Explore with Fran

Embracing life

Travel is sometimes mistakenly, in my opinion, seen as running away. I have a different perspective. Of course I do. I see a decision to travel as a decision to run towards life. To embrace it. Travel is life. With all life’s ups and downs. Life is a rollercoaster. Life is described in Buddhism as suffering. We need to learn to accept. And move on. And so with travel. 

Undoubtedly, travel brings many highs. Seeing new countries. Experiencing new cultures up close brings a perspective you just don’t get if all you are ever exposed to is what you have always known. 

Travel opens your eyes to the fact that we are all the same. We are all human. All seven billion of us. Yes, many of us have different beliefs and values, and that is what makes the world so interesting. 

Travel Stories

So, making a decision to travel is making a decision to embrace all life’s uncertainties. Any traveller will tell you that the most interesting stories they have, have come out of adversity. Something that feels terrible in the moment and then makes a great story to tell a few years later over a few beers. 

I expect to have these ups and downs. I just don’t want to have them all in the first week. One week into our travels and already we have had our fair share. Starting on the first day we left Perth. 

Every Travellers Nightmare

We were stood around the luggage conveyor belt waiting for my bag. We already had Victoria’s. And we checked them in together. Mine won’t be long, I assumed. We waited. And waited. And waited some more. We waited until the airport had almost completely emptied. 

No bag. With a flight out of Brisbane the very next day, this was not the way we intended to start our travels. What was even more surprising was the queue at Qantas passenger services. Of other customers whose bags had not turned up. And from other flights. I have since read that this is a problem that is starting to blow out of control for Qantas as they suffer the ramifications of all those redundancies they made. You reap what you sow. 

A nervous night unfolded with us frantically searching for places in the Brisbane CBD that opened early the next morning, allowing me to pick up some essentials before flying out to Hamilton Island. Essentials such as underwear, toothbrush, deodorant, shorts, and a couple of t-shirts to wear.

Through dinner I got the phone call that brought much relief. My bag had been found and was being flown to Brisbane. I would be reunited with my life possessions early the next morning. Which in itself turned out to cause more anxiety. 

With The Clock Ticking Down

The bag was due to arrive early in the morning and yet we had to leave at 10am to head back to the airport. By 9.30am I still didn’t have my bag but I had tracking on my phone that showed an icon of a little van driving around Brisbane, dropping off orphaned bags. With minutes to spare it arrived at the hotel, and we were off again, with all our bags in tow.

Little did we know then that our next travel mishap was only a few days away. Laying around the pool at qualia, on Hamilton Island, we reflected on an amazing few days in paradise. Excitedly looking ahead to the next stage of our trip, four relaxing days in Noosa. A farewell champagne preceded an air conditioned ride to the airport. An airport we found ourselves stranded in all day.

Unexpected Cancellation

Our plane arrived in from Brisbane, on time, and then developed an “engineering problem”. Being the small island that Hamilton is, there are no full time engineers on the island. This was an issue. A big issue. That only got worse. After four hours of no further updates we were suddenly told to make our way outside where we were to collect our bags and we were being bussed to the ferry port.

Yes, my friends, we were leaving the island by boat. To Airlie Beach, almost a couple of hours away. From there, we knew that another bus was waiting for us to transport us to Mackay airport, ANOTHER two hours away. Whether we were staying at the airport, or getting on a plane, none of the frustrated passengers amongst us knew. And the Qantas flight crew travelling with us, who were supposed to fly the plane to Brisbane, weren’t saying much either.

Finding Mackay On A Map

By now, the sun had set, as had our hopes of making it to Noosa this evening. We had to ring and cancel dinner plans, and call to move the hire car to the next day. It was only en route to Mackay that our Qantas travel app suddenly showed us as checked into a flight from Mackay to Brisbane, that evening. But we had nowhere to stay in Brisbane. This was the worst possible outcome for us.

After much searching, and a few telephone calls, Victoria found us a budget hotel. And when I say budget, think broken lifts, and missing light bulbs, budget. That said, when we finally got there, just before midnight, we were just glad to have a bed. Somewhere to sleep, and put all memories of the day behind us.

How Travel Brings Perspective

The day was not what we had planned when we woke up that morning, but isn’t that just like life? We don’t always know what the days are going to throw at us, and yet the sun always sets, to rise again the following day. We take what learnings we can and share our gratitude that we get to start all over anew each day. And the new day brought Noosa, a tropical paradise a short drive from Brisbane.

We are hoping that the trip does not bring anymore dramas, at least for a while!

