8 PLACES YOU MUST VISIT IN QUEENSLAND and NOTHERN TERRITORY

(Cape tribulation)

Well, I'm actually trying to turn this mess into a travel blog, I've been to other countries than Australia, but I've already done Scotland so I've decided to do some tips about that wonderful continent! And perhaps it would actually help someone or give you some ideas on what to do or where to go if you travel to Australia.I've seen almost the entire country, do some amazing stuff, meet a lot of people so  I've decided to do a story about places that aren't well known and probably should be.
there's just so much to see, Queensland is so green and full of places to visit.

 1. Brisbane Lone pine Koala Sancturay

http://www.koala.net/en/
The Lone Pine Koala  sanctuary is the only place in Australia where you actually can hold a koala and take a picture with it, (just Like several Celebrities did) you can hug a kangaroo or lots of kangaroos, walk next to an Emu , feed Parrot and  see Dingos without them chasing you, do a lot of things, see a lot of animals.

 2. Lake Morris and the Crystal Cascades

http://www.cairnsinfo.com/region_guide/index.php?RegionInfoID=135&RegionSubjectID=79http://wettropics.gov.au/copperlode-dam-to-crystal-cascades.html
A little hard to find, well we actually had a hard time finding them, but it is a wonderful place and there is almost nobody, the place is so huge, that we saw a naked guy swimming into one of the crystal cascades next to us. this is one place you got to visit!

3.Cape tribulation

http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/daintree-cape-tribulation/about.html
http://www.capetribcamping.com.au/
Well did I tell you about Cape tribulation? when I think of that place, I can only think of heaven, you're completely lost inside the jungle (well actually is it the Daintree forest) but cape tribulation has a camping spot within, I can only tell VERY VERY nice...wait no, AWESOME people, you can meet a lot of travellers around a campfire, at night chase after crocodiles, looking for Ghost Crabs on the beach still at night and during the day you'll probably meet Obama the rooster of Cape tribulation while you're eating a BLT at the cabin. After that, you'll go for a walk in the Daintree forest or go diving in the great barrier reef swimming with turtles, dolphins or even whales if you're lucky enough! and if you're too scared to swim next to the whales, go and climb the cliff to watch them from a distance. It actually took me four days to do it all but you can stay longer or less, it's up to you guys! last thing about CAPE TRIBULATION... leave your SHOES at the door!

4. The tropic days Backpackers in Cairns

http://tropicdays.com.au/
 We only slept one night in there but that place was beautiful, like really beautiful and when it's been a few weeks since you last slept in a real bed, been in a real bathroom, you can only be glad to go there, big bathroom, a very cosy dorm room, the must in there, is the welcoming barbecue (only on Mondays) , they make you try crocodile, emu, kangaroo and a very special fish (I do not recall the name). Oh did I forgot to tell you about the pool? yeah, there's a pool!

After climbing the well known Uluru, We took the road to Darwin, Northern Territory.

5. Mataranka


http://www.matarankahomestead.com.au/
Do you want to do some Canoe with crocodiles right by your side and swim into a natural swimming pool, see some amazing landscape ?well you do have to go there, the canoe is cheaper than anywhere else and you almost swim with the crocodiles! I swear you could touch them, I mean you can if you feel like it, personally I was happy enough to feel them under my canoe!

6. The Four Birds

http://www.darwinfoodies.com/2011/10/four-birds-ftw/
Do you love Muffins? well I do, and I can tell you that I've never eaten  better muffins than in the four birds, it's a small café in Darwin, homemade muffins every day a different flavour, I've tasted the blueberry/raspberry/chocolate chip muffin, the caramel/apple/raspberry muffin and the apple/chocolate chip/raspberry muffin, and one is enough, they're fresh and big, and you take a hot cocoa, a coffee to get along ... you can only fall in love with the four birds.

7. Butterfly's river

http://www.parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au/parks/find/nitmiluk#.VZrtTMIVjIU
http://www.guide-australie.com/Nitmiluk-Park-Presentation.asp
When you arrive at Katherine's gorge, go for a walk, about 7.5miles/12km inside the bush , like for real, there was no road, no real trail, you walk trough a dry river (rocks and rocks and rocks), a small creek, climb over tree trunks, don't forget about the sun and heat, (the fact that we were the only persons to go on an improvised treck in the Australian Bush wearing flip-flops, swimsuits, and dresses!!) but it is actually worth it...this is beautiful!!

