Melbourne the city is in itself very different to Sydney and Canberra, the other two main cities we had visited up to this point. Melbourne seems to be slightly older and traditional, evident from the fact it has trams and traditional streets not dissimilar to London. There is a lot to see and do in Read more about Backpacking in Australia: Melbourne[…]
It sounds French. I’m not exactly sure what the link is there. But I’m living in Devonport, only about 10 miles from the village of Latrobe. Latrobe is the self-proclaimed world capital for the duck-billed platypus. Apparently this small village has loads of wild duck-billed platypus. Its a weird looking mammal. Not quite a fish, Read more about Backpacking in Australia: Latrobe, Tasmania – World Capital of the Duck-billed Platypus[…]
We didn’t plan to be in Hobart on Hobart Night. We didn’t even know there was such a thing as Hobart Night. I’m still not even sure why there is a Hobart Night. I mean, my capital city is Belfast and we don’t have a Belfast Night. But anyway it just meant a day off Read more about Backpacking in Australia: Hobart on Hobart Night, Tasmania[…]
It really was a trip into the cool chill of a Tasmanian wilderness in early February 2010. Ten years earlier I would have been back in Bangor, Northern Ireland stacking shelves in Tesco listening to the (then) new Oasis album, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. An album which never got the critical acclaim it Read more about Gordon, Huon Valley and the Southern Wilderness[…]
Its almost too obvious doing all the major cities when you’re a traveller or a nomad, but somehow you end up in them anyway. In China I done Beijing, in Belarus Minsk and in Australia Melbourne. I like to get a mix of the big cities and the random smaller settlements however. But yet Melbourne Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Pizza, Pulp and Winning the Karaoke in Melbourne[…]
It was on the Great Ocean Road trip that we finally saw wild Koalas – or any type of Koalas at that. And it was perhaps time to thank a few things in the twist of fate that meant we saw them. First up I’d say we have to thank Darren Penfold – one of Read more about Backpacking The Great Ocean Road: Lorne, Koalas, Kennet River, Teddy’s Lookout[…]
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[…]
The drive to the Tasman Devil Peninsula was thoroughly enjoyable. You can read about my experience face to face with an actual Tasmanian Devil on another page on here, but now I’ll detail the actual day out on what is known as the Tasman Devil Peninsula. Its a beautiful, tranquil place… From our hostel, The Read more about Taranna, Port Arthur, Safety Cove, Remarkable Cave and Bangor, Tasmania[…]
On the way back from Lorne and the fantastic early morning sunrises, not to mention seeing Koala Bear for the first time at Kennet River, it was time for a few last stops before the Ocean Road experience was over for this lifetime. The Great Ocean Road starts past Torquay and so it was time Read more about Anglesea, Torquay and “Kangarooneys”[…]