Month: February 2017

The Hard Part of Living Abroad 

Dear 2006 Me,

You’re about to move to England. Big step but it feels right and you will have the right mix of apprehensiveness and excitement. You don’t realise it yet but this is a pivotal point of your life.

At this point your thinking you’ll be away for at least 2 maybe 5 years as that’s when your visa runs out and by then you’ll be 28 and ready to come home.

This is not the case- 10 years in and you’ll still not be sure when or if you’ll move back.

When you step on the plane you’ll be thinking of the adventures your going to have, the people you’ll meet, the countries you’ll go to and the new life you’ll have. What you won’t be thinking about is what you’ll end up missing out on at home while your away and rightly so in your mind your only going for a couple of years. Not much will happen in that time. Although it’s glaringly obvious, you forget life will go on even if your not there.

You’ll go home almost every year and funnily enough more times than your sister but you can’t be there for every occasion. When your sister gets married, your best friend has a baby, a family member suddenly passes away you’ll be there and reminding yourself that the worlds not that big. But the longer you’re away the more things you start to not be able to be there for like when your grandad is ill and needs to move into a home and your grandma needs support, when your family get together to celebrate anniversaries, significant birthdays, random off the cuff weekend catch ups, meeting friends new partners, engagement parties and town celebrations.

A few weeks ago it was Dad’s 60th birthday and you won’t be there for the party. Yes you saw him a month earlier on an amazing family holiday and celebrated with everyone then but you miss out on being there now. You’ll facetime (FaceTime is amazing just you wait) and talk to everyone and see how much fun they are having together and they will laugh at how rugged up your are when it’s so warm there and then you’ll hang up and smile but that smile will fade into tears. Tears of sadness that your not there, guilt that your not there and longing as you wish to be there and not in your lounge getting ready to put the washing away.

Im not writing this to you to stop you from going or to create any further guilt as you need to go. You need to live your life. But you need to know these things as your going to have to be strong. Really strong. No one will ever tell you about this side of living away (only all the practical points of living abroad) and you do learn how to cope with it even if at times you won’t feel like you can.

You need to make sure you enjoy every moment and every new thing you see as this will shape you and make you into the person you are meant to be. As much as you’re longing to be at home with everyone they will be looking at your Facebook, text messages, Instagram and feeling envious that your having a weekend in Paris or that your off on another girly holiday to somewhere fabulous in Europe. They’ll want to be there for you when you have a bad day, hospital appointments, celebrate the promotion you got or even take you out for dinner when you get engaged (yes you get engaged!). This is just the way it is.

It might sound all doom and gloom but it’s not. It’s amazing – you have so many friends who are your extended family, you fall in love, you see things you never thought you would, you have a great job, mum comes to celebrate your 30th, you even get a pet rabbit and most importantly you have the most amazing family that are there for you regardless of the miles or oceans between.

Home is where the heart is and your fortunate enough to have your heart on both sides of the world.

Be strong and enjoy!

X

oh and look out for a guy that gives you a jar of vegemite on your first date. He’s a keeper and will always make you smile when your missing home

Martha Mine

On our road trip round the North Island of NZ my partner did a lot for me – he drove (mainly because its less painful if he does), he saw alot of things that whilst he enjoyed them may not have been high on his to see list and he let me choose and plan the route. He is a man who loves machines and also current owns his own Plant Hire business so when I was planning I ensured we factored in some time in the historic gold mining region. There was bound to be big machines there!

Now in all my planning I hadn’t realised quite what we would find when we arrived in Waihi.

This is the Martha Mine….


It is HUGE! The mine sits at the end of the Main Street and is accessible via a footpath from Seddon Street and has a viewing area around the rim on the pit. There is also a replica Poppet Head and Historic Cornish Pumphouse that was moved from its orginal site in the grounds.  There was a large subsidence to one side which you can see has blocked off the roads along the side of the pit.  There is information board which explained that it was a gold and silver open-pit mine which is not operational (would be kinda hard and unsafe with the side so unstable) but that there is also an underground mine very close to this site that is operational.

