FIJI ~ THE RETURN

(Yasawa islands & the Coral Coast)

🎶 “One the road again” since the dreaded global pandemic. I left Canada at the end of 2016, now it’s 2023 and may the travels continue. Currently living in Brisbane Australia with my partner in crime. Zach and I travelled 5 hours to Fiji, only to be met by the warm weather and musical greetings.

Nadi: Hustling to find a taxi we made it to smugglers accomodation. Just as I remembered 6 years ago, smugglers is somewhere to crash for a night and nothing much has changed. The following morning we hopped on a bus and headed through Nadi to Port Denarau where we met our boat, the south sea island cruiser. Aboard the vessel we road the roof top, 4.5 hours all the way up the Yasawa islands to the famous Blue Lagoon Resort.

Blue Lagoon: White sandy beaches fringed in coconut palms, cobalt blue and turquoise coloured ocean. Blue lagoon is home to an endless natural beauty and the loveliest of islanders. Located near the end of the Yasawa chain of islands. Fun Fact: Blue Lagoon is known and named after the 1980s film, “Blue lagoon” (starring Brooke Sheilds). We spent our time here free diving the “Sawai-Lo” caves on the neighbouring island. Snorkelling with turtles, sea life and a vast display of ancient colourful corals. After a scenic hike accompanied by the village dog we named, “Nipples” our evenings were plentiful. Kava rituals, an endless buffet, traditional song and dance that even we were sure to partake in. Blue lagoon was one to remember.

Manta Ray: Onto the next one! After the Lagoon we ventured down to Manta Ray Island, an island I had once visited 6 years prior. Friendly and laid-back, this island will forever leave its mark in my mind. Scenic views of neighbouring islands and known for its flocks of majestic manta rays that soar through the current like birds in the air. Often the locals will sound a conch-shell and as if it were a Black Friday sale, everyone then races like a group of warriors to the boats. Prepared to battle the current in hopes of seeing these majestic Mantas. We swam like hell in attempt to see them but ended up being the 2 of few who were unsuccessful. We enjoyed a lovely meal with an evening in our seaside villa just steps from the ocean, the waves lulling us to sleep. The following morning we watched the sunrise and enjoyed a beach stroll, playing with hermit crabs along the shoreline. We were met with slight disappointment as the island pump had broken, running us out of clean water. Unfortunate and uncommon but not the end of the world, we had to quickly re-arranged accomodation to another island further south.

Naqalia: Travelling from Manta Ray we headed down the Yasawa to a small island called, Naqalia. With the change in accomodation we managed to find a small home stay with a local family on the island. Unique and rustic, the family ran a lodge that was completely hand made and everyone played a part in accomodating us. With little cost Zach and I had a roof over our heads and met handful of fellow travellers, open to experiencing Fiji locals like few tourists ever get the privilege of having. The family cooked a meal that I strongly attest was the best food we had the entire trip. However Zach wasn’t feeling great so the following day he stayed back while I did something I’ve never done before. The teenage boys from the Fijian family of Naqalia had driven an older couple and myself kilometres from land to a large reef in the open ocean. After getting past some large waves we jumped in the centre of the reef where we snorkelled above large trumpet fish and schools of white tip reef sharks. The young boys who brought us even hand fed the sharks right in front of us which seemed dangerous yet thrilling.

Barefoot Kuata: After a short stay at Naqalia lodge we were brought over by a small boat to Barefoot Kuata. Over the shallow beach and endless colourful reef, tucked away in the towering palm trees is a hidden gem. Barefoot Kuata resort is a luxurious stay where Zach and I had an amazing boho-beach inspired accomodation with an outdoor shower and bathtub. After exploring the cave and sunset lookouts with endless views. We kicked back with great Buffett dinner and night snorkel. The following morning we both went diving for the first time in 3.5 years. Unlike any other dive this particular one was with 3 meter long bull sharks. Known for being an aggressive breed of shark species, we still did it. Watching 10+ of these fascinating animals swarm in a feeding frenzy as one of the locals fed them at a depth of 22 meters. Barefoot was a memorable stay and a place I’d love to visit again.

South Sea Island: Six years ago I had a very memorable, laid back stay on south sea island. Taking only minutes to walk the perimeter of this island, and accomodating no more than a handful of people. I had connected with a group of travellers I still occasionally keep in touch with. However it seemed this island had a subtle facelift and is now a popular destination for other travellers looking to spend the day from neighbouring islands. Still very enjoyable, we slept in a small cabin steps from the sea. Watching the sunset change, as it went from a small amber glow to filling the sky with touches of magenta and cotton candy pink. After saying goodbye to the Yasawa islands and the few fellow people we met along the way we carried on to the mainland.

The Road Trip: Embracing spontaneity, we met a local worker on south sea island who agreed to driving us 2.5 hours for $200. Even though it was very much out of his way, it was the best way to educate ourselves. Before starting the road trip into the night, we first stopped by his village where we had the privilege of meeting some of his family and local animals. Zach, the driver and I spent this time indulging and comparing cultures and ethnicities before picking up a fourth. We pulled into a village to pick up the drivers cousin and the 4 of us carried along driving. Like the beginning of a bad joke, an Australian, Canadian and two Fijian men drove across mainland Fiji comparing stories and sharing riddles.

Pacific Harbour: After the long and winding roads, we said goodbye to our fellow Fijians. Ending up at our final destination…The Pearl Resort. Located in Pacific Harbour, The Pearl is a beautifully landscaped resort with all the comforts of home. This did not end the adventurers in us! We managed to squeeze 2 more dives in with a local company. These exploration dives were stunning! An array of sea life, lion fish, sharks, trumpet fish, nudibranch and soft corals. My particular favourite part was the ship wreck at a depth of 23 meters with large over hanging fan corals cascading off the sides of this rusty, old vessel.

After our final experience scuba diving we headed back to The Pearl. This location is a great way to stop and rest before heading back to the hardships of reality. Here we lived the highlife, indulging in food, spa treatments and poolside cocktails. Amazingly, to my surprise I even bumped into one of my south sea “fellow travellers” from 6 years ago. However this time she came with family too, not the lonely traveller who I once met a long time ago. So happy for her! (Laura)

First time overseas since the global pandemic, first time travelling with Zach, second time in Fiji and it’s just as wondrous as I recall. Home to 333 islands, 120 of those islands inhabiting the loveliest of local people. With its main source of economy being tourism you can understand why Fiji is an oasis for those wanting an escape. A tropical paradise scattered amongst the Pacific Ocean, Fiji will always hold special unforgettable memories.

Bula and Vinaka Levu

“Life and Thank you very much”

Until next time,

Michael Medeiros

June, 10, 2023.

Cairns, QLD Australia

Located in the tropics of North Queensland is a tropical paradise called, Cairns. A vast land cluttered with mountains and lined with mangroves and beaches. This unique environment is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

One of the 7 wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef is home to 1500 different types of aquatic life. Here is where I’ve had the pleasure of becoming a certified diver and have spent time exploring this other magical world. Travel up the coast 140 Kilometres to the rainforest in Cape Tribulation. Here you’ll find an ancient and dense rainforest, home to all types of wild life and tropical birds, including on the worlds most prehistoric bird the cassowary.

Now for you, how to express my gratitude toward you. I think like you we could agree Cairns is the best place to kick start your life here in Australia. Beach suburbs, inner suburbs, the CBD, and tablelands house both locals, tourists, backpackers and expats like us. It took a while to understand but this place has a unique way of bringing likeminded people together and creating a network of diverse travellers. Most of us had no initial decision to stay but some of us chose too and that’s when the magic happened. We’ve really made some strong connections that I can now call a handful of people my Australian family and for that I’m forever grateful. I feel that I’ve made it to the top in having done as much as I have here. I’m happy coming to terms with accepting that this is as far as I’ll come, for now, but I couldn’t have done it without you.

Currently I’m seated on a flight headed on yet again another adventure. Hopefully ready to explore more career opportunities and find bliss in feeling settled. Don’t worry I’m still thinking of you. It’s emotional, but all so exciting to embark on a new path, but I’m not scared because I feel that you’re still near. Unfortunately sometimes distance can make things feel like they’ve fizzled out but don’t worry my love for you is real. I will miss our chats,your streets, your laughs, your thunderstorms and trees. I will not forget your generosity, humbleness and ability to always surprise me with something new. But god is the shopping ever bad! Haha

You. You are a place I’ve called home, you’re unique and unforgettable. You have created a den inside my soul that’ll never be left unvisited, you see me and I see you. All I can say now is thank you for all that you’ve brought to my life. It’s been fun and the love is real.

until we meet again!

