Because travel sure beats being at school, kids

Going to school is important, right? But could travelling be even better? A friend of mine (coincidentally, the one who inspired me to get involved with Kiva) recently wrote an update on Facebook:

And then she made sure I knew about, assuming (100% correctly) that I would be a kindred spirit here! Not because I (as yet) have any gripes with the education system but because I think travel is the greatest thing of all!


I instantly thought of my six months in Europe as a child. These six months stretched over the European summer which, being opposite to Australia's, meant I missed probably close to three quarters of the school year that year. We took some distance education learning materials with us (provided by the state education department) but without internet (long before internet, in fact!) and because we were always moving around with no fixed address, it was really just something to keep us a bit busy on long campervan drives rather than something we were really meant to learn from. And our teachers at the time also said what I still believe now: they'll learn much more from this trip than they would in school.

Learning about life in Greece - me as a nine-year-old (and not in school!)

Now it's easy enough for me to totally agree with this now when my son hasn't even reached kindergarten, but I am seriously all for giving him travel opportunities even if they come at the expense of a few weeks (or perhaps even months) at school, especially when he's younger. When I think back to my six months in Europe, I know I learned so many things that remain with me to this day, including academic ones - the geography of Europe (I could draw and label a full map of Western Europe as a nine year old and I am pretty sure even many Australian adults can't do that), the currencies, converting them, the flags, the cities, the cultural icons, there's a huge amount of stuff that lodged in my brain in a way it couldn't be just from sitting in the classroom. And of course there's plenty of tangential learning going on too, learning about cultural differences, how to be independent, how to read maps and get around, so many life skills. I even got to practice badminton skills when we stopped in caravan parks and got out our rackets and shuttlecock!

Now, I'm not going to say school is not important, because obviously it is, and I wouldn't suggest taking a kid out of high school the year of important exams or anything like that. But to take a child to a foreign country for a while - that's priceless education. Agree or disagree? 

Everyone's talking about visiting Slovenia

Recently, I keep coming across mentions from people the world over who are considering visiting Slovenia. That's not bad considering that a decade ago barely anyone knew what or where Slovenia was, and a bit over two decades it was tricky to visit anyway, tucked behind the Iron Curtain.

Entering Slovenia

I visited Slovenia during a camping road trip through south-central Europe and the Balkans and I immediately loved it. With amazing mountain scenery greeting me, it didn't take me long to be convinced that this was a country I was going to love. With its close relationship with neighbouring Italy, it fared better during the Cold War years than other Balkan states and other neighbours like Slovakia, so it was quite a breath of fresh air to see a more modernised country and one that was obviously wealthier than the others around it. Many buildings and roads had been recently renovated and repaired and there was something of an entrepreneurial spirit in the air.


Most of my time in Slovenia was spent in the capital, the beautifully-named Ljubljana. I know it sounds like a real cliché to say it's a charming city, but it truly is! Perhaps I was just blessed with sunny blue skies and a good summer mood, but I really felt at home there. There are several interesting bridges crossing the river right in the centre of town - including the Dragon Bridge (Zmajski Most) which you can see on the left (with me in full-on travel mode clothing!) and the Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) which, as you might guess, is kind of three bridges all in a row together. A general wander around the Old Town area of Ljubljana is definitely a pleasant way to while away a few hours - I stumbled across a great farmers market too (so if you're wondering what's in that paper bag I'm clutching, I'm pretty sure that it was a big bunch of grapes!).

Old Town Ljubljana

Ljubljana also struck me as somewhat quirky and it's in fact home to "Metelkova City", a very sedate and law-abiding version of Copenhagen's Christiania (well, that's how I describe it anyway). Part of Metelkova is a quite unique hostel, the Celica Hostel which used to be a prison, and now each of the cells has been turned into a hostel room, each decorated really differently by various designers and artists. It's such a popular spot, not just to stay but to look at, that they actually offer tours around it once a day. I can't remember any other accommodation I've seen that actually has tourists traipsing around it when they don't even intend to stay there!

Celica Hostel in Metelkova

Finally, I spent some time doing some simple hikes in scenic areas not too far from the capital - day trips I suppose, though Slovenia is small enough that practically anything could be a day trip! I know it's very well-known for skiing so I can imagine that a winter holiday in Slovenia would be lovely too, but for me it's a summer time country with rolling green hills, friendly people and interesting nooks and crannies all over the place.

Hiking half an hour outside Ljubljana

How I survived air travel with a toddler

On my last trip to Germany I survived air travel with a baby, and then the baby got bigger. I realised that our next trips were going to be a bit trickier. Somewhat ambitiously (in retrospect) I booked flights from Perth to Tasmania via Melbourne (there's no direct route) for a time when our little boy was about 18 months old. We managed the Tasmanian trip with two parents without too much stress, although I cursed my "cleverness" in using frequent flyer points "most effectively" to get all the way to Tasmania when we could have just stopped in Melbourne (that flight change and extra hour was a bit stressful!).

