Scottish Highlands: Oban and the Inner Hebrides

On the ferry from the Isle of Skye back to the mainland

I was coming to the end of a one week tour of the Scottish Highlands. Following a trip to the Orkney Islands, I’d flew back to the mainland to begin the tour in Edinburgh. Travelling minibus with a small group of other, mainly solo, international travellers, we had so far visited Loch Ness, the Isle of Lewis and Harris and the Isle of Skye and today I was briefly waving the Scottish Isles goodbye as we took a ferry from Armadale on Skye to Mallaig on the mainland.

It was the shortest of the ferry crossings so far at just 45 minutes but also the most exciting as we saw porpoises swimming nearby from the deck.

At Glenfinnan Viaduct waiting for the ‘Hogwarts Express’ to cross

Once on the other side, it was back on the bus to make our way to Glenfinnan.

Above, and below, the train crossing the viaduct

The Harry Potter fans amongst us were very excited as here, we’d be going to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct in time to watch the ‘Hogwarts Express’ cross it. The steam train and viaduct are the ones seen in the film and it is possible to purchase tickets to take a ride on it. While we didn’t have time for this, it was fun to see the steam train race across the viaduct from the crowded viewing point.

Glenfinnan is also home to the Glenfinnan Monument and there was a visitor centre with a store and cafe by the car park which we had some time to visit after watching the train go by.

From here, we drove towards Fort William where we’d be stopping for lunch, making a quick stop at a viewpoint of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain. Once in Fort William, we had some free time to wander through the town, looking in some of the local stores and having lunch at one of the many cafe’s along the high street.

Stopping to take in the view of Ben Nevis, and below, hiking at Glencoe

Our main stop today would be at Glencoe where we’d be hiking to the Lost Valley.

Above, and below, hiking to the Lost Valley at Glencoe

The 2 mile hike was challenging in parts as we followed a path that was steeps and rocky in parts, crossed a river by either paddling through or hopping over rough stepping stones, scrambled up loose rocks and over fallen trees and climbed boulders masquerading as steps!

It was all worth it though as we were surrounded by pretty scenery throughout the walk and the views in the valley itself were amazing.

After taking photos and sitting down for a while to consume our snacks and drinks, we followed the same track to return to the car park rewarding ourselves after with food and drinks at a nearby pub before continuing on our journey to Oban.

McCaigs Tower in Oban, and below, views from the tower

We’d be spending the next 2 nights in the town of Oban, staying in a busy hostel where the group was split between 2 dorms. The next day was a free day for us to spend as we wished and after grabbing dinner from the local chippie, we sat down to discuss the options on offer. Activities on offer included a trip across to some of the nearby Inner Hebrides islands, kayaking in the bay, cycle hire, distillery tours or just having a relaxing day exploring the town.

After dinner, some of us walked up to McCaigs Tower, sat on top of a steep hill in Oban, taking in the views across the town and its bay.

On the ferry to the Isle of Mullfrom Oban

With two of us deciding to spend our free day on the island-hopping tour, I had an early night as it meant foregoing the planned lie in.

The next morning, I was up early to get breakfast and the two of us then made our way down to the marina. We had purchased our tour tickets on line the night before so just needed to check in before catching our first ferry of the day.

This ferry took us from Oban across to the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides.

Travelling by coach across the Isle of Mull

On the Isle of Mull, and below, arriving on the Isle of Iona

Upon arrival in Mull, we were met by a coach which we boarded to drive us across the island. Our coach driver pointed out anything of interest along the way but it was difficult to see through the not-as-clean-as-they-could-be windows and we didn’t make any stops until we reached the marina to catch the ferry across to the Isle of Iona.

Once on Iona, we had the rest of the day free until we had to catch the ferry back to Mull at the end of the day. Our day ticket included a return ferry to the nearby Isle of Staffa and although we could catch this across at any point of the day, we decided to do it immediately so we wouldn’t be rushing to fit it in later in the day.

The uninhabited island of Staffa is famous for two things – Fingal’s Cave and its abundance of wildlife, especially it’s puffins! Fingal’s Cave is at the Scottish end of the Giant’s Causeway and is formed from hexagonal lava flow. While we couldn’t go inside the cave, as we approached the island by boat, we sailed as close to it as we could to get photos from the sea and once on the island, were able to walk down and along the rocks to peer inside.

