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Exploring The Great Barrier Reef - Fitzroy Island
Cairns is famous for the Great Barrier Reef where you can snorkel and dive with turtles and sharks. Bonus to this are a range of stunning...
Exploring The Great Barrier Reef - Fitzroy Island
Weeks of working hard have passed by in a blur. We decided we needed to stop the never-ending carousel and do something fun with some of our hard-earned wages and occasional day's off.
Cairns is famous for the Great Barrier Reef where you can snorkel and dive with turtles and sharks. Bonus to this are a range of stunning islands, a short hop from the city by boat.
Fitzroy Island is home to a resort, a restaurant, with beach hire and water-sports too, as well as some relaxed and safe swimming and snorkelling in the warm spring waters.
On the boat ride over we decided places like Fitzroy are why England just kinda sucks, and why people out here are so abundantly fortunate, because they can just jump on a boat and head out to what some would view as an absolute paradise, on the drop of their wide-brimmed hat.
Being able to explore this small exotic gem is one reason why the tropical North of Queensland is definitely worth a longer stay.
We travelled to the island with locally owned Raging Thunder, who offer a range of packages from a basic island transfer to inclusions for snorkelling, lunch and a glass bottom boat tour.
A fun tour with a medium-sized boat, the island didn't feel too overcrowded in the morning, and so we explored the stunning Nudey Beach, where the water is ridiculously clear and inviting.
We snorkelled here briefly but found the better snorkelling to be had was at the more sheltered Welcome Bay where the main hub of activity is.
The water here is stiller, yet the coral beds are still easy to reach, just a few feet from the shoreline.
There is also an awesome floating trampoline in Welcome bay, free to use for Raging Thunder customers throughout the day. You'll find yourself swimming out to it and practising your flips in no time!
The last 2 months have felt great in terms of progressing in our savings goals as well as making new friendships and sampling life in yet another part of Australia, and this was just one aspect of that.
At times our recent busy schedules have made the real beauty and fun of travel feel like a distant memory, and we hoped we could spend this day recuperating from all the crazy-ness, and we did just that.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
The Honest Guide To Hostel Etiquette
Are you keen on the prospect of waking up every day beside 10 other people? You saucy thing you...
The Honest Guide To Hostel Etiquette
Are you keen on the prospect of waking up every day beside 10 other people? You saucy thing you.
Okay, well would you mind being woken at 4am by the piercing brightness of a phone torch?
How would you like having to go the bathroom every time you wish to change your outfit?
And is it a dream of yours to listen to the snoring (and other ablutions) of not just one, but maybe 2, 3, 4 or 8 strangers?
Well then my friend, hostel dorm living is for you!
It's not all bad though....
Do you also like the prospect of having good, empathetic company, when you want it, and alone time when you need it?
Do you like sharing your stories and life experiences with like-minded individuals?
Well then, yet again, hostel living will bring something uniquely awesome to your travelling life.
For all the up's and downs, nuisances and annoyances that hostel life can bring, we have still contentedly lived in the same hostel for over a month now, and it truly has become home.
Some people hate every moment of not having their own space or being surrounded by people coming and going at all hours, but after 4 months in a somewhat lonely house-share in Noosa, we are firmly not in the hostel hate camp.
We have a unique situation here in Cairns in that we work for our accommodation; we get free access to everything in our well-equipped hostel in return for 4 hours work every other day. We might currently sleep in separate bunks, an interesting scenario for a couple...but we still feel like we are getting extremely good value for our small contribution of time.
Beyond the financial aspect of getting free or cheaper accommodation, and the logistics of having everything we would have in a house-share (and then some) its also just pretty darn cool.
You meet so many people who you bond with, or can just share a chat with when you want to. There are nights out that you don't feel obligated to go along on, but you'll be welcomed openly if you do.
There's a social atmosphere but no associated pressure or judgement; you truly can be yourself, do your own thing but also stave off homesickness or loneliness if you need to.
On the flip-side of all this, you certainly have to practise tolerance for the different levels of inconsiderate behaviour you will undoubtedly encounter.
When you put 50+ people in a smallish space you are going to get irritated by the differing habits of others, but in trying to be a bit more understanding of my fellow travellers, I have a few tips for how to counter the moments where you want to commit a sass attack on someone who's doing an iphone light-show in your pitch-black dorm at 4.25 am (yep, it's happened, more than once).
The Basics
If you have never ever stayed in a hostel before, most of them are very similar in culture but often different in vibe.
The main two types you will come across are the party hostel, and the non-party smaller and cosier hostel that is still cultivating of a social atmosphere, and this type is our favourite.
To name just one like this in Australia, there's the Flying Fox in the Blue Mountains, which had pasta nights and a cosy sitting room with a 3 hour internet ban each evening to encourage social interaction which led to some hilarious conversation and games.
Our current hostel, Globetrotters in Cairns, doesn't go so far as to cut the internet cord but still cultivates a warm and homely atmosphere that makes people not want to leave.
Its TV/gaming area, sofas, pool garden, hammocks, quiz night and free BBQ/daily breakfast are all part of its appeal; its attention to these details of comfort are the secret to its success above the more party-oriented hostels in the clubbing mecca of Cairns.
Free BBQ!! They even include some vege stuff for us :D
Somewhere along the way you will find hostels with very little personality, well-run but often too big or tightly managed to feel like a home.
You will also find the hostels where cleanliness hasn't been made top priority and you feel dirtier after you shower than when you went in...
