Road Trips Archives - The Bright Eyed Explorer

Where is she off to next? A 2018 recap and plans for 2019

January 1, 2019October 28, 2022Adventure, Australia, Beaches, Cruise, Europe, Food, Hotels & Eateries, Leisure, New Zealand, Queenstown, Road Trips, Sightseeing, Sports & Activities, Travel, Uluru, Uncategorized, Wine admin 2 Comments

Firstly, happy new year to you all. It’s my first ever happy new year as a travel writer and man it makes my heart sing! Cheers to that!

I started this in July 2018 after some gentle persuasion from family and friends and let me just say, it’s been an absolute treat. Not only is this giving me an opportunity to write about my favourite thing to do, travel, I am actually writing. And taking photos. And learning. Being creative on some level has always been at the core of who I am and what I want to do with my life.

It’s been ace! And there is so much more to come.

I woke this morning on New Year’s Day with mixed emotion. One of my closest life allies and closest of friends was already up in the sky embarking on a new life adventure by moving from Melbourne to Seattle. I felt like I missed her already yet I was so bloody excited for her new path in life.

It got me to thinking about the past year, 2018. Personally, it was hideous on a lot of levels. No need to dwell on the past year, those who follow the blog know. But while it was literally the worst year of my life, I still managed to find it a humbling and life changing year in its own right. One in which I’ve learnt some extremely valuable life lessons and found a finer appreciation for life and living the best one imaginable. Lessons in which with gratitude and love I chose to embody going forward. I’ve dropped people pleasing and saying yes when I have wanted to say no for doing what I want on my terms, basically living my life more authentically and true to self.

And this means change. Professionally, personally and creatively. Some subtle, some huge and really significant and whilst it is scary I am so fucking excited! 2019 I absolutely and unapologetically choose me without any guilt.

And more travel of course.

And so the heart sings some more!

Nothing gives me more of a thrill that being in a plane… or helicopter so it seems

But back to last year. 2018 saw me focus on travel that was more localised. I ventured to Uluru, Northern Territory for the first time and it was monumental on all levels. So much so I really want to go back sooner rather than later. I think it was 2 weeks after my mum passed away that I fulfilled a promise to her and booked my flights and accommodation. At the time (and still now) my heart was completely shattered, I either felt a complete mess or just numb, so jumping on a plane seemed just about the best thing I could do to remove myself from all responsibilities of the last few years. Finding peace and connection in the middle of Australia is my account of one of the most insightful journeys I have had to date.

In July I headed off to New Zealand for the first time ever with a good friend of mine Hannah. While we didn’t stray too far from Queenstown, it was a beautiful holiday, one spent with a great friend, eating glorious foods, and adventuring around the area. Milford Sound was a huge highlight of this trip, the views are truly next level amazing and we got to see it all 3 ways, via bus, boat and unexpectedly via helicopter. You can read more about our Milford Sound adventure here. We had heard that food and wine in the area was sensational but nothing prepared us for exactly how amazing it was. Huge notable mention to fabulous Ferg burger, Ferg bakery, Rata, Bunker and the Gibbston Valley Winery and Cheese Shop. If food is your thing, get mouth wateringly jealous by reading this.

Ship faced at 20 knots; a booze filled family adventure on the high sees details a little family get together on honour of my late mum for her birthday at the end of September. This trip saw me join my brother, his wife and numerous members of Mum’s family for a cruise off the coast of Queensland. This P&O cruise on the Pacific Dawn was to celebrate what would have been mums 64^th birthday and didn’t we do her proud. Well I hope so anyway. It was a bit of a booze cruise in the end, a few of us got sea sick (not I for I own a stomach of steel) but we all had a really great time being together. Especially that last day bar crawl. Ouch! Never knew there were so many bars on board cruise ships!

So… 2018 recap done and dusted, you may ask what is in store for The Bright Eyed Explorer in 2019?

Shit Loads.

It was only this morning I started planning my first ever trip to the US in October/November. I am off to Europe again in April and have done stuff all organising for that trip but the US trip, feel like I’m all organised!

So at Easter this year I’ll be off to Europe again. Landing in Rome on Good Friday I am hightailing it out of Catholic Rome at the most religious time of year and heading to Munich. Swapping religion for beer halls and pork knuckle sounds just about right to me. I’ll be in Munich for 4 days before heading to Salzburg to sample a little taste of what Austria has to offer.

Where I have stalled in organising this trip is… I only have 3 weeks and was thinking of heading from Salzburg to Slovenia and doing a bit of lake bled, and a touch of Ljubljana. But the more I think about Italy, and pasta, and Prosecco, and pizza, and wine, and gelato and um just Italy, the more I am compelled to skip the Slovenia side trip and just launching head first (stomach first) into northern and central Italy. Honestly, tough life choices I know. But what a good dilemma to have.

I am currently taking submissions/help/advice for my 2 weeks in Italy, but I do know that I will be doing Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome. It’s the in between bits that I am unsure of. Do I do Cinque Terre? Pisa? Milan? Parma? Verona? I definitely want to do a bit of lounging around in Tuscany. With wine of course. If you have any insight for me, I am so interested in hearing your advice.

In October I’ll be heading to the US for the first time EVER! Didn’t think I’d be as excited as I am, it’s weird this disconnection I have had with the US until now. Maybe it’s the fascination I have with Europe? And Asia? Maybe like, New Zealand, I’ve stupidly felt it would be all too similar? But hey there’s nothing like one of your closest mates moving there to fuel some interest.

This morning I planned this trip all out. Land in LA, spend a few days with another close mate from Melbourne who happens to be on holidays at the same time. Then meet the friend living in the US in San Fran for a few days of exploring then heading back to her place in Seattle for a week and half. Being a teenager of the 90s and a huge lover of ‘Grunge’, Seattle has always been on my US list of must sees, but since knowing my friend was moving there, I’ve learnt more about the awesome food, coffee, booze, art and culture of Seattle so needless to say I am hell excited about going there.

While my friend is working, I plan on an overnighter in Portland Oregon, and on one of the weekends we will head into Canada to Vancouver. Ticking another country off my list. After Seattle, I’m solo tripping to Alaska! YAY! The more I learn about Alaska the more fucking excited I am. Glaciers, fjords, micro-breweries, off the beaten path stuff. It’s so me to a tea. BUT the biggest draw card and reason why I’m heading to Alaska, is the chance to see the northern lights again!!!

