the city.

I was quite sad flying out of Austrlia. It really is a great country. The people are amazing, so friendly, so kind and such good craic!

I will miss the phrases “too easy” and “ sweet as“.  I'm going to bring them home to Ireland with me to see if they take off!! I’m really disappointed that I never heard the words “Rack Off!” again! Ah well I’ll just have to continue watching ‘Home and Away’.

I've just arrived in New Zealand now so I'm looking forward to exploring a new country! I'll let ye know how it goes.

Rois xxxx

After finishing work in Syndey, it was time to hit the road for the east coast. The east coast is probably the most popular coast for backpackers to travel so I was looking forward to comparing it to the quieter west coast.

First stop on the way was Palm Beach a.k.a the beach from Home and Away!! It’s a gorgeous beach with the surf club on it! I was a bit disappointed I didn't meet Alf Stewart, but what can you do!!

We then headed to Myall National Park for the night, we took a barge to the campsite which was pretty cool. It was so quiet there compared to Bondi!!

Next we stopped at Coff's Harbour, another quiet stop where bananas grow for miles. There’s a pure naff park there called "the big banana", which explains how bananas are grown. It has a fab toboggan ride through the plantations.

After Coff's we stopped in the beautiful little town of Byron Bay. It is such a cute little town by the beach, I could have stayed there for weeks but unfortunately we only had three days there.

Byron bay is a popular surfing bay so I went for surfing lesson number 2. As I came out of my surfing lesson in Bali with plenty of cuts and bruises, I really wasn't looking forward to this lesson! Our instructors were legend though! After many graceful!! falls from the surf board I managed to stand on the board and once I got the knack of it it was great craic.

The next major stop on the coast was Surfer’s Paradise which is like a lot of busy tourist destinations full of shops and restaurants with some theme parks thrown into the mix!

I wish I could have stayed longer to go to all three theme parks, but we could only go to Wet N' Wild which, as the name suggests, is a water park. It has so many slides and attractions it took us a full day to get around to each one! The competitive streak was out as we raced down the slides. Such a great place to spend the day.

We left Surfers Paradise for our next stop Brisbane – home to the Australian Zoo. I had been looking forward to visting Australia Zoo since I arrived in Australia and I was not disappointed. It was definitely one of most interactive zoos I've ever been to.

They had lots of the animals like kangaroos, wombats and koalas out of their enclosures so the visitors could see them up close and pet them. When workers from the zoo were in the enclosures with the animals they were explaining what they were doing to the public.

They have lots of great shows and displays. Sadly some of them are introduced on big screen by Steve Irwin. There is lots of signage and pictures of Steve all over the park which makes it impossible to the forget the man know in Australia as the "crocodile hunter".

We drove straight to Hervey Bay from Brisbane, the departure point for tours going to Fraser, a massive sand island. We spent the day in Hervey and organised an enormous landcruiser 4X4 for the following day to take us around Fraser.

We took a barge to Fraser and it is only when you arrive on the island that you fully understand why you need a 4x4! The roads are crazy, hills of sand and muck. Most of the road is a 90 mile beach. You have to be careful as you can easily get stuck in some areas. I nearly burned the clutch out at one point as I tried to get unstuck!

Fraser is World Heritage listed and for good reason! The long beach is magnificent. At the end of the beach is Indian Head which has a fantastic view of the island and the beaches. You can't swim on the island as there are rips and currents that are very dangerous not to mention sharks and stingers!

There are however beautiful lakes on Fraser, such as Lake Wabby and Lake McKensie, which are perfect for a dip. We camped for two nights on the island.

The first night we stayed at an isolated spot where we were the only people for miles. The second night we camped with other groups and I saw my first wild dingo running away with a packet of crisps! Dingos on Fraser are pure strain as they have not come in contact with dogs unlike dingos on mainland Australia.

After two nights and three days on Fraser you and everything you own is covered in sand so it is nice to get back to the mainland to shower all the sand a way and to have a sandwich without munching on sand!!

I've another couple of weeks left to go on the road trip until I move on to New Zealand. I'll let you know how that goes soon!!