Checking In
When you check into a hostel you may need to hand over a deposit for your room key and also for basic utensils to cook with, and then in others you will find a fully-stocked kitchen heavily reliant on a guest trust system.
Many hostels have a free-for-all on fridge space and you find yourself squeezing your overflowing food bag into any free gap only for it to be moved by someone.
Our current hostel has a pretty cool system of having fridge lockers which mean your food is far more secure and yet easier to access when you need to.
Quite often hostel receptions have specific check-out and check-in hours and many do not have 24-hour receptions meaning its wise to research these things ahead of rocking up to a hostel door at 6am or trying to check out at a similarly early hour.
Security
It's always wise to make use of hostel lockers, so be sure to bring along a couple of your own locks, but if your hostel doesn't have these, then make sure you put your valuables out of sight, possibly locked away in your backpack under your bed.
If things are out of sight then of course you will detract the opportunist thief but it will give you piece of mind when you leave your room to go out for the day.
When it comes to food, the same idea applies, in that if you don't want a human or ant or cockroach to feast on your banana, keep it bagged up and out of reach. Often though, especially in fridges in kitchens far away from your dorm room, you might be the target of a thief, and they might just go for your new fresh nob of butter (not that I'm holding a grudge or anything...).
Short of putting locks even on your fridge bag, the best thing is to label all your food items clearly and then tie them up in a labelled bag. If your food has your name on it in big black marker pen it's going to dissuade the cheeky ones who will openly use stolen goods in the kitchen.
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Late Nights
Some hostels have a strict policy against all noise/ in-hostel drinking at night and the threat of being ejected for being too rowdy is always there.
Our current hostel has a night manager throughout the evening so things are kept a close eye on, but some hostels we've stayed at before have let people run riot in the corridors and keep everyone awake all night; that's a frustrating and expensive night of absolutely zero sleep we've had the privilege to experience more than a few times.
Pro tip, eye masks and ear-plugs, but also be sure to read hostel reviews before you visit them as commenters will remark on if that hostel is a good one for sleeping or for partying.
Cooking
So as I mentioned earlier, many hostels require a deposit for utensils and others rely on a trust system of you using their stuff, cleaning it and not pilfering the silver-wear...
When we cook we always keep our stuff together and try not to sprawl out on the kitchen-side and put off anyone else wanting to cook; this isn't your own home, even if it sometimes feels like it, so don't act as if there's no-one else also paying for use the facilities.
Take your food scraps out of the sink after you wash-up, wipe the side down and don't let your milk leak in the fridge!
You might argue that hardly anyone else abides by these courtesies but in hostels you can very much lead by example; the dirtiest kitchens we saw were down to one person after another not doing even a cursory post-cooking clean and so nobody else wanted to either.
Showering
At home you might have favoured 10 minutes standing under the shower before you even began to wash your hair but if you do that in a busy hostel, you are gonna annoy people.
Many hostels suggest you stick to 5 minute showers which aren't always realistic but we try and aim to be done quick some days and then maybe have a longer shower another day, which is especially important in a dorm where 10 people are sharing one shower.
Don't leave behind your shower gels and shampoos for the next person to trip over (or nick) and grab those dirty undies too!
Luggage
Some travellers are content with one big backpack and a smaller bag which they can neatly squirrel under their bed, and then other travellers prefer 4-5 bags, and it's all good, we are all entitled to do our thing!
However, a dorm is not a walk in wardrobe as many think it is...it is a shared space where people don't want to have to side-step your case in the middle of the walk-way.
Its cool if you have a ton of stuff, just try to keep it to one zone and respect the personal space of others.
That's our room, the staff dorm. Our beds are the two in the centre. Taran on top, Hannah on the bottom...It looks cluttered but its kept tidy and clean!
Social Life
The best part about hostel life is of course the people you meet. There's an automatic common ground among the different nationalities and personalities in the melting pot of a hostel which makes it easy to talk and have fun.
There's definitely the feeling of all being in the same boat, doing similar trips and excursions and often living off noodles when your out of work, spending hours attached to a laptop trying to change that situation, and then of course the nights out where the drinks help bond you even further.
The only difficult aspect of this is that people constantly move on and leave, sometimes before you can get to know each other, and sometimes just as you've truly forged a relationship.
Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, its not like all contact will be lost, and you can still observe each others travels and lives from afar, but it still feels sad at the time.
Eventually you do get more used to the goodbyes which come as often as the hello's, and over time I think it makes you a more open, friendly and compassionate individual, which almost makes the wrench of constant change a worthwhile part of hostel life.
All of the above advice boils down to: don't be a rude idiot with no self-awareness...
I get that many people travelling for the first time don't set out to be the annoying or ignorant hostel guest; for some its a hard balance of being comfortable and yourself in a hostel space, whilst also remembering that you aren't in your own home or bedroom where your own rules apply.
We have found over time that you definitely don't have to live in a state of unease amidst concerns over all the above hostel issues, and eventually you will learn how to happily cohabit with a building full of different people to the point that you feel no desire to leave.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
Noosa to Townsville: An Ode To The Road and The Mountains
We have gone back out into the world, left behind Noosa, a bubble of abundant wealth and neat beauty...
Noosa to Townsville: An Ode To The Road and The Mountains
We have gone back out into the world, left behind Noosa, a bubble of abundant wealth and neat beauty. Rich man's playground and poor man's workplace.
I sit in the back of an old if not determined commodore, head resting against the solid mass of my backpack, the place I stow all my worldly possessions. Well, the ones I choose to bring along on this journey.