OMG I AM GOING TO SEE THE AURORA BOREALIS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Speaking of the Northern Lights, I promise that I will have blog posts of my trip to Norway in 2017 up on the blog VERY soon… watch this space).

I’ve also realised that I really have not seen a lot of my home state Victoria. I mean I did grow up in the country and am very familiar with Ballarat and Portland, as well as Geelong, Port Fairy, Warnambool, Hamilton, Buningyong, Echuca and Wangaratta. But it is hard to believe that at 41 I have not yet seen the Great Ocean Road. What an absolute crime, I am actually quite embarrassed to admit that one. I’d also love to do a trip to Lake Tyrell to take gorgeous pics of the salt lake as well as other areas such as Lake Eildon, the Grampians, Bright and the Victorian Alps.

Time for some weekend road trips with my trusty DSLR me thinks.

And speaking of more local trips. Midway through writing this post I got side tracked (happens a lot) but received confirmation from a dear friend who is able to dog sit for me in a few weeks so it is off the Gold Coast I go for Australia Day weekend. Flights booked and all! Yay, I finally get to see my bro Richie and his wife Jas in their new home after too many months apart. Also ticking off the list for this trip is seeing his new band ‘Awake in Time’. I am VERY excited for this!

Before I forget, watch this space as I’ll be announcing a small collaboration with two other travel bloggers Matt Kepnes of Nomadic Matt and Kristin Addis of Be My Travel Muse. A piece I wrote on overcoming my fear of travelling solo will be featured with some other solo travellers. Such an honour to be a part of this one as both bloggers have been such a huge influence for me with their combined 14 plus years of experience. These are the bloggers that inspire me to be better and to work harder at what I am doing so it is an honour to be included.

Also, I recently came runner up in a competition to meet my master run by the guys at Red Zed. I had to write 250 words on my business master and what I would gain from meeting them. I submitted the entry on a tram on the way home from work so really have no idea what I wrote but apparently it was enough to get runner up placing and $1000 AUD. All goes into the travel account so I am so grateful for that opportunity. If I had of won, I would have been meeting Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse but the runner up placing was awesome considering I didn’t think my entry would even be considered.

So now I have blabbed on and on about my travels, where are you off to this year?

Do you have some plans set in place or a trip you are thinking about? If you do, I would LOVE to hear all about it.

Happy new year & safe travels for 2019.

S x

The Bright Eyed Explorer — Summer in Melbourne means hammock hangs…..

Queenstown – Why it is my new travel destination love

August 20, 2018October 28, 2022Adventure, Leisure, New Zealand, Queenstown, Road Trips, Sightseeing, Travel, Uncategorized admin

Queenstown. Queenstown. Queenstown! Are you not the prettiest, most delightful and exciting spots in my Southern Hemisphere neck of the woods. Kia Ora to you, my new destination love.

New Zealand had always been on my list of places to visit, but with it only being a 3-hour flight from Melbourne, I’d always pushed going there far down the travel destination bucket list. I mean I have had quite the ongoing love affair with Europe that has been ticking along quite nicely for the last 15 years and considering I still have so much more to explore in Europe, New Zealand would have to wait.

Anyway, New Zealand is just like Australia isn’t it? (If you’re a Kiwi and reading this, don’t shoot me, please do read on!).

It was after solid advice from friends and a fellow traveller on my trip to Norway in October 2017 that totally changed my perspective of New Zealand, especially the South Island. So, it soon became my new must-go-to destination. That, and New Zealand was a special place for me to visit, as it was on my darling Mum’s travel bucket list – for more on my Mum’s story and why this trip was important, you can read here

My travel partner for this trip was a good friend of mine, Hannah. Work takes Hannah to New Zealand’s North Island quite often however she was yet to explore the South. Hannah is quite like me, not into the crazy adventure sports that Queenstown is famous for, more of the seek some stuff, visit a few sights, eat, drink, people watch and chill, so she was a perfect partner in crime for this trip.

Like Norway, the South Island is majestically beautiful. You get your first glimpse of exactly how stunning the area is from the air and let me tell you the view is eye popping spectacular. From the air the landscape is an extreme contrast of the lush coast line and fjords, never-ending snow-capped peaks, barren brown mountains, turquoise rivers, deep blue lakes, stunning green farming land and the cutest of little towns spattered here and there. If this was what the Queenstown area looked like from the air, I couldn’t wait to touch down and start exploring on land.

Famous for good views, great food, excellent wine, adventure sports, abundant ski fields, and good old Kiwi hospitality, Queenstown was sure to be a sensory delight for us both. Each day brought us a new adventure, a new place to eat, people to meet, and new scenery to take in. Food was a major highlight for the both of us so before we left home we did plenty of research and asking friends of their favourite places to eat while in Queenstown, and every single one of them gave a hyped up notable mention to the Queenstown institution, Fergburger. As we managed to fit in quite a lot of eating, including two fine dining experiences, I’ve written a separate blog post just on the food and wine experience alone. So, if that’s your thing, click here and I promise you that you’ll be booking a flight to Queenstown before the end of reading the post.

Before leaving Australia, we also did our research into where we wanted to go and what tours we wanted to do, and with only one cancellation, we were able to get around and experience quite a lot in our week break. We managed to fit in trips to Arrowtown, Wanaka, Gibbston Valley, Coronet Peak Ski Field and the majestic Milford Sound which was all sort of amazing. We even took a helicopter ride back from Milford Sound which was a last minute-crazy adventure. To find out about the tours we did click here

Our trip was towards the end of July so the weather at that time is cold, but it is winter, so we expected it. And while it was cold they certainly turn on the warmth indoors. It didn’t snow in Queenstown while we were there, but there was plenty of the white stuff in the surrounding mountains to see. We were told that the snow really hits a bit later so if that’s your thing I’d suggest mid-August. We were also told that the autumn months are particularly beautiful, so March, April and May are your best bets for that. I can only imagine how beautiful it will be to go back to the area at that time of the year and sipping wine in the sunshine.

Queenstown is a hot mix of culture, where the Kiwis seem to be outnumbered by international workers and tourists all of whom seem really happy to be there. I don’t blame them really. Although they were few and far between, every Kiwi we did happen to meet was super friendly and quite endearing, even if there was a bit of Aussie bashing going on, ah there’s nothing like Aussie v Kiwi rivalry to keep you entertained.