Rois
xxxx

Trying to find work in Sydney in January was a difficult mission. It seemed like half of Ireland was over here and all looking for work. January is a quiet month in Australia as everyone takes their summer holidays. Everyone I met was looking for a job and all the recruitment agencies had very little work. The weather in January wasn’t the best either!

Trust me to come to Australia for the wettest summer in 40 years! Eventually, after joining many agencies and pestering a lot of people I got a job in a telecommunications company dealing with online bill enquires. The days flew as it was very busy. There were six of us taken on to try to provide customers with a speedy response to their enquiries. I’m now a billing and credit expert!!

The best thing about working in Sydney is that it has one of the nicest city centres full of famous landmarks and parks.

During your lunch break you can take a stroll through the Botanic Gardens, around the Opera House, to Circular Quay and watch the cruise ships sail under the Harbour Bridge, and wander around Sydney’s oldest district The Rocks; there is so much there to see and do.

The whole city was buzzing on Australia Day on the 26^th January. It was the most crazy day ever, just like St.Patrick’s day back home! Walking around town all you could see was people with flags, tattoos, t-shirts, hats and anything that you could put the Australian flag on! There was entertainment in the Rocks and in Circular Quay.

Sydney really knows how to celebrate an occasion! When the Australian Open was on there were large screens in Circular Quay and in Martin Place so people could just sit and watch the tennis. Thousands of people came flooding into the city to see the QE2 and the Queen Victoria passing each other in the harbour last week. When Aussies come in to see an occasion like that they come equipped with chairs, picnics and cameras!

The Blue Mountains are only a short drive away from Sydney. We headed there for the weekend to get away from the Bondi madness! We stopped in Wentworth Falls first and headed all the way down to the bottom of the falls. The climb down was steep, little did I realise for every step down, there’d be another one up!

The falls were fantastic, after a rest we started the climb up. It took forever to get back up to the top I was so wrecked and hungry at the end of it I thought I was going to faint! Note to self: always take food and water with you when you’re going to be walking for three hours!

Thankfully there were tea rooms near the car park so I ate a feast!!

We headed to Echo Point after lunch to see The Three Sisters, three rock formations that have great significance in Aboriginal culture. I walked down another 900 steps (I counted!) and back up again.

The next day we returned to Echo Point and took the cable car over the valley. It’s amazingly green. We then got a train down the mountain at a 45 degree angle and walked around the rainforest. There was a wooden walkway all around the forest so that the forest doesn’t get damages by tourists! On the way back from the mountains we stopped off at the Olympic Park which was built for the Olympics held in Sydney in 2000. It’s massive.

We’re planning a road trip now up the coast north to Cairns. I’m trying to sell my car before we head off. The only disadvantage to buying a car is trying to sell before you go. That is going to be a little stressful! We’re hoping to get all the way up to Cairns in three weeks which is going to be an achievement! My little bro (he’s not so little though!) is coming with me so am very excited! I’ll let ye know how it goes.

Rois xx

We took one last stop on the way to Sydney in Batemans Bay and stayed at a campsite near Murramarang National Park for a night. 

The best thing about the area is that the kangaroos come out to play when dusk falls. They hop about people’s lawns and every green space they can find. The roos in the campsite were so comfortable with people that they let you pet them. It was hilarious to watch them interacting with each other!

The next day as we approached Sydney, I saw the Harbour Bridge for the first time. It’s amazing!

We settled into Sydney life just in time for Christmas. The day we arrived, we headed straight to Manly Beach - it’s a fabulous beach with great waves. I tried out my surfing skills again but boogie boards are definitely the easier option! Strange to be at the beach two days before Christmas!

On Christmas Eve we decided to go ice skating to get in the cold Christmas vibe! There was a lot of falling and grabbing onto people that I didn’t even know! I did it in real style! It was great craic once I got the hang of it!

We made our way over to Bondi on Christmas morning for mass. The whole church was full of Irish wearing GAA jerseys!

It was classic to watch all the different county jerseys making their way into mass! After mass we headed back and after playing the usual Christmas day games like charades, we had a barbie for dinner which is what most Aussies do Christmas day.

