Bred in Australia, but born in England, it was interesting to travel back to my birthplace as a tourist. It was also good travelling with my scottish best friend as there was always a place to stay and a sofa to sleep on. Thats when family comes in handy. England is most definitely my most favourite place to travel, not only to see my family there but the beautiful places to see and go as well. Fifteen years ago, a family of five took the biggest decision of their life to move to Australia. With 3 children under the age of seven, my parents took the biggest risk to start fresh in a new country they knew very little about. To there surprise, we loved it. The sunny weather seemed to be appealing, with endless opportunities for lifestyle activities and careers, Moving down under was definitely the way to go. Relying on face-to-face communication in making friends, (none of this Poms in Oz websites to help be introduced to people) it was important for us to commit one hundred percent, which proved to be successful as we have met some of the most inspiring and amazing people. There is no doubt our life here is breath-taking, with some friends back in England wishing they had the same, however there is still that excitement tracing back my roots in the cooler weather of England.

Only a day after breaking up from uni for our mid-semester break, my friend and i took a midnight 18 hour flight to England, a place we call home. Flying Malaysia airlines and finally arriving in London after transiting at Kuala Lumpar, we just couldn’t wait for the english food. With my Nan waiting at Heathrow for our faces to arrive, we just couldn’t get off the plane quick enough. With only moments of landing, we had a dr. pepper in one hand and a packet of monster much in another, it finally felt like we were home. Nothing could ruin our holiday, jet lag was not an option and being sick was not on the cards. We had 4 weeks of full on madness, attending festivals, exploring the sites of london, travelling different places and trying out the different foods and drinks…. Oh and not to mention the amount of shopping we did. When in England with your best friend, who could blame us we had to make the most of every day, sleep was not a must-have for us. Some of my favourite things to do in England are:

London Sites

London is the considered one of the world’s most expensive cities, home to historic sites and fun things to do. One of our busy days considered of taking an open-top bus tour around london in order to see as many sites as possible. It was the best way to not only showcase London’s most amazing attractions seen from the most perfect view, but contains commentary explaining the many interesting facts associated to each view. Coming from Watford, a placed situated just outside London, i never fully understood the beauty and the passion London has to offer. Seeing it first handedly i was able to really appreciate the major features of London which makes London, London, one the worlds most beautiful city with amazing stories. Madame Tussauds is particularly one of my favourite attractions you just must experience. You come face-to-face with some of the worlds famous figures ranging from popstars to politics, to royalty. Along with witnessing london’s greatest attractions, we stopped off to different amazing pubs and restaurants for a drink and a bite to eat. The greatest thing is anywhere you turn there is somewhere to eat and drink and they always have a story or background that is just so interesting.

Camden Markets

Camden is most definitely one of my favourite places to go in London containing markets which is just unbelievable. Each markets has its own uniqueness and character of its own, some with the usual tourist things and souvenirs and others with eccentric clothing, shoes and accessories you must have. With is lively environment and vibe, it is easy to lose your way and track of time. It is full of many things that catch your attention offering something for everyone. Everything is reasonable price and you can even barter to try and get things cheaper, thats the fun of it. I found many unique posters and ornaments, oddness’ and eccentricities you just can’t miss. The street-food market is amazing, ranging different cultures such as chinese, tai, mexican and many others. Not only does camden contain some of the most amazing eccentric must-haves but is home to some of the best pubs and clubs my friend and i had to experience. One of our first nights out in london, we got a 5 minute tube ride from our hotel to The Underworld, a pub/club in Camden. It is a music venue home to some of the most amazing bands having played there. By picking up a pamphlet from a women on the street earlier that day, we attended the club for free. We instantly appreciated the music and knew it was the place for us. We met some of the most random yet amazing people in the Underworld, a place where to our surprise we stayed until it closed at 5am. The drinks were cheap, the music was good and the people were great. What more could we ask for.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the city you could walk for 24 hours and not get tired. It is home to probably the most amazing views we ever saw that offers much more than pubs, hills and tartan. After flying from london to scotland, we saw a major difference in scenery. Edinburgh was peaceful and magical, somewhere you can do some serious shopping with no stress and worries. Oxford street in london is amazing, full of hundreds of stores you cannot tackle in one day however is so stressful to do so. Edinburgh’s, Princes Street admittedly does not offer the same quantity of that of Oxford Street, however offers a much more relaxed environment i rathered when doing some serious shopping. Princes Street was a lovely street you could walk down twenty times and still find something else you wanted. Edinburgh is a photographers dream, anywhere you go you have views to just die for. Edinburgh castle smacks you right in the face when strolling along Princes Street, yes it is just as beautiful inside as outside, but the iconic presence overall captured my heart.

