I’ve been asked heaps by my buddies at home how the hell you start planning and putting together an around the world trip, so I thought I’d pass on some more tips and advice…

Start Saving

Even before you know where you want to head start saving some serious dollar! Even if there’s a slight chance you might want to travel start saving NOW. It’s always good to save and in the very unlikely event you decide not to hit the road you’ve then got a nice pot of cash to play with!

Starting saving now will also give you a good idea of how much cash you can get together. Make a monthly budget, cut down your social life, limit your luxuries and start dreaming of warm beaches…!

Getting thrifty with your money will also serve you well on the backpacking trail. Don’t become a recluse or anything, just limit your lifestyle at home to maximise you savings. Would you rather have that Starbucks in the morning before working in the UK or would you rather that paid for a nights accommodation, meal and two beers in Thailand?!

Buy Some Maps

I’m a very visual person by nature so anytime I start planning a trip I by some maps to stick on my wall. Or of the world and then some more detailed ones on countries and continents I want it visit.

It works two fold, firstly it gives you a bit more bearing on where you’re heading too – which helps heaps when you find yourself finally there, and secondly it kick starts your travel stoke!

Plaster them in post it notes, highlight places you want to head too, tear out pictures to add alongside it…have your travel plans big, loud and proud!

Get some Inspiration

There’s no point aimlessly pointing at places on the map though (unless that your thing!) so you’re going to need some inspiration. Get a heap of brochures together – the continent ones from STA are a great start – and grab them all! Have a flick through, skim read and take in the photos, make a note of EVERYWHERE and EVERYTHING that catches your eye, you can always narrow it down later!

The Internet is your best friend for planning too, google some places and activities – and of course get stuck into some travel blogs! Despite being a blogger myself and having a background in travel I still find heaps of inspiration and new places to out on my bucket list by reading about what other people are up too! Check out the links page for a good list of people to inspire you!

Now would be a great time to join some forums like GapYear.com and chat to people in the same situation and gain some ideas, you might even strike lucky like me and end up finding some travel buddies!

Make a Rough Plan

Once you have an idea of what places you want to visit start putting together a rough route.

Where do you want to start?

Where do you want to finish?

Are there any specific dates you need to be places, such as new year or Songkran?

Do you want a RTW, return, flexible or one way ticket? 

You’ll soon find your trip putting itself together. And remember at this stage go big and out together everything you want…it might not be completely feasible but it’ll help you in the next stage.

Go See the Professionals!

Take your rough plan and book yourself some appointments with some backpacker travel agents.

My Old Work Colleagues!

A good travel expert will take in everywhere you want to go and gauge the type of plan your aiming for.

Now it’s time to narrow it down and make things more realistic!

Make sure you have a pretty good idea of what your budget will be and how long you want to be away for (check out my monthly travel summaries for a rundown of what I’ve been spending), and if possible your leaving date – from here your travel guy (or girl!) can start advising on what you can fit in, the best tickets for you, other points of interest and any other epic adventures you could squeeze in around your original plan.

At this point it’s time to shop around. This isn’t just a price thing, travel experts have all visited different places so everyone will have a heap of suggestions on which routing to do or what you can fit in.

Once you have all the info to hand firm up what you want to do and pick who you’d like to book with.

There’s heaps of last minute holiday deals too, so if you’re all set and raring to go and want a really spontaneous adventure looking around for some flights sales and deals could see you with a heap of extra cash to spend!

Get Serious

Now by this point you should have some good savings behind you, at least enough to start getting your flights on the go! Nothing kick starts you into saving hard and getting things done that a deadline, so get a flight sorted! It doesn’t have to be the whole thing, it can just be the first leg, but make it real!

It’s also good to sort some travel insurance at this point too (you can extend it later) so you’re covered for any cancellation costs.

Be honest with your travel expert too – if you simply want to sort the flight and nothing else be up front. It’s their job to suggest and sell you the whole package, you’re going to need a lot of stuff sorted but you can always spread it out, that way you can grab bargains as they come around and get fierce bang for your buck!