My leg is twisted awkwardly, resting along the window edge. A steady flow of cool air kisses my face, coming in from the driver-side window.
Its the blackest night, punctuated by the occasional reflective sign, made less quiet by the sound of music of every genre.
Daniel, our driver (found via a Facebook ride-share group), a fun and kind-spirited German dude, plays some of his own recordings. We move between our home-grown favourites and some other classics.
The road is ours and ours alone, or so it feels.
In our metal cocoon we fly along the highway, feeling each bump and hump as we soar.
The conversation is real and interesting, truths being spoken with open ease.
I rest my eyes and let sleep take me in short bursts, waking not to see if we have reached our destination but to stare back out into the black.
Is there anywhere more peaceful, suspended from real life and real time, than being out there on the road?
You are moving away from one part of your story, running toward the next chapter. But you are merely a passenger, along for the ride, letting the road deliver you forward. Your mind can wanderer faraway, or stay right there, immersed in the moment before the next thing begins.
Who knows what comes next?
Townsville
Arriving in Townsville at 7am, the sun just rising in the sky, the car slowly moved toward the strand, where we could stretch our tangled limbs and dip our toes in the ocean.
In the distance sat the tall and lush green Magnetic Island; we would be heading there tomorrow.
We made our way to sleepily find food and eventually check into a hostel, at which point Daniel would be going off on his own way. We hugged and said goodbye, aware that we might not see him again, most likely won't.
That's the nature of many of the connections you make on the road; brief but often really awesome and memorable.
Tired and bedraggled, we thought, lets not just sit around and relax, lets climb Castle Hill, the imposing orangey-red rock-face visible across the whole of Townsville.
There isn't a lot to Towsville, other than being the gateway to Magnetic and home to a lot of industry, but its flat range of buildings are encircled at the edges by more lush green mountains, making the climb up Castle Hill well worth the hike.
I decided to take the hill at my own pace, allowing Taran to go ahead by himself. Sandy stones crunching underfoot, the path edged up toward the uneven and steep steps.
I felt out of breath and languid in my legs almost right away. 4 months of sitting behind my laptop working on the blog plus not having the most difficult hospitality job meant my fitness has definitely gone down-hill, no pun intended.
Quarter of the way up the walk a man twice my age past me heading down, and seeing my puffy red face asked if I had water and made sure I was stopping to drink it. The fact my woeful fitness was trumped by someone much older than myself did little for my confidence in climbing the hill.
In reality the hill isn't that tall or difficult a climb, not for anyone of reasonable health, not at all. But its the same with all challenges or obstacles in life, some of us take a little longer to surmount them.
Yet this was a challenge I chose to take on, because I knew I would find it difficult but I knew the pain would be worthwhile.
Most importantly the desire to do what deep down I knew I could do, was stronger than the voice in my head (and my aching limbs) telling me what I couldn't do.
I kept my eyes on my feet, as they moved upward, taking each step at a pace I was comfortable with. I didn't look up at what I still had to climb nor did I look back at what I had already done. I kept entirely present and focused.
Sometimes if we focus on the main goal and not the incremental small tasks and successes, we just don't even bother trying.
I took the climb one step at a time and I can't think of a better metaphor for how to live your life than that.
Reaching the top, walking the last few steps up to the viewing platform, I leaned over the edge of the railing and felt a great whoosh of fresh breeze embrace me. I could see everything, 360-degree views of this small slice of Australia, looking out to Magnetic and behind to the distant mountainous walls guarding the city.
It was understandably worth it. My mind quietened having spent the past hour talking me in and out of finishing this hot uphill trek.
Cramped, long-distance car rides followed by steep and hot midday hikes, might sound uncomfortable and painful, but in reality these things can be as wholly simplistic as they are unexpectedly beautiful.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
Budget Travel Will Turn You Into An Adventurer
Travelling on such a small budget will force you to make crazy decisions that you might never have made if you...
Budget Travel Will Turn You Into An Adventurer
When you travel long-term, life becomes a whole lot more unpredictable, but in a good way. You open yourself up to seeing and experiencing things that make you feel incredibly alive. That's why it becomes addictive, knowing that you are going to have your mind blown and your heart made full, exploring beyond your immediate surroundings.
When you know how it feels to travel, how it truly makes your senses heighten, and your stresses melt away, you will never want to stop.
And the best thing about travel, is that it can be done on a budget!
We came to Australia with about £3000 which may sound like a lot of money.. but we made that moolar last 6 months before we did any sort of paid work; in turn I know people who have spent that amount on a 2 week holiday!
Travelling on such a small budget will force you to make crazy decisions that you might never have made if you could afford the comfortable alternative.
When we first landed in Melbourne we set to work researching all the different ways we could travel the 10 hour journey to Sydney, as we knew we weren't going to hop on a Greyhound coach, not just because of the price, but because we kinda feel it takes the adventure out of the experience. We also didn't fancy spending hours sat on a cramped bus, catching brief glances of Australia out the tinted window, not stopping anywhere but at the designated drop-off's.
During our search we found a website called Co-seats, which is a kind of pre-arranged and paid hitch hiking deal; drivers can advertise their car journey, or you can advertise your preferred destination, and you then look for a match, send a text or make a phone call, and agree to pay a certain small amount towards fuel. It really is a super simple process. We got ourselves a ride with a really friendly young couple, who picked us up just after sunrise from a street corner, at the beginning of another busy day in Melbourne.