When I realised that once our son turned 2, we'd have to pay for him on domestic flights, I realised I needed (yes needed - I'm a travel blogger, after all!) to squeeze in another trip before then. Unfortunately, my husband was too busy with work and study to come with us, so I bravely (or stupidly) booked flights from Perth to Melbourne for a week-long holiday alone with my son.

As per my tips for air travel with a baby, I thought I'd list my top bits of advice (gleaned from many wise parents and my own experience) to help you if you're planning your first plane trip with a toddler. It's certainly a lot harder than taking a sleeping baby!

1. Pack A LOT of entertainment. Only you will know exactly what oddities will keep your toddler amused for the longest time possible, but if it helps my bag included a sketch book and box of crayons, several of his favourite books, numerous snacks, especially sultanas and crackers, several Matchbox cars, an elephant (new, a nice surprise), some little animals in a box to take out and put in again, his favourite cuddly sheep, a rubbish bin (his particular interest ...), an iPad with some toddler games loaded on, my iPhone with photos of him and his friends and family to look at, and ... so on. The amazing thing on this latest trip was that I didn't get even close to using all of these - yippee!
   

   

   On the plane: complete with bin and elephant!

2. Time your flights to coincide with naps or sleeping times. But be prepared for this to backfire. Our flight to Melbourne left in the early afternoon so I didn't put him down for his lunchtime nap, but apparently the ten minutes he slept in the car on the way to the airport was enough and he stayed awake the whole trip. Fortunately in a well-behaved way, I must admit.
3. Check in online as early as possible to get an optimal seat, when you can. On my way to Melbourne I was able to choose a seat at the front of a section, with the wall and bassinet in front of us (even though he was obviously far too big for a bassinet) - not only that, but the flight wasn't very full and we ended up having a free seat next to us, which was ideal. On the flight home the plane was fully booked and we were surrounded by giant men from a sports team of some sort - which I feared, as I sat down, was my worst nightmare - and no spare seat, so he spent the entire trip on my lap - but it was nowhere near as bad as I'd imagined.
4. Use the opportunities between meals to take a walk. On short haul flights there is a lot of flight attendant action with drinks and meals coming out, and just watching them kept my little boy quite well-entertained for a while. In between, I used the temporarily empty aisles for a walk and some action. I don't really enjoy sitting still for that long - I can barely imagine how awful it is for a nearly two-year-old boy who is usually constantly running around.
5. Try not to arrive at the airport too early (but of course, don't cut it so fine that you get stressed!). I'm notoriously early to airports but I tried to get there at a more suitable time with my little boy so we didn't have to spend too much time running around departure lounges (while trying to hold all my carry-on luggage).
   

   

   Snacking at the airport

6. Break your rules. My son doesn't usually get foods like ice cream but when they offered him one on the aeroplane, I grabbed it for him and eating it kept him happy for the remaining half hour until we landed.
7. Use the "these people will never see me again" strategy to survive the trickier moments. I took the small bottle of wine offered to go with my dinner on the return flight (incidentally, eating your meal from a tray table that doesn't quite go down because you've got your toddler on your lap, with said toddler wriggling in your lap and trying to eat it too, is rather challenging). My boy was happily drinking a cup of milk so I thought I'd enjoy my wine - of course, suddenly he really, really wanted my cup and let the whole plane know about it! Without anywhere else to rest the cup I ended up sculling a large glass of wine in a matter of seconds. I don't want to know what the passengers around me thought. And after the wine, I didn't really care! (Joking. It was just one glass. Please don't write and tell me I'm an irresponsible travelling mother!).

Anyway, our time in Melbourne was fantastic and now I'm wondering how long it'll be before I can stretch him into flying for more than three hours (for example, the five or six hours to New Zealand perhaps? The eight hours to Hong Kong?). So far, so good, and although I'm not exactly rushing off to book my flights to New Zealand I am at least believing that I don't need to stay home for the next five years!

Weekend Wanderings: Perth bloggers

On Sunday, I'll be hosting a Nuffnang-sponsored meet-up in Kings Park (home to these gorgeous flowers!) for a bunch of Perth bloggers who I (mostly) have met through my blogging courses or freelance writing work - plus a couple who I've known online for a while but have never had the chance to meet in person.

Perth might be the world's isolated city, but the beauty of the internet means that bloggers can be read by people the world over, and there are plenty of Perth bloggers who've gained worldwide success. I love that equalising effect of the internet.

Happily for me, a number of the bloggers attending my meet-up are travel bloggers, or bloggers who write about their hometown (equally interesting for travellers!). Equally happily, there are other bloggers with interests in all kinds of diverse topics, because who wants to read about travel ALL the time? (Most of the time is enough for me!)

I've invited my Perth bloggers to link up their blogs as part of this weekend's Weekend Wanderings. If you're curious about what kind of blogs are coming out of Perth (and south-west Western Australia, to be accurate!), then take a click through and see what you can find! Likewise, if you're a Perth blogger who I don't know (or who couldn't make it to our meet-up) and would like to add your blog to the list, please feel free!

Melbourne with a toddler: Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Zoo

My little boy (who's now almost two) and I enjoyed a week in Melbourne recently, and not only was I pleasantly surprised at what an agreeable travel companion he was (although many have since suggested it is probably in his genes to love travelling!), I was also happy that we found so many very child-friendly attractions in Melbourne. I've visited Melbourne frequently but usually for conferences, work, shopping and eating, none of which (well, except the last) are particularly interesting for a nearly two-year-old boy. 