It may also be a good idea to sort any accommodation or yours that are important. If you know from the off that when you land you want to do a tour for a few days get it booked. If you know you need to be in Sydney for Xmas sort it – even if its January! There’s nothing worse than last minute panic on things you have your heart set on!

What My 2012 Travels Look Like!

Start Piecing the Rest Together!

So your flights are booked and you know what your plan of attack is! Now it’s time to out all the little bits together!

Get shopping for a backpack, draft out a kit list, get on the case with your doctor about vaccinations, check out visa advice, start looking at accommodation options in key places. The more on the ball you are now the more relaxed you’ll be and the more fun you’ll have on the road!

Don’t plan everything to the day and hour though (unless you REALLY want or have too!), leave room for flexibility and spontaneity.

Enjoy!

With all this preparation out the way, a rough plan and an epic adventure ahead of you means than you can simply jump on that plane, sit back and enjoy the whole experience knowing that you’ve done everything you can to set yourself up for a trouble free trip.

It’s just a case of soaking up the sun, sipping on a mojito and reaping the rewards of all your hard work…you deserve it!

As you can see planning a RTW trip doens’t have to be too daunting. You just need to break it down and tackle it piece by piece. Whether it’s a month or a year, the same theory applies!

Enjoy!

A Perfect Arvo

There are few things in this world that make me smile more than surfing – but the pinnacle of every surfers dream session is a beautiful sunset surf in warm water, rocking just boardies (and a tshirt for sun protection!).

I’ve backpacked around the world with a board in tow for a while now and the one place that has produced the most amazing sessions for me has to be Byron Bay – it’s my favourite backpacker surf spot by a long way! There’s just something about that place that just relaxes you, makes life seem epic and generally put you in a great mood.

This shot was taken on the first day I arrived back in the Bay this month. I’d just got off a 16 hour bus journey from Sydney (the bus broke down 45mins from Byron!) and promptly waxed up my board and jumped in the ocean for the rest of the day! As the sun set and the buskers in the car park filled the air with bongos and didgeridoos I cruised on my longboard with a massive smile on my face.

As the saying goes – only a surfer knows the feeling.

As a result my travel bucket list has seen a lot of action, both adding things to the list but most importantly I’ve ticked off heaps! So I’ve decided to put together My Top Ten Bucket List Ticks – the things I’ve been most stoked about doing as a backpacker!

(you can also click on the links for more posts on that experience!)

Tackling the Inca Trail

1) Hiking The Inca Trail 

The infamous hike to Perus Machu Pichu is surely something that features highly on many backpackers bucket lists and I was stoked to be able to do it at the beginning of the year when I hiked the traditional Inca Trail with G Adventures. It was by far the most challenging and rewarding thing I’ve done on my travels so far!

2) Bali surf charter

For most surfers Bali and Indonesia are a mecca, somewhere you have to visit and catch some waves. The upper end of that dream is to jump on a surf charter boat and sail around the more inaccessible reefs, catching empty waves in remote locations. I teamed up with the guys at Dreamweaver Surf Charter and scored some pumping swell around Bali and Lombok and it was everything I’d ever hoped it would be.

3) Van Life

Ever since I was young I’ve always wanted to live in a van by the beach. This was my top priority when I headed to Australia in 2009 and I quickly invested in one, chucked a bed in the back, built a mini kitchen, hit the road and lived in it for a year. It was everything I hoped it to and something I recommend anyone heading to Australia or New Zealand for a while does.

4) Diving with a whale shark

I thought this would stay on my bucket list for years before being ticked off. And I missed whale shark season in a couple of places I’ve visited over the years. But luckily in Thailand last year I got to dive with a 20foot whale shark off Koh Tao with the guys at Davy Jones Locker, everyone in the water that day was stoked as and it’s something I’ll never forget.

Hard At Work!

5) Becoming a Surf Instructor

Another surf inspired one! Surfing is my life long passion and a couple years ago I finally got round to qualifying as and instructor. I started 2012 coaching in Ecuador and last winter I spent 4 months surf coaching in Morocco for surf berbere. Life as a surf coach is certainly more demanding than I first thought, but it’s heaps of fun and certainly way better than working in an office!

