While most of the time I enjoy having my own blog, publishing what I want and designing as I please, sometimes I long for the days when I was just a writer. This past week I’ve been dealing with a “virus” on the website. Well, I actually don’t think it was a virus, just virus-like script.

I never noticed it in admin, nor did I while visiting the site from my own computer, but I received a few emails from readers this past week warning me about it as their computers warned them. Firstly, thanks to all the readers that went out of their way to send me messages. That was so kind and I really appreciate it.

Anyway, I think everything is pretty much sorted now. The problem seemed to be with the script from my the Sexy Bookmarks plugin. It’s really annoying to deal with, especially because I was planning to post a few things this week, but didn’t want to draw people to the site if they were just going to be warned away. Expect those posts next week!

Anyway, a half day of work today gave me some time to read, watch and google things on the internet.

What I’m reading

Hektic Travels is asking people to vote on where they should go next. I’ve noticed a lot of sites doing this recently and think it’s a really fun way to travel. But what I liked about the post on Hektic Travels is a couple things.

First, maybe I’m the last person to learn of this, but they mentioned Skyscanner, which is a flight search engine that allows users to leave their destination blank. The site then lists all the destinations available and the price of flights to them. I just love the spontaneity of it. It’s on my bucket list to just show up at an airport one day and pick a flight, but I’m always afraid it will be really expensive. I actually found some cheap flights using this method on Skyscanner.

Next is the contest they feature with this post. To enter they ask people to create a trip with $US650 using Skyscanner. I don’t mind not booking things and just showing up, but I actually have a lot of fun planning trips, so entering this contest was great for me. Anyway, I found cheap flights to Tonga, which led me to research the country and learned that it is one of the only places people can swim with humpback whales.

The contest is still on for a few more days, but don’t enter, because I really want to win the Kindle they’re giving away (evil laugh).

I also read a post a friend sent to me and Ric by BBC America that lists 10 things Americans do that drive Brits nuts. Ric said he agreed with them all, the jerk haha.

Expect a rebuttal BBC.

What I’m watching

Loads of Prison Break. Plus I got to catch up on Mad Men and found Rory Gilmore half naked on one of the episodes. I was shocked!

But I have a music video to offer all of you. You might notice a Brazilian influence on the website in the upcoming weeks. No we did not move to Brazil, but we are living with some Brazilians and learning loads about the culture as well as picking up some Portuguese.

Flavy, one of my roommates, played “Boa Sorte/Good Luck” by Vanessa da Mata and Ben Harper for me this week. I love the song. I’ve always been a fan of Harper and Vanessa da Mata’s voice is gorgeous. If you are the type to search for music from around the world, here is a good one for you.

What I’m Googling

Passport covers.

I’ve had my passport for about five years and over 30 countries now, so it’s looking quite rough. USA gave me a cover with the passport, but I threw it away on my first foreign flight with it because I found it really annoying to have to take out for people.

Anyway, it looks like I’ll have to put up with that now if I want to preserve Ol’ Blue.

When I Googled covers, Etsy popped up quite high. I love buying things on Etsy, because the items are always really unique and I always like supporting independent designers.

I found a really cute canvas cover with the “Oh the places you’ll go..” stitched on the cover, which is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books for only $US13.95. Not bad.

What do you think?

What I’m seeing

The sun. I work ten hours a day in a pack house and it’s Autumn in New Zealand right now, so very rarely do I get the chance to enjoy the sun. We got off early today and a friend said, “Oh my god, look. It’s the sun. It exists!” Needless to say, it was fun frolicking around town in the light of day.

What I’m planning

One thing I missed last time I visited Thailand was the Similan Islands. I heard the area has some pretty good dive sites, but I also want to visit a few islands. Plus Ric doesn’t dive, so I want to find a cruise that allows cheaper fares for snorkelers and offers a mixture of land and sea destinations.

I’m thinking it will be easier just to book in Thailand, but does anyone have any companies to recommend?

Supermoon in Greece.

Supermoon in Thailand.

Supermoon in New Zealand.

If you haven’t heard yet, the moon was super this past week. Matador Network writes that a supermoon is “a rarely-occurring event when a full moon occurs at the closest point in its orbit around Earth.”

A friend of mine noticed it as we left work in Te Puke, New Zealand around 5:30 p.m. I saw photos of the moon posted all around the web. It was pretty hard to miss this massive moon, but in case you did, Travel Media Ninja put together the 20 best photos of the super moon.