Leaving Sydney

Monday, March 23, 2020, was the day we left Sydney. The day we were due to embark on our travel sabbatical. Two years of saving. Allowing us to explore new countries, and to immerse ourselves in different cultures. We didn’t spend as much as we expected.

We got as far as Perth before the world closed in on itself. Countries took a protectionist approach to the burgeoning pandemic. Borders were closed to everyone but citizens of each country. Even within countries, such as here in Australia, borders were closed internally, creating mini countries within a country. It was a very strange time.

116 weeks later, some 813 days, we are once again packing up all our possessions, our life, and having them carted off to storage. This time we are doing it on the west coast. We could either say that we are just starting our travels, or we could reframe it as, we are now two years into it.

Leaving Perth

Either way, things are getting real. Again. We are down to a backpack each. And a day bag. The things in there are slightly different from two years ago. Newer, but we have had to apply the same minimalism. And it is hard. Difficult. Deciding what to pack when you could be away for 12 months. Living through different seasons. 

It may be the season of summer in the UK, where we will be spending our first large stint of time, but summer in the UK means something very different to summer elsewhere. So we have to be judicious with what we pack. A great tip I read many years ago, when embarking on long term travel, was to lay out all the clothes you think you need, then pack half of it. Easier said than done, believe me.

A Simpler Life

Although, once done, it does make travelling so much easier. No encumbrances. A couple of bags that hold everything you have. No space for trinkets and souvenirs that only gather dust once you are back home. A fruit bowl that looked “interesting” in the dimly lit market. A miniature camel that has no place in your lounge at home. No, none of that. 

We will be taking our bags and our first port of call will be Hamilton Island, in Queensland. The trip we had booked for my 50th celebration, last Xmas, and which got cancelled due to the aforementioned border closures.

A few months later than planned but we will be staying at the Qualia resort, something we are very excited about. Time to decompress after the last few weeks of arranging, packing up, and cleaning. Leaving a rental in Australia is rather intense if you want your bond money back. Then there are all the utilities to cancel. A virtual mailbox to find. The list goes on and on.

Qualia, here we come, eventually

The only thing on my list when we hit Qualia will be a dip in the pool and a cocktail, or three. And yes, before you remind me, we are travelling, not on holiday. So we have to reset our expectations, but for the first part of this trip we have agreed to a “holiday” budget. The hotels when we travel will have significantly fewer stars. If we can even afford a hotel.

Until that time, we intend to kick back and enjoy ourselves. Starting with a strong coffee at Perth airport.

I will be sure to let you all know how we get on.

Have you tried floating yet?

And then it went dark. And I mean very dark. Pitch black. Never could I remember it being quite this dark. Even in the remotest parts of Australia, there is the moon. And the stars. Planes flickering across the skies. Satellites. Now, nothing. Then the soft, soothing music stopped. 

Is this the loudest I have ever heard silence? What does silence sound like? It is not often we get the chance to experience it this purely. We go about our lives bombarded by a cacophony of sound. Whether we realise it or not. When all this disappears, it can be deafening. All I could do was embrace it. I was going to be here for some time.

Floating at the Swan Valley Retreat

I was staying at the Swan Valley Retreat, 30 minutes from the Perth CBD, and finally got to “float”. Having read numerous reports about the benefits of floating, I figured it was time to get undressed, and try it for myself.

A float tank, sometimes called a sensory deprivation tank, is a large, sci-fi looking pod, filled with enough salt water, at a temperature perfectly matched to your body, to allow you to float and give your body the sensation of zero gravity. You climb inside, close the lid on top of you, and lie on your back, gently floating. For the first few minutes there is soft music to accompany you, and then nothing until one hour later when the soft music returns to signal your time is up.

Claustraphobia Whilst Floating?

It is a strange sensation. No sound. No light. Just you, floating, with your thoughts. It sounds a little bit daunting, doesn’t it? And I did find myself wondering how long I had been in there. Whether I should meditate. Or just breathe and be mindful.

“Your mind will run away with you”, I was advised, as I was being shown around. Just relax, and let it. Maybe my meditation practice will come in handy for the next 60 minutes.

Hopefully, mediatating may help me stop worrying whether I would get claustrophobic. I once had to make a hasty exit out of the tunnels of Cu Chi in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. Would I be hastily looking for the lid of the float tank to let in some light?

Thankfully, I was not claustrophobic. I opened my eyes. Everything black. I closed them, same outcome. I let my eyes adjust to the dark, and well, it was just dark. All light is completely shut off.

As it turns out, I did meditate. And it did help. I also did some mindful breathing. I let my mind wander wherever it wanted to go. Always coming back to the breath. Then, I heard the music come back on. One hour has passed already? Couldn’t I stay in just a little longer? I was just getting comfortable.