Puffins on Staffa Island, and below, exploring the island

We then walked across the island and along the cliffs to see some of the puffins gathered around the rocks. Obviously used to being stared at by visitors to the island, I was surprised at how close we were able to get to the small sea birds.

After spending some time watching the colourful birds, we made our way back along the cliff tops and down to the boat to make our way back to the Isle of Iona.

Once back on Iona, we spent a few hours exploring, wandering around the ruins of the Isle of Iona Nunnery and paying the small fee to visit Iona Abbey.

Then it was time to board the boat back to the Isle of Mull where the coach was waiting to transport us back across the island to the ferry terminal.

We caught the ferry back to Oban having dinner at a pub by the marina before returning to the hostel.

That evening, after meeting back up with the rest of the group and swapping stories from our day, it was time to make sure everything was packed and ready for the last day of our tour. Tomorrow, we would be boarding the minibus for one last day on the road as we returned to Edinburgh where I’d be saying goodbye to the rest of the group and spending a couple of days exploring Scotland’s capital city by myself!

Scottish Highlands: Isle of Skye

Following a trip to the Orkney Islands for a friend’s wedding, I was half way through a 7 day small group tour of the Scottish Highlands with Macbackpackers. Since leaving Edinburgh we had travelled north past Inverness to Loch Ness before catching the ferry across from Ullapool to the Isle of Lewis and Harris.

Today, after waking up in our blackhouse accommodation on Lewis, we were travelling south into Harris to catch the ferry from Tarbert to Uig on the Isle of Skye in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides.

Arriving in Tarbert, we were told we’d once again be boarding the ferry on foot, our guide driving the minibus on and meeting us on board. Tickets in hand we had a bit of free time before the departure so we spent it looking around the gift store at the nearby Isle of Harris Distillery before settling down at a table in its cafe for a mid-morning snack of tea and cake!

The ferry crossing took just under 2 hours. It was a much nicer day than it had been for our crossing to the Isle of Lewis and Harris a few days earlier and I spent most of the time out on the deck hoping (but failing) to spot some wildlife.

Coastal views at Duntulm, and below, walking towards Duntulm Castle

Once on the Isle of Skye, we didn’t waste any time, continuing our Scottish adventure by driving to Duntulm Castle. Along the way, we made a stop at a cemetery to see the grave of Flora Macdonald, our guide telling us the story of how she famously helped ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ evade capture following the Battle of Culloden in the 1700s.

Then it was on to Duntulm where we were dropped at a nearby viewpoint from which we walked along the coast path towards the ruins of Duntulm Castle.

After spending some time enjoying the views and taking photos of and with the castle ruins, we walked back to the minibus ready to continue to our next stop, The Quiraing. Formed by a huge landslip, The Quiraing is now said to provide some of the most spectacular landscape in Scotland.

After parking in a nearby road, our guide led us towards the rocky hills and cliff in front of us and started following a steep path up into them.

While it was difficult to keep up sometimes, most of the group having to stop to catch our breath as we climbed the steep, grassy hillside, it was definitely worth it as we were soon met with stunning views stretching out in front of us.

Sitting on a cliff top, we then downed water and caught our breath again before beginning the almost as difficult descent and returning to our bus. We then continued our drive through Skye.

Above, watching the sheep shearing, and below, walking to Lealt Falls

Our next stop was at Lealt Falls. Just before we arrived, we spotted some sheep shearing going on at a farm we were passing so pulled over to get a closer look!

Arriving at the falls, we followed the path to a viewing point from where we could see the waterfall in the distance then carried on following the path around to a coast path with some pretty views of a beach below.

With early evening now approaching, it was back on the bus to drive to the nearby town of Portree. We made a quick stop along the way to see famous Isle of Skye landmark, the Old Man of Storr, a distinctive rock formation high up on a hillside then arrived in the pretty harbour town of Portree for a spot of shopping to top up on snacks for the next day.

Our final destination on the Isle of Skye was in Kyleakin, a seaside village on the east coast.

Here, we were spending one night in a local hostel. Unlike at other hostels where the only other people in our dorms had been other members from our group tour, here we found we had all been split up with some of us sharing dorms with other people who just happened to be staying there that night but it was nice to get the chance to speak to other people and hear their stories of their experiences in Scotland so far.

