Visit Every Country/ Continent (FIJI)

Posted by Shelley Worsley ,
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I arrived in Nadi, Fiji around 5 am after a long flight from Los Angeles. I don’t know about you but I struggle to sleep on planes so I was ‘cream-crackered’!

It’s standard practise in Nadi (pronouced Nan-Dee) to offer airport transfer, which I found to be very helpful as I would have otherwise been stuck in a random airport at 5 in the morning. However I was picked up from the airport and was able to check into my room straight away. I then slepted for the entire day!!!

At night I went to an incredible Fijian Fire, sword and dance show. The traditional dancing was brilliant; each song told a story through movement. However the fire-dancing was the best; sometimes all the men danced together in a choreographed routine with sticks of fire, while other times they danced alone, breakdancing with fire! They would throw the sticks in the air and catch them, balance on eachothers backs and even twirl them with there feet.

Towards the end of the show they started dancing with machete’s. To prove they were real and very sharp they would cut a coconut in half with one slice. The men then went on to dance with it like with the fire, into the air and with their feet. One guy even danced with it blind folded!!!

The show ended in a huge conga line with the audience all dancing together on the beach as the music changed from traditional Fijian beats to reggae and other club mixes.  It was an incredible show and a spectacular welcome to Fiji.

The next morning I started a 7days/6nights tour around the Yasawa Islands visiting 4 different islands and resorts. The first resort was ‘Nabua Lodge’ where we visited the Sawailau Caves made famous in the film ‘Blue Lagoon’. 

At night we participated in a traditional kava ceremony, a Fijian ceremony where you sit cross-legged in a circle on the floor, play instruments, sing and drink kava.  Kava comes from the roots of the yaqona plant, but it is ground up and mixed with water before you drink it.  It looks and tastes like mud, and makes your mouth and tongue tingle.  If you can get past the taste of the kava itself, the ceremony is very nice. Every time you are given a cup you clap your hands once, say "bula" (which means hello), and drink it.  When you drink  from your shallow cup the rest of the circle claps three times in succession.  Everyone is happy during a kava ceremony.  It is a chance to enjoy time with friends, sort out any tribal differences, mend relationships, and learn from one another.



In resorts around the world there tends to be a distance kept between the local peoples and the tourists they serve.  In Fiji this is not the case.  In both Nabua Lodge and our next resort Waya Lalai we've met Fijian men, women and children excited to be our friends and to teach us about their culture.  They welcome us in with enthusiasm and sincerity.  Fiji doesn't feel like any other generic tropical paradise, it feels like Fiji, and it is definitely the Fijians and their willing openness that make it feel so special.

At Waya Lailai we swam with sharks and walked to the summit at sunset. The climb itself was steep and hard work but once at the top it is the most stunning view over the islands (Not as good as the view from a skydive lol). At the top you can also see the famous wobbling rock that is a must see when visiting Fiji. Whilst staying a Waya Lailai we also met some of the fijian rugby team as they were running to the summit for training ready for the world cup. Unfortuantley they were staying at the resort across the water!

The next resort was Korovou but unfortunatly we didn’t do any activities here as the day we stayed it was a Sunday (the day of rest) no activities were taking place. This meant we missed out on swimming with Manta Rays. However we were invited to church by the locals. This was an experience in itself as their style of teaching is more fun and energetic.











Last was Beachcomber Island, also known as the party island. We had a great evening here with ‘Happy Hour’ every hour! Fiji is fairly cheap anyway! The next morning we went on a Seaspray sailing trip. However most of my group were unable to go due to having too much fun the night before!!! We sailed all day and had a BBQ lunch. We visited the Island were Tom Hanks filmed ‘Castaway’ and we visited another village. This time the village didn’t have a resort near it so again this was real fijians!!



Fiji has to be one of the best places I have visited so far!

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Swim with Sharks

Posted by Shelley Worsley ,
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Fijians believe that they have magical powers.  One of these powers is their ability to charm sharks.  During my trip around the Yasawa Islands we stopped off at Waya Lailai, where we had the chance to swim with reef sharks. I couldn’t pass on this offer!

After a twenty minute bumpy boatride to the reef, one of the workers jumped out of the boat with a metal rod and speared some fish. I was a bit nervous at first as I’m not very good a snorkelling and was worried the waves would go over the top of my snorkal (they did!). I eventually jumped in with the rest of my group to see all different coloured coral fish eating the dead fish from the fijian. This fish frenzy brought out a few curious reef sharks who swam with and around us for a long while. The fijian guy’s were treating them like pets, feeding them and even stroking them!
We stayed in the water well past the point where we started getting cold and running out of speared fish, but I didn’t want to go back as I was having the best time. The entire ride home I wore a huge grin on my face, thinking about the magnificently gentle shark.

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Shake hands with a member of the royal family

Posted by Shelley Worsley ,
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I haven't quite managed this task yet but I am one step closer. While I was in London last week I passed by Buckingham Palace as you do and there was a few men with motorbiked hanging around.
I knew that something was happening as you don't normally see this kind of activity. The men are called 'out riders' and they stop the traffic for the queen when she is out and about in her car.

