East Coast of Australia: What I got up to

My journey of travelling the East Coast of Australia started with an overnight coach journey from Sydney in mid March, before finishing 3 months later in Cairns. I did have a brief escape from the East Coast where I jetted off to New Zealand for 2.5 weeks. But the majority of this 3 month period was travelling North along the East Coast taking in all the sites.

3 months is a long timescale for this trip, it can easily be done in a matter of weeks but seeing as our bus pass lasted for 3 months this was how long we decided to dedicate to travelling the East Coast.

I visited 12 places along the East Coast, on average spending around 4 nights at each place:

• Port Macquarie
• Byron Bay
• Surfers Paradise
• Brisbane
• Noosa
• Hervey Bay
• Agnes Water
• Airlie Beach
• Townsville
• Magnetic Island
• Mission Beach
• Cairns

It is impossible to detail everything that I did but here is a summery of some of my favourite moments.

Port Macquarie: Koala Hospital
For a voluntary donation a visit to the koala hospital is a must. We went for the 3pm guided talk. The work they do here for the ill and injured koalas was really interesting to see.

Koala Hospital Mascot

Byron Bay: Lighthouse Walk
The walk to the lighthouse was enjoyable and once at the top, the most eastern point on mainland Australia is located. I was also lucky enough to witness hundreds of dolphins playing in the waves. It was incredible

Stood at the most eastern point on mainland Australia

Lots of Dolphins

and jump

Surfers Paradise: Ripleys Believe it or not museum and Infinity
Growing up one of the few books that actually interested me was the Ripleys believe it or not annuals. In surfers Paradise there is a museum dedicated to the facts and memorabilia of Mr Ripley. It was a lot of reading but generally interesting. My favourite part was the laser maze.

Another attraction I visited at surfers paradise was called Infinity. Prior to going I was unsure about what to expect but it was awesome. I have never done anything like it before. It is hard to explain but it is basically a sensory maze with one entrance and one exit, made up of many different rooms. As you leave one room you enter the next and so forth. No room is the same; one was pitch black, another was lasered, one room was a mirror maze, uneven floors etc. It was a lot of fun but at times scary when you can't work out how to exit the room and panic builds. Needless to say me and Jen held hands around it and I wouldn't do it on my own.

Brisbane: Roma Street Parklands

I enjoyed it here, it was a nice place to walk around. My favourite area was the spectacle garden at Colin Campbell Place, because there were soo many lizards. We also watched Grease outside on a big screen one evening which was cool.

Spectacle Garden

One of the many lizards I saw

I see you

Airlie Beach: Whitsunday Island Day Tour

Unfortunately Airlie Beach was damaged due to Cyclone Debbie, so its main attraction of the lagoon was not open when we were there. However Airlie Beach is the departure place for Whitsunday Island Tours. We decided to go on a day trip (not overnight) and despite waking to torrential rain, the sun made an appearance and it was a very enjoyable day. I describe our boat as a big speed boat, and with the heavy morning rain causing big waves, our boat was in its element flying over them. It was fun! We visited two snorkeling spots where we saw some cute fishes, as well as visiting the famous Whitehaven Beach where I tried SUP-boarding. We then finished the day by visiting one of the private Whitsunday Island resorts for cocktails with a view.

Me and  Jen in our sting suits ready for snorkeling

SUP-boarding

Cocktail with a view

Townsville: Castle Hill for Sunset

In Townsville there is a massive boulder called Castle Hill. It was a boiling hot day and we decided to trek up it for sunset. We made it with minutes to spare but the views were insane.

Castle Hill in the distance

Sunset from the top of Castle Hill

Taking in the views

Magnetic Island: Feed the wild rock wallabies at Geoffrey Bay

Magnetic Island is situated just offshore from Townsville. It is such a beautiful island. My favourite part of visiting here was feeding the wild rock wallabies at Geoffrey Bay. We decided to walk for 2.5 hours following the Nelly Bay to Arcadia Bush Walk to Geoffrey Bay. We timed it so we would arrive for 5pm which is when the rock wallabies appear. They were soo friendly, and we were even treated to an incredible sunset.

Feeding a rock wallabie

Incredible Sunset

Cairns: Skydiving

Originally we booked to do our skydive in Mission Beach, but the weather wasn't great and it was cancelled twice. By this point we were due to leave Mission Beach and head to Cairns. Luckily we were able to relocate our skydive at no extra cost. So as the saying goes '3rd time lucky' and we excitedly boarded a tiny place and headed for 14,000ft above Cairns. I then jumped out the plane, freefalled 10,000ft in 1 minute, breathed a sigh of relief when my parachute opened before taking in the views for 5 minutes before landing in the middle of nowhere feeling super pumped with adrenaline. Considering i'm not an adrenaline junkie (you wont catch me on a roller coaster), I really enjoyed skydiving, and would probably do it again.

