After landing early on Sunday morning at cairns airport we were first shocked by the humidity at 95% the heat felt like it was sticking to us. After getting to our hostel and getting the aircon running to the max and slapping on our suncream we went out to explore.

Cairns is a very different city to Melbourne or Sydney. It centres around trips and tours to The Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree and Cape Tribulation to name a few. Therefore, meaning you are bombarded with tour a operators and sales reps walking down the street. After finding a cute place for 2-4-1 pizza for lunch, we went to hang around the pool on the esplanade. Which is a fantastically large pool overlooking the sea, however unfortunately you can’t swim in the actual sea at Cairns. In the evening we visited Cairn’s famous night market and filled our stomachs with a Chinese seafood buffet which was divine.

The following day we woke up and hopped on a bus to Palm Cove. Which is a postcard picture beach just to the north of cairns. After some sun bathing and swimming between the stinger nets we went to explore the cute little location. It had a very boutique and bohemian feel with lots of nice shops and restaurants. We also walked up to the jetty where we were able to see fishermen catching fish in the blistering sun.

When we returned to our hostel we decided to book onto a waterfalls and tabletops tour for the next day.

After an early rise and pickup from the bus we began our tour. As we drove through the sugarcane fields which are actually Queensland’s second biggest trade, beaten only by tourism. We were told of when the cane was cut from hand this was a dangerous job as there would be snakes, rats and wild bore hiding between the grass. Causing many fatalities every harvest.

We then arrived at our first destination Barrinda Boulders which was a stunning freshwater lagoon. Fresh being the operative word as it was very very chilly. However Will and I braved it and took part in several jumps into it. After some very pleasant morning tea and coffee we were on our way to our next stop Josephine Falls. This was a stunning falls which had fast flowing water and strong currents however you were able to swim in it! Our tour guide showed us the best way to get over to the slippery rocks to climb to a creek in the falls which you could slide down! This proved very hard and I’m not sure that I can quiet describe just how slippery and therefore difficult these rocks were to climb! Some of our group wiped out and injured parts of their body during the fall.

However it was a beautiful waterfall with lovely fresh water. We then travelled to Millaa Millaa falls, made famous by the herbal essences advert and the location of mysterious girl music video by Peter Andre. Many of the lady’s in the group attempted the famous hair flick!

We then ventured to a traditional Aussie pub for lunch. In the afternoon we were taken to a crater which was millions of years old, also home to some local cattle. We also visited a lake where it was common to see platypus however we didn’t manage to see any! Finally we went to Eacham lake which is home to a great range of animals including turtles and a freshwater crocodile (it’s okay the freshwater crocodiles are timid and won’t eat us!). After some final afternoon tea for which we were joined by wild bush turkeys we made our way back to Cairns ready for our next adventure!

We left Melbourne late on the night of my birthday eve for Sydney. After arriving at a very small local avalon airport (the smaller of the two airports) 3 hours early. It reminded me of a trip to huddlesfield airport where the same person checks you in, checks you through security and is at the boarding gate. After what felt like a very short 1 hour flight we arrived in sydney at 10.30pm. We just couldn’t resist staying on the train a couple more stops to visit the harbour area. Which was still very busy with tourists trying to take a snap of the harbour bridge and opera house, us included. We then retreated to our hotel in anticipation of someones birthday the next day.

Alas, it was my birthday, so after waking up to cards and gifts and munching our way through breakfast we went to explore the city. After seeing the hustle and bussel of the new south wales capital we headed once more to the harbour. This was for us to walk on top of a bridge. It may sound boring but it was the sydney harbour bridge. When we arrived we were greeted by famous faces who had done the ‘Climb of your life’ before including Hugh Jackman and Prince Harry. We were then giving a safety talk and a bridge similuator. I was fretting slightly about the unflattering suit and quite what I had decided to do to mark my 22 year on the planet. However after well over 1000 steps we had reached the top of the bridge and had a spectacular view of Sydney. After a very sqwinty couple photo at the summit, we began our decent to solid ground.

One highlight was when we were passed on the stairs by workmen wearing high visability jackets and boots while we were all wearing full body harnesses, attached to a reinforced cable. After finishing the bridge climb we went for a celebaratory lunch round the harbour we went for a walk around the botanical gardens.

After a delicious italian meal for my birthday supper and a downpour on the way to the hotel we called it a day. Indeed such a fab 22nd birthday!