We enjoyed our wander around but we hadn’t seen any machines and also wanted to know more. Opposite the mine  on Seddon Street is the Waihi Gold Discovery Centre with a museum and they also do tours. The Gold Discovery Centre was really interesting and covered so much of the history of not only the mine but also of Waihi. There was lots of hands on activities that would keep the kids (and man children) entertained. However I would throughly recommend buying the Tour and Discovery Center combo ticket.

The bus picked us up just outside and our guide was brilliant. Nice chap who knew everything about the mine and the gold history of Waihi. The first part of the tour takes you to the open-pit mine where you get to get closer to the mine and also finally see some big trucks. After some further information and a few pics we then headed down the road to the newer underground mine. On the way there our tour guide pointed out a man-made lake that the mining company (Oceana Gold) had built for the town and also highlighted other ways that Oceana Gold helped support the town. this wasnt just through employment and local charity funding but also scholarships for the high school.

Arriving at the underground mine we got to see entrance to the mine (and some more big trucks) and were also told how the operation works. One of the interesting things was regarding the rocks that came out of the mine as these were not allowed to be sold and needed to be put back into Waihi. The way they have done this is by building up the landscape surrounding and creating huge tailing ponds which have brought specific species of birds back to the area. It is a really creative and inspiring way of using something that affects the landscape to actual also help the landscape and ecosystems.

We then got to get closer to the working mine and saw the dumpers taking out the rocks and then everything going onto the conveyor belts to get broken down and starting showing the gold and silver. The tour guide had samples of gold and silver for the mine and we were able to take a few token pics.

On the bus back to the Discovery Centre our tour guide answered all the questions and had some booklets with further information that you could look through.

It was a great experience being able to have a look around the mines but I also found the history behind the town and the mine so fascinating and nice change to everything we had already done on our trip. What is the point of going somewhere if you don’t learn somethings new?


I’m still working my way through blogs on other places we visited in the North Island however if you wanted to read about seeing the Gloworms in Waitimo you can find this  here or  drinking wine at one of the many wineries on Waiheke here

Finer Details for the Gold Discover Centre

Website and details below if you would like more information

http://golddiscoverycentre.co.nz/

Tour times 10.30 and 12.30 daily (tour takes around 1.5 hours)

Prices $55 per adult for combo ticket

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dealing with the dreaded jet lag 

There isn’t many bad things about long haul travel but one of the worst is Jet lag. I’ve been flying backward and forwards from the UK to Australia every year for the past 10 years and every single time the lag has got me. You’d think I’d be a pro at dealing with it. I’m not, but whilst I do get affected I have also learnt some lessons about how to minimise it.
Here is my top 5 tips

Stay awake
If you can, try and land at night as this has always made things much easier for me. You can go straight to sleep and wake up in the morning to try and get into the new daily cycle. If you land in the day then make sure you get outside. Now this is the somewhat tricky part as you need to stay awake as long as you can. Ideally till when you would usually go to sleep. One time we were on the ferry in Sydney Harbour and the lag hit us like a lead balloon and we kept falling asleep on the ferry. Proper head bobbing, snoring sleeping. We swiftly had to make our way back to the apartment. My dad has also been known in the past to hit a saucepan with a wooden spoon loudly if we were falling asleep to early in the afternoon.


Comfy and hydrated on the flight           Yes you’ll need to have your pre flight pint (or for the more classy travellers a glass of wine) at the airport before you depart but whilst you’re on the plane make sure you drink as much water as you can. Skip drinking countless alcoholic beverages and stick to the soft stuff. When on the flight ensure you are comfy which can be difficult when in economy. I like comfy trousers, layers, socks and even a scarf and woolie hat. Try and find a position that works for you to sleep. Ideally not on another passenger’s shoulder.


Time activities and change your watch on the flight                                                This is something my partner has started doing on our flights in the last few years. He works out what times we need to sleep and how much sleep we should aim for whilst on each of the flight. We also change our watches to our destination’s time zone so that we start to trick our body like we are already there. I used to think the more sleep the better but now I know better and it’s more about sleeping at the right times. I usually plan for a certain amount of film time but also like to take a book and notepad and pen. I find starting at a screen for so long can actually keep me away whereas I start reading a book and I drift off without any hassle.


