Click here to see the first half of my Singapore trip!
It has been absolutely ages since I last wrote a blog post, sorry! This is the second half of my trip to Singapore, a beautiful city surrounded by the sea.
Day one was spent in the city of Singapore, touring the sights and visiting the shopping centre at the Marina Bay Sands hotel. It was bonkers! As soon as we walked into the shopping centre, the thing that struck us most was that everything was designer. There was a shop that was giving out free ice creams for their promotion - a watch shop! Carrying on into the shopping centre, we saw some vending machines. We walked up to them expecting to be able to buy a drink as the heat of Singapore had left us very thirsty, but when we got to them we were surprised to find that they were actually gold vending machines. You could literally go to one of these machines and buy a bar of gold with different designs on. I remember when I was younger and I used to buy the kids collectable things like the more recent loom bands and it just seemed so crazy that bars of gold has literally been made into something that people could collect and maybe even swap?!
Also in the shopping centre was a little canal going down the middle with crystal clear water and behind the queue a small fleet of sampan boats were revealed. For the next ten minutes or so, we floated down the water, listening to the voices of our paddlers behind us who seemed to be having a lot of fun splashing people in the queue with water.
Later in the afternoon, my family and I walked out of the shopping centre and took a stroll around the gardens of the hotel. Outside there were metal sculptures that looked like mushrooms, and walkways in the sky. The heat radiating off the path was incredible and we had to be careful not to step on the tiny little lizards that tiptoed below us.
After, as the sky turned darker, we headed back inside the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and climbed its tall legs, all the way to the 57th floor. As imaginable, the sights were just something else. Way down below us boats floated by weighed down by their cargo, cars whizzed past, ant sized people scuttled around the busy streets and the lego sized city stood.
The 57th floor is famous for its restaurant and even more so for its pool in the clouds. Swimmers can walk right up to the edge of the skyscraper and sit by the (glass) edge of the pool and take in the sights. Although, I was disappointed to find out that only hotel visitors could swim in the pool. After doing my research about the hotel, I can tell you that for a deluxe room for 2 adults and 2 children for one night, the price starts at $499 (as of 6/10/15) . As you've probably guessed, there was no way that we were going to pay that just to sleep there for a night and use the pool, no matter how cool it would be!
Whilst on the 57th floor (the highest), we decided to have a meal. The waitors were with us as soon as we took our seats offering us drinks, making us feel comfortable and like we were VIP. The meal was so tasty too with a filling main of sushi with a caviar topping. In total, with the drinks included, the meal only cost $240 for four of us. That was around the same price as going to the viewing platform on the floor below us which is right on the edge but it's definitely worth going right to the top while you're there.
Later on in the evening, we took the lift back down to the bottom of the Marina Bay Sands hotel and continued to walk until we got to the Formula 1 race track. It seems as though we timed it well to go there as they were still building the track so the lights were on and the starting grid was open to access. We stepped on to the race track through a break in the fence that surrounded it. Might I add that at this point my Dad was so excited that he was almost galloping! As you might expect, lots of pictures were taken, including some of my sister and I sat in the number one space on the grid and
taking a walk through the garages that had been reduced to nothing but the surrounding walls and a few bolts and screws scattered across the floors.
The same night, we watched the light show coming from the Marina Bay Sands hotel. The crowds grew as the night went on and it was like a lovely community event. Everyone came out to see the lights to celebrate Singapore's 50th anniversary.
Day two was equally a fun. The shopping centres were crammed again. For lunch, we had planned to experience the culture, but that was short lived as we ended up in an American Diner. We only ordered sandwiches to save ourselves for tea but those sandwiches were humongous! I don't think I've ever seen so much meat! After lunch, we did a bit more shopping before walking back to the hotel past the river and all the busy restaurants.
The next day was an animal adventure in Singapore Zoo. There, we stroked iguanas, and walked around the animals. Might I add that no animals in that zoo are totally enclosed so we were mega close to the extravagant elephants and other exotic animals. There was also a river cruise where we were told that we might see some rhinos and other animals, however there was nothing in the water at all - definitely a waste of money! I don't recommend that trip.
The final day was a way to go out in style. In the morning, we were up bright and breezy and we walked to the Raffles Hotel to have a look round the shops. It was quite posh, but what was posher was the Fullerton Hotel. This was a big hotel near the middle of the city which gold decor and lots of floors. It was almost as posh as the Marina Bay Hotel. Inside, we had an afternoon tea with loads of cute little sandwiches and snacks. They were very expensive and they had a lot of caviar on.
Before this holiday, I had never tried caviar but I have to say, I don't hate it. It is very strange. They are like the bubbles you get in Bubble Tea and they just pop in your mouth which is a rather strange sensation! All in all, the holiday was absolutely amazing and I would 100% going to Singapore if you ever get the chance.
Arizona
Saturday, 31 October 2015
Thursday, 10 September 2015
Singapore: Sentosa
Click here to see my Australian Adventures blogs!