We had arranged to all meet to walk to one of the local pubs for dinner. When we arrived it was way busier than we had expected but after a bit of a wait, we were eventually all seated in small groups and couldn’t wait to tuck in to our ‘pub grub’.

As we walked back to the hostel afterwards, the sun was just starting to set.

It had been a busy but fun day exploring the Isle of Skye.

Tomorrow, we’d be up early to drive to Armadale and catch a ferry back to the mainland and continue our adventure.

Scottish Highlands: Outer Hebrides

Visiting the Isle of Lewis and Harris

Having decided to tour the Scottish Highlands to justify the cost of flying north for a wedding in Orkney, I was one day in to a small group tour with Macbackpackers. We awoke this morning in our hostel dorm on the banks of Loch Ness after a busy first day travelling there from Edinburgh and following breakfast in the hostel’s common area, we loaded up the minibus, climbed on board and set off for Ullapool. From here, we’d be boarding a ferry to the Outer Hebrides, spending 2 nights on the Isle of Lewis and Harris.

Arriving in Ullapool ahead of schedule, we were given our tickets to board the ferry as foot passengers – our guide would be driving the minivan on board and then meeting on the ferry – and then had just under an hour of free time. It was pouring in rain so we decided to spend this time in a local cafe drinking tea and sampling the homemade cakes before walking over to the ferry terminal in time to board.

Views from the deck travelling from Ullapool to Stornoway

It took just under 3 hours to make the crossing from Ullapool to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis during which time we amused ourselves playing I-Spy type games, going for walks out on the deck to enjoy the views once the rain had stopped and looking around the ferry’s gift stores and cafes, buying some snacks for lunch.

As we approached Stornoway, we all made our way back to the minivan parked in the bowels of the ferry and once we had docked, our guide drove us off the boat and back onto dry land.

Above, and below, views from the coastal walk at the Butt of Lewis

From the ferry terminus, we drove straight to the most northerly point of the island, known as the Butt of Lewis. Parking up by the lighthouse, our guide then lead us on a circular walk along the cliff tops with some beautiful coastal views along the way.

After our walk, we made a quick supermarket stop to pick up supplies for the next few days then drove towards our accommodation. For the next 2 nights, we’d be staying at Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in a restored traditional Scottish blackhouse built in the 1800s.

View of the beach from outside our Blackhouse and above, our Blackhouse accommodation

We had a building to ourselves – a large, stone blackhouse with a dorm at each end of the building and a common area and kitchen in the middle. The building was situated right on the coast and after settling in a few of us went for a walk down to the beach before dinner. We spent the rest of the evening cooking another group meal then chatting and playing party games over drinks.

We got to have a slight lie in the next morning then after breakfast, boarded the minibus to be taken to our first stop – Dun Carloway Broch, a stone structure found only in Scotland which was thought to have been constructed around 200BC. The Broch had recently been closed after becoming unstable so we had to admire it from afar but the museum was open giving us a chance to learn more about it and see what it would have looked like inside.

As we left the Broch, we were excited to see a huge herd of sheep being driven down the middle of the narrow country lane as they moved fields!!

Then it was back onto the minibus to head to our next stop, another ancient structure, the Callanish Stones.

Above, and below, visiting the Callanish Stones

Similar to the stones I had seen in Orkney a few days earlier, the Callanish Stones are large, ancient stones arranged in a stone circle with a central stone in the centre. We spent some time exploring the site as well as making use of the facilities including a cafe.

Above, beginning our hike, and below, hiking on the cliffs at Bosta Beach

Stop number 3 of our busy day on the Isle of Lewis was at Bosta Beach. Here we went on a lengthy circular hike up onto the cliff tops. The views along the way were incredible and we finished off with a walk down onto the sands.

We made a quick lunch stop next at Miavaig Harbour where some of the group chose to sample the fresh seafood. Then, after a snack and petrol stop, it was on to Uig Bay where we walked along the beautiful, huge expanse of sand at Acosta Beach, paddling in the sea when we finally reached it!

The rain started to set in just as we left and it started to really pour down as we drove to our final stop of the day, the Mangersta Sea Stacks. With the rain not showing any signs of abating, the stop was a lot quicker than we had originally planned with most of us having a quick look and taking a photo before jumping back on to the minibus.

