The Killing Fields and S-21 Prison/Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Cambodia

"The place people go but never come out"

The Killing Fields and S-21 prison are main attractions in Phnom Penh. This was one of the main reasons for us visiting Cambodia. As someone who really enjoys history, I was interested to see what it was going to be like; as learning from the Vietnam War Remnants museum; it's good to know the Asian view on their own history, instead of constantly being under the Western state of mind.

We visited the S-21 prison first as our hostel was only a 10 minute walk from it. The thing that baffled me was the location; outside seems so ordinary with restaurants, market stalls and just normal day to day life. It obviously wasn't like this during the actual time of the prison being run as Pol Pot forces came in and made everyone leave Phnom Penh. We paid our $6 entry fee and got our audio headset guides. This was actually such a good way to learn about the history behind the Pol Pot regime; as you could pause it and rewind to suit you. It also made it a lot more overwhelming as you could listen to testimonies whilst walking round; which really hit you. 

The prison was originally a school, and you can see this by the design and buildings. During the 1970's, 3 million people died under the Khmer Rouge. When the Pol Pot regime was at its height in 1977, the prison was killing around 100 people a day. When liberated in 1979 by the Vietnamese army, there were only 7 people alive and 14 dead bodies found. Some survivors have written books about their experiences- which I do want to read when I get home. There were a couple of survivors there just selling their goods- which I would find too distressing if I were in their shoes, as they are literally in the place where they experienced hell.  

I didn't expect the prison to be so harrowing, as you mainly hear about the Killing Fields. You walk round several buildings- the first with the individual torture rooms with a single metal bed that the prisoner was chained to. On the wall next to each one is a picture of how they found the dead bodies lying on them when it was discovered. Outside this building is the 'rules' of the prison- one being you cannot cry out during torture. Behind these is 14 white slabs to mark the graves of the remaining dead bodies that were found here by Vietnamese forces in 1979. 

The next building along is a gallery, but before you head inside you are made to look at a huge wooden frame with a hook at the top. Guards would hang prisoners from this with their hands roped together, questioning them until they turned unconscious; where they would lower their faces into human waste until they woke up again; where the process would continue. Inside the gallery is pictures that were found; some of victims, guards, torture equipment, labour and maps. Strangely enough for people carrying out a genocide, they photographed everything about the prisoners. The pictures I found the hardest were of the dead prisoners. Guards were not meant to kill people during torture and interrogation, but if someone did end up dying, they would have to photograph it to explain themselves. Some of the prisoners were foaming from the nose, covered in blood, naked and just generally beaten till they were black and blue. Death by torture normally meant the guard who killed them would often end up a prisoner themselves- good bit of karma I think.

One of the stories on the audio was from a brother of an Australian prisoner, who just so happened to be sailing in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was tortured and forced to give a confession; to which his humour did not disappoint. He used his CIA agent number as his home telephone number, his boss at the CIA was the colonel from the KFC logo and he also mentioned his mothers name. This goes to show how ridiculous the Pol Pot regime was as they took that as a legitimate confession. Unfortunately, when a victim gave a confession they were then killed. 

I couldn't believe the stories I heard and the things I could see around me- it did actually overwhelm me and I had to take a 10 minute break as I just couldn't stop crying. As someone who really loves history I couldn't believe I'd never even heard of what happened- considering it was only 30 years ago. I have discovered in Asia that their events of history is sometimes forgotten about and we are just taught of wars or things that have impacted our own country or our allies. I don't think this is always a healthy way to look at history, as when visiting a country it's nice (or sometimes not nice) to know what's made them the way they are today. 1 in 4 Cambodians died under the Pol Pot regime; meaning that the majority of the population are going to have someone they know that died due to it. 

The next building was individual cells where prisoners would sleep. There were makeshift small brick walls in between each one and they literally were not even big enough to lay down in. In the corner of their cell was a box that they would have to go to the toilet in and if they missed the box they were forced to lick it up. The prisoners were shackled to the floor by their feet, and if these even made a noise during the night, then they would be whipped. They were awful living conditions and the entirety of the building was covered in barbed wire to stop prisoners committing suicide. However, some still found a way round this and during a confession a man stabbed himself with a pen in the neck and bled to death. 

In the last building is a lot of art work portraying how prisoners were tortured and some testimonies from survivors. Also displayed is equipment used for torture. There's also a shrine at the end where you can leave messages or comments- I tried to but I honestly couldn't find words to describe what I had seen, and felt any words I did leave wouldn't be comforting enough to families of victims. 

Next we got a tuk-tuk to the Killing Fields. This was more remembering the victims and a lot of mass graves had been grown over and the buildings for different things were no longer there. We had another audio tour and explored the grounds. The most disturbing part for me was the tree where executioners picked up babies and young children by the feet and smashed them against an oak tree, until they were dead and then they were chucked into a mass grave. It's astounding how people can just switch themselves off to the concept of a human being and treat it with no respect and take another life- especially a child's. Sometimes when it rains bones and scraps of material still wash up and the workers will go round collecting them and store them in glass boxes found around the grounds. We did see a few bits still in the mass graves that were slightly underground still. 

The workers at the Killing Fields used mostly general objects to kill people; including axes and garden hoes, as bullets were expensive. People would stand at the edge of a mass grave, be hacked to death and fall in- such a disturbing and horrific way to die. Also, the guards would play Khmer Rouge propaganda music to drown out the cries of people being executed, so that would be the last thing they heard. So many people died here as the Khmer Rouge believed that when you killed one member of a family, you had to kill them all, to prevent people coming to take revenge. So no matter what their age they were murdered.

I felt completely overwhelmed at the whole site and I just couldn't believe something like this can still happen; especially after the Holocaust, and we just turn a blind eye. I wanted to write my own experience on it as it's something I definitely do not want to forget. I also don't think there's enough people who are aware what's gone on and even if one person stumbles across this on the internet, then I feel better knowing that they have been able to read my experience and learn. I'm unsure whether it would be something I would return to. Although in years to come I would quite like to visit the prison again and go through the tour again and see how I react. This is definitely one of the things that has made travelling so beneficial as you learn about new cultures in a way that the internet or text books can't teach you. I would definitely recommend visiting the S-21 prison and Killing Fields if you visit Cambodia. 