Hiya! My last few blog posts about Australia have been fairly popular so it seemed only right to continue with my holiday blogs (as promised). So without further ado, here is my first Singapore post:
After leaving our hotel in Darwin and heading to the airport, we boarded our first flight of the day to Kuala Lumpur. After approximately four hours of being crammed on the plane and being overwhelmed with the smell of the 'plastic' airplane food, we landed. Tired, we shuffled off the plane and waited in the airport for an hour. Unfortunately, the jewelry that I was wearing set off all the alarms in the security area and I had to be pulled to the side again (It happened in every airport I went to!) and checked! It's definitely not my favourite thing to happen in the airport!
After the embarrassment of the stop off, we again boarded a flight. Luckily for me (I hate flying), this flight was only about 45 minutes from take off to landing. During the taxi across the runway I noticed that one of my favourite albums was on the entertainment system and I turned into the embarrassing family member that mimes every word while pulling some shapes in my chair - you all know one I'm sure. I didn't even notice we had left the airport.
Arriving in Singapore was relieving and it helped that I recognised where I actually was. The rest of the holiday from here was bonkers.
The first local that we met was our taxi driver, a very passionate driver with such a great sense of humour! He told us about the country, the government, the laws and made us feel like we knew Singapore inside out. The hotel that we stayed in was actually in Sentosa, the tourist island off Singapore. On arrival, we were again greeted by a concierge who took our bags, led us to the reception area and gave us some iced lemon tea - it was a great start.
Moving into the room, I was amazed, like seriously amazed. Everything was newly furnished - the doors were huge and heavy oak, there were golden leaves above my bed, a flat screen TV on the wall, a welcome present on each bedside table, a shower that could literally fit about five people in and so many more intricate details. It was stunning. And, as if that wasn't good enough, there was a knocking on the window. For once it wasn't a room maid or hotel staff but instead a beautiful Peacock! A real, living peacock! Just roaming around like a pigeon! It's fair to say that it got a big mention on my snapchat story :D
Anywayyy, moving on...
Our first day was spent queuing in Universal Studios. I don't think I've ever been to a theme park that's so busy! Having said that, it was busiest closest to the entrance (coincidence?) and after venturing further into the park, we discovered my new favourite ride. It was an Ancient Egyptian themed rollercoaster with fire, backwards motion, a lift and loads of epic drops! The waiting time was only 5 minutes long and I might have accidentally gone on it four times! It was AMAZING!
Unfortunately, we got the closing time wrong and lost two hours at the park that we thought we had, however, we did manage to get on the tallest rollercoaster with a 14 storey drop! For someone that doesn't deal with adrenaline very well, I think that I coped with it great. I would have gone on it again and again if I had time!
In the evening, we went for tea at the Hard Rock Cafe. I really wish that I could give a review about how great it was, but I'm sad to say that I could only eat one bite of my ginormous burger as it made me really sick :( On the bright side, my cocktail was pretty tasty!
Day two was a really exciting day at a water park. There was a lazy river that I must have gone around about eight times and trust me, even with the power behind me, swimming around it instead of floating round it was extremely tiring. (Just for the record, I'm not that unhealthy, it must have been about a mile around it looking from a cable car above). In addition, there were dolphins, water slides and my favourite, an artificial coral reef with more than 20,000 colourful fish. I saw my chance and jumped straight in and snorkelled with them! It was incredible! This day was the only one that it rained heavily but luckily, as we were swimming, it didn't even matter!
The next day terrified me slightly, and by slightly I mean a lot! We began the morning by hurtling across a zipline over the sea onto a little landing island. It was another dream come true and a fear conquered. Heights have never been my friend so to rely on something as small and thin as my harness was quite an achievement for me, in my opinion.
Afterwards, we swam in the sea and I have to say, for those of you that like to float about on little inflatable things, there was no need in this sea. I could literally float on my back without an aid from floats or even my arms! Open sea swimming was something that I would never have done back home in England but it was such a unique experience with the sea being so warm and the fish, that I had to.
The last activity of day three was to take a cable car across the city and, oh my goodness, it was absolutely terrifying. The sites were awesome, but it's not natural for anyone's heart to be beating that fast I'm sure. Cable cars are something that I still need to get used to I think.
Our last day in Sentosa was spent at our hotel spa. My family and I had a pretty private pool with a rock cave to get out of the sun. There was also a mudbath... we had no idea what to do and ended up having a bit of a mud fight, but I suppose that it wasn't too much of a crime as we did tidy everything up!
The stay in Sentosa was one of which I will hopefuly never forget and if you are ever passing by Singapore, I would highly recommend a visit!
Arizona
Hiya! My last few blog posts about Australia have been fairly popular so it seemed only right to continue with my holiday blogs (as promised). So without further ado, here is my first Singapore post:
After leaving our hotel in Darwin and heading to the airport, we boarded our first flight of the day to Kuala Lumpur. After approximately four hours of being crammed on the plane and being overwhelmed with the smell of the 'plastic' airplane food, we landed. Tired, we shuffled off the plane and waited in the airport for an hour. Unfortunately, the jewelry that I was wearing set off all the alarms in the security area and I had to be pulled to the side again (It happened in every airport I went to!) and checked! It's definitely not my favourite thing to happen in the airport!