Michael Medeiros

Bali, Indonesia- May, 30, 2018 Previously having travelled to Bali in 2016 was nice, but we only scratched the surface. After almost a week in Lombok Andy and I made it back to Bali. This time we’re ready to discover the more off the grid locations of the east coast of Bali, Indonesia. After a short 45 minute flight from Lombok we arrived to Bali, population 4.5 million people, 90% practising Hindu. We were greeted by our lovely driver named, Sana. He’s such an encyclopedia of Balinese information we intend to use him again. He drove us 2 hours from Kuta to our next accommodation in Candidasa. Candidasa is a small, quiet town hidden in the mountains along the east coast. Andy booked us a lovely stay at the Water Garden Hotel. This accommodation has a spa, an amazing pool, small upscale bamboo huts surrounded by waterfalls, ponds and fish filled flowing rivers... it’s very tranquil and peaceful. The next morning we hired a driver named Katom. He’s a cool 35 year old local guy with two boys and a wife. He took Andy and I to Lebah (luwak coffee and honeybee farm) where we sampled black-bee honey, honeybee honey. We also sampled numerous types of organically made tea, coffee and the sampled the smooth, healthy and expensive “cat poop” coffee. From there we toured the famous Tenegan Village and here we met a local man who brought us to his home. We got to see the beautiful sarongs his wife loomed and a series of bamboo carvings he created over time. The men in the village once a year gather and fight by lashing each other with a spiked palm leaf as a ceremony of purifying their blood. Fascinating to see how ancient traditions are still practised in certain villages. From there Katom brought us to the Floating Temple. This temple was once owned by a King and his 3 wives up in the mountains overlooking great landscapes and ocean, hence the “Floating” Temple. After a lovely lunch of tom-yum gong(spicy shrimp soup) and mie-gorieng(spicy friend chicken and noodles) we made it to our last stop, the Water Temple. The Water Temple is a natural flowing spring that flows from the surrounding mountains. The temple consists of a series of spring water pools and fountains for people to swim and be cleansed. We walked barefoot, carefully from stepping-stone to stepping-stone within each pool, while huge fish swam below. After a long day out we ventured back to Candidasa, bought some handmade crafted gifts and had a massage. The following day Katom picked us up and drove over a series of small mountains for one hour to Amed. Andy has an old friend he worked with as a dive instructor named, Nico. Nico and his staff were so friendly and professional it made diving with them a great experience. It was possibly my favourite dive yet because I got to have 2 new experiences, 2 shore entires and 2 wreck dives. One was a small Japanese wreck covered in coral reef and sea life. The other was a 142 meter long American vessel that got torpedoed and beached back in 1940 and an earthquake caused it to roll 45 meters into the ocean. This vessel is named, the U.S.A.T Liberty and is now home to a mass amount of sea life and reef. That evening Andy and I had a long 2 hour massage and a lot of food at the hotel restaurant. Great way to unwind after a long day of diving. Our driver took us to a place called, White Sandy beach the very next day. We travelled down small and winding roads, through the monkey inhabited cliffside of Candidasa before making it down to the blue waters of White Sandy. We spent the day snorkelling, relaxing and playing in the surf before heading back. That evening after a nice meal out I spent the entire night with stomach infection. Yes! Once again, with my luck and carelessness I managed to somehow get a painful bacterial infection. I spent the night and next morning, vomiting, fever, cold sweats, agonizing stomach pain and diarrhea. Andy, my hero had a doctor come to the hotel to diagnose my situation. I was later brought to the hospital by ambulance and spent 36 hours there on a drip, followed by a series of injections. Most of the injections I could barely remember due to being partially unconscious, thank god for Andy and travel insurance. Great climax for the blog. Still feeling fairly weak we managed to make a move to our next stop. A driver brought us to Uluwatu, a major surf destination part of the world. After a restful sleep and feeling back-on-track we took a long morning walk that turned into quite the trek. We hiked up and down cliffside to some of Uluwatu’s most famous beaches. We explored the shops, surf and beaches of Padang-Padang, Dreamland, Suluban and Bingin beach. Each with their own special qualities and spectacular views. We stumbled into a very fancy resort named, the Klapa above Dreamland beach. At the Klapa they a massive, gorgeous infinity pool where we ate, drank and watched the fiery sunset. Our last day in Uluwatu, after a lovely breakfast at The Mango Tree, we caught a taxi back to Dreamland beach to play in the surf. The waves were much bigger on the second day, perfect for getting thrown around. After catching some rays we headed back to the Kuta-Manak villa before heading to our final stop, where it all began. We re-met with our favourite driver who brought us back to Samsara hotel. Samsara is the perfect destination in central Kuta close to everything. However we mostly chose it for being close to the airport. That evening Andy and I walked the alleyways of Kuta, home to many markets and aggressive bargain masters. On our last day we were meant to fly out at midnight so we wanted to make the most of our day. We walked 18 mins over to one of Asia’s best water parks, Waterbom. We had a great day of swimming, thrilling water slides and lazy rivers. That afternoon we strolled around Discovery shopping mall and played arcade games before going back to pack. That night at the airport, 20 minutes before boarding the plane sent every passenger an email about an 11 hour flight delay. People panicked but I was quite pleased to have some more time in Bali. Especially because Jetstar accommodated every passenger with shuttle, a night at the Hilton hotel, breakfast and lunch. Andy and I are now both sitting at Bali International Airport awaiting the planes arrival. Second time around and Bali has opened up my eyes even a little more to its treasures. I have a real, pure love for this place and it’s culture. I know these type of poor and corrupt countries aren’t ideal but I strongly believe places like Bali should be travelled by everyone at least once. Get out there and don’t hold back!

Lombok, Indonesia- May, 25, 2018

Two years ago Andy and I embarked on an Indonesian adventure to Bali and the very popular Gili islands. Currently we sit at Cairns International Airport awaiting to embark on yet another South-East Asian adventure….Bali/Lombok. Teaming up with us are our friends Mel and Tom. This time we four hope to explore the untouched destinations of these lovely islands.

After landing at 2am in Denpasar we stayed one night at the lovely Samsara hotel. This was a great, friendly accommodation recommended by Mel. The following day we spent half of it getting cheap $9.00(aus) full-body massages, facials and later browsed the shops. Trying to get use to the intensity of deal making, Balinese sales people, and barter masters. That evening we caught a domestic $40.00(aus) round-trip to Lombok. Lombok, unlike Bali, has a smaller population, is less Hindu, more Muslim and is absolutely breathtaking. Being not a very popular tourist destination has kept it untouched and looking like what Bali did 15-20 years ago. We four hope to spend 4 days here exploring it’s secrets.

We booked a stay at Mike and Yulie’s which was recommended by a friend. Mike(from Australia) and Yulie(from Lombok) are a lovely couple with a beautiful villa located in the heart of Kuta, Lombok. We four spent that evening eating HUGE seafood platters at El Bazzar and bar hoping through the village. Later that night at Mom’s Bar we were greeted by 8 young girls. They walk 8km into town just to walk all night selling bracelets to tourists to help them get through school. We bought quite a few bracelets and Mel bought the girls each a fresh juice of their liking, they seemed very grateful.

The following day Mel, Tom and I hired mopeds while Andy (the sensible one) hired his own personal private driver. I have no experience driving a motor bike or driving in general so you can imagine I was a nervous wreck. The driver brought us to a small village called, Sade (traditional weaving village) where we got dressed in traditional ceremonial attire and learned to loom our own sarongs. The local woman take one month to weave a standard sarong, I can only imagine it would take myself a year to get through half of the length of fabric. We continued travelling almost 70km, up and down mountains, circling roundabouts, dodging traffic and conquering highways before we finally made it to a town called, Sengigi. In Sengigi we booked only one night at Sendok Hotel for $15.00(aus) per night. Arriving late we didn’t get up to much. We cruised along the beach, had a massage and later happened to find a bar owned by a Canadian expat who served a real Canadian Caesar drink.

Mel had bought an entire luggage case full of children’s school supplies that she intended to donate to a small school not funded by the state. Through a friend she arranged in meeting the principal of the school, his name is Zans. Zans picked Andy up, as the rest of us followed by motorbike. We drove up and down winding roads that hugged the edge of cliffs. It was nail biting to ride by moped but it was also the only way I recommend to really see the SPECTACULAR, million dollar costal views. Driving at our own pace made it easy to experience the glorious dense jungle, white sandy beaches hidden by cliff hanging coves, fringed by palm trees. Such an exhilarating experience.

Zans eventually brought us to his home where we met his wife and children. Behind his home is a very small school of about 100 children where he works. The school is old and slightly rundown so it was nice to give back and do what we can for these kids that range in age from 5-18 years old. Being in such a Muslim school community was interesting. The kids seemed so interested in us and equally as nervous to meet us. I know extremists, mostly the news and other mainstream media have had an impact on painting the Muslim culture black. Causing the world to fear the hijab but these kids were scared of us too. All 20 kids moved their desks to one corner of the room when we entered the classroom. I took the first step in introducing myself, my name, age and occupation. I told them, “wow so much space on this floor to dance (dance-slides across the floor) everyone don’t be scared move closer!” Eventually we four split up amongst the children and had them practise their English through conversation. It was so enlightening hearing their stories, one wants to be a pilot, another a doctor. Teachers make &15.00(aus) per month, some kids are orphaned, some have as many as 8-9 siblings. Many different broken-english conversations went on. Eventually we handed out backpacks, pencils, crayons and pencil-cases to each of the kids before saying goodbye. Half of the class later added us each to Facebook as a friends, a great way to stay connected.

That afternoon Zans took us up to Monkey Forest where we saw families of spider monkeys and fed peanuts to brown tail monkeys. It’s currently Ramadan in Indonesia so every Muslim including Zans is fasting. That being the case it was slim pickings for lunch due to the fasting but Zans was ever so kind to bring us back to his home for lunch. Him and his beautiful wife couldn’t eat but cooked food for us and we all sat and ate in front of them. Mel, Tom, Andy and I all came to an agreement of how we can help Zans in developing his school and support his family since the Lombok government doesn’t support small private schools. The four of us just chipped in $25.00 each, so $100.00(aus) to Zans and his wife. We basically gave him half a years salary, he was very happy and his wife cried. It really opened our eyes to how a small sum of money equivalent to a night out of drinking in Canada or a McDonald’s meal in Australia would essentially get a child through school for almost a year. I hope to return one day soon and maybe this time come more prepared to help the students in different ways.

That evening after we road another 70km back to Mike and Yulie’s in Kuta, Lombok we had a lazy night. We road our bikes at dusk down empty highways. We later ate food at small local Indonesian restaurants at the side of the road before calling it a night. Our last full day on Lombok we split up. Mel and Tom took off on bikes chasing sun and surf whilst Andy and I went on our own adventure. We hired a driver and a skipper of a small boat for the day for $100.00(aus) or $1,000,000 rupiah. After the driver drove us down small dirt roads, through undeveloped villages surrounded by rice paddie fields, we eventually ended up at a small harbour. We planned on going to Pink Beach however because no one spoke english these local Lombok men took us on a tour of their own, no complaints. We had a private boat that took us around islands and we got to see some beautiful coastlines. We snorkelled two separate reefs, both filled with schools of fish and vivid coloured reef. We ate lunch on a small island and visited a fishing village where we got to see how these villagers lived off the sea.

We spent our last night on Lombok together having dinner at a warung(authentic Indonesian restaurant) before saying goodbye. The next day we flew back to Bali where Andy and I will continue to travel for 10 days, while Mel and Tom finish their last couple days back at Samsara hotel. Lombok is an undiscovered, undeveloped hidden gem that’s currently in the midst of being discovered. I’m so happy to have met the wonderful people, learn more about the Muslim community and experience Lombok as a whole. Visiting this place once has tripled my bucket list for when I return to Lombok. Thank you Zans!

