Hometime!

The time had come for me to return to my motherland and head back to Scotland. Last Tuesday I boarded the plane at 2:40am and said my farewells to Australia (not for the last time I hope). After traveling for around 32 hours I arrived home and was surprised to be met at the airport by one of my godsons (aswell as my parents of course- he's only 4!). 

I've now been home for 5 days and so far have enjoyed being back. I've been able to have food, catch up with my family and friends and have a room to myself at night. Although I'm home I will still be posting on here as I still have so many places and experiences which I'd like to share so there's plenty to look forward to! I'd also like to quickly apologise for lack of posts of recent. While traveling about we were very busy and also it was hard to find somewhere with decent wifi/free wifi as money was at an all time low! Now that I'm home I will always have access to wi-fi somewhere so keep an eye out for much more posts soon!

Iona x

Deans and Doughbox Diner's

I understand it is now a few weeks since I left Sydney but near the end of my time there Michelle and I explored a bit more to make the most of our time there and there's a couple of places which deserve a bit of a shoutout. Both of these are location in Newtown, as that's where we lived, but Newtown in general is a great area to go to for food/drinks/evening out. 

The first place which I would like to bring to your attention is Dean's Diner. I wish I had a photo of the burgers which we got from here. There was such a wide variety to choose from and they were just simply delicious. Everytime we walked past the diner we would both automatically slow down just to enjoy the tempting smell even more. It was a greasy cafe but the food was brilliantly prepared and just tasted down right amazing. If you're ever in the area and after some naughty food but don't want to do the standard McDonalds then check out this place and then you can thank me later! (It also did such amazing chips and packaged them a bit like a chippie back home which made me very happy!)

The second place which we tried near the end of our time is Doughbox Diner. When we first walked past this 50's style diner we thought it had shut down but soon discovered it only opens from 6pm. The only options on the menu is either crepes, both sweet and savoury, or waffles but the menu itself offered SO many options in fillings. I don't even know what we went for but our minds were blown! It was just amazing! The filling tasted fresh and was all prepared infront of you. What really impressed us was that the crepes had some sort of cheese coating which was crusted and just added an extra OOMMPH!!! 

Chicken, Bacon, Avocado, Mushroom, Spring Onion, Cheese = AMAZING!

Both these places were reasonably priced and if I'm ever in the area then I'll be heading to both these places. I miss them already!

Iona x

New Zealand! Days 9-13

I have now returned back to Australia and found my time in New Zealand flew past far too quickly! But I'm happy to be out the cold and wind and back with Michelle too. Here's what I got up to in my last few days in New Zealand;

• Day 9- Today I left Rotorua and got two buses to National Park. I think this was the most travel I'd done in a day while being in New Zealand so safe to say I was happy when I finally arrived at my hostel and could get into bed. One of my room mates was 63 years old...she was in bed by 7 both nights I was there!
• Day 10- My hike up Mount Doom took place today. It was an 8 hour hike while saw me climbing up a volcano mountain which was covered in ice. This turned out not to be my idea of fun and I hated every second. Now I see it as an accomplishment but at the time I wanted to give up and go back the whole way. I even cried at one point (I was mortified! I don't cry in front of people, especially not strangers!) but this was down to injuring my knee just as we made it to the top which only made going back down that much more fun. The weather was pretty extreme to the point where at times we couldn't even see the whole group who were metres ahead because the wind was so strong and blowing the snow up and my eyelashes even froze together. However, I did get to sing "Let It Go!!" quietly to myself which was my highlight. 
• Day 11- My day to recover from the climb and also to leave National Park and all the snow behind and move on to Wellington. This was another two bus trip but wasn't as long as the last one.
• Day 12- Today was my last tour planned and it was the Wellington Movie Tour based on Lord of the Rings. Although I did enjoy this trip I don't think I was a big enough fan to truely get in to it. At one point we walked through a forest and the guide pointed out trees which were in the first film. I have photo's of trees...But we did get to go into the studio where they display costumes and the actual guy who worked on the movie, and many others, and did the hair/make-up/costumes etc told up some film secrets and let us have a feel of some props which were used (I held an Auks head in my hands...was really weird!).
• Day 13- My final day in New Zealand and this consisted of nothing but heading to the airport and leaving New Zealand.