Me and Jen about to board the plane
Photo Credit: Skydive Australia

I screamed the entire freefall
Photo Credit: Skydive Australia

Thumbs up if you are having fun
Photo Credit: Skydive  Australia

Cairns: Cape Tribulation/ Daintree Rainforest Day Trip

From Cairns you can do a day trip to Cape Tribulation and Daintree Rainforest. It is a long day of travelling, and sightseeing but my highlight was the crocodile cruise.

Scarface, the alpha male of the Daintree River

Amester x

Happy Birthday Amester Ames Blog

Today my blog turns 3 years old. I can remember 3 years ago, I was sat in my bed in my university house in Derby, UK, when I created this small piece of the internet. Initially it wasn't called Amester Ames. It was either called 'Life of Ames' or 'Life of Amester'. In truth I cant remember, I just remember not being 100% happy with it. I then came up with Amester Ames and it's stuck since. I like it, it was a good change.

If I'm honest I'm suprised this blog is still running. I have a tendancy to start projects, eventually get bored and never come back to them. Somehow this one has been one I've come back to. I think this may be because I have no upload schedule or set content expectations. I can go weeks or months without uploading but it works for me. After all I created this blog for myself, it's just an added bonus other people have took an interest in it.

This blog has taken me on a journey from a fresh 20 year old graduate up until today, a 23 year old currently 7 months in on living my childhood dream of travelling Australia.

In 3 years I have uploaded 37 blogs. I have had a total of 5633 page views. On average I get 55 views per blog post. My most viewed post is Dreams do come true with 172 views. Whereas my least viewed is Smooth Move with only 9 views. My personal favourite is things I am thankful for, as it is my most creative post. What has been your favourite post?

Other than my family and some friends I don't actually know who reads my blogs. My analytics show that after the United Kingdom my next popular audience locations are Ireland and USA. I also have views from Ukraine, Portugal and Russia to name a few. Considering I only really know people from the United Kingdom with a few exceptions, it is cool to know that my content is viewed (and hopefully enjoyed) by people I dont even know. Where in the world are you situated?!

I wonder what the next 3 years will pan out like?! Will this blog still be a part of my life?! Will I still enjoy using punny titles?! Will it still document my travel journeys or will it take me through an entirely different journey?! Who knows...

Heres to the next 3 years!

I'd love to know what peoples favourite/least favourite post of mine has been?! Also where in the world you are located and how long you have been following this blog. Comment below or tweet me @AmesterAmes

Amester x

Its not all smiles and thumbs up - The reality of long term travel

Just a warning, this post gets a bit deep and might not be the most funnest of reading. Sometimes it is just good to get stuff of my chest.

Here is a thought for you: that perfect travel Instagram you've liked, you take at face value, have you ever thought about the reality hidden by this perfect photo? What i mean by this is that what is portrayed, isn't always a true reflection of the reality. This might be confusing to grasp so let me show you...

My view whilst writing this blog post. Looks instagramable right?!

The view behind the camera of the above picture, not so instagramable and perfect.

This same scenario can be applied to humans. You only share the details you wish to share. In essence it is a nit-picked edited version you are happy to share. I am going to apply this to myself, my own situation.

If I told you that it is 2pm on Friday 12th May, in the middle of Australia's Autumn and I am sat on a beach in my bikini. That sounds perfect right?! Well life isn't always as it seems. These facts are true, however there are many details I have not included. One being my current state of mind while sat on this beach.

I am regularly told by people that it looks like I am having an amazing time. Dont get me wrong, this is true, but I only disclose an edited version of what I've been up to, I voice the good and brush aside the bad. After all I'm on the other side of the world, living my dream, while the majority of people I know are working a full time job. I don't really feel like I can complain.

The thing is despite living my dream, experiencing and creating great memories, it isn't always smiles and thumbs up.

I have been away from home for 7 months and thankfully it is only within the last couple of weeks that my mindset hasn't been completely positive. Up until 6 months I barely let myself think of home. I knew if I did, home sickness would kick in, I'd then find it hard to snap out of this feeling and then I'm faced with a downwards spiral until I return home. I know this because it used to happen to me during my university years when I lived 2 hours away from home. The difference this time, is 24 travel hours and a hefty plane ticket price away. I can't just spontaneously pop home for a night or 2. So a positive mindset was vital to me and thankfully it worked.

