My new (but old) blog

This will be my last post on this blog website as I decided to revamp my blog on another platform. As much as I like creating blog posts on Blogger, I wanted my blog to have a more professional feel. The good news, for me at least, is that I could easily transfer all my posts from this blog to my new one.

I hope that if you liked any of my posts on this blog, that you will follow me on my new blog: http://theglobetrottinglinguist.com. You will see how different it looks! I also have some new exciting posts coming up on Australia and France in the coming weeks so check them out too. If not, thanks for reading my blog anyway :)

Fraser Island: do's and dont's

As I backpacked my way down the East Coast, everyone around me was excited about arriving at Fraser Island. And why wouldn't they be? This exotic island, situated in the South of Queensland, has it all: beautiful sandy beaches, creeks, a historic shipwreck to explore, clear blue lakes that are perfect for cooling off in and plenty of scenic viewpoints.

Indian Head viewpoint

Sounds perfect, right? Sure, it's pretty idyllic but only if you forget the venomous spiders, dangerous currents, wild dingoes and the fact that you need to get around in a 4x4 in an island covered in sand! Having learned the hard way, I'm happy I can share my advice with you so you get the most out of this experience.

Do's

- Inform your family back home that they won't be able to contact you. You won't have a signal and if camping outside you will have no sockets available for charging phones anyway. Embrace the lack of technology, it's liberating!

- Follow instructions given by 4x4 companies regarding driving on sand. Ensure that you have a trustworthy driver who will follow these instructions. For example, as soon as you get there, you have to adjust the tyres for driving on sand. If you don't, you will get stuck and I believe you can end up puncturing the tyre.

Our 4x4 hire, great company!

 

- Take enough food and drinks with you for the duration. Beyond the arrival point, there are no shops and your tour group won't want to waste time going away back to the shop. Take plenty of water as it is boiling hot here and the last thing you need here is dehydration!


- If you really want to embrace the adventure of Fraser Island by camping. We stayed in a campsite near the Maheno Shipwreck. We even got to see local Aborigines who dance at this campsite and tried to play the Didgeridoo! They did this completely free and taught us their dances. Such a cool
experience!

- If staying in a tent, beware of creepy crawlies such as spiders and be prepared to hear dingoes outside your tent. Just don't be first to go out the tent in the morning and all will be fine!

 

- Take appropriate footwear, preferably trainers. The sand here is very hot and if you wear flip flops you will burn the soles of your feet. Trust me, I learned the hard way! Also, be prepared to walk a lot to get to the best places.


- Make the most of your time here. It doesn't strike me as the sort of place you would return to. You will need a couple of days to get the full experience.

Don'ts

- Don't do a tour with all strangers. We got landed with two girls who were moody and didn't really embrace the whole adventure. It ruined a little bit for us because it was awkward. If you can, go with friends or people you get on with.


- Don't attempt to be a rally driver or a show off in the 4x4. You get warned before going across how dangerous this can be. Unfortunately, there have been plenty of accidents there due to driving incidents. Take care especially if you are the driver; you have other people's safety to take into account.


- Don't expect to get from the ferry to the main part of the Island quickly. People get stuck often and several times en route. If you can, get out and help them. It will make it quicker and they will repay the favour when it happens to you. And it definitely will! Some of the best laughs we had were trying to help people get unstuck!

- If you listen to one piece of advice, let it be this: do not swim in the beaches on Fraser Island. It is really not safe. There are strong currents, jellyfish and sharks. If that's not a big enough disincentive for cooling off in the ocean, I don't know what is! However, the Champagne Pools are suitable for swimming in.


- Don't make a plan of exactly what to do, go with the flow and it will be a whole lot more fun. However, I do recommend looking up what your options are to save time. We decided to visit:

 

The Champagne Pools

 

Lake Wabby

 

Maheno Shipwreck

 

The famous Lake McKenzie

- I would say, however, don't visit both Lakes in the same day. To get to each one, you need to walk a good hour or more in the boiling heat and all on sand. There is little shade and once you start the walk, you can only get back the way you came. To see the Champagne Pools, you also have to walk along the beach from Indian Head as you can't take the 4x4 along it.

Is it worth it?

Absolutely. If you are visiting the East Coast, you can't let this adventure pass you by. As long as you drive safely and think responsibly, then there is nothing you need to worry about. Let me know in the comments if you have been or are intending to go.