It was strange to talk to family and friends at home at the end of the day when their Christmas day was just starting!

We went into Sydney city centre on Stephen’s Day and walked through the Rocks, one of the oldest parts of Sydney. This was the first colonial settlement in Australia. From there we went to the Opera House. It is like being in a postcard standing in front of this amazing building.

Over the next few days we spent lots of time at Manly beach! Very stressful! Then it was time to plan New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Eve is such a big event in Sydney. About a million people gather near the Harbour Bridge every year. At around mid-day we settled on Bradley’s Point, which is opposite the bridge on the north shore, and got a good spot with a perfect view of the bridge.

The place was packed by late afternoon. The first fireworks display kicked off at 9pm. It was amazing to watch the fireworks going off in various locations in Sydney.

At midnight the main display began. Unbelievable, is the only word I can use to describe it! It was worth the wait!

With the dawn of the New Year, it was time to find a permanent place of residence! We began house hunting in Bondi and within a couple of hours had found an apartment which is very near the beach – brilliant!

The waves are class so I must start trying to surf again! I’ve been thrown into the shore a couple of times nearly knocking over lots of people on the way! So swimming there isn’t for the faint hearted!

They shoot a show called ‘Bondi Rescue’ on the beach, so I hope I won’t be appearing on the show getting rescued!

There are fab beaches all the way along the coast. The coastline along the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee is seriously impressive.

I’m going to be staying in Sydney until March so it’s time now to get a job again! It’s a very hard thing to do when you live so near to the beach!

Happy New Year everybody!

After a night in Ceduna we head for Adelaide. It’s a long drive so we arrived there late in the evening but upon arrival made our way into the city for a look.

Adelaide is a well laid out city with a perfect grid formation in the city centre. There are lots of lovely old wooden buildings with large balconies on the second floor which are real colonial buildings! The pace in Adelaide seems really relaxed compared to other cities. There is a city circle tram that’s free so it is a really easy way to get around the city centre.

We decided to escape the heat from the city so we hopped on a tram to Glenelg beach only a few miles out of town. There are beautiful botanic gardens in Adelaide and at night you can head to the Moonlight cinema in the garden. You can rent bean bags and sit back, relax, and enjoy a movie in the great outdoors! I still haven’t got over the novelty of going to the cinema outside!

The next day we head out of Adelaide to yet another wine making region! We visited the famous wineries of Penfolds, Jacob’s Creek and Wolf Blass. Many of the men like Wolf Blass who set up these wineries came to Australia with nothing and started a small vineyard from which these global brands grew!

There was a lot of German influence in Adelaide during it’s foundation; the small town of Handorf is true example of this. From the houses to the shops it was like stepping into a quaint German town.

We left Adelaide for Melbourne but as the journey is about 1000km we stopped halfway at a town called Warrnabool on the coast for the night and continued to Melbourne the next day along the Great Ocean Road. This world class road has some of the most spectacular coastal sights every few km. We saw some amazing cliffs and rock formations such as London Bridge; which was a series of massive arches in the cliff-face reaching out into the sea before part of it collapsed due to erosion!

The amazing part about it collapsing was that there were two tourists on it at the time, luckily they weren’t on the part that collapsed but there were stuck on the outer part of the structure until they were rescued by helicopter! The views all the way along the road were fabulous, the twelve apostles, named after 12 sea stacks bunched closely together, was amazing to see too and one of the inlets along the way was called Loch Ard after a boat of the same name crashed into it full of immigrants. I wonder where that boat was from! We finally reach Melbourne late that night after all the stops on the Great Ocean Road; it turned out to be a long day!

Melbourne was worth the wait as it is a really fantastic, modern and beautiful city. There is a free city tram which takes you on a full lap of the city centre. A great way to familiarize yourself with the city. We also visited Eureka, an 88 floored building to get a view of Melbourne. The view from the top was pretty scary! The next day we visited the Old Melbourne Jail which was used until the early 90’s. Ned Kelly famously spent time and was hanged there. It is a cool but spooky place to visit. You get to see the death mask of those who were hanged there (they used to take a mould of their faces after they died).