STRAYA EAST COAST'N - Feb 1st 2018 (Australia ) After travelling to 10 different countries and living in Australia for 2 whole years I've finally set off today on an east coast adventure. I will be travelling almost 2000 kilometres from Cairns to Byron Bay with my gal pal Lauren. Island hopping, boat accommodations, beach exploring, cities and the surf are just a few things we'll be getting into. We took a bus 4 hours from Cairns to Townsville to meet the Sea Link Ferry in order to make it to Magnetic Island. With only half an hour to spare we ran around Townsville trying to get a few things before jumping on the Ferry. Finally "Maggie" Island, outlined in golden sandy beaches and national park. Magnetic Island is home to a small residential neighbourhood of locals, wild koalas and many more critters. It's a great tourist destination and if you're looking for a good time X-Base is where we set up camp amongst many other backpackers looking for a cheap/ fun accommodation. After a relaxed night at Base meeting new people and sipping goon(cheap nasty wine) at a sunset cliff, the next day we explored the island. We hired a convertible 4 wheeler to do some off-roading. We drove across the island to the Fort Walk, I'd say it's more of a hike than a walk but nonetheless it was stunning. Once used for military to store ammunition and camouflage themselves from enemy invaders the Fort is now a popular trek to spot wild koalas and capturing some epic shots of Radical Bay, Arthur Bay and Florence Bay. Including a 360 degree panoramic view of the coast when reached to the tip-top of the Fort. Later we did some SERIOUS off-roading. Lauren drove up and down an extremely steep road with potholes that were 2 feet deep and 1-6 feet wide. There were moments that I thought the vehicle would tip over but we had a cry-laugh about it and explored the 3 bays and national park. If you don't understand "cry-laugh" go slap your funny bone against something hard. After a swim in the ocean we drove to West Point the opposite side of the island, had some ice cream before heading back to base. That evening was well spent with a great couple of American girls, hostel games and loads of dancing. The staff lads at base were such great fellas to party with I felt like I had also worked there for ages. Fun times! The following day after pulling our lives together we headed back to Townsville from the island but had a bit of an expensive hiccup cause Lauren forgot her purse, but it could happen to anyone...all good👌🏼. We now are back on route, down the coast headed straight for the oh so majestic Whitsunday islands. Finally we made it to the small town of Airlie Beach, home to the Great Barrier Reef and gateway to the famous Whitsunday islands. After checking into our accommodation at Nomads hostel we took a stroll around this quiet beach town. I came here to visit exactly two years ago so it was nice to see what changes had been made to this small sleepy oasis. After stocking up on goon we met our new tour group at the marina. We spent 2 days on the Tongarra catamaran soaking up the sun and the sea. Unfortunately for the weather being slightly bipolar, causing major swells, it took ages to get anywhere. We took shelter in Nara Bay an enclosed bay hidden from the rough choppy water. The following day we made it over to the second nicest beach in the world- Whitehaven Beach. Pure beaming white silica sandy beaches, fringed in palm trees and surrounded by swirling blue water, just a few traits Whitehaven is famous for. A $10,000.00 fine goes to anyone caught taking sand from this national park but I couldn't help that a pound of it got caught up in my underwear and swim shorts. Felt lucky to have travelled to this heaven on earth twice ❤️. Riding the catamaran back to Nara Bay we met a hawk that flew down to the boat and we threw raw kangaroo meat in the air to feed it. That night was filled with lots of games, drinks and dancing as loud as we can in this secluded bay somewhere in the Whitsunday Islands. Before heading back to Airlie Beach we all took turns struggling to stay on a banana boat that was dragged around the bay of Nara. After the Tongarra after party, a night filled of dancing with new friends, we spent the following day laying by the gorgeous lagoon before heading to our next destination. After a 14 hour overnight bus we eventually made it to Rainbow Beach. Known for its beautiful multi-coloured sandy beaches and being the gateway to Fraser Island, Rainbow Beach is a small tiny town. We spent only one day here hanging out on the beach and bodysurfing before our next adventure to Fraser Island. The following day we met our new group of roughly 30 people that we would be driving up and down the 120 km long Island with. We were split into groups of 8 and in 4 separate vehicles that we had to drive on the beach along the coast of Fraser. Being very tropical, untouched and the largest sandy island in the world made it difficult to drive around but we all managed. Our first stop on the island was the stunning Lake McKenzie, this fresh water lake was so pure and clean with bright blue water and silica sands too... Like Whitehaven. After some group bonding on the beach we went to our camp off of Cathedral beach to set up where we will be spending a total of 3 days, 2 nights. Before dinner that evening we climbed these amazingly picturesque and extremely steep sand dunes through dingo territory. We climbed to the top of a hill overlooking a part of Fraser Island. The next morning we drove along the shore line to a cove that's called the Champagne Pools. This was a highlight for myself. The Champagne Pools are a series of natural lagoons enclosed by rocks and clusters of shell fish. As the massive swell from the ocean smash up against the cliffside, water rushes in causing bubbles to form all around us like a "champagne bubbly" sensation. Some jelly fish came through too but none were harmful, I picked a few of them up to show the others just how harmless these little jellyfish were. After lunch 7 of us arranged a cheap 15 minute scenic flight over Fraser Island. This was a very small aircraft that would dip and take sharp turns like a rollercoaster over top of Butterfly Lake and other sand dunes. The flight allowed us to see both ends of the island. Later we met with the rest of that gang at Eli Creek- a natural fresh water lazy river that we tubed down in the afternoon to cool off after all the excitement. To end our day of excursions we checked out a beached shipwreck from the 1900s that was one of the quickest boats in its time. Circling the world 5 times in use of medicine and shipping patients this ship was eventually beached and used in the war, later on in life weddings and other events were also held on it until it became what it is today due to corrosion from the sea. That evening myself and a fellow French-Canadian, named Simon teamed up as the "Canadian Connection" and made a big pasta dinner for all 30 of us. The evening was filled with great food and drinking games. Following day we headed over to TeaTree Lake for a dip before heading back. Tea trees outline this freshwater lake and the natural oils from the trees make the lake water an orange colour. The smell of the air and water was so fresh I swam for ages out to the middle of the lake. It was great, quiet and calm and my hair and skin felt great after too. I was randomly greeted by a duck out there. Later we made it back to rainbow beach where some people went their own way but some of us that got along stayed up played a couple rounds of cards against humanity (UK version). Off to the next place! A 2 hour bus ride later, we made it to the gorgeous Noosa. This wasn't very planned so we kinda spent the first day hopping from accommodation to accommodation until we found something available in this tropical surfers paradise. It was kind of love at first sight between Noosa and myself. Noosa is a small separated suburban area surrounded by dense national park full of wildlife. It has incredibly beautiful coastal views, upscale shops, restaurants, stunning beaches and three separate islands. It has a laid back hippie feel but is still clean and upscale.. Like a much larger Port Douglas. Lauren and I spent Valentine's Day together down by main beach. We treated ourselves to a fancy mimosa filled brunch, went on a 3 hour coastal hike through national park and later had an Italian dinner and movie with a few gals we re-met from Fraser Island. We spent our last day hanging out on sunshine beach. She went bodyboarding and I surfed, well attempted to surf. The swell was very large so I got kind thrown around but I'm glad I gave it my all and tried it out. Later we took a long walk into town for dinner and walked back to say our final goodbyes to our short stay in Noosa. I'll be back! *terminator voice*. I'm currently on route from Noosa, through Brisbane to the Gold Coast, the city on the beach. This "Miami" of Australia has tons of attractions to choose from so we decided to stay in the heart of it all, in Surfers Paradise. We lucked out with Happy Travels sorting us out with a free private accommodation at Bunks hostel, best hostel I've ever stayed at in Australia. Our first night out we met a group of travellers who brought us out to a karaoke bar. The night ended with a fat lip I got from swinging the microphone around during a Grease Lightening duet with Lauren. Slapping myself in the mouth with the mic I essentially gave myself a natural self inflicted lip filler (haha). The following day we just laid by the pool, took a long evening stroll along the oceanside and had a fancy dinner at the Hard Rock, well not so fancy and over priced. Sunday we walked one hour to Pacific Fair mall to do some shopping and it was a fantastic shopping centre that felt like it never ended. We later caught the tram, headed back to surfers and shopped around some more before having a late night burger by the beach at bar Cavil. That night we also pre-purchased tickets for the following day for....DREAM WOLRD!!! Dream World is the largest amusement park in all of Australia and Lauren and I had the chance to experience all of it. We went on a Monday, a working day and I'd suggest going on a week day because we had the amusement park and water park to ourselves practically. We even managed on going on the most popular coaster, the tower of terror a total of 3 times. Almost lost my voice by the end of the day. Our tickets included an entry to the observation deck at the Sky View tower back in Surfers Paradise too. We polished off our day at this observation deck, towering 77 stories over the Gold Coast at dusk made for some really spectacular views and great photos. It was a beautiful day and a phenomenal way to end our visit to Goldie, can't wait to revisit one day. FINALLY Byron Bay, the original reason why I left Canada to visit Australia was for this small hippie oasis. This true surfers paradise tucked away in the hills along the most easterly point of Australia. We took a 3 hour bus ride to the famous Byron Bay, a very popular Aussie vacation destination, home to celebrities and very wealthy locals. Shortly after arriving we did a two hour hike to the Cape Byron Lighthouse, the last of the great 19th-century Victorian era lighthouses. This walk has truly spectacular coastal views that wrap around the most easterly part of Byron bay. This was a must-do I'd recommend it to everyone, we even saw a pod of dolphins playing in the waves. Two of my great friends set me up with a two day progressive surf lesson with a company called Stoked, which was how I spent my Wednesday. I've been surfing in 5 different countries and I'm still not very good. This Stoked surf school taught me a few things I've been doing wrong and I eventually managed to ride a number of waves right to the shore. That night we met up with an old pal named Cheeseburger Charles and he took us on a wild night out to a small club called Woodys. Thursday was a hangover day. We spent the day being lazy but later in the evening we met with Charles and went to a really fancy Italian restaurant called Trattoria Basiloco. We ordered almost everything off the menu, calamari, pizza, lasagna, calzone, bruschetta and gnocchi. Unfortunately most of the time spent in Byron was rainy but the next day big, naughty Charles picked up Lauren and I and took us on a road trip for the day. He drove us up to Lennox head, Ballina, through Tweed and into the Gold Coast where we had a late afternoon at an enormous shopping centre. Saturday...our last day was still a wet and rainy one. I did my last class of surfing at Lennox Beach and it was much easier the second time around. The class and I got to relax in the fresh red waters of TeaTree Lake just opposite Lennox Beach after our 4 hour surf lesson, a great way to wind down after battling waves. We spent our last night out at a nice dinner in town. Miraculously on our last day the sun came through the dark cloud barrier that hung over Byron for days. I woke up the KRAKEN(Lauren) at 7am with good news about the weather. We ran down to the main beach of Byron and soaked up 4 hours of sun, I body surfed waves until it was time to pack our things and head home. We now both sit at the Gold Coast airport waiting to head back to Cairns. The east coast of Australia was an absolute blast, naturally stunning and I just had the best time with my gal pal venturing through the many different parts of Straya(Australia). Happy to call this country my home for the foreseeable future.