After the embarrassment of the stop off, we again boarded a flight. Luckily for me (I hate flying), this flight was only about 45 minutes from take off to landing. During the taxi across the runway I noticed that one of my favourite albums was on the entertainment system and I turned into the embarrassing family member that mimes every word while pulling some shapes in my chair - you all know one I'm sure. I didn't even notice we had left the airport.
Arriving in Singapore was relieving and it helped that I recognised where I actually was. The rest of the holiday from here was bonkers.
The first local that we met was our taxi driver, a very passionate driver with such a great sense of humour! He told us about the country, the government, the laws and made us feel like we knew Singapore inside out. The hotel that we stayed in was actually in Sentosa, the tourist island off Singapore. On arrival, we were again greeted by a concierge who took our bags, led us to the reception area and gave us some iced lemon tea - it was a great start.
Moving into the room, I was amazed, like seriously amazed. Everything was newly furnished - the doors were huge and heavy oak, there were golden leaves above my bed, a flat screen TV on the wall, a welcome present on each bedside table, a shower that could literally fit about five people in and so many more intricate details. It was stunning. And, as if that wasn't good enough, there was a knocking on the window. For once it wasn't a room maid or hotel staff but instead a beautiful Peacock! A real, living peacock! Just roaming around like a pigeon! It's fair to say that it got a big mention on my snapchat story :D
Anywayyy, moving on...
Our first day was spent queuing in Universal Studios. I don't think I've ever been to a theme park that's so busy! Having said that, it was busiest closest to the entrance (coincidence?) and after venturing further into the park, we discovered my new favourite ride. It was an Ancient Egyptian themed rollercoaster with fire, backwards motion, a lift and loads of epic drops! The waiting time was only 5 minutes long and I might have accidentally gone on it four times! It was AMAZING!
Unfortunately, we got the closing time wrong and lost two hours at the park that we thought we had, however, we did manage to get on the tallest rollercoaster with a 14 storey drop! For someone that doesn't deal with adrenaline very well, I think that I coped with it great. I would have gone on it again and again if I had time!
In the evening, we went for tea at the Hard Rock Cafe. I really wish that I could give a review about how great it was, but I'm sad to say that I could only eat one bite of my ginormous burger as it made me really sick :( On the bright side, my cocktail was pretty tasty!
Day two was a really exciting day at a water park. There was a lazy river that I must have gone around about eight times and trust me, even with the power behind me, swimming around it instead of floating round it was extremely tiring. (Just for the record, I'm not that unhealthy, it must have been about a mile around it looking from a cable car above). In addition, there were dolphins, water slides and my favourite, an artificial coral reef with more than 20,000 colourful fish. I saw my chance and jumped straight in and snorkelled with them! It was incredible! This day was the only one that it rained heavily but luckily, as we were swimming, it didn't even matter!
The next day terrified me slightly, and by slightly I mean a lot! We began the morning by hurtling across a zipline over the sea onto a little landing island. It was another dream come true and a fear conquered. Heights have never been my friend so to rely on something as small and thin as my harness was quite an achievement for me, in my opinion.
Afterwards, we swam in the sea and I have to say, for those of you that like to float about on little inflatable things, there was no need in this sea. I could literally float on my back without an aid from floats or even my arms! Open sea swimming was something that I would never have done back home in England but it was such a unique experience with the sea being so warm and the fish, that I had to.
The last activity of day three was to take a cable car across the city and, oh my goodness, it was absolutely terrifying. The sites were awesome, but it's not natural for anyone's heart to be beating that fast I'm sure. Cable cars are something that I still need to get used to I think.
Our last day in Sentosa was spent at our hotel spa. My family and I had a pretty private pool with a rock cave to get out of the sun. There was also a mudbath... we had no idea what to do and ended up having a bit of a mud fight, but I suppose that it wasn't too much of a crime as we did tidy everything up!
The stay in Sentosa was one of which I will hopefuly never forget and if you are ever passing by Singapore, I would highly recommend a visit!
Arizona
Wednesday, 2 September 2015
Australian Adventure: Darwin
Click here to see my previous post!
Hopefully you have come here after reading my three previous posts. If so welcome back! This is the final post of my Australian series, however not the last of my summer travel posts; there will be two posts from our stop off at Singapore for each of the two hotels that we stayed at, so fear not!
After having journeyed through Sydney, Cairns and Port Douglas, we caught a plane to our last location in Australia - Darwin!
On departing from the airport, we caught a shuttle bus with a bunch of partying backpackers and although they were noisy, it was very interesting to listen to their stories and their different languages and accents. The weather in Darwin was so hot but fortunately the hotel had great air conditioning and I will forever remember how refreshing it was to walk in to the hotel and be instantly chilled. We were also offered cookies and so the first impressions of the hotel were fab! After arriving very late at the hotel, we went straight to bed.