If you have a long stop over book a room We had a long stopover in KL a few years ago so we found the hotel in the airport and booked a room. Now you do have to book them for a set number of hours which can feel a little seedy but it’s not like that at all. The joy of being able to lie down on actual bed is bliss! You can sleep, shower and just enjoy a couple of hours on your own without a whole flight or airport full of people. Just make sure you set an alarm or schedule a wake up call so you don’t miss your flight.

If you wake up early get up explore
If your body wakes up and refuses to go back to sleep then don’t lie there staring at your phone or in my case eat a whole bag of very noisy twisties while your sister is trying to sleep on the bunk beneath you. Get up and get outside. You’ll be starting to drift off come 4pm so get out and make the most of the day. Some of my best experiences have been in the early hours of the morning-  5am run along the Cairns Promenade, beach walks with the boy on the Gold Coast, wandering around Darling Harbour without all the tourists or even seeing that New York really does not ever sleep!
   
I know there is a lot more tips and tricks but these are the ones that help me. What are some of your best ways in dealing with the dreaded lag?
x

Wine on Waiheke 


On Waiheke Island you MUST drink 🍷 at one of the many vineyards.  Surpringly for such a smal island there is a lot of wineries. We caught the ferry over from Auckland so had a lovely day exploring and found ourselves settling in at Goldie Estate for a wine with a view. 
Goldies is one of the first vineyards on Waiheke and we learnt that when the original owners retired and their children didn’t want to take over they gave the vineyard to the University of Auckland for Wine Science. 

They had a lovely setting and cellar door set up with wines and cheeses. Such a relaxed atmosphere and we were able to try a few different wines before settling on our favourite. You can sit out on benches, cushions right next to the vines or take your wine and sit up on the hill over looking the picturesque Putiki Bay. 

Beautiful setting, amazing wine (especially the Rose) and the views. Just divine 👌

#wanderingdarlings

I’ve mentioned it on this blog a lot but Instagram is the main social media that I use. I think it’s because it’s very image led and I do love a good photo.

There are soooo many accounts and then even more travel accounts that you can get lost in the many inspiring shots of amazing places to visit. The larger accounts  get reposted all the time so back in October we started a Weekend Share details can be found here 

The weekend shares is only for accounts that have under 5k followers as a way to just get more promotion for some of these awesome accounts that don’t get as much exposure as the larger ones.

Here are some of the brillant photos and accounts we have reposted since October.

www.instagram.com/dotingdrifter

www.instagram.com/ldhtravelatwill

www.instagram.com/andreasweihmayr

www.instagram.com/msumeetsworld

www.instagram.com/ziggy_zags_aroundtheworld

www.instagram.com/flyingfoxy

www.instagram.com/llednus

www.instagram.com/debs_world

www.instagram.com/tripsinsips

www.instagram.com/theexploringbrunette

www.instagram.com/mavenstark

If you want to connect or share your feed then do tag your best travel snaps #wanderingdarlings and we’ll find them, like them and hopefully repost.

There is so many beautiful places in this world that it’s our duty to share them with as many people as we can.

x

Find us on Instagram  & Facebook

My Little Kitchen

One of the best things of being away is doing things that you don’t normally do. On our recent trip back to Australia my partner and I got up at 5am each morning and went for a walk along the golden Gold Coast beaches. At home we would always enjoy a lie in but the sun is up so early in Queensland we didn’t want to waste a second. We would then on our way back home stop and have breakfast. I’m not going to lie one of those breakfast dates did happen at Macca’s. Don’t make that face- we were on holiday and hotcakes are my WEAKNESS!

But then on one of our ‘breakfast dates’ we came across a lovely little place called My Little Kitchen. Located just off the beach in Broadbeach it had a beach vibe and decor to suit.

My sister and her husband opted to join us on this morning so we all had high hopes of a yummy breakfast. They had a small selection of tables outside with a bigger area inside. Obviously most people opted for outside which is what we did. They boasted great coffee but as none of us drank coffee I can’t comment on it. What I can comment on is there amazing smoothies!

