m jacksons Blog on RealTravel

Whistler journal: Whistler

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:03:10 GMT

We stayed in Whistler creekside, a few minutes down the mountain from whistler village but creekside had a skatepark and a really nice lake where everyone went and relaxed by in the evening.

The first full day we headed up to the village and looked about then took a walk to the lost lake through a really nice forested area.

The next morning we went up the mountain first via a gondala to midway up where we had lunch, with one of the best views ever then got a chair lift to the top. Up there it was still super snowy, more so than we thought it was going to be since kat was wearing ...

Victoria journal: Like England but not

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 15:05:29 GMT

Victoria is a Small city on Vancouver island so we got a ferry across to it, which had some really scenic views and spotted a few seals about on the way.

It had a really english feel and was a vry quaint city but still had stuff going on. Again it had a realy good skatepark which i visted a few times. We mainly just walked about around the city and harbour.

Vancouver journal: Vancouver

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 15:01:34 GMT

After trying out a number of hostels here, which were either cheap and in a bad area or expensive and downtown we managed to move in to a house with friends in a really nice area just south of downtown.

While here we went to a minor league baseball match, had a day trip out in thier car to a damn, suspension bridge and hike. Shopped a bit and partied a little too. The whole city is full of skate parks and spots so i managed to skate most days which was ace.

We also happened to be here for canada day and spent the night at a bbq with friends then watching fireworks from a roof top ...

Seattle journal: Seattle

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:45:59 GMT

Arrived in Seattle early morning after a long 23 hour greyhound ride but hostel was ace and had free waffels for breakfast which we took advantage of!

Checked out all the touristy stuf about town and on the second day went out to the artsy area, 'fremont', which has some random sculptures about the neighbourhood and lots of nice cafes and shops. Also in fremont was an independant organic chocolate factory so went went on the tour and tasted lots of dark chocolte in various flavours.

The 14th was Kats birthday so we went to the music museum and space needle in the morning and the ...

San Francisco journal: Love in Haight.

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 22:04:15 GMT

Arrived to find out the hostel that we had booked was full but they have a deal with the hotel across the road so we got moved there, still in a dorm but was a hotel style room and me and kat had our own part of it anyway!

We did all the usual touristy things in San Fran, visited Alcatraz which was real interesting with a guided tour via tape telling you all about it. We walked around the hills and checked out lombard st. which is nicknamed the crookedest street in the world, shoped and also happened to be there for the annual Haight- Ashbury street fair, where lots of hippies come out ...

Oahu journal: Aloha!

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 21:29:17 GMT

We decided to go straight up to North Shore, and were met off the plane by our friends Christina and Elle who were already on the hostel transfer bus.

Spent the first few days in a dorm with them which was in our own cabin shared with two other rooms, so we drank in our living area with them as well during the evenings.

One of the many beaches, Three Tables, was right opposite for some good lazing, swimming and watching surfers in the day. We were also a few minutes walk to the famous Waimea bay, a stunning beach with pool like water, where some snorkling was done.

After a ...

Sydney journal: Easter in Sydney

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:32:41 GMT

Got the greyhound early sunday morning from Newcastle and although it wasnt a very long journey, only about 2 hours, i think me and kat both found it a bit tough after the night before! When we did arrive got a tube to our hostel in Kings Cross no problem, although we did end up having the coldest room ever but appart from that it was pretty nice.

On the first day we went down to the harbour and got some food at a restaurant and then just got our berrings in the city a bit.

The next day we did most of the touristy stuff, checked out the opera house and the bridge and the botanical ...

Byron Bay journal: Byron bay

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:27:00 GMT

After having trouble finding somewhere to stay here becuase of easter and the blues festival being held here we actually managed to book in to a really nice hostel which although expensive is fairly cheap for here.

Our first night we went to the infamous cheeky monkeys, this is like your average SU bar and is pretty rubbish but apprently, 'you have to go'. Spent the next few days either cruising around town or on the beach and doing a bit of body boarding.

On monday it was back to cheekys for one drink and to meet with people then we went on to another club called cocomagas or ...

Surfers Paradise journal: Glitzy Surfers

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:24:04 GMT

This place is kinda like a small miami/vegas or something i guess, its got casinos and clubs and is less about the beach although its still stunning!

Our hostel here wasnt that nice but we were in a five bed dorm and travelled with the other two girls so was only one stranger which was kinda nice.

On our second day here we decided to take a walk up to broadbeach and check that out and also went a little further to pacifc fair, a big mall/ outlet place, although didnt by anything other than groceries cuz trying to be tight!

That night we went on a club crawl arranged by our ...

Brisbane journal: Brisbane

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:18:24 GMT

Origionally planned to stay in a double for the week in a hostel but the guy said he couldnt pick us up from the transit centre and so for our troubles of $1.20 would upgrade us to our own appartment for the week!!

We stayed in the valley which is the more alternative/arty area of town and just checked out that area on the first day and went to some bars in the evening.

At the weekend our friends Christina and Elle came to stay on our floor so we went partying both nights and on the saturday found such a good club where the music was perfect which made a change from the usual ...

Beachcomber Island journal: Bula Bula

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 21:34:46 GMT

Fiji was full of small islands, fiji time a lot of saying bula and a visit to celebrity love island! will write more at some point but heres some photos for now.....

Melbourne journal: Melbourne and T

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:03:33 GMT

ok, so we've been in Melbourne ages and i havent written a thing about it so this will be a condensed version of the month...

