Lombok, scooter accidents and the kindness of strangers

No matter how careful you are in life, accidents are bound to happen. I suppose it's pretty inevitable when riding a scooter regularly that we were going to have some sort of accident at some point, and whilst we were over in Lombok it happened.

However - before I jump into the details of the accident (which was pretty minor, we were lucky) I want to talk a bit about the beautiful island of Lombok. Lombok is a short boat ride away from the Gili islands, which are stunning but just as geared up for tourism as Bali is. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you're looking for somewhere a little quieter, a little less touristy, and with a totally different vibe, then take the time to head to Lombok. The majority of the island is untouched. The north is home to Mount Rinjani, Indonesia's second biggest volcano, where you can take a 3 day hike to the top ending up right above the clouds. We started off in Kuta, a little surf town in the south of the island which is developing fast with bars, cafes and restaurants popping up all over the place. I get a sense that this is how Bali was years ago before tourism was booming. The locals are really friendly and genuinely just want to have a chat with you, ask you where you're from and which football team you support.

One thing about Kuta that made me a little wary was that in the evening there are TONS of kids selling bracelets. This isn't unusual in South East Asia but out of all the countries I've visited I've never seen it on such a massive scale in such a small town. Most of them are quite young but they are really street-wise and their sales tactics are pretty impressive, asking you to play games with them like 'Capitals' (giving the capital cities for a vast array of countries, even really obscure ones like the capital of Ethiopia?! They know the answer!) or rock, paper, scissors and their deal is if you lose you have to buy. I have no idea why there are so many children working in Kuta and it makes me think that there's something bigger going on behind the scenes. Most people advise not to buy from them as it's supporting child labour, but I did buy a bracelet off a little girl who was so sweet and intelligent and said she was working to pay her school fees.

We ventured up north for the day from Kuta to Rinjani National Park to see some waterfalls and this is where Lombok's beauty really unfolded. The further up north we drove, the greener it got with lush rice paddies all around and tiny villages with families eating together out front or getting ready to go to the mosque in traditional dress. The majority of the population on Lombok are Muslim and you can hear the call to prayer up for 5 times a day from various mosques around the island. The people up here also don't see many tourists and the kids love it, all leaning out of cars and running by the scooter waving and shouting HELLO and smiling at you. We also met a local who took us to some waterfalls and showed us around, and made us local Indonesian dishes with the spiciest curry EVER but one of the tastiest I've ever eaten!

We had the scooter accident on the drive back to Kuta. It was dark, we were on a bad road and we skidded on a bump. Like most accidents it was sudden and unexpected. We were lucky and came out relatively unharmed but the sense of panic and worry that set within me as soon as we hit the floor was hard to ignore. The locals were absolutely amazing to us. We stopped at a main road to inspect our injuries and people were stopping to see if we were okay, lead us into a doctors to get cleaned up and let us know the best way to get back to Kuta. The kindness of the people was really overwhelming and I cannot put into words how grateful I am. I wish I could go back and find them all to thank them all over again. I was in such a deep panic that I've never experienced before, being in the dark in a place that we didn't know and a little shaken from the accident. Their caring and kindness made such a massive difference and I will never forget it.

I'm so glad we went to Lombok despite having a scooter accident over there, and I really recommend going over if you want to see a little more of Indonesia and have a different experience. Bali is gorgeous and there is so much to see and do but Lombok showed me how different each island is in Indonesia and I would love to come back in the future to explore more of this amazing country.

Travelling the East Coast of Australia

After 6 months in Melbourne working, saving, planning, saving more, I finally, FINALLY set off to travel up Australia's East Coast at the start of April for a 4 week long trip. A holiday from my working "holiday". The East Coast is the most travelled part of Australia and the majority of backpackers will travel up or down starting in Sydney or Cairns either by hiring a van or car or on a greyhound or premier bus. After weighing up the pros and cons of hiring a van (pros - more independence and flexibility, cons - cost, space, fear of breaking down on the road) we decided against it and bought a hop-on-hop-off Greyhound bus pass from Sydney to Cairns, stopping off at:

Sydney, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Australia Zoo (day trip), Noosa, Fraser Island (3 day tour), Agnes Water (Town of 1770), Airlie Beach, Townsville, Magnetic Island, Cairns.