6) Glacier Hiking in New Zealand

I finally got around to visiting New Zealand earlier this year (only 9months later than planned!) and whilst on the south island I got around to doing a glacier hike on Franz Josef. The experience of exploring this icy wonderland was incredible and squeezing through tiny ice caves was nothing short of breath taking, certainly one I’d urge you to add to your list!

7) Skydiving 

Probably the first major thing I ticked off of my bucket list actually! I randomly booked a skydive within a week of my first backpacking adventure in Australia whilst in Cairns. I was so hooked on the rush I did another in Byron Bay later that year and did another one in Queenstown in New Zealand this year – i even managed to drag my Dad along for it too!

Chilling With The Locals On The Galapagos

8) Sailing the Galapagos

I honestly never thought I’d be able to afford the Galápagos Islands for a long time and on my first trip to Ecuador in 2007 I was gutted that I didn’t bite the bullet and part with the cash. On my return last year though I booked it spontaneously and it’s an amazing place to explore. The unique wildlife and beautiful beaches are like nothing I’ve seen elsewhere in the world.

9) Get a bamboo tattoo

Anyone with a tattoo will tell you they’re addictive, so I’ve got a few planned. I also use them as a good reminder of the places I’ve visited and have got some ink from Spain, Australia and Peru. After visiting Thailand in 2011 I knew I wanted a traditional bamboo one and finally got round to it whilst living on Phi Phi last year – a sak yant design.

10) Booking a one way ticket

My biggest regret whilst in Australia was having a return ticket. It made me lazy and it was too easy ot head home (although in all fairness it did pan out very much in my favour!) so I vowed that I wouldn’t buy a return ticket for my next adventure. For my latest backpacking trip I kept my word and booked a one way to Auckland with each section being flexible. Good job too as my travel plans changed a whole heap and I ended up spending more than 9 months longer on the road than planned before eventually making it to NZ!

What’s the best items you guys have ticked off your bucket lists? Anything that didn’t quite live up to your expectations?

So where are my travel buddies now?

What does life hold after the backpacker bubble?

I’ve had a bit of a Facebook trawl this week and I thought I’d give you an insight in to where backpackers end up…I’m actually pretty stoked at how awesome all my buddies are these days. So here’s some of my favourites…

Luke Pre Skydive…

Luke - I met up with my buddy from home in Cambodia when he headed out in a RTW trip which was supposed to culminate in the Rio Carnival last month. However after running out of cash he sat tight in New Zealand she’s he’s still currently working! Luckily for me he had a sofa for me to crash on when I passed through Wellington and to seal the deal on a trip to Brazil he’s just scored and epic 2 year teaching contract in Sao Paulo!

Nic – the first person I met in Oz Nic is still bouncing around the globe as a ski instructor. After finishing a season in Japan he met up with me back in Byron Bay earlier this week and is spending the next few months in Noosa with his family before heading to New Zealand to work.

Harriet - my travel buddy from Thailand and fellow diver Harriet returned to Oz after finishing her dive master course on Phi Phi, she quickly bailed back to Thailand thought and has just completed her dive instructor course. She’s planning to head over to South Africa to work later this month – how sick is that?!

Gijs, Me and Leah Enjoying a Beer In The Surf!

Leah – one of my fellow interns in Montanita she headed up into Columbia before falling ill with dengue fever and having to cut her travels short. She’s back in Colorado now skiing and working in advertising but it won’t be long before she’s back on the road.

Gijs – my partner in crime in Ecuador Gijs is finishing his degree in tourism and even joined me in Morocco to finish his thesis. Looks like he’s landed a sweet job at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil…so I might have an excuse to return to south america!

Adam and Flo – two of my students from Morocco these guys are still surfing the waves of Africa and clocking up some hours towards there coaching course. We’ve already put together some plans for an epic surf trip later this year in Bali…

Stephanie - I met Steph on the slow boat between Thailand and Laos – after 2days of crazy whiskey drinking we travelled together through a chunk of Laos before she headed back to Canada, she’s also the girl I interviewed about “when backpacking goes wrong” which resulted in the infamous and aptly named leg vagina! She’s fully recovered now and opted to complete one of her university modules abroad, so she’s based in Sydney for a while

Tika and Jessie - these crazy girls that I met in Ecuador headed back to Sydney after exploring South America, they’re putting together a travel inspired fashion label called Wolftress which is nearly ready to launch it’s first collection, I’m stoked to see how it goes!