But I’m getting ahead of myself posting links already. Here’s what I’ve been thinking about this week.

What I’m reading

Proving that you’re never too old to backpack Australian Keith Wright is still budget traveling around the world at 95 years old. Right now he’s gearing up for a two month trip through Europe.

Beers and Beans gave me some serious travel lust this past week. They featured a stunning set of photos from their hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey. The photography on their site never fails to amaze me, this post is no exception.

What I’m watching

Rapper Krispy Kreme’s smash hit “The Baddest”. Love this song, video and the other kid in it who just stands there with a gun for four minutes. It’s hysterical. “I have 400 houses and 400 mouses.”

In other silly Youtube videos, Pat Burrell is coming back to Philadelphia, well, only for 24 hours to officially retire as a Phillie. In this video men who have felt the wrath of Burrell’s good looks warn other men in relationships to beware of his return.

I remember when Pat the Bat first came to Philadelphia as a rookie. I was in love with him. I still wear his jersey to this day. I’m happy to see that he’ll be retiring in that jersey.

What I’m googling

While eating a rice-filled meal, I got to wondering how rice goes from paddy to plate. Married2Travel put together a video about the entire process as it happened in her homeland of the Philippines.

What I’m seeing

Absolutely nothing. I’m working loads trying to save up for my next big trip.

What I’m planning

Well, my next big trip funny enough. Ric and I are planning to tramp across the world for five months this Autumn and Winter. We’ll be hitting Thailand, USA and England. I became quite excited about the trip tonight when we started looking up flight prices.

We actually found a $350 flight from Bangkok, Thailand to JFK in New York. It’s really cheap but with Aerosvit Ukrainian Airlines, which I’ve never heard of and has received horrible reviews on Skytrax.

Have you ever flown with an airline you were unsure of? How was it?

People usually try to avoid dark alley ways when visiting foreign cities.

Not Melbourne. 

The Australian city is known for its graffiti scene and the best of it can be found down side streets, where artists have free space and a bit a privacy to paint. Once considered vandalism, these days people of the city embrace this funky form of public art.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

I spotted these shut-eyed children in Fitzroy. There are several forms of graffiti around these days. This is known as wheatpaste graffiti, because of the glue used to put these pieces up.

The best way to see New Zealand is by long drives to every corner of the country’s two islands. From the road, people can make the most of this country’s scenery. Rolling mountain ranges, crystal clear lakes and waterfall after waterfall, you really shouldn’t miss a single sight here.

But not everyone can travel this way. Depending on who you’re traveling with and how much money you have to burn will determine how you travel New Zealand. People have a few options of transportation while touring the country, each has its pros and cons. One or many could be right for you.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Car or campervan

Pros

Freedom! You have your own wheels, which means you can go where you want, stop wherever and always have a place to sleep. Not to mention you no longer have to lug around all your bags and with a car you can collect as many souvenirs as you’d like.

Having your own car or campervan will allow you to see a side of the country that all other means of transportation cannot. Sure you can stick to the normal route and visit Franz Josef Glacier or Milford Sound, but you can also visit less-traveled spots such as Tasman Glacier and Hokitika Gorge.

Cons

With freedom comes responsibility. When you travel New Zealand in your own vehicle or a rented vehicle, someone has to drive. Plus, you should consider travel insurance. It’s not a huge deal, but some might not want to even bother during their vacation.

The price of private transportation is another con and even a deal breaker for some. It’s possible to keep this option cheap if you have enough people pitching in, but petrol is expensive in New Zealand as is buying or renting a vehicle. Even if traveling this way works out to be more affordable in the end, a large sum of money is almost always required up front.

Nzine.co.nz

Public bus

Pros

This is usually the most affordable way to travel the country. Companies like Intercity or Naked Bus offer bus fares as low as $NZ1. Of course you’ll have to be pretty lenient to get a rate this low, but it’s all part of the adventure right?

On top of cheap fares, you’ll get your fill of scenery during long coach journeys in which you won’t have to drive. Make sure to get a window seat!

Cons

Lack of freedom. Not only will you have to plan your travels around the company’s timetable, but you also won’t be able to stop wherever and whenever you please. It’s a pretty big negative considering all the scenic lookouts and trails located directly off the main highways here.