Australia is an astoundingly beautiful country. This is hard to realise when you're in the midst of a city and only hit me when I really got out and explored. I was craving a change of scenery and wanted to take advantage of the national parks and spend as much time in nature as possible. I headed to the Blue Mountains as soon as I could whilst we were in Sydney and I was not disappointed. The mountain views were breathtaking. It was strange to experience the landscape change so drastically only 2 hours out of one of Australia's biggest, busiest cities.

I loved seeing Australia's diverse landscape change the further we went up the coast. Cairns was tropical with humid days and warm rain. There are huge curtain fig trees in the middle of the city and at dusk they are loud with the sound of bats awakening and flying through the city. Moments like that hit you and make you remember that you're in another part of the world that's foreign and exotic and exciting. We walked through the rain forest to Behana Gorge and it was hard to believe you're in the same country when you compare it to Melbourne's cool climates.

Behana gorge was one of my favourite places. Some of the National Parks like the Blue Mountains are very touristy and you have to trek for a couple of hours before you find a quiet spot. The gorge was huge and there were only a couple of other travellers there when we found it, and for a good hour we had the whole place to ourselves. Maybe the walk put's people off - 45 minutes up and down steep gradient paths was hard work but you can jump straight into the cool lagoon pools at the gorge.

My favourite places were the smaller more laid back towns and the islands as it made such a refreshing change to big cities and busy party-vibe backpacker hostels. Magnetic Island had something really special about it, with huge rocky landscapes and coves and beaches. I fed Rock Wallabies at sunset and saw a baby Wallaby poke it's head out of it's Mum's pouch. I loved Byron Bay for it's laid back vibes, abundance of surfers and effortless beach cool. I loved Agnes Water's quiet, small-town comfort. It was so relaxed and I had no problem surrendering to the fact that my phone had no signal and dedicating my time there to exploring and taking it all in.

I fed Kangaroos. I held a python, a baby freshwater crocodile and a small turtle. I swam through the Great Barrier Reef which made me feel heavy in my chest as it's just so bleached now. I was surprised that it made me feel so sad. Travelling up the East Coast really reminded me how incredible nature is and how amazing the Earth can be, but it can be destroyed so easily.

Backpacking Australia is very different to South East Asia. Australia is full of tours, day trips and guides to destinations that are difficult to reach if you don't own a vehicle. Because of this, I did feel a little like I was on a package holiday at times rather than really travelling. SE Asia felt so much more adventurous to me. I imagine if you hire a campervan or own a car then it may feel a little different as you'd have a little more freedom and independence to explore the country.

It also goes without saying that travelling Australia is expensive. We went just out of peak time (November - March), so hostel prices had dropped slightly and there was always space for us to book a day or two before, which gave us flexibility. A lot of people we met had pre-booked their entire trip beforehand so that they didn't have to worry about it during their trip. This is probably a very wise idea in peak time as things get booked up fast and prices for tours and accommodation escalate quickly.

It sounds like I'm stating the obvious here but for me, travelling Australia was so much better than working it and being settled in one place. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't seem to fully relax in Melbourne. Being stuck in one place was also shaping my opinion of Australia as a whole even though I knew it was such a huge country with so much more to offer. Seeing more of it made me appreciate how beautiful it is and how different each place can be. I fell in love with it a little more as each new place revealed something new and wonderful.

It's easy to fall back into a routine quickly when you settle down in one place, and it's also tempting to stay put for a long time not just for comfort, but to save money. I've met a good few people who come here and find a job that allows them to save a lot whilst maintaining a decent lifestyle. Before they know it they've spent their whole year in one place and they're quite happy to just go home with their savings. The East Coast was an expensive trip and it was a little disheartening to see 4 month's of hard-earned savings blown in 4 weeks, so I can understand why this is unappealing to some. However I think that it's a shame to come all this way and not even scratch the surface of such a vast, diverse country. Don't forget the holiday part of your working holiday visa! It's a big beautiful world out there, take the chance to see it.