Craig On His Lunch Break!

Craig – another buddy from my first backpacking adventure back in 2009 and possibly the only feed on Facebook I’m truly jealous of! Craig’s landed a sick job with the British Insitue of science which has seen him go on expeditions to Antartica last year. He’s on leave at the moment bouncing around Peru and south america before he sets sail for the North Pole later this year!

Ally – my dive instructor from Phi Phi has now bounced from her island dive home and is currently trekking around Indonesia before heading to Australia later this year with her boyfriend Liam. No idea what she’s doing from there but I’m sure it’ll involve the ocean!

Oceana – one of my Indo travel buddies Oceana landed a sick job as the social media gal for HostelZoo.com on Great Keppel Island where she has spent the last few months. She’s now working back in her hometown of Darwin for a bit to top up her travel funds before heading on an epic adventure through Asia and beyond later this year – follow her blog; Bare Foot Beach Blonde

It seems that the kind of people you meet on the road are the kind of people that have a special zest for life.

They’re not content with being stuck in the same place for too long and they have the drive to live crazy, chaotic and amazing lives full of travel and passion.

Even those who aren’t travelling anymore are busy setting themselves up for life in the fast lane or chasing their dreams.

The moral of this post?!

Travel makes you awesome!

Graveyard of Surf Dreams!

As a surfer there are few things that upset me more than a dinged board (like the brand new one I managed to smash up in Byron Bay last week!) let alone a broken one! I’ve never personally snapped a board myself but I can’t help but get a sinking feeling in my stomach anytime I see someone walking along the sand with a slice of surfboard in each hand.

But it seems all those loved boards, those boards that have provided so much enjoyment for their owners can have a life after the water!

This graveyard of broken surfing dreams takes pride of place in the Manly Quiksilver shop – a patchwork of posca pen doodles, tailpads and fibreglass resin.

If only that wall could talk….

And after a month in New Zealand I’ve managed to cover over 3,000km through a variety of transport options – so I think it’s safe to say I can pass on some tips on how to backpack around NZ!

So I’ve put together a few ideas to help you plan your trip around the land of the long white cloud and hopefully clue you up on what suits your time and money requirements…

Intercity

The Intercity system is basically the Kiwi version of national express and runs nationwide. You can easily book trips online, but the earlier you book the cheaper it is. It’s not the most comfy way to travel but if you’re switched on it can be a good money saver and opens up some routes which some other bus and travel companies no longer take.

They also offer some flexible saver packs which are great value if you intend to use them quite a bit.

Best For – alternative routes/bolt on travel, medium budget

Kiwi Experience

This is the famed backpacker bus network of NZ. It has a rather profound reputation as “the big green f**k truck” but I’d take that with a massive pinch of salt!

I used Kiwi for a few legs of my trip and as a solo traveller it was heaps good to meet new people. It’s also great if you want to simply sit back and relax – with the knowledgable drivers chatting through what you can get up to, booking your onwards journeys and even sorting your accommodation out too – with a door to door hostel service!

It’s not the cheapest option but it comes with a whole heap of discounts, route options and is super flexible – just make sure you’re pretty organised in peak season when buses get full very quickly.

To nab a bargain keep and eye out on some of the sales they have – especially on their bigger passes.

Best For – solo backpackers/people wanting to meet more people, variety of routes, sorting transport budget in one hit, flexible/longer stays

Stray Bus

Much like the Kiwi Experience Stray offers a great variety of pass options and many added extras too.

To be honest your route and budget will be the main decider in who you choose out of the backpacker bus options as they’re very similar.

Best For – solo backpackers/people wanting to meet more people, variety of routes, sorting transport budget in one hit, flexible/longer stays

Naked Bus

Don’t be fooled by it’s name – you dont really need to be naked! This bus company is pretty much the mid ground between the backpacker buses and intercity. And with fares starting at $1 per journey you can rack up some epic savings.