Tour companies

Pros

Like with public buses, this is a relaxing and stress-free way to travel the country. Unlike public buses, private tour companies stop for some things along the way to a destination, such as scenic lookout points.

Another upside to these tours is that it’s easy to get to know people on them. Imagine a group of travelers in your age group all holidaying together on one bus and making the same stops. For some people this is a huge asset.

Cons

However some may not enjoy traveling with a group of fellow travelers. They may prefer to be on their own or travel more like the locals would.

Some might also want to have a bit more control of their trip. A lot of these tour companies stick to the accommodation or restaurants they have partnered with and either include these places in the cost or use these places as drop off and pick up points. Again this could be a pro or con, on one hand everything is planned for you, on the other you don’t get a lot of freedom or spontaneity in your trip.

What could also be considered a pro or con is the price of these tours. Usually they work out to be a lot more expensive than public transportation. However, sometimes depending on where or how many places you want to visit, certain hop-on, hop-off bus companies can actually be more affordable.

Jade Johnston is one of my favorite NZ hitchhikers. She's hitched rides all around the country and written about her experience on Our Oyster, which is where this picture is from.

Hitchhike

Pros

This option is more practical in New Zealand than anywhere else I’ve traveled. Driving around the country, you’ll see loads of people sitting on their bags, holding a piece of cardboard box with places like “Queenstown” or “Wellington” written on it in black marker.

Obviously the big perk here is free travel, though you should really give the driver a few dollars. Another big perk is the thrill. It’s exhilarating, waking up with no plans but to get somewhere, hanging out on the side of a road hoping for the best and taking off with a random stranger.  Hitchhikers always seem to have the best stories.

Cons

It’s a risk. You’re taking a chance hopping into a car with a stranger, that is if anyone even offers to pick you up. The fear factor is on both sides and a lot of people can’t be bothered. This means waiting in the rain or snow, sometimes getting stuck somewhere for longer than you’d like.

This travel blog photo’s source is TravelPod page: Our first tramp

Train

Pros

Chances are if you chose to travel this way you’re doing it more so for the journey, not the destination. Routes like Christchurch to Arthurs Pass aren’t just a way for getting somewhere, but popular activities in the country. The five-hour journey leads passengers through the Canterbury Plains, past the Southern Alps, gorges, lakes and more. Even if you don’t need to travel by train, I would recommend looking into what scenic routes this country’s railway system has to offer.

Cons

New Zealand’s railway network is not very big. Sure it can take you from Wellington to Auckland or from Greymouth to Christchurch at a pretty fair rate too, but it’s not a practical way to travel the whole of the country.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Plane

Pros

This is the quickest means of travel, especially because you’re not required to arrive extremely early to get through security for most domestic flights around New Zealand. You’ll also get aerial views of places like the Marlborough Sounds or Queenstown traveling this way.

Cons

It’s expensive. Plus you’ll miss out on a lot. Sure you’ll see some things from above on short flights or at the end of long flights, but you’ll miss out on the sights that make traveling New Zealand so special.

Not to mention that this option is pretty impractical for people wanting to stop at a lot of destinations in the country. All airports in the country besides Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch are quite small and only offer a few flights a day to only a few domestic locations. This means you might have to switch flights in Christchurch for what should only be a one hour flight from Queenstown. It just doesn’t make sense.

The best way to see New Zealand is by using more than just one of these means of transportation. Weigh out which options fit best with you time, budget and expectations of the trip.

After 16 days straight of work, I finally had a day off this week.

Yippee!

This meant catching up on my reading, video watching and of course, my Googling. It also meant I had time to move house properly. Yes, I’m moving yet again. That makes four moves in New Zealand, not including moves to hostels, camp sites or that night we slept in our car during a weather bomb.

I’m really excited for this move too. We’re moving in with two of my work mates who are from Brazil. They’re a lovely couple and hopefully I can pick up some Portuguese while living with them.

Maybe expect some Brazilian influence in upcoming posts, but this is what I’m thinking this week.

What I’m reading

I think about India at least twice a day. I’ve wanted to visit the country for as long as I can remember. I met a girl who was as fascinated by the country as me while studying in London in 2007 and we are finally starting to plan a trip together for next year.

I mention all this, because I read some great posts about the country this week.