The town is small enough to not need to hire a car, taxi or Uber. There is a shuttle bus to and from the airport which is $15 NZD each way or you can catch a taxi which can cost approximately $40NZD. This would be the only real time that you would ever need to catch a taxi in Queenstown though. We spent most of our time walking around the town getting to and from places, bars, restaurants and shops, nothing being more than a 10-minute walk from our hotel.

What did surprise me was the shopping. Slightly cheaper than Melbourne, but some real unique pieces of clothing, jewellery and natural beauty products. I shopped up a storm, yes, my credit card took a hiding, but when on holidays, enjoy right? I especially loved the Manuka honey hand creams (feel so good on the skin) and the merino wool everything.

The more I explored Queenstown and it’s surrounds the more it reminded me of different pockets of Europe. The west coast fiords are very similar to Norway’s famous fjords, flying over the southern alps reminded me of my flight from Oslo to a Tromso in Norway. The snow-capped mountains reminded me of Switzerland and on the ground, the buildings and the whole vibe of Queenstown reminded me of many European towns. Basically, Europe on my doorstep. But its New Zealand, and it IS different to Europe and is nothing like Australia thank goodness!

With Queenstown being only a 3-hour flight from Melbourne I can’t help but think that for too long I have had my head in the sand to have left it until now to make my first trip. There is so much to love about the place, so much that I contemplated the thought that I could be very happy living there. Yep! It really is that good! Queenstown has such a relaxed vibe about it, it is pretty, friendly, happy, engaging, charming and draws your heart into falling in love with it. But it is the views that really leave you spellbound. Everywhere you turn there is something so spectacular off into the distance it is hard to know where to turn next, and it is for this reason that I felt at such peace and so still, patient, happy and relaxed. I guess this is why I feel that a week wasn’t long enough. Queenstown is not only a delight to your taste buds as much as it is to your eyes! I honestly can’t wait to go back to the place that has kind of stole my little Aussie heart.

From Australia Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar all fly Queenstown direct. Often there are some decent specials at different times of the year. Peak season is the winter months for the ski season, so prices are generally higher then.

We stayed at the Novotel Queenstown, you can read my review here.

Queenstown for the less adventurous traveller

August 20, 2018October 28, 2022Adventure, Leisure, New Zealand, Queenstown, Road Trips, Sightseeing, Travel admin

I am the first to admit that I am a bit (well a lot) useless when it comes to heights and adventure sports. Let’s not get started on how clumsy I am either (yes, I may have snapped my ankle on both sides one while standing still and wearing thongs on my feet) so anything remotely close to the thrill seeking adventure sports that Queenstown is famous for was always going to be a definite no for me! Strangely though, I absolutely love being in a plane. And now after this trip I can actually say I absolutely love being in a helicopter (more about that in this post about my Milford Sound Experience).

So, what is a less adventurous person supposed to do in the adrenaline capital of New Zealand?

Eat? Yes, we did plenty of that (check out this post on the fabulous food we ate)

Drink? Um, does a bear shit in the woods?

Check out the fabulous scenery? It would be an absolute crime not to!!

While Queenstown may be famous for things like bungy jumping, skiing, heli-skiing, sky diving, Swing & Zip (I don’t even know what that means), and jet boating, there is so much more to the area that doesn’t require your stomach to lurch into your mouth at the mere thought. Queenstown caters for all types and can most definitely be enjoyed by those of us who like a much more chilled pace/value their life!

Upon arriving in Queenstown my friend Hannah and I discovered that one of the tours we had booked had been cancelled. At a cost of $169 NZD this half day trip to Arrowtown and Wanaka was to be our most expensive, so we were happy with getting a refund and sourcing an alternate for the trip. The local bus company Ritchies offers a much cheaper price of $4 return to Arrowtown and $65 return to Wanaka. We just split up the two towns on different days rather than doing it all in one.

The bus to Arrowtown takes about 30 minutes and leaves every hour from Camp Street in central Queenstown. Arrowtown is a cute little gold mining town which reminded me so much of my childhood school excursions exploring Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. Cute buildings, cute shops, cute cafes, cute scenery. Oh the cuteness!!! We spent a couple of hours wandering around and shopping (sorry credit card) before taking the bus back to Queenstown. Plenty of places to eat and drink if you’re looking to.

Arrowtown
Do you think this will go well in Melbourne?

Wanaka on the other hand, is a much longer bus trip and can be done two ways, either via Cromwell which is considered the long way and the way we went to Wanaka, or the scenic route through Cardrona’s snowy mountains, which we did on the way back to Queenstown. Although we’d heard that Wanaka was like a smaller version of Queenstown, I am afraid to say that we didn’t do the place much justice. That morning we were both a little tired, and just wanted a hot coffee and to go for a decent walk around Lake Wanaka. And yes, to see that famous Wanaka Tree.

Lake Wanaka
THAT Wanaka Tree

So peaceful, so stunning.

Here’s the link to Ritchies bus network

Where tours are concerned another money saving idea is to use the website Bookme. For instance, instead of paying between $130 – $600 on a full day Milford Sound tour (bus – cruise – bus or flights) we booked through bookme.nz a week before we left and managed to get our ticket for $110 per person. We could have got it cheaper by booking a day or two out from when we wanted to go, but this was a tour we were both very keen to do so didn’t want to risk not getting a spot.

And speaking of Milford Sound, let me tell you this was the highlight of my trip, for so many different reasons but mostly for how the tour ended. The day was so epic that it deserves a post of its own. It includes videos. You can read that here.

Not ever being to the snow let alone a ski field, it would have been remiss of us not to head up to one of Queenstown’s famous ski fields. After all that is entirely what some people go there for. We decided upon Coronet Peak over a The Remarkables being that it was closer to Queenstown and an easier bus ride up. For those who don’t ski, you can get a bus pass for $20 return for a day. Easy enough! We chose a day that was of course raining so conditions on the mountain weren’t so great. We literally bussed it up, stepped out onto the snow and then went and sat at the bar people watching before catching the first bus back into town.