I honestly felt a lot more relaxed, and chilled, even after just one float. I read afterwards that a 60 minute float is equivalent to a full nights sleep. I’m all in. Already I am wondering, when I can next float?

Closing a chapter in Perth

This week saw us both close the chapter on our Perth careers. Victoria, a couple of days ahead of me, aligned to the one year anniversary of her starting her contract. I think she has earned the nickname “ping pong pom” as she seems to keep leaving that big yellow bank, and then returning. My stint at Synergy was almost two years. I remember those early days in Perth, job hunting. In a world that was finding its feet due to the new coronavirus pandemic, job opportunities were few and far between. I knew the work I didn’t want to do, but would I have a choice? That said, it was the job that nearly wasn’t. 

The hiring manager thought my CV did not show enough experience for the advertised scrum master role. Despite the previous three years showing me holding roles in Sydney that entailed me training, coaching, and mentoring scrum masters. Thankfully, the recruiter, thanks George, persisted, and got me an interview with people who actually knew what they were doing, thanks Pete and Mike, and the rest is history.

Reflecting on our time in Perth

I never imagined we would be in Perth some two years later, and this is testament to how beautiful the state of Western Australia is, and also how great the people are working within the walls of the company that is literally keeping the lights on for WA. And through the people I also got a better understanding of what it means to be a WAer. I learned that a guernsey is not an island near the UK. That bush chook, Emu Export. is a drink. Walpole is a place to camp. And that the men running around in 1970s sports vests and shorts are actually playing a sport that the world has never heard of, but is taken rather seriously all the same.

Have I mentioned our passion for Western Australian wine?

What is taken seriously in WA is the wine. And for such a small wine region, that is relatively modern, over 25% of Australia’s premium wine is produced here in the Margaret River region. When Tom Cullity planted his first vines in 1967, calling the vineyard Vasse Felix, little did he know what he was starting. Now there are over 200 vineyards, many of the best in class, and we are (still) doing the best we can to get around them all. Our quest continues next week with a “last hurrah” to Margaret River, not knowing when we will return.

Time to wrap things up in Perth

It was by design that we finished work a month ahead of us leaving Australia. We knew that we would have a lot to sort in the apartment, and we didn’t want to feel rushed. The plan was to have a chilled 4 weeks before heading off. OK. That was the plan. Now we have the Margaret River trip, on the back of two nights in the Swan Valley wine region. A trip to Fremantle will follow shortly afterwards, as will a three night side trip to Melbourne. I can see that we will still be packing boxes in the days before we leave Perth, heading to Queensland in mid June.

The big 5-0. Eventually…

The Queensland trip should have happened at christmas. For my milestone birthday, and we all now know that COVID had other plans. We will finally get to spend those three nights in the lap of luxury at Qualia resort on Hamilton Island. Ending our current stay in Australia with nights in both Noosa and Brisbane. Short stops in Singapore and Dubai will precede our arrival into the UK, early July.

What is on the reading list?

I get worn out just reading this and know that I will need to plan lots of downtime in between, just to stay centred, and calm. I have just discovered float tanks, and more of that in a future blog. I know I will be doing lots of reading. Getting in the mood for our overseas travelling I am currently reading a book by the very talented Alistair McGuinness. 

Ali is a friend I met through work and I was very impressed to learn that not only has he managed to swim around Busselton Jetty, 3.6kms in open water, but he has also written five books. Or is that six? I am losing count. At the moment I am working my way through, “Wild About Africa”, daydreaming about the African plains, and the dizzy heights of Mt Kilimanjaro. Ali writes a great book. Part travelogue, part history lesson, with lots of humour thrown in. Who can imagine climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in a pair of pink tracksuit bottoms? I encourage you to go and pick up a copy and read it.

In the meantime, we have places to be, and things to do. Sabbaticals are not all about sitting around and drinking gin and tonics. Are they?

Adios, amigos!

Time to plan the next chapter

As we tick over two years in Perth it looks as though we might finally be reinstating our long held dream of travelling the world. The two nights we had booked here in Perth, back in March 2020 have stretched out to take in the whole of 2020, 2021, and now the summer and autumn of 2022.

Perth has been very good to us. And quite possibly the best place we could have ended up through COVID. I managed to secure a role that I have been in the whole time I have been here. I have met new people who have become friends. I found a community. A “collective”.  And I have taken my learning journey further than I could have expected when we landed in Perth on that dark night back in March, 2020. On the travel front, we have been busy. We have now travelled the whole length from Esperance in the south, all the way up to Exmouth on the north coast. Not all in one trip, but this is a distance of 2,238kms. That is a lot of long, straight, boring Western Auatralia roads. In fairness, there are also some scenic drives to keep things interesting.