Over the next few months we continued to look for cheap and alternative ways to travel; we spent a month living in a two man tent and working for accommodation in Byron Bay, at the same hostel featured in the Inbetweeners 2 movie. Hannah cleaned toilets 3 hours a day, and I helped do some basic maintenance across the site, we worked 2 days on, 2 days off.
This saved us so much money and we made some great friends during our time in Byron Bay. We also got into the habit of hitch hiking as much as possible and although we've had some long waits and some strange people pick us up, you just cant beat the unpredictability of it.
We love the idea of the sharing economy that makes up so much of travelling; opportunities to get food and accommodation in return for a few short hours a day of work, plus the social nature of hitch-hiking, where people often love to pick you up just to hear your story.
One of our most memorable experiences so far was the time we met a hippy named Spartacus in Bellingen, who told us about a festival coming up in Nimbin called Mardi-Grass. He offered us a lift in his van (which is also where he and his son Apollo call home) for the 4 hour trip it would take to get there.
It was pouring down with rain that day, and it just didn't stop for the whole journey. We were diverted from a main road due to a massive accident, and pointed in the direction of a small one-way back-road. Headed down a narrow road more akin to an English country lane, after a few minutes of trying to see the road through the windscreen wipers, a feeble effort with the lashing rain, we spotted something sitting on the side of the road.
A cat? Surely not out here in the middle of nowhere..
We wish we could of got a better picture!
We stopped the van, and jumped out as Spartacus said excitedly, 'it must be a Koala!'
We both got a bit excited as we had been yet to see a Koala and weren't really keen on going to a zoo just to hold a docile one for a quick photo op. And then before we could even actually prepare ourselves, Spartacus had wrapped it in his jacket and was bringing it back to the van!
We grabbed some towels as it was really wet and cold, and then we got our first look at it before we wrapped it up like a little baby! Hannah then proceeded to cradle the baby Koala in a state of disbelief and cute overdose, while we drove to the nearest town after contacting a Koala rescue team.
This was such an amazing experience and we still look back at it and cant believe it actually happened.
There's very little chance something like this would of happened if we had just hopped on the Greyhound bus!
Watch the video below if you wanna see how it all went down:
We're not telling you that something like this will happen to you, as we are very aware it was extremely lucky for us to have had the experiences we've had. But we do believe that when you seek out cheaper and more adventurous ways to travel, amazing things can happen, and you get to see a side of a country you probably wouldn't have otherwise.
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If you stick to the pre-arranged tours and activities that are peddled to you as a backpacker, you will only ever experience the same thing everyone else does; you will stay in an pre-determined comfort zone.
For example...
While on the East Coast of Australia, we were searching for a way to experience the famous Fraser Island. We had seen all the various backpacker tours and day trips and knew that we wouldn't be paying their crazy prices, and our plan had been to try and hitch hike around the island; we did end up doing this briefly while on the island, getting a lift down the beach, but lifts are few and far between with everyone's 4x4's packed with supplies.
In the end we got to the island because of a job. Way back in April 2015, we happened across an advert for a remote campsite on the island, and from then on, we sent our resumes multiple times each time the ad resurfaced on Gumtree. Finally, in October, we actually got a response and then a phone interview! We secured the couples position and looked forward to finishing up our farm-stay to start working and saving up again; and of course, visit the mythical Fraser Island.
To actually get to the island, we were treated to a 4 seater plane ride over the island with a beach landing. Long story short, we ended up spending 2 months living and working on the worlds largest sand island, living in a tent, spending every day without phone signal let alone internet access.
Two months of being totally disconnected, the only possible way to communicate with the outside world being a hike up a massive sand dune. Two months of living in a tent that needed constant repairs. Two whole months of being exposed to light pollution-free night sky's full of stars; this was an experience we will remember forever, and we know that going on a 2 day party tour of the island just wouldn't have been the same, nowhere near.
You must try and challenge yourself when you travel.
It doesn't matter what kind of traveller you are, be it a luxury hotel frequenter, a hostel bunk-bed addict or a camping master, you can still experience a crazy adventure and all you need is a little imagination and the right mindset.
By sharing some examples of our improvised travelling method, living every day way out of our comfort zones, we hope to inspire you to seek out the road less travelled; it's the best way to create a travel experience that's entirely unique, utterly unforgettable and completely life-changing.
Make sure to share this with your friends who you think will benefit from it :]
Do you seek adventure? It may be easier than you think (and cheaper) https://t.co/5RYWVVJwIK #adventure #travel pic.twitter.com/IfiN8uUSH2
— Taran & Hannah (@Nomaderhowfar) June 3, 2016
Need some more inspiration?
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
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![Going Home [Why we went]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1455802779128-U2NP87LEJ06KWTQR15MR/IMAG5425%281%29.jpg)
Going Home [Why we went]
I needed to be with my lovely family, as did Taran. as much for them as for us.
Going Home - Why we went
Okay so we have come home, but only for 2 weeks...
We had decided months ago that a visit home in-between our two years in Australia would be a nice break. We kept fairly quiet across social media around late January, just to contain our excitement at coming home, because we had planned to surprise everyone. And we did, and got it all on film....It was super emotional and we loved every startled expression we got.
One part of the social media silence was due to my homesickness. I didn't want to prattle on to everybody about the moments, sometimes days, where I felt like I wanted to close my eyes and wake up at home in my own bed. It wasn't one thing, or person, making me feel this way, it was a culmination. From living in an isolated place for months, to the stress of working over the Christmas holidays, I knew a while ago, that I simply had to go home.