Finally made it to the snow
The view from the bar was better

We also took the gondola up the mountain that overlooks Queenstown and The Remarkables mountain range. It’s a steep climb, so I spent a good portion of the ride up with my eyes closed. Although I did open them in time to watch some crazy guy fly down the mountain when we passed the Queenstown bungy jump. No thanks mate, you can have that all to yourself! We were going to hike through the Ben Lomand track but could see storms brewing in the distance and having to get down from the mountain, thought it best to get back earlier than expected.

Think I can see Fergburger!!
Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown Hill

Everything runs super well and on time in Queenstown, and so it should, being a major tourist town. If tours didn’t run, you were looked after regardless. Kiwi hospitality is certainly something that some more popular tourist destinations should aspire to. While I am not an adrenalin junkie, I still do consider myself adventurous enough, and Queenstown was definitely a place where I found enough crazy to mix with my need of chill. Although I am unlikely to ever strap on a pair of ski boots, I will definitely be going back to Queenstown to do more exploring and sampling the regions finest everything!

Milford Sound – A beautiful yet unexpected thrill seeking adventure

August 20, 2018October 28, 2022Adventure, Leisure, New Zealand, Queenstown, Road Trips, Sightseeing, Sports & Activities, Travel, Uncategorized admin

Welcome to the post about one of the most thrilling yet shit-my-dacks-scary travel moments of my life. One that I am still raving about now that I am home.

Milford Sound.

One wouldn’t normally associate fear with the beauty and tranquilness that is Milford Sound, yet here I am.

Milford Sound is a fiord in the Fiordland National Park area of the South Island of New Zealand. It is well known as being one of the most dramatic and scenic parts of New Zealand, where valleys and mountains are massive and the scale of it all is really beyond comprehension. Located 290 kms from Queenstown, Milford Sound can be accessed by car, bus, small plane or Helicopter. The trip is roughly 4 hours each way, but generally longer on the way to Milford Sound as the scenery just compels you to get out and take a good look.

For mine and Hannah’s trip to Milford Sound we used Jucy Cruises via booking on Bookme. The bus picks you up from out the front of the Station building on Camp St at roughly 7.15am and from there is a few hours of watching the sun rise (or sleeping) on the way to Te Anau where we were able to stop for a hot coffee and something to eat. Back on the bus, it is another few hours before arriving in Milford Sound, but those couple of hours are perhaps the most scenic and includes many stops for photos and to stretch your legs. For those of you with a keen interest in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, you are practically in middle earth here so soak it all in. This is where I got to step my feet out on snow for the first time in my life! Whoo!!

Middle Earth
Check out the reflections!

Our bus driver was a real hoot, dropping dad jokes left, right and centre. Some of it was a bit cringe worthy, but mostly hilarious. Regardless of the quality of his jokes Hannah and I quickly came to really respect his accommodating attitude towards keeping his guests happy. On the bus ride to Milford Sound he let us know that after our ferry ride on the sound, the bus ride back to Queenstown would take three hours, BUT there were other options. We could take a small plane that would get us back to Queenstown in 30 minutes, or if there were enough people interested (we needed 4) a helicopter ride that would take 40 minutes and we may be able to land on a glacier, weather permitting. For us, it was a no brainer! Stuff the expense of it, we’d be mad to pass up this once in a lifetime experience! So, with that seed firmly planted in our heads we left it up to the bus driver to get us on that chopper while we jumped on the ferry for the 90 minute cruise of the majestic Milford Sound.

The iconic view of Milford Sound

Heading up to the top of the ferry, Hannah and I were able to take a good position up the front of the boat so that we could really take in the view. And what a view it is! The ferry takes you along the right hand side of the Sound, passing numerous waterfalls and out to the Tasman sea before turning back into the Sound on the other side, again passing the many waterfalls and numerous sun baking seals. Although you’re on a boat with at least 80 other people you can’t help but feel the quiet peace and tranquillity of the place. For some part of the ferry ride, I felt complete stillness as I sat in awe of just how mighty Milford Sound is.

Back on land Hannah and I sprinted back to the bus to see if we were able to get on the helicopter and upon seeing the massive grin on our bus drivers face we knew we’d made it! Then my heart began to race. What the fuck had I just committed to? It is hard to describe in words how I felt sitting on the back seat against the door of the helicopter as it took off, so I’ll just say it was a weird mixture of pure fear and absolute elation. Was I that nervous or that excited I could have vomited? I don’t know. Once we were in the air and cruising over Milford Sound I started to calm down a little and really started to enjoy the experience, every moment was just so surreal to me.

That was until the pilot attempted to land on one glacier area and a gust of wind came in so strong that the helicopter jolted out of the blue. Several times! At this point, you can only imagine how I was feeling! Yep, about ready to vomit. There is actually a video of this happening and all you can hear is my very nervous laughter. Now that I am home I can laugh about all of this thankfully. I guess the pilot sensed my fear as he turned to me and said “please just trust me, I’ve been doing this for a long time, BUT if you do see me open my door and jump then you’re in trouble”. Ah yep, totally trust you mate, I actually did though, he was a lovely man.

Attempt number two to land on the glacier was a complete success huzzah!! But, being totally inexperienced and unequipped for the moment when I stepped from the helicopter and onto the glacier, I managed to sink into the ice, shoes and socks wet. Yay me! Once I got myself sorted and the rest of the passengers got out of the helicopter it was time to have a walk on the glacier. Um, I think I managed about 4 steps before realising that it was much safer for me to stand still and hold onto the helicopter, the ice was incredibly slippery and my shoes were useless for moving about as I had no spikes to grip into the ice.

Look mum, I am on a glacier
No not cold at all!

We stayed on the glacier for about ten glorious minutes, snapping photos and taking it all in. All the while the blistering cold wind freezing our fingers and toes to the point that I don’t think I had ever been that cold before in my life! But when you’ve just stepped off a helicopter and are standing on top of a glacier in New Zealand and the scenery is beyond this world spectacular, who cares about the cold right? After squeezing back onto the helicopter it was a peacefully glorious ride onto our final destination of Glenorchy (about 30 minute drive from Queenstown).

Not a bad view at all!

I’d like to give a big shout out to Heli Glenorchy. At no point in the helicopter ride did I feel unsafe, there may have been a bit of my own fear, but I felt nothing but utmost trust in the pilot. Giving us lots of interesting information of the area throughout the flight the pilot also made sure to check in with all of us to ensure that we were ok. Back on ground we were driven the 30 minutes from Glenorchy to Queenstown by another of their pilots. He was highly entertaining and endearing with his stories and interaction with us. Rather than dropping us off back at our hotel, he happily obliged us by dropping us off at the Fergbakery, such is the accommodating nature of Heli Glenorchy and Kiwi’s in general.