Seminyak

Seminyak was mine and Brad's first stop in Bali! We arrived in at midday and you immediately felt the heat as soon as you got off the plane. We made our way through the airport and found a taxi. Brad was horrified at the fact we handed over 200,000 rupiah to go to our hotel as we just couldn't understand their currency so agreed to any price; later realising it was only about £10. We had our first experience of the roads in Bali which are horrendous. There's so many scooters and there's literally no road rules. Cars were in the middle of the lanes and there's no indicating, you just have to hope the cars around you are paying attention and psychic. We saw so many run down looking hotels and just prayed ours wasn't any of them. We drove past an amazing looking hotel and just as Brad said how nice it looked the taxi man told us it was ours, thank god! It's so hard finding places to stay in Bali because although nice hotels are only about £30 a night, you know that's expensive for Bali. We had no clue what ours was gonna be like but when we turned up we had people take our luggage out the taxi and had a welcome drink. It was amazing and I am so glad we booked it! We waited to check in and had some cocktails, whilst the barman put on a show for Brad; throwing drink bottles and glasses around. We were taken to our room and we were instantly amazed. The bed is big enough for about 4 people and we have a balcony that gives you a nice view of Seminyak. We spent the rest of the afternoon having a little stroll round the area and getting some dinner in the hotel restaurant! 

The next day we headed to Potato Head Beach club, which is so popular with tourists in Bali and it definitely was one of my favourite spots. It's beautiful and has a huge pool, lovely workers and expensive cocktails!  We underestimated them and ended up drunk at about 11am- oops. It was such a good day and we ate there too, which was pricey but lovely! I even had a little nap there which was perfect. We decided to head home after being there all day to shower and grab dinner. Our last day in Seminyak together was spent grabbing some lunch from Cafe Organic, which was my favourite place to eat in Bali! 

Two weeks later we were back in Seminyak with Dan and Kyle, as we'd booked a villa there for 4 nights. When we arrived (after spending so long in a taxi trying to actually find the villa) we were so happy because it was such a nice place! We had all actually forgotten what it looked like we'd booked it that long ago, but we weren't disappointed. It had 3 bedrooms with ensuites and a lovely open plan kitchen that was opposite the pool! We spent most of our days in the villa in the pool, to top up our tans :). We also went on a trip to Canggu; just north to Seminyak. You can easily ped it there if you're brave enough to get a ped in Bali that is! We just got a taxi there and sat in Old Mans bar for a while, which was really nice. Then we walked down the beach, for a lot longer than we expected to and 45 minutes later we stopped off to try and gather a sense of direction and find somewhere to go. I had heard of a nice restaurant along the beach so we hunted for that. We walked along the main road where there was no pavement and oncoming traffic was getting annoyed at us, because we were causing traffic jams where people were trying to pass us, oops! It definitely was dangerous and when we told the restaurant staff we walked they all looked so shocked and were laughing at us- typical tourists. We had lovely little starters there as it was more of the pricier restaurants in Bali, but we just chilled there for a while and had some drinks! When the sun had gone down we got a taxi back to Seminyak for proper dinner; we searched around for so long and ended up going to a place called Pit Stop which was so cheap and so good; they had the best burgers! Every night we just chilled in the villa, either in the pool or on the sofas with some Bintangs and every night without fail I would fall asleep on the sofa- typical me. Our full day in the villa we went to Potato Head beach club again, Dan and Kyle hadn't been and we knew we would all enjoy it. We had some cocktails straight away and chilled in the pool. We did that for a few hours till we decided to grab a late lunch from across the road. We went to a place called Fat Turtle which was actually really nice! I would definitely go there again in Seminyak. Then we went back over to Potato Head and we had a bed waiting for us- the waiting list is literally all day for one! We chilled on that and ordered some more cocktails, waiting for sunset. All of a sudden the 3 girls we had met in New Zealand (Liv, Ali and Taby) arrived! They had just landed and we had no idea we were gonna bump into them, so it was such a lovely surprise! We all chilled with our cocktails just catching up! After sunset we went back to the villa and waited for Naz and Sophie's flight from Singapore to arrive! We spent the rest of the night catching up with them with a lot of drinks which was nice.

I loved Seminyak and have a lot of good memories from there. I would definitely go back as its so close to the airport and it's where most people start their Bali trips! There's so many luxury villas and hotels and such good places to eat so I'd definitely go back for a holiday, when I have a lot more money to spend!

Sanur

Sanur is a little relaxing place just on the east coast of Bali. It's away from all the party places and it's not too busy so Brad and I decided to go there for a few nights to chill out! We stayed in a hotel in the middle of a main road which was quite annoying because you couldn't really get anywhere without a taxi! There was a small pool but we didn't go in it. Luckily our hotel ran a shuttle to the main centre of Sanur to its sister hotel- which we wished we'd stayed in. It was right on the beach front and there were so many other hotels and restaurants next to it. We went there everyday in Sanur and our first day there we walked along the beach and somehow ended up in a 5* resorts swimming pool, which was lovely, until we went to order drinks and told we weren't meant to be there! We just sunbathed along the beach and it was lovely to chill out. I wish we had stayed in a beachside resort, but I do think they're quite pricey and there was quite a few older people as I think it's one of their main spots. It was really nice to chill out and get a tan but I would only come back if I had an amazing resort along the beach to chill in, as there's not much to do in the main centre.

Uluwatu

After chilling most of the day in Kuta for the boys first day with us, we all decided to start exploring more of the island. After a little look online we decided to book a room in a hotel and head down south. We hopped in a taxi which ended up taking just under an hour and left the hectic roads of Kuta to the very chilled out Uluwatu. 
We arrived just after dark and decided to head out for some food. We jumped in the hotels taxi to a bar called Single Fin which had been recommended to us. It's a cliff top bar with an amazing view of the sea and you can watch surfers. We realised when we got there that we would rather go during the day to appreciate the views and headed back down the road to find a restaurant. It didn't take us long and we all sat down and had a catch up and too many bintangs for the boys. When the restaurant was closing we headed back down to our hotel and chilled out the front of our room for the rest of the night/early morning!