Victoria has had a number of roles, trying out the market in Perth and getting to experience how organisations of differing sizes work over here in the wild, wild West. And it is different. Very different to my experience over in Sydney. Perth feels like a big town. With a gaping hole for its centre. The CBD is bereft of life with most people choosing to live in sprawling suburbs, north and south of the river. Yet, as we speak, sprawling apartment towers continue to be built. There is more tumbleweed than people.

Elizabeth Quay has been transformed over the years I have been coming to Perth, and it is currently in the middle of a development boom. In a few years from now, when the buildings are complete, I believe Elizabeth Quay has the potential to rival Circular Quay in Sydney for nightlife. This is if Elizabeth Quay finds its identity. Perth has come a long way over the years. It could go even further and be a destination that truly attracts overseas travellers away from the glitz of Sydney Harbour, and the 24 hour lifestyle of cosmopolitan Melbourne.

Margaret River, our “happy place”

Over the last two years you may have worked out that our hearts have been stolen by the beautiful Margaret River region. Already our favourite place in Australia, it will forever have a special place in our hearts after we eloped there and got married in the forest last year. The food scene down there is out of this world. Margaret River produces Australia’s premium wines. The scenery is second to none. And the coastline is better than you will find anywhere, however far around the globe you travel. A true “happy place” for us both.

And whilst we have found our spiritual home over the last two years, we are now planning to head off and explore the world. After working out the best time to head off travelling we have now shared with our employers that we will be leaving at the end of May. The first month of our travels will be mostly in WA, as we say farewell to some of our favourite places. Yes, this will include Margaret River. And Fremantle. This gritty port city, 30 minutes south of Perth, also has something special. A real vibe that keeps drawing us back time and again. Breweries. Cool neighbourhoods. Great restaurants. And a community feel.

Time to explore the world

Leaving city life behind we will be heading to an island. Specifically, Hamilton Island. A place we love and were due to visit last December, to celebrate my milestone birthday. COVID put paid to this and so in June we will be finally doing this trip. Staying at the luxurious Qualia, on the island, we will be doing our utmost to celebrate my belated birthday. Picture, champagne and cocktails. Side trips to Noosa and Brisbane will lead us into leaving Australian shores for the first time in three years. 

Our initial plan was to cover South East Asia for a few months first but this would mean we wouldn’t get to the UK until the height of winter. If you know what winter in the UK is like you will appreciate why this is not a great option. It was 13 degrees in Perth this morning and I worried whether I had enough layers on. Our compromise is Singapore for a few nights, then a stop somewhere new for me. Dubai is a place I have never been to and I will be having my second stay in a Caesar’s Palace hotel.

July will see us hit the shores of the UK for the first time since 2019. Without a time constraint we will have the opportunity to slow down a little. Reconnect with family and friends. And take the chance to do a little sightseeing. I am also starting to realise that the football season will have started again by this point and I would love to get to a match. A new manager. A clear out of players. And United might once again be able to provide some excitement. All Mrs C wants is a very big gammon steak. Let’s hope we can both get what we want.

I take a sip of my steaming coffee, the strong smell of caffeine mingling with the aromas of the eucalyptus and rose gum trees I am surrounded by. Curious kangaroos have come out to graze, and every so often take a sneaky upwards glance at me, assessing whether I am a threat. Perhaps sensing my peace, they nonchalantly disregard me, and continue grazing. The only noise to compete with their munching of the leaves is the twitter of birds high in the canopy above me. A kookaburra’s laugh sounding as though he is mocking me. A poor human who has to come away from his “real life” to enjoy this side of nature. A human who has come to spend a weekend in Busselton.

We are spending the weekend at Tree Chalets in Busselton. Staying in one of two eco chalets nestled amongst hundreds of trees and with enough space between them to have you thinking you are all alone. Marketed as “simple luxury”, each chalet is well appointed, with a quality of fit out you don’t see in many high end hotels. On the back deck there is one of the most impressive baths I have seen, but more on that later. There is also a Tesla charger, and judging by the amount of Teslas we see driving around Perth on a daily basis, I suspect these chargers will be popular.

Exploring Busselton

Busselton is situated some 2 and half hours drive south of Perth, and is somewhere we have called in at on many occasions, with its proximity to the beautiful Margaret River region. In recent years the foreshore has been tastefully developed with the latest addition, Shelter Brewery, providing a haven for craft beer lovers and pizza aficionados alike. I see that a Hilton hotel is currently in development and I hope they keep the build to a low level, as at present the skyline is not marred by anything higher than the local pine trees.