The next day we awoke with bondi beach on our minds. Made famous by films and my recent addiction to Bondi Rescue on Australian tv. We hopped on the 20 minute bus journey to go and visit the iconic place. When I got up off the bus I said to Will that the beach looked like Scarborough. It also resemembled scarborough half an hour later when we were caught in a torrental downpour. After seeking shelter in a cafe and watching the lifeguards jump into action we were pleased that we had seen most that bondi had to offer.

To finish off our time in sydney we headed again to the iconic harbour to have one more look at the fantastic opera house and the iconic bridge which we had summitted the day before.

Amy xx

Once we were reunited we had a fun weekend at Halls Gap to look forward to. Halls Gap is a summer holiday destination in the Grampians National Park and resembles something very similar to a 1950s American resort mixed in with some Aussie charm. Its masterpiece however is that it boasts miles and miles of scenic hiking as well as some unbelievable wildlife encounters. We were not dissapointed.

First off on the 3 hour drive there we stopped off in the old Gold Rush town of Ararat hoping to have a tour of the Aradale Mental Asylum in the town which is has been close for 2 decades but is where 13,000 people, both patients and staff alike, met their end. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, the Asylum was closed for tours on that day however and so instead we got Milkshake and cadried on the car journey.

Finally we arrived at the lovely cottage we were staying in and after a quick check for spiders (apparently some of the biggest and deadliest spiders are inhabitants of Halls Gap) to calm someones nerves, we went out to spot some wildlife. It didn’t take long at all, in fact, right outside in the field round the back of the cottage there were a group of Kangaroos right there getting some shade under the trees. They are amazing things, we saw a lot of them over the next couple of days but the appeal and excitement over them never faded, the way they hop and crawl around is fantastic as well as there human like expressions. It has to be said however, one Kangaroo almost did startle us both and make us lose our ice creams when it jumped out of a bush a metre from us! Indeed, after the Kangaroo, we even spotted an Emu walking casually down the street.

The next day we woke early and slapped some suncream on and went hiking up the whats know as ‘The Pinnacle’ a rocky ridge poking out of the forests some 700m above the town itself. The views from the summit were incredible and we could see for miles, however, a combination of the 30 degree heat and 9km hike took it out of us and we gladly jumped into the cool pool back down in the town when we got back right after an ice cream.

The next day, a slightly more relaxing, flatter, and easier hike awaited us, going past somewhere called Fish Falls and then coming out at Mackenzie Falls. This stunning waterfall cascaded down a sheer rock face into a lovely turquoise plunge pool below surrounded by boulders and forests. It was  sheer bliss. However, we reluctantly pulled ourselves away and back to the cottage for a nice cold beverage and some dinner. What we did not expect however is to meet 10 Yellow Crested Cockatoo’s sitting on our table outside when we just had one eating soms bread to begin with. The whole gang turned up and they without doubt the coolest birds I have ever seen. They clutched the bread with their claws and ate it like a human would eat a banana, not to mention the fact that they were so gentle and thankful when we fed them, taking the food out of our hands with great care. I loved them and was sad to leave them the next day as well as the ‘Roos, but it was time to move on to Sydney after what was an absolutely incredible

Will 😊

 As William visited New Zeland for a few days I stayed with my Auntie Sarah in Lilydale a town just on the outside of Melbourne. This gave me the opportunity to explore the Yarra Valley famous for its wine (such a chore!).

On my first day in Lilydale we visited a sanctuary full of Australian wildlife. This included me seeing my first ever kangaroo, koala and Platypus! Finally culiminating in a bird show with exotic birds and massive eagles. It was a great opportunity to see the animals that australia is known for, upclose and in a relaxed, chilled environment.

The next few days included visits to various falls in the yarra valley one such to stephenson falls which can only be described as a backdrop for a herbal essences advert. One highlight of the hike up to these falls was the several signposts instructing walkers to be aware of snakes. Being a brit abroad , petrified of exotic poisonious creatures this was slightly terrifying! However, I made it to the top (apparently most of them are in hibernation at this time of year, anyway).

 On the way back from the falls we swung by a winery where we tried a selection of lovely Australian wines some of the best prosecco (they imported the grapes) which I have tasted. After the purchase of a few bottles we visited a lovely vietnamenese meal for dinner. Indeed, a lot of the resturants in Australia are bring your own wine so its pretty free flowing in the surburbs.