If you want the flexibility of the backpacker buses without being surrounded by alot of probably hungover younger people this could well by the option for you.

Best For – those who want the flexibility of a backpacker bus but without the drunken backpackers! variety of routes, flexible/longer stays

Local Buses

Local buses operate some of the smaller routes, yet still encompass some great travel spots. For example the easiest way to get to the surfing mecca of Raglan is via Hamilton where you need to grab the local bus or shuttle service for the 40min drive to the coast.

Best For – less common routes

Campervan Living – An NZ Experience!

Campervan

For those who want the ultimate in freedom campervan is my preferred option! Being able to move around freely and have all the facilities you could need on wheels is the best way to travel.

Unfortunately this freedom does come at a price and it can be one of the more expensive options to go with. But if there’s a small group of you it’s bound to be heaps fun and worth every penny.

I used Brtiz Campervans for my trip around New Zealands south island – but there’s a variety of companies who offer numerous types of van depending on your group size and comfort level!

Best For – small groups/families, alternative routes, people looking for a bit more adventure, medium to high budget.

Car

Still want the flexibility of a campervan but without the added cost? Car rental is a great option.

If you’re basing yourself in NZ to work or want to link together small parts of your trip a couple days rental may well be all you need, and with pick up and drop off depots all over the country it’s certainly an option you should consider.

Best For – small groups, alternative routes, shorter trips, medium to high budget.

Internal Flights

If you’re short on time and want to cover some serious distance then much like Australia NZ has a good internal flight network. Companies like Air New Zealand and Jetstar offer flights from all the key points (Queenstown, Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland etc) and they wont burn a huge hole in your pocket either.

Best For – covering large areas quickly, short trips, meeting international flights

Hitch Hike

The ultimate in budget backpacking travel has to be hitchhiking! Personally this isnt something I did myself in NZ but I met alot of people who did. The Kiwis are lovely people and most of my backpacker buddies who hitched hardly had to wait at all before being offered a lift. So if you’re traveling light, have a sense of adventure and love the unknown go for it!  (Just be careful!)

Best For – budget travellers, those with a crazy sense of adventure, meeting the locals

My New Zealand Route

Inter Island Ferry

At some point you’ll probably find yourself needing to travel from one island to the other – and this is where the inter island ferries come in (unless of course you opt to fly internally).

Sorting a ferry is heaps easy and can be done online or through your hostel or backpacker bus company. It’s a beautiful journey too (especially when entering/leaving the south island) so get up on deck and bring your camera!

If you’re taking a campervan between islands it’s handy to prebook this in advance.

Best For – those overlanding between the two islands

Tour

If you like to travel in comfort, have your budget all sorted in advance or make the most of a short trip to New Zealand then doing it with a tour might be worth a look. That way you can have all you excursions and route already planned and you can simply sit back and enjoy a stress free trip!

Best For – solo travellers, medium to high budget, first time travellers, shorter trips

 Have you travelled around NZ? What modes of transport would you recommend, anything to avoid?

But over the last few weeks I’ve been excitedly pinging emails back and fourth with Scotty from HostelZoo.com who offered me a pretty epic opportunity. And now with most of the details firmed up I can announce the fact I shall be spending the next 3 weeks tackling the infamous East Coast Oz backpacker trail!

Not My First Time

Fond Memories Of East Coast Roadtripping!

Although I’ve already spent a good deal of time exploring Australia (both west and east coast) I’m still stoked to do it again!

The east coast trail is pretty much a right of passage for any backpacker these days – it’s crammed with amazing adventures, beautiful landscapes and more drunken party chaos than you can shake a goon sack at!

My first time up the east coast was in a campervan I bought and I lazily made my way around the country, settling in Byron for a long stint of work and bouncing around as and when I felt like having a mini adventure.

Finally at the end of my first gap year I headed up with a group of buddies to Cairns before flying home. That trip encompassed everything from canoeing in the Noosa Everglades, camping out on Fraser Island and sailing around the Whitsundays.

A fitting end to my year in Australia!

What’s The Plan?!

