Travel off the beaten track and experience

Visas. Sometimes they’re easy to obtain, sometimes they’re an enigma which need plenty of chasing, and sometimes they’re not required and you can waltz straight off the plane without a care in the world! I’m pretty good with forward-planning and organisation as my Thailand visa was extended well before i packed my toothbrush, my Indonesian border-run was ready for me to sprint and Australia’s tourist visa was in the bag before i was on the plane. However, this Second-Year Working Holiday Visa (WHV II) for Australia is a painfully slow process which is requiring hard graft and has become a sincere royal pain in my ass… and now in my shoulders and biceps. To get an Australian WHV II, one needs to complete 3 months (88 days) of ‘specified work’ in a regional area of Oz. The work (listed on the government website) includes harvesting or packing fruit/veg, trimming and pruning vines, the processing of fruit/veg/dairy products. Also a range of...

This is the second instalment of a new series interviewing expats across the world. I’ve reached out to expats in different countries to hear why people might choose to move abroad, and how they did it. If you want to know more about moving to a particular country this is the place! If you’re interested in taking part, or want to see a certain place featured let me know! I’ve been an expat in Australia on two different occasions, once when I was saving to move to the UK, and once when my visa ended and I had to return under difficult circumstances. While Australia is not for me right now I absolutely love it, and I think it’s a great place to live as an expat. There’s so much to do there, and so many adventures to have. One of my highlights was learning to dive on the Great Barrier Reef! It can be expensive to travel to Australia, but when you’re living there and earning Australian wages it can be more affordable, depending on your location. I’ll be writi...

With state borders due to open soon and international travel far in the distance, if you’re an Aussie now might be a great time to consider a road trip in Australia. Whether you’re looking to stay closer to home or waiting for inter-state flights to resume, we’ve named the 20 best places in Australia you should visit to satisfy your urge for adventure! 1. Norfolk Island This tiny island in the South Pacific Ocean is one of Australia’s best kept secrets. Norfolk Island is located a 3 hour flight from Sydney, with very limited flights each week. It is therefore the perfect oasis to escape to, especially if you’re looking to avoid crowds and enjoy beaches entirely to yourself. Read more: Why you should visit Norfolk Island 2. Great Ocean Road The Great Ocean Road is a 243 kilometre stretch of road along Australia’s southern coast. The road is most known for the 12 apostles, located off the shore of Port Campbell National Park...

Mālō e lelei from Vava’u, Tonga! One thing I’ve learned from my time in this country so far? This is a destination in which to disconnect! With unusable and/or expensive Wi-Fi ($25 for 500 mb!) and rarely more than an 2G connection on my phone, posting on Never Ending Footsteps has had to take a backseat until I get myself back to better connected places — most likely not until mid-freaking-February! Yes, I’m struggling to deal with this. The positive to my unexpected disconnection for you guys, however, is me finding the time to write 11 blog posts, so prepare yourself for a deluge of stories when I next get fully online. Until then, enjoy this delayed monthly summary that I was finally able to put together over the worst internet of my life.  When I left you last, I had just arrived in Tokyo and was wrestling with a stomach-churning case of jet lag — the worst I’ve ever battled. The subsequent exhaustion sank deep into my bones and resulted in ...

Sydney is Australia’s iconic “city meets the sea” destination that visitors travel to from far, far away to enjoy that once in a lifetime trip to Australia. For Aussies, Sydney is one of their favourite cities – up there with the likes of Melbourne and Brisbane. But with so much to see in Australia, you’re likely to want to jampack as much into your trip as possible – visiting the Great Barrier Reef, have an Outback adventure, and spend just a couple of nights in each of the big cities. So if it’s just a couple of nights you have, here’s what you can’t miss in 48 hours in Sydney!   48 hours in Sydney: Day 1 First things first, you’ve got to get yourself from the airport to the city. The easiest and most cost effective is to hop on the Sydney Airport Link Train , which will get you into the city in 13 minutes for just $17. Once in the city, your best bet will be to book a centrally located hotel as time is precious. I chose...