The Shooting Star is a great overall blog about India. Shivya Nath created the blog and she gives valued travel information about her homeland. I found her post “Moving to Delhi? 9 survival tips for women.” to be really helpful. It offers tips specifically for women and others that can benefit everyone, like how to avoid Delhi belly.

GQ Trippin also featured a helpful post about India this week. The traveling couple spent some time touring the country recently. Kieu wrote a comprehensive post about navigating India’s train system.

What I’m watching

I haven’t been watching a lot of different music videos this week, which I do often, but two over and over again.

First is Plan B’s Ill Manors. Ric showed me the video a week or two ago and I haven’t been able to stop watching it. In the music video the northeast London rapper guides people through an “urban safari” while commenting on the politics of the country. It includes footage from the England riots last year.

I’m not going to comment on the politics of the video, because I don’t know enough about politics or equality of life in England to do so. But I will say it’s a pretty powerful video that I don’t think you’ll be able to watch just once.

Drifting to a completely different music genre and type of video, I also can’t get enough of the lyrical version of Jason Mraz’s “I won’t give up on us”. It’s not the song’s official music video but I love it, because it has post cards and vintage suitcases, which are two things I’m obsessed with.

What I’m Googling

Ric mentioned to his brother that he visited Crown Casino in Melbourne, which is the largest casino in the southern hemisphere. It got me thinking, what’s the largest casino in the northern hemisphere?

The answer: The Venetian Macao in Macao, China. The casino is 546,000 square feet and has 3,000 gaming machines in it.

What I’m seeing

Tauranga. We visited New Zealand’s fastest growing city this weekend for a drink and some shopping. Some of the restaurants along the strand here are worth checking out, especially Bobby’s Fresh Fish Market.

What I’m planning

I’m getting really excited to go home in November. Ric and I will be visiting the USA for about a month this year, if all goes to plan. I want to spend a few days in New York, relax in good old NJ and maybe even spend a few days in Key West.

I visited the island a lot when I was younger. My parents loved it there. But I haven’t been back in years. Since I was a child during all of my visits, I don’t think I experienced the place properly. So I might try and plan a four day getaway there on our upcoming trip the the States.

I’m having trouble finding independent bloggers who have written about viisting Key West. Any suggestions?

Pancake Rocks is a must-stop on any tour of New Zealand’s South Island.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

They were formed 30 million years ago from minute fragments of dead marine creatures and plants landed on the seabed about 2 km below the surface. Immense water pressure caused the fragments to solidify in hard and soft layers.-Department of Conservation

The natural roadside attraction is located on SH 6 in Punakaiki. It’s great to see at all times of day, but especially spectacular at high tide when blowholes in the rocks are bursting with water.

From calm seasides to a busy city center, 24 hours in Wellington may not be enough to see everything, but it is enough to try a bit of everything New Zealand’s capital has to offer. A budget of $60 for a full day in windy Welly might seem a bit tight, but the city has heaps of free activities and most of them are in walking distance from one another, making food and drink the only expenses to think about.

8 a.m. 

With a big breakfast in your future, it might be a good idea to start the day with some exercise by walking up Mt. Victoria, Wellington’s highest point. It’s not anything too strenuous and the reward at the end will be worth it.

Mt Victoria offers spectacular views of the city on your conquer list today. Look down on the harbour, Cuba Street and CBD on one side. Another side offers more nautical views in the form of Lyall Bay, facing this way, the next landmass is Antarctica.

Total for the day: $0

I suggest using this route from Majoribanks Street to reach the summit and return to the city center. 

10 a.m. 

Popular for its voodoo vibe and delectable dishes, next stop is Sweet Mother’s Kitchen on Courtenay Place. While the menu offers an array of NOLA favorites, I suggest sticking with the classics to get an ideal of the cuisine and stay within the budget. Po Boy with a side order of Beignets it is.

It's always Mardi Gras at Sweet Mother's Kitchen. The cafe has a New Orleans theme that's popular among the locals. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

The southern-style Po Boy sandwich is pretty filling yet affordable and people will wait hours in line in New Orleans for tiny donut balls with icing sugar called beignets. These two items are sure to give you a good feed. But don’t forget a coffee to wash it all down. Wellington is known for its cafe and coffee culture, Sweet Mother’s Kitchen is a big part of that.

