Australia Zoo
When you hop on a plane to “the land down under” you cannot leave without seeing a kangaroo. It’s a right of passage, part of the Australian experience. It was, for me, one of many highlights while I was adventuring abroad.
The Australia Zoo was home to the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. The Irwin’s are still heavily involved with the zoo and displays can be found throughout the property. It’s well worth the day trip for animal enthusiasts and tourists alike. It’s about a 60 minute drive from Brisbane which allows you to have a full day of family fun. If driving isn’t your thing, there are plenty of day tours that head to the zoo as well.
I was excited to see all of the animals but I think the koalas really stole my heart. They were so cute, curled up in the trees – I even got to pet one. They’re so soft! The kangaroos were of course another highlight and the wombats too. You can feed the kangaroos at the zoo which makes for a great experience. However, do follow all of the rules that are posted around the zoo. Remember, these are wild animals and they can be unpredictable. Approach them with caution.
Shows throughout the day provide you with the opportunities to see some of the animals up close. I thought the crocodile one was pretty neat. Check the schedule upon arrival for all of the showtimes. With so much to see, there’s no way that you’ll get bored! There’s plenty of places to grab a bite to eat and they do have gluten free options. Make sure you’re equipped with sunscreen, hats and water – all of the Australian necessities. Have a great day checking out all of the animals!
Stradbroke “Straddie” Island
Straddie is truly a hidden paradise, a popular vacation spot and the best place for some rest & relaxation. This island is located 30km southeast of Brisbane and it’s the world’s second largest sand island! It is home to some of the most stunning beaches I have ever seen. If you’re into water sports – grab your board because there’s no shortage of waves to catch along the coast. It’s home to a slower pace of life and a break from the hustle of the city.
Buses do operate on the island but they’re on a limited schedule. There’s no rush to get anywhere and that’s 100% okay. There’s also a taxi service which we utilized on our way to the beach. Our driver was so kind and provided us with a ton of information about the island, the people and what to see and do. He was awesome!
There’s no shortage of beaches to choose from on the island – I explored the Point Lookout area and Main Beach. I did ‘The Gorge Walk” which I highly recommend because the views will make your jaw drop! The mixture of the rocky coastline, white sand and turquoise water will leave you in awe. Plus, I saw a kangaroo in the wild (so now I can say I successfully experienced Australia, right?)!
Sirromet Winery
If wining and dining is your thing, don’t miss out on Sirromet Winery located just 30 minutes outside of Brisbane. The property is beautiful and overlooks Moreton Bay and features $5 wine tastings (you get to pick 6). I’m not going to lie, the wine tasting was my favourite part becase the wine was great and I got to learn about their products. Having worked at a winery in Nova Scotia this past summer – I was interested to learn about winemaking on a different continent. The staff were extremely friendly and the property is well worth a walk through. Plus, chances are you won’t get out of there without a delicious bottle in tow. Have fun!
Whether you’re petting kangaroos, relaxing at the beach or sipping on some wine – you’re guaranteed to have a blast! So what are you waiting for? Book that plane ticket!
xoxo,
linds
Check out the next leg of the adventure: Great Barrier Reef
I have one semester left of my undergraduate degree and I have been working my ass off for the last 4 years. The grind is just beginning. I’ve grown immensely as an actor and human. I got to play one of my dream roles and work alongside my incredibly talented peers. This year also marked my first speaking roles on camera and I can’t wait to explore the film world even more. My love for the arts grows every single day and the importance of producing work with a message becomes increasingly important to me. I love telling stories and my life work will centre around that idea.
Photography has always been of interest to me and this summer I studied Photojournalism (and fell in love). The power of a photograph to create change astounds me. One photographer I really grew to love and deeply appreciate her work is Lynsey Addario. She’s definitely a huge inspiration to me. Addario doesn’t shy away from the difficult subjects and is constantly finding creative way to evoke a reader response. I look up to her.
Travel
So many of my travel dreams came true in 2017. I had the opportunity to walk through the souks in Morocco, take in the vast mountains in British Columbia, eat the best fries on the streets of Amsterdam, get caught in the pouring rain in Rome and bask in the sun of Mallorca. I felt incredibly blessed to have visited so many beautiful places and these experiences will forever be etched on my heart. I have seen some incredible sights. Every time I travel I learn so much about myself and the world around me. I think it has provided me with the best education. However, it didn’t come for free. I consistently worked 2-3 jobs at a time to make my travel goals a reality. Trust me though, those long shifts are worth seeing a Moroccan sunrise from a hot air balloon or settling in for an award-winning broadway show in NYC. You make it work. If it’s important to you — you will find a way.
