GoBackpackingGoBackpackingJoin me on a solo trip around the world! I will write about the planning and saving process, logistics, and my personal hopes and fears. Once the trip begins, I'll be posting updates and photos from New Zealand to Brazil. Articles
Day 1 In Bali - Sensory Overload
2008-02-08 06:55:00 I slept nicely my first night in Bali , the fan on full blast to keep me cool and swoosh away any pesky mosquitoes. I washed up in my private bathroom, a much-needed change from the communal hostel showers where I’d have time-release controls, or be subject to hearing guys hawk loogies in stereo ... More About: Indonesia
Welcome To Kuta
2008-02-07 06:25:00 My flight arrived in Bali late at night which was not my preference. After clearing customs, I picked up my bag and made a quick stop in the bathroom which was opposite a prayer room. It was small, with both a Western and Eastern (ie. squat) toilet. The urinal had a ... More About: Kuta
…And I’m Off To Bali
2008-02-06 06:04:00 Journal Entry from January 29 @ 5:41pm - I’m at the airport ready to board a 6-hour flight to Bali . The Lonely Planet speaks of $5 massages on the beach, personal bungalows with ocean views, $1 meals and beers, and beautiful sunsets with friendly travelers and locals alike. Sounds perfect! I’ll miss the cappuccinos, cafes, accents, and ease of travel in Australia. It has come at a high cost ($$$). In exchange, I always had Western toilets, relatively safe surroundings, and most of the comforts of home. I think I’m not yet prepared for the culture shock I’m about to experience in Indonesia. Being polite (as usual) should help cover for any blatant ignorance of local customs - at least until I get my bearings. And then it will be time to leave again. Staying for short periods in these various countries is good practice for non-attachment to say the least. I’ve found my final thoughts on each country help me deal better with the departures...
Final Thoughts: Australia
2008-02-05 20:39:00 Kangaroos, surfing, and the Outback were all I knew of Australia before I visited in January. I quietly hoped it would surprise me, and as you’ll see below, there were no shortage of favorite moments! Highlights - couchsurfing with Ben in Brisban doing nothing in Byron Bay (and watching Green Street Hooligans) 4×4 safari on Fraser Island ... More About: Inspiration , Thoughts , Final
Dare #4 - Completed - Devour Aussie Burger With the Lot
2008-02-05 06:34:00 Dare #4 From Stu: I dare you to get a hamburger with the lot in Australia from a real fish and chip shop (that encompasses the following ingredients) - fried egg (hard yolk/soft yolk optional) - bacon - lettuce - tomato - beetroot - grilled onion - cheese - grilled pineapple ring Must include two steamed dim sims with soy sauce as a side. ... More About: Burger , Aussie , Dare , Dares
The 2008 Australian Open - Men?s Singles Final
2008-02-04 19:40:00 I booked my departure flight from Australia out of Melbourne for the end of January because it seemed like a noteworthy city to visit. It was only after talking to my tennis fiend of a friend (code name - Sup2dresq) before leaving that I learned my travels would offer me the opportunity to attend ... More About: Open , Final , Australian , Singles
Indulgence At The Lindt Chocolat Cafe
2008-02-04 06:38:00 On my last day in Sydney, before a night bus to Melbourne, Bonnie took me on a 1/2 day tour which included a few errands she needed to run. The second brought us to the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in the central business district. Almost 2 months after rediscovering Cadbury candy, my veins were ... More About: Australia , Indulgence
Couchsurfing Newtown and Getting Sick
2008-02-03 19:37:00 Bonnie was new to couchsurfing, and I was her third guest. She worked in Sydney, and lived with Tom and Eliza in Newtown, a very close suburb to downtown Sydney. It’s also right next to the University of Sydney, so it’s got a college town feel to it. Supposedly it has one of the highest ... More About: Australia , Sick