The first day in the city was our last free day in Australia and we started the day well with a nice all you can eat style breakfast in the hotel and then we went shopping down the road. I absolutely loved sharing the streets with the local aboriginals. They are so cool and I found them to be very friendly too. The culture of the locals, especially the aboriginals themselves, was something that I had really been looking forward to experiencing since we booked the holiday, so when first saw one I was absolutely delighted! I would like to point out that I don't view Aboriginal people as a tourist attraction, I think that they should be valued for their heritage and culture.
In the afternoon, after a long morning of shopping, we visited Crocosaurus Cove. I'll give you three guesses as to what might be there...
It was incredible. I never realised that crocs were so big! The ones that I have seen in wildlife parks and zoos were no where near the size of the ones here! At the cove there were opportunities to swim with crocs (I swam with the baby ones), get a picture taken with them (or in our case about 90 photos) and to see other aquarium creatures and reptiles. It was awesome.
The day after was another really cool one and a total dream come true. In the morning, we were woken by our alarm at about 6:30am and left the hotel on a bus to the Litchfield National Park. Our first stop off was at a cafe in the outback. We were greeted by the locals in a friendly way again... I don't think that I met one unfriendly Australian!
Afterwards, we went a little further down the road and came to a graveyard of termite mounds. They are, in my opinion, one of the most amazing works of architecture of the insect world. Inside each mound there is a network of tunnels carved carefully by the termites that look like white ants. There is also a queen termite that keeps the colony together and under control. The best mound that we visited was almost twice the height of my sister and I, and bearing in mind that I am about 165cm (5ft5"), it was very tall.
Further down the road, we walked down a cliff side and swam in a lagoon with some beautiful fish and a rushing waterfall that I swam out to sit under. This was a dream come true and another fear conquered. Walking back up to the bus was very tiring as we had gone down over 100 very steep steps but it was definitely worth it. Later on in the trip there was a boardwalk surrounded by trees packed with huge fruit bats and another lagoon/waterfall. Little did I know that there were actually fish eating crocodiles in there and I swam right across it! In the side of the rocks, there was a natural pool that had been formed around the same size of a hot tub, so I climbed the rocks and jumped straight in!
In the evening we were dropped at a market on the beach and after getting a Mexican takeaway, we sat as a family and watched the sun set. The sun disappeared so fast that by the time we ate our burritos, it was dark... and the party began!
The market came to life with the music of the didgeridoos and the laughter of the locals. The lights were switched on, the stalls were opened and the city was illuminated. There was a fire juggling duo, a world buffet of food stalls and a whole host of stalls displaying Darwin's culture. We probably spent the most we've ever spent at a market, buying jewelry, aboriginal art, food, instruments and a couple of other things. Although, having said that, we were trying to use up the last of our dollars before we flew to Singapore!
To finish off the night, we returned to the entrance of the market where a drum and didgeridoo double act were playing. To my delight it turned in to a bit of a street party and the local aboriginals came down and danced with us. Although a little drunk, they were brill! They absolutely made my day. When the music finished, we walked back to the hotel, packed our bags and went to bed to get some sleep, ready for the next leg of our summer adventure.
Arizona
Hopefully you have come here after reading my three previous posts. If so welcome back! This is the final post of my Australian series, however not the last of my summer travel posts; there will be two posts from our stop off at Singapore for each of the two hotels that we stayed at, so fear not!
After having journeyed through Sydney, Cairns and Port Douglas, we caught a plane to our last location in Australia - Darwin!
On departing from the airport, we caught a shuttle bus with a bunch of partying backpackers and although they were noisy, it was very interesting to listen to their stories and their different languages and accents. The weather in Darwin was so hot but fortunately the hotel had great air conditioning and I will forever remember how refreshing it was to walk in to the hotel and be instantly chilled. We were also offered cookies and so the first impressions of the hotel were fab! After arriving very late at the hotel, we went straight to bed.
The first day in the city was our last free day in Australia and we started the day well with a nice all you can eat style breakfast in the hotel and then we went shopping down the road. I absolutely loved sharing the streets with the local aboriginals. They are so cool and I found them to be very friendly too. The culture of the locals, especially the aboriginals themselves, was something that I had really been looking forward to experiencing since we booked the holiday, so when first saw one I was absolutely delighted! I would like to point out that I don't view Aboriginal people as a tourist attraction, I think that they should be valued for their heritage and culture.
In the afternoon, after a long morning of shopping, we visited Crocosaurus Cove. I'll give you three guesses as to what might be there...
It was incredible. I never realised that crocs were so big! The ones that I have seen in wildlife parks and zoos were no where near the size of the ones here! At the cove there were opportunities to swim with crocs (I swam with the baby ones), get a picture taken with them (or in our case about 90 photos) and to see other aquarium creatures and reptiles. It was awesome.
The day after was another really cool one and a total dream come true. In the morning, we were woken by our alarm at about 6:30am and left the hotel on a bus to the Litchfield National Park. Our first stop off was at a cafe in the outback. We were greeted by the locals in a friendly way again... I don't think that I met one unfriendly Australian!