JAPAN- May, 21st, 2017 Let me just start with what I'd consider a highlight of Japan, something I need to get out of the way...TOILETS. The toilets were a definite highlight of the trip for me and no other toilet will ever compare. In fact in these two years of toilet hopping I could probably write a small novel about global shitters I've experienced. Now these white, porcelain oases come with a menu of controls located on the right hand side. They heat the seat, play rainforest music to muffle the sounds of your bodily functions and some even disperse a clean airy scent when you finish. Did I mention there's a series of jets, spray nozzles that clean your ass and they're so accurate, like a sniper. I'd sometimes go to the bathroom even if I didn't have to go. After 5 months of planning and saving I'm now waiting at Cairns international airport about to embark on yet another Asian adventure. Located on an island off of the eastern coast of mainland Asia is Japan where I'll be travelling across country with my partner in crime. Over the top fashion, over crowded streets, overly welcoming locals and exquisite food, Japan is at the top of the bucket list for myself and most people. After exiting the plane at Narita Airport we immediately were thrown into the rushing crowds of Japan. Train systems seem to be the main type of transportation in Japan and we booked quite a few. After hopping two trains we arrived to Kanda where we spent one night at an all male capsule hostel. A capsule is a tiny slot in a wall equipped with bedding, tv, radio and charging outlets all put into this 6x3 foot capsule. We only spent one night here in financial district, where like most financial districts, things close early. From morning to night all you see are a few restaurants and bars filled with your regular 9-5'ers in black and white suits. I must say the Japanese are very neat and tidy. Trains, restaurants, parks and accommodation everything is clean, sanitized and disinfected. You take your shoes off before entering certain public establishments and you bath before you bath. By this I mean the following morning we had to strip down, enter a public shower room where you sit down in front of a mirror naked and shower yourself down before entering an 8 man bathtub. Do what you gotta do! We had an early morning of signs in Japanese pointing us in every direction but we made it to Tokyo Central Station. After sorting out our tickets and fighting the rat race I'm now seated on the bullet train to Osaka, Japan. Flying at a speed of 350kph the bullet train is the quickest train in the world taking us from Tokyo to Osaka in just 3 hours. Looking out the window are mountains, rice fields and cities rushing past the window at high speed. It's amazing being able to zip across a country at such a speed and in such short time. Finally OSAKA! So far Japan has been a whirlwind experience of train hopping, getting lost, waiting in cues and loads of walking. Dropping our bags off in downtown Osaka we immediately took transit to one of Japan's largest aquariums. Located next to an enormous ferris wheel over looking Osaka is the aquarium. Otters, penguins, dolphins, manta rays, whale sharks and seals were just a few of the mass variety of sea life this aquarium contains. That evening we ventured through downtown Osaka night markets which is an amazing maze of alleyways and streets completely action packed. The markets eventually led to Dotonbori River which is a popular area packed with crowds of people, neon lights, food stands next to food stands, casino games, arcade games and clubs. The next morning we found our way to Universal Studios (Japan) and even though I've been to the Universal in Orlando (Florida) this was much different. The staff were just so much EXTRA, by this I mean enthusiasm, phenomenal service and so FREAKING HAPPY! That's just the park staff, the visitors to the park even dressed up too. Families and locals arrived in groups wearing matching outfits dressed as Snoopy, Cookie Monster and most of all Minions. After a wild, sunburnt day of riding the jurassic park ride, jaws and many more we spent the evening walking in circles... not by choice. After walking Universal all day, we walked all night in search of Dotonbori River for food but got lost yet again. The silver-lining was we got to see a larger part of Osaka and burnt some calories off at the same time. Day 3, we took the JR line to Kyoto and made a visit to two of the most popular shrines in Japan called, Fushimi Inari-taisha and Todai-Ji. Fushimi Inari-taisha was amazing! Following hundreds of bright Orange gates, we climbed 12,000 steps, 4 kilometres up a mountain, past a total of 16 shrines to the main shrine. Each shrine you can find statues of the fox with a key in its mouth. The fox symbolizes the messenger or gate keeper, known as Inari. I prayed for health and happiness at the top of the mountain at the main shrine before heading back down. We later travelled further into the city Nara to a temple called, Todai-ji. This is the second largest wooden structure in Japan built in the early 8th century. We took our shoes off, entered the hall and took time to just appreciate all the architecture and design that went into this amazing wooden structure. After a fulfilling day we went back to Osaka for our final night. We met a few travellers from around the world, had some drinks and made gyoza (fried pork dumplings) at our hostel. Andy had an early night but I went out with this group of randoms to a small underground karaoke bar. Singing my heart out on top of the bar at 4am I felt like I was a temporary karaoke legend, a star in Japan as a result of heavily poured cocktails. Kind of an oxymoron wishing for health on sacred ground and later drinking cocktails at a karaoke bar. LIFE! 🙈. The next morning was a bit of a slow start but we managed to catch the bullet train from Osaka to our next destination. With a population of 13 million people, Tokyo was where we spent the next few days. Tokyo is made up of many districts and we chose to stay in the middle of all the commotion. Shibuya (entertainment district) is one hectic place, Shibuya is known for the Shibuya Crossing the busiest intersection in the world. Each street corner piles up with heaps of people, then when the little red man turns green an all-way-cross begins and a sea of black haired Japanese people walk in every direction. It was cool just standing in the centre of the crossing and feeling like a stone in a rushing river. We booked an Airbnb 500 meters from this intersection because the areas surrounding is action packed with clubs, food and endless shopping..... ENDLESS. Each district in Tokyo is practically a city of its own and we spent the next day walking around Harajuku (fashion district). We walked the main shopping strip, Takeshita Street, where you can find younger apparel that's pretty avant-garde. Wigs, eyelashes, glittery boots, contacts, leather outfits, tutus and more, the fashion is over the top and never ending. On this street Andy and I went for coffee at a very cool café. Downstairs we got to hang out with a variety of owls at the owl café and upstairs we got to play with bengal cats as we enjoyed our coffees. From there we strolled down the wide, intersecting pathways lined with very tall, lush green trees at the famous Yoyogi park. Later that evening we strolled through Akihabara also know as electric town, located just a few station stops from Shibuya. The strip is lite up with so many lights that it's a must-see at night to really take in the visual experience and appeal to this district of Japan. 8 story Sega buildings full of video games, gizmos and gadget stores, huge Apple stores and anything electronic you could ever imagine is found in this part of Tokyo. After spending the morning roaming the chaotic streets of Shibuya we later spent the evening in the gay district of Japan. Shinjuku is another awesome district of Japan and the gay friendly area was a fun night out hosted by our local friend Ryoko. Andy got picked up twice, I started to feel like chop liver. One gay guy said, "he'd pick him out of the two of us" and another commented on his shirt. The little green monster in me peered at him and said, "It's from H&M, no big deal!" After a night of dancing and Andy swinging from stripper poles the following day Ryoko took us out of Tokyo to Yokohama. In Yokohama we ventured through the very funky China town in Japan. Later we stumbled onto dragon boat races near a marina and a garden festival. I've never seen such an enormous rose garden before amongst the many other floral species. It was a beautiful day. Yokohama has such a nice vibe and balance between nature and city that the following day we returned. We went to Tokyo Metropolitan Towers where you'll find breathtaking views and on a clear day you can even spot Mount Fuji. We spent our last night hanging out in Shibuya before heading home. On our last day we took the train to Ueno zoo which is an extremely affordable zoo that inhabits the widest variety of animals compared to any other zoo in Japan. We took the Skyliner back to Narita airport and had one last experience on the toilet before heading home. We really only grazed the surface of Japan and I'll be sure to head back and explore a little further. Definitely the type of vacation that needs to be somewhat organized prior but it's a destination that's up there in my books. Overwhelming and Unforgettable! ✌🏼️

