I
don’t know exactly what possessed me to travel half way across the world on a
whim without doing adequate research beforehand as this was out of character
for me. I suppose I went there to mend my
fragile heart, and while I did get the inevitable cathartic experience, as solo
travelling forces that upon you, I also had freak weather shadowing what I know
could have potentially been an unforgettable trip, despite my emotional state. Not wanting to fall into the pity
trap, I tried my hardest to make the most of my experience while out there.
My
first stop was Sydney, where I stayed on Macquarie Street at the Quay Grand
Suites, a stone’s throw from the Opera House and the Royal Botanic
Gardens. This was my home for a few days,
where I was able to freely explore the city’s cultural offerings. I spent an afternoon wandering around the
infamous Rocks area, a quaint part of town full of cute little boutique shops
and wonderful bars with appealing interiors (my guilty pleasure, I must
admit). One evening I caught a ferry
to Manly, a surf beach lined with trees that looked unusually like conifers as opposed
to palm trees, and innumerable bars. In
my search for an adrenaline hit, I joined a group tour and spent an afternoon on Sydney Bridge – I actually climbed the bridge, safety harnesses in
place and dressed in an embarrassing light grey boiler suit!
The
Great Barrier Reef is made up of nearly 3, 000 individual reefs, around half
have names, while the others are known simply by a five-digit number. I chose to stay on Hamilton Island in
Queensland as it had easy access to the breathtakingly beautiful Whitsunday
Islands. Unfortunately, I returned home
without seeing the Barrier Reef due to the adverse weather conditions. So there was no snorkeling trip to Chalkies
beach, no water sports trips, or an afternoon lazing around Whitehaven Beach
soaking up some rays. The furthest I got
was Catseye Beach, which turned out to be full of jellyfish! As the rain persisted, outdoor water
activities were ruled out, so I mostly spent my days listening to music on my
ipod, walking barefoot in the rain for miles and miles, (flip flops caused a
few nasty slips on the wet tarmac, so I quickly learnt that wearing no shoes
was a far more practical option), sipping cappuccinos by the Marina, and
participating in the spinning classes at the resort’s gym. Other than that, I also went to the shooting
range one morning and got to ‘play’ with a .22 calibre rifle and pistol. It felt good, especially when I hit the
target ten feet away! When I ran out of
ways to entertain myself in the rain, I decided it was time to return home as
the weather showed no signs of clearing up.
So I left a week early, but I have plans to go back, and next time I
want to share my experiences within a longer time frame and travel more
extensively, be it with a friend, or a partner.
It’s too beautiful not to share the experience, and so damn chilled out
there – it’s the perfect contrast to London life. I have already chosen the hotels – a self
contained apartment in Darling Harbour, which was my original choice, and one
night at the exclusive luxury retreat of Qualia on Hamilton Island, or perhaps
a few depending on how full my pockets are on my next visit!
© Copyright Vanessa Sicre
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