Looking back at the beach while taking a cliff top walk from the Blackhouse Village

Back at our blackhouse accommodation, we cooked dinner and had a quiet night relaxing and an early night – we had an earlier start the next morning to drive down to the ferry terminal on the Isle of Harris (not actually a separate island to Lewis but just the southern third of the island!).

From here, we’d be catching the ferry across to the Isle of Skye.

Looking back at the Blackhouse Village from the cliffs

Up and ready early the next day, a few of us took a walk along the cliff tops, following the coastal path from the Blackhouse Village and back. Then, it was time to load up the minibus, wave goodbye to the Isle of Lewis and Harris and set off for our next destination.

Scottish Highlands: Journey to Loch Ness

Having travelled all the way north to the island of Orkney for a wedding weekend, I was now in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city, from where I would be departing the next day on a tour of the Scottish Highlands with small group tour company, Macbackpackers.

Arriving into Edinburgh early evening, I got the airport bus straight into the city and found my way to my city centre Travelodge accommodation for the night. All checked in, I headed out into the city to grab some food and find the meeting point for my tour the next day so I wouldn’t be panicking looking for it in the morning then it was back to my room to catch up on some sleep before the early start the next day.

After getting breakfast from a nearby cafe the next morning, I checked out of my hotel and dragged my luggage through Edinburgh’s cobbled and steep streets to the hostel my tour would be departing from.

There were a few Macbackpackers tour leaving that morning and we all gathered in the hostel’s common room where we could help ourselves to drinks while we waited for our tour to be called. Gradually working out who else would be on the same tour as me, we started to bundle together, starting the introductions.

Our tour finally called and our names ticked off, we didn’t waste any time loading the minibus with our luggage and climbing aboard. I was pleased to see I wasn’t the only one bringing a medium-sized case along rather than a backpack – always a worry of mine when I join a group tour!!

After formal introductions on board, we were off out of the city, across the Forth Bridge and heading towards the Highlands. We made our first stop of the day at the side of the road by the Scottish Highlands welcome sign taking pictures with it and tasting the occasion with a shot of Scottish Whiskey!

An old blackhouse at the Highland Folk Museum

Our next stop was in the pretty town of Pitlochry where we all piled into one of the cafes recommended by our tour guide for lunch then we continued on to Newtonmore to visit the Highland Folk Museum. The open air museum recreates Highland life from the past and we attended an old ‘school’ where the school mistress sternly watched over us as we practised our handwriting before exploring the old working croft with its traditional blackhouses, old farm machinery and chickens milling around.

Chickens roaming freely at the Highland Folk Museum, and below, at Culloden Battlefield

The museum was used as a location in TV series Outlander which excited some members of the group who were fans of the show.

From the Highland Folk Museum, we continued north to Culloden Battlefield, our guide detailing the story of the Jacobite Rising in the 1700s, culminating in the Battle of Culloden. We had the option of buying a ticket to the museum or just exploring the grounds, most of the group opting for the latter.

Outside the visitor centre, we also had our first encounter with some ‘hairy coos’, or Highland Cattle, the famous long-haired and large-horned cows which we were all very excited about!

We made one more stop at a supermarket just outside of Inverness to buy supplies for dinner which we’d decided would be a communal effort at the hostel then continued on to our Loch Ness-side accommodation pulling over once more for a quick photo opportunity at a viewpoint overlooking Urquhart Castle and the Loch. There was no sign of the Loch Ness Monster yet so with that, we went and checked into our accommodation where we were staying in dorms for one night.

View of Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness and below, on the banks of Loch Ness

The hostel lay right on the banks of Loch Ness and after we’d made and eaten dinner, we fought through the mosquitos to walk down to the Loch, some of us paddling our feet while braver members of the group even took a quick dip in its freezing waters!

We spent the rest of the evening in the hostel common room continuing to get to know each other before retiring to our dorms, most of us getting an early night before the next day’s early start.

It had been a fun first day and we’d packed a lot in. Tomorrow we’d be taking a ferry across to the first island of our trip and we were all excited to continue our Scottish adventure!

