Croatia to Australia and everything in between
In 2017 I visited ten countries starting in Europe and ending in Australia. I set foot in seven USA states, and ticked off two countries that have been on my ‘to do’ list for as long as I can remember. This is my year from Croatia to Australia and everything in between.
Croatia
I arrived in Croatia in November 2016 and spent three months living in this amazing country. Croatia is a country I have always wanted to visit as my grandfather was born here on the island of Korčula. I spent most of my time in the capital city, Zagreb but travelled to Dubrovnik, Korčula, Split, Zadar, Samabor and Plitvice National Park during my time here. Ticking Croatia off my ‘to do’ list was definitely a highlight of 2017. You can find out more about my time in Croatia by checking out my trip to Dalmatia, the Croatia Coastline.
Slovenia
While living in Zagreb I did a trip to Slovenia, if you have already read my post on ‘Europe’s top ten cities’ you will know how much I love Slovenia! This has to be one of my favourite countries in Europe. There is incredible nature, it is really environmentally friendly, the food is great and people are really nice. While I was here I stayed in Ljubljana with a friend. We hired a car and visited Lake Bled and Bohinj, Postojna Caves and Castle as well as Savica waterfalls.
Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
I left Croatia at the end of January and headed to Ireland. I spent a few days in Dublin and a few days in Galway. Both great cities but both so different. While in Ireland I did a day trip up to Northern Ireland which included Belfast, Carrick-o-rede Bridge and the Giants Causeway. I also did tours to Connemarra including Kylemore Abbey and the Cliffs of Moher. Along with Slovenia, Ireland has to be one of my favourite countries in Europe, here I met some of the happiest people!
Scotland and England
After Ireland came Scotland and England. Edinburgh and the highlands were amazing! I fell in love with Edinburgh. After Scotland I headed to Bristol to spend time with a travel friend who showed me around this very bustling English city. It was a real treat to see some of Banksy’s original work in his home town as I am a big fan! London was my final destination for the UK and I stayed with a cousin I had only met for the first time when I was there in 2016. This city is a place of familiarity for me so it was nice to return to this city to enjoy a few comforts of home.
United States of America
I left London to spend the next few months in the USA. My only reason for visiting the USA was to spend time with two special friends whom I had known most of my life. The three of us started school on the same day at the age of five. We all were about to turned 40 so planned to celebrate this together.
Florida to Jamaica
My first stop was Miami, Florida. This was really just a stop over and I spent two nights here before moving on to Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaica is a place I have always had a fascination with so I was super excited to be ticking this off my ‘to do’ list as well. I was determined to really get among the people so a week in Kingston it was. You can find out more about my time in Jamaica.
New Orleans, Louisiana
From Jamaica I headed to New Orleans, Louisiana, which the locals call NOLA. It was the weekend before Fat Tuesday, better known as Mardi Gras. They call this weekend Family Gras. The parades are more family friendly but the city is still buzzing with a hive of fun and entertainment! New Orleans turned out to be my favourite city in the USA. I fell in love with the energy and colour that saturates this place, especially in the French Quarter.
Texas
After that came the state of Texas. This is where one of my childhood friends lived, in Fort Worth. First stop though was Houston. I was travelling by bus from New Orleans so this was a good stop to break up the trip to Fort Worth. Also I was keen to check out NASA. Arriving in Fort Worth I was super excited to be spending two weeks with her. During that time we did a road trip through the Hill Country, down to San Antonio and a stop in Austin. I know Texas is humongous but in the two weeks I was there I feel like I saw a lot!
Las Vegas, Nevada and the Grand Canyon, Arizona
I was heading to California but first I had to make a stop in Las Vegas. The main reason for this was to get on a tour to the Grand Canyon. Being a fan of the outdoors I couldn’t come all this way and not see this incredible natural wonder of the world. I just wish I could have spent a few days here and explored it on foot. Las Vegas is an experience for sure but one I only need to do once, not really my kind of place.
San Francisco and Salinas, California
I started off my time in California with San Francisco. Going from Texas to here was like changing countries. They seemed like two very different places. I loved San Francisco and it was my first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. It reminded me how close to home I was after being away for so long. From San Francisco I headed down the coast to Salinas where I spent a week with another friend I had worked with back in Aotearoa New Zealand in my early 20s. She took me to places like Big Sur, Monterey, Pebble Beach and Carmel.
Los Angeles and San Diego, California
From Salinas I caught the Amtrak down to Los Angeles to spend some time with my other childhood friend. It is pretty special that 40 years on we are still great friends despite the miles between us. We had a tonne of fun going hiking in the Angeles National Park, visiting Disneyland and whale watching from Newport. While I was there I also did a trip down to San Diego for a few day which included a day in Tijuana, Mexico.
Australia
My time in the USA came to an end and it was time to start my journey home to New Zealand. Next stop though was Australia to visit family and friends but to get there I had to transfer in Auckland, New Zealand. This felt strange as I hadn’t been home in nearly 8 months and I wasn’t even stopping here. First stop was Queensland to catch up with friends in the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast. I then flew down to Sydney to catch up with family.
Great Barrier Island, New Zealand
I arrived back in New Zealand mid April with just enough time to see more family and friends before heading out to Great Barrier Island for ten weeks work. This island is a 30 minute flight or four hour ferry ride from Auckland City. I have spent winters out here for the last four years and was super excited to be heading back. This place is paradise and probably my favourite place in the whole wide world. The island is off the grid, has a population of about 900 and life completely slows down. My job here was lead teacher on an outdoor education programme for 30 teenagers who stay for five weeks. I have written all about Great Barrier Island so do check it out.
O’ahu and Big Island, Hawai’i
I had a break between programmes on Great Barrier Island so I ended up doing a three week trip to Hawai’i. The islands I explored were O’ahu and the Big Island. You can find out more about my time in Hawai’i here. I fell in love with this place in the Pacific! After Hawai’i I returned to Great Barrier Island for another five week programme and finished up near the end of September.
Back to Australia
The plan from here was to take a couple of weeks visiting friends and family then head north to Whangarei and do some relief teaching while I applied for jobs to teach in the United Arab of Emirates. I did all my research about living here and was excited about finding a job in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. This was going to be the perfect location to travel from every school holidays! I was compiling the paper work and liaising with recruiting agencies when a family emergency had me back in Sydney, Australia. This is where I ended up seeing out the rest of the year.
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