As part of the experience you get arrested and charged, your mugshot taken and locked in a cell. Great experience when you know you’re getting out in 5 minutes!! We took a walk up to the Queen’s Markets where you could spend hours walking around the different stalls. We hopped on a tram out to St. Kilda; a seaside town near Melbourne. Some parts of St. Kilda are remnant of a place that thrived as a seaside town in the middle of the last century, but there is regeneration in the form of a new promenade with lots of shops, restaurants and seaweed baths on it. The jetty is a sight to behold too with an old fashioned building on the end of it with a café- the type of thing you expect to see in seaside town. We saw a little Penquin just off the jetty!

It would be wrong to leave Melbourne without heading to home of 'Neighbours'. So I headed to Ramsay Street which is really called Pine Oak Court. Actual people live there!! They have 24 hour security on the street! I spoke to the security guard who told me when 'Neighbours' originally started they thought it would only last 12 months so they decided to use a real street!

Over 20 years later they are still shooting on the same street. The people who live on the street are compensated for the interruption the shooting causes! They can’t drive in and out of their houses when the 'Neighbours' crew comes to shoot. They can film in their gardens and right up to their front doors! Imagine living in a road like that it would be crazy!

After Melbourne we stopped for a night in Albury and then continued onto the capital of Australia and a new Territory; the ‘Australian Capital Territory’ with Canberra as its capital. We headed straight for Parliament house which anybody can go into and have a stroll around. It is a magnificent building built only in 1988 with a great view of Canberra as it is perched on a hill above the city. It is hard to believe that over 300,000 people live in Canberra when there is so much green to be seen. We also took a trip to the War Memorial museum which is a museum dedicated to those who’ve died in wars. The museum was massive and full of interesting stories and old planes. You could see everything from food rations given to shoulders to first aid kits. There was so much to see there you would need to stay the day to see it all.

I’ll be hitting Sydney soon! I’ll let you know how Christmas and New Year's Eve goes Down Under!

It’s amazing how fast you settle into the routine of going to work again! Weekends are treasured rather than everyday being the same when you’re on the road. As our time is so short in Perth we wanted to use our weekends to see as much of the city and its surrounds.

I had heard lots about “Rotto” or Rottnest Island so we got up early one Saturday and headed out there. We rented bikes and cycled around the island which was 30km long!! The island is amazing it is just one fantastic beach after another! It is paradise- that is so close to the city! I would have loved to stay the night there but you need to book a couple of months in advance because of the island’s popularity and lack of accommodation.

After work some days I head to Kings Park. It’s a bushland right in the middle of the city. The views of the Perth skyline from there are amazing! Lots of people head there for some exercise after a long day at the office. We also have a huge leisure centre around the corner from the house with an Olympic sized outdoor pool which is another nice spot to go and chill in after a hard days work.

After 4 weeks in my job in Perth I was offered another 3 weeks in the same job which suited me perfectly as it takes me right up until I leave Perth! The Team I work with are so amazing and they do so much to help people. There is a really positive vibe in the office which makes it such a pleasure to work in.

On our way down to Perth from Darwin we missed out on a visit to the pinnacles. They are basically limestone structures up to 3 metres tall in the middle of the desert so one weekend we back tracked and headed about 300km north of Perth. 

It was really cool to be in a desert and these structures are truly amazing! The reason I had to go and see them was because I was told they are getting eroded by weather and people, so they mightn’t be there much longer! The nearby village of Cervantes is by the sea and a nice place to drop off for lunch after a couple of hours in the desert! I had the best chips ever there!

The great thing about coming to a country with a warm climate is that they often have water parks so I’ve been pretty excited about the fact that Perth has one. The housemates and I all headed off for a day at Adventureland! We spent the day racing down slides it was such good craic (I won most of the time it has to be said although the lads were super competitive!!) and since the temperature was in the mid thirties it was the perfect way to spend the day!

The Christmas decorations are all up here in Perth which feels so strange when the weather is baking! It’s going to be a very different Christmas over here! It definitely won’t be a white Christmas over here!