I needed to be with my lovely family, as did Taran. as much for them as for us. They suffer with the distance much more than we do. They are the ones living their lives as normal, wondering when the next skype call will be, unable to get in contact with us because of the nature our travelling life. It is hard for them, and in turn, it became an emotional wrench for us.
But there was another justification for flying several thousand km's home.
I wanted to remind myself why I left. I'd had some days where I truly questioned what I was doing in Australia. Nothing was appealing to me, I had lost a sense of intrigue and excitement. But going home for good would not solve that. I was bored in England too, uninspired and unchallenged. I didn't have a passion, and apart from beginning this blog in 2014, I was pretty much idling along, not living at my full potential. I was argumentative and unappreciative of those around me, for I couldn't see much to plan for or look forward to. And that isn't because that's what life is like at home.
My family and friends live purposeful, fulfilling and happy lives, right here in England, come rain or shine. But I had always felt like something was missing in my life and I had no idea what. I was in a comfort-zone and yet uncomfortable at the same time. I really did need to just leave. I had to experience life that is happening far across the other side of the planet, to get perspective on my own.
Travel was the right thing to do, leaving home was incredibly beneficial to Taran and I, and we have only really scratched the surface of what we want to do, and see. But coming home was also the right thing to do.
Our families can rest easy having seen us, checked us over for visible wounds, taking us in and just being with us. Yes its cool to tell all our stories but it's more about embracing the easy and cosy mundanity of it all, like an easy afternoon chat over a cup of tea talking about jack-shit with my mum. Those moments were the ones I missed the most in Australia. I realized the day-to-day sharing of your lives with the people you care about the most was actually a beautiful thing to cherish and love.
The beauty of appreciating the health and happiness of your loved ones, by just being in their company.
I do want to make some changes when we get back to Australia however.
- I want to make sure I Skype more, even if its hard to find a decent and cheap WiFi connection, its important and its worth it.
- I want to embrace the adventure but not get so wrapped up within it that I forget the people missing us at home.
We will make the most of each opportunity thrown our way, because we have made sacrifices and being home has reiterated that.
HEY!
Hannah here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I love reading, the beach, proper fish and chips, and a good cup of tea. But I mostly like to chat about minimalism, simplifying your life, the beauty of travel and sometimes I get a bit deep.
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5 Essential Steps to Travel
So many days have gone by that have been actually, pretty life-changing. From being super relaxed in the tranquil heaven of Whitehaven Beach to having an adrenaline overdose jumping out of a plane recently, its been exciting and challenging.
5 Essential Steps to Travel
When I think about how much really fulfilling living I have done in the past 1.5 years of travelling, its overwhelming.
So many days have gone by that have been actually pretty life-changing. From being super relaxed in the tranquil heaven of Whitehaven Beach to having an adrenaline overdose jumping out of a plane recently, its been exciting and challenging.
That's not to say its been months of constant awesomeness.
There's been some real moments of difficulty. We have had to deal with a horrible boss in a stressful job, and there was 3 months where we worked outdoors on a farm, and that was definitely a major leaning curve.
Either way, I wouldn't swap a moment of it for having been at home, where the days always passed too quickly and too routinely in a way that left us both lacking vitality and passion for life.
Travel has reignited something within us both, and we want people to have the chance to experience the same.
Here are 5 essential steps on how to bring the magic of travel into your life:
Fix Your Finances
Before you embark on an adventure, be it 6 months or be it forever, you want to have your finances neatly tied up.
I don't mean writing a will, I mean paying off all your debts. In the year before Taran and I left England, I cleared around 1500 pounds in credit card debts. I did this through sheer determination. I made it so that my income was directed at my debts straight away, throwing as much as I could at them each week.
Unexpected income meant unexpected extra debt clearing!
I used the snowball method whereby I cleared the smaller debts first, which spurred me on. It helped that I was living at home, and was thus able to keep expenses low.
If you really want to get out of debt, then you do need to consider cutting back wherever possible. Sometimes it means 2-3 months of absolute suffering and then maybe 2-3 months of mild discomfort, but it is worth it for the sense of freedom and relief when you can finally say that you no longer owe any companies any money.
Building A Savings Account
Once you have paid your debts, this is when you can focus all your energy on building a healthy savings account to allow you to begin your travels.
Taran and I set up premium bonds, which meant our savings were kept entirely separate from our bank accounts. It also meant we got entries to the draw that means you can win anything from 25 to 25000 pounds.
It goes without saying that of course you need money to go travelling but you don't need as much as you might think.
We took around $10000 dollars between us, which when broken down was about 7000 from me and 4000 from Taran. That 7000 when back into pounds is around 3500. It really isn't an unreasonable figure to save. And the reason I say this is because I was running my own business, earning between 700-1300 a month (and one month only 400). My job was very changeable and so my income was unstable. And yet I was able to clear my debts and save up a good portion of that money within around 6 months.
I could have saved more, had I taken on new clients or got an extra job, or even just spent less. Where there's income, there's a way. It certainly is possible to save up a decent fund for any trip length, if you are willing to adjust your spending habits and make small sacrifices.
De-cluttering Your Home
My favourite part of the run-up to travelling was getting rid of my possessions and organizing my bedroom.
This was a really logical step for me, in getting prepared for my future, one that would be far more minimalist and frugal. I loved rifling through old photos and mementos, and found it super satisfying ridding myself of clothes and random things that I never used. I even did a car boot sale which gave me a little bit of pocket money, but was mostly just a fun way to give my stuff a new home.