Planning a trip to Scotland

About to board a Loganair flight to Scotland

I’ve spent a lot of time travelling in the USA, ticking off 49 of the 50 States so far, and travelling in Australia and New Zealand. I’ve taken plenty of city breaks in Europe too, travelling for concert breaks or just for fun. But I always feel I should spend more time exploring the UK. The events of the last year have given me some opportunity to do this and I had a great time visiting some of England’s National Parks last summer as well as making my regular annual visit to Pembrokeshire National Park in Wales but Scotland is a country I’d never spent much time in.

When a Scottish friend from one of the Trek America tours I had done got engaged and invited all of the group to her wedding, it seemed like the perfect excuse to see some of this beautiful country. You see, my friend lived in Orkney, one of the northernmost islands of Scotland, and travelling there was going to cost a small fortune!

As much as I wanted to go, it almost didn’t seem worth it for just 2 nights. So I decided to extend my trip and take a solo tour of the Scottish Highlands while I was there.

Rather than taking a tour completely solo, I decided I’d rather join an escorted tour.

While I’d taken a few of these elsewhere – while travelling in the USA, Australia and new Zealand – I wasn’t at all familiar with any companies that operated in the UK. After researching the tours and companies on offer for a solo traveller on a budget, I decided to book with Macbackpackers on their 7-day Best of the West tour. The company aims it small group tours at the 18-40 age group and got excellent reviews and while I wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of staying in hostels again, I felt I’d be able to cope for 6 nights if it meant saving some money!

To save a bit more money, I booked the tour through Touradar during one of their sales using credits I had with them from previous bookings to bring the cost down even further!

Ancient standing stones on Orkney Island

The tour left from Edinburgh on Mondays so I decided to join the one that left after the weekend of the wedding meaning I’d fly to Orkney on Friday, leave for Edinburgh on Sunday evening and start the tour on the Monday morning, arriving back in Edinburgh where I’d spend a few more days, a week later.

Deciding I’d need a break from hostels along the way, I booked a city centre Travelodge in Edinburgh for the nights either side of the tour within walking distance of the hostel the tour departed from. The hostels used along the tour were pre-booked through the company although the price wasn’t included in the cost of the tour, we had to pay cash upon arrival at each one.

With our accommodation in Kirkwall on Orkney Island sorted for us by our friend, I was excited for the trip, ready to explore somewhere new and ready for adventure!

A quick trip to Montreal

After a few days on a concert break to Toronto, we were catching a VIA Rail train to our next Canadian destination, Montreal. It was a long train journey but the scenery along the way was at least pretty. We arrived at Montreal’s main station mid-afternoon and walked the short distance to our Marriott Hotel, another 4-star hotel bargain from Priceline’s Name Your Own Price site.

After checking in, we ventured straight out into the city.

Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, and above, the view from our hotel room

Our hotel was close to the pretty Mary Queen of the World Cathedral and there were plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes nearby so we spent a bit of time exploring before choosing a small Mexican restaurant for dinner.

The next day was our one full day for exploring the city. We’d seen the City Sightseeing hop on/off buses go past the day before so decided to buy tickets for it as the quickest way to see as much of Montreal as possible.

The bus took us to Montreal’s old town where we hopped off the bus at Notre Dame Cathedral.

After visiting the Cathedral, we sat out at a local cafe before walking to Place de la Grande-Paix-de-Montreal. Exploring the pretty square, we then decided to visit the Centre d’histoire de Montreal, an interesting museum tracing the history of Montreal and significant events from its past which is housed in a building that was once a fire station.

Then we walked down to the waterfront enjoying the sunshine as we passed through the many pretty parks along the promenade and enjoyed the views across St Lawrence River.

Hopping back on the bus, we continued our tour of the city through Montreal’s financial district and looping round to Mont-Royale, Montreal’s highest point. Passing St Joseph’s Oratory, we then pulled up at a viewpoint over the city.

We hopped off again at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The museum was definitely worth a visit and we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring its extensive collections.

Back by Mary Queen of the World Cathedral

Then it was back on the bus to complete our loop of the city and return to where we started, the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral just across the road from our hotel.

Back at our hotel room after the concert

That evening, we attended the concert at the Bell Centre arena. The next day, we’d be checking out of our hotel and returning home to the UK but we had a little time in the morning for some last minute shopping first. Then it was off to the airport ready to wave Canada goodbye – for now!