I had such an amazing time in New Zealand and I'm so glad I didn't let me fear of travelling alone stop me from seeing it. I would love to back and explore the South Island but for now I'm extremely happy and grateful for everything I got to do and see.

Only 4 weeks left in Australia now until home time!!

Iona x

Rotorua

National Park

Up Mount Doom- last effort until the top

Trying to look happy...I really wasn't

The sign which says you're at the top- shows how bad the weather was!

Some of the tress from Lord of the Rings

New Zealand! Days 6-8

Today is my one and only completely free day while in New Zealand and it's also my last day in Rotorua, so I thought it was a good time to catch you all up on what I've been up to;

• Day 6- today I went on the Hobbiton tour and it was SO good! I had such a great time seeing the shire and have decided I would like to move there asap! The guide was really good at explaining movie secrets and pointing out what scenes were filmed where. It was so interesting to see all the detail that had gone into the movies
• Day 7- Today I went on the Tamaki Maori Village Tour which was in the evening. This was incredible and I think my favourite tour I've done so far. It was a chance to see New Zealand's culture and learn about how tribes use to do things back in the day. We were welcomed in by warriors and then taught about tribe games, training, weaving, how they gave tattoos, womans dance and of course saw a couple renditions of the Haka. We were then given a show where they performed songs and finally we got to eat dinner which had been cooked in a pit in the ground. It was such a great tour and one which I would 100% recommend to everyone!
• Day 8- Like I said this is my last day in Rotorua which does sadden me a bit. Today I had nothing on so tried to sort out my suitcase a bit better and took a wander down near the lake. Last night I was also the only one in my room which was SO weird as I haven't slept in a room by myself for almost 11 months but as I returned this afternoon there's 4 new people to keep me company tonight.

Next stop- National Park!!

x

The pit where our dinner was cooking

New Zealand! Days 1-5

So I have made it to New Zealand!! And what a beautiful country it is. Here's what I've been up to so far;

• Day one- woke up at 5:20 to catch my flight. Made it in good time and headed onto the plane which had been delayed for half an hour. Arrived into Auckland and headed through the airport with no problems and both my luggage bags arrived- yay!! Stayed in a hostel in Auckland
• Day two- Left my hostel in the early hours to catch a bus up Paihia. Paihia is North of the island and a 4 hour bus ride away from Auckland. I arrived at my hostel, dumped my bags and went to explore the town. It's right by the sea so was beautiful however, I did get caught in a nasty down pour! 
• Day three- today I went on a dolphin and Hole in the Rocks tour. This was a boat tour and with the weather still not great it was a bumpy boat ride at that! Since the weather was so bad we didn't get to go see the Hole in the Rock which is where you get to see two oceans collide but not mix (so I hear). This was the reason I went on the tour so I was a bit disappointed but still excited to see some dolphins/whales/orcas. This did not happen either. Apparently only 5% of the time marine life is not seen...again- typical! So I got a voucher to go back again for free should I ever be back up there!? 
• Day four- another early bus ride back down to Auckland where I stayed in the same hostel as the first night. This time I was in a different room and there was 5 guys and myself...2 of the guys were over 50 years old...ah hostels! You do give some good stories! 
• Day five- yet another early bus ride and this time down to Rotorua. I have to say that so far this is my favourite place. There's no high buildings like a city and has beautiful views of the mountains which are surrounding the town. It also helped that I could spend some of the afternoon sunbathing on our balcony which over looks the hostel's pool! 

So far I have had such an amazing trip but I am SO tired and looking forward to being in this hostel for a few nights as having to pack up everything every day was getting to be a bit of a chore! I've also managed to pick up a cold on my travels which has only added to my exhaustion but I won't let it ruin my trip!! Can't wait to explore this stunning country some more! 

x

Moving On

I have some very exciting news to share with you all! In a couple of weeks I will be leaving Sydney and flying to New Zealand! I am SO excited that I am able to head over there as I didn't think I'd be able to afford it but thanks to a little help from my parents and some very tight budgeting I am managing to spend just under two weeks over there. I have a good few tours booked and will be traveling quite a bit so will hopefully be able to see quite a lot within the short space of time.