I was fortunate to jet-set across the world and country but I also had the privilege of escaping in NS too. I visited Windhorse Farm on Nova Scotia’s south shore and left with an incredible amount of gratitude and solace. I also stayed at Oceanstone Seaside Resort, The Halliburton and The Boscawen Inn. Each of these experiences provided me with the opportunity to write about beautiful NS. I’m so grateful for these experiences and all that they afforded me. It has been fundamentally important to my well-being to get away and take time for myself. Find your ‘thing’. Do it.
My travels of 2017 are scribbled on the tattered pages of my journal. They were amazing. Those pages hold the best and worst moments of my year. The wildest experiences of those trips with remain on those pages (for now). It was a blast!
Friends & Love
My family and friends are so important to me. Whenever I have the opportunity to spend time with my family — I love it. Take advantage of this time while you have it. I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by so many loving people. I’m grateful for the new friendships I made this year and looking forward to seeing where they take us! I met people from all over the world this year and had the opportunity to work with some super rad humans this summer. My heart has also experienced some incredible highs and lows. Ask my roommates… they’ve picked me up off of the kitchen floor balling my eyes out. I don’t understand why we have to experience heartbreak but that’s life, eh? One thing that the heartbreaks of 2017 have taught me is that your true friends are always there for you. It’s okay to be hurt, sad and feeling a little lost but it will not last forever. My friends have picked me up, loved me and helped me navigate this crazy world. Special shout out to my mom for listening to me vent and cry on the phone for hours. I will always cherish that. And when you least expect it, good people will come into your life and stay. Be patient.
I’ve spent my year taking care of myself, focusing on my work and loving as much as possible. My yoga practice grew immensely. I got outside whenever I had the opportunity to do so and spent time by the ocean. I had SO many positive experiences this year. Those are the experiences I’m choosing to focus on. But it would be naive to think that this year has been all light and love. I’ve had some really hard times, I’ve struggled with a number of different things but that doesn’t make me weak. It makes me so strong. I’m not quite ready to say that I’m thankful for the good and bad this year. But I will say that I’m sure it will teach me something. I’m grateful for all of the lovely humans in my life. I can’t wait to see what 2018 will bring. Let’s go into it wide-eyed, open-hearted and brave.
The Tall Ships Regatta (RDV 2017) in Halifax was absolutely breath-taking. There were all kinds of different events and activities along the waterfront. Georges Island was even opened to the public! Naturally, I had to get out there. This was a rare opportunity and the ferry was transporting the public to and from the island for $15 (round-trip). I couldn’t say no to this great deal so I bought a ticket and headed to the ferry terminal.
I got on the 11 am ferry with hundreds of other people on our way to Georges Island. It was no more than 15-20 minutes to arrive at the island. I was in for an adventure!
The island is home to Fort Charlotte, a star shaped fortification. It’s part of The Halifax Defence Complex which also includes Fort McNab, York Redoubt, Prince of Wales Tower, and Halifax Citadel. The city was well equipped to deal with any potential attacks. Exploring the island provided some incredible views overlooking the city and the harbour. It was stunning to see Halifax from a different angle.
While on the island, I explored the tunnels, the Lower Battery, the Married Officers Quarters, and Fort Charlotte Parade Square to name a few. It’s not every day that this island is opened up to the public in such a celebratory and historical fashion. It was an experience I will never forget!
I spent a couple hours on Georges Island, exploring, taking in the views and soaking up the sun before heading back to Halifax on the ferry. I can now say that I’ve made it out to Georges Island. A great adventure!