I found that this step was integral to helping me see why I was making this big life change; why I was throwing hundred of pounds at debts I had previously avoided and why I was going without things in favour of saving.
I was steering my mind away from a path previously marked by materialism and a focus on acquiring things that I believed would make me happier. Thus this step was therapeutic and calming. I couldn't wait to actually pack my bag and walk away from the lifestyle of excess that had entrapped me in the past.
Making Peace With People
So this is a rather unconventional step not revolving around money. In the lead-up to our travels I made a conscious effort to leave my friends and family on solidly good terms.
I wanted to mend rifts and reconnect with those who mattered most to me. I wanted to feel like I was leaving behind people and relationships that were healthy. I wanted to go out into the world feeling that I could be free but also have people that I could talk to and share this life-phase with.
I was conscious of people understanding that I wasn't abandoning them or unable to relate to their life choices any more, I was simply following my heart.
Your life can't always revolve around the routines of family and friendships because if you, at the centre of it, are not content with your lifestyle, then you are foregoing the chance the fix that by staying with them.
Travel doesn't have to be permanent and home will always exist, but instead of a weighty anchor it can be a place you think of fondly and return to when you have experienced what you need to in order to feel fulfilled.
Plan Where To Go
You don't need a 5 year travel plan, but maybe a 6 month one is a good place to start.
Deciding on the first destination is important for many reasons, not simply for getting excited about all that there is to see.
You do need to plan for medical and insurance, as well as maybe topping up your vaccinations. I had to organize for some mandatory medical tests that I get for free on the NHS in England, so I made sure I was in tip-top condition before we left.
We knew that we wanted to see all of Australia, and so we found out what was the best way to get the maximum time out there. It worked out that us being aged 25, we were able to do a working visa which gave us 1 year, and if we did specified work, we could get a 2nd year. So we planned for maybe 2 years in Australia, and that is what we told all our families and friends much to their initial horror.
We worked out where was cheapest to fly into and when was cheapest to fly via kayak (and nowadays we'd use google-flights). We got a vague idea of hostel prices and food, to predict how far our savings might stretch. But in reality you can't be sure how well you will go financially until you are there. If your a hotel kind of person, checking rates is an essential part of travel planning, HotelsCombined provides awesome accommodation deals to help manage your travel finances.
Australia has obvious appeal but also the ability to work as we travelled, and in short-term positions, was a key part of why began there.
The most important thing is to figure out what you want out of the places you plan to visit, and launch from there when deciding where to visit and for how long.
Travelling isn't ever a perfect journey of endless smiles, although there are many days where I have felt so deeply happy I just wish I could bottle the feeling and sell it. Instead I just come here and blog about it.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I love reading, the beach, proper fish and chips, and a good cup of tea. But I mostly like to chat about minimalism, simplifying your life, the beauty of travel and sometimes I get a bit deep. Get to know us here!
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10 Annoying Things About Australia: An English Person's Guide.
Australia has become home for the past year, and as much as we love it, it certainly isn't perfect...
10 Annoying Things About Australia: An English Person's Guide
So Australia is super pretty, breathtaking in places, and perfect for a first-time traveller. But with that good comes the annoying, and it can take some adjusting to when you're English...
There are numerous cultural similarities and on the East Coast you will come across many of your fellow Europeans, but still, Australia has its funny little ways and a bold specific personality of it's own.
During your time here prepare to pick up new phrases that will sound super odd if you utter them back in gloomy old blighty, and you will soon learn to live without TV because, well, it's really really poor!
10 Annoying (but totally bearable) Things About Australia:
1. Supermarkets close super early and don't sell alcohol. 5pm on a Saturday? There's simply no accounting for the desire that might strike me at 5.05pm whereby I require 1 fruity cider and a vat of ice cream. Distressing.
2. There's many big cars. Mildly intimidating as a foreigner driving around in rental cars, Aussie's love their pick-up trucks, and they love getting up your bottom on the highway.
That time we drove our own trucks around!
3. Hostels rarely succeed in having the backpacker trifecta; decent (hopefully free or cheap) wifi, air-con and a kitchen that actually has utensils in it. Hiring a saucepan for $10? Takeaway it is then.
4. Going back to that need for decent internet, WIFI in Australia is incredibly overpriced, especially for travelers trying to save a buck staying at camp-sites. Sort it out Australian internet bosses, or at least tell someone to hurry up on inventing those wifi tree's.
5. You are no longer English here, you are now a Pom/Pommy/Pommy bastard. Forget about even telling them your given name. And if you take a dislike to your new nickname, prepare for them to add 'Whinging', to that Pom.
6. Australian TV is basically American TV. Adverts every 5-6 minutes, programmes that take basic concepts to their extremist of lengths, and just a bizarre slew of programming, you better hope you don't run out of movies on your hard-drive on those quiet or rainy days.
7. The fish and chips vastly suck. How many times I have longed for fat soggy chips laden in salt and vinegar, delivered in a hot soggy bag, and I've been given dried out skinny fries in a box. Endless disappointment.
8. The Australian weather is incredibly overzealous. 25 degree's at 7am? Cheers sun.Then again, waking up to sunshine is pretty nice...
9. People talk funny and are mildly confusing. Be prepared to be told you are "too easy" but don't be offended, it just means "that's great". Or is it "not a problem", I can't be too sure.. and then there's the shortening of every word in the world, which usually results in the addition of syllables plus a 'y' at the end of each word.
