Ask anyone what's on their Australia bucket list and you're pretty much guaranteed to hear them say 'the Great Barrier Reef''. Each year, approximately two million tourists visit the reef to swim in its warm tropical waters, search for Nemo among the anemones and chase after sea turtles. Cairns' location means that it never gets particularly … [Read more...]
Sailing the Whitsundays as a Hammerhead
In order to appreciate the true beauty of Queensland, you really need to get out on the open water. I spent two nights and one very full and fun-packed day sailing the Whitsundays off the east coast of Australia aboard 'Hammer' - a 75-foot maxi yacht that has won the Brisbane to Gladstone race four times. This amazing adventure had been organised … [Read more...]
Why It’s Impossible Not to LOVE Fraser Island
Fraser Island, off the coast of Queensland in eastern Australia, is the largest sand island in the world. This conjures up images of gorgeous white beaches - which is pretty accurate - but there's so much more, including rainforest, woodland, mangrove forest and peat swamps, some really crazy wildlife, a lake with spa-like properties and quite … [Read more...]
Things To Do in Brisbane
If I'm being completely honest, Brisbane didn't initially strike me as a great city. It doesn't have the beaches of Sydney or the lively culture of Melbourne and I struggled to see its appeal. But, after spending a few days there visiting friends, and then again as part of the Contiki BEACHES AND REEFS tour, I realised there were plenty of things … [Read more...]
Jet Packing Adventures on the Gold Coast
One of things you have to do when you're in Surfers Paradise is sample the night life. The city never sleeps! The other thing you have to do is jet packing. If you've ever wondered what it's like to fly, this is probably the closest you will ever come. HOW JET PACKING WORKS The Jetpack uses water for high-density propulsion. A long, … [Read more...]
Best Wildlife Sanctuary in Australia
There are so many places to visit in Australia that it can be difficult narrowing down your options. If you have limited time, how can you decide which is the best wildlife sanctuary? While in Australia, my Instagram feed was full of pictures of reef fish, cuddly koalas and kangaroos with funny facial expressions. I visited a tonne of different … [Read more...]
Sea Kayaking in Byron Bay – Capsizing with Dolphins
I've been kayaking a few times - on the sea in Abel Tasman, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia, and along the river in the centre of Melbourne - but none of those experiences prepared me for sea kayaking in Byron Bay. WHY IS SEA KAYAKING IN BYRON BAY THE BEST? There are two main reasons why kayaking in Byron Bay stands out. First, you have a … [Read more...]
Surf School with Mojo Surf
It's not really acceptable to spend more than a couple of weeks in Australia and not try surfing. The climate, beaches and surf all lend themselves well to this sport and it's a lot of fun, even as a beginner. As part of the BEACHES AND REEFS tour run by Contiki, I visited Spot X at Coff's Harbour to learn more from Mojo Surf. TAKE AN ADVENTURE … [Read more...]
Sydney With Contiki: Crab Racing and Other Adventures
Living in Sydney for a year enabled me to experience what it's like as a local. Most of my friends were Australian and they welcomed me into their lives, introducing me to hidden beaches, trivia nights and local events across the city. While I've always said that the best way to see a place is with the people who know it best, I was to discover … [Read more...]
Conserving the Great Barrier Reef
The focus of a new project run by Contiki is to raise awareness of the threats to endangered sea turtles in the beautiful Central American country of Costa Rica. In doing so - and to pass on the message of conservation in general, they asked some bloggers to share their work in addition to writing about an environmental issue they've encountered on … [Read more...]