It started out well when one of my lovely Melbourne friends suggested we meet in Fitzroy Gardens, a huge park very close (just a block away!) to where we were staying. A huge park and home to Captain Cook's Cottage, Fitzroy Gardens also has a Fairies Tree and a model Tudor village, but we had so much fun exploring the rest of the park that we didn't even make it to them (that, and following the signs didn't lead us to them - or were we too busy chatting?!).

Fitzroy Gardens has a few less flowers now

Fitzroy Gardens is also home to some gorgeous ponds, lakes and fountain areas, but I find I have no photos of these, and other parents of toddlers will know why - I spent any moments close to these water areas trying to make sure my little boy didn't decide to go swimming in them (especially with all those ducks - almost close enough to touch!).

Fitzroy Gardens has lots of big sticks. Yippee!

The following day the two of us went alone to the Melbourne Museum, a short tram ride away. I was a little too excited perhaps at seeing Phar Lap (and excitedly told a friend the following day, being rather disappointed when I realised that she grew up in England and didn't have a clue who Phar Lap was. Obviously that means most of my readers won't either so I will refer you to the Wikipedia entry on Phar Lap to find out about this famous Australian horse). Fortunately my little boy was pleased about it, yelling "horse, horse!" a little too loudly and posing for photos next to it.

The main galleries at the Melbourne Museum are fantastic, and I managed to have a quick look through most of them, before it was obvious that we needed to head to the Children's Gallery. This is a great (and large) section of the museum, with indoor and outdoor areas, full of interesting activities for kids and especially good for toddlers, something that's rare to find. The most depressing part for me was standing on the scales to find out how many wombats are equivalent to my weight; the fun part was playing outside with hula hoops and quoits.

Confession: I took this photo while the needle was still rising ...

Our final toddler outing was to the Melbourne Zoo (as a bonus, our membership of the Perth Zoo got us in here for free). Zoos are really the ideal place for toddlers and this was a great one, for us adults too - not too big to get around, lots of varied enclosures, and a really fantastic section called the Trail of the Elephants which wandered through elephants, orang-utans and more in an area designed to look like a southeast Asian village, including markets, huts and all kinds of cultural markers as well as the animals themselves. It was fantastic and my little boy and his friend adored it all.

Trail of the Elephants in the Melbourne Zoo

Although I was a little concerned about how travelling alone with a toddler would go, it turned out fabulously and now I'm on a campaign to find cheap holidays so we can do it again and again! The only problem is my little boy still asks to go to his "Melbourne house" and he doesn't quite understand that we can't just pop over there for the day. But I figure if we travel more and more he'll figure all that out too, right?!

Tasmania with a toddler: Highlight - Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park

When we decided to go to Tasmania with our little boy, one place I was determined to revisit was the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park on the Tasman Peninsula not too far from Port Arthur. I remembered it clearly from my first visit as an amazing place to see Tasmanian devils up close and feeding time in particular stuck in my mind - they were so ferocious and loud about eating, such bad table manners! - and I felt sure an almost-two-year-old would enjoy seeing that.

What greeted us when we arrived was something much, much better. In the years since my last visit (more than 15 years, I admit) the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park has been completely overhauled and now it's truly an amazing place to see, one that I can't recommend highly enough. 

The Tasmanian devils are, of course, still there. I got to see this little family snuggling up shortly before feeding time - but once the food came flying in this comfortable little scene turned into something quite different!

These two devils were fighting over "upstairs, downstairs" rights to their enclosure and kept us entertained for ages. It was about this point in our visit that my little boy learnt to say "Tassie devil" (and since we took home a toy Tassie devil from the park, it's become his favourite companion when we're driving around!).

Then came the tunnels. Now, if you can find me a two-year-old boy who is not fascinated by tunnels, I'll be surprised. Put said tunnels underground and leading into a Tasmanian devil enclosure and you totally have a winner! Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't send my boy into an enclosure full of hungry Tassie devils or anything. The end of the tunnels (they come from two directions) is like a small cave with glass walls so you can see directly into the devils' habitat at their "downstairs" level, and the top (I could just stand up) is a glass dome so you can pop your head up and potentially come face-to-face with a Tassie devil running around in the grass. The brochures call it the "unzoo" concept and I think it's fantastic. Needless to say we spent a LONG time in these tunnels!

The extra-exciting part of our visit was that now the park is a lot more than just devils. The bird show was probably the highlight of the whole affair and the only time in his entire life when our little boy sat still for an entire half hour. A bunch of rescued birds (who are unable to return to life in the wild) are taken care of at the park and they have become part of an amazing show - there's one who collects gold coin donations (but gives them back - nice touch!) and another who can fly through a tunnel formed by a line of school kids standing with their legs apart. And there's the tawny frogmouth who my little boy got to pat (thereafter expecting that all birds will sit still so that he can pat them. Oops.)