Although I am very excited to be going there I am also absolutely terrified. This is the first time I've gone traveling on my own and it's definitely not something which I wanted to do/ever thought I would do. I am a shy person and can often get very anxious in social situations so have always struggled to put myself out there, which means I have often missed out on opportunities through fear/nerves so this is such a big step for me and one that I'm not even 100% sure I'll be able to handle. I know a lot of people go traveling on their own and that it's becoming more and more common a thing to do but personally, for me, it's a massive deal and I am genuinely terrified. 

When I went to book it (I used a company called Peter Pans which I would definitely recommend) I almost chickened out and didn't bother. Even once I'd gone into the place I almost changed my mind and walked out again but I realised that I'm in such a lucky position to be able to go and that I've already missed out on things due to my anxiety that I wasn't going to allow myself do it again when it's such a great opportunity. I know I'm completely throwing myself into the deep end and often feel a bit sick when I think about leaving by myself but if I never try I'll never learn...wish me luck! 

Iona x

Unusual Miss's

When leaving for Australia there was things which I knew I would miss; my family, my cat, my godsons, my friends...etc. But since being here I've discovered other things which I didn't expect to miss quite as much;

• Monthly trips to Asda with mother
• Having more than four possible outfit choices
• Home cooked food
• Having clothes for every weather condition
• Being able to easily find irn-bru at all times
• Having baths
• Home radio stations
• Knowing my way around a city well 
• My dvd collection
• Being able to afford fruit and vegetables
• Being in the same time zone as everyone I know so everytime I want to talk to someone I don't have to work out if I'm about to wake them up/then have to wait until they are up
• Central heating (I currently can't feel my feet)
• Having different mugs for different types of hot drinks (a little OCD but I like it!)
• Scottish tap water

I'm not trying to paint a sob story of my life in Australia, I am having such a great experience and I'm enjoying every aspect of it. However, this year has definitely made me realise I took so much for granted back home and I will be appreciating it all much more when I return.

Iona x

Whale Watching

For my birthday this year my sisters got me a voucher for Michelle and I to go whale watching. We had to wait until the right time of year for the whales to be migrating but last week we finally we able to use the voucher and board the boat.

Luckily the weather was fairly good that day so we were filled with nothing but excitement in the hope of seeing Humpback whales (most common in the area), Orcas, Sea Turtles, Dolphins and any other sea creature. The boat ride last around 4 hours and during that time we manage to spot 4 humpback whales and some dolphins decided to swim next to the boat at one point as well. The first whale we saw was SO close to the boat that it literally took our breath away. We were almost too scared to talk in case we scared it away! I don't know what it is but there's something so amazing about seeing wild animals in their natural habitat. Due to them being wild and out at sea it resulted in it being very hard to capture on camera so I actually only managed to get one photo of the whales and completely missed the dolphins! However, it was definitely an experience I'll never forget and would recommend to everyone. It was also such a great gift idea as it wasn't something which I would struggle to carry about while travelling and also something we possibly wouldn't have done otherwise due to money. An absolutely amazing day!!!

Iona x

Blue Mountains

Before coming to Sydney I had never heard of the Blue Mountains so it was never on my 'Must See List'. But I thought, while I was here I might as well check it out and see what it's all about.

We booked a tour, got given the wrong tour and ended up trailing about the Blue Mountains with a big group of people from Honduras who were loud, old and over weight which meant that our 40 minute hike literally took an hour and a half. I'm not sure who was more annoyed by this, us or our tour guide but nonetheless the mountains were beautiful. We saw 2 water falls during our hikes and managed to each ruin our shoes (we were not warned to wear appropriate footwear but thought we'd be clever anyway and wear trainers...there's no saving them now!).

As well as seeing the stunning views we also got to walk through the forest which was lovely and learnt a bit about the Mountains themselves. All I can really remember now is that they are called the Blue Mountains because most of the trees are Eucalyptus tress which give off an oil. The sun then reflects off the oils and therefore give a blue hue around the Mountains. I was slightly disappointed that the actual trees weren't blue themselves but can confirm that the sight was just absolutely beautiful and I couldv'e spent a very long time just standing there taking it all in had in not been freezing cold winds. It was the type of view that they would put in a movie with thought provoking music in the background while someone contemplated the meaning of life. 

The camera really doesn't do justice to how beautiful it was there but hopefully they'll give a hint of the views and maybe even tempt some more people to add it to their 'Must See List'. 