The next day we woke up to the sound of extremely heavy rain. We decided to also extend our stay for another night because we felt we needed more time to explore Uluwatu! Whilst we were getting ready and having breakfast it luckily cleared and we decided to head to Padang Padang beach; about 15/20 minutes walk from our hotel. Several hills later we came across a bridge where you got an amazing view of the beach and we hurried down there. After paying entry (the most ridiculous thing I've ever paid for) and walking down the a long set of steps that happened to be in the tightest gap between two cliffs, we were in a little section of paradise. It was a very small beach but the scenery was amazing. There are a few markets on the beach- aka Balinese men and women who love to harass you, which does get slightly annoying, but the beach was so nice. The boys went in the sea whilst I relaxed on the sand and after a while they were exhausted, as the waves are quite strong. We all chilled for a while after and the boys had more bintangs. 
After a little while we ventured back to the hotel to quickly chuck down our stuff and we headed back to Single Fin bar. It was amazing during the day and we got two cocktail jugs and enjoyed the view and the sun. We then tried to sneak into the amazing hotel pool next door but got caught out when the pool man asked our room number (oops.) So instead we headed further down towards the beach and down more dodgy steps we ended up in a little cove with access to the sea. The boys went in again but were soon tired out by the waves. We were all standing round the cove but we didn't realise how quickly and strong the waves came in and all ended up being smashed and Dan being knocked over and fell into a very deep part of water (which was actually hilarious). After we headed back up to the bar, but along the way found a cheaper one with a better view so chilled there for sunset and the rest of the evening.
When it started getting a little darker we went and got dinner and then chilled out the front of the hotel room with more bintangs- a strong reoccurring theme for us so far in Bali! We then decided to head to a different beach as we'd seen signs for a party being advertised. Down a dodgy looking path and about 200 steps we ended up on the beach with a little live band playing and plenty of drinks. After a while a huge thunderstorm hit and everyone took shelter. We waited for the rain to pass and then decided to run home! We just stayed up out the front of our hotel room again for the rest of the night/early morning!

Overall Uluwatu was quite a nice place to explore and it was so much fun with the boys! If we had peds we could've ventured out a little further, but after hearing some of the horror stories about them we just aren't willing to risk it, as taxis are so cheap anyway! 

Wellington!

We had 6 days in Wellington which was a lot considering all our other days we only had around 1-2! It's the capital of New Zealand and we didn't know what to expect other than the usual city! When we arrived it was late evening so we checked in and took advantage of the free dinner at the hostel. Later on we headed down to the bar and enjoyed some drinks before signing up to a $5 bar crawl which actually turned out quite good! We were with our big group from the bus so it made it even more enjoyable as there was quite a few free shots and cheap drinks. After ending up pretty drunk we took a trip to the chip shop and then headed to bed!

Our first proper day in Wellington was spent with a little hangover so we went out for brunch which was lovely despite the extremely slow service for the 10 of us. Then we explored the city- which is very small. We had been recommended Cuba Street by our bus driver so we started there and made our way down to the harbour; where we really felt windy welly living up to it's name! We then headed to the supermarket which is the nicest one we have ever seen. The manager 100% has OCD as everything was so neat and there wasn't an apple out of place! We grabbed dinner for the 5 of us and enjoyed our curry. We headed out again in the evening to the bar for a few more drinks.

The next day we visited the huge museum which is recommended by everyone who visits Wellington. We explored all 6 levels for a few hours and visited the big section on the Galipoli war which was quite interesting. Afterwards we took our usual trip to the supermarket to grab some bits for dinner.

The day after was spent walking up to the Mount Victoria lookouts, a little trek that confirmed for me that I definitely couldn't have done the Tongariro Crossing. It was amazing to see all of Wellington and we decided it would be a good BBQ spot for dinner later on.

River Valley

River Valley was our next stop, and it was literally in the middle of nowhere surrounded by sheep and horses. We all had to walk down the steepest hill to get to our accommodation, which was a little lodge and the room was a 32 bed dorm and was basically 4 big beds that you all slept on. Although it sounds a bit disturbing- and it probably is because it used to be known as the orgy room- we actually ended up having a really good nights sleep! There wasn't a whole lot to do there because it's in the countryside but we went for a wander and there was a big swing bridge that we had fun going on. The boys went for an explore up the other side of the hill, if they slipped they would've ended up falling straight down it and into the river it was that steep! The girls headed inside and we chilled for a bit waiting for our roast dinner. We had dinner (wasn't as good as home) and chilled on the sofas playing some games like heads up. We all bonded as a group and it was really nice; there was no wifi either so we had to all entertain ourselves. Later in the evening the workers showed us a challenge where you had to make your way under and over the big wooden table without touching the floor. It proved very difficult as nobody in the group managed to do it- you had to hold on to the top whilst under the table trying to grab the other side; I didn't have a go because I have the worst upper body strength and I knew I would fall flat on my back.

We all headed to bed around 12-1 and had a nice lay in the next morning. Whilst we waited for people to get back from horse riding we all played a big game of volleyball which was so much fun! At around 2pm we begun our journey to Wellington- our last top in New Zealand :(

TAUPO

Along our way down the North Island we spent two days in Taupo. We had originally planned three however the Tongariro Crossing had been cancelled unfortunately (it was a blessing in disguise because I definitely would have struggled doing an 8 hour trek up a mountain.) We kick started our first day in Taupo with a sky dive! We arrived at Skydive Taupo and had our safety briefings and got into the suits; unfortunately we had to wait a little while for the clouds to clear but when they did it was beautiful! I had spent the majority of the time waiting with the skydive company's pet cat so I was pretty content. About 6 of us were put in the plane; Brad and Taby were in my plane and it was reassuring knowing you are doing it with friends! We had a 15-20 minute flight up to 15,000ft. It was amazing to see the views and in the plane Brad was more scared than me! At 8,000ft up you are given oxygen masks for the rest of the way; which did make me a little nervous but you quickly forget about it. When we got to the right spot the door opened and we were all out in about 20 seconds; it was so fast! It was quite daunting watching people fall out the plane as there was a little suction noise as they fell and they disappeared quite quickly.

When it came to my turn to fall I shut my eyes as this was what put me off my bungee- being able to see how high you are! I expected to feel quite uncomfortable as soon as you fall as I thought there would be some spinning but it felt so smooth and the guy on my back promised he would get me out as soon as possible! The free fall was about a minute long but it literally felt 10 seconds! I chose the package where a photographer jumps and videos you whilst takes pictures so it was fun to have someone else jumping alongside you! It was the most surreal experience and the views are incredible! After a minute of free fall which is literally indescribable it's the best thing I've ever done; you have a 5 minute parachute ride down, although mine ended up being nearer to 10 minutes because the heavier the load the quicker you fall, so I ended up being last to land. I couldn't stop smiling and asking my tandem master what everything was, it's made me love New Zealand even more! I would 100% do it again, however I wouldn't fall from any higher because towards the end of the free fall my ears started to get a little painful because of all the pressure, but it wasn't bad enough to put me off doing it again; I think the adrenaline made it seem a lot less painful! When we landed everyone in the group just couldn't stop smiling! 