Total for the day: $NZ15

To reach Sweet Mother’s Kitchen, continue walking on Majoribanks Street, away from Mt. Victoria. Once you cross Kent Terrace, Majoribanks Street will turn into Courtenay Place and the cafe is just to the right. 

11:30 a.m.

While you might not want to move after your New Orleans-style brunch, there’s a giant squid to be seen and Maori culture to be learnt, it’s time to visit Te Papa. Located on the waterfront, one could spend days at the Museum of New Zealand, but  you only have two hours.

Learn about how the Maori people first discovered what they call Aotearoa, land of the long white cloud. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Friendly staff at the visitors center can help you pick which exhibitions to check out. Make sure you learn a bit about Maori culture with displays like The Marae. Learn about the land, especially its fault line, at the museum’s Awesome Forces exhibition. Last but not least, see the only colossal squid exhibition in the world and learn about the mysterious sea creature.

Total for the day: $NZ15 (Yes, the museum is free!)

From Sweet Mother’s Kitchen, continue down Courtenay Place away from Mt. Victoria and make a right at Tory Street. You’ll see the museum at the end of this street. 

1:30 p.m.

With a lengthy waterfront walkway full of benches and grassy sections, you might as well skip the pricey restaurants here and have a picnic instead. Stop in New World, which is located just across the street and to the left of Te Papa, facing away from the harbour. The affordable kiwi supermarket has an array of fresh breads, dips, even sushi. While you could spend as little as $NZ2 on lunch here, let’s set the budget at $NZ10.

From New World, head back to Te Papa and start walking along the waterfront. I suggest having lunch on one of the plots of grass near The Boatshed which has a view of the lagoon. Another great place for al fresco lunch would be on the steps by the Civic Center.

With views of the city and the lagoon, this patch of grass by the waterfront is a great place for a picnic. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

The waterfront has an array of things to do, from renting paddle boats to learning about the city at the Museum of Wellington City and Sea. But the nice thing about it is you really don’t have to actually do anything and most people don’t. Walk along the water, relax in the sun and enjoy the sights.

Total for the day: $NZ25

Te Papa is located on the water front, turn right upon exiting the main entrance to reach destinations mentioned above.  

3:30 p.m.

It’s time for another stellar view of the city from above, but don’t worry, you’ll be taking public transportation to this summit and the journey is half the fun. From Lambton Quay, purchase a return cable car ticket to the Botanic Gardens ($NZ6). This public transportation route dates back to 1902 and the iconic red car has been the subject of many post cards.

People still use it to reach various destinations along the hill, but most get off at the top to visit the the Botanic Garden. The 25-hectre garden contains native gardens, floral displays and more.

The Botanic Garden offers another great view of the city. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

A few walks start at the top. Avoid the longer routes that lead you downhill. Try some of the shorter routes, look around the gardens at the top and take in the view. Once you’ve had your fill, catch the cable car back to the city center

Total for the day: $NZ31

Coming from Te Papa, reach the cable car by turning left just after Fergs Kayaks on the waterfront. Follow this road until Lambton Quay where you’ll make a right. You’ll see a sign for the cable car on the left of this road a few blocks ahead. 

6 p.m.

Head to Cuba Street for dinner. One could spend all day on this busy street, hopping from cafe to cafe. It’s a great spot in the city at all times of day, but the nightlife here is especially spectacular.

There’s an array of restaurants and cafes to choose from along here. It’s hard to recommend just one place for people on a budget, because depending on the night, one restaurant could have better deals than another. The good news is that most dining establishments along this road offer great food and atmosphere.

Tulsi on Cuba Street is one option for affordable dinner options. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Some places to consider for the best food on a budget are Tulsi, Fidel’s, Heaven Pizza and Hotel Bristol. Walking along Cuba Street is an activity in itself, so take in the city while you’re searching for where to eat and walking the meal off after. You can find a good meal here and one drink for under $NZ20.

Total for the day: $NZ51

From the cable car head back towards the waterfront on Lampton Quay and turn right at Willis Street. Make a left at Manner Street and a right onto Cuba Street. 

9 p.m.

Whatever is left of your $60 for the day can go towards the night. If you’ve followed my recommendations you’ll be left with $NZ9-10, which is enough to buy a beer, maybe two, or entrance to a gig.

Wellington has a great music scene including local and international performers. Like at dinner, it’s hard to recommend just one place to spend the night here on a budget as each night offers different deals. Capital Times weekly newspaper is a great source for this or you could just rock up to a place and check it out. Either way, I recommend sticking around Cuba Street.