FIJI - October, 20th, 2016 BULA! At 5am I caught a flight with one layover in Sydney to country number 8....Fiji. Located in the South Pacific this country has over 300 islands consisting of palm-lined beaches, coral reef, clear lagoons, and truly the bluest of blue ocean. I flew into Nadi and shortly after going through customs all the passengers were greeted by a Fijian welcoming band. Actually each island you visit you're greeted by some guitar playing Fijians, singing songs and clapping hands. I met up with a driver who brought me to my accommodation and he was quite an encyclopedia of Fijian information, 'twas awesome! I stayed one night at Smugglers Beach Cove where I caught a connecting bus to the Port the very next day. Right away I met a medley of backpackers from all over where we started our journey together on South Sea Island. South Sea Island is one of Fiji's smallest islands, so small you can walk around the entire island in no more than 2 minutes. The island being so tiny is one reason my new fellow backpackers and I got along so well. We almost immediately piled into a submarine that cruised over top of a brightly coloured reef where we saw a shark, loads of starfish and really got to know each other. After eating lunch we went on a guided snorkel tour off the island and spent the better part of the afternoon laughing and comparing cultures. That evening the 7 of us went down to the beach to watch the magnificent sunset. Later that led into gazing at the billions of twinkling stars that filled the Southern Hemisphere, so compact that even the Milky Way was visible. The following morning the group of us decided to do this boat cruise called, Sea Spray. After hopping on and off of 4 different boats we eventually made it to an enormous sail boat that fit us and maybe 20 other travellers on it. We sailed on this all you can drink vessel to Cast Away Island where the movie Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks, was filmed. You can even find the words " HELP ME!" in the sand if you follow 1 of the 2 white sandy beaches that fringe the island connecting to a peninsula. I spent a while snorkelling in the extremely blue water surrounding the island, the reef and the visibility there is quite good. The group of us eventually got back to the boat where we were treated to a BBQ buffet as we headed to the next island. We made it to Yanuya Island, home to a small village with a population of 6-700 people. After being greeted by villagers with song we were brought into the main hut off of the beach where we participated in a welcoming ceremony. Three villagers dressed in traditional Fijian ceremonial attire sat cross-legged in the front of the hut and prayed. The rest of us, including the boat crew, sat cross-legged as well and we all joined in. A child walked around the room with a coconut shell filled with cava and offered 1,2, or 3 rounds of the sacred Fijian drink as a welcome offering to the village. Cava is mainly the root of a plant that is dried out, ground and mixed with water. It looks and tastes like muddy water but it really isn't to bad...I had a few rounds of this natural sedative. What's strange about it is that just a cup full will numb your mouth but more and more of it makes you feel a little high. After taking a walk around the village, visiting the school and meeting some of the local children I left questioning the general quality of the lifestyles that we live, the same as I did when visiting villages throughout South East Asia. Their quality of living is simple but so much richer than most people's today. Families come together and share their love and time with each other on a daily basis. That time spent and that communication is so real compared to the majority of other families today. We've become such a generation of lazy technologically ran species in a fast pace society that are always consuming. I mean even the food in this village is home grown, steroid and hormone free. They know what they're eating and I think that's a better way of living! Anyway! enough of cava for me.... After jumping 3 boats back to South Sea island we all had our last dinner together before we all headed to different islands. Early the next morning we all hopped onto yet another boat that dropped each of us off at our accommodations on separate Islands. I'm yet again on my own at a very popular island in Fiji called, Nanuya Balavu island or MantaRay Island. MantaRay is slightly more expensive on account of the quality of the accommodation compared to most other islands in Fiji. It felt like quite a couples destination but that didn't stop me! I weaselled my way in between some those honeymooners and we all had the best of times. In fact many couples I befriended ended up all getting along and we became one big gang, I must say I've never been an 9th wheel before. I spent 2 days on this island mostly drinking, eating, and snorkelling over the gorgeous reef right off of the beach. The first evening a group of couples and I did sunset tubing where a boat took us out to the middle the sea, we all jumped in a tube, watched the sunset as the boat brought us rounds of drinks. That evening we played dirty drinking games with balloons and racing hermit crabs. After a late night out I had an early morning and went diving the next day. Of course being named Manta-Ray resort the place is known for its high population of Mantas that soar gracefully through the sea in front of the island. However I unfortunately missed that season, but one was spotted the day before I got there..just my luck! The next best option for diving is a reef called Shark Point where the chance of seeing different sharks is much greater. We reached about 18 meters deep before spotting clown fish, a green turtle, parrot fish, lobsters, and many types of coral. We went through a cave full of fan coral and when we got through to the other side we saw 6 big black-tip reef sharks and 1 white-tip. We found our neutral buoyancy and just watched them for a good 15 minutes as they swam back and forth looking for food. I spent that evening with everyone at the beach bar, stargazing and I saw three shooting stars. After checkout the following day I hopped on a boat where I was reunited with all my friends I met on the first island. We all swapped our previous island experiences and headed north to Naviti island where i stayed at Korovou Eco Resort. Korovou is a much more quiet and basic accommodation, I wouldn't call it a resort but definitely one that's well on its way to becoming a resort. After being greeted by locals we all got settled in and spent the entire day snorkelling and just relaxing on the beach. We got acquainted with the locals running the establishment and even greeted piglets and wild pups on the island. After spending the evening around an enormous beach bonfire with everyone a group of us organized a visit to another small village a half hour from Naviti. This small village has a population of 150 people and the very kind villagers were just as friendly and inviting as the last village I visited on Yanuya. I visited the only school in the village where I got to sit in on a class of year 8's. The kids put a performance on for the few us and eventually they taught us the dance and we had to partake in the performance as well. All the young girls would laugh when another gent and myself had to shake our hips during the dance. I donated some money to the village to go toward the many homes that have been affected from recent cyclones. Later back on Korovou I participated in a cooking class lead by Big L, the island's Chef. We made a simple Fijian dish called Kokoda, consisting of Spanish mackerel, minced veggies, coconut shavings, handmade coconut milk and lime. That evening before dinner I got a team of friends together and we joined a huge group of locals playing volleyball, Fijians are super athletic! The next day, before heading even more north, some of us were guided by an awesome local named Joe who brought us on a steep and treacherous hike. We climbed to the very top of a mountain on Naviti to an enormous mango tree that you can spot from way down on the beach. 'Twas such an intense hike one of the girls almost chundered!! From there I continued north to one more island called, Nacula island where I stayed at Nabua Lodge. A few of us continued north together and met a few new travellers on Nacula island. After getting settled in I organized for a few of us to go on a hike where we were breath taken by the phenomenal costal views. Three fellow backpackers and myself climbed up and down the steep, grassy hillsides of the island, it almost resembled Waiheke island in New Zealand. Headed back we got a little lost and ended up in a local village where a gentleman came out from his hut and directed us back toward our accommodation. That evening everyone staying at Nabua Lodge had dinner together followed by some drinking games. The next morning a group of us piled into a small boat that took us 45 minutes through some seriously rough ocean. We were all completely soaked as we hurdled over waves headed towards some cave "excursion". After signing a waver in case of death or dismemberment we climbed down into a large cave, these under water caves were rather frightening yet wonderfully picturesque. It was like something out of a movie scene, we were lead by a local through these connecting cave chambers. Constantly treading water we had to dive down into complete darkness and come up out of the other side into another large dark cave. Light would peer through the ceiling of these cave chambers just enough to see some of the harmless fish and black eels swimming below us. After that exciting adventure we headed back to the lodge for lunch before heading by boat to Blue Lagoon where the 1980's drama The Blue Lagoon was filmed, staring Brooke Shields. Off the shore of this marvellous island we went snorkelling with some seriously brave fish that would swim right up to your face, you could even feel them lightly graze you as they'd swiftly swim by. We got back to the lodge and finished off our last night on the Yasawa islands with dinner, drinks, more drinks and even a nude swim that whole group took part in. After spending 9 awesome days island hopping we took a 5 hour boat ride back to Nadi. 9 days felt more like 4 weeks of cold showers, constant boat hopping and meal portions getting less and less the further north we travelled. Finally arriving to the mainland some of those who I met at the very beginning of this "survivor voyage" reunited and headed back to smugglers hostel. That evening after a hot shower we all got together for dinner, shared stories and ordered almost everything off of the menu that had cheese as an ingredient. After an early night, the next day was spent just relaxing with friends by the beach eating and drinking literally all day before saying our goodbyes. I met some really awesome people in Fiji who will never be forgotten and I plan to reconnect with certain people when I visit Fiji again in the near future. I travelled back to Australia, back to Cairns where I was welcomed by Andy ✈️❤️. Feels good to be back, Feels kind of like home

