UK

This will be the last post on here. I'd like to say a big thank you to my family and friends who supported me throughout my trip, it meant a lot. Also thanks to the cool people I met over the seven months, I had no idea I'd make such great friends and I hope to see you again in the future.

Now it is time to get back to reality!

I could have put a lot more information on this blog but I didn't want to be glued to a computer too much while I was away. This blog was primarily meant for friends and family to see what I was upto, as well as way for me to back my photos up! If anyone who doesn't know me wants information, advice or is planning a similar overseas experience then drop me an email at davidsmithonthemove @ gmail.com.

David. 

below: my village this morning

Singapore pt2

below: evening food market below. top tip: do NOT go for a curry in there! 

below: hotel boat by night



below:

below: final day in Singapore

below: Singapore is a very tidy city. I'm not sure if burping/farting/swearing warrants a fine but i avoided doing them just incase!

below: vehicles are not allowed to be more than 10 years old in Singapore (unless you pay very high fees).

below: final meal of the day.

Emirates 2135 7.5 hr Singapore to Dubai on an Airbus A380. 1.5 hour in Dubai airport. 7.5 hr Dubai to Heathrow. Change of attire from shorts/tshirt/flipflops to trousers/hoody!!! 4 hr NX Jetlink to Norwich. Local bus to my village. 36+ hours later and home.

below: Heathrow Coach Station

Singapore pt1

After 10 days of unsuccessfully looking for a job in Cairns and Queensland I decided to call it a day and head back home. My round the world flight ticket meant I had the option of getting off in Singapore on the way so I take advantage of this and spend two full days there. 

The flight from Brisbane was very early in the morning and being a tight backpacker I thought I'd see if I could survive 18 hours in the airport. After lots of window shopping, walking about and sleeping it was time to leave Brisbane and Australia. It was a 7.5 hour flight from Brissy to Singapore, I had one of Emirates' new Boeing 777s with the latest windscreen and films (Skyfall, Lincoln, Sweeney). 

I got to Singapore at 0810. Got the metro to Chinatown, dropped bags off at hostel and went for a wonder about. A Czech girl in the hostel leant me her guide with map which was very useful. I really enjoyed Singapore and two days was just the right amount of time. 

below: zzzzzz

below: skytrain from Singapore T1 to MRT station

below: Chinatown

 below: SBS Transit bus near Chinatown

below: Tian Hock Keng temple

below: lunch $3. bargain!

below: lunch time

below: the marina area of the city. And yes, in the background there is a boat on top of three buildings... this is the Skypark hotel.

 below: Merlion monument with skyscrapers in the background

 below: Skypark close up

for more info on this go to....  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289194/Marina-Bay-Sands-resort-opens-Singapore.html
 below: Marina Bay Sands mall

below: Marina Bay Sands exhibition centre. When I was there an IT convention was there for a week. It mainly a show for computer (PC, laptops, tablets, printers etc) companies to show off their latest products. Below is an Epson chap showing a printer that 'lets you print to your heart's content'.

below: also there were the latest in massage chairs. for $4000SGD you can get this mean machine! Although i was very tempted i refrained from buying it from her.

below: the gardens near the skypark


below: a view of the financial area of the city

below: Boat Quay where the bars and restaurants are

below: the last night living in a hostel ! i must say the one i stayed at on Temple Street was very good with extremely helpful and polite staff, comfy beds and excellent showers

Australia - jobs and kiwis

Unfortunately inconsistent weather (and a cyclone hitting a few weeks previously) was having a negative effect on farm work allover Queensland. As each day passed without work we gradually became more and more demoralised and fed up with the same old cycle of applying for work with no response or a 'thanks but no thanks'.

Me and Swedish Ro.bert eventually found a job pruning kiwi trees. To cut a very long story short it did not work out for the following reasons:

the pay was a lot less than described on the website and over the phone
the accommodation rent was more than described
the accommodation had 1 shower and 1 toilet for 20 people
one of the rooms in the house had bed bugs
when confronted over the above issues he lied his way out of it and said the bed bugs was because we were dirty!

I hadn't the heart or energy to look for other work, and just before I got this job I was content with the prospect of coming home. So on March 5th I started my journey back.

below: kiwi trees. that particular day we found a snake in one of the trees...

below: 35deg

below: kiwis!

Australia - Great Barrier Reef underwater

Some pics from my mate Stacey's digital camera... 

Australia - Cairns and Great Barrier Reef

After 15 nights and 1700km (1055mi) of travelling since Brisbane I finally arrive in Cairns. It is a small compact city with a tropical climate, temperatures have been a consistant 32 since I arrived and about 23 at night. The main attraction are the boat trips out to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkelling and diving.

My first full day in Cairns I was up at 0630 for my day of snorkelling and diving. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to dive because of my asthma, I think I would have been alright but they were strict. The snorkelling more than made up for it as I saw lots of tropical, colourful fish, turtles and nemo.

below: Ocean Freedom

below: Upolu Reef

below: Cairns esplanade including swimming area and BBQs

below: the lagoon during a downpour

below: L-R: Stacey, me, Rayen, Emma, Natasha and Alex. And jack took the photo. All from England except Rayen. We all met about 2 weeks ago on Fraser Island. It was Stacey's birthday so we had a BBQ at the esplanade. 35 degrees most of the day!

below: accom at Gilligans hostel resort. 10 bed room.

 below: downpour at Gilligans

down: a puppy near the lagoon

Australia - Magnetic Island

Left Airlie Beach at 0930 and arrived 4 hrs later in Townsville. An hour or so to kill before getting the ferry to Magnetic Island. The hostel was located right by the beach and the remainder of the first day was spent chilling by the pool.

Day 2 me and my german mate Rayen (from NZ) got a day explorer bus ticket and went for a few walks. One of which was on an old WW2 fort as Townsville was an important military base. We then carried on up to the north of the island to Horseshoe Beach and chilled out there for a bit. Back before it got dark and time to sit by the pool and read my book before dinner and drinks.

Day 3 we get the bus, ferry and catch the Premier coach at 1350 for Cairns. On the coach i see Jack and Stacey who i met over a week ago. 1930 we arrive in Cairns.

below: rest stop on the way to Townsville

below: view from the base hostel at breakfast

below: a view from the Forts walk

below: the bus

below: spot the koala



below: sleepy chap

below: lookout point

below: Horseshoe Bay. the white perimeter indicates the safe swimming zone as it is jellyfish season

below: further along Horseshoe Bay