Back in Sydney for 24 hours

I was at the end of my 5 week trip to Australia’s east coast and having spent an amazing week in Sydney for New Year at the start of my adventure, I was excited to return for 24 hours, even if I would be there by myself this time rather than with a group of my best friends.

It had been a long day, spending 12 hours sat on the Loka minibus travelling from Byron Bay and we finally arrived in Sydney early evening.

After being dropped at Central Station, I said goodbye to the few passengers that had been on the bus with me and set off for my hotel near Museum Station.

That evening, I took a stroll up to Circular Quay.

It was a lot quieter than it had been on my last visit and as I approached the Opera House, I couldn’t help but think about the Opera Bar New Year Party I’d attended there just weeks earlier. Since then I’d seen and done so much, visiting Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands and then Townsville and Magnetic Island on the way north to Cairns with one of my friends and then travelling southbound on my solo adventures passing through Tully Gorge National Park, back to Airlie Beach and stopping at Emu Park, Fraser Island, Noosa, Brisbane and Byron Bay.

It really had been the trip of a lifetime!

And it wasn’t over yet. With my flight back to the UK not leaving until late evening, I was planning to make the most of every last minute of my day in Sydney. Wanting to see part of Sydney I hadn’t seen before, after grabbing some breakfast, I walked to Circular Quay and took a boat across to Watsons Bay.

Above, arriving at Watsons Bay, and below, on the coastal walk

Once there, I followed the path from Marine Parade behind Watsons Head Beach and along to a viewpoint overlooking the bay of Camp Cove from where there were great views of Sydney in the distance. Walking past another small bay, Lady Bay Beach, I then picked up the South Head Heritage Trail, a looped path which took me past Hornby Lighthouse and more beautiful coastal views.

After completing the looped track, I returned to where I’d started by the ferry wharf and then walked in the other direction up to the ocean cliffs known as The Gap for more amazing views. Continuing my walk along the cliff tops through Gap Park, I made it as far as Macquarie Lighthouse before returning to the ferry wharf.

Back by Watsons Bay Beach, I spent some time sat in Robertson Park people watching and enjoying the views before deciding to use my transport day pass to return to Sydney CBD by bus. Along the way, I hopped off at another of Sydney’s coastal suburbs, Rose Bay.

After wandering along its main street, I found my way to the beach and sat there relaxing, soaking up the last few rays of Australian sunshine before the end of my trip.

Arriving back in the city with a bit of time still to spare, I took a final stroll around Darling Harbour before returning to my hotel to pick up my luggage and make my way to the airport. It had been an amazing trip, one I’d never forget but for now, it was time to wave Australia a fond goodbye.

Byron Bay

I was a few days off the end of a 5 week trip to Australia. Starting in with a group of friends in Sydney for New Year, I’d since travelled north to Cairns with another friend, stopping at Airlie Beach for the Whitsundays and Townsville to visit Magnetic Island before going on a southbound solo travel adventure, joining a flexi-tour with Loka Travel and making stops at Tully Gorge National Park, back in Airlie Beach and at Emu Park, Fraser Island, Noosa and Brisbane.

After spending the morning in Brisbane, I was now on board the Loka minibus heading to the last stop of my trip before arriving back in Sydney, Byron Bay. Although I was again the only passenger travelling south from Brisbane, we made a pick up at Surfers Paradise where 2 girls I’d briefly met earlier in the trip jumped on board and it was nice to briefly have someone to chat with.

Arriving in Byron Bay early evening, I checked into my private en suite room at the YHA and went out to explore, walking along the beach as the sun stated to go down before grabbing a pizza and heading back to my room.

The next morning I was up early to head to the beach. I had booked a dolphin-spotting kayaking expedition which I was really looking forward to.

After a quick tutorial/recap on paddling and kayaking, I partnered up with one of the other solo travellers in the group and we boarded our kayak, paddling out to sea with the rest of our group. It wasn’t long before we spotted our first group of dolphins swimming past. It was really exciting being so close to them.

Over the next hour we were lucky enough to spot a few more dolphins as we paddled across the bay.

It was soon time to return to shore and we were challenged by the group leaders to try and ride one of the waves in. Like many of the other kayakers, we instead managed to capsize ours, both being thrown into the surf as our kayak made it to shore without us and causing me to lose my sunglasses in the process!