You can also watch some clips over on my YoutTube channel by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOLXIHl1uT4

Iona x

The Three Sisters

Lucky Number 148

Having been in Sydney for around 3 months now I have managed to apply for 149 jobs. That's right, I read through over 149 jobs, completed 149 job applications and got rejected 148 times. I got a call last Sunday from job application number 148 and got invited in for a 'face-to-face' chat in which they offered me a trial and said if I liked it I'll be put on the rota. 

I was extremely happy to be offered a job as you can imagine how little money I have after a few months of no income. A couple of weeks ago I took a look at my bank accounts, glanced into my purse and found out I had less than $5 to my name. Times were extremely tough for a while and motivation was lacking having received such little feedback from previous applications. However, through not going up luck finally came round and I have my trail at a dog cafe tomorrow. 

Not only does this mean I can stop eating 63cents (about 35p) noodles all the time but it also means that I might be able to make it to New Zealand after all. I was starting to give up on the hope of being able to travel there and I was very disappointed in myself that I'd allowed that to happen. I'd always planned to go there during my year in Australia but as my year is quickly coming to the end and money being extremely low I was starting to give up on the dream of visiting New Zealand but hopefully, through careful saving, I might still be able to make it to the land of the Hobits!

Iona x

Sydney Botanic Gardens

So Sydney has now gone into Winter. This meant I was routing through my suitcase trying to find my thickest and warmest of clothes, forgetting that Winter in Scotland is very different to Winter in Australia. Back home you do your best not to leave the house during Winter but when you have to you spend a good 5 minutes trying to navigate a way to wear as many clothes as possible and even then you lose feeling in your toes as soon as you leave your house. However, here Winter is very different. It's much closer to a Summers day back home. The sun has been out and its been above 20C many days. 

On one of these "Winter" days we headed into the city to hand out more resumes in an attempt to find work. After running out of resumes we thought there would be nothing better than to grab a sandwich and go for a little picnic in the Botanic Gardens. This was never on my 'must see' list of Sydney but it was so lovely and I'm so glad we went. We lay on the grass for over an hour and just enjoyed being by the water and in the sun. We took a wee stroll around (when I needed the toilet) and found it was full of beautiful trees and flowers to see. I'm not one who marvels of nature like this but it really was just such a pleasant place to be so would definitely recommend it if anyone every needs a quiet place to go or just wants to hide away from the city.

Iona x

You can see the Opera House and Bridge over the water

Hidden away in the middle of the city

Our First Huntsman

"Iona...don't move!!!" are not words you wish to hear in Australia, even if you're in the comfort of your own home. As I slowly creep forward I turn around to discover a giant huntsman spider on the wall above my head. I have to say I have never known fear like that, and I know fear...I'm scared of everything!

We run out the house to pop to the shops for some food but dreaded coming back into the house in fear it was still there or worse...not there and possible somewhere else in the house! Upon arriving home it took us a minute to gather up the courage to open the door. When we did we slowly creaked it open to discover the spider was indeed still there. After standing outside for 10 minutes trying to work out what to do while also trying to stop ourselves from fainting we've eventually managed to make our way upstairs to our bedroom where we plan to stay until one of our housemates comes home who's brave enough to do something about it!

This sounds very pathetic but for those of you who also don't like spiders...you'll understand! Just thought I'd share my experience on here hoping it'd be some sort of therapy but not sure it's work, still don't think there's any colour in my face. However, I have used the excuse of "I'm in shock" to consume plenty of sweeties.

Iona x

Taken from the front door with the zoom

Birthday Time!

As you may be able to guess it was indeed my birthday! I am no longer in my early twenties...I am now the grand old age of 24!

Usually back home I'd either be working on my birthday or would have exams the next day so it's been a good few years since I've actually celebrated my birthday so this year it genuinely was one of my best birthdays ever. The girls made sure I enjoyed myself and I had a great day.