On our first day we ventured a couple of streets back from the foreshore and had lunch at Rocky Ridge taphouse. The original farm and brewery is located at Jindong, with the traditional custodians of the land being the Wadandi people. The tap house in Busselton is possibly amongst the most picturesque breweries I have been to. Built in a converted cottage, with a large garden at the back and plenty of shaded seats at the front, we spent a leisurely afternoon sampling a paddle of beers, of which there were over 20 to choose from, and had a cheeseburger, which are made by the legends of Margaret River Burger Company.

Looking Back on The Start

Back at the Tree Chalets, with my newly purchased growler from Rocky Ridge, I was able to have a cold beer on the deck, looking out to the trees, contemplating how much I had needed this break. I started 2022 with some clear intentions. Complete the work required to apply to be an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation, and finish my university studies. I have now done all I can for both and am awaiting the results. With this hard work behind me I am able to have a weekend with nothing on my mind. And it feels liberating. Sipping my drink, it hits me that I don’t have to be anywhere, or do anything, other than sit, relax and be.

And talking of relaxing, there is that bath. A huge, pristine enamel bath on the back deck of the chalet. A bath that fits two. With our chilled champagne, a self catered dinner of meats and cheeses, and a full bath, we spent the afternoon chatting through our last two years. The challenges everyone has faced, and what the next two years might bring. The world seems to be finally getting a grip on omicron. We are both now triple vaccinated. And borders are starting to open up. This is the most “certainty”, which I still say loosely, that we have had in a very long time. Dare we start to make plans?

As the sun slowly set, and the night sky appeared, it is easy to see why “dark skies tourism” is destined to be the next big thing in West Australia. With the majority of the population living in and around Perth, the regional areas have large masses of space with very little artifical lighting. The views of the milky way are quite astounding. Sit still long enough you are guaranteed to see at least one shooting star, and several satellites making their way across the galaxy.

Supporting Local Businesses

Back on earth, our immediate plan for Saturday was to explore the area around Busselton, and with that we found ourselves being greeted by Polly the kelpie dog, up at Whicher Ridge Wines. Cathy took us through a tasting of 5 wines each, a good mix of sauvignon blanc, viognier, shiraz, and cabernet sauvignon. We had agreed not to buy anymore wine on our travels across the state, simply because there is no way we will get through the stockpile we have at home. However, the wines were so good that we selected three to take away. 

Chatting with Cathy we got a feel for how tough the hospitality industry has had it, especially with the Western Australia hard border for the last two years. We have been described in various quarters as a hermit kingdom. It is hard to disagree. We have cut ourselves off from the rest of Australia, and the world, and businesses have suffered greatly as a result.

If you are going to have a weekend in Busselton, please get out and continue to support local businesses. In keeping with this, we headed down the road to have lunch at Hippo Lakes cafe. Another family run business, we were delighted to hear that they were BYO and promptly went to collect a bottle of cabernet sauvignon from the car. Hippo Lakes is in the process of obtaining a liquor licence and will eventually sell the very same wine, from Whicher Ridge. Businesses supporting businesses. 

The Busselton Jetty Swim

Our final day had us up early and heading towards the iconic Busselton Jetty. Today was the annual Busselton Jetty Swim, a 3.6km open swim around the jetty. Andrew at Tree Chalets had told us about how they start races “in the country”, which is with a shotgun. And he wasn’t kidding. We were there in good time to see a member of the local police force fire off his shotgun, prompting the 8am start to the race.

Some 38 minutes after that 8am start, the winner was leaving the water and crossing the finish line. A 19 year old local kid broke his own record. He has now won the race for the last 3 years, and apparently his preferred distance is 10k. Almost superhuman. I also had a personal connection to the race as my friend was participating. Not a swimmer, at least not until recently, Alistair had bravely entered the race knowing it would be far from easy.

Easy it certainly wasn’t, but I was proud to see him complete the race, achieving a massive personal milestone. He said that with his shoulder being in great pain, he swam the last third of the race with one arm. The lifeguards were doing their best to help and support Ali, perhaps even offering him an easy way out, but with a mental strength I am in awe of, he persevered, and he can now add this race to his impressive life CV.

Final reflections on a weekend in Busselton

My CV includes a long list of breweries I have visited in my life, and to mark the end of a great weekend away in Busselton we called back into the beautiful Rocky Ridge for a final coldie. Sat in the shade, we shared what we were both grateful for in life, and raised our glasses, toasting another great experience and planning for the next one.