I had the Very Berry Blast and it was possibly the best smoothie I have ever had berries, yogurt, almond milk and ginger. The right pick me up for early mornings. I could literally dink this smoothie every day of my life.  The deliciousness didn’t stop there. We tried a few things off the menu- my partner and brother in law had the eggs beni, my sister had the DIY breakfast board and I had the Caramel Belgium Waffles. All are thoroughly recommended and were delish! For a look at other things they have on the menu you can find here http://www.mylittlekitchenbroadbeach.com.au/mlkmainmenu

It was so good that I also had lunch there the very next day. We had tapas which isn’t on their online menu.  I am not sure if that is a regular lunch option or not but it was available when we visited. We had the most amazing squid and prawns. Team those up with the smoothie mentioned above and I would be set for the rest of my life. Almost 2 months on and I still am thinking about them.

On both visits the service was great and welcoming. The only down side is that the bathrooms are shared with a hotel next door and it all just felt a little odd. Other than that the decor was relaxed, great artwork (by a local artist) on the walls which is also for sale and the food played to all the senses.

For the Gold Coast the prices were reasonable however the exchange rate to pounds did push it into the higher breakfast bracket. Another issue that we found in both Australia and NZ is that some places add on a public holiday surcharge to bill and this can range from 10%-20%. As we were away from the 23rd December to 10th of Jan we did seem to have a hell of a lot of public holidays. Something to bear in mind if you are travelling to these countries over the festive season.

If you find yourself on the Gold Coast then make sure you do stop by its a great little find and trust me you won’t regret it.

 

For more info – http://www.mylittlekitchenbroadbeach.com.au/

 

 

Welcome home -sort of 


This time last week I was here….  on the other side of the world, in the sun, seeing new things.

However today I’ve just had two days back in work, freezing my butt off in the cold and wistfully looking at holiday snaps trying to believe it’s not over.

I’ve put together 9 things I’ve noticed about coming back to reality and routine after a long and amazing trip.


Jet lag

Anyone whose been on long haul travel knows the joy of jet lag. Wide awake at 4am and then fading fast come 4pm. Your body and mind are lost in some weird time loop. You don’t know what day it is, how to function or even who you are. Trying to function at work is ok for about 2 hours max.

‘how was your trip’

EVERYONE will ask this regardless of if they care or are just being polite. The thing you need to remember is you probably have a minuet if not less to respond. Not everyone is going to want to know all the details. Pick one funny antidote and form a quickly reply. Save the indepth synopsis of your trip for your besties.

‘bet your glad to be back’

Like ‘how was your trip’ in the first couple of days you’ll hear this just as much. Don’t roll your eyes and slap them. Just smile and say yep. Then walk away, get your phone out to look at your holiday snaps and cry. Quietly you don’t people to think your weird.

Forgetting slightly what you actually do

Once you’ve made your cuppa, had a few chats with co workers (see points above) you finally sit down at your desk and stare at the screen racking your brain about what you actually do. Give it 10 min and then with a bolt it all suddenly comes back and you start questioning should you really have returned. Or you get onto to booking the next trip.

Looking out the window isn’t pretty

Usually while your trying to get back into the swing of things you’ll find yourself looking (note staring) out the window wondering when the world became so grey. Gone is the endless blue oceans, green green trees, glaring sunlight and the freedom of the big wide world.

Officewear

Yes you need to put a bra on. It’s usually ideal to slap on some make up and even run a comb through your hair. You don’t want to .. but your back in the professional world now and the flip flops, shorts, messy hair and bikini top just won’t cut it. It’s sad but true

You aren’t with your travelling companion

If you’ve travel with a friend/partner or family you would have most likely spent all day everyday with them. They were their for the amazing, the not so good and also the ugly. Having those first days back in reality without them is WEIRD. When you suddenly remember something funny they aren’t there by your side laughing and if even if you were looking forward to a bit of time on your own you just miss them.

Internet

In a positive note you have Internet all day everyday. You phone isn’t just a camera you can use it properly without having to search for free wifi or debate with yourself if the data roaming charges are worth it.

Cling film

Now I’m almost positive this doesn’t happen to everyone but.. sometime your work colleagues will like to remind you why you went away in the first place. My team wrapped my desk and everything in it in cling film. Yes the entire desk


Hopefully if you’ve been in this situation you can relate. It’s been a tough couple of days but it’s all worth it for the amazing time I had.