Standing on top of that glacier was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life, and certainly one that I will never forget. Once I’d overcome my fear the helicopter ride was absolutely exhilarating, one of those moments where you pinch yourself because none of it seems real. From the air, the views are nothing like what you see on land, it is such a different perspective. I remember getting off the helicopter in Glenorchy with a grin on my face so wide that I couldn’t help but laugh and laugh at what I’d just done. I was so happy to have had that experience that I wanted to get up in a helicopter again, and again. Yay, a new expensive love for me.

I would highly recommend that if you do the Milford Sound bus – cruise then consider either a small plane, or even better helicopter ride back. While it is expensive, it simply is money well spent. I’d definitely do it again.

We booked Jucy Cruises via the Bookme website for a much cheaper rate. Depending on your budget Bookme offers all different experiences for your Milford Sound trip.

Queenstown – A food and wine lovers paradise

August 20, 2018October 28, 2022Adventure, Food, Leisure, New Zealand, Queenstown, Road Trips, Sightseeing, Travel, Uncategorized, Wine admin

Let me start of by saying one the one word that you will need to know for your trip to Queenstown is: ‘Fergburger’.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, please read on.

My most recent holiday, a week in Queenstown, New Zealand with a good friend of mine, Hannah was always going to be a sensory overload to the tastebuds. Such is the reputation of the area’s local produce, wine and beer we were expecting utter greatness, and boy did Queenstown deliver the goods to two food and wine loving gals from Melbourne.

So, let me start with Fergburger. There is so much hype that surrounds the place, that when researching things to do, see, eat in Queenstown the first words uttered from every single one of my friends in Melbourne were “you MUST try Fergburger”. Every-single-friend. With a reputation like that how could you not give it a go, and a go we certainly gave it. Because Fergburger was so amazingly mouth watering good I have written a review which you can read here

The line up at Fergburger
You’ll have to read the review to see the burger

Most of our days started at the equally famous to Fergburger, the Fergbakery, where we’d fill up on strong coffees and breakfast as well as snacks for the day if we were out touring. In all honestly, the best croissants I’ve had outside of France, coffee was strong and so good (and being from Melbourne we know good coffee), their famous Boston cream donuts a sugary delight, and the pies! I thought Australia did pies well, but nothing comes close to how just how tasty New Zealand pies are. Skip the tomato sauce my friends, it is simply not needed. Fergbakery is certainly a winner, closing only for a few hours to re-bake and clean, it is a Queenstown institution and one that should be on your list.

Being lovers of good food and wine and being up for a good old splurge on our stomachs, Hannah and I booked dinner at two fine dining restaurants, Rata and Bunker. Bunker was a small and quiet little restaurant but the food was robust and delightful. Rata on the other hand, larger and slightly louder in atmosphere, had food that was out of this world orgasmic. I can’t ever remember a time where my eyes have rolled back into my head from the sheer delight of such good food before, it was simply that good! You can read the reviews of those two here (warning serious food envy to ensue).

Two other notable mentions:

The Pub – have $20 main meals that are both delicious and filling. I ate the pork belly and it was twice the size of what we get in Australia. Crisp crackle, not too salty and meat very tender
Eric’s Fish n Chips – located in a little caravan across from the Novotel. For a fresh light meal, this was a great option.

Eric’s Fish n Chips
Steak and onion pie from Fergbakery

There was only one place that we’d not waste time and money on again and that’s Cow pizza restaurant. Unlike Australia, Italian migration must have skipped New Zealand in the 1950s because the pizza was one of the worst I’ve tasted and the price exorbitant. The base was just wrong, too much cheese (and for a cheese lover that’s saying a lot) and who the hell ruins pizza by putting fresh tomato on it? One word, soggy. Hannah and I felt we were cheated out of a good Queenstown meal considering everything else we ate was top notch.

And now to the alcohol. The wine, especially the pinot noir is outstanding, and I will definitely go back to explore more of the Central Otago wine region for the wine alone. I’m imagining a beautiful warm autumn day tripping from one winery to the next, sampling the best of the regions wines and eating all the good cheeses. Hmmm yum!! The bars and pubs are very welcoming too. The service is great, they’re warm and most importantly showcase local beers which I was more than happy to sample a fair bit of. We particularly liked and frequently visited World Bar and Ballarat Trading Co. A word of caution for anyone who looks young enough to be underage, take your passport out with you on nights of drinking. Hannah at age 29 was refused service, a driver’s licence is not accepted, and I couldn’t buy drinks for her.

One of my most favoured parts of the trip to Queenstown was heading out to the Gibbston Valley winery and cheese shop. After taking the shuttle bus at 10am from Camp Street in central Queenstown in 20 minutes we were eating the most generous and tasty cheese platter paired with a delightful glass of Pinot Noir, and for breakfast no less. As you do when you’re on holidays! Honestly you can’t beat $40 NZD for all of what we ate. After gorging ourselves with cheese it was off to the winery for sampling… wine of course! What I liked about the wine tasting was that you could choose from only whites, reds or sparkling, or mixed tastings. All in front of an open wood fire. How cosy right? We both tried the Pinot Noir tasting, pared with a much smaller cheese platter. We did contemplate going the one we had for breakfast but thought that would be too gluttonous. I also had to sample the sparkling wines. I mean, I’d be a fool not to.

You can check out the Gibbston Valley Winery and Cheese shop website here

Breakfast is served!
Pinot Noir

Bubbles
Second cheese plate in 2 hours!

What pleasantly surprised me about Queenstown and I guess this goes for the whole of New Zealand, is just how well they do food and wine. I mean I knew it was going to be good but, was the reputation really to be believed? Aside from one shitty meal, everything else was amazingly beautiful. Fresh produce, tasty and felt healthy even if it probably wasn’t. On account of the food and wine alone, I will definitely head back to Queenstown for more gourmet experiences.

Finding Peace & Connection in the Middle of Australia

July 12, 2018October 28, 2022Australia, Hotels & Eateries, Leisure, Road Trips, Sightseeing, Travel, Uluru admin

A dedication to mother earth and my own mother, Mary.