San Francisco Bath House has great live shows and party nights. If a big act is playing there, don’t bother as it will be out of the budget, but sometimes entrance is free or under $NZ10. The Fringe Bar has comedy nights, karaoke and gigs. Bodega features live bands and a lot of times entrance is by donation.

Let the night take you where it will, which might even be all the way to 8 a.m. the next day. Now that would be an epic 24 hours in Wellington.

Total for the day: $51-60

It’s April 20 and the weather is starting to get chilly in parts of the southern hemisphere. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to the switch in seasons down here, but the weather where I’m living at the moment really feels like Autumn in northeast USA.

I walked out of work this week to hoodie-weather and the smell of log fire. This is the first time I’ve felt Fall in over two years. It’s my favorite season, but I’m not looking forward to what follows. Hopefully Mount Maunganui stays somewhat warm in the winter.

Starway.org

Two “100″ events seemed to dominate my feeds all this past week, the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking and the 100 day countdown to the London Olympics. I never realized there were so many travel opportunities having to do with the Titanic, but I’m keen to visit some in the future.

For now, these are some things I’ve been thinking about this past week.

What I’m reading

On the subject of the Titanic, Mariellen at Breathe Dream Go wrote my favorite post having to do with the famous ship. The Titanic is linked with several of her personal memories. I never thought of the ship that way, but I have about other things. Thanks for opening up.

Aaron from Aaron’s Worldwide Adventures also opened up about a personal experience in his guest post for Globe Trotter Girls, “Jumping into the “Travel Closet” in Egypt”.

In the post he talks about traveling an an “out gay man” through Egypt where “people are commonly arrested for being gay”. He wrote about a personal encounter there with someone who questioned him on the matter and asks the readers what they would have done in that situation.

Wandering Earl opened up about a much lighter subject. In his post “There’s nothing wrong with a 40-hour workweek”, he asks “What’s wrong with work?” Like him, I love work. I usually get a bit restless after a few months of travel without work. Plus I love working abroad because it gives me a chance to get to know people and live as a local.

What I’m watching

While we may have “unlimited internet” where we are living at the moment, like buffets in New Zealand, that doesn’t really mean unlimited. The internet slows down tremendously after we reach a certain number of MBs. So basically, I haven’t been able to watch anything this past week.

Not even Mad Men!

But I did just learn how to play snake on YouTube videos while waiting for them to load. As soon as the dotted-circle appears, hit one of the four arrow keys on your keyboard and the circle will turn into a snake. Continue using the arrow keys to direct the snake to eat circles that appear on the screen.

Qysh.me

What I’m Googling

I watched an episode of David Attenborough’s Nature’s Great Events this week, so I was Googling a lot, especially about phytoplankton.

Did you know that phytoplankton is responsible for half of the earth’s oxygen? The one-celled organism does so during photosynthesis when oxygen is released into water.

What I’m seeing

Ghost of travels past. I’ve written a lot about Port Douglas this past week. It’s been nice to look back and reflect on my time there, but sad to remember how many great things there are to do there and not be able to actually be there right now.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

What I’m planning

Some unexpected travel ideas popped up this week. It started while reading Christine in Spain’s post about how to live in the Spain. Ric and I always talk about spending some time in Spain. It’s easy for him because he has an EU passport, but as an American, it’s going to be a bit trickier for me.

Christine’s post was so helpful on the matter. I’m going to follow up on one of her work suggestions in the next year, so hopefully I’ll get to live in Spain in the future.

But the planning didn’t stop there. We would be going to Spain right after New Zealand. I thought, maybe it be fun to try and reach the European country by going completely overland after flying from New Zealand to Thailand.

Has anyone ever done something similar?

It would be a pretty epic trip traveling through central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We’re both pretty excited about the possibility of it.

If you haven’t noticed, the theme on Heels and Wheels this week is Port Douglas. It’s been almost two years since I first stepped foot in the this tiny piece of paradise in Far North Queensland, Australia.

I still can’t stop thinking about it.

I didn’t write a lot about Port Douglas while I was there. In fact, I didn’t write much about anything. I was so immersed in the lifestyle there that all I did pretty much was…live. I didn’t waste loads of time catching up on places I wasn’t living or researching places I wanted to visit in the future. Instead I spent my time living like I belonged, as if no other life existed outside the town.