Last summer around this time, some friends and I took a day trip along the Discovery Trail, otherwise known in Newfoundland as the Bonavista loop. On Sunday, we decided to tackle the Irish Loop, which is another well-regarded road trip route here on The Rock. It was equally as beautiful, with stunning views and incredible wildlife. It is a smooth, enjoyable drive that doesn’t receive all the attention that it deserves. Ride along with us as we explore the Irish Loop. (If you’re wondering about our Discovery Trail roadtrip, 
After we finally peeled our eyes away from the beautiful sight, we walked back to the car and continued along to Aquaforte, where we tackled a path along the East Coast Trail we hadn’t hiked before. The name is a little, well, strange. It’s called ‘Mudder Wet Path’ and is about 3 kilometres one way, so 6 kilometres altogether. The trail takes you through the woods to a gorgeous view of a tidal estuary, which is where we stopped for a picnic (if you would like to see an article about picnic lunches, comment!!). After lunch, we continued along the trail, which soon leads to a long downward set of stairs (the way back up is killer for the glutes!) that lead to the estuary. Just to the right of the staircase is a trail which is pretty grown in, so you have to look for it a bit. This trail leads to a really pretty waterfall which is another great spot to stop for a rest or a picnic. Dip your feet in the water to cool off and just be in the moment.
We got back to the car, took a few minutes to hydrate and catch our breath, and continued along. Don’t miss the cool windmills along this part of the drive! The next stop was supposed to be Mistaken Point, one of Newfoundland’s most recent UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Known for having some of the most ancient fossils on this earth, it really is a unique experience. Much to my dismay, however, the site is only accessible by a guided tour which only leaves once per day at 1 o’clock. Although the tour is free, they require that you book in advance, and pets aren’t allowed— which ruined it for us because we weren’t leaving behind the dog!
Along the entire drive, there are many small, rural communities. These are all so quaint and unique. They really make the drive interesting. The one community in particular that blew me away, though, was St. Vincent’s. This was an unplanned stop on our roadtrip, but am I ever glad we stumbled upon it! Coming around the turn into the town, we noticed a huge crowd of people on a big beach and thought “ok, something is happening here so we have to see what it’s all about.” We parked the car, walked down the rocky beach and there we saw them: No more than 20 feet offshore was a pod of whales, frolicking in the waves. It was one of the most spectacular sights of my life! I’ve seen whales before, and we even saw whales just a few hours earlier in Ferryland, but I’d never seen them like this. Never this many, this close to shore. I’m still not over it. Luckily for you, some locals told us that they come back there every year!! So if you plan to drive the Irish Loop, don’t just pass through St. Vincent’s.
The last stop of our day, only about 5 minutes from the TCH that would take us back home, was Salmonier Nature Park. This is a 3-kilometre boardwalk that takes you through enclosures that house local animals from the smallest bat to the largest moose. There are owls, woodchucks, beavers, and more. Don’t get the wrong idea— this is not a zoo. This is a wildlife rehabilitation centre. They take in injured or abandoned animals and take care of them with the goal of releasing them back into the wild if that is safe for that animal (some are born in captivity and will sadly never survive in the wild). This park is completely FREE for you to explore and I really encourage you to do so.
The whole day was about 8 hours. You know what’s the coolest thing about this trip? The only money we spent for this entire day was for gas, about $30 between 4 people. It is totally possible to explore on a budget if you know what to do and where to go. Atlantic Canada is truly a beautiful place and largely unexplored. Not many people talk about the Irish Loop and don’t appreciate it’s beauty and authenticity. Add the Irish Loop to your summer bucket list.
Moha from 
We were picked up by our driver around 5 am from our riad. We drove for about 30-45 minutes before we arrived at the site of our flight. We went over to the basket and proceeded to climb in! I was squealing with excitement. I needed someone to pinch me because it didn’t feel real. Before we knew it we were up in the air! It was amazing. Our pilot, Hicham was awesome! Now, I’m not scared of heights but I’m not particularly fond of them either (haha) but I wasn’t scared at all. The basket just felt suspended in the air; it was like we were frozen in time. The stillness up there was unbelievable. I could see the mountains in the distance and the sun was peeking through the clouds. It was breath-taking.
There was this serene calmness up there in the sky. It was humbling. It gave me some much-needed perspective. Everything seems so much less important from up in the sky. I realized how small my problems really were from way up there in the clouds. I took some deep breaths of fresh air and counted my blessings. Wow, this world is so beautiful. It astounds me every single day but this moment was pretty darn special.
We had a lovely 1-hour ride and a smooth landing upon our return to the ground. We hopped out of the basket and were shuttled to a beautiful tent where we had a delicious breakfast. It was perfect. The mint tea was my favourite (so tasty!).
Afterward, we were presented with a flight certificate to commemorate the hot air balloon excursion.
This was an experience I will never ever forget. I’m so grateful to have experienced my first hot air balloon ride on my first trip to Morocco. I highly recommend this to everyone. It’s life-changing.
Enjoy the perspective.
