One Sunday night in King O’Malleys pub in Canberra I was sat with Daniel and Neil watching the live tennis tournament on the TV – the Australian Open from Melbourne. It was the final between Scotland’s Andrew Murray and Switzerland’s Roger Federer. We were in there just passing time really as we had done the Read more about The Day I…Met Roger Federer[…]
It would be ludicrous to come all the way to Tasmania and not see an actual real life tasmanian devil. The problem is they are an endangered species and could easily become extinct, in fact we are told they could be gone in the next 10 – 15 years, so catch them now if you Read more about Backpacking in Australia: Visiting the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park[…]
Warp your mind back till 1988 and picture an innocent young Jonny Scott Blair on the streets of Marlo in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Life was simple then. Life was exciting then. What excited me at that age was Kylie Minogue. She put Australia on the map for me and I started checking out everything about Read more about Neighbours Tour: Visiting Ramsay Street, Errinsborough, Melbourne, Australia[…]
I have always loved ships. Ever since the days of getting the St David or the Galloway Princess from Larne to Stranraer or from going out boating with my mate Peter Bell and his step -Dad Ken Taylor on the Impala yacht in Ringhaddy. Then in 2008 I worked on the Isle of Wight ferries Read more about World Borders: Sailing from Melbourne to Devonport on the Spirit of Tasmania Ferry, Australia🇦🇺[…]
On Tuesday night in January 2010 and I walk in the door from work to be greeted by Neil and Dan saying “are you up for the tennis tomorrow?” Well I had a day off but I didnt even know there was tennis on! It turned out there was what is known as the “Medibank Read more about Backpacking In Australia: Attending the Medibank International Tennis Tournament in Sydney[…]
It was mid November 2009 and we were in our first few weeks in Parramatta, Australia where I worked in the awesome PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub. We lived with Ruben and Rebecca. Rebecca was working for the local government in New South Wales. When she mentioned she was organising a public conference in the last week Read more about The Night I…Got Pissed For Free at a Gay Rights Lecture (The Annual John Marsden Memorial Lecture)[…]
Cronulla was another of the famous beaches in and around the Sydney area. It wasn’t on my list of must sees, but we decided to do it anyway. My current pub job normally means I have two full days off (or one over Christmas and New Year!), and so at the start of December I Read more about Backpacking in Australia: Cronulla and not meeting Jarvis Cocker in Sydney[…]
Live music often helps you have a good night – but this was an unexpected rock gig in the middle of The Blue Mountains – one that we didn’t even know about as we paid to get in. We were staying in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains Central Backpackers and had been out one night Read more about Philadelphia Grand Jury Live in Katoomba[…]
On my last weekend in Taiwan, I ended up in the capital city of Taipei. We had spent the full day sightseeing (and also went to the thermal spas) and returned to our hostel for the night out. Jenny had gone back home after the sightseeing, so there was just me and Neil for the Read more about A Night Out in Taipei, Taiwan: Watching Rock Music in the Underworld[…]
I have only lived in Australia for 6 weeks or so and already I have three qualifications to my name! (the two mentioned here, and a “publife” certificate) I didn’t expect that to happen! I thought my days of studying were well and truly behind me. Over the years I’ve spent too much time doing Read more about Getting My RSA and RCG: Becoming a student for 2 days in Australia![…]