I positioned myself right next to the barrier outside the main gates and waited for about 20 minutes. THEN it happened! The Queen rode out in her car straight passed me. Below is the video I took.



As I am from England you would think that seeing the queen wasn't a big deal but believe me it is. Not many people can say they have actually seen a member of the royal family in everyday life.

Have you ever met someone of her importance in your own country?

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Skydive

Posted by Shelley Worsley ,
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Skydiving is on everyones bucket list and something that everyone should experience at least once. I had always wanted to do it but wanted the perfect view to look at. I had thought about doing it over the Great Barrier Reef while in Australia, but as soon as I arrived in Fiji I knew that this was the perfect place for me. Blue ocean and white sandy beaches, you couldn’t really go wrong with that.

I booked it with ‘Skydive Fiji’ though the hostel tour desk and they picked me up from there. You have to go through all the paperwork and basically sign your life away!

We arrived at the plane and I was given a harness to put on and tie up. This was the point I began to get nervous as they don’t exactly make sure it’s done up propery and you don’t get told what to do. We then got into this old, rickety plane that held 2 people and 2 instructors. As we slowly reached 12,000 feet I began to think about what I was actually doing and wether I would go through with it. My instructor Malachi, then finally tightened my harness and attached it to his, and then proceeded to tell me to put me feet out onto the step and and cross my arms over my chest when the door opened. Simple as that!!!

When we reached 12,000 feet my instructor opened the door and you could feel the wind straight away and it was freezing, but I didn’t care as my adenaline was pumping. Before I knew it we had let oursleves fall and we were literally falling to earth at around 120mph for 40-50 seconds!

It doesn’t feel like you were falling though as I think the higher you are the slower your brain registers that you are falling. With Bungy jumping for example the ground is getting closer and closer very quickly!!

As I was enjoying the scenery and getting relaxed Malachi opened the parachute and with a jolt we rushed back up a little bit. Floating through the air was such a great feeling and Fiji looks even more amazing than on the ground. After a while Malachi let me steer the parachute in circles and from left to right trying to get us over our target on the ground, and as the ground became closer he took over and when told I lifted my feet up for the landing. We both landed smoothly on our feet and I was totally in love with Skydiving.


Have you been skydiving and would you do it again??

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Learn to Snowboard

Posted by Shelley Worsley ,
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While away travelling I visited New Zealand and it was winter!!! I don’t really like the cold weather but I thought it was the perfect opportunity to Learn to Snowboard.


I bought myself a two-day beginners pass for $350NZD, which included free transport from Queenstown to Cardrona Ski Field, Lift pass for both days, all equipment (board, goggles, clothes etc) and 3 x two hour lessons.

On the first day I was a bit nervous but very excited. I got on the bus and watched the world go by for 1½ hours up winding hills to the ski field. Once we got there I had to wait 30 minutes for my first Snowboard lesson because I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I noticed a girl who was also on my bus and we started talking. It turned out that she was also a beginner and we would be in the same group for our lessons.

We started our first lesson at 10.30am and I was relieved when I saw people my age and older in my group. The first part of the lesson was spent talking about the board and how to move about on flat land with one foot strapped in. most of my group picked this up fairly quickly so we moved on to climbing up a small hill.

We then moved onto two feet strapped in and as soon as I did this I couldn’t stand up. I found it so hard to stand up while everyone else was up and down practising. I learnt that I need to work on my flexibility!

During lunch between our lessons I practised getting up and down so that I didn’t look like a total idiot in the next lesson. We then went on to stopping and starting using our toes and heels. Our instructor held our hands for the first few times until we got used to the board and got our balance and then he let us go.

I WAS SNOWBOARDING!!!!!

After my initial bad start I picked things up fairly quickly and stayed at the front of the pack. We all fell a few times but nobody cared. After a while of practising we made it onto the beginners slope and started zigzagging down the hill at a slow speed. It was really painful on the legs but so much fun.

On the second day I met up with a friend, Helen, who I had previously met in America and we both had our last lessons. We practised again doing zigzags on the beginners slope until our instructor said we were ready!! He was actually going to take us onto a real slope with other people who weren’t beginners!!


The first challenge was the Ski lifts, they swing round on a carousel like a cable car and you have to get in front of it so it can lift you up into it. If you don’t get there in time they will knock you over! I managed that bit ok and then we watched all the skiers and snowboarders coming down the mountain as we slowly made our way up. As we got nearer the top my instructor said there would be a slight slope to get off, again it won’t stop so you have to be quick. As I prepared myself I lost all confidence and fell over as soon as I got off it. How embarrassing!!!