We headed back to the hostel after and met back up with everyone else, we all went to a bar quiz in the evening and had some drinks.

The next morning we had a lazy morning and we then went on a sailing boat at 2pm, we all had some drinks and pizza whilst having a sail in Lake Taupo which was really nice! After a few hours we were back on land and decided we didn't want to go back to the hostel so we chilled by the lake until it got dark. This has to be one of my favourite memories from New Zealand because we all had so much fun. There was about 13 of us just chilling, drinking, dancing and listening to music. When the sun went down we went back to the hostel and went into the bar- after the bar man refusing to serve us because we were a bit too happy for his liking we went round a few other bars before heading to the local Irish pub where it was very lively. We all had some more drinks and had a dance and it was a good night!

I think Taupo has to be my favourite place we went to in New Zealand; not necessarily for the town but because of the memories we made. We had so much fun with the best group of people, and we finally got to do a skydive!

ROTORUA

Rotorua

Brad was so excited to get to Rotorua because it meant Hobbiton! You can go on a guided tour of the movie set and peak at all the hobbit holes. We got lucky with the weather and it was such a sunny day! We arrived with our group and jumped on the mini bus to the set. Admittedly I haven't watched the films properly so I wasn't as excited- I was just there to be Brads photographer; which he took advantage of as I'm pretty sure he got a picture in front of every hobbit hole and everything he saw- even crossing over ropes and things we weren't meant to just to get a picture. It was really nice to see and the area is so well maintained! We were told a lot of facts about the movies and sets- including a tree that was cut down and put back together again in a different area, but because it had been cut down and was dying the leaves had turned different colours; so they hired university students to hand paint all the leaves on the tree. We were there for a few hours then we were given a free cider/beer in the green dragon pub. 

When we got back onto the coach we were taken to our overnight cultural Maori experience. This was in a little village and we were told we needed to prepare a chant ready for the village leaders. The song chosen was spice girls- if you wanna be my lover so we all rehearsed and were ready to make an entrance. We arrived, sung our song and then had afternoon tea, as in the Maori culture when you do anything sacred/special you have to neutralise it with food- which was absolutely fine by me. After too many biscuits and making our own jam donuts we were taken to play some games. We played one for about 45 minutes with long poles where you have to chant then throw them to the person next to you, or beyond them. We picked it up quite quickly- minus a few who really didn't know how to catch; but it was good fun. Then we were shown our rooms- they were huge rooms with single beds down each side; one was for 20 people and the other room held 15. We were told about the structure of the huts, as each one represented a loved one who had passed on. Next we had to learn a song in Maori and do some actions. This was so much fun and we later had to perform this to the evening guests. We had time to change and put some warmer clothes on ready for the opening performance by the villagers. This was so amazing to watch and slightly scary at times as it's similar to the huka facial expression wise; and it's very disrespectful to laugh. It lasted about 15 minutes and then we were invited in to learn more about each sector in Maori culture/society. Unfortunately they were only workers but they all descended from the culture and were dressed (including temporary facial tattoos) and performed no different to how you would've expected back in the day. We learnt about different roles in society and it was incredible to learn more about it; as travelling through New Zealand it is mentioned a lot and all places still have their Maori names, so it interested me quite a bit. We then had dinner- it was made underground for several hours and was so tasty. As backpackers we were so grateful for a nice meal and it was so nice to be cooked for instead of having to do it yourself (mum I will never take your cooking for granted again) 

After dinner the other guests went home, but we stayed and we got the hot tubs to ourselves and the bar! The girls and I took advantage of the huge open fire so we warmed up and toasted some marshmallows. Then jumped in the hot tubs for a few hours! It was nice to chill and chat with everyone and it makes you closer as a group because you can really get to know everyone. We went to bed in the early hours of the morning and we had a buffet breakfast at about 8am which was so nice. 

Overall the Maori experience was one of the best memories I will have from travelling. You cannot experience it anywhere else and it was so nice to just listen to other people's way of life and the history of their country. It was definitely worth every penny and I am so happy we did the overnight experience instead of the evening one because you just don't get to experience it properly!

The next morning we headed for Rotorua's geothermal parks to see the geysers. I was actually quite looking forward to this because it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. But as we were driving towards it the whole town of Rotorua absolutely stinks like rotten eggs because of all the geothermal activity. We entered the park and went round with a tour guide who explained how the activity was happening and different aspects of the Maori culture. She also took some eggs and was able to cook them in one of the geysers, that's how hot they are. It was amazing to see and one of the geysers was extremely active!

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Rotorua and it was probably one of my favourite places in New Zealand we went to. We didn't explore the town because we simply didn't have time to, but all the activities were amazing!

Waitomo

Our bus stopped at Waitomo for one reason- the glow worm caves. This was one of the main reasons why we picked the North Island over the South as we had both wanted to do this for a while. We had a 3 hour time slot with our group where they took you into the caves and you black water rafted 65m underground. We were made to put thick wetsuits on- these were already wet from the previous group and it was the most disgusting feeling putting a cold wet, wetsuit on. But we quickly got over it as we were loaded into a mini bus and taken to a little creek. For some unknown reason- I still don't actually know why they made us do this; they made us jump backwards into the shallow, freezing cold creek and just float to the stairs. We then got back into the mini bus and drove to the caves. We had to climb through the smallest of spaces- one being so tiny we had to sit on our rings and lay all the way back and get pulled by our feet through. We floated through and had to jump off a few waterfalls... backwards into the darkness... Was actually quite scary at points seeing as I'm afraid of the dark. When we got further into the caves we all had to form a line and hold each other's feet to keep connected and turn off our headlights. Then you saw the amazing glow worms!!! There was so many of them and it was incredible to see! We got to see them for about 15 minutes just tuning in the darkness, but you could always see at least a few when exploring the caves. It got so cold in the caves and by the end we couldn't wait for a hot shower! It was an incredible experience! Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures because we simply just would've lost the GoPro, you were constantly climbing or trying to float around.