On our final day we visited a 24/7 dog beach in Menton, Victoria. This allowed Zeus, my aunties dog to swim around and play with other doggos. We even saw a beach eagle flying over. I finished off my stay with my aunties by going to a lovely chinese resturant to eat noodles and dumplins. Overall a lively, action packed visit to the Yarra Valley.

Amy xxx

Wow, what a first full day in melbourne! After some well deserved rest and some Austrlian brunch in our bellys we ventured to the beach. This was achieved by us hopping on a tram to st kilda. Which could only be described as mixture of a british seaside down and an american surfers dream.

This seaside desitination famous for megan markle attendence late last year, surrounded by beautiful if not slighly chilly water complete with paddleboards and some very brave people in the sea. At the end of a very brighton esqe pier was a colony of dwarf penguins. Although all the signs suggested that it was out of the peak season and very unlikely their would be any sighting at midday we were lucky enough to spot a little fella among the rocks. Unfortunately he wasnt very photogentic but we attempted a shot, I named him herbert and then we left him to get on with his day!

After a little paddle and walk along the beach we headed for a pootle around st kilda’s complete with a fairground and a palais it felt very familiar to many british seaside destinations. We finished off with a $1 frozen fanta from ‘maccas’ which apparently research has found to be more addictive than crack cocaine.

In the afternoon we traveled again by tram to the botantical gardens which offered a safe haven for many different types of plants and species of birds. Although it is official autumn in Auz it still proved very luscious and green with a mixture of european and austrlia flora.

To finish off our jam packed day we visited the exhibiton at the melbourne feture the work of escher displayed in the nendo house design. This included a dj and codktails and made us feel very cultural. Sat in the gardens of the museum overlooking the towering melbourne central business district. Overall a very sucessful day seen off with a beautiful walk along the river yarra back tomour accomodation.

Amy x

When we took our seats on the Malaysia Airlines flight MH003 from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur we expected that 24 hours later, after battling through that flight and another after it, we would be in Melbourne. However, 24 hours later, we were not in Melbourne, instead we sat by the pool of the Pulse Grande Hotel in Putrajaya, about 15 miles south of Kuala Lumpur itself. Something had gone very wrong.

Indeed the journey we took ended up taking not an exhaustive 24 hours, but in fact an even more gruelling 36 hours including an unexpected trip to the Malaysian equivalent on Silicon Valley.

It all started when the engines of the new Airbus A350 failed to gain any thrust whatsoever on the taxing journey out of the gate at Heathrow. The pilot came over the intercom and said that a technical problem, had been encountered and that we would need to return to the gate but would hopefully be up in the air soon. We looked at eachother but shrugged and got back to playing Who Wants to be a Millionaire? on the in flight entertainment. A 45 minute wait to have the plane fixed and the re-fuelled led us fearing missing the connecting flight we had planned at Kuala Lumpur but we got a bit more relaxed once the pilot once again prepped the plane for take off. 3 hours later however, after frequent attempts to fix the shricken pride of the Malaysia Airlines fleet, we were asked to disembark the flight and given a £20 compensatory meal voucher for the terminal. The 09:20 connecting flight in Kuala Lumpur? No chance!

Thus when we finally got on the new Malaysia Airlines plane that had now been flown in, our 10:25 flight was now sitting on the board at Heathrow among flights to Doha and Mumbai scheduled for take off at 16:30.

Finally at around 13:00 local time, after a combined 6 films, 4 meals, and what seemed like countless hours of sitting on a plane, we had arrived in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The first leg had been completed.

The airline staff at the other side were very helpful, ushering us over to a bench at the gate we had arrived in at and then giving us a new boarding pass for a flight that evening and some vouchers for lunch, dinner, and a hotel room in a nearby resort a bus ride away. The 2 hour layover we had orginally planned was now confirmed as now being a whopping 9 hours. Tired and getting agitated we stumbled through the airport customs and got out into the staggering 35 degree heat of Malaysia. After a further hour long bus ride we got to the hotel the airline had supplied us knowing full well that we had to take full advantage of what would an only 2 hour long stay. The shower was gorgeous, the pool stunning, and the dinner divine, we trudged back to the airport, ready once again to sit on another long haul flight, but slightly comforted by the thought that this was it, finally we were nearly there.

Indeed, at quarter past 9 in the morning we touched down in Melbourne. We had made it, jet lagged beyond belief and not fully aware of what day it was, we were further away from home than we had ever been.