Next weekend is our last weekend in Perth. After that we’re hitting the road to Sydney! Another roadtrip!!

I finished work on the last day of November and was really sad to be leaving as I really enjoyed my seven weeks working there, but at the same time I was looking forward to hitting the road again to Sydney. It was the office's Christmas party before I left which meant dressing up as angels, as costumes were a necessity, and heading of to play bowls! I thought we were going ten-pin bowling so it was a bit of a surprise when we landed out at a bowling green! Although we were complete rookies our team came second and we got medals! I was well excited! It was a great way to end my time working in Perth.

On Monday we headed for Margaret River; a wine making region south of Perth. The landscape as you head south from Perth is very green and in some parts you could almost mistake it for Ireland! We rented Bikes and cycled around to some of the wineries. The rows of grapevines are so cool to see and you learn an awful lot about wine making by visiting the different vineyards! I’m now a wine connoisseur!!!

Heading south again we stopped for a night in a place called Pemberton. It rained non stop while we were there it was like being at home! The next day we headed off to climb an 80ft Karri tree, the third tallest trees in the world! It was tricky business holding onto the metal spikes and getting safely to the top of the tree but it was worth it the see the view from the tree top! Sticking with the theme of trees we headed onto Denmark to do the Tree Top walk which is a 40 foot high metal walkway through the trees! It was cool although it didn't feel that stable to walk on!

Next stop was Albany! There is some beautiful coastal scenery around Albany! We for a walk up to cliffs and sat beside a blow hole which gave such a fright when I first heard it.

After two nights in Albany we headed to the beautiful town of Esperance. Near to Esperance is Cape Le Grand National Park. The beaches there were unbelieveable it was literally one beautiful beach after another. We headed to Frenchman’s Peak a 3km high rock and climbed to the top for a spectacular view of the Park. We headed for a swim in Lucky Bay which had the bluest water I had ever seen. The highlight of the day was as we were about to leave, we walked along the beach and saw a group of six dolphins surfing in on the waves then heading out and surfing in again! It was clear that they were loving it as they would jump up into the air at the end of each wave! The next day we went on the scenic coastal drive and see some more amazing beaches! Esperance is definitely the place to go if you want to spend time on some of the most beautiful unspoilt beaches!

Before I left Perth when I told people that I was driving to Sydney first of all people think you’re crazy and then they say “You’re going to be crossing the Nullarbor!!” and really look scared when they say it! The Nullarbor is a plain which besides some scrub, is completely barren and goes on for over 1200 km. All you see ever few hundred km is a road house which is usually a garage/restaurant/hotel/campsite/shop all in one. Realistically you have to stay in at least one of these on your way across! You are literally in the middle of nowhere!

There is one straight that is 147km long so you literally on a straight road for over an hour. No turns, no bends, no traffic, just you, the wilderness and a road! The best part about stopping off on the Nullarbor is seeing stars at nighttime. As there is no towns or cities for 100’s of km there is no light pollution so the sky and the stars look amazing at night! We crossed the Nullarbor safely anyway, the worst thing we saw on the roads were dead kangaroos but they seem to on the sides of roads everywhere in Oz! We arrive in Ceduna and it feels like such a luxury to have the choice of shops! That’s what a few days on the Nullarbor will do to you!!

It rained for the few days when I arrived in Perth so it was quite miserable and cold which did not make me happy!

Reaching Perth meant it was time to find a place to live and a job!! We trudged around from agency to agency throwing in CV’s and doing typing tests. Thankfully by Thursday I got a phonecall saying that I got a job in an office for four weeks. Working 8.30 to 5, Monday to Friday!

I would definitely advise travellers to visit Perth because it’s quite easy to pick up a job here!

Work is great. I work for a government agency that provides rehabilitation to people who want to get jobs. The people I work with are all so friendly and have been so helpful.

Every time I answer the phone I get asked where I’m from and sometimes the aussie accent catches me out as they talk really fast! They think some of the phrases I use are hilarious!

Some guy who came into the office asked me where the “Dunny” was?? Apparently it’s the toilet! What I’ve noticed since I’ve come to Australia is the aussies really love to shorten everything for example “this avo” is this afternoon, “reggie-mail” is registered post, a “barbie” is a barbeque. Basically, if they can shorten it they will!!