BALI ,INDONESIA July, 3, 2016 Known for its beaches, coral reefs, rice fields and forested volcanic mountains we headed to Country number 7....BALI!!! After working and saving a little money I took the cheap flight out of Cairns to Indonesia. Bali is a vacation destination for Australians, like Mexico to Canada. It's home to a mix of Asian culture unlike the rest of Indonesia. 90% of the people living in Bali are Hindu, 5% Muslim and the remaining practise Buddhism or Christianity. That being said Bali is home to some beautiful temples and religious sites. In fact every day you can hear the music and prayers on the radio, television or even filling the streets with its harmonious tuneful melodies. Andy and I flew 3 hours over to Bali's international airport in Denpasar and had a driver take us into Sanur. Sanur is a touristy resort type destination like Kuta except Kuta is way to over populated. Sanur was only a 26 minute drive from the airport and is slightly more relaxed so that's where we began our trip. Driving out of the airport I was over joyed to be back in a country that was so similar to Asia. I definitely developed a love for South-East Asia so it was nice to be back in a country of different culture, a different way of living, cheap prices, cheap beer and great food. The two of us checked into a nice and reasonably priced hotel called the Griya Hotel. We took the hotel bus down to the beach where we found little markets where you can bargain prices over cheap knockoffs. The sales people or should I say bargain experts can be quite aggressive, like the markets I visited in Asia, so the experience wasn't a shock for me. If anything it became something to look forward to, however it was an all new experience for Andy 😂. The poor guy took a while to realize that these people just want money and replying to them or stopping to look at things for to long increases the level of harassment. After battling the markets and purchasing some cheap retail we broke into a Resort. Spent some time having day drinks and swimming in their pool for the better part of the day. After getting slightly kicked out we walked along the beach and in through Sanur centre where we discovered heaps of funky and stylish restaurants before heading back to our own little hotel pool. The following day we rented bicycles at the beach for almost nothing. We explored the other half of Sanur beach and some of its Resorts, these resorts are really ritzy looking establishments. After a quick swim in the ocean, we returned the bikes and got back to our hotel. On the way back our cab driver decided to add some extra zeros to the cab fare which is common in Bali. Knowing that this was a common occurrence we refused to pay this unreasonable price after arguing with the driver. Later that evening we went on a night safari, a short drive out of Sanur and you end up at Bali Zoo. This very interesting Zoo/ Resort turns into a different place after dark where the people are the ones in the cage. After a tour around the Zoo you're treated to a great buffet dinner followed by a fire show. After the entertainment, groups of people are put into these cages and driven through the park. The Zoo keepers gave us food that we fed to rhinos, giraffes, zebras however they didn't give us food for one type animal in particular. They had raw chicken that they fed to the huge tigers that had climbed up on top of the cage where we had the opportunity to pet them as they devoured their dinner. Our last day in Sanur was maybe my most favourite day out of the entire Bali adventure. We had previously heard that hiring a driver for a day is an option for tourists and costs as little as $500,000 IDR or $50.00 AUS. We lucked out with the coolest driver who took us for the day to some unexpected, entertaining and captivating places. He brought us to a theatre where we saw the production about the mythological Barong (a lion), who represents the king of all spirits, his friend the monkey and the Rangda (a witch) and their fight between good and evil. Such a great performance! After that we were brought to a spice garden where they grow certain herbs, spices but mainly types of coffee. At this establishment they raise and breed civet cats that are known to digest coffee beans. The traditional Kopi Luwak, also knows as cat poop coffee is one of the most expensive roasts in the world. Here at the spice garden I got to taste test many coffee flavours like, ginseng coffee, hazelnut coffee and the one and only cat poop coffee. It's VERY delicious believe it or not and I even bought some to have at home. On the way to Ubud we pulled over to appreciate the beauty and intricate design that goes into these over hanging structures that are used during wedding ceremonies. This marvellous embellished creation is made with brightly coloured flowers and materials held together by palm leaves and bamboo. Finally arriving to Ubud we entered Monkey forest, an old temple that's now home to a large population of long-tailed monkeys. It's now highly populated by tourists who pay a fee to enter and feed bananas to these little guys. This old and sacred temple was truly a magical place. We finished off the day with a stroll around a local art gallery and had some great food at a restaurant next to a rice field. Finally Gili Trawangan, we woke up early the next morning, piled into a small bus, drove an hour to Padang Bay where we caught a connecting ferry to the Gili Islands. The Gili islands are 3 tiny islands with stunning sunsets, coral reefs, fringed in palm trees and white sandy beaches. After fighting the crowds of people the two of us managed to get our luggage and search for our accommodation. We stayed some what in the interior of the island, close enough to the party and beaches but far enough for some peace and quiet. We stayed at the very friendly and family ran Indigo Bungalows. You can walk the circumference of the island within an hour, hire a horse and carriage or a bicycle, there are no motorized vehicles on the Gili islands. That evening we walked across the island to watch the vivid sun go down in a matter of minutes while sitting on the very popular swing sets that were built in the ocean. We had a couple of beers at these rustic hippie beach bars before heading back to our bungalow. That evening we went bar hopping across the island, introducing ourselves to the many other nationalities of backpackers and introducing them to the game of flip cup, such fun! The next day was the beginning of Andy's 30th birthday celebration. After spending the early afternoon nursing hangovers at the beach and snorkelling in the crystal clear waters, we had an interesting massage where I was forced into these tiny plastic undies, went to a Shisha bar and hired bikes. A friend had told me prior to the trip that it's completely acceptable to ask the families that run these accommodations to cook for us so I arranged for that as a surprise. The very hospitable and generous family that ran Indigo Bungalows had the surprise dinner prepared for us after our day out. I must say having locals cook the heaping amount of local food for us was way better than any other meal I had on the entire trip. Especially the curry and they even serenaded Andy and I with the happy birthday song. The very next morning we woke up early and biked around the island before jumping on a boat that took us on a ten minute ride over to Gili Air. Gili Air is another popular but less populated island because there's very little to do or see. The island consists mainly of beautiful beaches restaurants and very few shops that don't stay open very late. Andy and I walked a part of the island, went for lunch and a quick snorkel before heading back to Gili T. By the time we got back it was dinner time and I'd say the best things to eat in Bali other than local food is their abundance of fresh seafood. We went to a place right on the beach lit up with tiki torches that served amazing seafood like many other restaurants. I got to pick out the size and quantity of a portion that they cut off of a meter and a half long tuna. The next day I treated Andy to a day of diving off of Gili T as a birthday present and it was pretty amazing. It was unlike any of the other 12 dives I've done before because the current was so strong at 25 meters deep partially due to the shape of the sea floor between the two islands. We saw turtles, trumpet fish, yellow spotted eel, clownfish(nemo) and many other varieties. We ended our day after diving by hiring some Big Wheel bicycles and rode around the island to a very cool bar called Malibu bar where we watched the sun go down one last time and had some dinner and all the drinks. Muhaha SEMINYAK! After fighting our way through the chaos of ferries, passengers, car rides and locals harassing us we finally made it to the popular and funky town of Seminyak. This high fashion and highly entertaining section of Bali is jam packed with one-of-kind restaurants, salon & spas and high-end to low-end retailers. We arrived late to our accommodation at Kamil Villas which was not easy to find. I would HIGHLY recommend checking out these villas when visiting Seminyak. Besides being located in the heart of the city this little slice of paradise comes equipped with an outdoor pool, jacuzzi and shower, kitchen, living room, master bedroom and walk-in closet. The next morning we started our day at a new favourite restaurant of mine called Revolver where each room is designed differently and the breakfast is out of this world. After brekky we took a stroll around he neighbourhood before heading to the beach. The beach in Seminyak isn't as beautiful as the Gili islands however it's clean enough to swim in. I spent a part of the afternoon struggling to surf, I'm no pro but everyone told me Seminyak is a great place for beginners because the waves don't break over coral... THANK GOD! The waves came in at full speed in sets of 3 and I just got tossed around like a rag doll half of the time. Andy took one look and said, "No Thanks!" After returning the surf board we walked up to Ku-Ta Resort where we just lounged in their day beds, had some drinks and swam in their pool. Later that evening we ate at La Favela next to the villa. This restaurant is out of this world, like nothing I've ever seen. The quality of the food is as if you were eating at a high-end restaurant but cheaply priced. Even the layout of establishment is so amazing and ongoing Andy and I left feeling inspired and truly satisfied. After going to revolver one last time, we took a stroll around the neighbourhood and the mall. We both treated ourselves to the best massage experience I've ever had..no, no happy endings haha. For $33AUD we got a 1 hour full body massage, body scrub and facial, felt so amazing after. Sadly that evening I got the ever so popular "Bali belly" or food poisoning from a certain place that left me super ill and useless our entire last day in Seminyak. At least I came back 10 pounds skinnier and Andy got a little time to himself to venture around whilst I slept away most of the day. All in all Bali has so many amazing places that you can't possibly do in one trip so I plan to come back and visit soon in the near future. I currently am solo sitting in a café at Sydney international airport having recently arrived here from Cairns Australia. I'm quickly finishing this long and overdue blog post because I'm off to catch my connecting flight to country number 8 this year.....FIJI!!!

NEW ZEALAND pt: 2 May, 5, 2016 (SOUTH ISLAND) I continue to travel through this gorgeous, majestic, standout, compact country. Home to the first ever bungee jump, home to one of the best Rugby teams, home to 52 volcanos and a few breath taking glaciers found across New Zealand. I took a ferry from my short lived visit in Wellington to South Island where I met the new kiwi bus. I’m not going to lie I was nervous that this group had already been travelling for a while so I’d be the odd one out. I figured it’d be harder to bond with a group of people who seemed to already be as close to each other as I became with the previous group. However within a few hours I managed to make friends with some awesome party animals and by the end of the trip I felt like we all got way closer as friends than I’d imagined, some romances even blossomed on the bus.

Unfortunately I would have loved to spend more time in Wellington but I had to cut it short so I could have ample time on South Island and especially in Queenstown. After 4 hours of driving from Picton we finally arrived to a very small town called Kaiteriteri. This place is known for its beautiful golden sandy beaches and stupendous views. A few of us had some cider on the beach under millions of stars before heading over to the only bar in town. We kept the party alive at this small venue and the owner was also the live music performer. I made GREAT friends with a 40 something year old bartender who kept feeding me Canadian Club whisky because she knew i was from Canada, I guess that means all Canadians love CC. Who am I kidding!? When backpacking you’ll drink rubbing alcohol if it’s free. The next morning we all got back on the bus and had a stop over at Abel Tasman National Park for lunch. This park has some great views of two very tall mountains that tower over a mirror like lake. The lake was filled with long black eels that we fed along with the ducks floating above. A friend on the bus ran in the cold water bare naked as he did at every single body of water that crossed our voyage, he’s a special person.

Travelling some more on the big green kiwi bus we arrived to a town called Westport. We stayed at Bazil’s backpackers which was by far the coolest hostel I’ve yet to stay at. The hostel had huge rooms filled with 8-10 beds, a kitchen, fireplace and bathroom. Because there was so many of us we took over one huge room which made it feel like one enormous sleepover. At 6:30am the next morning a few of the guys and myself rented surfboards and hitched a ride to the beach. The seal infested water was freezing so we had to wear wet suits. I’ve only surfed twice in my life, Costa Rica and Florida and these waves were possibly the second strongest waves I’ve come to battle. I feel like I’m improving and it was so fun, the best workout ever! Shortly afterward I climbed a huge hill to a lookout point where you can find heaps of seals lounging in the sun and playing in the surf, they are such interesting creatures. Back to the bus and off we went to a small backpackers called Mahinapua Hotel (the Poo Pub). It’s located at the side of the road that travels right along the west coast. This hostel had absolutely nothing around it, no grocery store or corner store just rolling hills of lush green grass, herds of sheep and the ocean. However this hostel is quite famous for throwing some wild costume parties for every bus company, like Kiwi Experience, that has travelled through since the early 90’s. Being the case that this location has no town near by we stopped off at a town prior before heading to the hostel. It’s absolutely mental now that I think about it. The bus pulled into this town and we all had only 1 HOUR for 40 people to come up with some sort of creative movie character themed costume, the best one would win a grand prize of a bungee jump. I went to K-mart and I happened to find some things in the toy department, bought some rubber boots, a couple XXXL ladies tops, fake jewellery and face paint. I used some creativity and anything I could remember from Fashion Design school and went as Captain Jack Sparrow. I didn’t win the prize but the night was one hell of a party!!! I highly recommend a stay at the very friendly and accommodating Poo Pub! They offer a large complimentary dinner, cheap drinks and a greasy breakfast too, great hangover cure!

Before heading to the next destination we had a stop off to check out Lake Mahinapua also known as Mirror Lake. The lake is so calm and still that it perfectly reflects the hills and mountains above and you can also spot a glacier well off in the distance. After a short voyage we arrived to Franz Josef a very small town consisting of 4 intersecting streets but surrounded by mountains, glaciers and rivers. We arrived quite late and some how found the energy to have a night out at the only happening bar called, Monsoons. The following day was a crazy experience! A few of us after breakfast decided to take a “stroll” on such a sunny day to go see where a part of The Lord of The Rings was filmed but mainly to see an enormous glacier. Some how a half hour walk turned into a 4 hour hike, the clouds decided to roll in over the mountains and it got so windy and foggy we couldn’t see anything in front of us, including the glacier. We crossed over a fast flowing river on some wire bridge and it decided to start pouring rain. None of us were dressed properly so we were all absolutely freezing to death. We bumped into some others travelling on the bus too and we all waited in a small enclosed shelter together for the rain to stop but it just got worse. We noticed other hikers ran for their cars and took off, some of us asked to hitch a ride back but there was to many of us… Leave no man behind!!! Eventually a trailer was pulling out and Lauren ran through the rain barefooted to see if all 10 of us could hitch a ride back. Thankfully this RV full of 50+ year old Taiwan people decided to bring us back, what a miracle, some of our lips were turning blue. They didn’t speak a word of English but I hope they understood our appreciation. Polished off our night in Franz Josef with a hot tub hangout, all you can eat pizza accompanied with the movie Point Break. Between this and my Waiheke experience I don’t know which was worse. All unforgettable memories, that’s for sure! The following day we took the bus to Wanaka where me and three others from the kiwi bus decided to meet a connecting bus and skip ahead through Milford Sound and drive right on into Queenstown.