But wait, as they say, there's more. Beyond the main enclosures for the Tassie devils and friends is a large grassed and bush area, the first containing some particularly friendly kangaroos, and the second being a natural bush habitat for animals including wallabies. It's a gorgeous walk and a great place to actually see animals how they really live.

Visiting the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park was absolutely the highlight of our Tasmanian trip. It's a definite must-visit for kids but even we as animal-loving adults found it just fantastic.

Riga, Latvia: Because lots of people want to go there

I've been getting a huge amount of traffic from people searching for information on Riga, the Latvian capital, lately, and since the post they land on is really just a brief overview of my favourite parts of Riga, I decided it was worth going a bit more in depth here. I am a huge fan of the Baltic States, and although I'd have to say that Estonia is my favourite, I do definitely have a soft spot for Riga, probably my favourite of the Baltic capitals - at least when I was there it was less overrun with tourists than Tallinn and as far as I hear is still not quite as popular a destination. In my opinion that's an excellent reason to go there!

Philharmonic Square in surprisingly charming Riga!

First (and second) impressions of Riga

When I arrived in Riga, I'd just come on a rather early morning bus from Tartu in Estonia, and I have to say I'd arrived a little concerned. After the comparative wealth of Estonia, Latvia had already appeared a rather poor cousin - there seemed to be a lot more Soviet influence, a road quality that changed for the worse right at the border and too many sad-looking apartment blocks ringing the city.

But as I've learnt many a time, first impressions are often totally wrong. Once I got into the Old Town of Riga, my opinions changed entirely. The Old Town is beautifully preserved, full of impressive architecture and is easy to get around. Sitting on the Daugava River gives Riga another attractive advantage and looking down over the city makes for a gorgeous view.

View over Riga from St Peter's church (love the coloured roofs!)

Things to do in Riga

Although it was by far the most serious place I visited in Riga, the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia was also the most fascinating. Being occupied by the USSR, then Germany, then the USSR again, all within the same century, meant Latvia certainly has plenty of experience as an occupied territory and they obviously also have some curators who really understood want this meant, because they put together an exhibition that really played on my mind. The bonus is that entrance to this museum is by donation so it's not an expensive couple of hours (unless you want it to be!).

Wandering around the Riga Old Town is also a must. At the time I had a guidebook with an informative walking tour and I guess it was similar to this In Your Pocket walking tour - I certainly recognise most of its highlights. It starts at the hard-to-miss Freedom Monument and includes some of my favourite Riga buildings - the House of the Blackheads, Riga Castle, St John's Church and St Peter's church - and like me, highly recommends going to the top of St Peter's to get fantastic views over Riga.

View of Riga Castle from Daugava River cruise

I also spent a great afternoon on a Daugava River cruise up and down the area near the city centre. I always find it interesting to see the view of a city from "down" in its rivers and Riga was no exception and like most things in Latvia, the cruise wasn't at all expensive.

On my final day in Riga I actually got out of there (I do love the countryside, remember!) and headed to Sigulda in the Gauja Valley. A day out with a bit of walking (and a cable car ride) led me past the new and old Sigulda Castles, the Krimulda Castle and the Turaida museum reserve, a park full of statues, a church and the partially restored Turaida Castle. All of this was less than an hour from Riga by train so it was a perfect day trip.

View from tower of Turaida Castle

When I visited Riga, guidebooks and websites were saying that it was expensive, but my experience was not that at all - I stayed in a very adequate hostel double room for $10 a night per person, and basic costs like the local public transport and food were much cheaper than western Europe. Granted, things have probably got a bit pricier now but if you're curious, check out this (new to me, and fantastic) website Expatistan and compare the cost of living in Riga with your own city (it's currently 54% cheaper to live in Riga than Perth!).

To sum up: Riga's a lovely city, probably underrated by most people, and I highly recommend it! 

Reader questions: Seeing practically all of Europe!

I love reader questions and when they're from people I know like up-and-coming graphic designer Amanda then it's even more exciting to help them out with their travel plans. Amanda and her boyfriend Trent are planning a big trip to Europe next year and of course I wanted to know more (helpful AND curious!), and Amanda told me:

I'm not even sure where we are going exactly. We are kinda being spontaneous. Definitely England and Italy because I have family there. Then France, Germany, Austria, Norway, Ireland, Scotland, Croatia, Greece, Sweden to name a few. We will go in some logical direction hopefully! I'm still at uni until the end of the year which makes me worry if I will have enough saved up. Any tips would be great! :)

Spontaneous is definitely one of my favourite ways to travel. And travelling without a whole lot of money is also the way I've always travelled (or at the very least, travelling to stretch my travel dollar as far as possible so I could travel for longer). So I think I have quite a few handy tips for Amanda and Trent (and anyone else planning their first long trip):

1. Don't stress too much about travelling in a logical direction. Budget airlines have changed the game on that - it's not always necessary to visit countries in a strict geographical order - you might discover that it's cheaper to fly from Croatia to France and then fly from there to Greece, for example. In my opinion the days of planning a point-to-point journey using Eurail or a bus network are probably over - you'll end up going places you didn't really want to and you will only save marginally and lose flexibility. (Spontaneous is good!) (oh and I usually use whichbudget.com - not a sponsored link just my personal recommendation! - to find flights in Europe)
2. Accommodation costs can chew up a lot of your budget so look into some alternatives like Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing hosts love to host couples (they amuse themselves so they aren't too time-intensive; axe murderers are less likely to travel in pairs) so I would highly recommend looking into that for some of your accommodation. It's also a great change from just staying in hostels (where it's pretty unlikely you'll meet any locals).
   