This time however I’m teaming up with HostelZoo.com and VIP Backpackers for a slightly more paced journey with the aim of checking out a whole heaps of hostels, reviewing them and of course squeezing in some pretty amazing experiences along the way!

The trip is split into 2 parts – both of which are equally amazing!

The first leg of the trip, which will take just over 2 weeks is smashing from Byron Bay all the way up to Cairns. En route I’ll be stopping off everywhere from Rainbow Beach and Brisbane through to Magnetic Island and the Gold Coast.

Byron – Cairns, Should Be Heaps Fun!

It’s a hell of a distance to cover – about 1900km in all – and I would never recommend any of your guys cramming in so much in so little time, but Scotty will be driving so I can simply kick back and enjoy the ride!

Yeeewwwwwww!

The second part, which will take us about a week is Sydney – Adelaide. Stopping of at Canberra and Melbourne – another 1900km trip!

Sydney – Adelaide

This section will be sweet as due to the fact we get to cruise along the Great Ocean Road again, which was probably one of the best drive sI’ve ever done.

And of course this also means I can stop in at the Ripcurl and Quiksilver discount factory outlets in Torquay and hopefully catch some waves at the infamous Bells Beach!

I’m also pretty excited to catch up with a whole heap of buddies in Melbourne and see Adelaide for the first time too, it’s always good to fit in something new if you can hey!?

Heaps of Blogging

So over the next 3-4 weeks you can expect a whole heap of awesome adventures to be appearing over on the Backpacker Banter Facebook page, lots of photos to inspire your east coast oz trip and most importantly a good lashing of hostel reviews to help you pick some comfy places to crash along the way!

And of course I’ll be tweeting everything live as I go (so follow my account – @bckpackerbanter) and also putting up a heap of pretty pics on my Instagram account – backpackerbanter.

As with everywhere I travel feel free to ping me any questions you might have with planning your own adventure, and if there’s any hint and tips on things to do and see that you have chuck them my way and I’ll see if I can sandwhich them in!

Let the roadtrip chaos commence!

The Harbour in Panorama

There’s always certain scenes in your travels that you need to photograph.

You know the ones – the iconic backpacker shots that immediately transports you back to memories of your adventures or make you want to jump on a plane and go visit somewhere new.

Australia is packed with heaps of these – from the reefs of the Great Barrier, the red glow of Uluru and of course the Sydney Opera House.

This panorama was taken from Sydney Harbour and I’ve managed to squeeze in both the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, which for me this scene takes me right back to my first backpacking adventure in 2009, when I’d just landed in Oz and had no idea where the next year of my adventures would lead me…oh the first days of being a backpacker!

Occasionally though I find myself in hostel that really make my stay in a place and I recommend them to backpackers the world over.

Raglan Backpackers is one of those hostels.

The Central Courtyard

Situated in the sleepy hippy surf town of Raglan, RBP is more like a house than a hostel and it has the care free, communal living vibe I’d expect from couch surfing or a guest house more than a hostel.

Everyone I met during my stay was super chilled out and friendly. The staff and owners (who are on site alot) are more than happy to chat, recommend things to do and help you out if you need anything.

The rooms throughout are pretty small but comfy and you’ll sleep well here without a doubt. The size of the rooms is perfect to be honest – as the 2 big communal lounges are the focus of relaxing and socialising here and I spent very little time in my room as a result.

One of the major upside of RBP are the facilities on offer. Hot tub, sauna, kayaks, hammocks, bikes, fishing rods and even a sailing boat are all available through the hostel….and the best bit?!

They’re completely FREE!

Now that’s some backpacker awesomeness right there!

…the only slight let down is the lack of wifi. There is however paid PC internet on site and you can get free wifi at the library which is less than 30seconds walk away!

There’s also not one, but 2 fully equipped kitchens which I think for cleanliness, space and equipment would be hard to beat. There’s more than enough pots, pans, cutlery and kitchenware for most of the hostel to use at the same time…and best of all it all works too!

There’s nothing worse than trying to make a meal after a hard day in the surf than to find broken kitchen facilities!

Location wise it’s right on the waterfront and a 1 minute stroll into town for pubs, supermarkets and cafes. When it comes to the surfing beaches it is about a 10minute drive to the ocean – however they run 2 beach shuttles a day (at the bargain price of $2 return) or you can easily hitch hike.