A week after we arrived in Perth my two cousins and their mate (all legends!) arrived. So we had housemates, now all that was needed was a gaff. Thankfully the guys went on the house hunt while I worked and found a house for us all to live in! It’s in a great location only 10 minutes from the city. We’re like one big crazy family.

Perth has a great city centre, it is quite compact with the main shopping streets pedestrianised. Nearby is the Swan river and there are lovely walks along the river and a jetty. You can get boats to South Perth, Rottnest Island, and to Freemantle where we took a boat one Sunday.

Our first port of call in Freemantle was the Marine museum. The highlight of the museum is a decommissioned submarine that they have outside. Our guide worked on submarines and was able to give us the inside track on life working on a sub. The submarine was very cramped, shocking to think that over 70 men used to live in this space for weeks and months at a time! He told us the smell wasn’t so good but they all smelt the same!

Freemantle is a lovely seaside town and a lovely place to spend an afternoon. We explored the e-shed markets and the Freemantle markets. Lots of great food and bargains to be had! On Sunday afternoon lots of people from Perth head to Freemantle for a feed, it’s a lovely place to end the weekend!

Another great place to spend an afternoon is out at Hillarys Boat Harbour. There is a beach nearby, lots of shops and restaurants and an aquarium! We spent an afternoon at the aquarium which is probably the best one I’ve ever been to. They have a massive tank with sharks, stingrays, turtles and thousands of fish!

The best thing about the aquarium is that visitors can get into the tank twice a day to swim with the Sharks & Co! I’m not sure if I would put myself in a tank with giant sharks and stingrays!

The Red Bull Air Race took place last weekend. They had an obstacle course up on the river and the planes were timed going through this course. We took the ferry across to South Perth and spent the day on the bank of the Swan watching the planes, while relaxing with a barbie and 30 degree heat!

I’m really settling into Aussie life now! The lifestyle here is fantastic; great weather, beaches to relax in after a hard day working, and so much to see and do. A bit different from cold, rainy Ireland!!

The coastal town of Broome was our next destination on our long roadtrip. We camped on a picturesque beach called Town Beach. It was a beautiful sight to wake up to every morning. Broome is such a quaint little town that I immediately fell in love with it.

We went to see a movie in the outdoor cinema build in the early 1900’s which was such a cool experience. A bit was strange though when a jet airliner flew across the screen!

The famous Cable beach is near the town and such a beautiful beach to spend the day on. The sand is white, the sea is blue and you can rent out boogie boards to surf the massive waves. I had such craic there!

We visited Gantheaume Point at the most southern end of Broome which has a lovely lighthouse and fabulous rock formations at the water’s edge. Apparently an Irish guy lived in the lighthouse in the 1900s. He built a pool in the rocks for his sick wife Anastacia which is still there. Near the point is the wharf which is a great place to eat some fresh fish and chips!

While in Broome we saw the ‘Staircase To The Moon’. At around 7.30pm the moon appeared on the horizon. It was an amazing orange/red colour. As it rose up it lit the sandbanks on the beach creating a stairway effect. It was truly startling to watch!

I also saw the biggest lizard ever in Broome I was so scared when this fella just strolled by as I set outside my tent!

We passed through Port Headland which is a massive ship port on our way to Exmouth nothing much to see there unless you want to see ships being loaded and unloaded.

Exmouth is located near the Ningaloo reef which is a massive coral reef that stretches for hundreds of kilometres down the west coast. We took a cruise on a glass bottom boat which gave us a great view of wonderful fish and coral along the reef. We also went whale watching where we followed a group of six bull humpbacks for the afternoon, they are such amazing animals.

Our next stop on the coast was Coral Bay. The water was freezing when we went snorkelling but seeing the fish and the coral made it worth the goose bumps! By boat we visited a turtle sanctuary where the water was so clear you could see the turtles swimming along side the boat!

On our last day in Coral Bay we walked along side some baby sharks! We were at a reef-shark breeding ground. You could walk knee deep into the water with the baby and juvenile sharks swam around your legs! They were 3 to 4 foot long. It was a surreal and scary experience.