T In The Park

Whether it be capturing the summer festivals, or the perfect iconic buildings and scenery, scotland is full of plenty of things to do and places to see. T in the Park was by far my highlight of my entire holiday. It is a major scottish music festival held in the small Balado airfield, Kinross-shire. It showcased some of the biggest names in music such as my favourites, The 1975, Jake Bugg, Ed Sheeran and who could forget, the headline, Arctic Monkeys. The 4 day bender consisted of limited sleep, too much booze, limitless music and the greatest people and vibes i ever experienced. I have been to many Australian festivals, but nothing comes in close to T in the Park. The different stages consisted of different acts and different music ranging from indie rock to pop music, there was something for everyone. Even though i have seen Arctic Monkeys before T in the Park, i would still have to say they were the standouts that highlighted my amazing experience. After waiting in the mosh for 6 hours, with no food or drink, watching act after act pushing to the front, the time finally come to see Arctic Monkeys perform, and what better way to watch them than with the best view. T in the park is something i will never forget and i have to experience it every year, i suggest you do the same. Get your tickets now.

Yay, finally the day came (much to the displeasure of my worried parents) for or girly trip to bali. 10 friends, no parents allowed. Two bleached blondes, one suitcase loaded with bikinis, dresses, sunnies and red cordial take the three-hour flight from Perth leaving at midnight. On limited funds, arriving at our hotel at 12am unable to check in until 12pm, migoreng and a bintang were on the cards. After refueling, bathers were on and the pool looked inviting. Within half an hour of arrival, we saw familiar faces and we suddenly felt very at home.

I have been to bali many times, but this particular one was an adventure i will never forget. Bali, ‘The Island of The Gods’ allowed me to swim in infinity pools, shop the crazy markets, relax in beautiful locations and to top it off, i did all it with amazing people. There are a few bali essentials which got my friends and i through our holiday.

1. A hat and sunnies.

Bali is the one place make-up and straighteners are not needed. Even when you try and make an effort your hair goes frizzy within 2 seconds from the humidity, well that, or it is stuck to your head from sweat, your clothes have to be light and cool as there is no chance of putting anything tight on as you’ll be lucky to get it off and as for make-up, it is just not an option as the sunshine of bali smacks you in the face the moment you arrive leaving you to sweat off any form of cosmetic on your face. A hat and sunnies are a must have, not only does it cover up the fact that you’re bare faced with no make-up, covers you from the burning sun and protects you from the heat, but it also covers up the nasty hangover from partying to the early morning. 10 friends living it up in bali, ‘party central’ it would be rude not to make the most of it. Yes, bali can be more of a retreat than a party destination to some, however my trip to bali was the exact opposite. We stayed in kuta, the ‘party capital of Bali,’ in a place called Dewi Siri, although we didn’t exactly have the most amazing resort or even stay in the most relaxing place, we had to account for the limited funds and the student life we have back in Perth. Kuta was perfect for us, plenty of music, parties, dancing and action with limitless number of bars and clubs allowing us to party to the early morning.

2. Red Cordial

My biggest concern in bali is trying to keep healthy as ‘bali belly’ is so often. It is obvious to drink a lot of water, not from the tap that is. The tap water in bali has an uncertain quality nature, it is important to stick to canned drinks or bottled water. Many travellers experience bali belly that definitely puts a damper on the holiday. Sounds crazy, but i think red cordial is the best thing to avoid bali belly. I have been to bali many times and i never go with out red cordial, my life saver. I drink a glass mixed with water in the morning to prevent this deadly stomach bug. Don’t let bali belly spoil your holiday, don’t forget the red cordial.