So why has my mindset suddenly changed in the last couple of weeks. I put it down to a combination of things:

• Realisation that I have been away for a realively long time - I am closer in time to the end of this travel than back to the start of it. I've started to miss home comforts, but mostly as silly as it sounds I miss hugs (Jen isn't a huggy person) from my parents and dog.
• Fatigue - traveling is tiring. I don't have one set home, my hostel becomes my home and I'm rarely at the same hostel for more than a week. Packing up all my belongings every few days, long travel days getting from A-B, familiarising yourself with a new area, doing the mundane chores of food shopping, laundry, etc as well as exploring a place within limited timescales. It's full on, it takes its toll
• The need for space - in 7 months I haven't had a single night to myself, there has always been at least 1 other person in the room, sometimes as many as 8. I don't have anywhere to call 'mine' to escape to and hibernate when I'm not feeling socialable. Also because I'm traveling with my sister, it got to the point where we were just annoying each other, because we had been around each other to much. 
• Nothing to occupy my mind - as silly as it sounds I feel like I'm losing my intelligence and memory whilst travelling. I don't have a great deal of things that have to be thought about, I'm not being challenged mentally. This creates a lot of thinking time, which isn't always good.
• Hostel life - if I am in a hostel I dont enjoy, it is hard to stay in a positive mindset.

There are steps which have helped to deal with this negative mindset.

Firstly, me and Jen decided to go our separate ways for 10 days. For 206 days (my mum pointed out some marriages have lasted for less time) we were practically together for 24 hours a day. The most we are apart is when one of us goes for a shower, even then it is only 20 minutes apart. We do also try and have a day apart a week but the reality is, it is only about 7 or 8 hours apart. So as you can imagine we were winding each other up, and desperately needed some time apart. I have never solo travelled before, so I was a bit nervous but I knew it was for the best. In truth it has been good for me. I was forced out of my comfort zone. The first 7 days were very enjoyable. I was in a lovely hostel and made some good friends and had a great time and was feeling happy and positive. I then left this hostel and moved to a different hostel in a different town. How a mood can change in a matter of hours! In short I'm not enjoying this hostel, I don't feel welcome or settled and it's made me feel lonely, dramatically impacting my mood. Luckily I'm on day 10 away from my sis, and we are both looking forward to reuniting tomorrow. I'm sure I will then start feeling back to my normal self.

This blog helps to stimulate some of my brain cells every once in a while, however I have to be in the right mood to do it, which isn't all to often. I have also been trying to do puzzle books. I love a good suduko and that definitely challenges my brain.

So what I feel I am getting at here is that on the surface everything in my life may look idyllic, having the opportunity to live out my childhood dream, my Instagram feed looks awesome, exploring and making unforgettable memories but I am only publically portraying the parts of my life I feel like. I am still human and there are underlying mental factors brought with it. The reality is traveling isn't always going to be 100% positive. But what I do know is that I would much rather be in the position I currently am than be waking up each morning going to work, but maybe I'm subconsciously missing stability in my life. I'm not ready to come home yet, but each day I'm another day closer to some much needed hugs.

Amester x

Dolphinately got the surfing bug

Departing Port Macquarie at 2am we boarded the overnight coach to Byron Bay. It really frustrates me, or maybe I'm just envious, that Jen has the ability to fall asleep within minutes of being on transport. Instead I had to endure a restless night of barely any sleep, ultimately feeling like a zombie on arrival.

Byron Bay was probably the place on the East Coast I was most looking forward to visiting. Within the Australian backpacker community it is known as a must see visit on the East Coast. It is known as hippy central and that couldn't be more true. More people than not found here have dreadlocks, tattoos, wear loose baggy clothes, walk bare foot and travel around in campervans. The town itself is relatively small with a very chilled out vibe.

We were gifted with lovely weather while we were here which was handy because there isn't a great deal to do if the weather is naff. The main attraction to the area is the beach. It was sooooo long, you could easily find a spot to chill that was isolated from others. It is also a dog beach, so I got to fuss a few :) I also enjoyed watching the sand crabs running in and out of their holes.

Spot the sand crab

After our surf lesson in Sydney we were eager for another. We booked up a lesson with Black Dog Surfing and definitely enjoyed it much more than the first one. We were made to do stretches at the start. Knowing how much I ached after my Sydney lesson (we didn't stretch) this impressed me a lot. Out of a group of about 12, only me and Jen had actually surfed before, so we got took off for a mini private lesson while the others learnt the basics. We got into the water and first attempt I managed to stand and catch a wave. Considering my entire Sydney lesson I barely stayed on the board lying down I was amazed. It wasn't beginners luck either because I stood up and caught the waves a fair bit. This lesson was made further enjoyable by the instructors. They had a genuine interest in each student and each time you failed to catch a wave they gave feedback on why this was and how to fix it for next time. I came away from this lesson knowing what to do and hooked on surfing.