10. The sea has this way of being so warm, like a bath, that it's almost not refreshing you know?
AH, WHO AM I KIDDING, Australia is actually pretty bloody brilliant!
10 Awesome Things About Australia:
1. The people are friendly, chatty and outwardly positive. Maybe its all the sun and warm weather they get because they are far more chilled and easy-going than people back home.
2. Waking up to blue skies is the norm, and when you do get storms, they are usually quite spectacular and often short-lived.
3. Life is lived outdoors all year long, whether its taking in the beach views, or catching the waves when the swell picks up. The lack of TV or other entertainment as a traveller on a budget is more than made up for by the numerous fun outdoor activities on offer, from adrenaline exploits to a relaxed stand-up paddle-boarding stint.
4. People have more space and room to move and breathe, unlike the more over populated areas we both come from, crammed side-by-side in little old England.
5. Healthy (and tasty) food options are abundantly available, with food market culture alive and thriving.
6. Its often easy to move place to place, with some public transport working out incredibly cheap; we travelled 2 hours out of Sydney to the Blue Mountains for $3 each at the time.
7. Its a traveller/tourist paradise, fusing modern attractions and numerous tour options, with its natural wonders and national parks.
8. It has a rich indigenous culture and sparsely untouched beauty lies intact, making it a land of diverse geography and history.
9. The contrasting wild-life on offer combines cute with deadly,from roo's, possums and Koala's, to snakes, spiders and croc's.
10. Its such a perfect place to begin your travels, as you are able to ease yourself into experiencing different cultures by first being amongst one, very much like your own, but with an entirely different landscape and lifestyle on offer.
What do you love (or hate) about Australia?
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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![Letting the Future Control the Present [The Time is Now]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1467865535247-6H751CRKNDR4YWYKUCHR/mountain+2.jpg)
Letting the Future Control the Present [The Time is Now]
I remembering receiving details about my pension scheme in the post, and it felt like a big scary sad joke. I had one of those 'Is this it?' moments.
Letting the Future Control the Present - The Time Is Now!
I've spent a lot of time lately being very present, immersed in the here and now.
Living on a farm in the middle of nowhere, a rather beautiful nowhere, certainly helps. Our goal at the moment is to gain our 2nd year visa days and so we are just making the most of our little temporary homestead.
*UPDATE: We got our visa's and then went on to work on Fraser Island!*
It's a bit of contrast to 3 years ago. Back in England I was working at a bank. I hated my job, there wasn't really a thing I liked about it. Maybe the hot chocolate machine wasn't so bad.
I remember receiving details about my pension scheme in the post, and it felt like a big scary sad joke. I had one of those 'Is this it?' moments.
Plenty of people my age are in stable fulfilling jobs, and are thinking about, or already have, invested in buying a home. A part of me always wanted to be able to buy my own home, forever watching 'Grand Designs' and 'Homes under the Hammer'. Then since my mind started changing a bit over the past year, I thought about it differently. It occurred to me, the notion of 'investing' money in a home, and the commitment associated with that, is quite a frightening prospect.
We work hard, save up, and then take the plunge, assuming one day that we will see a return on this investment, basing this hope on the assumption of a future. Morbid I know. But nonetheless we make this big commitment in the hope that in the future, this thing will work out exactly as we want and need it to at that given moment, even though the world will be a very different place. We make huge sacrifices now, towards a future based on very little or accurate foresight.
There is a lot of sense in planning for the future – but is there sense in giving the entirety of your best years to the preparation for it? Maybe that's why I don't regret walking away from my own business, and from that path of heading toward owning a home.
That doesn't mean I have dismissed the notion entirely. If I can forge a career I love, a career that enables me to save or contemplate a mortgage or another financial commitment, then maybe it will make sense for me then.
But travel is my foremost priority, living for the whim and spontaneity it brings. But back when I was working at the bank, I was driven toward planning for the future. I was to go through with a set of motions to reach certain outcomes in my old age. A sense of predictability, even comfort, can be found in that. Most people centre their job choices or even select a certain career purely because of how it will work for their distant future.
As someone who has worked since the age of 16, and feared unemployment like the plague, to find myself removing that concern from my mind, well it feels like a mid-20's rebellion. I am resisting something which is sensible and pragmatic, something which works for plenty of people.
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What got me considering all this?
I saw an item on the Australian news the other night, about a retirement community with a difference, 'co-housing' it's called. Residents live together in a semi-independent, semi-communal fashion; they cook together, socialize, share some of their living space and amenities. So it's basically university halls of residence without the sambuca and bed-hopping (as far as I know).
In the news report, the retired people, lithe couples in their mid 60's to 70's, all looked super healthy and very relaxed. And I thought it looked great. They were doing yoga for god-sake. And then I remember the way some older people live back in England. Confined to small but perfectly fine flats within special units.
I have older relatives who have suffered from depression and felt lost. Many were living alone, with their husbands or wives long gone, they're children forging ahead with their lives. In theory they have the time, the funds and the ability to enjoy life and yet they can't. There most mobile years where freedom was possible are simply past them.
Many of them are suffering numerous health issues, issues that prevent them enjoying any financial freedom they might have obtained through years of hard work. Essentially, the end result of the game of life isn't always great. Its sometimes mundane, difficult and not always satisfying. There is no guarantee of a fulfilling and easy old-age. Some people avoid retiring and work themselves to the point of exhaustion, pushing the limits of their body, reaching the age of 70 yet still working like a 30 year old. There's a fear for what might happen once they retire, even if they spend plenty of time thinking about their twilight years. Do they fear a loss of purpose? Having little reason to have any get-up and go?