First of all we stayed a week in a hostel north of the city, this was ok, but most of the people in the hostel were working and not really our kinda of people so we moved at the end of the week. We didnt actually do too much this week any way since me and kat both got colds, so it was mainly just getting our bearings about the city. We are now at a hostel called Elephant, which is near federation sq. and is ace, except for the partintioned walls!

We happened ...

Newcastle journal: Newcastle

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 23:43:58 GMT

Newcastle was pretty good, although a little more run down that i expected becasue it is an old mining and steel town. On our first day here we went in to town and checked out the modern art gallery, but because there was an opening night show that evening a lot of it was closed off. That night we went to a pub in the harbour because being at our hostel meant we got a free meal there and cheap drinks! There was also a pub quiz that night which we won and got $25 worth or bar vouchers although it didnt go too far between the team!

The next two days in NEwcastle was such bad weather and ...

Noosa journal: Noosa

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:35:00 GMT

Noosa was a super swish town but had a real laid back feel. I hired a surf board again here buit the board was a lot smaller and the waves a lot bigger so although i stood a few times found it a lot harder than before. I also could no longer resist seeing loads of concrete parks and bought a skateboard so hopefully can go find some parks here in Brisbane.

Rainbow Beach journal: Rainbow beach and Fraser Island

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:31:26 GMT

We got to Rainbow beach about lunch time and had our briefing for Fraser at 4. Fraser Island is the worlds biggest sand dune basically that makes an island that the Australians use as a 4x4 playground.

We went in a group of 10 in our car and with tents, food and wine headed to the island for three days. Day one we wnet to lake McKenzie, a lake where the water is so clear and pure you can drink it and its sandy shores make you feel like you are actually in the sea. We then set up camp for the night a bit further up the coast and had a bbq and fell asleep pretty early since we were ...

Town of 1770 journal: Scooterooter!

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:20:16 GMT

This was definately my favourite place so far in Australia; super laid back and real cheap.

We ended up staying at our 3rd choice of hostel because the only other two were full but this turned out to be for the best because the hostel had only been open 3 weeks and was real clean and gave us a deal on our own room becuase they had no dorms left. This was actually better than any room we could afford in Thailand and was our own little cabin set in what felt like a ranch.

The second day here we did surf lessons, and by the end of it i picked it up pretty well although had a bad rash ...

Airlie Beach journal: Whitsundays

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:11:38 GMT

After a tiring few days we got our own little room in the jungle at Magnums so we could rest a bit.

Airlie beach itself was cool, with a big lagoon with fake beach to laze about durring the days since you still couldnt go in the sea due to the stingers.

We decided we didnt have enough money to go on a 3 days sailing trip so got a day trip around the Whitsundays but speaking to others still did everything the longer trips do just with less time ona boat! The first stop of the day was a short walk up to a look out point over Whitehaven beach, the views here were stunning and it ...

Townsville journal: Townsville and Magnetic Island.

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:59:19 GMT

Advised that we shouldnt go to Townsville becuase the locals call it Brownsville because of the lack of rain ( apprently this is a bad thing!) we turned up and were actually pretty suprised that it looked nice.

We didnt have anywhere planned to stay so just went with Globtrotters since they were at the bis stop and had a deal of 2 nights with them and 2 nights with magnums on magnetic island.

By luck we managed to be there for the full moon party on Magnetic island which although maybe not as good as we thought it was going to be since it was actually more of a club night and not ...

Mission Beach journal: Mission beach

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:47:50 GMT

Mission beach was good, the weather was still not great but most of the storms were at night and there were some decent patches of sun during the day. We felt well money here because a short bus ride away was a 4* resort called the horizon with a swiming pool and bar etc that we could use on a hill over looking Dunk island, here we also saw a huge Goanna that had some how got its self up a tree to which a local was going, 'look theres a goanna thay thinks its a khoalla!'.

Cairns journal: I thought Australia was sunny!

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:40:42 GMT

We flew Bangkok to Singapore, Darwin and eventually Cairns to arrive in Australia early morning to heavy rain, not what i expected of australia!

Cairns itself wasnt great partly becuase of the fact it didnt really stop raining for the three days we were there and also unless you do the tours, which are expensive there isnt loads to do.

We did however have the funniest bus driver on the airport transfer who was so stereotypically ozzie and honestly called Bruce. Just after leaving the airport a woman radiod him and the conversation went something like this,

'err brucie, did ...

Bangkok journal: bangkok.. again!!!

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:30:05 GMT

Back to Bangkok to do practical things such as washing and internet. Didnt do too mych other than that really but went to MBK again because it was ace!

Ko Phangan journal: Koh Phangan

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:10:30 GMT

So we left Chiang Mai and headed south for some sun on a VIP bus which wasnt all that VIP but was fairly cheap and got us from A-B, so i guess all good. It took two days of over night busses to get there so we got droped back in bangkok at 4 in the morning after the first night and ended up watching zoolander in a bar untill about 9 when we checked in to a hostel to sleep for a few hours till our bus left again at 7 that evening.

We did the same again that evening and then finally chaged to a boat about 7 in the morning to get to the islands.

A guy on the boat was trying to get us ...

Chiang Mai journal: ooop naaarth

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 03:38:41 GMT

A lot calmer than Bangkok, loads of nice temples and people, and generally a good feel to the place. plus are hostel is dirt cheap and the room is huge set in real nice ground and last night while on the internet a gheko ran across the wall!!

Going to the highest mountain in Thailand tomorrow in a national park, pretty excited about it because its the first organised tour thing we will have done and the area looks so pretty.

Bangkok journal: Bangkok days

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 04:59:35 GMT

Markets the size of norwich and houses more bling than 50 cent's jewellery collection put together, but all in all good times although looking forward to the more tranquil north tomorrow