Why Aix-en-Provence surprised me

Back in 2006, my University told me I was off to the city of Aix-en-Provence for a year as part of my studies. Luckily, we had Google by then so I could search a bit more about it for example where it was. I must confess my first thought was out of all the exciting places in France how did I end up here? By the end of my year, I had done a 180 degree turn!

La Rotonde fountain decorated for Christmas

Information about Aix

Aix is situated in the South of France, about 45 minutes drive from Marseille. It is a medium sized town full of historic buildings, fashionable shops, pretty monuments  and parks dotted around the city and represents typical French culture. It is a University town and is also popular with tourists especially when the warmer months roll in. This city has a reputation for being posh and expensive, with it's exclusive bistros and boutiques. However, it caters for all with reasonably priced cafés, shops like Monoprix and bars. Shops are open until late in the evening but are completely closed on a Sunday; you will be lucky to even get a loaf of bread!

Fountain of Albertas

Things you can't miss

1. The Cours Mirabeau is a historic and beautiful street located in the centre of the city. With trees scattered all the way down it, it is perfect for strolling around on a warm day, doing some shopping, people watching or sampling some typical food in it's cafés and restaurants. At any time of day or year, it is a flurry of activity you will not want to miss out on! At Christmas, there are markets dotted along the Cours with many wonderful goodies on offer such as Lavender soaps or sugared almonds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. A visit to a French town would be incomplete without the Hôtel de Ville, which is a situated in a pretty little square which is unsurprisingly called Place de l'Hôtel de Ville. This little square also comprises the Clock Tower, the Post Office and has markets on different days.

 

 

 

3. Aix is the city where the famous painter Cezanne was born. You can visit his house and studio, follow his steps around the city using the C shape studs in the streets and visit the cemetery where he is buried. Aix has many possibilities for culture such as the Granet museum or Natural History museum. It has 3 cinemas, one of which shows subtitled French films, and a theatre.

 

 

4. French cuisine is renowned the world over and is best sampled in one of the many restaurants offering delicacies and specialities. It is best to walk down the Cours Mirabeau towards La Rotonde and as you get to Le Bistro Romain, the streets behind are full of restaurants. I also recommend the restaurants at Place des Cardeurs.

 

There are plenty cafés and stalls for sampling salty and sugary crêpes, although the Nutella one is the one I recommend. Another speciality is the "sandwich steak frites" - a baguette with a long burger, thin fries and topped with mayonnaise or ketchup. Who said French cuisine was healthy?

 

5. Aix is called the City of the Thousand Fountains as everywhere you look, another one appears. The Fountain Moussue on the Cours Mirabeau is an unusual warm water fountain that is covered in moss. In the Old Town, the Fountain of Albertas sits in a pretty little square in front of an old mansion. On Rue du 4 Septembre, the Quatre Dauphins sits in the middle of a picturesque street. Each fountain has different stories associated with them and are all still functioning.

 

 

 

6. Parc Jourdan is good for sunbathing or chilling with a book. However, it is often filled with students who can be a little rowdy. Nearby, there is also La Torse which is nicer for a picnic and where you see French families playing at the weekends. It has pretty trees I have only ever seen here and a cute little stream. I love a good park!



 

7. One of my favourite places for relaxing in Aix is the salon de thé Orienthé where you sit on cushions on the floor and sample yummy exotic teas full of flavour. It's like being in Morocco!

 

The one thing lacking is Aix is the nightlife, or at least it was in 2006. There were very few nightclubs or bars with atmosphere and as a student that is what we were looking for! We tended to stick to 3 places: O'Sullivans, O'Neills and IPN. It's suitable however if you are just looking for a quiet drink in a bar.

Why I ended up loving Aix

- Aix has a sense of enchantment, history and magic about it. There is no way you can be unaffected by it's charm.

 

- It's proximity to other cities nearby such as Marseille and Nice. A drive to the beaches around Marseille is definitely worthwhile.

 

- There is always something happening here. It is rare to see the streets of Aix empty.

 

- Everything you need is within walking distance and it is easy to navigate around. It's also a very safe city.

 

- Although it is a popular student city, the residences are a 15 minute walk away so the city centre is not overrun by them.

 

- You won't get away with speaking English here without making some attempt at French!  They don't cater for tourists and expect tourists to join in on their culture.

 

- No matter what time of day, time of year or weather it is a simply stunning city. It's pretty buildings will leave you in awe.

Will I be returning?

 

 

Hopefully within the near future, I'll get to go back and revisit all the good memories.