One of my favourite quotes is ‘don’t be sad it’s over but glad that it happened’ and over the last few days it’s become my post trip mantra. Well that and Dory’s ‘just keep swimming’

X

Australia Day 🇦🇺


Today is Australia Day (although technically due to time zones I’m a little late) anyhoo in the UK it’s still Australia Day.

I’ve had as an Australian Day as possible considering I’m on the other side of the world when the temperature only just slipped over 5 degrees. I’ve eaten timtams, twisties and rum balls, gone to Walkabout with fellow Aussies, watched Crowded House’s recent concert at the Opera House and listened to Hamish and Andy’s podcast on the way to and from work. I know so Australian 😂

I love Australia Day mainly because I’m fiercely proud of my country and where I am from.

It’s a day when I think of my home among the gum trees (clothes line out the back, verandah out the front but sadly no old rocking chair) on usually a cold and chilly UK day. I get jealous of the public holiday, the sun, the lamingtons, the BBQs, the fun everyone is having loving our beautiful country. However I know that Australia Day isn’t the same for all Australians. Especially our indigenous Australians its the date that represents when their land was taken and when they were invaded.

And for that I am sorry.

This is why I’m dreaming of days on beaches like this and with so much respect, understanding and hope that one day that all of Australia can celebrate our beautiful island home together on a day that causes no pain only pride for ALL in our nation.

Xx

Waitomo Glowworm Caves- Glow my pretties glow 🐛⭐️

This was literally one of the best things I have ever seen in my life. Like EVER!

We had driven out of Auckland and we’re heading to Hobiton in Matamata but alas as soon as we got there they were sold out. Note to anyone planning on going defo pre book! So at risk of going a whole day with only seeing the scenery from the road (which was pretty awesome) I got online and booked tickets for Waitomo Glowworm Cave. It was about and hour and half drive there and super easy to find.

Collected our tickets just in time and then went to wait by the door to be let into the most amazing place.

Waitomo was first explored in 1887 by Chief Tane Tinorau and Fred Mace. The deaper they explored they suddenly found themselves thinking they found their way out of the caves and that night had fallen. They soon realised it wasn’t the stars they could see but actually Glowworms. The Arachnocampa luminosa is a glowworm species found only in New Zealand and are the species found in these caves.

The tour started with a walk through the caves and talk about the background and history of the caves and area. All the guides are descendants of Cheif Tane Tinorau and his wife Huti. In 1989 The land was given back to them and they can work, receive a percentage of the ticket prices and even get married within the caves. Our guide was fab she knew so much, really clear and engaging and just made the tour run smoothly. She said that it’s a family business and pointed out several other guides as cousins and uncles.

Your first experience of the glowworms is in a few little caves where you can see small clusters of them and also then with lights on so you can see the long strings they hang off. This is just giving you a little taster for the main event.
After looking through the caves the final part of the tour is spent in pitch black, on a rope pulled boat in complete silence. It should have been a eerie but it wasn’t. Slowly the guide pulled the boat along using the roaps above and suddenly the cave roof was illuminated in blue. It was like the most amazing star display within touching distance.
I was staring at the roof with my mouth open in awe whilst also wishing no glowworms fell off into my mouth. Thankfully they didn’t. We weaved around the caves and the concentration of glow worms just got larger and larger. It was there was a million galaxies above our very heads. Unfortunately you aren’t able to take photographs but the images are etched into my memories so clearly.
You then come to a small cave just near the end when you are able to take some photos. I promise in this very black picture there is something glow worms. Turn the brightness up, zoom in and squint and you’ll see them 😂
Glowworms in Waitomo Glowworm Caves
You then get m off the boat in the bottom of the gorge and make your way back up to the entrance still not believing what you’ve just witnessed.
The cost was $50NZ per person and we were there for around an hour/hour and half. You don’t need to be overly fit but there is walking and steps so wear appropriate walking footwear if possible.

This really was a bucket list activity and if you are in the North Island ensure you plan to visit. You won’t be disappointed.

Check out their website for stunning pictures within the cave and more details
http://www.waitomo.com/Waitomo-Glowworm-Caves/Pages/

shire views of matamata

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Waitomo Glowworm Caves