Agnes Water

I haven't dedicated a blog post to once specific place in a country since Pai in Thailand, but I have to give this amazing place up Australia's East Coast a special mention. Agnes Water is a quiet, relaxed place in Queensland. It's not a party place. It's very small, the main town centre consisting of one small row of shops, one cafe, one supermarket and a handful of restaurants. Life moves at a slow pace; nothing is rushed. The wifi is intermittent and phone signal is non-exsistant, which is a blessing or a curse depending on what kind of traveller you are. There are some beautiful picturesque spots to seek out, an abundance of surfers and a lot of sunbleached blonde kids skateboarding barefoot around the streets. It's how I imagined the majority of Australia to be away from the bustling cities and vast expanse of the outback. 

So what is there to do in such a small, quiet town? There's actually a lot to explore and see here despite it being so quiet. Agnes has the cheapest surf lessons along the East Coast at only $17 for a 3 hour lesson. The beach is beautiful and comes without the crowds. The Scooteroo day tour is pretty popular and provides you with an opportunity to ride bikes through the town of 1770 in the full authentic biker get-up, leather jackets with flame motif included. 

However, my visit to the Kangaroo Sanctuary here was by far my biggest highlight. It's ran by a guy who rescues young kangaroos from mothers who have been hit on the road by cars. He's really passionate about what he does and will tell you a lot about kangaroos, how they eat, how they impact and contribute to the environment and how they reproduce and look after their young (a female Kangaroo can suspend her pregnancy for up to 12 months - insane!) The kangaroos are very gentle - natured and comfortable around people. You really get to interact with them, feed them and stroke them and they'll come right over to you and nudge you for food.

It was amazing to see the kangaroos relaxed and happy in their environment. I love animal sanctuaries and I really believe they are the best way to see animals and support their care. Despite being very well cared for and having a lot of space, the kangaroos at Australia Zoo were understandably very indifferent to interaction as they see an average of around 5,000 people a day. They are also highly tolerant as some of the younger children can approach them a little boisterously and be heavy - handed when they pet them. There was a subtle but definate difference in their behaviour that I really picked up on.

The sanctuary visit really touched me and it was one of those rare travel moments that reminds you why you wanted to travel in the first place. It's easy to become complacent whilst travelling long-term as travelling quickly becomes a lifestyle that you adjust to and like any lifestyle it has its pros and cons. It's easy to lose your way when you are stuck in once place and forget your purpose, but once you leave you're able to gain perspective again. 

Most people skip Agnes Water to head straight to Airlie Beach. I hope my post inspires you to make time for this beautiful part of Queensland! It really surprised me and I loved my time here.

Hey Melbourne!

Well, here I am, I made it! All the way over to the other side of the world in one 9 hour overnight flight from Bangkok. We boarded the plane in the humid sticky Bangkok heat and arrived in Melbourne early Wednesday morning, greeted with sunshine and much cooler temperatures, which gradually became colder as the day went on. I had to go out and buy a coat! I'm literally starting from scratch coming from South East Asia with nothing in my bag but flip flops, bikinis, crop tops and vibrant patterned pants. Not an ideal wardrobe for a city in the beginnings of Spring.

The first few days were very full on sorting out Australian phone numbers, bank accounts and tax file numbers. You can't do anything without an Australian phone number, not even open an bank account, so this should be the first thing on your list when you arrive. Since then I've been applying for jobs constantly. At the moment I'm staying in a hostel but I really need to get a flat soon as it works out to be pretty much the same price per week to rent a room in a flat anyway (madness!) It's a little overwhelming thinking of this on top of searching for a job and trying to re-organise all of my stuff right now. One step at a time, I'll get there. I just need to keep telling myself that and not expect everything to come at once. 