After making a quick stop back at my hostel room to dry off and change, I walked into town and found a cheap replacement pair of sunglasses before going to meet a friend who also happened to be staying in the area for lunch.

While there, I go a message from a tour company I’d book an evening wildlife-spotting activity with saying that due to the predicted storm coming in, they were cancelling that evening’s tour. Unfortunately, as it was my last evening in Byron Bay, I wasn’t able to reschedule the tour but the refund at least gave me a bit more money to spend on the remaining few days of my trip!

After lunch, I decided to do the walk to Cape Byron Lighthouse, a lighthouse perched above the bay.

Above, the most easterly point of Australia, and below, views along the lighthouse walk

It was quite an easy walk but as I made my way there, the weather started to change, the bright blue sunny skies being replaced by dark, storm clouds and just as I reached the lighthouse, the rain started to fall. By the time I reached the halfway point back to beach, the rain had gone from light drizzle to a full on storm – torrential rain, thunder and lightening and for the second time that day, I was soaked to the skin and in need of a change of clothes!

Making it safely back to the hostel, I stayed in my room waiting for the rain to subside, making a quick trip out between downpours to grab a Subway sandwich before ducking back to my room again!

Byron Bay was a really pretty place and I’d really enjoyed my all too brief stay there. I was up at the crack of dawn the next morning to go and wait for the Loka minibus to pick me up for the final journey of my trip. And it was a long one, a 12 hour drive back to where I started 5 weeks earlier, Sydney.

Back in Brisbane

Once again, the lone passenger on the Loka minibus

After New Year in Sydney and spending some time in Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays, Townsville and Magnetic Island and Cairns, I’d started to travel southbound down Australia’s east coast on a flexi-tour with Loka stopping at Tully Gorge National Park, returning to the Whitsundays and visiting Emu Park, Fraser Island and Noosa.

It was currently Australia Day and, after spending the morning walking along the riverside in Noosa, I was now onboard a Loka minibus heading to my next stop of Brisbane.

Crowds gather for the Australia Day fireworks

I’d been to Brisbane once before but not spent a lot of time in the city itself. During the time I did spend there, it had mainly rained, not leaving me with the best impression of the city. But I felt that maybe I hadn’t given it a fair chance and this, coupled with my desire to visit the nearby Australia Zoo, had made me decide to include it as a stop on my trip.

My journey to Brisbane was similar to most of the others I’d experienced since joining the Flexi-tour because I once again found myself the only passenger heading southbound. Once in Brisbane, I checked in for 3 nights at Base hostel. I’d booked a private room with shared facilities and the tiny room had just about enough room for my bed and not much else!

The hostel had a rooftop barbecue planned for the afternoon to celebrate Australia Day but heavy rain meant it had to be called off so instead, I went for a walk refamiliarising myself with the city, doing a bit of window shopping and taking a walk along the river.

Above, Australia Day fireworks, and below, taking the Greyhound to Australia Zoo

That evening, I walked back to the South Bank and lined up along the riverside along with hundreds of other visitors and locals for the Australia Day fireworks. There was a great atmosphere and the display was one of the most impressive I’d ever seen.

The following day, I was up early to make my way to Australia Zoo.

At Australia Zoo, hanging with the locals

I’d spent quite a bit of time researching the best way to reach the zoo and eventually decided on using the Greyhound bus service. Picking up from the bus station in Brisbane, it dropped me at the entrance to the zoo at a reasonable time in the morning, picking me up late afternoon to return me to Brisbane.

Above, giant tortoises, and below, a fun day at Australia Zoo

I was worried how much fun I could actually have wandering around a zoo by myself but there was so much to see and do, I really enjoyed my day.

The next day, I’d planned to spend exploring the city. I was hoping to be able to do a bike or walking tour but was disappointed to find none of them were running on that day.

So instead, I decided to take a river boat along the Brisbane River. I got off the boat at New Farm Park and spent some time wandering through the park, enjoying the skyline views of Brisbane city in the distance.

The park is home to Brisbane Powerhouse, an old tram power station now used as an entertainment venue hosting plays, concerts and exhibitions.

With the weather turning drizzly and then to pouring rain, I jumped back on a boat to head back to the city.