8. Darwin Night Markets

http://www.mindil.com.au/

And the last but not the least Darwin night markets on Thursdays and Sundays, I've done severals night markets and this is definitely my favourite, you can buy almost everything there, food, jewels, didgeridoo paint by hand on spot, boomerangs (same as didgeridoos), candles, well you get it, almost everything, and it is fun and welcoming, a really good time! Plus it's right next to the beach, buy an ice cream and go eat it sitting on the sand watching the magnificent Sunset.


Well, I hope you liked it, and that you'll feel inspired by places to visit if you go to Australia!

Pleins des Bisous.

PLANNING MY ROADTRIP TO IRELAND!!

Today I wanted to write about the planning of my road trip to Ireland. Whenever I'm traveling, one of my favorite moments is the planning!!

Looking for the places I'll discover, the many famous monuments, muséums...I'll visit, it's like I start to live again, to me traveling is how I consider my life full, complete.

When I'm at home, living the routine again, it's not life, it's an intermediary, a necessary moment so that I can start living my life again through travels.

WHEN I START:

It's not a total mess...yet, it is kind of organized, a few pencils, here and there, paper so I can write my ideas on, my laptop so I can look on websites, my phone because it is so much faster than my laptop and of course the indispensable...the guide books, my favorite is the well known, Lonely planet, mostly because of all the colors and the pictures, that makes it more fun to browse.

 "Le routard" is also one of the best, just more formal, lots of writings but less expensive than the Lonely planet.



THEN THE MESS COMES:

Right in the middle of the operation, I tend to spread, pencils are all over the place, the paper I was supposed to write my ideas on, is full of tested colors, with a few and not organized ideas, my computer is still on the same page as the beginning, my phone is switched off, only the guide books turned into something not messy, yeah, because lets face it... even in that mess I kinda know what I'm doing...I am organizing my travel Book!





 IN THE END:

So, that's how my work looks like in the end, pretty well colored and not so messy, right?
 I still am not the queen of road trip planning but I'm making my way through it, slowly but surely!!
Of course making colored papers in a guide book isn't what makes a road trip planned, there are the plane tickets to take, different hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts to compare, a car to rent etc...but admit it, the best part is to go, when you're at the airport, you're heartbeat is already racing, and when you step on the plane, you're completely relaxed because you know that you're leaving the daily life behind and that the adventure is ahead...well at least it's how I feel, maybe you're feeling the same, or maybe not.
I'm really curious to know how YOU feel when you're going abroad, so please leave a comment and tell me!

BECAUSE THIS IS AUSTRALIA

Well, Today I started to feel a little bit of NOSTALGIA concerning Australia, so here will follow some pictures that should have been on this blog at first.

Well, those who travels must know what it's like to come home after such a journey, living the daily routine, it is not an easy thing, especially when like mine, your journey has been shortened.

Well I decided to start with my trip to the Blue mountains:

 A group of Koreans had rushed in a few minutes after I took that picture, they were all over the place, taking everything in photos, and then they were gone as fast as they arrived, while my friends and I were lying down, tired of the long walk we just did.

This place is like one of the most beautiful I've visited in Aussie so far, lots of walks and discovery, I even took a "shower" if we can call it that way in a waterfall, that day was really hot and the refreshing waterfall was more than welcome.

On our way to Melbourne:

 Well this photo was taken by a river on my way to Melbourne actually, we were coming from the blue mountains with some friends, we met in the Blue mountains, the guys below, that's usually what happens in Australia, you stop in a rest area and BOOM you meet people and you start to travel together, that's what makes it so fun.

 

In that moment, boys decided to play some music but that was without including the kids that definitely wanted to play with their instruments.

 Melbourne's beautiful city

Yarram here we came:

 Those two pictures were taken in a Rainforest in Yarram, it was so unexpected because Yarram looks like a desert, I was happy to walk into a rainforest, because I was missing them, on my first journey to Australia I spend most of my time in Queensland, and when there's a lot of rainforest in Queensland.

 Yep tomato I am not afraid of you!

Then we drive on the GREAT OCEAN ROAD:

 the twelve apostles

 That's how a selfie with Emues looks like!!

The GRAMPIANS NATIONAL PARK:

 the Mackenzie falls

With the pictures below you'll discover that I have a thing for Climbing rocks.

The Great Animals that makes Australia what it is!!

 the Grand KOALA

The beautiful KANGAROO

The magnificent KOOKABURRA

Yeah I kinda miss Australia, and my friends over there, I have come to meet people that live there and even to see my friends from my first trip, I haven't seen them in two years, it was amazing to see them again, have some fun. I really hope to see them again and probably go back to Oz some other day but not now, I want to travel the world, visiting countries I have not yet seen.

Which country do you want to go to next? Or maybe are going to?