Afterwards, we went a little further down the road and came to a graveyard of termite mounds. They are, in my opinion, one of the most amazing works of architecture of the insect world. Inside each mound there is a network of tunnels carved carefully by the termites that look like white ants. There is also a queen termite that keeps the colony together and under control. The best mound that we visited was almost twice the height of my sister and I, and bearing in mind that I am about 165cm (5ft5"), it was very tall.
Further down the road, we walked down a cliff side and swam in a lagoon with some beautiful fish and a rushing waterfall that I swam out to sit under. This was a dream come true and another fear conquered. Walking back up to the bus was very tiring as we had gone down over 100 very steep steps but it was definitely worth it. Later on in the trip there was a boardwalk surrounded by trees packed with huge fruit bats and another lagoon/waterfall. Little did I know that there were actually fish eating crocodiles in there and I swam right across it! In the side of the rocks, there was a natural pool that had been formed around the same size of a hot tub, so I climbed the rocks and jumped straight in!
In the evening we were dropped at a market on the beach and after getting a Mexican takeaway, we sat as a family and watched the sun set. The sun disappeared so fast that by the time we ate our burritos, it was dark... and the party began!
The market came to life with the music of the didgeridoos and the laughter of the locals. The lights were switched on, the stalls were opened and the city was illuminated. There was a fire juggling duo, a world buffet of food stalls and a whole host of stalls displaying Darwin's culture. We probably spent the most we've ever spent at a market, buying jewelry, aboriginal art, food, instruments and a couple of other things. Although, having said that, we were trying to use up the last of our dollars before we flew to Singapore!
To finish off the night, we returned to the entrance of the market where a drum and didgeridoo double act were playing. To my delight it turned in to a bit of a street party and the local aboriginals came down and danced with us. Although a little drunk, they were brill! They absolutely made my day. When the music finished, we walked back to the hotel, packed our bags and went to bed to get some sleep, ready for the next leg of our summer adventure.
Arizona
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Australian Advenure: Port Douglas
Click here to see the previous post!
After visiting Sydney and Cairns (see the previous posts), we have come to Port Douglas:
Our journey to Port Douglas began after we left our apartment at the Cairns Colonial Club. The shuttle bus took us up the long windy road that we had been on the day before, for about an hour or so while we viewed the sights such as Snapper Island - a piece of land out at sea that looks like a hippo coming out of the water, or as our bus driver said, Dolly Parton lying down!
Arriving at the hotel was a pleasant surprise - it was sooo posh! Walking up to the entrance, we were stopped by a concierge who took our bags from us and delivered them to our room while we checked in. The lobby was vast and inside were a small selection of designer shops, a restaurant down the steps, a grand piano which I would later play and of course, the reception.
After checking in, we made our way outside and we found ourselves at loads of sandy edged swimming pools. There was a bar by the pools where we were served a cocktail each (non-alcoholic may I add), made from local fruits. The hotel was right on a STUNNING beach; there were fresh coconuts everywhere and lush scenery!
Most of our day was spent by the pool or on the beach after we had been around the hotel a few times. At tea time we tried a selection of food from the buffet at the hotel and the service was wonderful: they came round and refilled our drink (although one of the waitors spilt it on the table, bless him!)
The second day was also very similar. The majority of the day was spent by the pool writing postcards to our loved ones back home. Later on in the evening, we went for a long walk down the beach and in to the town of Port Douglas itself where we visited Dave's Takeaway. Anyone who I know that reads this blog will probably know that my father's name is David, so he was able to have a Polaroid picture taken and it is now on the Wall Of Daves. If you are visiting, be sure to look out for him!
Day three was the first time that we stayed out of the hotel for the full day. In the morning we walked down the beach again and into Port Douglas. We began by walking right up to the very top of the town to sight-see. As it was so hot, we had to go back down to the town to get a drink and then the rest of the day was filled with shopping and eating!
Unfortunately, the fourth day in Port Douglas was our last. To make the most of the hotel before we left, my family and I spent the morning around the pool again after having a buffet breakfast. We also had a family competition of table tennis... I was obviously the champion! ;) In the afternoon, we returned to the room and got ready to board the plane to Darwin. I was particularly sad about this journey as it meant that I had to leave Port Douglas, my favourite place that we had been after Kuranda. On the bright side, it was on to Darwin!
Arizona
After visiting Sydney and Cairns (see the previous posts), we have come to Port Douglas:
Our journey to Port Douglas began after we left our apartment at the Cairns Colonial Club. The shuttle bus took us up the long windy road that we had been on the day before, for about an hour or so while we viewed the sights such as Snapper Island - a piece of land out at sea that looks like a hippo coming out of the water, or as our bus driver said, Dolly Parton lying down!
Arriving at the hotel was a pleasant surprise - it was sooo posh! Walking up to the entrance, we were stopped by a concierge who took our bags from us and delivered them to our room while we checked in. The lobby was vast and inside were a small selection of designer shops, a restaurant down the steps, a grand piano which I would later play and of course, the reception.