I’d always considered a trip to Uluru (Ayres Rock) and surrounds to be something that I would do when I was much older than what I am now. You know, it’s the kind of tourist destination that school groups, retired people or international tourists visit. Besides I still had the rest of the world to conquer didn’t I?

However, a series of really shitty life changing events over the last two years drew me closer and closer the magnetic heart of this great expansive country. I felt the deepest of yearning to just be there, to find a connection to the deep red earth, the spiritual heart of my own country.

A bit of a back story…

My darling mother was diagnosed with stage 4 (terminal) Ovarian Cancer in early December 2015. Being told that she had anywhere between a year to 5 years left of her life depending on how operations and chemotherapy went was a major blow to all of us, the utmost shittiest heartbreaking news I have ever heard.

Over two years mum underwent numerous types of chemotherapy treatment that was hideously awful in so many ways.

In this period of time there were over 20 emergency visits and hospital stays, ambulance rides and extreme sickness, but throughout all of this, never once did mum lose her ability to laugh or to fight as hard as she could. I only saw her cry twice. I cried lots! She is simply the strongest person I know and big yay to me being her daughter!!

My beautiful mother fought this terrible disease for over 2 years before passing away on Monday 19^th February 2018. I can even tell you the precise time as I was there with her holding her hand.

As her primary medical carer, her life organiser, quite often her ambulance driver, nurse, cook, cleaner and emotional support person and I had a lot on my hands and often my emotional well-being and health suffered. For me it wasn’t a case of looking after myself but making sure that mum got through each day the best she could. It was my role of daughter that was and will always be the most significant and most cherished position I’ve held in my entire life. And in the capacity of daughter I got to ask my mum many things in the last months and weeks that she was alive. You name it, I asked it. And I voice recorded as much as I could. While I can’t listen to those recordings just yet (it’s too soon) the most significant thing that stood out to me was that mum really wished she had travelled more. Canada, Bali, New Zealand and Uluru being the places that captivated her interest more than anything, so in that moment she urged me to travel to those places for her. Starting with Uluru. A promise was made and I so intended on keeping it.

Always smiling and being cheeky!

I have been to Bali numerous times throughout my life and Canada was a bit too far out of reach for me this year, so with those options off the table 2 weeks after mum’s funeral I booked a solo trip to Uluru (2 weeks after that I booked flights to Queenstown, New Zealand yay).

Uluru was one of the easiest trips for me to plan. For the first time in probably 15 years I let a travel company do all the arranging and booking for me. All I had to do was book my flights (Thanks Jetstar for having a sale at the time) and choose what accommodation and activities I wanted. Trips to Uluru can be done in a few ways:

Flying directly to Yulara (Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin fly direct)
Flying to Alice Springs and driving the 460kms to Uluru
Driving from wherever in Australia

Accommodation is also varied from staying in Alice springs and doing the daily drive (that’s a bloody long day in my book), or staying locally at the resort town Yulara at the Ayres Rock Resort complex. The Ayres Rock Resort owns a few properties based on affordability, including:

Ayres Rock Camping Ground (budget – you can bring a tent or campervan)
Outback Pioneer Lodge (Hostel style accommodation – lots of school groups here)
Outback Pioneer Hotel (3 & half Star)
Emu Walk Apartments (4 star)
Desert Gardens Hotel (4 and half star)
Sails in the Desert (5 star)
Longitude 131 (mega fucking expensive but looks amazing)

As much as a night at Longitude 131 would have been a welcomed luxury, I unfortunately had not won tattslotto so I opted to stay at the Outback Pioneer Hotel. I’d read some favourable reviews on Trip Advisor and honestly, being out and about exploring during the day all I really needed was a place to shower and rest my head over night. Plus, and this was a big one for me, the Outback Pioneer Hotel houses the only pub in town. So really that’s a no brainer right. (Read my review of the Outback Pioneer Hotel Here).

The next thing, and this was the hardest part of organising this trip, was deciding upon which activities I wanted to do. I only had 4 days to fit in as much as I could and there are so many options from active walking tours, helicopter flights, camel rides, gourmet dinners, night sky tours, cultural experiences, aboriginal art galleries and more. For the full list of activities click here.

A tour of Uluru was number 1 on my list and I wanted to do this with a guide as I’d heard they are filled with a lot of really great and valuable information based on Aboriginal culture and stories from the dreamtime as well as geological information. You can read my review of the Uluru tour here.

Also high on my list was Kata Tjuta (otherwise known as the Olgas). I’ve had quite a few friends that had been to Kata Tjuta tell me that the place is truly special. That it has a spiritually connected feeling about it that can’t be explained. After the last few years, Kata Tjuta was exactly what I needed.

Nothing prepares you for seeing Uluru for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect and I guess didn’t put much value on how seeing the rock would affect me. I was utterly speechless!! And that takes a lot really. The moment you get your first glimpse of Uluru your breath is simply taken away. It is what you imagine it to be but so much more, and its just so much of a contrast in comparison from anywhere in Victoria (where I live). And it is HUGE. I knew it was but until you actually see Uluru you really dont get the pure scale of the rock itself. And there off into the distance stands Kata Tjuta, even taller than Uluru. I was so pleased with myself that I booked a window seat on the flight. Winning!

Everything runs like a well-oiled machine at Yulara, from the buses that transport you to and from the airport and ferry you around town, to the staff in the resorts. And relaxed! There’s no rushing about, even the flies are slow there (and let me tell you there are plenty slow ones especially in the hotter months). So I was bused from the airport straight to the Outback Pioneer Hotel, checked in with enough time to explore the complex (yes including the pub) before being bused out to ‘A night at the Field of Light’.

The night includes a really yummy dinner as you watch the sun set over the rock and then a walk along the Field of Light open-air exhibition. I managed to meet up with two sassy Melbourne ladies in their 70s (I’d met them on the plane from Melbourne & coincidently they were in the room next to me at the resort – stalkers), an awesome couple from Geralton in their late 40s and a chick from Melbourne who had brought along her French friends. Plied with an abundance of alcohol, we ate, drank, laughed, told stories and stumbled in the dark along the field of light. Was certainly a night to remember.

The next morning the alarm went off at 4am for my next tour, the Sunrise Awakening tour. And yes, I did have a slight hangover. Good one Shae!! But was not missing my chance to get up close and personal with Uluru.

