Three months to the day since we first touched down in Australasia (and exactly six since leaving London) we're back at the airport, this time heading for South America. However, before we begin this third and final chapter I'd like to draw the second to a close by reflecting upon our travels throughout Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
Whereas it was relatively easy to summarise Asia as a whole (see 'The Asian Adventure'), the three countries we've visited in Australasia have been so vastly different that it would be impossible to generalise in the same way. Instead, I've chosen ten memorable moments from each which I feel best capture the spirit of our experiences in those places.
Australia...
#1 The moment we arrived in Melbourne wearing Bangkok vests and elephant trousers, all of sudden feeling awfully silly.
#2 The moment we scoffed down our first Aussie BBQ with a family of possums rustling in the tree next to us.
#3 The moment we fell in love with Sydney and decided we'd return to live there one day.
#4 The moment we were snuggled up on the sofa watching a film with friends, forgetting our backpacks and feeling normal for the day.
#5 The moment I woke up at sunrise to watch the first light cast over Fraser Island.
#6 The moment we bathed in Lake Wabby whilst tiny fish nibbled at our feet.
#7 The moment we realised we were city girls at heart and that desolate beach towns could not keep us entertained.
#8 The moment we were sung to sleep on a boat by two Essex boys performing 'I'm a Wanderer' on the harmonica.
#9 The moment we woke up on the front deck, surrounded by nothing but ocean in the middle of the Whitsundays.
#10 The many moments we solved a difficult situation with a cup of tea and Tim Tams.
New Zealand...
#1 The moment our sat nav's only instruction was 'In three hundred kilometres, turn left'.
#2 The moment we witnessed the Lady Geyzer volcano erupt.
#3 The moment we regretted our decision to eat egg salad for lunch at the ever so eggy Wai-O-Tapo Wonderland.
#4 The moment we found our own private jacuzzi in Taupo's natural hot springs.
#5 The moment we trekked past Mount Doom from The Lord of the Rings.
#6 The moment we stopped for lunch beside the glistening Emerald Lakes in the Tongariro National Park.
#7 The moment we spotted bright blue glow worms in the 'fairy forest'.
#8 The moment we reached the top of Wanaka's Rocky Mountains to see an oil painting view of the lakes.
#9 The moment our Kaikoura coastal path was blocked by seals slumped out on the decking.
#10 The moment we were welcomed back into the home of Nick and Nikki, our adopted New Zealand parents
Fiji...
#1 The moment we said our first 'bula' and picked a pink flower for our hair.
#2 The moment we set eyes on the Mamanuca islands, sailing past each tiny paradise.
#3 The moment we arrived on Beachcomber Island and walked the entire circumference in less than ten minutes.
#4 The moment I woke up on my birthday to presents wrapped in banana leaves and a Fijian woman playing 'Happy Birthday' on her guitar.
#5 The moment our long boat met the big ferry out in the ocean in the middle of a storm.
#6 The moment we spotted a rainbow behind the mountain whilst kayaking through the sea in the rain.
#7 The moment we jumped from the top of the waterfall in the middle of the jungle on the Uprising trek.
#8 The moment we met the Fijian school children in Navala Village and learnt what they were taught in class.
#9 The moment we sat discussing politics over lunch with our Indian-Fijian taxi driver.
#10 The moment we joined in the locals' late night kava circle and sang along to Boyzone songs played on their guitars.
These are just a small snippet of the memories made during our incredible three months on the continent. I can't wait to some day come back and add to them further but for now, it's goodbye; we're off to Santiago!
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