Photos win top travel award for ‘unique vision’ (nzherald.co.nz)
Travel Photography Portfolio (roselinde.wordpress.com)
Don’t worry Queeny, I’ll be back. One day.
“Nat, we’re becoming those people who go off and have stories to tell!”
Convince me it’s true!
“You know, one day you’re going to run out of money”
The Orient Express in Byron Bay, Australia, sits just opposite the beach front, walk past the Byron Bay Hotel and it’s on the next corner. The Express can also be found if you look out for its showcase of red lanterns.
The service here is really what makes the place sell: staffs are accommodating, friendly and attend to your thirst and hunger needs immediately.
The layout is designed to offer you high-rise bench seating on the ‘balcony entrance’ for two persons on those warmer evenings. While the chunky wooden tables inside hold larger parties.
It has an easy going atmosphere with enough people bustling inside to give it some noise. There were constantly people finishing up and newbie’s arriving, while other restaurants looked vacant, you soon understand why this place is on the radar, it’s Thai/Chinese style grub!
The scrumptious duck pancakes as a starter can also be enjoyed as a main, or you can challenge yourself to the noodle menu and sample a much fuller duck course with noodles almost to the thickness of lasagne sheets coated in dark plum sauce, chunky vegetables and offerings of meat.
If you can’t finish your meal then take the rest home for tomorrow’s lunch. They will parcel it up in a Noodle Box and away you go.
Starters from $15 and Mains from $17. For more info check out this site
Orient Express
P.S. The soups were also highly recommended and worth a taster. Let me know what you sample next!
In the last year STA’s reputation has taken a variety of turns and not many of them good. For my first big travelling venture I booked my trip through them and on the most part they were helpful, until they messed up.
They have a huge inability to pick up where they’ve gone wrong and their small print gives you no compensation or reprimand to their mistakes, just persevere and they will eventually give you the compensation you deserve, even if small print says no.
For a first time traveller having some guidance booking accommodation and flights is a peace of mind thing, but a second and third time? No way.
To start with you learn that like your insurance you can book these things on your own, but initially it is a big deal and a bit scary, if only we had the confidence at the start.
Now I’ve got more confidence in how to organise everything and what to look for, I would still go into STA Travel for the brochures to get inspiration, there itineraries can be pretty good to get you thinking, but that’s all you really need from them: advice. You don’t need them to book the trip and you probably don’t want them to either, on the chance that they might totally cock-up, which is getting more and more likely these days.
What’s your opinion?
If you are looking for a second visa in Australia you could find yourself either working on a farm or fruit picking and from this you will be exposed to insects at a higher rate than ever before, one of these buggers will be the tick.
To aid you in your first few weeks of meeting these creatures may I personally warn you that these pests appear to be on the rise, for reasons to do with the weather shifting from high heat to wet conditions.
If you find one of these attached to you don’t run to your nearest counterpart and get them to rip it out with tweezers, as I did, this only encourages them to hold on tighter and release their venom. Instead, add Vaseline or Tea Tree Oil and the suckers gradually come out and fall off all alone.
Welcome to the countryside!
If you do freak out and rip the bugger off then a small, hard, pink lump will form, which you must add Tea Tree Oil to every day for 1-2 months, or at least until it disappears. The venom shouldn’t hurt you if it’s a black head. If it’s white then seek assistance medically immediately, these are the parasites that have been killing off cattle. They are small but very, very deadly.
They like warmth and moisture so be sure to double check your underarms, the nape of your neck/hair line and breast bone.
Why no one warned me of these or advised what to do if and when I found the tick is beyond me. Although another helper on the farm who has been almost everywhere with me since arriving didn’t have any hassle for the last 2 months on the farm, it seems to be mostly a case of bad luck.
So there you are, be prepared and be safe.
Spending some time browsing this headline, most of the articles I came across were more like self-help-advice columns, offering that sincere cliché: “if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be” – cringe! For someone who is usually inclined to use ‘fate’ as a conclusive ending to things that have no real explanation, even this comment made me grimace; as though someone seeking an ever-more romanticised version of the future could rely on this unanswered quote.