The tour starts early as we were driven out to a sand dune to watch the sunrise over the rock. My oh my those colours I will not forget, nor the quiet stillness of the place. After sunrise we were driven to the base of the rock and had a chance to wonder off on our own for an hour or so. This is where I was able to have some quiet time and lay my hands on this sacred site and let mum know I was finally there. The tour included more highlights which you can read here.

That same night I was booked on the Outback Sky Journeys Astro Tour but decided to spend the night in the pub with my new friends from Geralton. The pub is actually an outdoor pub and as the sky is literally free of light pollution we were able to witness the rising of the milky way in the night sky, all whilst having a few drinks and people watching.

Sleep in on morning 3 as my helicopter ride had been cancelled. So I decided to spend the day walking into the main part of Yulara and visiting Maruku Arts Market Place and the Visitors Centre. After lunch I treated myself to an hour and half massage at the Red Ochre Spa, Sails in the Desert resort. Pretty sure I fell asleep and probably entertained the masseuse with my blissed out snoring.

My last and final tour for this trip was out to Kata Tjuta. Probably the one I had been looking forward to the most. After being bused the 40 minutes out to Kata Tjuta and after going to a viewing platform to take photos, we were able to hike through one of the many valleys as a group. It took approximately 45 minutes to walk through as the terrain is pretty rough and rocky. Me being one of the clumsiest people you’ll ever meet I really had to be careful navigating may way through Kata Tjuta but happy to say I came out unscathed!

On the way back to the bus, the guide gave us the opportunity to have some alone time so I let the rest of the group pass and found a rock to sit on and sat in silence. Listening, reflecting. Naturally thoughts turned to my mum and just when the tears started to flow from the sadness of losing her and missing her so much, the wind picked up and howled through the vastness of the valley. It really was so loud. I could feel my mum all around me and in that moment I felt that she was there with me and always will be. I couldn’t help but smile and thank her for showing up when I needed her the most and found myself feeling so fortunate to have some sort of connection to her.

Kata Tjuta is such a wonderfully connected place where you can’t help but feel overwhelmed by its beauty, it’s history and the peace it brings. It really was what I needed.

I really didn’t expect to fall in love with the Uluru/Kata Tjuta area. But I did. Four days was nowhere near enough time to truly immerse myself in learning more about Uluru, the area and its people. I most definitely will be going back, this time taking a lot more time out to take it slow and meet some of the indigenous community. As great as all the organised tours were, I feel that next time I go to Uluru there will be less of that and more of just discovering.

I will be forever grateful that in a time where I was feeling overwhelming dark and emotionally exhausted Uluru was a bit of a spiritual saviour and mood uplifter for me. The place gave me a sense of purpose, of belonging to a country that, for most parts, is magnificent and of course, a connection to my beautiful mum. With all my years of travel I don’t know if I have ever been to a place where I have felt such connection to people, land and spirit. Uluru gave me all that and so much much more!

Yulara

The township of Yulara is approximately a 20-minute drive from Uluru. Kata Tjuta is about a 40-minute drive from Yulara. Both are situated inside the Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park which is protected land that covers approximately 130 square kilometres (500 plus square miles). The Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town Yulara was built in the mid 70s as a way to curb the unmonitored tourism that had built up around the base of Uluru. The town itself is small but accommodates all needs and has all amenities. The tourist centre is fabulous for booking any tours and the art galleries are a must.

Uluru / Kata Tjuta

The area around Uluru was settled thousands of years ago, and although it was ‘discovered’ by the white man in the 1800s, Uluru and Aboriginal culture are very much entwined today. In fact, Uluru is Australia’s spiritual heart. Aboriginal culture dictates that Uluru was formed by ancestral beings during Dreamtime.

Anangu own all of Uluru and Kata Tjuta and lease it back to Parks Australia to be jointly managed as a national park. This arrangement first came into place in October 1985, in an historic moment known today as handback.

Where the hell is Paraburdoo? My humble beginnings as a traveller.

June 11, 2018October 28, 2022Australia, Beaches, Leisure, Road Trips, Travel admin

I was born in a town called Bunningyong, approximately 20 kms from Ballarat in country Victoria, Australia. At the tender age of 3 my very brave pioneering parents, Mary & Peter decided to pack up our little family (at that point I was an only child) and head off in the search of endless sunshine over in the wild Wild West of Australia to a tiny little outback town called Paraburdoo in the Pilbara area of Western Australia.

My father had previously spent a few years in the iron ore mines in Dampier in the 70s before heading home to Ballarat and marrying Mum. His love for that area was so great that he somehow managed to convince Mum that uprooting our family to this far off distant place that no one in Ballarat had ever heard of was a fabulous idea. Go dad!!

Dad was from a family of 5, Mum was one of 12 kids (yes! Irish Catholics, obviously no tv!!). On my mothers side no one in her family had ever left Ballarat at that point, not even for a holiday so you can only imagine how that news went down. I’m sure there were plenty of wtf moments.

I remember vaguely the day we left Ballarat, our entire home packed up and put on a truck with everyone from both sides of the family gathering to see us off and wish us well on our new adventure, not knowing when we’d be seen next. So off we drove west towards the sun taking in north west Victoria, driving into south Australia, into Western Australia over the seemingly endless Nullabour Plain to Perth where we then turned the car north and headed up the majestic coast of Western Australia. Finally reaching our new home in Paraburdoo a very long 5 days later.

For those unfamiliar with the vastness of Australia a trip from Ballarat (an hour west of Melbourne) to Paraburdoo took us approximately 5 days of solid driving. And by solid driving I mean, only stopping the car for wee stops, a quick bite to eat or to rest our heads overnight. Ballarat to Perth is approximately 3300kms (or 2000 miles) and Perth to Paraburdoo another 1500kms (or just under 1000 Miles). Yep! Australia is large! That’s pretty close to 5000kms. My mum and dad are legends for doing that drive, one that our family did a few times after our move up.

We arrived in Paraburdoo tired and weary with a huge case of cabin/car fever. Only to find out that all of our belongings hadn’t made the trip and was stuck in Perth. There had been flooding at some part of the journey that we somehow had missed on our way up, so we literally had nothing except what we’d brought with us. The roads in that part of the country being quite unsafe when flooding occurred. The Paraburdoo community rallied together to welcome the newcomers (the fresh blood) and suddenly we were equip with all that was needed to start our new life in the sun.