Finally Queenstown! also called, the Adrenaline capital of NewZealand. Surrounded by ocean, snowy peak-mountains and home to the first ever built AJ Hackett bungee jump. Queenstown was one of my favourite places I got to visit for only 4 short days. At this point 2 out of the 3 friends I was travelling with lived in Queenstown. So my friend Claire and I took advantage of sleeping on a floor mattress together at their home. Andy and Kate were amazing and showed Claire and myself around the town, they even introduced us to some great people. We had some delicious meals overlooking the water, went on a couple 3D rides and an adventure maze. Eventually the group we travelled with prior met up with us and we had some wild crazy nights, So fun! Katie and I took one day and decided to go bungee jumping. Not just any bungee jump, but the 7th highest in the world and the HIGHEST in the world that can reach closest to the ground. This 134 meter drop of a monster was called, The Nevis and it was more scary than the 14,000 foot skydive I did in Australia. I couldn’t scream or laugh, not a sound came out of me. The people working say, “3, 2, 1, BUNGEE!” and without a thought in your mind you just force yourself to jump. You leap out toward the horizon only to feel the sensation of free falling, at full speed toward the river and rocks below. You fall for so long that it sends you in a panic before the cord snaps back and flings your body back up into the sky a couple of times. My last night with the gang was spent at a small house gathering of people and an epic night out. Love both my NewZealand gangs! Unforgettable journey! One that everyone needs to experience in life.

I love the people I’ve met travelling through this small but glorious country. At this point I’d have to say I prefer travelling solo in these large groups. These other adventurers have the same mentality as myself when it comes to travel. Every group has a different vibe from the other but all in all we’re people of different ages, from different places, in search of inspiration, adventure and thrill. Off to the next place! ✌🏼️✈️

Back in Australia again! Feels great to be working and satisfying my clients with some natural looks and edgy styles. Like this bleach out or the drastic makeover I did on my client Becky. Feel free to book: The Hair Studio 77B Lake Street, Cairns 4031 1496

NEW ZEALAND pt1: April 30th. 2016 (NORTH ISLAND) After one layover in Brisbane I made it to New Zealand. First stop, the city of Auckland! I got acquainted with Auckland immediately by wandering around all night. After a while I soon realized that Auckland is an exact replica of Toronto and Vancouver if they were meshed together with a few extra hills. It has a similar sky line, has a hippie vibe, the Sky Tower resembles the CN tower and it's fast pace like any city I suppose. The next day I headed 45 minutes by ferry off of the main land to Waiheke Island for a little hike but that turned into a hike I'll never forget. Waiheke island is a large island with beautiful vineyards, endless grassy hillside and million dollar coastal views. I was told to go on a short two hour hike and it started off beautifully. First crossing a black volcanic sandy beach I marched through dense forest, plant life is interesting here with its mix of enormous ferns taller than myself, palm trees and gargantuan evergreen trees and others that resemble plant life in Canada. The pathways cut close to the edge of these 20 foot drop-off cliffs that meet the ocean. However these 100-plus year old trees still manage to grow at the very edge of these cliffs, so cool! The rolling hillside of lush green grass filled with sheep and vineyards put a smile on my face that reached from ear to ear. It put the child back in me where I started to run and skip like a crazy person cause no one is around to make judgments haha. I was basically rolling down hills as if I was Julie Andrews in the sound music. I kept walking and walking, climbing so many steep narrow staircases along the coast line, suddenly I realized I must have missed a turn and 2 hours had past long ago. I continued to walk and hadn't seen anyone for a good 4 hours, the sky began to turn dark and I decided I needed to cut through somewhere and get to a street. Once I did I walked more, my legs were dead tired, I attempted hitch hiking cause I was out of gas and out of water. Finally making it back to the info desk that originally told me the 2 hour route to take, they informed me on a map that I did it in 6 hours and hiked approximately 16km and we all had a chuckle before heading back to Auckland. Should have been more prepared because I began to assume I'd be sleeping in a forest on some dried palm leaves. All in all it's a great story, an unforgettable adventure, an intense workout but I guess Terry Fox went way further and he only had one leg. The next day I took a 3 hour inner-city bus outside of Auckland to the town Matamata. Matamata is a small touristy town with a population of 6000 people. The reason it being so touristy is because it's where director Peter Jackson decided to film the iconic movie the Lord of the Rings. Not being an absolute diehard fan of the movies myself I wasn't sure if it would be worth it but it was absolutely worth every cent. Not only were the views breathtakingly gorgeous but it was like stepping back in time into a miniature village called, The Shire where Sam, Frodo, Pipin, Gandalf, Fin and Bilbo Baggins all lived. The tour also shared so much information like how they went about excavating the land, movie trickery, how much detail went into the props and production.... Like installing fake trees around the natural century old trees and wiring 200,000 leaves on them, all imported from China. They also told us mistakes like Gandalf hitting his head and Bilbos birthday cake actually catching fire in the background and the cameras kept rolling. Highly recommend this tour and I promise you'll leave wanting a hobbit home in your own backyard, you can even get married there for those that are looking for one heck of an interesting wedding. The following day I got picked up by the kiwi experience bus, a bus that circulates through the entire country of NewZealand where you can hop on and hop off where ever you want. Not only did I have the coolest bus driver/tour guide of all time but the group of 50 people on the bus got along so well. We drove to Hot Water beach just south of Auckland where we spent the night under millions of stars in geothermal hot springs that come up out of the sand. Great way to bond with the gang and have some drinks! The following day we drove to a town called Waitomo where a small group of us did a very intense caving trek. We abseiled 35 meters into an hourglass shaped crevasse and zip lined 20 feet through a cave filled with glow worms. It was so amazing tubing down a stream 60 feet underground while the twinkling glow worms filled the cave walls almost as if I were floating through space. After learning about these glow maggots we had to crawl through tight claustrophobic spaces and climbed up waterfalls deep underground. I finally saw day light after 6 hours of caving. Such a highlight of the trip and a definite must do in NewZealand. We polished off the night partying at the only bar in Waitomo called Curly's Bar, an award winning bar known for brewing some of NewZealand's best ales. We left Waitomo and drove into Rotorua a larger town known for having fun activities and sulphur springs which is easily noticeable the second you step into the town. I had the chance to walk through these smelly gardens where these natural springs are found. It's a natural and kind of interesting place but it's pretty much the earths anus. These large holes in the earth bubble and spew the smell of sulphur in the air making it smell like rotten eggs. After taking a swim at the hostels heated pool I got ready and I did a tour through the Tamaki village where the Maori people, native people of NewZealand, put on demonstrations about the way they lived. It was a very interesting evening that started off with a traditional welcoming dance. We were lead through this recreated village learning about how weapons, homes and clothing were made. They made all of us men stand on a platform and learn the traditional Hakka dance and I also got chosen to take part in the traditional way the warriors of the village would be trained in case of battle. Before dinner the Maori people did another traditional dance, preformed the Hakka properly for us and showed us the food we'd be eating in the ground. A Hangi, essentially a prehistoric slow cooker, is a way the people would cook larger portions of food by digging a large deep hole and using steam to slowly cook vegetables, meat and fish. We ate a buffet style dinner and the entire meal was cooked this way, very delicious. After a filled night of dancing with the gang at Lava Bar we did the luge in Rotorua before heading to the small town called Taupo. The luge was so fun and something I've never experienced where you basically put yourself in a tiny plastic cart that only has brakes and the force of gravity rolls you down a mountainside at full speed depending on the track you take. Taupo, like most towns, offers and abundance of activities like skydiving and mountain biking but because it's been rainy a few of us went to the natural hot springs. A 30 minute walk from our hostel lead us to a large park and after walking through the cold, wet and windy weather it was so nice to sit in these natural waterfalls and hot springs for the remainder of the afternoon. I spent the last night with this awesome group of people at a club called Element where we danced the night away. Unfortunately the next day I had to leave the kiwi group to maximize my time on the south island of NewZealand. On an inner-city bus I skipped through River valley into Wellington with a pal I made on the previous kiwi bus. He happened to know someone who lived there and we all went to dinner together. She let us stay over for the night at her sorority house full of students in downtown Wellington before hopping on the next kiwi bus the very next day. The north island kiwi bus was full of some awesome people, even though I only knew them for just a week. Travelling in these large tour groups is great because we have an eye out for each other. It's easy to get close to certain people when you spend every minute with them while checking off these once in a life time opportunities together on our own individual bucket-lists. It's as if fate brought together these open-minded strangers who all have the same thirst for wanderlust from different corners of the world and were forced to work as a team, forced to be sociable and do things we wouldn't normally do. I was always taught that making a real friend takes years to make but I know that certain people I've met on this trip will hopefully keep in contact and are always welcome to my home in Canada and vice versa. As for the ones who live in Toronto see you sooner than later. Oh and Thank God for Facebook!

AUSTRALIA Pt2: March 20th,2016 (Cairns continued) Cairns is well known for having two of the worlds largest and oldest ecosystems, the Daintree Rainforest and The Great Barrier Reef. These two natural wonders date back millions of years where you can still find prehistoric plant and animal life. Some species are coming terrifyingly close to extinction, like the endangered Cassowaries- an old relative of the emu. Since I'm in the closest thing to a real life version of Jurassic Park I took advantage to explore these wild mountainous landscapes. I booked a tour up to Cape Tribulation where I spent the day exploring abandoned beaches where this ancient rainforest literally meets the reef. I hiked through jungle learning about different animals and prehistoric plant life and took a river boat cruise trying to spot different types of crocodiles. We had lunch off of a sacred River in aboriginal territory where no one is allowed to swim in anymore because the indigenous woman would give birth in the river back in the day. Today woman will still sometimes bring newborn babies to this river to bless their children. I got to canoe a certain part of this beautiful river only up to a certain point and it sure was gorgeous with crystal clear waters surrounded by lush, entangled, green jungle. Later we finished the day at cow bay with some delicious homemade ice cream before driving 3 hours back and crossing over on a boat through crocodile and bull shark infested waters. I really need to thank one individual who made exploring Cairns what it is. I met someone who's amazing and the nicest person ever, just so happens to be the best personal tour guide and who I've hung out with in Cairns for these past two months now. The two of us took a 7km sky rail overlooking the rainforest, essentially a giant ski lift that makes its way into the little bohemian town of Kuranda. In Kuranda we visited some cool places where I was surrounded by butterflies, fed tropical birds and held a koala. We spent Easter up in the Tablelands exploring waterfalls like Barron falls and Milla Milla falls, swam in a fresh water lake and learned a whole lot about coffee at Coffee Works (a coffee plantation). We hung out at the more posh upscale neighbourhoods in the beaches just outside of Cairns. Recently the two of us went to a hilarious comedy show called First World White Girls. We went to Hartleys, a crocodile farm where you can feed and see these man eating crocs up close. Cairns is filled with crocodiles so be careful swimming anywhere! But Hartleys is safe. Here we fed different types of kangaroos, pet a koala, fed cassowaries and Andy fed a croc. So many great dinners and movie nights! Thanks Mr.👌🏼 Australia's a great country from what I've seen and there is still so much to see and learn. Fun fact: the kangaroo and the emu are two animals on the Australian emblem because they are two animals that can't walk backwards. A form of symbolism that the country is always moving forward! So far Australia, this giant island named after the southern lights Australis, has been a great adventure and I can't wait to continue exploring it. However for now I've headed to New Zealand! It's strange that I'm looking forward to this vacation get away since I've been on a working routine here in Cairns. Sort of like a vacation within a vacation, I guess that is what differentiates living abroad as oppose to just a "get away". So long for now Australia and Hello Kiwi land!! .