That’s The Hostel On The Right!

If you don’t already have surf kit with you you can rent a board and a wetsuit for $25 – which is insanely cheap for NZ!

If you’re looking for somewhere to base yourself to recharge your batteries, hit the surf or simply kick back and relax in true Kiwi style then I strongly recommend you book yourself into Raglan Backpackers, from $24NZ per night for a shared dorm and $66NZ for a private twin it’s great value too.

…and it’s firmly in my top hostels worldwide!

For more info or to book a stay check out their website – www.raglanbackpackers.co.nz - or check out their Facebook page.

Value – 4/5

Facilities – 4.5/5 (it does lack wifi afterall!)

Cleanliness – 5/5

Atmosphere – 4/5

Overall – 4.5/5

**please note – I received a free stay at Raglan Backpackers, but rest assured all opinions are honest and my own**

New Zealand Really Is Postcard Perfect!

New Zealand is such a beautiful country and I’ve had so much fun exploring it. Admittedly I’ve only explored some key places as I’m heading back here at some point for a couple years on a working holiday visa and wanted to leave some new places to hit up, but each place I visited blew my mind – from the chaos of Queenstown to the natural beauty of simply driving from place to place, it’s epic for some great travel photography and really getting back into the fresh air and outdoor lifestyle I love.

The beginning of the month was made even more amazing as my parents joined me for the adventure and we hit up some of the best parts of the south island together and had a good catch up after not seeing them for over a year!

With all the bouncing around though the second half of my month was a bit more laid back, catching up with some buddies including my boss from my job in Ecuador and a friend from home now working in Wellington. Then after a quick facebook convo with a surf buddy I first met on my Bali Surf Charter late last year he  joined me for some surfing fun in the hippy wave fuelled town of Raglan – which has been the first place in a while that I’ve been uber keen to finally explore!

I spent my final week in NZ kicking back their on the beach and enjoyed it so much I opted to ignore Auckland altogether this time around and head straight to the airport and maximise my beach time!

And onto the budgets and stats…

A Good Month Down Under!

Overland Distance; 3127 kms

Flight Distance;  2158.75 kms

Total Distance = 5285.75 kms

Countries; New Zealand, Australia

Main Spots; Queenstown, Wanaka, Franz Josef, Christchurch, Kaikoura, Wellington, Hamilton, Raglan, Sydney

Transport Taken; campervan, helicopter, ferry, kiwi experience, car, intercity bus

Flights – 2; AKL-SYD (Emirates), Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter Flight

Money Breakdown

Australia – £35 over 1 day (all on duty free!) = £35 per day

New Zealand – £731.10 over 29 days = £25.21 per day

Total spent – £766.10 over 30 days = £25.53 per day (not inc the £500 I spent on a new surfboard setup!)

…again the beginning of this month was spent campervanning the south island of New Zealand with my parents, who refused to let me spend much and I didn’t have to pay for any transport or accommodation either! If you were to include trips like my Franz Josef Glacier Hike, dolphin watching or Doubtful sound you could easily add an extra £500 to my  NZ budget and that’s without a weeks worth of hostel or bus journeys.

Alot Done, But Still Alot to Come Back For!

Cheapest Place – Much like the end of last month I can’t really lie and say I covered all my costs, the parents did treat me alot! Wellington was pretty cheap though given the fact I was crashing with a mate and there’s alot to do there on the cheap. Raglan takes the crown though for ultimate cheapness, with a great value hostel (Raglan Backpackers), free lifts to the beach and the surf being free (or only $25 a day if you need to hire kit!)

Most Expensive Place – Queenstown! That town is an amazing place to be (and you should pencil in heaps of time there on your NZ trip) but with so many things on offer you could easily splurge most of your monthly budget there! In saying that though there’s alot of reasonably prices places to eat and drink.

Biggest Splurge/Unforeseen Expense – I sorted out my new surfboard, which cost just over £500 (I haven’t included this in my budget though!). Trip wise it would be my heli hike at £200.

