On a warm winters evening on a bus bound for Birdsville, I met up with a gambler (90 something of them actually), and I asked of them advice....They said "You gotta know when ta....keep your money in your pocket out here! It's the only way you'll win". And so it began...my trip to Birdsville! From Brisbane, Shandell, Amber and myself along with ninety or so other punters set off on the outback adventure of the year. Travelling overnight and into the following day, we watched as 24 hours along with over 1600km of road passed us by before we arrived at [View Full Entry]

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As I begin to type these words it is hard for my own brain to fully comprehend that over 7 months have come and gone since I last wrote to you on this blog. I remember the day sitting in the warm January breezes of a local park typing up my last blog as if it were only a matter of hours ago. And here I am, 7 months on...sitting on the grasses of that same park...looking out onto that same stretch of Brisbane river, trying to convey in a short few paragraphs what has happened to me, who I have [View Full Entry]

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And where am I now I hear you ask.....well Brisbane! Queensland! Australia! And for the first time in a very long time I am happy to announce that my blogs have once again caught up with me! They are once again back in 'real' time! In the words of Fat Boy Slim..."Right here, right now"!! And be it fortunately or unfortunately, for the first time in a long time I can no longer call myself a backpacker! For I now have a job! Oh that first morning wasn't an easy one! What’s this "having” to get up all about I ask [View Full Entry]

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Lightning Ridge, home to some of the worlds best reserves of precious materials, black opal...and of course my aunt Ina! And it was Ina's that was my next stop! After driving for 10 hours and travelling close on 800km north from Sydney we finally landed at her house in tiny little Cumborah, about 50km southwest of Lightning Ridge at about 5 in the evening. Peter, her partner was there with huge welcomes for us both and before long had abandoned the notion that Aidan had ever lived anywhere else. I was part of the family and the house (including his fridge [View Full Entry]

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Perhaps it was not a good idea for a lone traveller to arrive in a new city on a new continent a week before Christmas? As I walked the esplanade toward Sydney's Opera house the sidewalk cafes were alive with festive atmosphere. Women sat at tables eating fancy dinners, wearing the customary Santa hat to add to their festive cheer. Men gathered in groups around the higher tables, while they drank beer and delighted in the days happenings. But they were all beyond my reach, each one the company of someone else. I was there but I was there alone. I [View Full Entry]

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Time for a confession! Those of you who have been reading my earlier blogs will know that I recently expressed a preemptive apology for what I had done but that you had not been made aware of. And well now its time for me to clarify that a little better. Actually, it isn't really an apology for what I had done but more so an apology for where I had been and not told you. And if you still have not realised by the title of this blog....yes thats not your eyes decieving you. I have been back to Ireland (for [View Full Entry]

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UNCLE TANS, SABAH, BORNEO The legs had finally recovered from our ascent of Mount Kinabalu a few days previous and it was time to be off once again, so from Kota Kinabalu I headed for Sandankan where I had arranged to meet up with Zaid one final time and we were to head to "Uncle Tan's" jungle camp and spend a few days in search of all things wild. Uncle Tans is famed on the backpackers circuit as giving a real jungle experience in an area of Borneo that still has quite high numbers of wildlife inhabiting the areas around the [View Full Entry]

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To me the word Borneo has always held an elusive quality. In my mind as a child growing up it was where nature flourished and wildlife ran free. Thoughts of Borneo and the sounds of David Attenborough came streaming into consciousness, describing the call of a bird, the play of monkeys or the attack of a crocodile. I had come to the island for one purpose, to climb Mount Kinabalu, 4,095m of rock towering into the skies at the north-western end of the island. But having made it this far across the planet I was going to make sure to stay [View Full Entry]

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Just a quick note to say hello to all and that I have now arived in Australia! Finally! and my new number is +61 4056 747 51. Now dont be shy! So my Irish SIM will be inactive from now on... I will check it only every now and then so please use the australian number! Thanx! [View Full Entry]

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As Mojca had departed for Bangkok, I was left in Penang wondering where to head to next. And the decision (and not a difficult one really) was to escape the humidity of the lowlands and head for the hills of central Malaysia, for 'The Cameron Highlands' to be precise! At over 1400 meters above sea level, the highlands were a welcome change from the humid and stuffy weather that I had experienced almost everyday since I left home. It was a pleasure to actually sleep in a bed where I was tucked under a duvet instead of legs thrown out over [View Full Entry]

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