That trip obviously I don’t remember much at all, you know, being a 3 year old and all so I’ve relied upon my dads memories to tell most of that part of this journey.

Paraburdoo is a classic outback Australian town built in the 70s for the purpose of the booming iron ore mines. The dirt is red. The deepest red you can find on earth, it’s the iconic colour of the Australian outback and trust me, it gets in everything! When it rained, everything was red sludge. We experienced the after effects of many tropical cyclones, the days were hot as hell and in winter, surprisingly the nights were cold. Well as cold as it can be that far up north. A huge contrast to our life in Ballarat!

We lived in Paraburdoo for close to 7 years and in that time my life as an only child ended as we welcomed the arrival of my brother Richie.

My grandparents on both sides made the trip up and we had visits from other Ballarat family. I remember vividly a visit from dads brother and his wife. Memorable for a trip out to a waterhole where us kids, mum and Aunty were happily frolicking around in the water and the brothers thought it a brilliant idea to throw rocks at a sleeping water snake! Well the snake got so pissed off for having its sleep interrupted that it dove into the water at high speeds at the unsuspecting water frolickers. I’ve never seen my parents move so fast!

Life in such a small (the population was approximately 2000 people) but tight knit community of people who had an adventurous zest for life and adventure was nothing short of incredible. We met many wonderful people in our time in Paraburdoo, there wasn’t a weekend were a backyard party didn’t happen, there were gutter parties, roof parties (I know, weird!) any type of party.

Pool parties were the best though. Our backyard upright pool was always a source of endless fun for our friends and our parents friends. you name it we had it! Our backyard was often transformed into a sea of 20 somethings of the tragic but immensely fun 80s. There was crimped hair, bright make up, singlet tops and thongs, endless dancing, singing, laughing and plenty of beer. Often we’d wake to a sea of empty bottles of booze and people camped out in our back yard or lounge room.

My bmx bike was my best friend. It took me all around Paraburdoo on mini adventures with my school friends or kids that lived in my street. I learnt how to make mud pies, my neighbours had chickens, I had a black cat who was the town tart (many litters of kittens that populated the town) and the value of the local swimming pool (champion swimmer at 6 years) was soon learnt as was the theory that certain patterns in the dirt meant that a snake had paid us a visit.

The immense heat meant that sometimes school was cancelled. Doors were never locked, there simply was no crime and sometimes things just didn’t work. Like air conditioners breaking down, or home phones not working. We only got the abc on tv so our viewing pleasure was very limited, and you had to rely on the school library for something to read. Needless to say there was a lot of just making shit up in my childhood.

In outback australia the night sky is absolutely stunning. In Paraburdoo you could witness such clarity and experience the vastness of the universe right from your backyard. The Milky Way, so vividly pretty and unobscured by light pollution, I even remember the famous Haley’s comet paying us a visit. Due to the immense heat of that part of Australia, many nights were spent outside star gazing and moon watching. I think this is where I developed my love of the night sky and Astro photography.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the wildlife in Paraburdoo. So here goes! Yeah there were the iconic Australian animals, the kangaroos, koalas, wombats and often loud symphonies of cockatoos. But the ones most overseas travellers are scared of, we had a plenty! Snakes, yes, and yes the deadly ones. I did watch dad kill more than a few (my hero). Spiders bigger than your hand, or those pesky little red back spiders that could do a lot of harm, those were the kind of spiders that could creep into your shoes if you left them outside or build a web under your bike seat. Always check your bike seat before you ride, no one wants a bite on the arse from a red back spider! Ouch. Cockroaches, omg! Big and black and let me tell you the sound of those little bastards being slammed by a thong is all kinds of gross! Crunch! And goannas! I remember a huge black one walking me home from school one day, he’d have had to have been at least 2 metres long. Seriously though, do not let all of that deter you from exploring this part of Australia. Most of them WONT kill you contrary to common belief.

On weekends, if the parentals were not partying we would go out camping at waterholes, dry creek beds, mountain areas and the like. Right out bush. Our we’d take longer time away from Paraburdoo and head to the coast to Exmouth or Onslow where the beaches are so beautiful, the water crystal clear and the sand so white sunglasses were a must.

Paraburdoo being such a small town with not many facilities and shops, we’d often drive and hour away to a town called Tom Price to hit up the Chinese restaurant where we’d either eat in or take away… yep, an hours drive home with that glorious smell playing havoc on your hungry stomach was pure torture. There’s nothing ‘local’ about an hours drive for take away food! Dad tells me that they used to gather a group of families together and order KFC to be flow in all the way from Perth. Now that is just crazy! We’d also have to drive to bigger towns for any kind of shopping that wasn’t food related, or head down to Perth (you remember how far away that was 1500kms) to buy things like clothing, furniture and even cars. We did buy a car in Perth once. Dad ordered it over the phone and a few weeks later it arrived. Our new car, unseen by us upon purchase.

We did the drive home to Ballarat once for a holiday, taking 6 weeks off work and school taking in the western Australian coast line, dropping into my Aunty’s farm in a small south Australian town called Lameroo before finally making it home to Ballarat. Unaccustomed to the coldness of southern Australia it came as a complete culture shock to us kids, hey we were too used to dry hot days, endless sunshine and outback adventures. Not many people I know got to experience that kind of life.

Which brings me to the purpose of this post. I can’t think of any one of my friends or family, except of course my brother, that had a childhood like mine. It was completely innocent and a lot of fun. Being brought up in a remote outback Australian community was honestly the best start in life I think we could have had. I believe that my early years really opened up my eyes to a life of adventure and not confirming to the ordinary when it comes to a life of exploration. It was a simple life in Paraburdoo but a diverse one where we mixed with kids from all areas of the country, some were born there, some were from other parts of the country, others were from indigenous communities from around the area. It was a life where we really had to band together as a family to make it, and to deal with life without some of the comforts others had in the rest of the country, but it was our normal and we loved it.

I’ve done a fair bit of travel since those formative days of my childhood and I honestly think that having that experience at such a young age endeared me to a life of experiences and expanding my world. Although my parents haven’t travelled overseas as extensively as I have, they are true pioneers of their generation and without them taking a chance on that life away from the comforts of home and the people that they loved I doubt that I’d have such a passion for travel as I do. Thanks Mum and Dad x