Highlight – Without a doubt the highlight of the last month was my Glacier Hike on Franz Josef, it was an amazing experience, you can view a heap of pics and my post on it here.

Lowlight – more goodbyes – this time my parents. I’ve no idea where or when I shall see them again but their parting words were “keep doing what you do” which fills me with even more travel stoke!

Top Shot

Icy Blue

I’ve taken so many pictures over the last month (here’s my 12 pics to inspire you to travel to New Zealand) My stand out shot from the last 4 weeks has to be this one of an ice cave on Franz Josef. It was such a tight squeeze but well worth the effort to juggle around cameras, balance on the ice and hold onto the safety rope to get this picture!

What’s Next?

Well I’ve just landed back in Sydney Australia – where over the next couple of days I will be catching up with some travel buddies of mine before a group of us jump in a campervan and head up the East Coast backpacker trail. It’ll be weird revisiting places I haven’t seen since 2010 again but I’m super stoked to be heading back to one of my favourite places on the planet – Byron Bay!

At the moment the plan is to base myself between Noosa and Byron for the rest of the month, enjoying hostel living again and surfing as much as I can!

Sweet as!

You’ll also be aware of how much I loved Byron Bay in Australia – and the fact my 6months there during my first gap year are still some of my favourite travel memories

There’s been one place that in my imagination which would be able to compare to the epic times I had in Byron and it’s a place I finally got round to visiting this year..

Raglan in New Zealand

The View Over Raglans Coastline

The Perfect Combo

From everyone I’ve chatted to about my love for Byron and my travel plans for New Zealand I heard the same response – you HAVE to go to Raglan.

Indeed Bev from Pack Your Passport and Lauren from Never Ending Footsteps both emailed me after their visits saying it was somewhere I’d end up spending alot of time!

Situated on the North West coast of NZ my dreams of Raglan spawned from the surf movie The Endless Summer – where the long reeling left hand point breaks featured heavily as one of the longest waves of their trip. If you haven’t seen the movie before check it out – it’s a surfing cult classic!

Lazy Days…

Couple that with epic open ocean swell wrapping around from all angles, a variety of surf spots, a laid back hippy atmosphere and the New Zealand climate and you have a receipe for what could be potentially one of my favourite places on the planet!

From The Word Go

The first time I set sight on Raglan I was bouncing around little a kid at xmas! I was frothing about a surf session with a buddy from Indo but after the long, winding drive across the gorgeous New Zealand landscape the descent into Raglan village was everything a surfer dreams of.

Locals clothed in flannel shirts, barefoot and cruising around on longboards, quaint coffee shops on every corner where sun bleached blonde hair is the norm and where dreadlocks, boardies and flip flops make you part of the crowd, not an outsider.

And the vibe was everything I has hoped for too. A small village where everyone is welcomed in, where its easy to get to know everyone – even in a short stay – and where an appreciation of the outdoors and nature s universal.

But most importantly a place where day to day life is completely dictated by the ocean…

Waves Galore

The surf in Raglan has all options covered!

Perfect Surf and Sunshine – Happy Days!

The rugged coastline has many black sand strewn coves and it’s a magnet for NZ swell. If you haven’t surfed before the beach break offers a great place to learn (with a couple of great surf schools in the town), and the huge bay means crowds are thin and there’s plenty of waves to go around.

For the more advanced the points are the main attraction – with Manu Bay, Indicators and Whale Bay being home to the epic surf Raglan is famed for.

On a perfect swell (which unfortunately didn’t hit whilst I was there!) all the points can link up and it’s possible to ride the 4km right into the beach. Now that’s something I’d love to attempt!

Even on a moderate swell the points (which are rock/reef bottomed) serve up some incredible rides. The inside section hollow enough for shortboards to tuck in, but the faces are the home of the longboarder – with nose rides and big sweeping curves the perfect place for a goofy footed longboarder like myself!

Sat in the water, looking back on the rolling mountains of NZ, the clouds hovering on their peaks, the black sand framing the green coastline and the swell rolling in around me I suddenly felt content. It was the most at home I’ve felt on the road for a long time.

I fell totally in love with Raglan – I can’t wait to get back there.