Surf?s Up at Bondi Beach
2008-02-03 06:35:00 After an afternoon at the Opera House, my next day in Sydney was dedicated to checking out Bondi Beach . It was a short train and bus ride to get there from King’s Cross, and the weather was beautiful. When I got off the bus, I was looking at one of the coolest beaches I’d ever ... More About: Surf , Australia , Bondi Beach
The Opera House and Another Night Out
2008-02-02 06:06:00 The rains of Queensland were a thing of the past by the time I reached Sydney (and later Melbourne). Aside from a thunderstorm during the soccer match, my days were filled with blue skies and puffy white clouds. I felt a great sense of excitement when I first stepped out of the train station ... More About: House , Opera , Night , Opera House
The Sights of Sydney - Queen Victoria Building and Darling Harbour
2008-02-01 07:37:00 After catching a bit of sport at the soccer match, I spent the following day around the Darling Harbor area of Sydney . The first stop was the Queen Victoria Building which I ran into almost as soon as I got off the train. Normally a shopping mall wouldn’t be a must-see for ... More About: Sights , Australia
Sydney FC vs. Melbourne Victory
2008-01-31 07:46:00 I caught a glimpse of the Australia n A-League soccer schedule when I was couchsurfing with Ben in Brisbane. I had noticed Sydney FC had a home game around the time I’d be there so I picked a flight from Cairns that would give me a fighting chance to see it live. After checking into ... More About: Victory , Melbourne
Snorkeling On The Great Barrier Reef
2008-01-30 07:44:00 After saying goodbye to Michael and Ann in Trinity Beach, I was picked up by a shuttle for my 1/2 day snorkeling excursion on the Great Barrier Reef . Michael had suggested Green Island would offer the best conditions based on the prevailing winds so I went with it. The ride out to the island ... More About: Australia
Cairns Tropical Zoo
2008-01-29 06:25:00 I visited the obligatory zoo when I was in Cairns . I missed the Steve Irwin Australia Zoo, which is spoken highly of in The Lonely Planet, so I was overdue. It felt like a small zoo, however given all the animals felt exotic, I easily spent 3 hours there (in the 95 degree ... More About: Tropical
Arriving in Trinity Beach
2008-01-28 07:57:00 I like hostels. My mom didn’t think I’d be tolerant of them like I was when I was 21, however they allow me to travel to fantastic places, and are filled with interesting characters. Still, if I can’t be in my own home, then being in someone else’s is the next best ... More About: Beach , Australia , Trinity
Day 3 (of 3) - Whitehaven Beach and Captain Dave
2008-01-27 07:02:00 We awoke on the third day to glorious sunshine. At least glorious to most on board. When I heard we’d be on Whitehaven Beach for 2.5 hours in the morning, I pictured myself baking alive. And guess what? I was on fire for much of that beach time. I’m ... More About: Australia , Dave , Captain
Day 2 (of 3) - My First SCUBA Dive
2008-01-26 09:03:00 I slept surprisingly well for my first night aboard a sailboat. We had anchored down in a protected area off one of the islands so the water was quite calm. Despite a little rain in the early morning, the overcast skies were a big improvement from the previous day’s torrential rains (seriously, Airlie ... More About: Australia , Dive
Day 1 (of 3) - Sailing Amidst the Whitsunday Islands
2008-01-25 09:00:00 After a rain soaked Fraser Island trip, I was hoping for smooth sailing under blue skies for my 3 day/2 night sail aboard the mighty maxi yacht Apollo (green/yellow 80-foot racing yacht). As you can see in the photo above, it was cloudy and rainy the morning we set sail from Airlie Beach. ... More About: Australia , Sailing , Islands
Officially My Longest Trip (Ever!)