Hot water beach

We had an early bus from Auckland and about four hours later we arrived at our hostel. We were in new lodges which were actually really nice! We didn't get much time before we were rushed off to our first activity- kayaking. We were broken off into 3 groups and after a safety brief and how to use the kayaks we were in the water. It took me and Brad a few minutes to actually figure out how to get speed up and get to where we wanted to be. The guide took us round the marine reserve and round the costal line. The water was crystal clear the whole way round and you could see straight to the bottom! We kayaked round to Cathedral Cove and stopped off for a hot chocolate and a wander round. We kayaked for around 3 hours and heard some stories about the bay we were in and the islands around us. When we got back onto land we jumped back onto the Kiwi bus and headed back to the hostel. We grabbed some food quickly and ate it as we walked down to hot water beach. It was literally the same as any other beach but there was a particular part on it where you dug down into the sand to make a little pool and the water in it was boiling! Our bus driver told us it can get up to 65 degrees and it occurs because the earths crust is thinner at that point so it's the heat from the core rising up that makes the water boiling hot. 

The way New Zealand bus trips work out means it gives you one day and night in each location, so we are literally gonna have a couple weeks of early starts everyday and many activities everyday! We really enjoyed hot water beach and it was so nice to do a new activity as neither of us have kayaked before. It was also amazing to finally get to experience the hot water beach as I don't think it occurs anywhere else!

Bay of Islands & Cape Reinga

We left Auckland at 7am to catch our bus to the Bay of Islands! We were excited as it was our first time exploring more of New Zealand and we had heard so many good things about it. When we arrived we had our first day to chill out but I think all the nights out in Auckland had caught up with us so we used the afternoon to catch up on some sleep! In the evening we had the BBQ at the hostel and had some drinks before heading to bed for our early start the next day.

Our second day we took a bus up to Cape Reinga; something I would definitely recommend doing as it was definitely worth it. We did a walk to the lighthouse and saw two seas meeting. We were so lucky with the weather as it was boiling hot! There were lovely views and it was incredible seeing the most northern part of NZ! Once we had done the walk we got back on the coach and got taken to the biggest sand dunes I have ever seen. We climbed up them which was so tiring and when we got to the top we got to body board down. You could end up going so fast you would fly through the tiny river and onto some grass just after it! It was such a good experience and our tour guide definitely enjoyed it because he took us twice the height of all the other groups around us. Afterwards we took a long drive on 90 mile beach (exactly the same as 75 mile beach on Fraser Island) and stopped at a fish and chip shop on the way home that did the most incredible battered fish; Brad went back for more.

Our third and final full day we spent swimming with wild dolphins!! Neither of us wanted to go to the likes of sea world and swim with them in a swimming pool where they're trained as I hate anything like that. We opted for the most natural way to do so and we are so glad we did! Because they are completely wild we took the chance of not actually seeing or being able to swim with them; but 15 minutes into the tour we found some and they were incredible to see up close. The skippers had to assess the pod as you can't swim if there's babies or if they're feeding or sleeping and luckily they weren't! There were tons of them and it was definitely one of the best days we have had travelling; or ever! We all got undressed in about 2 seconds and were straight to the back of the boat and shoved some flippers and a snorkel on ready to go. We were all in the water so fast, and it was absolutely freezing but you sort of got an adrenaline burst and raced over to the dolphins. Somehow I was one of the first over to them and it was one of the best feelings when they were swimming round you and they were so playful. For some reason however they didn't stick around long and they disappeared after about 10 minutes. The skippers were quite confused and we got on the boat and just accepted they were wild and you can't ever control them. We continued to search for some; and found them again but they didn't hang around long and each boat has a certain amount of time they can swim with the dolphins to keep them happy. We left them alone and headed to a little spot to snorkel, but I just sunbathed on the tiny boat deck. When Brad came back from snorkelling he spoke to the skipper as he was so desperate to see killer whales, but we were told they are only found every 6-8 weeks and even he hadn't seen any this year so it was highly unlikely.
But, our luck hadn't run out just yet! After a while the skipper got a call and the dolphins behaviour
all made sense- they had spotted wild orcas (killer whales) further out!

We drove further out to sea and the waves were quite rough considering we were only on a tiny boat with about 12 people on it. However it was all worth it to see a family of killer whales just swimming about. They were absolutely huge and at some points right next to the boat and you could see them swim underneath! It's something that just topped the day off and made it so special and you really appreciate where you are and what you're doing at times like that! We took so many pictures but everyone on the boat was just so excited and enjoying the moment it was hard to get good pictures.

We headed home after and there was such a good atmosphere on the boat. In the evening we just chilled and did boring things like cooked and our washing- travelling has matured me seeing as now I can actually work a washing machine. We packed our bags and got ready to leave for Auckland the next morning.

Overall the Bay of Islands was definitely one of the best experiences and there is so much to do up there. We wished we had longer and in the summer I can see it being an incredible place to go as there's so many islands. We would definitely go back because there was some activities we just didn't have the time to do. The dolphin encounter is something I would 100% go back and do because they're wild and every trip will be different, so you may never know what you see next time.

Auckland!

This was our first stop in New Zealand and we used Auckland to meet up with people we had already met travelling. Our first 3 days in Auckland we were with Toni and Luke, another couple we have met who we've got along so well with! We arrived on Friday evening so we all decided to go to the rooftop club next door to our hostel. After way too many drinks and pictures we ended the night with a $5 dominos.

Our first proper day in Auckland we were all planning to go to Waikiki Island but unfortunately it was a little bit overcast and we were just all too hungover to move much. We all wandered round the shops and had a few drinks in a little cowboy themed pub near the harbour. In the early evening we all had a nap and then got ready- played too many games of uno and headed out. We went to a club but it was a bit too odd so we headed to a sports bar (so the boys could watch football) and had a few more drinks in there. Once again we finished the night with a $5 dominos- you can literally never go wrong with a £2.50 pizza.

Our second day and third days were quite similar- we had a lie in and then got odd jobs done and headed out about midday. We went to other parts of the city and explored round there and found somewhere for dinner. In the afternoon we headed back to the hostel and played more games of uno!

We had another night in Auckland after our trip to the Bay of Islands to catch up with our friend Alex who we had met on the Whitsundays who's now living the dream and living in New Zealand! It was so nice to have someone show us where to go and we had the nicest meal and had some drinks in an Irish pub. 

I definitely wish we had a car to explore more of Auckland and I wish the weather had been better to explore some islands and the volcano! Just another reason to return to New Zealand! 