   

   

   Eiffel Tower - good to see, but not a must

3. Keep being open about your itinerary and don't get bogged down in having to see "everything" or go "everywhere". You're young (for other readers - this Amanda is well over a decade younger than me - agghh!) and this definitely won't be the last chance you have to go to Europe, so don't feel obligated to tick off some kind of "should see" list. If you end up spending three months in Croatia and never make it to Greece or Norway, that is absolutely fine (no matter what other people might tell you). I personally would just figure out a pretty vague plan for the trip with no firm bookings and feel very open to changing it as you go along.
4. Something it took me a while to figure out - keep an eye out for cheap side trips to places that Europeans like to go - that's how I ended up backpacking through Tunisia! For example, towards the end of my stay in Europe I started eyeing off trips like budget Lanzarote holidays, kind of the European equivalent of Perth people going to Bali (Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands, so a distant part of Spain). Like Bali trips for us, these can be cheap, resort-based, relaxing, and a "holiday within a holiday" which you sometimes need when you're spending a long time travelling.
5. Focusing back on travelling within a budget, then unfortunately I have to suggest not always splurging on meals. It is so tempting to devour amazing restaurant meals of the local cuisine all the time but firstly, you can get sick of that and secondly, your budget won't like it. I became a master of "hostel food" including lots of simple meals like tomatoes on toast (with salsa and cheese to make me think it was like nachos!).
   
   

   

   Bojnice Castle in Slovakia - eastern Europe is beautiful!

6. Last piece of advice, thinking back on your list which includes nearly only western European countries (apart from Croatia) - do consider spending more time in eastern Europe, which is not only considerably cheaper, but also equally (or more) captivating. True, we may not be so familiar with the iconic tourist spots there but you'll see and do all kinds of amazing things. There's nowhere I wouldn't recommend - look through some of my posts on Poland, Estonia or Slovakia perhaps for some inspiration.
7. And my final tip: have a blast! I'm more than a little jealous. 

Learning Japanese in German with a French friend

Mixing languages is a whole lot of fun. Let me prove to you why! I had an online conversation recently with an ex-student of mine from Japan (hi Junko!) who's just moved to New York to work for the Japanese consulate there (yes, a dream job in a dream city - but she deserves it!). She was trying to decide between signing up for French or yoga classes. My answer - wouldn't it be great if you could find a yoga class run in French?

She laughed (well, in an online kind of way) and I told her about my experiences in Germany. I was keen to keep up the Japanese I'd learnt while I lived in Japan, and at the same time I was needing some places to speak lots of German, since I was speaking nearly only English at work (teaching English!). Since my Japanese level was pretty low, I signed up to a Japanese class that was mostly conducted in German and I had the best of both worlds!

My Japanese teacher was a native speaker, but she'd lived in Germany for quite some time and even spoke the local Schwaebisch dialect well (this may or may not have been a good thing for my German skill!). Revising both my German and my Japanese skills at the same time seemed to work perfectly for me. I also made a lovely French friend there (hi Marie!) who wanted to practice her English sometimes and we had a lot of very mixed up language conversations. And I loved it.

Nowadays, the only regret I have is that while my German has continued to improve - it sure helps being married to a native speaker and using it to raise our son bilingually - my Japanese has dropped off dramatically. It seems to prove the premise of a great blog I follow - Fluent in 3 months - in which Benny has been travelling the world learning new languages in just three months because he is living the language (and, I might add, being extraordinarily brave about plunging in the deep end and not being afraid to make mistakes). Interestingly, I do seem to remember a post on his site saying that you shouldn't try to learn multiple languages at once - but just the same, I had a lot of fun doing it!

Over to you readers - what languages would you most like to learn? And what language mixing experiences do you have?

Galloping back on the travel wagon, via Melbourne

There have been a few key moments in my travelling life when I've kind of thought, yes, I'm a traveller and I can go anywhere I want. If you're not "a traveller" (whatever I really mean by that) this may not make sense, but for me it's a very powerful moment that kind of gives me the feeling that I can do anything in life - not just travelling.

Anyway, since moved back to Australia I haven't had the opportunity to travel as much as I'd like (still a lot compared to many people though, so I'm not complaining), but through the frustrating years of fertility treatment and then the early months of our gorgeous little boy, I had felt it might be a long, long time before I could travel with the kind of freedom I'd grown used to.

Watching Melbourne traffic

Until now! As I mentioned on the Not A Ballerina Facebook page, I'm in Melbourne this week, for no very special reason other than my little boy can still fly for free (until April, when he turns two), I have lots of friends to visit here, and after our Tasmanian trip I'd seen that he was a pretty good traveller and thought I could survive a spot of solo-with-toddler travel to the other side of the country.