2008-01-24 09:15:00 Alert the presses - it’s official! I’ve now been traveling continuously for more than 7 weeks, thereby surpassing my previous record set 10 years ago in Europe (during my first backpacking trip). It feels right to be traveling on an even bigger adventure a nice round decade after I first discovered my desire for independent ... More About: Australia , Trip , Longest
Dare #3 - Completed(?) - Eight is Enough
2008-01-23 09:05:00 Dare #3 - From Kango Suz: If you can post any pictures of you with more than 6 single women with their hands on your one shoulder I’ll give you $10 per pic! Reward: $10 per pic. __________________________________ I’m going to let Kango decide whether the photo above meets the requirements for the dare. Europe was well ... More About: Dare , Dares
Let?s Go Surfing
2008-01-22 09:33:00 Despite being driven around, I still found the Fraser Island tour to be tiring. I managed to get myself checked out of the hostel on time (10am), and then killed off a few hours eating my way around Hervey Bay as I awaited my bus to Agnes Water and Town of 1770. They’re ... More About: Surfing , Australia
Day 2 (of 2) - Fraser Island 4×4 Safari
2008-01-21 09:17:00 The second day of our tour included inland driving to two freshwater lakes and a rainforest. The last thing I expected to find on the world’s largest island made of sand is a massive rainforest ecosystem, yet I found myself walking for 30 minutes along the banks of a trickling stream in the shade ... More About: Safari , Australia , Island , Fraser Island
Day 2 (of 3) - My First SCUBA Dive
2008-01-21 06:58:00 I slept surprisingly well for my first night aboard a sailboat. We had anchored down in a protected area off one of the islands so the water was quite calm. Despite a little rain in the early morning, the overcast skies were a big improvement from the previous day’s torrential rains (seriously, Airlie Beach made ... More About: Australia , Dive
Day 1 (of 2) - Fraser Island 4×4 Safari
2008-01-20 09:49:00 Touring Fraser Island , the world’s largest sand island, by 4×4 is a VERY popular activity in Australia. The gist of it is to either hire your own 4-wheel drive vehicle and camp out in tents on the island for a few nights, or take a guided tour and let someone else do the ... More About: Safari , Fraser Island
Bus from Brisbane to Hervey Bay
2008-01-19 13:44:00 After a short night’s sleep in Brisbane , I packed up and hit the road on another Greyhound Australia bus. Unlike in America, these buses are well-appointed. They’re clean, include a toilet and tap water, usually filled with backpackers, efficient, and rather comfortable. In terms of the buses I will be utilizing on ...
10 Hours in Surfer?s Paradise
2008-01-18 13:25:00 A few days prior to my arrival in Surfer ’s Paradise , a beach town between Byron Bay and Brisbane, I had received a “Come on down mate” from a couchsurfing host. He had included his address and phone number in the response so I was excited to have a free night’s accommodation. I ... More About: Australia , Hours
Beautiful Balmy Byron Bay
2008-01-14 08:38:00 I arrived in Byron Bay after about a 4 hour rainy bus ride south of Brisbane. Byron Bay is known for being a hippie enclave. It’s filled with cafes, incense-filled gift shops, places to get massages and alternative (homeopathic) therapies, and of course, surf shops. In fact, board shorts and surfers are everywhere. ... More About: Australia , Beautiful
Couchsurfing Brisbane
2008-01-13 02:08:00 I rang Ben up from the Auchenflower train station, and he walked over bare foot a few minutes later to greet me. Turns out his apartment was only two blocks away - super convenient for all the couchsurfers he hosted. Ben is a Couchsurfing city ambassador for Brisbane , which means he tends to host a ... More About: Australia
G?day Mate and Welcome to Australia
2008-01-11 09:46:00 I couldn’t/didn’t sleep but an hour the night before my flight to Brisbane, Australia . No doubt it was because I had to wake up at 3am for the earliest shuttle to the airport to ensure I made the Jetstar check-in (which closes 60 minutes before international flight departures) for my 6:15am flight. I passed ... More About: Mate
Final Thoughts: New Zealand
More articles from this author:2008-01-11 02:03:00 New Zealand surpassed my expectations, and while at times tiring and fast-paced, I would not trade my experiences for the world! Highlights - canyoning outside Auckland haka dance in Maketu volcanic mud bathing in Rotorua Tongariro Crossing trivia night in Wellington bone carving in Barrytown heli-hiking Franz Joseph glacier cinema at Lake Wanaka Christmas Eve dinner in Queenstown jetboating canyong swing New Years Eve celebration in ... More About: New Zealand , Thoughts , Final 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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