After checking in, we made our way outside and we found ourselves at loads of sandy edged swimming pools. There was a bar by the pools where we were served a cocktail each (non-alcoholic may I add), made from local fruits. The hotel was right on a STUNNING beach; there were fresh coconuts everywhere and lush scenery!
Most of our day was spent by the pool or on the beach after we had been around the hotel a few times. At tea time we tried a selection of food from the buffet at the hotel and the service was wonderful: they came round and refilled our drink (although one of the waitors spilt it on the table, bless him!)
The second day was also very similar. The majority of the day was spent by the pool writing postcards to our loved ones back home. Later on in the evening, we went for a long walk down the beach and in to the town of Port Douglas itself where we visited Dave's Takeaway. Anyone who I know that reads this blog will probably know that my father's name is David, so he was able to have a Polaroid picture taken and it is now on the Wall Of Daves. If you are visiting, be sure to look out for him!
Day three was the first time that we stayed out of the hotel for the full day. In the morning we walked down the beach again and into Port Douglas. We began by walking right up to the very top of the town to sight-see. As it was so hot, we had to go back down to the town to get a drink and then the rest of the day was filled with shopping and eating!
Unfortunately, the fourth day in Port Douglas was our last. To make the most of the hotel before we left, my family and I spent the morning around the pool again after having a buffet breakfast. We also had a family competition of table tennis... I was obviously the champion! ;) In the afternoon, we returned to the room and got ready to board the plane to Darwin. I was particularly sad about this journey as it meant that I had to leave Port Douglas, my favourite place that we had been after Kuranda. On the bright side, it was on to Darwin!
Arizona
Saturday, 29 August 2015
Australian Adventure: Cairns
Click here to see the first blog of this series!
Hello!
Hopefully you have arrived here after having read my first blog post of this mini series which you can find on the link above. If so, please enjoy the second section of my trip to Australia!
After visiting Sydney and all it's wonderful sights, my family and I headed to the airport via a shuttle bus. We endured three hours on a very bumpy flight - the turbulence was so rough that even the air stewards were struggling to stand up and serve refreshments - and finally arrived at the Cairns Colonial Club Resort, a beautiful apartment hotel surrounded by palm trees and Australian countryside. We were very relieved to jump into the chill of the pool to be refreshed after being in the warmth of the sun.
In the evening, we headed out to a local League Club where we experienced the local culture and tasted some fabulous foods in the buffet such as Roasted Pumpkin and a lot of prawns!
Our first full day in Cairns was another chance for me to fulfil one of my life long dreams - snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef! We boarded a boat down by the harbour and were given our flippers and snorkels.
Here's a slightly gross tip for snorkelers: if you want to stop your goggles from steaming up in the water, rub your spit on the lenses and then dip them in the water. The spit on the lenses will improve your visibility because of its properties! Thank me later...
The boat trip took us out to a reef about an hour and a half away from the shore. At this point we realised how scary the reef snorkeling would actually be. We were literally in the middle of the sea with no protection from danger except from a couple of the boat crew looking out for sharks. There was virtually no briefing on how to snorkel apart from the obvious, breathe through your mouth! The sea was very rough and the waves were as tall as me. Our adrenaline was through the roof. Stepping off the boat was like leaving your parents on the first day of school; no one knew what to expect, we were all nervous and no one really enjoyed it.
After our first reef experience, the boat continued to another reef. Fortunately this experience was a lot better. We were told how to use the flippers and the sea was calmer which of course meant that we were calmer! My Dad and sister were very quick to jump off the boat and start swimming to the reef about 20 metres away. My mum and I took a lot more convincing, especially me as I was worried about drowning! However, the fish were beautiful. They were absolutely incredible and I could not have been happier to have snorkeled over the world's greatest aquarium.
Moving on from the reef experience, the second day was by far one of my favourites. This day was made up of a ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a stunning ride up through the mountains, into the village station at Kuranda - aka my future home town. It was a really pretty hippy village, with the most wonderful looking people. Everybody's hair was dreadlocked and their style was totally unique. The culture was incredible. At one of the shacks I even got a dreadlock of my own in the under layer of my hair which remains while I am typing this up almost a month later! In addition to the train and the village, we also floated across the skies in a 7km long series of cable cars, some of the tallest and the longest in Australia. It was a day spent filled with good fear and excitement. I would definitely go back!
Finally, our last day in Cairns came, another that I had been looking forward to. We started out day by clambering onto the bus at about 7am. After the hotel pick ups, we travelled along a spectacular scenic road for about an hour or so, taking in the views of the coral blue sea. The time flew by and we soon stopped off at a wildlife park near Port Douglas. Walking through the entrance, we were met by an abundance of friendly wallabies and kangaroos, along with koalas, crocs, birds, lizards, butterflies and so much more, all of whom where wandering free in the park. (Don't worry, the crocs were under a bridge that we walked under and so were not a danger to anyone). Next, we took a stroll through a forest and enjoyed lunch in a treehouse cafe near the beach where I'm sorry to say that I ate a kangaroo steak (BUT IT WAS SOOOO GOOD!).