Life admin aside, Melbourne is such a cool place. The first day here was such a breath of fresh air, everybody is so friendly and wants to have a chat with you. Obviously there's no language barrier here which helps, of course, but even strangers will want to have a chat and give you tips on where to go. The first evening here we walked around the central business district and I felt so excited and ready, it's a feeling I get when something big is about to happen. The city seemed so alive and welcoming and it is an amazing feeling knowing I have so many new places to explore and more time to do so. On Saturday we checked out Hosier Lane which is full of graffiti, tags and street art. As soon as you turn into it BAM! it's like entering a whole new vibrant world. It's also an instagram lovers dream for good shots! The art changes constantly which I love, there will always be something new to see like a real outdoor public gallery. Art is for everybody to enjoy. Then we ate at a place called Movida Next Door which did very tasty reasonably priced Spanish tapas. The oysters were great and I also tried a dish called Pulpo which is grilled octopus. Melbourne is a foodies dream with so many great places to eat. 

I know it will take a good few weeks to get everything sort sorted and get myself fully settled but I can't wait to make a home here. Melbourne has been voted the most livable city in the world for a past few years and so many aspects of it remind me of my home town Manchester ❤ All I need now is for the weather to warm up. Bring on Summer! 

The beauty and mystery of Cambodia

I'm so aware that I am behind on blog posts and other than the meditation course and one short post about being sick I realise I haven't posted anything on Cambodia! My month in Cambodia was pivotal in my travels, largely because of the meditation course but also because of what I saw and experienced throughout the country.

After two days in Phnom Penh we went straight down south to Kampot. Kampot is a really chill town that doesn't have much of a nightlife, which turned out to be for the best because John was sick the day we arrived, and I got sick two days after. In between bouts of inevitable illness from weeks of backpacking we rented scooters and explored Bokor National Park. 

The ride up to the park alone was an incredible experience and for me was more scenic and enjoyable than the Hai Van pass. The drive is along one, long, winding continuous road which inclines steadily and I could feel the temperature dropping, so if I were to give only one piece of advice for visiting this park it would be - take a jumper. What a mistake. Despite being freezing I didn't let it detract from the incredible views. We mainly visited the park to see the abandoned church and casino which are both really cool to explore. They were built by the French as a retreat from the heat (something I wish I would have read before my visit, don't forget that jumper!) The casino is huge and really eerie, with nothing much to indicate the glamour of gambling, and the church is still full of Christian religious statues which really surprised me as I thought it would be totally empty.

After Kampot we headed to Sihanoukville and caught a boat to the island of Koh Rong. The community of this island really touched me, it's a pretty small island and all of the locals know each other and look out for eachother. The kids are so independent (although this is pretty common for South East Asia) and the younger ones seem to know their way around pretty well. The electricity is pretty erratic, we witnessed two short power cuts whilst sat in a bar one night in the space of fifteen minutes. There's also no hot water and the wifi doesn't work that well so it really is a little out of civilisation but this really adds to the experience, so if you want a more authetic taste of island life then go.
We took a boat trip out one day and went fishing with hooks and bait on wire, visited a private beach and went swimming in the ocean at night with bioluminescent plankton. WOW. Every movement created a starry underwater universe that drips shining from your body once you emerge. There's some scientific reason behind why the plankton glows, but I don't know it and I don't plan on finding out. This was magical for me.

Cambodia is popular with backpackers and tourists for Angkor Wat, an ancient civilisation of temples and ruins. All of the temples (especially Ta Prohm or "Tomb Raider" temple) are shrouded in such a powerful mystery that no temple will ever feel the same again after a visit here. I visited Ayuttaya in Thailand which was cool and very worthwhile, but it was nothing compared to how compelling Angkor Wat was for me. Some of the temples are set back in the Cambodian jungle and we passed through local villages to get there. We hired scooters which is the easiest way to get around most places in South East, but you can hire a tuk tuk for the day and barter them down to a cheap rate. The temples left me hungry for more knowledge. Who lived here? How did they build it? What did the people look like? Imagine being the guy who discovered all of this!

I got the impression from most backpackers I spoke to that Cambodia didn't seem to be a country many stay in that long, some stopping only for a few days in Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat. There really is so much more to explore here, and places have a less "touristy" feel (Angkor Wat aside). On a more personal level, Cambodia is definitely the country I learnt the most in so far. I got sick there, my biggest fear, but I got over it. With sickness came another kind of sickness, for a few days I craved home and home comforts, but I got over that too. Being able to meditate in a country with such a painful recent history was also a huge privilege, one which I am only fully realising now, and a powerful way to end my stay in Cambodia.