After that one time I was ok, Helen and I spent the rest of the afternoon going down the mountain thinking we were really good at it. I think we were ok for beginners until my last run. I got a bit cocky and was on the last stretch when my board skidded round and the back edge caught on the snow. I flew backwards and smacked my head on the ground, and twisted my wrist.  I went all dizzy and felt like I was going to faint, so called it a day! In the coach on the way back I took my glove off to see that my wrist had tripled in size!! Fortunately it wasn’t broke but very badly sprained and I couldn’t use it properly for a good few weeks.

Here a small preview of my progress


Overall the experience was worth it and I would recommend anyone to give snowboarding or even skiing a go!! 

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Watch David Beckham play for LA Galaxy

Posted by Shelley Worsley ,
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While I was in Los Angeles I felt it was only right to watch my hero David Beckham play for Los Angeles Galaxy Football (Soccer) team. I was a bit worried about booking a ticket, as I knew I would be on my own and the Home Depot Centre where they play is about 1 ½ drive from Hollywood where I was staying.


On the 4th July A guy in my Hostel went to see a match and said it was fine getting there and he got a taxi back to be safe, so I thought what the heck I am all the way over here and I will never get the chance to see David Beckham play again.

I went onto a website called ‘Stubhub’ who sell cheap tickets and I managed to get a second row ticket for $13 for the 9th July 2011.


I made my way to the Home Depot Centre in Carson on the bus as I had already bought a weekly ticket for unlimited use. It was really easy to get there but we went through Compton, which is the roughest area in Los Angeles, and no tourist is ever seen there! This helped me make my decision to get a taxi home at whatever cost!

I arrived at the Home Depot centre in time to watch the teams warm up and I got my first ever real life glimpse of David Beckham!!! He is as good looking in real life as he is in Magazines.


The game itself was a pretty good match. LA Galaxy was playing the Chicago Fire and ended up winning 2-1. The first half wasn’t that interesting but in the second half it was all go! In the 58th minute Galaxy received a free kick, which David Beckham took and curved it onto Landon Donovan’s head for the first goal. Next up was Chicago Fire who scored an easy goal in the 62nd minutes but only 4 minutes later was the highlight of the game. Galaxy received a corner kick, which again David Beckham took. A usual corner kick would see the player curve it in to one of the player’s heads but this time Beckham did something that not many players could do. He curved it right into the goal past all the players and even the goalkeeper!!!!











The whole experience for me was incredible as the Home Depot centre is a fairly small stadium so any seat you sit in is a good seat. I was lucky to have a second row seat right next to the corner in which Beckham took the corner from. I will never forget this day!

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Ride along the Great Ocean Road

Posted by Shelley Worsley ,
,

While in Australia I visited Melbourne, recently voted the most liveable city in Australia. Melbourne is the perfect getaway to the Great Ocean Road, a 243-kilometre stretch of dramatic coastline along the southeastern part of Australia all the way to Adelaide.


 While I was in Melbourne I had a Surf Camp booked, which I received for my birthday. Unfortunately the Surf tour was cancelled so I couldn’t complete 'Learn to Surf'. But with that surf camp I also received a free 1-day tour of the Great Ocean Road with Bunyip Tours.

The tour started early at 7am so I booked into a hostel that was next door! There were 12 people on our tour, which was good as it wasn’t too crowded. Our first stop was Bell’s Beach near Torquay. The beach was made famous in the film ‘Point Break’ and is also home to the worlds longest-running surf tour – the Ripcurl Pro surf tour. As I was there in September there were only a few surfers as it was still a bit cold! Whilst at the beach the tour guide gave us a cup of tea and some biscuits.

Before our next stop at Cape Otway we passed through Lorne and Apollo Bay spotting wild Koala’s up in the Eucalyptus Trees. As we approached Cape Otway National Park we stopped by the roadside to get a close up view of the Koala’s and had the most amazing encounter. One of the koalas climbed down the tree and started walking across the road. Some of us were then able to get a close picture with it.











At Cape Otway we went for a quick rainforest Bush walk before stopping at the Famous Lighthouse. The lighthouse is the oldest, surviving lighthouse in Mainland Australia and has been in continuous operation since 1848. The lighthouse is owned and run by the famous Gadabanud People who cooked us a famous Aussie BBQ and told us stories about their culture.










Our last stop was the main part of the trip and the famous limestone rocks known as the 12 Apostles. We reached the 12 Apostles viewpoint first and some people took a helicopter ride over them. We then visited ‘Loch Ard Gorge’ which was named after a clipper ship Loch Ard that was wrecked on nearby Muttonbird Island after a three-month journey from London to Melbourne. The amazing part was only 2 survivors made it out of the 51 people on board thanks to the gorge that protected them from the very strong and fatal waves.



The last beach we enjoyed was called ‘Gibson Steps Beach’ which had 86 steps in total. Here we had fun on the beach having our pictures taken with ‘Australia’  and our names written in the sand.


Overall it was a fantastic day out and a must do attraction when visiting Melbourne or anywhere on the Southeastern coast of Australia.




Has anyone driven the whole of the Great Ocean Road or part of it????

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