Views of the Brisbane River from New Farm Park

Above, looking out at the rain from the river boat, and below, at the Queensland Museum

Arriving back on the south bank, I took a stroll to Brisbane’s up and coming West End area, stopping for lunch in one of its many cafes. Then, with the weather still being dull and drizzly, I decided to visit some of the museums along the South Bank, starting with the Queensland Museum.

The museum had lots of natural history exhibits on the history of Queensland and was an interesting way to spend a few hours.

From there, I walked to the nearby Gallery of Modern Art and then across to the State Library of Queensland which had an art exhibition on.

Streets Beach, Brisbane’s Lagoon, and above, art at GoMA and the State Library of Queensland

I finished the day with another stroll along the South Bank down to Streets Beach -Brisbane’s lagoon – then walked back across the bridge to the city centre for a spot of shopping along Queen Street Mall.

Brisbane’s oldest building – The Old Windmill

The next day, I had an early afternoon pick-up scheduled but before leaving the city, I took a morning stroll to see Brisbane’s oldest building, The Old Windmill, a heritage listed building sat on top of a hill just a short walk from the hostel. Then, it was time to wait for the Loka minibus to arrive to take me to my next destination, and my penultimate stop in Australia, Byron Bay.

24 Hours in Noosa

I was into the last few days of a 5 week trip to Australia. So far I’d spent a few days in Sydney with friends over New Year, travelled to Airlie Beach for the Whitsundays, Townsville and the neighbouring Magnetic Island and Cairns with another friend and was now travelling solo, heading southbound back to Sydney on a flexi-tour organised with Loka Travel. After stops at Tully Gorge National Park, returning to the Whitsundays, a day in Emu Park and a trip to Fraser Island, I was now en route to Noosa on Australia’s Sunshine Coast.

I began the day at Rainbow Beach, my base for my visit to Fraser Island, where I was picked up alongside a few other Loka passengers by a Loka minibus. So far,I had struggled to find fellow Loka travellers heading the same day same, spending the first few days of my trip pretty much just me and my tour guide.

Today wasn’t any different as I soon realised that every other passenger on my bus was being dropped at a nearby train station from where they’d be heading northbound to Emu Park making me the only passenger travelling southbound to Noosa!

There were two Loka guides on board the minibus, a driver who was new to the company and another more seasoned guide who was training him, so I at least had someone to make small talk with about my trip so far along the way. But once there, I was by myself again. I checked myself into the YHA where, for the first time all trip, I was finally taking the plunge and staying in a communal dorm.

I was put in a 4-bed co-ed dorm and while it was nice to have someone to talk to, the others in my room were a lot younger than me and I soon realised that their only plans for the day involved bars and drinking whereas I wanted to use the short amount of time I had there to see some of the area.

With the sun shining, I decided to spend the rest of the morning down at Noosa Heads Beach.

Above, and below, starting my walk along the Noosa Heads coast path.

After a spot of sunbathing, I couldn’t resist a dip in the sea although I soon started to regret that decision as the huge waves repeatedly sent me flying! Managing to drag myself out of the surf, I spent a bit of time drying out before taking a walk into town in search of something to eat.

Noosa was pretty and had a really nice feel to it. After wandering around, I decided to take a walk along the coast path to Noosa National Park.

Above, and below, walking along the coast path

I followed the path right around the coast past lots of pretty little bays to Alexandria Bay then along to Sunshine Beach before cutting through a residential district back to the hostel.I’d been a bit worried about taking the walk by myself but it was either that or not see it and there were plenty of people about also walking along the coast path so it was fine.

It was early evening by the time I got back so after popping back to the hostel for a while, I went out to get pizza for dinner. The next day was going to be Australia Day and I’d be heading to Brisbane late morning. I wanted to spend a few hours walking along the river the next morning so to make sure I was up in plenty of time, I decided to call it a night.

The next day, after checking out of the hostel, I was up to take a stroll along the river.

Australia Day celebrations along the riverside in Noosa

I was surprised to see lots of gazebos up along Noosa Parade with Australia Day celebrations already in full swing and it was a really great atmosphere.

After my walk, I returned to the hostel and went to meet the Loka minibus ready to travel south to Brisbane.

Above, and below, taking a stroll along the riverside in Noosa

I’d really enjoyed my visit to Noosa and wished I’d had a bit more time there to take my time exploring a bit more. I’d definitely like to return there someday.

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Visiting the Isle of Lewis and Harris

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: