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“Discover the best of Southern California culture. Offering the most authentic surf lifestyle coupled with 17 kilometres of uninterrupted coastline, Huntington Beach is a welcoming town where visitors can feel at home on the sand. Warm and mild temperatures and year-round sun offer the perfect setting for a wide variety of outdoor activities, fantastic shopping, unbeatable dining and lots of fun. With the most consistent waves on the West Coast and surfing as a way of life, this is the only place that can be called Surf City USA®.”

In October 2015, I was fortunate enough to take part in an agent trip offered to itravel that visited Southern California. Below is how we spend those awesome couple of days:-

DAY 1

• Arrive LAX on VA1. Process through customs and pick up luggage.
• Meet your host at the arrivals area and catch the shuttle to the car hire depot and pick up vehicles.
• Drive from LAX to Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance
• Arrive at Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance. Check in and freshen up.
• Collect Disneyland Park Hopper tickets.
• Enjoy Disneyland and California Adventures
• Viewing of the Paint the Night and Disneyland Forever Parades

DAY 2

• Meet in lobby of Courtyard Anaheim to walk to breakfast at the Disneyland Hotel
• Have a Disney Character breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen 10am – 8pm Enjoy Disneyland and California Adventures

DAY 3

• Breakfast at “The Market” café in hotel lobby
• Meet in Courtyard Anaheim Lobby to walk next door to Howard Johnson.
• Site inspection of Howard Johnson – #1 seller for the moderate tier Anaheim properties
• 10am Free time – Stroll Downtown Disney, hit the hotel’s waterpark, or just relax!
• 12noon Check out and drive to Huntington Beach
• Lunch In-N-Out Burger lunch on the road
• Arrive in Surf City USA and check in to the Kimpton Shorebreak
  Ocean breezes and sunshine are your sidekicks in our chill corner of paradise. Give them some hang time. Shorebreak is your coastal crash pad, and it’s not like other Huntington Beach hotels. We define surfer cool, but think beyond the boardshorts. Shake off the sand and enjoy our scene, just steps from the shoreline. Raise a glass on the lively outdoor patio. Retreat to your quiet-harbor guestroom at our laid back Huntington Beach boutique hotel. The beach is your backyard and fun-loving Main Street is just a block away — for the wild child inside you.
• 2:30 pm Electric Bike Rentals at Pedego Bikes
  Pedego Electric Bikes, with their classic California styling, are the most popular bikes in the US – combining style and function to open up cycling to anyone who might otherwise not be getting the benefits from bike riding. You’ll love it so much, they guarantee you’ll come back from your ride wearing a huge smile!
• Meet in Lobby to walk to dinner
• Dinner at BLK
  BLK features the finest ocean view dining of the beach area and specializes in Kobe Style Beef hand-cut steaks, chops, and seafood. The distinctive menu comprised of contemporary American cuisine is prepared on either a Hickory woodfire grill or in a 1600 degree specialty Steak broiler creating delicious and savory flavors in all the meat, poultry and seafood dishes.
• Walk to Bonfire and S’mores on the Beach with Waterfront Adventures
  Located on the beach at Pacific Coast Highway and Twin Dolphin Drive (between the Hilton and Hyatt resorts). Watch the sun go down over the Pacific Ocean while enjoying a warm bonfire and delicious s’mores, an “All American” treat that is a combination of toasted marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers – all provided by Waterfront Adventures Beach Butler Bonfire Service.

Upon completing the HSC, my best friend and I decided to spend a week in Hawaii rather than your traditional post-HSC trip.

We flew Hawaiian Airlines directly from Sydney to Honolulu in November 2014. We had a great experience with them. The food was great and found there were plenty of movies and TV Shows to keep us entertained for the 10 hour flight.

On arrival in Honolulu we were greeted by friendly Hawaiian transfer staff holding Lei’s. We jumped onboard the bus and they transferred us to the Park Shore Waikiki where we had booked to spend the next week.

We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel. It’s right across the road from Waikiki Beach and Honolulu Zoo. The hotel has a rooftop pool that overlooks the beach and had the best view at sunset. The room was a great size – enough room for us, our big suitcases and all our shopping!

As well as having time to explore Waikiki on our own, we had pre-booked some day trips. We hopped on a tour to Pearl Harbour where we visited the Arizona Memorial and wandered through the various museums on-site. This was followed by a Honolulu city tour. We also visited Honolulu Zoo, Honolulu Aquarium and attended a Luau – just to name a few.

Overall, we had a fantastic holiday in Hawaii. It was the perfect place for us to relax and explore after finishing our HSC!

FIJI – including 3 night Blue Lagoon Cruise

In October 2016, I was lucky enough to attend an itravel Agent Familiarisation Trip to Fiji.
We flew out of Sydney with Fiji Airways directly into Nadi. On arrival, we were met and transferred to our first hotel.
Our first night on the trip was spent at DoubleTree by Hilton Sonaisali Island which is roughly 30-40 minutes’ drive from the Airport. I spent the night in a Double Queen Guest Room which had a small balcony that lead straight to the beach. The rooms are very spacious and the staff at the hotel were friendly and always happy to help. The following morning we all headed to the buffet restaurant for breakfast which is right beside the pool with great views over the beach. On check-out, we were transferred to the Radisson Blu Resort Fiji Denarau Island.

When we arrived at the Radisson Blu we were warmly welcomed and shown around the fabulous family resort. This resort has numerous pools, a great Kid’s Club called Blu Banana and the option to use their water sport equipment. We then came together for a beautiful lunch at their beautiful Chantara Thai Restaurant before heading to Port Denarau to board our 3 night Blue Lagoon Cruise.

On arrival at Port Denarau, we met with the Blue Lagoon Cruise staff who checked us in and then showed us to the ship. We cruised on the Fiji Princess for their “4 Day/3 Night Explorer Cruise”. The ship accommodates 68 passengers (34 air-conditioned cabins). My cabin was on Middle Orchid Deck and, like all cabins onboard, featured a window with Ocean Views. The staff onboard were wonderful – nothing was ever a problem for them. It was an excellent way to see some of the outer islands in Fiji.

Cruise Itinerary from Blue Lagoon Cruises website:-
Friday – 1st Night: Modriki Island
Bula and welcome aboard Blue Lagoon Cruises! Set sail aboard Fiji Princess as we head out from Denarau Marina for the outer Mamanauca Islands. Our first destination is at Modriki Island as seen in the Tom Hanks’ movie ‘Cast Away’. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine and canapes prior to the Captain’s Welcome dinner. Entertainment provided by our talented singing, dancing, guitar-playing crew.
Anchorage MODRIKI ISLAND

Saturday – 2nd Night: Soso Bay
Enjoy a swim or wander along the beach before or after breakfast. Sea conditions permitting, swim with the sharks or view from a glass bottom boat. Visit the chiefly village of Soso, a current day Fijian island village. Ease into the evening with drinks on the sundeck, followed by a traditional Indian Thali dinner. This evening may turn into and extravaganza of Bollywood dancing complete with Bollywood movies.
Anchorage SOSO BAY, NAVITI ISLAND

Sunday – 3rd Night: Naukacuvu Island
Sunday in Fiji is respected as a day of rest so we pretty much follow suit. Start with a village Church service, followed by a traditional Sunday roast for lunch. Partake in a Fijian cooking lesson, making a traditional recipe. Buffet dinner of Fijian cuisine along with a choice of European dishes. ‘Fiji style’ bingo is held after dinner for lots of laughs.
Anchorage NAUKACUVU ISLANDS

Monday – Sacred Isles
Start the day with an early morning snorkel, swim or kayak trip. Breakfast cruising to the stunning Sacred Isles. Enjoy a buffet lunch onboard, overlooking the scene of paradise, before preparing for your departure. Farewell rendezvous with our high-speed catamaran for your private transfer to Port Denarau.

At the conclusion of our cruise, we were transferred to the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort on the Coral Coast for the second last night on our trip. This resort is another great family resort. We stayed in an Ocean View Room which looked over the top of all the palm trees within the resort to the beach. Dinner at the Sundowner Bar and Grill is a must – the views over the water as the sun sets is incredible and the food is amazing. The resort also offers a great Buffet Breakfast at Vale Ni Kana until 10:30 am. After a tour of the resort facilities (including the Beachfront Bures, Pool areas and the Bebe Spa that overlooks the entire resort from Vakalomalagi Hill) we were transferred back to Denarau for our final night.

Our final night in Fiji was spent at the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa – a fantastic resort where each room features a view of the ocean. It has a large lagoon style pool and a great buffet restaurant. In the evening, cultural dancers put on a show for all those dining in the restaurant which is then followed by a fire dancing show on the beach.

An early rise on our last morning to meet our flight meant breakfast on the go. We were transferred back to Nadi Airport in time to meet our Fiji Airways flight back to Sydney.

What a great experience seeing a lot Fiji in such a small amount of time. Fiji has so much to offer and I can’t wait to hopefully return one day.

In April 2017, I headed over to the west coast of Canada to experience the Rocky Mountaineer. Seeing as this was my first time to the country, I flew over a few days prior to the departure of the Rocky Mountaineer to experience all that Vancouver had to offer.
I spent the first day getting my bearings onboard the Vancouver Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley as well as enjoying a ride on FlyOver Canada.

Day two in Vancouver saw me taking the complimentary shuttle from Canada Place to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. After a couple of hours here, I took a public bus to the Grouse Mountain gondola. As I made my way up the mountain, snow started to cover the trees more and more until I made it to the top where all the trees where completely covered in snow. Although it was spring, I was told the mountain was still experiencing a high amount of snow in comparison past April’s. I then took the bus back down into the city and spent the afternoon visiting some of the attractions in Stanley Park (e.g. Totem Poles).

On my second last day in Vancouver, I took a day trip to Whistler. It was an early morning pick from a number of different hotels and soon enough we were on the Sea to Sky Highway. To break up the 90 minute drive from Vancouver, we stopped at Shannon Falls for a break. Once we arrived in Whistler, I headed straight for the gondola up Whistler Mountain. After spending some time wandering around and admiring the view, I lined up for the Peak2Peak gondola which takes you from the top of Whistler Mountain to the top of Blackcomb Mountain where I had lunch and took the chairlift back down into the village. With some time to spare before I was due to get onto the bus to head back into Vancouver, I did some shopping in the village and finished up the day watching some of the Easter Sunday festivities.

I had one final day in Vancouver before heading off on the Rocky Mountaineer. After meeting up with some other travellers, we walked to the Vancouver Tower which boasted uninterrupted 360 degree views of the city. To fill in the remainder of the day, we toured around the Vancouver Aquarium and also did some shopping along Robson Street. That evening, we came together with all the agents participating in this awesome opportunity and learnt a little bit more about what we would be doing over the next few day as well as being given all our Rocky Mountaineer travel documents and boarding passes.

An early departure saw us on the coach at 7:00 am making our way to the Rocky Mountaineer Vancouver Station. This departure was the first of the season and hence there was quite a celebration at the station prior to boarding. After checking in, we boarded the Gold Leaf carriage and got comfortable as this is where we would be spending the day on route to Kamloops. The Gold Leaf carriage featured two levels – the lower level was an intimate sit-down restaurant and the upper level consisted of rows of luxurious leather recliner chairs with foot-rests and a full glass domed roof. Breakfast & Lunch was served onboard the train in two sittings as the restaurant isn’t big enough for everyone to dine at the same time. There were 3 or 4 different meals to pick from which were cooked fresh once ordered. Drinks were served frequently by the staff throughout the day. Each carriage also featured a small outdoor standing area which was perfect for capturing the passing landscape or just to get some fresh air. Today’s journey from Vancouver to Kamloops saw dramatic changes in scenery, from the green fields of the Fraser Valley and winding river canyons to the desert-like landscapes of inland British Colombia. Our day concluded in Kamloops. After disembarking the train, we were taken on a tour of some of the town’s most historic buildings followed by a dinner.

The next day we boarded the train in Kamloops, leaving British Colombia, to make our way into Alberta to Jasper – this time in Silver Leaf. The Silver Leaf carriage is one level with a partially domed glass roof. The seats are very comfortable and each seat has their own foot-rest. The seats in Silver Leaf also featured fold-down tray tables as meals are brought directly to your seat while you are enjoying the amazing view outside. Again, the Silver Leaf carriage featured an outdoor standing area which, although it was cold outside, was a great place to stand and view Mount Robson (the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies) as the train slowed down to pass by. That evening we arrived in Jasper – a town surrounded by amazing snow-capped mountains – which concluded our incredible journey onboard the Rocky Mountaineer. We spent the evening exploring Jasper in our free time before heading to bed ready for a big day onboard the coach the following day.

Today we boarded our coach and began to make our way further into the Canadian Rockies. We travelled along the Icefields Parkway on route to Lake Louise. A stop was made at Athabasca Falls before arriving at the Columbia Icefield, where we rode an Ice Explorer to the middle of the Athabasca Glacier. After lunch at the Colombia Icefield, we carried on and before long had made it to the place I was looking forward to the most – Lake Louise! Our hotel for the night was the magnificent Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. We spent the afternoon walking across the frozen lake and admiring the amazing scenery. The following morning we had more free time to explore the area before getting back on the coach to start making our way to Banff.

On route to Banff we stopped off in Yoho National Park to visit the Spiral Tunnels, Emerald Lake and a natural rock bridge that spans the Kicking Horse River. We arrived in Banff about lunch time which gave us plenty of time to wander through the town. After our overnight stay in Banff, we check-out and were transferred to Banff Gondola to take us up Sulphur Mountain. We had perfect weather and the view from the top was one of the highlights of the trip!

Departing Banff, we visited a number of other points of interest including Bow Falls, Surprise Corner and the Hoodoos before arriving in Kananaskis. Here, we were taken on a 12-minute Panoramic Helicopter tour over the Canadian Rockies. This was my first time in a helicopter and it did not disappoint! That afternoon, we arrived in Calgary and checked into our hotel before our farewell dinner.

Our final day in Calgary offered us the chance to do some sightseeing. As a group, we took the lift to the top of Calgary Tower. After some final souvenir shopping, we made our way back to the hotel in time to catch our shuttle bus to the airport. An evening flight from Calgary to Vancouver then from Vancouver back to Sydney saw the end to an amazing 10 Day trip through the Canadian Rockies.

21 Day European Vista with Contiki

In August/September 2016, I jetted off to Europe for my first ever solo overseas holiday.

I flew from Sydney (via Singapore) to London with British Airways. On arrival in London, I used the tube to get to my accommodation at the Royal National Hotel. I had a few days on my own in London where I used the Hop-On Hop-Off bus to get around the city. I saw all the major sights (i.e. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London, London Eye, Trafalgar Square etc) before meeting up with my Tour Manager & Contiki group.

First stop was Paris – a city that was high on my bucket list. It was an action-packed day. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, saw the Arc du Triomphe, walked the Champs Elysee, saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and spent the evening at the Moulin Rouge.

Onto Switzerland! Here we had 2 nights in Lucerne. The day was spent exploring the town including the Chapel Bridge, the incredible Lion Monument and a cruise on Lake Lucerne. We also headed up Mount Rigi using the cog railway for a spectacular view over the Swiss Alps – a highlight for me!

Next stop – Nice in the French Riviera. We had amazing weather and used the day to discover all that Nice had to offer. After a walk along the Promenade des Anglais we took a trip to the top of Castle Hill which boasts uninterrupted views of Nice’s sparkling blue waters and famous pebbly beaches. We visited some food & flower markets and shopped our way along Avenue Jean Médecin. That evening we all jumped back onto Contiki coach and travelled into the small country of Monaco where we visited the famous Monte Carlo Casino, the Prince’s Palace & Monaco Cathedral.

After a stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, we made it to Florence – the first of three cities we were to visit in Italy. We arrived in the evening just in time for a Tuscan themed dinner. The following was spent walking the streets of the beautiful city with a local guide who took us to the Duomo Cathedral & the Ponte Vecchio bridge – just to name a couple.

Rome was the next city on my three week trip around Europe – another city high on my bucket list. We had one day to see as much of the city as we could. The day started at the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. We then walked to Vatican City (via the Pantheon) where we attended the Pope’s blessing, visited the incredible Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. The day concluded with a visit the Trevi Fountain – something I was very much looking forward to! Although it was crowded with tourists like myself, I still managed to find space to throw three coins over my shoulder and into the fountain.

Our last stop in Italy was the floating city of Venice. We floated along the quiet canals by gondola, wandered the narrow cobblestoned alleyways and hunted for the perfect Venetian mask for our themed dinner that evening. Venice was the perfect way to complete the last of 5 days exploring the wonderful country of Italy.

From Italy to Austria! First stop: Hopfgarten in the Tyrol region. This is where all the adventure sports took place – my favourite! First, we white water rafted down freezing cold rapids. Day two saw us mountain biking and paragliding. Paragliding was one of my favourite optional activities – well worth it! The view on the way down from the mountain was incredible.