3. Travelling with the right people

When it comes to travelling i often rather travel alone, this prevents any disagreements or intentions. However, my trip to bali was particularly amazing because of the people i experienced it with. We all recently finished our exams and thought, what better way to celebrate than to take a trip to Bali. To our surprise everyone was keen for the getaway. From studying and the stressful student life, this much needed getaway just had to happen. It was important we were all on the same page in terms of travel, budget and the kinds of activities we all like to do. One particularly good day was when we went white-water rafting. We decided what better way to experience the breathtaking scenery, than doing it down what seemed to be a never-ending river bumping from side to side. Winding our way through Bali’s dense rainforest, The Ayung River provided us with endless thrills the moment we left the riverbank. The adrenaline-filled fun day out was a day i will never forget, not only because i thought it could of been one of my last, but because the rainforest scenery was spectacular and the food provided after was pretty good as well.

4. Take your karaoke mic and dancing shoes

Bali is home to some of the most amazing clubs with no enforced opening and closing times allowing for clubs to stay open till later, with the music still playing at sunrise some nights. The real party happens after midnight, but what better way to get prepared and start early with pre drinks with happy hours available in many bars, hotels, restaurants and clubs to past the time. One of my favourite clubs to go is the Sky Garden Lounge, yes, you may think it is a chill atmosphere because of the name, however it is quite the opposite. With a stylish rooftop venue including some of the worlds best dj’s performing, the sky garden plays some of the best music, with great vibes and limitless cocktails and shots you just can’t resist. Not only is the nightlife amazing in bali, it also contains some of the best beach clubs to parties during the day. Potato Head i think is possibly the coolest beach bar, lounge and hangout place situated in Seminyak. Having been there many times, Potato Head never fails to disappoint with its unique style, food and music. The club isn’t very visible on the broken roads of seminyak, yet placed down a lovely drag down a tree-lined avenue, this is when you know its serious. You enter the beach club along a ramp that seemed to go on forever, which winds its way alongside water fountains on the walls until you reach the beautiful view of a spectacular pool overlooking the beautiful beach of bali. It is essentially a beach club that offers everything, a daytime beach party, a chilled night-time vibe in an amazing environment, beautiful restaurants with amazing food and music that offers simply the perfect tune amongst the perfect place.

I haven’t got much of a bucket list yet, being only 18, but something i always dreamed of, was to bungee jump, but what does a girl do when in New Zealand. From white-water rafting, to skiing, to snowboarding if you like to challenge yourself, Queenstown (the town of extreme everything) is the place to go. Queenstown is surrounded by some of the most amazing mountains that is picture perfect from every angle, the magnificent turquoise Lake Wakatipu that looks too good to be true and overwhelming views and experiences you’ll cherish for a lifetime. Being the youngest sibling of three, with two older brothers i have never been one to turn down a challenge to keep up with the boys. My love for fashion and beauty shows my feminine side but deep down the tomboy in me will always come out when i sense an adventure to be had. As i stood on a platform, suspended 43 metres above a raging river my legs turned to jelly and frozen by fear, but i could not back down after watching my brothers, their friends and even my dad had thrown themselves into the unknown and came out buzzing. So with my legs bound together by strong elastic bands, i took pigeon steps to the end of the platform and as my supporters counted down, three, two, one, i took a leap of faith and just went for it. The whole experience lasted probably no more than 20 seconds but as i bounced upside down waiting to be lowered into the boat at the bottom i felt such an achievement and my adrenaline kept me buzzing for hours after. I did it. It is such a moving experience as it is probably the scariest thing i have ever done in my life but once you’ve done it you just want to do it again and again. To know that you’ve put your life in someone else’s hand and had complete trust and faith in them is a very freeing feeling.