Lastly, we floated down the Daintree River searching for and finding crocodiles with the people from the bus, before returning back to the hotel.
Watch this space for my next instalment of my little Australian Adventure series!
Arizona
Hello!
Hopefully you have arrived here after having read my first blog post of this mini series which you can find on the link above. If so, please enjoy the second section of my trip to Australia!
After visiting Sydney and all it's wonderful sights, my family and I headed to the airport via a shuttle bus. We endured three hours on a very bumpy flight - the turbulence was so rough that even the air stewards were struggling to stand up and serve refreshments - and finally arrived at the Cairns Colonial Club Resort, a beautiful apartment hotel surrounded by palm trees and Australian countryside. We were very relieved to jump into the chill of the pool to be refreshed after being in the warmth of the sun.
In the evening, we headed out to a local League Club where we experienced the local culture and tasted some fabulous foods in the buffet such as Roasted Pumpkin and a lot of prawns!
Our first full day in Cairns was another chance for me to fulfil one of my life long dreams - snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef! We boarded a boat down by the harbour and were given our flippers and snorkels.
Here's a slightly gross tip for snorkelers: if you want to stop your goggles from steaming up in the water, rub your spit on the lenses and then dip them in the water. The spit on the lenses will improve your visibility because of its properties! Thank me later...
The boat trip took us out to a reef about an hour and a half away from the shore. At this point we realised how scary the reef snorkeling would actually be. We were literally in the middle of the sea with no protection from danger except from a couple of the boat crew looking out for sharks. There was virtually no briefing on how to snorkel apart from the obvious, breathe through your mouth! The sea was very rough and the waves were as tall as me. Our adrenaline was through the roof. Stepping off the boat was like leaving your parents on the first day of school; no one knew what to expect, we were all nervous and no one really enjoyed it.
After our first reef experience, the boat continued to another reef. Fortunately this experience was a lot better. We were told how to use the flippers and the sea was calmer which of course meant that we were calmer! My Dad and sister were very quick to jump off the boat and start swimming to the reef about 20 metres away. My mum and I took a lot more convincing, especially me as I was worried about drowning! However, the fish were beautiful. They were absolutely incredible and I could not have been happier to have snorkeled over the world's greatest aquarium.
Moving on from the reef experience, the second day was by far one of my favourites. This day was made up of a ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, a stunning ride up through the mountains, into the village station at Kuranda - aka my future home town. It was a really pretty hippy village, with the most wonderful looking people. Everybody's hair was dreadlocked and their style was totally unique. The culture was incredible. At one of the shacks I even got a dreadlock of my own in the under layer of my hair which remains while I am typing this up almost a month later! In addition to the train and the village, we also floated across the skies in a 7km long series of cable cars, some of the tallest and the longest in Australia. It was a day spent filled with good fear and excitement. I would definitely go back!
Finally, our last day in Cairns came, another that I had been looking forward to. We started out day by clambering onto the bus at about 7am. After the hotel pick ups, we travelled along a spectacular scenic road for about an hour or so, taking in the views of the coral blue sea. The time flew by and we soon stopped off at a wildlife park near Port Douglas. Walking through the entrance, we were met by an abundance of friendly wallabies and kangaroos, along with koalas, crocs, birds, lizards, butterflies and so much more, all of whom where wandering free in the park. (Don't worry, the crocs were under a bridge that we walked under and so were not a danger to anyone). Next, we took a stroll through a forest and enjoyed lunch in a treehouse cafe near the beach where I'm sorry to say that I ate a kangaroo steak (BUT IT WAS SOOOO GOOD!).
Lastly, we floated down the Daintree River searching for and finding crocodiles with the people from the bus, before returning back to the hotel.
Watch this space for my next instalment of my little Australian Adventure series!
Arizona
Monday, 10 August 2015
Australian Adventure: Sydney
G'day mate!
I'm so happy to be able to tell you that I CONQUERED AUSTRALIA! Ahhh!
As most of the people that read my blog often might know, my family's trip to Australia has been years and years in the making! (See my previous blog). Ever since my parents went on their honeymoon to Australia it has been on their (and my) bucket list to go back and after nineteen years, we were lucky enough to be able to tick it off.
Our Australian adventure started with a 20 odd hour plane journey to Sydney and we stayed in a lovely apartment hotel on the 26th floor in Darling Harbour. Boy was I glad to get to that hotel! While in Sydney we went on some stunning day trips to places such as the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, Manly Beach (a short boat trip from Sydney Harbour), along with some sights that the locals enjoy like The Rocks, an area of Sydney where the first fleets of ships landed and the slaves and poor people carved stone for buildings. We were also taught about the window taxes that buildings had. The more windows you had, the more tax you had to pay so people often bricked their windows up during construction to avoid having to pay. The tour guides were welcoming and their accents and dialect were very endearing.