We then travelled a short distance to Munich in Germany. The afternoon was spent discovering the city by bike which took us around to the Chinese Tower and Beer Garden followed by an evening of visiting some of Munich’s best known Beer Halls.
The next day we headed back into Austria to the capital of Vienna. We sampled schnapps and ate strudel, visited Schönbrunn Palace and some of city’s other amazing architecture. The evening consisted of a Mozart & Strauss concert followed by dinner.
As we make our way towards the end of the tour, we found ourselves in the very picturesque city of Prague in the Czech Republic. A maze of cobblestoned streets, Prague is full of castles and cathedrals. We spent the day navigating the city by map to find the Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock and the John Lennon Wall. After a busy day discovering the city, make sure to buy yourself some Trdelník – a cinnamon donut chimney-style cake full of ice cream with Nutella!

From the bustling city of Prague to the quiet town of St. Goar, we were now in the Rhine Valley of Germany. A cruise down the Rhine and a lesson in crafting beer steins were just a couple of the activities up on offer. A perfect little break before our final stop.
Amsterdam – what better city to finish a whirlwind of a three week tour. This city is full of personality (and cyclists)! The first half of the day we went beyond the city to Edam where we spent the morning biking from windmills to a cheese farm and onto a clog-makers house. That afternoon we were back in the city making our way to the I Amsterdam sign. We followed this up with a Horse & Carriage ride around other main attractions including Anne Frank House and Dam Square. Finally, to conclude our awesome adventure, we cruised down a canal as part of our farewell dinner.

After an awesome night, we were all up early the next day in time to get back on the road to London. I spent my final night in London before heading back to the airport in time to for long flight home. I had the best time and made some life-long friends in the process. It was a jam-packed three and a half weeks but I would do it again in a heartbeat!

9 Day Sweet as South with Contiki

After having such an awesome time in Europe on Contiki in 2016, I thought I was time to do it again – in New Zealand this time!
In October 2017, I flew over to Christchurch with Emirates two nights before my tour was set to commence. I travelled with one of my good friends and it was both our first time to the country. We spend the first two days exploring all that Christchurch had to offer. Unfortunately, Christchurch is a city still rebuilding after the 2011 earthquakes however there is still so much to do to fill your time. Although it was quite cold, we had great weather! We wandered through the Botanical Gardens, admired all the street art and murals and caught a shuttle bus from the city to the Christchurch Gondola for some spectacular views over snow-covered mountains in the distance as well as the eastern coastline.

Day one of the tour saw us up bright and early, ready to get on the road to Lake Ohau. Along the way we stopped at Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki before finally reaching our destination. The lodge was situated right on Lake Ohau with amazing views over the snow-capped mountains surrounding the lake. That evening we watched the sky turn a beautiful pink-purple-blue colour as the sun set.

After a day of driving, we reached Dunedin in the afternoon. First stop was Baldwin Street – the World’s Steepest Street. Slowly but surely we all hiked our way to the top for a great view over the city. We also paid a visit to the famous Dunedin Railway Station, the Speight’s brewery and stocked up on some chocolate at the Cadbury Factory. We spent that night in Dunedin before making tracks to one of my favourite places!

The next day was both exciting and terrifying – Bungy Day! On our way from Dunedin to Queenstown we had the opportunity to Bungy Jump at the original home of the bungy – Kawarau Bridge. What an experience! Only nine of us participated in the jump from the group – myself being one of them. Definitely a must if you’re travelling to Queenstown.
We then carried on into Queenstown. This ended up being my favourite place on the trip. We had four nights here and every second of it was jam-packed full of awesome activities. This is where the majority of the optional tours take place. I swang through Shotover Canyon on the Canyon Swing and ziplined down the mountain with Ziptrek – just to name a couple. A highlight for me though was the view from the top of the Skyline Gondola! It’s well worth the trip to the top of the mountain. You can then enjoy the view again as you take the Luge ride back down.

Our final stop was rainy Franz Josef Glacier. It rained non-stop for the two days we were there but that didn’t stop us from making the most of it. Being only a small town and with the weather we were experiencing, we only had a few optional tours to choose from. Quad-biking was the most popular choice. It was great for all skill levels and lots of fun. That night, we had our final group dinner and celebrated the awesome trip and even better friends we had made in such a short period of time.

On the last day, we drove from Franz Josef to Christchurch with a few stops along the way to help pass the time including Hokitika, Arthurs Pass & Springfield! On arrival back in Christchurch, we said goodbye to everyone we had met along the way before spending a final night in Christchurch and flying home the following day. It was only a quick little tour but we both had the best time! Can’t wait to go back to New Zealand one day to see the North Island.