SYDNEY

We arrived in Sydney with little sleep and too many bags at 6.30am. We jumped in a taxi- who didn't actually know where anything was and we got dropped basically in the middle of Sydney outside a hotel which we weren't even staying in. After a nightmare of trying to find our hostel we eventually stumbled across it and checked in. We chilled on the sofas for a while till our room was ready and when it was we headed straight out after dumping our bags. We took a wander into the city and shopped around, it was manic and all the shops were so big; it was just like London. For some reason we just kept going completely brain dead in the middle of Sydney shopping centres and forgetting where we were and how to get back to the hostel. (Sounds reassuring to our parents- sorry!!) it happened everyday we were there so either we're going mad or Sydney is just a confusing city. Once we were getting tired we headed back to the hostel and waited for dinner time. We did explore the rooftop garden of our hostel in the evening and took some pictures of the opera house and bridge at night.

Our second day we checked out our hostel and headed down a few roads to our hotel; Sydney Harbour Rocks Hotel. We left our bags there and went for a wander round the opera house and bridge to see it in daylight. We took lots of pictures and stopped in the Guyllian cafe for milkshakes. Early afternoon we went back to the hotel and just chilled out for a while; it was unbelievably nice to have a room with a good shower and proper bed. I was so happy to have a dressing gown again! In the evening we headed out to the Opera Bar which is just under the opera house and with a direct view of the bridge which was nice! We had a lot of cocktails and a really lovely meal to celebrate our anniversary :) 

The next day we had a lay in and took advantage of the 11am check out. Next door to the hotel was a creperie so it was not up for debate where we were having breakfast. We sadly headed back to our hostel and waited there for our check in. Once we checked in and realised the room stunk of cheesy feet we headed straight out to the city to look around some more. After a shop around again we cooked dinner and chilled for the rest of the evening.

The next day we headed to Bondi Beach. We got the bus there and when we got there it was a little cloudy so we expected the worst but as we walked along the coast line it was so warm and sunny! We headed straight for the infamous icebergs and took loads of pictures of the swimming pool and we chilled in the cafe and had some milkshakes. Whilst we were there we also saw loads of dolphins! It was amazing to watch them all playing together and was an added extra to the day! When the dolphins disappeared we begun the Bondi to Bronte walk. It had amazing views and we stopped along route on some rocks and watch the surfers as the waves were huge! We continued the walk and got to Bronte sooner than we expected so we chilled there for a while before heading back to Bondi. We were going to continue to 

Coogee but we could see it in the distance and the views would have just been the same and it got so hot, so we just decided to head back. When we got back to Bondi we had lunch on the grass above the beach and just relaxed. When we were done there we caught the bus to Bondi junction which is surrounded by so many shops so we had a look round and after an hour or so we headed back to the hostel. In the evening we just relaxed and cooked dinner.

The next day we had another early start and headed to the Blue Mountains. It was a three hour train journey so we allowed time for that and when we got there we caught a bus to echo point to get a good view. When we got there it was a lot more touristy than we expected so we got our pictures and had a little walk round then quickly headed off into the quiet part of the coastal line for a two hour trek to Leura Cascades. When we got there we were immediately stunned with Bridal Veil Falls which was the biggest waterfall I've ever seen (I was too little to remember Niagara Falls) we then walked round and saw the Leura Cascades which went up for ages into the trees. After some pictures we headed out onto the main road. We decided not to trek for two hours back the way we came so we headed off to find a train station. Half an hour later we found one and stocked up on food for our three hour train journey home to the city. It was so nice to spend some time walking in the forest after spending a couple days just in the city. 

On what we thought was the day we flew out (I accidentally got our flight date wrong oops) we ended up just chilling in the city again, but by this time we were ready to leave Sydney as we were getting way too excited for New Zealand!

Overall we enjoyed Sydney however it wasn't our favourite place. I found this quite surprising because everyone along the way had said how much they loved it and it's the best place; but we didn't really fall in love with it! We would go back, but definitely in summer :)

BYRON BAY

I had heard so much about Byron Bay and after wanting to visit for a couple of years I was so excited to be on the greyhound! It was only a short drive from Surfers and we arrived early morning. We had a surf lesson and overnight accommodation already booked, so we headed straight to the hostel. At 2pm we headed to the beach with our small surf group, warmed up then headed straight into the water. It was a lot easier than we thought it was gonna be, and to Brad's horror I stood up first time! I began to overcome my fear of waves until I started getting smashed about by bigger waves and my surfboard kept smashing into me; so after a couple hours I was exhausted and just sat on my board at the back watching the group. Brad loved it so much and he got quite good at it by the end of the lesson!

In the evening we went to cheeky monkeys; a club we had heard a lot about coming down the east coast. We set off in a group of   8 and straight away saw the $3 alcoholic slushies! The club got quite busy quite quickly and it was the strangest concept people dancing on tables, and watching a Spanish guy win a twerking competition which he was actually so good at. We decided to head home but Byron had some torrential rain whilst we were there which came in short bursts but drenched you straight through in about two seconds- this was occurring when we were leaving the club so we had an interesting run home. 

The next day Brad, Katie and I headed into town to have a look round the shops and get some food. We found the most amazing toastie place- would 100% go back to Byron just for that. Once we had enough of the shops we went back to the hostel and sat on the beach- the hostel literally was a 20 second walk from the beach it was amazing! We watched some surfing lessons and then got caught in the rain again so headed back. In the evening there was a BBQ at the hostel so we enjoyed that and also a fire show. After having a few drinks four of us headed to Woodys- a club we had been recommended by locals. When we got there it was so packed! We only stayed for about an hour and a half because it took ages to get anywhere and there was a permanent long queue at the bar which was annoying, but we still had fun! 

Our third day in Byron we went to Nimbin. Five of us boarded 'the happy coach' and we headed to the weirdest little town. We looked around, had a few cookies, and enjoyed amazing burgers cooked by our bus driver- Princess Fiona. We headed back to Byron after a few hours and tried to sit on the beach, but once again Byron brought the torrential rain. When it had passed over we all headed to dominos for a pizza each and went home and just chatted till bed time.

Our last day in Byron it was just Brad and I and we headed into town for a toastie each and to pick up some food for dinner. When we got back we tried to do the lighthouse walk because it was actually really sunny on our last day, thank god! But as per usual we stop to take pictures a lot of the way and we ended up adding a lot of time on, and half way on the walk we realised how much longer it would take and how little time we had till we had to catch our bus to Sydney. We decided to turn back unfortunately- just means we have a good excuse to return to Byron! On the way back we also stopped for a coconut along the beach and I had a 15 minute nap on the grass- I can honestly fall asleep anywhere at any time of the day... In the evening we caught our 13 hour coach ride to Sydney- overnight coaches do not get easier the more you do, they will forever be uncomfortable and only allow you to have 3/4 hours sleep maximum.