Onward bound, our next stop was the beautiful coastal town of Denham. If you go to the nearby Monkey Mia resort early in the morning you can watch wild dolphins as they come to be fed. As well as watching the dolphins being fed, which was class, we also braved the water again, knee-deep, as the dolphins swam around us. They are such beautiful creature and they are so sociable. They definitely put on a show because they know they are the centre of attention.

On route to Kalbarri, we stopped off at Eagles Bluff- a walkway with a magnificent view of Shark Bay. The water was an amazing blue colour below and you could see sharks swimming around below.

We also visited Shell Beach, a beach that consists of billions and billions of tiny shells rather than sand. The tiny shells were so cute.

Closer to Kalbarri we visited the stromotolites. These are bacterial rock formations that are almost identical to organisms that lived and oxygenated the earth 1,900 million years ago. Long distant cousins!!

While in Kalbarri we rented bikes and cycled up to the cliffs. It’s a bit of a climb to get up there but it’s definitely worth it when you get up to the top. The views of the sea and the town from the cliffs were amazing.

Next stop the big city of Perth and the end of the 4000km journey!! Time to settle down for a while, I’ll keep you posted!!

Highlights of the road trip: Canoeing up Katherine Gorge, feeding the dolphins in Monkey Mia, whale watching in Exmouth, the scenic flight over Bungle Bungle, standing in the sea at Coral Bay with sharks swimming around my legs, driving on roads for 100’s of km without seeing so much as another car!!

Low points: Getting bitten alive by mosquitos and annoyed in general by flies, getting a flat tire on the way back from the croc farm in Wyndham, falling off a waterfall, seeing dead kangaroos on the roadside! Poor roos!!

A tip if you’re thinking of travelling from Darwin to Perth via road: Get a four wheel drive. Lots of the roads especially in the national parks are not accessible by two wheel drive vehicles.

First stop on the road trip to Perth was Litchfield National Park about 100km from Darwin. There we checked out the termite mounds. They look like and feel like rocks. It’s unbelievable to think that these huge structures (8 or 9 foot high) are built by termites!

As it was very hot day we stopped off at Buley rock holes. They are little rock pools connected by waterfalls that cascade down. We also visited the waterfalls Florence Falls and Wangi Falls, which were just amazing, straight out of paradise. You can climb up rocks beside the falls and dive straight into the plunge pool under the falls. However clumsy me slipped on a rock and received a few more bruises to add to my already impressive collection!!

Next on the agenda was the town of Katherine 100km further south. The nearby Katherine gorge is renowned for its beauty in the Northern Territory of Australia. It’s like a miniature Grand Canyon. Feeling fit and sporty, I decided to kayak up the gorge. The views were amazing but my arms did suffer! It was worth it. You can stop at cliffs along the gorge for a swim. However, freshwater crocodiles had laid eggs on some stretches of the gorge so we stayed clear of them.

After a few stops in smaller towns we crossed the border into Western Australia and stayed in Kununurra for a couple of days. The town was lovely, but there’s not much to see, so we drove to the nearby town of Wyndham to visit a crocodile farm.

There we saw salt and fresh water crocs getting fed - it was frightening! We held a baby croc and some baby dingoes. The dogs were so cute! Way cuter than the croc!

We stopped to take a photo of the area’s unusual Boab tree and heard a hissing noise. What I thought was a snake turned out to be a flat tire! Poor Mitsi! Changing a tire in the middle of the day in 40 degree heat was not fun but at least we had all the necessary equipment!

What I love about Australia is most towns have a swimming pool. Kununurra had a great one with a waterslide and diving board it was the perfect way to cool down after the tire incident!

We headed to Halls Creek from Kununurra. From there we got a scenic flight over Bungle Bungle National Park. Getting a flight is the only way to see these amazing stone formations as all the roads into the park are four-wheel drive only. The view from the plane was stunning. The flight was pricey it was worth every penny.

We’re heading for the coast now! Can’t wait to see some beaches that don’t have crocs in them!!