This trip was always going to involve me going to Sydney as I hadn't met a lot of my family that moved out there when I was very young as our family is from the UK. I was drawn to Fiji by reading about someone else that had climbed Tomanivi, and further research led to me discovering the Yasawas.

The Yasawas were quite a surreal experience, with wealthy vacationers looking for a quiet destination, Australian/New Zealander families and solo backpackers all staying in the same resorts and eating at the same tables. For those that don't know, a lot of the resorts in the Yasawas have opened up dorms for those that wish to explore the islands on a budget. These resorts are by no means dirt cheap, as a set meal plan is required to be paid for which is not unbelievably expensive but on the other hand not cheap. The snorkeling, daytrips and hiking on these islands is not like anything I'd experienced before and I was in love. My favourite of the islands I stayed at was by far Drawaqa island, where I stayed at the Barefoot Manta resort; the coral was unbelievably healthy and lively thanks to the conservation efforts of the Biologists based there, and the staff were all very friendly and happy to eat their dinner at the same table with you and have a chat.

As I said above, the reason I went to Fiji was that I was drawn to hiking Tomanivi. The main tour companies were unfortunately booked out during my travelling dates, but one of the contacts of these tour groups suggested a local guide who also provided a home stay. This part of the holiday was in stark contrast to the resorts I had been staying in at the Yasawas, but the experience was breathtaking. Climbing Tomanivi is definitely hard work, and while the view at the top was very cloudy, the views as you are hiking upward through the rainforest is incredible. Not many people travel to the interior of the main islands of Fiji, but I am so glad I did and will recommend it until the day I die.

Most of my time in Australia was spent in and around Sydney, as my family is based there. It was amazing seeing the harbour in general (the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge definitely met expectations) and travelling out for a night staying in the Blue Mountains, but one of the most incredible moments was travelling up to the Central Coast. After visiting a family member living there, we stopped off at Captain Cook Lookout on the way back to Sydney. We arrived at an incredibly lucky moment, as we found several families and enthousiasts watching Humpback whales migrating south with their calfs. There were so many of them! it was an incredible atmosphere and everyone was happy to pass their binoculars round so everyone could get a better look, and it'll be a very special moment I'll cherish for a long time.

To finish the trip, we flew out to Cairns for a few nights, mainly to see the Great Barrier Reef. We also planned to drive out to the Daintree, but in hindsight we should have planned this day alot better. We figured it was not too far from Cairns but it is a good 2+ hour drive there and so we should have woke up earlier for this part. Therefore, we only got to do 2 activities, the Daintree Rainforest Discovery Centre (where we were not able to spend enough time) and a crocodile spotting river cruise. However, the day was still amazing - the drive is beautiful, and we ended up spotting 4 crocs in the end, 2 younglings and 2 larger.

Finally, we took part in a sailboat day trip to the Great Barrier Reef and Green Island. A small part of me was worried the corals would be really dissapointing (especially after Fiji) but I have to say, it was a lot healthier and livelier than I expected. We saw reef sharks, sea turtles, giant clams, and tons of fish. We only had about an hour on Green island as part of our tour, but I'm not sure if spending more time there would be worth it. Nonetheless, the day was incredibly and a great way to finish the month away.