Good surf waves

The final thing we did while here was a walk to the lighthouse on the eastern most point of mainland Australia. It was here we saw hundreds of dolphins playing in the sea. It was amazing! On return from the long walk we went for frozen yogurt.

Most eastern point on mainland Australia 

Soo many dolphins

and jump

I felt sick after

There was one downside to the area, the annoying tour sales people. Constantly getting stopped along the high street, trying to convince you to book the remainder of your East coast travel excursions with them, or miss out because you are leaving it too late to book. Well needless to say we didn't bide by this sales technique, and didn't book anything up in a panic.

Amester x

Koalaty first stop on the East Coast of Australia

The evening of 17th March it was time to start the next chapter of my Australian Adventure. Time to head up the East Coast. We have purchased a 3 month hop-on hop-off pass for travel from Sydney up to Cairns.

We left our family and jumped on the train to Sydney Central (which passed through Cheltenham) to catch the 7pm bus up north. We arrived at our first stop Port Macquarie at 2am, found our hostel and went straight to sleep.

Gloucester, Stroud and now Cheltenham

Although the weather in Port Macquarie seemed to be against us for the duration of our stay here, we still managed to do some exploring, ableit with raincoats on.

Cheeky the hostel parrot decided to sit on my head.

Around the town and suburbs of Port Macquarie there are decorated Koala Sculptures. One morning we wandered around the town centre and found 20 of them.

Some of my favourite Koala Sculptures

That afternoon we headed for Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. The only hospital in the world fully dedicated to Koalas. We found some more koala sculptures then joined a guided talk and saw the koalas in the care of the hospital. Many were there due to issues arrising from catching Chlamydia. One had been badly injured in a bush fire with another being involved in an accident with a car to name a few. At this hospital, competely run by charitable donations, the koalas receive the treatment they need, as well as rehabilitation to become strong enough to be released back into the wild. For those who unfortunately wouldnt survive back in the wild they remain at the hospital for life with fresh eucalyptus leaves daily, trees to climb and sleep in and lifelong care. The guide also spotted a wild koala up in one of the trees above the hospital which was koalaty to see.

One of the poorly Koalas

Another inpatient 

On the edge of Port Macquarie is a small rainforest centre with a boardwalk. On our walk around we saw lots of different vegetation, a long tailed eel, butterflys, lizards, birds, spiders and ants. We also found 3 more koala scuptures here.

Long tailed eel

Strangler

Once finished at the rainsforest centre we headed round the corner to Shelley Beach to eat our lunch. Munching on my jam sandwiches I saw what could be described as a mini dinosaur casually strolling across the path. By mini dinosaur I mean it was actually  a goanna but between 1.5-2metres in length  i've never quite seen anything like it. Despite its size it had a gentle nature to it.

Is it a wild dinosaur...

...or is it a Goanna?

Lunch finished we followed the coastel path to Tacking Point lighthouse. It was a nice walk along the cliff tops and across beaches.

Tacking Point Lighthouse

Our final day in Port Macquarie we went for a walk around Kooloonbung Creek. Full of animals we saw hundreds of fruit bats. They are soo noisey but they are weirdly cute and I love seeing them! We also saw many lizards, a crab, and spotted another wild koala. This time I spotted it all on my own quite hidden high up among all the trees. Me and Jen had now seen 2 wild koalas in 2 days meaning we had bragging rights over our family in Sydney. They have been living down under for 8.5 years and have never come across a wild koala hahaha.

It isn't great koalaty...

...but it is definitely a Koala

We also saw an Owl in the early hours whist we were waiting for our coach out of Port Macquarie

Overall I really liked Port Macquarie, a relatively small and quiet town but with some koalaty things to do.

Amester x

Sydney - What I got up to

I have just spent 3 months living in Sydney with some family members. It meant I had some luxury's that are all to taken for granted when living at home which when traveling you start to miss. This includes; a loving family atmosphere, a space I could call mine (not just a bed and a locker in a shared dorm) and escape to if I needed quiet time, a decent hot shower, different dinners every night (in hostels limited storage means it's normal having the same food day in day out), a dog and cat to love (it helped me not miss Buster although I felt like I was cheating on him), free laundry and decent WiFi (catching up on my YouTube fix which is hard in hostels with rubbish WiFi and face timing people back home) to name a few.