And so far, so good, not only has my little boy maintained his ability to be a super traveller (and to learn to say "Melbourne" on the first day here), I've also had that lovely feeling again that I'm a capable traveller and I can just get on and do things in life (I know, I seem to mix up "travelling" and "life" a lot - for me they're not all that separate!). We arrived in Melbourne late Saturday evening, but finding our little self-contained flat even while dragging a larger-than-normal bag and pushing a tired toddler in a stroller wasn't so tricky; jumping on a tram together the next night to find the promised sushi for dinner was easy too. I'm hoping that a combination of his easy-going nature plus plenty of exposure to travelling as a youngster will ensure my little boy grows up being an excellent traveller and more than happy to accompany us on adventures around the world (I'm not so sure how I'll feel when he starts doing those adventures on his own, but let's take it a day at a time for now!).

Being able to travel independently, not relying on other adults, or fancy hotels or tours, but just figuring out each day on your own, is a skill and experience which everyone deserves to learn, in my opinion. I'm grateful to my parents for teaching me that, and I hope I'll be passing it on to my son. I'm certainly going to give him plenty of chances to learn!

My reverse bucket list

I'm not really a fan of the bucket list craze that seems to be sweeping the world (and travellers in particular!). I don't mind a spot of travel daydreaming, but the idea of making a really long list of things I must do before I die is a bit overwhelming (especially since I have no idea how long I have until then - ten years or fifty?), and I was grateful to read a post from my friend Nora of The Professional Hobo saying that she thought the same way. Instead, she thought a more useful step would be to write a reverse bucket list and I decided that was such a great idea I would do exactly that.

A reverse bucket list, Nora decided, is a list of things you have already achieved in life that are the kind of things worthy of being on a bucket list. What a great way to reflect on and celebrate all the great things you've already done? I've had a good think about what this list might include for me and since quite a number of them are related to travel and culture, I decided to share my reverse bucket list here.

Me on the Trans-Siberian ... back in the days of massive video cameras

Amanda's Reverse Bucket List

1. Riding the Trans-Siberian train across Russia. A real "lifetime achievement" for me, I was so happy to make a trip I'd been daydreaming about for many years.
2. Living in a foreign country. (Check; three times! For the uninitiated: Japan, Slovakia and Germany, teaching English as I went.)
3. Visiting 40 countries. That's more than the average Joe.
4. Becoming fluent in another language. My German is still not, and won't ever be, perfect, but when I joined a German playgroup here in Perth last year, a couple of members assumed I was German, just with a slight accent from being in Australia for a while. For me, that's as good as being fluent!!
5. Having a family - the young traveller is the best thing of all on my reverse bucket list. Oh and my husband's pretty nice too (and he helped me a lot in achieving #4!).
6. Being paid to work as a writer. I'd still love to (and am determined to) publish a novel, but in the meantime getting paid to write has certainly fulfilled one of my childhood ambitions.
7. Getting my Masters degree. It's in education and helps me plenty with the blogging and social media training I do.

Thanks so much for the idea, Nora - and now over to my readers - what is on your reverse bucket list?

Guest post: What I discovered in Berlin’s hidden culture scene

I'm busy preparing for a trip next week ... more to come on that soon (what a tease!), but jumped at the offer of a guest post from Lela on one of my favourite cities, Berlin. So, without further ado, here's a bunch MORE stuff to do in Berlin, nearly all of which I haven't seen before. It's the thriving underground and I'm not surprised to read just how much interesting stuff is going on there in Berlin. Another reason to go back as soon as possible!

Deep in Berlin’s heart beats a primal pulse that beckons to the wild spirit lurking within us all. Dive off the shallow end of the tourist pool and plunge into Berlin’s thriving underground scene where untamed talent sparks those creative impulses lying latent in everyone’s inner beast. First find yourself a chic and cheap hotel in Berlin and do like I did - become drawn to the cosy inner city neighbourhoods where I could explore these eclectic hideouts brimming with throbbing music venues and free-form art that flows from the alleyways into the galleries.

The Raw Tempel

I found my creative juices flowing in this fascinating converted railroad station transformed by a progressive non-profit agency into a kaleidoscope of artistic offerings. Spread out over four buildings, this complex presents an ever-changing venue of programs ranging from interactive art shows to live performances to lectures on social issues. I took part in a hands-on activity crafting my own drum in the morning, learning to play it in the afternoon and took part in a local drum circle at sunset. In the afternoon I joined the others to let off some steam(and calories) in the improvisational dancegroups but if you don’t fancy getting your groove on you can enjoy just sitting quietly and being dazzled by the in-house circus performers (it’s all about options!).

Kreuzberg Street Art

Taking a tour of the open art gallery displayed along the walls of the Kreuzberg neighbourhoods on a bicycle with a local guide encouraged me to savour all the nuances embedded in this fabulous blend of graffiti, cartoons and intricate street art that can be found on everything from street pipes to roof tops. Although English statements proclaiming “this is not America” are pretty self explanatory, the more subtle phrases scribbled in sketchy alleyways and city sidewalks deliver more impact when they’re put in the proper perspective. The huge murals represent a collective artistic effort as attested to by the multiple signatures. Some create powerful social statements about the plight of the oppressed while others poke fun at modern institutions, advertising gimmicks, government entities and the idle rich.

Kreuzberg Street Art

Rampenlicht

Deciding it was high time to lend credibility to street art and skateboarding, I discovered Rampenlicht, an interactive gallery at a former Stattbad recreation centre. Suspended over a drained swimming pool is a fascinating skateboard ramp shaped into a triangular optical illusion that resembles an MC Escher painting. That’s just the beginning of the trippy encounters at this free-for-all exhibition centre that led me through experiences ranging from revolutionary videos to otherworldly sculpture galleries to head-banging raves. Naturally, skateboarding is the dominant theme and visitors are encouraged to bring their wheels to show off their moves. But never fear, even foot bound visitors like myself get to walk around on the mind-boggling optical illusion that puts this skateboard park/art gallery in a class all by itself.

Yaam

Along the banks of the Spree River is a small but lively Jamaican neighbourhood of Yaam with a Caribbean vibe that encourages you to let down your hair and wiggle your toes in the (artificial) sand. I joined the gatherings at the Cool Runnings Bar where smokin’ DJs keep the house hopping. Dance to the reggae beats or settle into the independent movie house (both tried and tested and recommended by me!) to enjoy documentaries on world issues that stress how harmony can be achieved from diversity. I made sure to stock up on unique souvenirs, T shirts and hoodies to back up tales of hanging with the Rastafarians.

Yaam Beach, Berlin

Greenwich

I found out only from word of mouth that the coolest place to chill in Berlin is at Gipsstraße 5 Mitte, this place doesn’t even bother putting their name on the door. Once inside Greenwich, you’ll understand where it got its name, everything from the walls to the upholstery to the lighting is a nuanced shade of green. But instead of overwhelming the senses, the decor produces an aesthetically pleasing result, maybe because the green glow is offset by the ever-moving dance of tropical fish in the embedded aquariums along the walls. Featuring fancy drinks served with trendy nibbles, it was easy to trance out in the mellow atmosphere while picking up tips from Berlin’s beautiful people about where the newest underground scene is blossoming this week, I knew it, I was captivated and probing for more of the same!

Lela is an adventurous traveller and works as a copywriter for Hostelbookers.

Photo credits via Flickr/Creative Commons: Berlin sign by m.a.r.c., Kreuzberg by von_boot, Yaam by angermann.

Time for a "Vitamin Me" boost in Queensland

The last time I went to Queensland was (gulp) about 23 years ago.

Back then, my Mum had a perm (and a stern look), my Dad got tuckered out from driving our campervan around, and my sister liked to pig out on ice cream. Me too.

I remember my time in Queensland involving a lot of swimming, struggling with the humidity of Kuranda, watching a bird land on my sister's head and in a presumably unrelated incident, waiting in the Whitsundays for my sister to get her conjunctivitis checked by a doctor.

Time has marched inexorably onwards. Some things have changed, some haven't. My Mum no longer has a perm, but I still catch my Dad taking cat naps during the day. My sister watches her weight instead of pigging out on ice cream, and I try to watch my weight but still pig out on ice cream.

Queensland's on my mind because Tourism Queensland and Nuffnang Australia are running a competition to win a Vitamin Me-boosting holiday in Queensland. Normally those ads that go on about the million vitamins we should take bore me stupid, but I definitely rather like the idea of Vitamin Me, Tourism Queensland's latest smart move to bring the droves of tourists in. Want a scientific definition?

It’s activated by adrenaline, wonder and excitement. Found in oysters, white wine, nature and good times. It’s the antidote to routine, an elixir for the spirit.

I want some. So let me put on my imagining hat ... if I won a $5,000 trip to Queensland, I would boost my Vitamin Me levels with a few special stops:

Caffe E Gelato Milany: Queensland's best ice cream

Athletics fans will remember Russian-turned-Australian Olympic champion polevaulter Tatiana Grigorieva. It turns out that as well as being fit and healthy, she loves ice cream, and a banana-flavoured speciality from her Brisbane cafe Caffe e Gelato Milany won the ribbons at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show last year. Ice cream is definitely an elixir for the spirit for me, and I'm holding on to the (ridiculous, I know) idea that if it's made by an Olympian it is a little bit more healthy.

Italian Gelato. But I think Queensland's best will be better. And closer.

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary: One of Kuranda's rainforest attractions

Last time round it was a bird on my sister's head, and I'm not keen on repeating that - but the idea of a butterfly with bright wings landing on my head is much more pleasing. Especially if it will pose long enough for a photograph. The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in the far north will probably be a touch too humid for my liking, but the wonder of seeing so many gorgeous creatures should make up for it.

Kuranda butterfly on a leaf. I want it on my head, please.