I’m a contradiction in many ways. I like pickles, hate cucumbers. I embrace city life, but long for seclusion. One of my biggest contradictions is that I love travel, but I have a slight obsession with small-town life.

I grew up in the suburbs of southern New Jersey. Sure I was close to small towns, beaches and big cities, but the suburbs where I am actually from was kind of like a limbo to all those things. Where I’m from there are a lot of people, open spaces, strip malls and schools. It’s not the city, but it’s definitely not a small town. Sure you might bump into someone at Wawa, but you don’t see the same barista every day at a one-of-a-kind cafe.

I don’t know if it was shows like Gilmore Girls or towns like New Hope, PA, but something long ago gave me this longing for small town life. A place where everybody knows my name. A place where I can walk into the town center from my house and bump into friends along the way. A place where there is a small enough number of people to feel like you’re part of a community, but more than enough people to keep things lively.

Yet, I also love visiting places where no one knows me, meeting new people and trying new things. I know I’m weird, but I found a place that brought these two contradictions together and it was Port Douglas.

The town is not very big. In fact its center is pretty much just one street. But it’s beautiful. God is Port Douglas beautiful. Plus it’s so relaxing. A visit there almost feels like one to the islands. Port is mainly a destination town, but a small number of people call it their home. So living there, you get a mixture of locals who you’ve known for years and visitors who arrive in bulk every few days.

How small town does this street look? Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

It was a job that led me to move there while living in Australia. At first, my time there was not going very well. I wanted to use my time in Port to work on my blog and get in shape. It all started out well enough. I was working, blogging and running. Plus I was meeting loads of people from my hostel, but the fact that I had set up a lifestyle for the town and not the opposite, led me to frustration.

Within a month of living in Port, I was hating the job that brought me there and didn’t feel like I was really getting to know people because I wasn’t going out so I could wake up early and run. Finally, I let go and though I lost that job that brought me to Port as well as my workout routine, I gained something spectacular.

Between the people at the hostel and the people at my new job, I almost felt like I was part of a big family. Every day I’d go to work and come home to find out what mischief “the guys” were getting into. We slept together (by that I mean six bedroom dorms), ate together and played together.

The guys.

After a few weeks the people I recognized from town started to recognize me. I had a coffee shop I visited every day and the guys there knew my drink, my name and a bit about me. I had a friend who I went for regular Sunday breakfasts with. Eventually I also found a partner here. This is where I met Ric, which adds to the town’s meaning to me.

When I was living in Port, that was all I was doing. It was the good life.

It’s been almost two years since I left and I still get choked up thinking about it, because the thing about Port Douglas is, I can never go back.

I said this to a friend as we boarded a bus to finally leave the Port Douglas.

She looked at me funny and replied, “Of course you can. You can always go back.”

But the truth is, I can’t. None of us can. Sure we can visit the town and I’m sure I will visit many times in the future, but the summer that I had there, the feeling, I can never go back to that. It’s sad, but I think it’s just a part of life. Sure Port is special to me, but I’m sure everyone has a place that’s special to them the same way. Everyone has a Port and while we may never be able to go back that place will stay with us forever.

“And me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it’s not some place you can look for, ’cause it’s not where you go. It’s how you feel for a moment in your life when you’re a part of something, and if you find that moment… it lasts forever…” – Richard “The Beach”

This view is one of the biggest things that made me return to Port Douglas and stay for the season. I originally arrived planning to only spend a few days then move on. During those few days I stumbled upon Anzac Park, the Sugar Wharf, St. Mary’s by the Sea and a tiny, secluded beach bringing all these things together.

I remember sitting on a bench in the park looking at the sight. It had been cloudy all day until that point. The clouds separated and the sun peaked through. I thought to myself, “I’ll be spending more than a just few days here.”

And I did.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

After visiting Cape Tribulation I came back to Port Douglas for Carnival. I left again for Cairns to return the campervan a friend and I traveled the east coast with. After losing our wheels, we waited around Cairns for a few days wondering what to do next.

I’m really into signs and was waiting for one in Cairns. On the way to a yoga class one morning, I bumped into the owner of the hostel I stayed at in Port Douglas. He offered me a job at his hostel in Port Douglas.

If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is.

I returned to Port the next day.