We absolutely loved Byron and we met amazing people which definitely made it a lot better too! Both of us would come back here as it was just so chilled and we loved watching the surfers, and surfing ourselves. If we came back it would definitely be in summer, as there was times where we wished we could've just sat on the beach but the rain stopped us. But despite the weather it's still one of our favourite places we visited along the East Coast!

Surfers Paradise

Along our way down the east coast we'd heard so many mixed reviews about surfers paradise, just like we had about Brisbane. Nevertheless we had 3 days here so we wanted to have a good look around to make our own opinion. We got a taxi to our hostel but annoyingly it was an hour walk back to the city or a $20 taxi ride. So first we just checked out the marina right outside our hostel and took a wander round; which is where we saw the Versace hotel literally a few doors down from our hostel which is always depressing. We started the walk as soon as we checked in and it was only along the beach front the whole way which was actually quite nice! When we got to the city we had a stroll around and looked in a few shops- there was loads. Afterwards we went and chilled on the beach, waiting around for dinner. We underestimated how hard it would be to find somewhere that sold spag bol because I was ill and I was just craving some home comfort! After about half an hour of walking round we finally found somewhere and went straight in. We walked back to our hostel after dinner, stopping along the way so brad could take some pictures. Whilst Brad was taking some of the sea I went and sat down further up the beach; which is where we lost each other for a few minutes and when he found me again it was literally like when you see a parent who loses their child and they panic he was so funny!! 

The next day we had a lie in- the first we've had in months! And when we dragged ourselves out of bed we decided on a McDonald's for lunch. Then we took our food babies for a walk on the beach and collapsed and sunbathed for a bit. After a while we headed back to the hostel and in the evening we got the bus to the city and looked in a few more shops. Then we looked around for dinner again. Neither of us being particularly hungry we settled for a KFC little share bucket and enjoyed that on the beach. This is where our day gets even healthier, we then went to the chocolate shop and had the nicest waffle! 

On our third day we again went into the city and wandered round. We had the most amazing brunch at a little cafe- Brad having a smoked salmon toastie and I had avocado and eggs on toast. Once we finished that we carried on walking round and stopped in a few more shops. It wasn't as sunny today so we only sat on the beach for a little while before heading to Coles to buy dinner and wait for the transfer back to the hostel. We got back to the hostel in the late afternoon and we were so shattered we napped from 4-8 (the worst time to nap) and woke up to make dinner. It got to about 10 before we headed back to the room to pack our backpacks and try and sleep. 

In all honesty, surfers paradise is the place we enjoyed the least down the east coast, and I think it's the same for most people we have met as well. But we did still enjoy it and did have a wander round; we just found it too touristy!

Brisbane

After Noosa we weren't quite sure if Brisbane would be able to top it, and after hearing that Brisbane is quite artificial and you either love it or you hate it we weren't too sure if we'd even enjoy it! When we got to Brisbane we literally hiked up a huge hill to get to our hostel with our backpacks and I swear I could've started crying- I can't handle carrying the weight of my backpack more than 2 seconds. We literally checked in and left straight away for the city centre which was about a 10 minute walk. We got there and it was so similar to London! There's all the same shops as home and the atmosphere was the same. After a little shop around we went to Southbank- literally the same as London Southbank as well, we strolled round for a few hours and sat by the river. We headed back to the hostel as the sun was starting to set to grab brads camera and change into jeans as we thought it would get colder (a decision we later regretted because it was still boiling). We headed back to Southbank and took some pictures- Brad finally figured out how to do long exposures so we got some amazing pictures! We had dinner and then later went for drinks by the river.

Our second day we had an amazing breakfast from the cafe in the hostel where smoothies were the equivalent of £1.50! After we went to explore more of the city, heading to James Street but it was quite expensive boutiques so we decided to just head back to Southbank for some nachos. Brad had been wanting to go to the cinema for ages because the wifi is so bad everywhere we go and you can barely load anything :( So we did just that and in the evening we saw the Jungle Book, which was actually amazing! The cinema was so cheap as well (£3 each) so we thought we may as well take advantage of it. We came out and took some more pictures of the river and all the buildings which look incredible in the dark.

We really enjoyed Brisbane a lot more than we expected and it's so similar to London so you can't really hate it. It was nice to be in a city again as well! 

Noosa!

I had heard how lovely Noosa was so I definitely wanted to spend a few days here. As soon as we arrived we got checked in and headed straight for the beach and shops. It was such a nice town and had so many unique shops and restaurants! We wandered round for a little bit and Brad managed to find some Ray bans he liked so we got him them, as we were both getting worried because he was literally squinting 24/7 and it's crazy how sunny it is. We took a walk onto the beach and after Brad got a hair cut, we wandered to Coles and got some food to cook for dinner. We caught the shuttle back to the hostel and just chilled out for a bit. Our hostel is called Flashpackers; it's so nice and although it was a bit more expensive I am glad we chose this one. The staff are friendly as well and they run the bus every hour to take you wherever you like. 

Our second day in Noosa was spent relaxing and walking by the shops. We got to the beach and spent about an hour watching the waves take people out and Brad had a go at trying to swim for his life through them. We then had a wander round the shops and had a smoothie from Boost (they're everywhere over here!) after a bit more shopping we settled down to have lunch and got a seafood sharing platter with the best prawns, calamari, etc! For a grand total of $30 (£15) which was a bargain lunch for the quality of the food! We then went and sat back on the beach for a few hours, watching the even bigger waves. After we headed back to the hostel and just chilled for dinner. 

Although this post isn't long and probably isn't interesting to most people I definitely wanted to remember our time here and this is my online diary sort of thing anyway! I would 10000% come back to Noosa and we definitely feel like we didn't spend enough time here as we didn't do as much as we wanted because we didn't have the time! There's some amazing looking restaurants and shops so we would definitely come back when we're on less of a budget (I don't know who we're trying to fool because we don't ever budget anything oops) 

FRASER ISLAND

Fraser Island was beautiful! After a long bus ride to Hervey Bay and a little ferry ride we arrived at Fraser Island. You are brought into the Kingfisher Bay Resort (which is huge) and checked in and went up to our lodges. We had a free afternoon so we decided to chill by the pool at the main resort and after having the best vanilla milkshake, a cocktail and a mental breakdown about how much I wanted to be staying in a nice hotel, we headed back up to our rooms. All our meals were provided for us on the 4 days on Fraser Island and it was so nice to not have to worry about what we're going to cook or where we're going to eat!