In addition to this, I was able to achieve another of my dreams which was to go to the Blue Mountains. This is perhaps a less known area of Australia, but none-the-less one that is renowned for it vast landscape of trees, mountains and waterfalls. It also has the steepest train ride in the world at a 52 (correct me if I'm wrong) degree angled slope and it recently had a renovation for over $30 million (AUS). Another two of the attractions in the mountains were the cable cars and skyrails; these are some of the highest cable cars in the world so I think I can also say that I'm just about over my fear of heights!
In conclusion, Sydney was a wonderful welcome to Australia with its friendly people, culture and warm weather - although I understand that the locals thought it was freezing! Being a true Brit, I was walking round in shorts turning redder and redder by the day while they were sat around heaters and bonfires in winter clothes. The food was fantastic, the boat cruises and trips we went on were very well catered for and well planned and the atmosphere was friendly. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to go there and indeed I would recommend a visit if there's ever an opportunity.
Arizona
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Friday, 24 July 2015
Internet Friend
Second post of the day? Crazy right!?
I realised that I missed some more exciting news... I met my internet friend last week!
Amy and I met through twitter about a year ago. We bonded over our love of Walk Off The Earth (a band) and found that we had other similar interests. With us both being the same age, it is nice to have her to talk to as we go through things in school and at home such as exams and holidays.
After talking and skyping for ages, we decided to meet. (I can hear voices telling me now that I should be careful. I agree, meeting people on the internet can be dangerous but I think it's fair to say that we were both very careful and we both had support from our parents).
Amy made a seven hour journey to a town close to where I live and we decided on a time and a place to meet.
I was so excited but also very nervous. But there was no need for my nervousness as Amy was so friendly (just as I had hoped...well...known) and smiley.
We started our time together by getting on a little train (which we were obviously too old to be on!) and took photos...
After that, we went for a walk around the shops and ended up getting a McDonalds together! And finally, we went back to the park and sat and talked for ages which was lovely.
I couldn't believe how well we got on together! It was so nice to finally meet Amy, and I think it's a friendship that will last a long time. I feel like I've known her for years already!
Arizona
***Please be safe online. If you have any suspicions that someone will present a danger to you, block them and report them! I don't recommend meeting someone from the internet unless you are 100% sure that the person you are talking to is who you think they are.***
Reaching For Dreams: Australia
Hiya everybody!
I'm so excited to announce that I'm going to Australia for just under a month.
It has been one of my dreams for as long as I can remember.
I used to spend my mornings watching Steve Irwin at Australia Zoo and wishing that I could experience Australia's culture. And I'm so fortunate that this is now a reality.
Although it hasn't been easy or cheap to get tickets!
To make this dream a reality, my family created a "five pence bottle" - our first motivation to save up. Together we contributed to our trip spending money over the period of about five years by saving all of our five pence pieces and putting them into a large antique glass bottle. No one was allowed to touch the money once it went in or even count it so we were surprised to find that we saved up more than £65!! Good work family!
We also saved up our money individually; my parents started to save birthday money and earnings, my sister also saved birthday money and Christmas money, and I saved my money from baby sitting and stopped blowing all my money on new instruments and junk!
My very generous extended family also offered us money and support to help us get over there after they heard about the trip.
Of course, a trip of this length also takes quite a lot of arranging and preparation- both mentally and physically. This was organised by my parents... Thank you!
At this point in time, I know virtually nothing about where in Australia we are going - It's all a big surprise - so I can't share any of that excitement yet but I'm sure I will share pictures and blog posts on it very soon!
Finally, apart from sharing the excitement, I want to share this message:
Dreams can be made into a reality if you work hard and be patient - it could take years or it might happen sooner. Take every opportunity to push forward towards your goals. Remember that there's a version of you in the past that looks up to you and a version of you in the future that is looking back down and cheering you on, so proud of what you've achieved!
Arizona
Monday, 16 March 2015
What It's Like To Be 16
I struggle in the sinking sand at the bottom of the tall, over hanging cliff; my peer's grades pushing me deeper- further into the oblivion. The pressure comes in waves, growing voluminous as it crashes towards me. It takes me under as I'm lost in a swirling vortex of my thoughts; where do I go from here? What happens if I fail?
I feel ambushed.
Seagulls fly in circles around my head, looping and dive bombing, using their claws like tiny daggers, ripping me apart. "Don't forget to hand your homework in", they would squawk with their beady eyes piercing me.
Me heart is pounding now.
My grades seem further away than ever, glancing down from the tall cliff above, mocking me as I immerse further. Each piece of rock languidly crumbling, crushing my ambition. They tumble down the cliff face, hurtling towards the vast expanse of openness that is surrounding me.
Suddenly, a storm dawns...
My mind becomes cloudy, not dissimilar to the swirling sky above me. My thoughts race like children bounding across what was once creamy golden sands. The distant echo of the ice cream van is gone now, instead being replaced with the screech of catastrophe.
There is no escape. No retreat. The dreams of being rescued, pulled from my conscience are long gone. I'm trapped, struggling in the sand.
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