Bud and Snoopy

As well as enjoying these luxury's and probably slipping back into my lazy ways with complete mornings in bed and PJ days, I did actually go outside to explore what Sydney has to offer.This is what I got up to...

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and Pylon Lookout
A few days after arrival in Sydney my sister turned 25. Normally it's the peak of British winter and spending it outside is not an option. However in Australia it is the peak of summer so Jen decided she wanted to do the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb.
   We decided to do the twilight climb in the hope of seeing the sunset as we reached the top of the famous bridge. Unfortunately the sky was too cloudy to witness this however we are still glad we did the twilight climb because the temperature was cooler than the daytime meaning we weren't uncomfortable sweaty messes. It also allowed for us to see Sydney in daylight (climbing up) aswell as lite up amoung the night sky (climbing down) which was awesome.
   Throughout the climb you are given history on the making of the bridge by the tour guide as well as photo opportunities atop the bridge. We both really enjoyed it!
   This is an expensive activity which if it wasn't for Jen's special occasion we wouldn't have done. For those who cannot justify the climb price I'd recommend the pylon lookout for $13. This has a museum with all the information giving on the guided climb aswell as an observatory deck with 360° views of the harbour.

View from the Pylon Lookout

Surfing at Manly Beach
High on our to-do list for Australia was surfing. We booked a lesson with manly surf school. We arrived and climbed into wetsuits. Before we were allowed to enter the water it was safety first. We were taught about rip tides and how to spot them. It was then onto dry land (sand) training of how to stand and catch a wave on a surfboard. On sand it appears relatively easy. Into the water and I could barely stay on the board lying down. Needless to say I didn't catch a wave standing. It was great fun though and made me face up to going in the sea (I hate the salt water) even if I did heave when saltwater went in my mouth.
   You can also have surfing lessons at the infamous Bondi beach but it is more expensive, more populated and I didn't get the hype of Bondi, there are much more beautiful beaches.

Sydney Opera House Tour
Probably one of the most famous architectural buildings in the world. At only $33 I would recommend this experience. You get to see 3 different theatres, history on the construction, facts and inside information as well as seeing for yourself inside the world famous UNESCO listed site.

Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk
Follow the coastal path from the world famous Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach. This 6km scenic walk includes several beaches aswel as a walk through the most scenic burial ground in the world.

Scenic burial ground

Royal Botanic Garden
If you like plants and flowers or just want a nice green space to chill out this place is ideal. It covers a large area but there is a small hop-on-hop-off train for only $10 should you not want to walk.

Watsons Bay
A short ferry ride along the harbour and you will reach Watsons Bay. It is a cute little area with beaches, a coastal walk to a lighthouse, and views back towards the CBD.

Harbourside walk to Blues Point Reserve
From the CBD, walk over the Harbour Bridge and follow the harbourside path. It has such a different feel to it than the hustle and bustle of the CBD. You have good harbour views, a small theme park, moored boats at Lavender Bay before reaching McMahons Point and Blues Point Reserve with views back to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Parramatta Park
Here you can see thousands of fruit bats hanging among the trees. It was quite something to see. Despite fruit bats being big they are cute.

Tree of fruit bats

Northern Beaches
Me and Jen were taken on a drive to the northern beaches. They are much less touristy and I think more picturesque. We even saw Palm Beach where Home and Away is filmed. If you have access to a car I'd recommend doing this.

Blue Mountains
2 hours out of the city is the Blue Mountains. It is such a beautiful place and I really enjoyed my visit here. You can find out what I got up to here. If in the Sydney area it should definitely be visited even if just for a day.

Real or photoshop?!

Sydney New Years Eve
I was lucky to be in Sydney for New Years Eve. It is recommended to arrive early to secure a good viewing point for the famous Sydney fireworks. We arrived at midday and began the 12 hour countdown. The weather was just right, the atmosphere was good and the long wait was worth it. The fireworks were incredible!

Australia Day
The national day of Australia is 26th January. The reason behind the day is marking the anniversary of the arrival of the first fleet of British ships in 1788. It also celebrates the diversity and landscape of Australia.
   Everything comes to a standstill and celebrations begin. I saw a boat dancing parade on the harbour, a helicopter flypast, listened to live music, saw dragon boat racing and tallships before finishing the day watching the Darling Harbour fireworks.

Chinese New Year Lanterns
Situated around Circular Quay in celebration of the Chinese New Year were 12 lanterns, representing each animal of the Chinese New Year. These were really good and cool to look at.

Overall I really enjoyed my time in Sydney :)

Amester x