Long Island: Waiting in the Whitsundays (for a l-o-n-g time)

At the expense of my poor sister's sore eye, my last experience in Queensland did involve a bit of waiting in the Whitsundays. But if I'm lucky enough to get to Queensland again, I think some deliberately planned waiting (and relaxing and resting and lots of doing nothing) on Long Island in the Whitsundays would be a huge boost to my Vitamin Me levels. There are a bunch of gorgeous islands in the Whitsundays but Long Island is mostly national park (you know I like that) and the local Long Island Resort looks over Happy Bay - how could you be unhappy staring out over Happy Bay?!

Flying in to Long Island. Wow. I could wait there for a very long time.

I think at the end of this kind of Queensland trip I'd be bursting with so much Vitamin Me that I could wash dishes and vacuum the house non-stop for a month without feeling down. (Don't tell my husband I said that, though.)

(Aussie) blogging friends, you can enter this contest too, but only if you promise to take me with you if you win.

Photo credits (via Flickr/Creative Commons): Gelato by fortes, butterfly by Gary Hayes, Long Island by krossbow.

12 great landscape views I'd love to see (one day!)

Since my Tasmanian trip, I've been increasingly obsessed with amazing landscapes and have been doing lots of "travel daydreaming", so I decided to put together a list of beautiful places I'd like to visit. So be warned, there is lots of travel-lover's eye candy here and if you're feeling stuck in a rut this post might make you feel worse rather than better! If not, I hope you enjoy dreaming about some of these beautiful places with me - and giving me some suggestions of your own in the comments (thank you in advance!).

1. The Bungle Bungles

The Bungle Bungles or Purnululu is an amazing area of my very own state, yet it is practically the width of Europe away from where I live (hence I haven't actually made it there yet!). That, and given its remoteness it's not that cheap to visit "properly" (it's one of those places that looks spectacular by air, so you want to budget a fly-over into your trip). I highly recommend it for all visitors to Western Australia!

Purnululu - Bungle Bungles, Western Australia

2. Norwegian Fjords

Technically, I've been here already as a nine-year-old but my main memories of Norway are playing badminton in caravan parks and seeing grass roofs. A friend of mine recently took a cruise through the Norwegian fjords and that has reignited my desire to get there again - some day!

Geiranger Fjord, Norway

3. Giant's Causeway

Apart from the fact that I would just love to go to Northern Ireland anyway, the fact that the Giant's Causeway looks so incredible (and reminds me of Tasmania's Tessellated Pavement, which would have been on this list if I hadn't already been there) is an extra incentive to get there.

Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

4. Pyramids at Giza

I almost went here when I had a short trip to Egypt during a summer break while I lived in Germany. Unfortunately the only way to get there from our resort would have meant a gruelling 24-hour trip so I satisfied myself with sightseeing around Luxor, but I have certainly been pining for another Egypt vacation ever since.

Pyramids near Giza, Egypt

5. Franz Josef Glacier

Getting to New Zealand is definitely one of my short-term travel goals (it is one of our neighbours, after all!), and there are numerous parts of the country that appeal to me. But for sheer impressiveness of landscape, I think the Franz Josef Glacier is what I really want to see.

Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

6. Sossusvlei

I nearly went to Namibia - a relationship break-up meant I got to do all the planning and he got to do all the travelling :-( But in the process of researching it I fell in love with the country and the Sossusvlei part of the Namib Desert is a place I would dearly love to see some day.

Sossusvlei, Namibia

7. The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is not quite a landscape view as such, rather a man-made icon stretching through the landscape, but for me it fits on this list because I would need a good wide angle shot to do it justice (and that's a landscape, for me!).

Great Wall of China

8. Machu Picchu

From what I hear, Machu Picchu has almost become an overrun tourist icon but it still is incredibly impressive and I would still like to go there. Well, there and pretty much everywhere else in South America, actually. (Oh, and yes, ditto on the man-made/landscape comments as per Great Wall.)

Machu Picchu, Peru

9. Grand Canyon

I heard an incredible statistic about visitors to the Grand Canyon recently - the average visitor stayed something ridiculous like just ten minutes there. I plan to stay a LOT longer.

Grand Canyon, United States

10. Kakadu National Park

Another part of Australia I've never explored is the northern half of the Northern Territory. The Kakadu National Park covers a large area here (as big as the entire nation of Slovenia, apparently!) and highly intrigues me.

Kakadu National Park, Australia

11. Gobi Desert

Mongolia was sadly dropped from my travel list en route to Russia a few years back (a long story, but the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong meant my flights were cancelled and I had to re-plan my route). But my longing to see the Gobi Desert (and stay in a yurt and do all those typical Mongolian things!) is still strong.

Gobi Desert

12. Antarctica

As yet, I don't know enough about the mysterious continent of Antarctica to be more specific about what I'd like to see - but from the reports of bloggers I know who've been, pretty much the entire place is mind-blowing.

Penguins in Antarctica

Thanks to the following great travellers for the pics (via Flickr/Creative Commons): Purnululu by Obliot, Fjord by Edward Dalmulder, Giant's Causeway by locace, Pyramids by Steve's Wildlife, Franz Josef by edwin.11, Sossusvlei by Monica Guy, Great Wall by rich115, Machu Picchu by MikeBash, Grand Canyon by Cape Town Craig, Kakadu by Rita Willaert, Gobi Desert by PnP!, Antarctica by HamishM.