It started by being woken up to a coffee and card which Carla had bought me. I then showered and when I came out I was presented with red velvet cupcakes and a candle! Once we were up and dressed Michelle and I headed to our local crepe cafe and had some brunch. I've been wanting to go to this cafe since we moved to Newtown and it was SO good! My crepe had ham, cheese, spring onion, oregano and lemon- beautiful! We then headed into the city so I could pick up a parcel which my parents had sent me full of unexpected pressies. After dropping off the gifts back at the house we then all headed to Darling Harbour where we enjoyed a few cheeky glasses of sparkling wine (during a much loved happy hour). After happy hour had ended we headed to a wee Irish pub where we discovered it was Drag Queen karaoke night. After enjoying this new experience we then headed up to Kings Cross (where the hostel we stayed in is) and met up with some friends at a new bar/club.

All in all it was a fully packed day, on a budget and was bloomin' fantastic!! Maybe being 24 won't be so bad after all...

Iona x

Goodbye...My Friend!

*Title must be sung to the Spice Girls song*

So it's happened. Kirsty has up and left me. She has moved on in her travels and has left Sydney to head up East on a 5 week trip and I am SO jealous. Her trip looked amazing! She's visiting places such as Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise, Brisbane, Cairns, Fraser Island and other places which I can't remember since there's so many!

Since leaving Scotland last September she has been my only constant throughout the trip. We left together and we'd planned to arrive back home together a year later but as with most things this year- plans change. Kirsty received some brilliant family news which now means she has chosen to head home at the end of July, cutting her year short. So naturally she has to go off and see all the sights before going back home. Why didn't Michelle and I go join her? Purely due to the fact we can't afford it at the moment. We're staying in Sydney, getting jobs (hopefully soon- it's been a struggle yet again!) and will save some money to travel up East too.

The plan is the three of us will go to New Zealand together as a final 'hurrah' before Kirsty goes home but everything is dependable on money. 

I can honestly say that my trip so far would not be nearly as good if Kirsty hadn't come with me and although I miss her a lot (we still talk every day more than once) I know it's something she has to do and is having an amazing time. Thankfully I still have Michelle to keep me in check.

I love you Kirsty! See ya in New Zealand :)

Iona x

Sydney: First Impressions

So we have now been in Sydney for around 3 weeks and I feel I can now report back on my thoughts and feelings on Sydney so far.

As soon as we arrived there was such a different atmosphere to Melbourne. Sydney just screams character and really makes you want to investigate more. There's so many suburbs in Sydney (I was told it was 52ish but don't quote me on that!) and each has such a different personality. Everything also seems a lot more compact and closer together- we're now able to walk into the city centre where in Melbourne it would take a tram ride from more areas unless you lived in the actual city centre. 

With so much to explore we decided to go on a free walking tour and found that although there isn't nearly as much history as there is back home, there's still so many stories to hear about. 

All in all, I LOVE Sydney already. There's such a great atmosphere and so much to see. Obviously there is the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge but there's so much more to see in Sydney which just hasn't had a look in. We plan to be here for around 2/3 months and I can't wait to explore more and report back on my favourites places/things to see.

Iona x

Goodbye Melbourne, You Legend!

As you may be able to guess from the title I have said my final farewells to the beautiful city of Melbourne. After spending the past 5 months or so living and working there we thought it was time for us to up sticks and leave. This was in no way because we didn't like it but more because we liked it too much and felt too settled. I genuinely would call it a home from home and have gained some of my best memories during my time there.

We are now getting ourselves set up in Sydney and are back to square one with the struggle to find a flat/jobs but everything is new and exciting. As much as this year is about travelling around new places I will miss Melbourne and will be planning on going back again before I head home in September. 

Below are some photo's of my favourite memories and experiences which I will never forget. Usually I don't see myself as lucky but after looking through the photo's I'm extremely grateful for every moment I've been able to have over here. As well as all these amazing times I've had there's also been the not-so-amazing times but I can already see how I'm learning from it all and growing as a person (lamest sentence I've ever put together!) Hope you've enjoyed sharing these moments with me so far...here's to many more in Sydney!!

Iona x

The amazing aquarium!

Australia Day!

 Australia Day Blog

Christmas day spent sunbathing on the beach!?

 Christmas Day Blog

Belles Beach

Sunset from our campsite on Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road Blog

The 12 Apostles

Standing on the actual Ramsay Street during the Neighbours Tour

 Neighbours Tour Blog

A wallaby which I fed soon after this photo

 Phillips Island Tour

Dream of a lifetime coming true

Up the Eureka Skydeck looking over all of Melbourne

Eureka Skydeck Blog