77B Lake street has been full of new clients, new experiences and opportunities. Very grateful to have been hired on the spot by The Hair Studio in Cairns, Queensland Australia. I'm flattered to be offered a sponsorship and trusted with all the responsibilities I've been given. Great staff and lead by a fabulous manager!!! Thanks😍

AUSTRALIA Pt1: February 20th, 2016 (Cairns:) Had a blast travelling for a month and a half with my friend but I now travel solo. I took a greyhound for 10 hours from Airlie, through Townsville, Mission Beach before finally arriving to Cairns at midnight. I checked in at The Jack Backpackers which is a cheap and fairly clean hostel. The following day was lovely and unexpected! I pounded the pavement, handing out my CV, in hopes of finding a job to make up for the money I've spent the past two months. After applying to numerous jobs I thought all hope was lost because Cairns is a backpacker town. Everyone wants a job and most businesses aren't willing to hire a tourist on a working holiday visa. However I walked into a salon called, The Hair Studio on Lake street and was given a chance. On the spot my wonderful new manager, Cally asked if I could wash, style and give her an up-style. I was hired! and was later offered to work night security at The Jack as extra payment and free living accommodations too. For my first day in Cairns I was pretty happy to have landed two jobs and free living accommodations. It's all doable!! My first few days I found time in between my two hectic work schedules to still experience Cairns. I walked 5km to the botanical gardens, a free tropical garden full of butterflies and exotic plants, including the worlds largest Flower called Titan Arum. Beside the gardens is a very steep hiking trail called the red arrow or blue arrow pathway. It's quite the workout but well worth the amazing view that over looks the airport, the town and the ocean. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world that stretches from Fraser Island up to the top of Australia. At first I had some regrets for not getting my scuba diving license in Asia because it's so cheap there. However I managed to find a deal on getting it in Australia and the price really made all the difference in the quality of the classes and amount of information given. I signed up with Down Under Divers and they're a phenomenal dive company, small classes, 2 days in the pool, 2 days out on the reef, 4 reef dives and they really jam the information down your throat so I really remember it. I finally am now Open Water Certified and had the opportunity to do it on the best reef in the world! After working a couple of weeks I've had diving on my mind. I signed up again to dive but this time for my Advanced Diving, so I'm now an advanced diver too. I spent 2 days on the same 3 floored ship, named Evolution, free food and I did 6 specialty dives. This certification allows me to now dive 30 meters as oppose to 18 meters and the specialty dives consist of 6 different skill sets. I'm happy to have made some great friends here. I've met some girls at the Jack who are always game for a night out and some great ones at work too. I planned a day with my co-workers and we ventured to an amazing set of waterfalls here called the crystal cascades. We spent the day climbing waterfalls and sliding around rocks, battling the current of the rapids. Australia is much like Canada from our senses of humour, culture, lifestyle and so on. It does have minor differences like food, weather and lingo. For example, it's weird seeing people grocery shop barefooted, the barefooted life is common here in this part of Australia and Cairns especially seems very laid back. Can't believe I've been living here for an entire month already! Long enough to see the palm leaves turn brown from the extreme heat we've had here. 37 degrees and humidity is in the high 90s, I'm a melting Canadian boy here in the tropics but it beats the cold harsh wintery spring Canada is having now..suckers!

AUSTRALIA Pt 1: February 13th, 2016 (Airlie:) After flying from Phuket-Bangkok, Bangkok-Sydney, Sydney-Brisbane, Brisbane- Hamilton island I FINALLY arrived, gotta love cheap flights but I can finally say, "HELLO AUSTRALIA!!!" My friend and I arrived to Airlie beach located in the Whitsundays. The Whitsundays are a cluster of 74 gorgeous islands off of the main land. We caught a ferry from Hamilton island and had one stop over at Day Dream island, Day Dream is a more romantic island for couples, not for us. As we left the marina the ferry went past three statues of mermaids peaking out of the sea in front of Day Dream island, each worth $15,000. Finally arriving to Airlie Beach we lucked out with a fairly nice room at a budget hotel called, Club Croc Hotel, it's a 30 minute walk from downtown Airlie so I got my exercise. the weather is quite humid so many days were spent just hanging by the man made lagoon and figuring out what to eat for lunch. The lagoon is the place to go because from October to May is jellyfish season so there's no where else to swim. Lunch now depends on prices, Australia is much more expensive than South East Asia so serious money budgeting has now become a factor in my life again. Little Vegas is a restaurant I ate at 3 times, best burgers and fish tacos ever! and Magnums is a cool bungalow styled backpackers. I hung out a few days with some really cool people I met from magnums and others by the lagoon, who I later re-met in Cairns. I took a couple days and splurged on some excursions, even though prices for activities and adventures are much steeper than Asia, Y.O.L.O!! I may never get these opportunities again. We went on a boat tour with Ocean Rafting, 120 kilometres around Whitsunday islands. I snorkelled for an hour at billygoats bay and the reef was beautiful, there was many colourful fish and I swam alongside a purple spotted stingray. We later ate lunch at one the top 10 beaches in the world known as Whitehaven beach. This long winding beach of Snow White sand and clear as crystal water is a protected national park. No one is allowed to live, camp or even collect the silica sands from the beach. It's very protected as is 70% of the Whitsunday islands being mostly National Park too. For my friends Birthday she decided/ peer pressured me into going sky diving which was totally worth every minute, well all of the 15 minutes I spent falling out of the sky. We flew high above the Whitsundays and we saw some spectacular views of the beautiful islands. Each person dropped from the plane leaving me to be the last one out and at 14,000 feet above the jellyfish infested sea I jumped out. You really feel the speed from the wind blasting me in the face while free falling. It was such an adrenaline rush! The parachute let open and I got to steer my way down to the ground. Airlie beach is quite a beautiful place, backpacker or retiree. Airlie has something for everyone and I'd totally recommend checking out this chilled out community.

Thailand Pt2: Jan, 31st, 2016 Running on 3 hours of sleep, I took off to Bangkok airport to catch the next flight to Phuket. Phuket is a large island located on the most southern tip of Thailand, just above the equator. After having arrived, I took a bus to a little beach town called, Patong. I got a room at The Blue Ocean Resort where I'll be spending the next 5 days, I highly recommend this beautiful fully equipped hotel. Having made some great friends from the previous tour they later joined me in Patong to continue the great times we've shared. We spent the past three days loitering around the town, booking tours, reconnecting with loved ones, searching for job opportunities and eating some great food at the local markets and restaurants. We mostly relaxed without a single care for time, responsibilities and all the other day to day obligations we are faced with in the world. We booked a speed boat from Patong to Raya island and spent the day snorkelling, had lunch and swam in the bright blue sea and rolled around in the sand that was as white as baking flour. That evening we spent our last night together before finally separating on Balang street. With bright lights and loud music filling the strip, Balang street is the Los Vegas of Phuket for travellers passing through. The next day I checked into the gorgeous Sawadee Hotel where I met with a second tour group ran by Contiki tours. There's 35 members in the new group, everyone is a little younger in age and are 95% Australian. Good for me to make more connections when I head to Australia. Naturally having a final farewell celebration with my previous friends on Balong street we had to celebrate a welcoming for the new group, so a total of 3 wild nights full of dancing, gambling and drinking some cheap drinks on the strip. The following day a few of us from the new group took a speed boat to see monkeys and crazy overhanging rock formations on Panak island. After that we headed to Khao Phing and Ko Tapu islands, also known as James Bond island where Man with a Golden Gun was filmed. We later ate lunch at another island called Panyi island, a floating island ran by mostly Muslim fishermen and their families. I visited a school here just to checkout and say, "hello" to the children in their classes. Finally We polished off the day on the beautiful secluded Bamboo island, such a great way to bond with the new crew. Everyone is amazing! Love Australian people!!! With all of our bags packed we took off by ferry from Patong beach to Kho Phi Phi (Phi Phi Don). Kho Phi Phi is up there as one of my favourite islands so far, I'll sure be returning to this small hippie community of an island one day soon. The movie, The Beach was filmed on a small island off of off Don called, Phi Phi Ley and it's quite a popular beach destination. I never came to terms with how much of a fan I actually am of the movie until I entered the bright blue lagoon where it was all filmed. After we spent sometime at Monkey Beach where monkeys came down from the tree tops and we fed them bananas and water, they know how to open and drink from a water bottle like we do, so strange. Later that day I went snorkelling again but this was the best snorkelling ever! huge schools of fish would swim by me in neon colours and I saw 3, 4 footlong black tipped sharks swim around me. It's was terrifying at first but it's such a fascinating world under the sea, I was so thrilled that the following day I booked a day of scuba diving. Three Australian guys and myself booked scuba diving together and it was one of the best days I've had in the past 7 weeks. I was so inspired by the thrill of diving that I bombarded the instructor with thousands of questions on how to become an instructor, possible new career.... Underwater haircuts. I saw sharks, huge tortoises, jelly fish, bright neon coloured coral, eels, puffer fish, cuttlefish, blowfish, clown fish and more. Besides the beauty that lies underneath the ocean, the silence, hand signals and everything that goes along with diving is so cool. Everyone needs to attempt a dive at least one time in their life! That evening me and the guys ended our "bro's day out" at this SUPER hippie rooftop bar called, Banana bar, we basically got pulled into it by someone. They were showing the movie The Beach on projectors and served Mexican food....my two favourite things, the bar also sold joints to every table which was awesome! Seeing as most come to this island to see where The Beach was filmed the bar was completely silent and focused on the movie as the smell of Mexican food and chronic flowed through the air. After we stumbled through the tourist filled alleys with smiles on our faces and happened to find a Muai Thai boxing match. Tourists could join in and fight other tourists and it was kind of like bonding between different travellers believe it or not. I truly wish I had an extra day on Phi Phi island because it's a great place but for now I'm off to the next destination, Krabi!!!

While down in Phuket I did a long layered cut and a men's fade. Building my clientele where ever I go! I apologize for being shirtless, It was extremely hot weather.