Our second day on Fraser Island began with an early start (shock) and a little 4x4 drive to Lake Mckenzie. It was beautiful and we had the best weather! The rest of the day consisted of a rainforest walk and another lake. 

The third day was probably my favourite. We first went to champagne pools. This is where there are a few little rock pools and the waves crash at the front of them and then the sea water flows through keeping them topped up. It was an amazing thing to see and it was like little swimming pools right by the ocean. After we went to Indian head, which is quite a big lookout and you climb up lots of big rocks then onto a path and you can see for miles! Down the road- by road I mean beach as you're literally driving right next to the sea! We stopped off at the ship wreck where we took some photos and the guide told us the next cyclone to hit will most probably destroy it, so it's something the next generation might not see; I think it's quite cool that we've can say we saw it :). We ended the day at Eli Creek with some inflatable rings just floating down it. It was crystal clear (and freezing cold) and the way it flowed meant it was just like a lazy river. 

The fourth day we went to a lake and paddle boarded, something Brad and I just couldn't get the hang of so we kept falling in! Then we went to some sand dunes where you could run up them and roll back down. Afterwards we went back to Lake McKenzie where Brad and I had a little nap on the sand, then after a bumpy ride home we got back on the ferry to Hervey Bay. We had one night here so we winged it with accommodation- aka just go into any hostel and pray they have a room. Then finished our night with some fish and chips from down by the sea :)

We enjoyed Fraser Island so much and there was so many activities which meant we made the most out of the island! It was amazing and I would definitely go back!

Whitsunday islands!

An early start in Airlie Beach and a couple hours sailing landed us in the Whitsunday Islands; definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. We went to a little lookout point and witnessed the most amazing view- the sea was so many different colours and there was so many islands surrounding it. We went down to Whitehaven beach and had a little explore and a swim around. There was a little area in the sea where baby sharks and stingrays were swimming around after being born which was so cute! 

We headed back to our sailing boat with our group and chatted to everyone and headed for Blue Pearl Bay where we all watched the sunset whilst having some snacks and dinner. This is where the boat parked up for the night and we all chilled on the deck drinking and watching the stars- which were amazing! We even spotted a couple of shooting stars! Some of the group attempted to sleep up on the deck, and Brad was the only one who made it through the whole night. 

We had an early start the next day and got ready for snorkelling. There was so many fish in the reef! The area was still part of the Great Barrier Reef but it was so different to Cairns where we snorkelled in it too. The girl from the tour kept chucking in bits of bread for the fish so we could all watch them underwater :) 

We went to a second snorkel spot where there was a few turtles, but because it was a bit chilly I just laid on the beach for a while. When we got back to the boat it was so sunny and we all sunbathed on the deck- aka napping for me as I seem to always fall asleep in the sun no matter where I am! After lunch we sailed for a couple hours home. I had never been on a sailing boat (that I can remember) and so when the boat was literally on its side and you have to hang on for dear life, it's safe to say I was just a bit frightened! After a while you get used to it but it's still the strangest concept to me! 

Overall we had an amazing 2 day and one night adventure on the Whitsundays! We met some amazing people and created memories that will definitely stay with me forever. I would definitely go back and the pictures don't even do it justice! With the beaches also, because the sand is constantly being moved around and the sea changing, the way you saw the beach will change from the next time you go there which I think is pretty cool! 

CAIRNS

After doubling our time in cairns and staying for a week it's safe to say we loved it. Theres so many activities and things to do, we only had one day where we didn't do anything! 

We stayed in the YHA hostel which was actually pretty decent and we got quite lucky with our dorm mates. We opted for a 4 share dorm as it was our first hostel and just wanted to experience it. We also got lucky on the last two nights and had the room to ourselves which was a win! 

Here was where we did our bungee jump, we took a trip to AJ Hackett and the staff were so friendly and just encouraged you to be brave, something I definitely needed! The height of the jump was 50m, which doesn't sound a lot but when you have to throw yourself off it trust me it is. I stood at the top for just under two minutes before he counted down and I just flopped off the edge; my video is so funny! I'm so glad I did it, but I am 90% sure I would never do it again. The couple of seconds you're free falling you just feel like you're not attached to anything and just heading straight towards the ground, which gives you the biggest burst of adrenaline! Brad enjoyed it so much he did a second one; this time running and jumping off the roof. 

In Cairns we also did three day tours. Our first to Cape Tribulation and up into the Daintree rainforest. We went for a wander in the rainforest, stopped off at a little beach and went on a little cruise and saw some crocodiles! One had even wedged a dead cow in a tree to munch on. 

Our second day trip was snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. This is definitely one of the best things I've done and it was just something out of a film as soon as you stuck your head in the water. We saw countless numbers of fish and jellyfish, a few turtles and a baby reef shark! (He was still about a metre and a half) But on the way in from our second stop there was loads of bluebottle jellyfish! So many people got stung and Brad took one right to the neck. The weather was also amazing and we met some friends on the boat and finished the day with (too many) drinks with them :)

Our last day trip was to the Atherton Tablelands with many stops at all the waterfalls to swim in and slide down! We stopped at Millaa Millaa Falls; where the Herbal Essences advert was filmed. We were quite lucky because everyone on our trip was young and from the UK. Literally everyone mingled and it was such an enjoyable day! 

There is some other things to do in Cairns also. There's a lagoon, because unfortunately you can't swim in the sea in North Queensland because of crocodiles. There was a live band playing everytime we went there which was nice. There's also a huge shopping centre if you're not trying to save money! We just took a wander round and just brought dinners from Coles. We also went to the casino where I got lucky and won $40! There's plenty of markets and food places to wander round during the day and in the evening too. 

We went out for drinks most nights with friends and all the bars/clubs have free champagne to girls, did numerous happy hours and jäger bombs went down to $4 (£2) which was always a win-win situation.

Despite all the day trips my favourite memory in Cairns has to be Brad being so drunk he opened the hostel door (naked) in the middle of the night, went for a wee right outside the door, and wandered back to bed... All hanging loose for our two hostel roomies to see! 

Overall we really enjoyed Cairns and I can tell it will be one of our favourite places that we visit. We couldn't work out if we would come here again because we've done all the main activities and there wouldn't be much point repeating them, but it will always be one of my favourites!