And yet some absolutely relish retirement, doing things they never dreamt about doing before.
My great aunt for example, she holidays abroad 2-3 times a year, but hadn't stepped on a plane until about 6 years ago. She is using her time and money to enjoy her life the way she wants to. I admire her bravery as a widow, her sense of hope for what enjoyment there is to be found in her life, even if it has not turned out as she imagined. I hope that if I reach her age, I look half as good and live half as well.
And yet, might she wish she did the things she's doing now before she got a knee replacement? Before she developed a chronic lung condition?
Do our older relatives envy our ability to explore our options thoroughly, far beyond the imagination of their own post-war world? Many were brought up with simpler aspirations, and have lead a good, if humble, life. But at the age of 25, whilst I feel good, and my noggin seems to be firing on all synapses, I want to make the most of it.
I want a good quality of life if I get to reach old age, but I also don't want to hold back in doing what I love, giving it all up for a 9-to-5 for 40 years. It might be the secure option, to buckle down, work, and save. But life is so utterly unpredictable no matter what measures you take to control and prepare for it.
My mind boggles at the concept of my present being entirely geared toward a distant future. There's so much more I want from my now, that has little if nothing to do with retirement. And then again, maybe I will be satisfied in my later years, pleased that I followed my heart whilst I had the freedom to?
I want to do stuff that terrifies and exhilarates me. I want to feel myself sick with nerves before I do something crazy and confront my fears. I want to become more tolerant of my own idiosyncrasies as well as other peoples. I want to fight the inner battles not deny them until they become bitterness. I hope I can see as much of the world as possible. I am not entirely sure I could do all that whilst pulling a 9-to-5.
I want to see the world though my clearest eyes, and I don't want to feel like I can't because I might be harming the comfort of an imagined distant future.
Whilst I'm backpacking Australia, a pay-check doesn't mean pension, it means more travelling, sky-diving, snorkelling the great barrier reef, camping on the Whitsunday islands, and maybe eating a lot of subways.
That simplistic, maybe reckless choice, is what's working for us right this minute. That's the shape of our life at current; maybe it will change one day.
But all that truly matters is what's happening now, and now is so full of possibilities beyond the life I had 3 years ago, or the life I might have in another 33 years.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Is it Worth Quitting your Job To Travel?
Does hitch-hiking along a dusty road, backpack on and thumb out sound better than a safe drive to the shops and back?
Is it Worth Quitting your Job To Travel?
Some people spend years climbing a career-ladder, or studying, all in the pursuit of their dream job. Many of them invest a lot of time and energy into this pursuit, some foregoing other things, like families, relationships, and of course, travel. For many people the sacrifice can seem worth it.
This isn't the case for us however. Having both quit our jobs to travel the world, starting with exploring Australia for 2 years, we didn't feel like walking out on our jobs was the hardest thing to do, unlike others our age might feel.
We were not in careers that earned us much money; my job was working a few days a week making just enough money to pay rent, feed myself and save a little bit on the side.. I knew that I wanted change soon.
Hannah was in a different position, she ran her own dog walking business and loved it! But she too didn't like the thought of doing it for the rest of her life..
So leaving our jobs wasn't a big deal for us, but for many other people our age it is a different story. Once you get to your mid 20's most of us will have moved out of our parents homes and will be either paying rent or locked into a mortgage which makes things way harder.
That being said almost half a year in and we have managed to keep our expenses way down, which has meant we have had more time to explore without having to top up our funds with part time jobs. Our relatively small savings have been stretched to the limit!
We still cringe when other backpackers tell us how many thousands of dollars they have spent over the last few months on alcohol and partying..
That's not to say we don't like a drink, we just do it differently; a beer/cider from the bottle shop on the beach has always been a better option to us than a drink in a bar.
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Plan!
★ When it comes to saving, you don't have to follow the crowd and take out a loan to travel the world.. In fact you don't really need that much at all! Depending on your style of travel of course.. We have a taken every opportunity to save money; we hitch-hike, camp, couch-surf, drink tap water and eat cheaply! If you follow these tips and use your own common sense you should be able to make about 5000 AU Dollars last 6+ months easily!
Mike from NZ couch surfing with us!
★ Setting a date will cement things in your head and will really help you ramp up the saving and will also help you mentally plan for it. You're about to make a great decision that will change you forever.
★ Start couch-surfing via your current home (if possible). We started having people stay with us before we set off on the road. Its a great way to meet amazing people currently travelling and will also get you excited to get on the road!
Change!
Does hitch-hiking along a dusty road, backpack on and thumb out sound better than a safe drive to the shops and back, does setting up camp on a beach under the stars or meeting amazing people from different cultures sound like your kind of thing?
If you truly want something in life, you will work your hardest to get it.. And if travelling the world is something you long to do, then there is no doubt that whatever your situation, you will eventually reach your goal and live out your dreams!
Our 2 years in Australia started in March 2015 and we have had an absolute blast taking in everything that it has to offer, but there is still so much to see! And that, my friend, is the beauty of it all, there is so much to see in this world and many adventures to come, which will surely be filled with exploration, tales of peril and awe-inspiring views that will continue to take our breathe away!
We feel like we made one of the best decisions of our life.
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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Taran & Makoto here, together we form Nomader How Far photography.
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