Wilson's Promontory: finally going camping again!

It might already be Tuesday, but I'm still kind of on a buzz from this weekend. It was really good. I have been wanting to go on another camping trip for a while but have struggled to find people together. Then last Thursday I had a look around Couchsurfing and saw a post by two guys going down to Wilson's Promontory. Wilson's Prom has been on the top of my list, so on Friday we got together and on Saturday we were on our way!

Street art in Melbourne: Smith street surrounds, Collingwood

Melbourne is known as one of the street art capital in the world, so when in Melbourne and in doubt of what to do, just strolling around an area and going on the lookout for some cool murals and pieces is a great idea. This weekend I went to Smith street in Collingwood and took some time to wander through the nearby streets and lanes searching for decorated walls. I found plenty! This is a great area for this kind of urban exploring, and I'll be sure to come back. Here are some of the pieces I found.

Fun things I want to do when I get back to Melbourne

In just two days I'll be on a plane headed to Melbourne! Two days! I'm really excited to go, but I often get overwhelmed by the majority of it all, stressing out about starting over in a new place. I sometimes scratch my head and wonder why I'm so intend on doing this. Then I remember there are just so many cool things waiting for me Down Under. I can't wait to try out this Aussie lifestyle and gain a ton of new experiences. That's why I'm doing this! Here's a small list of fun things I want to do when I get back to Melbourne.

Travel Throwback: Tasmania

About halfway into my first year in Australia I fell into this phase where nothing seemed to be going right. I decided it was time for a break from the city, gathered up some travel buddies through Gumtree, and flew from Melbourne to Tasmania. We hired a car, bought some camping gear and traveled around for two weeks. We hiked in national parks, saw more wildlife than ever (from wombats to snakes) and camped at exquisite private beaches. It may have been my favourite trip I've ever taken, and I don't understand why Tasmania is so greatly unappreciated, especially by mainland Australians. Any young Aussie I know chuckles when talked to about Tasmania and mumbles something about old people and marrying your cousin (what?). In a way though, I think the beauty of Tassie is that it's not too crowded with tourists. So here's some photographs I took on my trip to show just how stunning Australia's smallest state is, but don't share the secret with too many others.

Melbourne still the world's most liveable city

Melbourne has been voted the most liveable city in the world for the fourth year in a row. I told you it's a nice place to live. Now it's backed up by facts once again. Hooray!

The Economist Intelligence Unit rated 140 cities around the world scoring it on different factors like healthcare, infrastructure, education and culture. Melbourne came in first place for the fourth year in a row, followed by mostly Canadian and other Australian cities. This is the top ten most liveable cities, according to the magazines report:

Things I learned from my gap year in a wealthy Western society

Ah, to travel when you're young. Discovering new cultures and experiencing completely new things, it broadens the mind, so the official cliché goes. I think we've all heard or read examples of people who've been abroad - usually Asia or somewhere else poor, far away, and totally different from home - coming back talking about this new respect for life, this new disregard for materialism (at least for a while), and so on.

I'm not mocking this at all. I think it's wonderful for people to get fresh ideas from traveling, whatever they are. I myself however, I didn't visit any poor nations during my year abroad. I went to Australia, which apart from some obvious contrasts like climate, wildlife and language, is not that different to where I'm from. And yet, I wouldn't hesitate to admit that the year I spent Down Under has taught me more than anything else I've ever done.