I realise now what I was looking for: epic tales of falling in love and frolics on the road. Instead I stumbled across a somewhat more serious approach to what could have been a brilliant collection of personal memoirs gone public.
Clearly I wasn’t looking in the right place and so to Amazon I browsed. It was here that I gladly bought Brief Encounters: Sex, Love and Travel, a collection of short stories put together by Lonely Planet. May I recommend this read to anyone who is seeking a read on a subject that seems too emotional to discuss publicly, yet familiar enough to smile at in recognition.
I’m glad I get to feel like this – said she
The search engine wasn’t a total miss; a beautiful story from author Nancy writes “A bicycling kind of love story” that gives a gutsy glimpse at what life can be like even when you don’t follow society’s ideals. Nomadic Matt, a booming travel writer, has published a great read by Anygelina “The challenges of love on the road” offering a realistic approach to advice and experiences of falling in love and falling in lust on your adventures. Something most of us can relate to even on our 2 week holidays.
On a personal note, the last year has shown a mixture of personalities and bodies that I have fleetingly enjoyed or willingly stayed in touch with. Nomadic Matt writes quiet accurately when he says:
Destination relationships give travelers a chance at human contact – but without all the messy emotions that so often get involved. There’s no baggage. There’s a clear start and end date
I suppose the quote “if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be” is trying to get back to simplicity, trying almost desperately to find a way of explaining that there is no answer but a rough shrug of letting go. Let it be and allow yourself to fall whenever you can…. What do you think?
From Google Images
In between returning home and booking my next, swift exit out of Hampshire I made a point of setting myself the following goal: to get stronger!
This goal has been influenced by travelling solo, meaning that you have to rely on your own physical strength. From a pidderly girl in the country: thank-you for wheels on suitcases and that extra backpack strap – oh, and that lovely man who helped a struggling weakling.
Counterparts will agree that my physical strength has upped dramatically in the last few months…OK, so I’ve only really put this idea into motion ever so recently, with departure getting closer jogging is becoming an everyday event and every-other- day I try this new fitness programme, BBL – the Brazil Butt Lift.
There are various programmes to choose from, depending on the area you’d like to shape up: lose weight, gain stamina, tone up a few squeegee bits or regain upper physical strength. I have personally been using the ‘sculpt’ session, which focusses on upper arm strength. It’s taken a few weeks to learn the routine but it’s slowly coming together, the biggest challenge not being the programme itself but starting it. Motivation? Please.
The Brazilian Butt Lift programme surveys a group that pop their hips like Shakira and manage to hold the plank ten minutes too long – while the trainer constantly shouts:
“Love your moves!”
I can’t wait until the sweat crystallises into a breezey-easy-peasey-work out.
The sessions last about 40 minutes and can be downloaded onto your computer/hard drive for portable use, so that when you travel you can keep tip-toned-up! That is of course if you have decided to indulge in the luxurious item of a laptop whilst travelling, something people only seem to consider if they’re going for long periods of time, although the I-pad is rapidly replacing the lightweight laptop.
If carrying around your treasured technical goods isn’t an option then an alternative could be to memorise the routine for the road. I often find that swimming is a more tempting option when abroad anyhow and this tends to keep me fit when my diet will fluctuate with food and drink consumption rising and falling with budget and effort.
I’ll let you know how I get on maintaining this programme…
What fitness tips do you have before/during travel?
Having stayed in a fair few hostels I was anticipating Britain to give a good lead on design, we were staying in arty Brighton after all, and at the very least have a bar. I’m really trying to stop holding this single hostel as a representative for all in the UK, as I’m sure there are others that up their ‘game’ and say something extra about British efforts to accommodation. So it is with the negatives that you really get to know the good. Here is a list of growing necessities that a hostel should provide for the weary traveller.
Once we leave, promise we never have to come back
FYI - I’d love to hear about your experiences in UK hostels.
The receptionist’s welcome was much like the weather: cold, wet and bleak. Whatever time you arrive at a new place, you should be greeted with a big smile, a friendly persona and a brief outline detailing the hostels services: breakfast hours, internet, maps of the area, pub crawls, activities, a-z knowledge of the best places in the area.
