Oceania

New Zealand is one of my favourite countries in the world (not just because it’s where I fell in love with Lee). The Land of the Long White Cloud is just so much fun to explore. The range of different landscapes packed into this small island (from bubbling geothermal pools to rolling green vineyards to ancient rainforests to glaciers) is …

Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. The locals know it as “K’Gari”, meaning paradise, and once you’re there you’ll totally see why! With the most strikingly azure lakes, and lushest green rainforests, which actually emerge from sand, it is seriously picturesque. It’s one of the most scenic islands I’ve ever been to, and to me, it’s …

Chilled out surf towns. Gorgeous beaches. Coral reefs teeming with sea life. Lush wilderness. Great nightlife. Traveling the East Coast of Australia is the ultimate backpacking adventure. When you travel down the East Coast you will be able to hit some of Australia’s best destinations, including Cairns, Byron Bay, the Whitsundays, Magnetic Island and much more. Each town and city …

The sensation of a plane taking off is one of my favourite things in the world. It is a physical rush, like the plunge of a roller coaster. When the plane leaves the ground and I get those few seconds of weightlessness my body tingles in anticipation. I know something good is coming. Bright morning sunshine pours through the airplane …

A lush, cool valley just outside of Melbourne, Australia, the Yarra Valley is is the perfect day trip escape from the city. Not only does it have gorgeous forests, a roaring river, a natural park and plenty of wildlife, it also offers plenty to indulge in with more than 80 different wineries, cheese and chocolate producers, restaurants and much more. …

The Blue Mountains are a mountain range in New South Wales, Australia on the edge of Sydney. But why are they so blue? Maybe they lost the love of their life. They are broken-hearted, paralyzed by regret and the weight of what could have been. Or, like Hamlet in his famous soliloquy, they are overwhelmed by the struggle of existence …

Magnetic Island was named for the way it pulled on Captain Cook’s compass as he sailed past it, the needle twisting mysteriously. Some people say this island has a powerful “energy” that radiates from it. While I’m not sure about that, there was certainly some force drawing us here as we travelled down Australia’s East Coast – even if it was …

When I arrived in Australia I realised there were some foods here that weren’t commonly eaten anywhere else in the world. Naturally, I was curious and stuffed my face with all of them. I’m a huge fan of sampling the local food when you travel – as cuisine is one of the most important aspects of a culture and you can …

Museums can be hit or miss. Sometimes they are stuffy old buildings with boring displays of ancient artifacts and dusty paintings. You know that the items you are looking at have some sort of significance, but they don’t mean much to you and you can’t connect in a meaningful way. However, some museums are just great. They help you to …

I took a breakdancing lesson once and I didn’t learn a thing. It’s not that the instructor didn’t have the skills – he could twist and spin and writhe all over the floor with incredible style and agility. It was his teaching ability that was lacking. He knew plenty of great moves, but he could not break them down and …

Fraser Island shouldn’t really exist. It is the largest sand island in the world (122 km long) and there is a lush, majestic rainforest growing out of all that sand. Have you ever tried to grow anything in sand? It’s virtually impossible. The only reason the forest exists is due to the abundance of fungi in the sand that make …

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel to somewhere completely different to live and work for a while? Working Holiday Visas are fantastic opportunities. They make it possible for young people to live and work in other countries for extended amounts of time. On a working holiday visa you will be able to get a job …

“Fsshshaa!” shouted Lee, his mouth wrapped around a snorkel and his face underwater. Floating facedown beside him, I mumbled back, “Hmmm?” (Or, at least I tried to with a snorkel in my mouth.) “Fsshshaa!” he shouted again. I turned to him in confusion. Was he okay? We popped our heads out of the water, spit the snorkels out of our …

Are you daydreaming about working your way around Australia on a long term travel adventure, but are past the age limit for a Working Holiday Visa? At the moment only young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 are eligible for the Australia Working Holiday Visa, but the Tourism & Transport Forum wants to change that. The Tourism & …

As I stepped off the plane at Cairns airport, I had Marilyn Monroe in my head. I’d flown to the north of Australia from Melbourne in the south. It was mid July and Melbourne (as nice as it is) is not the place to be in mid-July. Cold, grey, rainy – as the warm sun of Queensland hit my skin …

The city of Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia, with an impressive collection of beautiful Victorian era buildings, art galleries, theatres, museums, shopping complexes and gardens. It is regularly voted one of the most “liveable” cities in the world, perhaps because of this cultural richness as well as the beautiful weather, great nightlife, easy to use transport system and …

The Aussie sense of humour is wonderfully tongue in cheek and it involves a lot of making fun of tourists. Most visitors have a vague notion that Australia is a land filled with many strange creatures, some of which can be poisonous and dangerous. What fun-loving Aussie wouldn’t want to take advantage of this by inventing a few more scary …

If you would like a year down under the Australia Working Holiday Visa could be the best option for you. Gorgeous sandy beaches filled with bronzed bikini babes. Wide open Outback stretching beyond the horizon. The exciting concerts, shows and nightlife of trendy cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. Strange and bizarre animals and birds that you have never seen …