In this 10 minute conversation you’ve just given me confidence that I can trust you as a go-to person, there’s an ease with my new surroundings and the atmosphere is pumping, even if you’re alone its all going to be alright.
…Brighton, a seriously brilliant coastal party place for the eccentric and anyone with a sense of humour
When we finally checked in and opened our dorm room, the blocks of blue rust didn’t inspire much. The lockers to store our luggage were either smashed in or dead beat and the ones that were of potential use needed a key (not a simple padlock). Unfortunately the keys hadn’t arrived yet, although how new they could be really is beyond me, judging by the state of the iron punches.
Luckily we had a car to store our stuff, our second option was to leave our bags behind the desk, which is pretty standard in most accommodation if you’re in-between change over. Based on the quality of the room and the enthusiasm of staff we decided to take care of ourselves. Please see .1 for a further exaggerated point on this important factor of approachable staff.
With great design comes great atmosphere and it is this extra lick of paint that enhances a hostels personality. Some hostels get crafty with their designs and take on walls as a canvas for fun and imagination, but even if the wall is a blank white colour a little touch up paint wouldn’t bust the budget.
As this hostel was just on the sea front they could have taken advantage of this for a theme: sea-shells, ropy features with blues and greens – albeit a fairly clichéd theme it wouldn’t hurt them to breathe a little extra life into this ageing accommodation.
These 3 pointers include basic comforts and safety, a social sphere and an introduction to your new environment. Is that so much to ask for on a teeny-tiny budget?! Come on Britain!
Paperchase, from £8 :“A5 Flexible Journal/Notebook”
My first and still one of my favourites – this slim, smooth leather book offers an elegant body. Understated with a simple ‘journal’ tagline, this travel notebook details A5 lined paper and a light weight feel. A perfectly, compact size to fit into your case but still have a decent pad of paper to jot down your memories.
Paperchase, from £5: “Postage Stamps”
Lots of colour and much more playful, this travel journal has a few added extra’s with pockets to keep those little pieces of memorabilia safe (and hotel cards if one forgets to hand it back…). There’s also a clear, zipped bag attached to the back which is very useful for storage. The biggest set back here is the thickness of the journal, it’s not quiet as thin as the others and the pad of paper is much smaller with an A6 format. I prefer to have lots of space when I write as my handwriting is pretty fat. It has a lot more going on in terms of storage and the casing is sure to make you smile.
Wild & Wolf, from £9: “Keepsake Journal”
* Please note I have fallen in love with this site.
A beautiful, girly design, yet the casing has a much harder back than the others. This 96 page travel journal is slightly different with two shades of paper: cream and brown (or Kraft) with details of a crown head to outline the top of the page, symbolising the importance of your note taking (ha!).
A creative travel journal that I shall be using on my next trip, although the pad of paper measures: length 18.5cm x width 12.5cm, so I may have to reduce my handwriting size.
WHSMITH, from £5: "Notebook"
A leather-bound cover designed with a deep floral pattern. This notebook is slightly larger than an A5 pad and proves very useful if you have lots to write about. It’s much heavier than others and because of this isn’t the most ideal journal to pack in your case for that light and compact need. A smart design for day-to-day note taking.
Cathy Kidstone’s, from £10: “3 Mini-Journals”
Searching for insurance is one of my most feared parts of travelling. Why? Because it’s boring, so utterly boring – but it’s also very important, too.
A single trip to Europe or a multi-trip adventure – my first point of browsing is Travel Supermarket Dot Com, or rather: http://www.travelsupermarket.com/ this gives me a condensed list of recommendations and my headache lessens, slightly. Call it a shortcut, but it’s marvellous.
*please note you should scan over the small print to double-check what you have to do to claim and what you can claim for.
This then leads to a final check on Google for the public’s reviews. Explore the company and their system for helping people out if it all goes wrong.
Insure away, print and relax – you’re covered.
In the past we’ve gone with Insure & Go, Debenhams and the Post Office.
