*EDIT*** Since starting this post, then leaving it in drafts for nearly a year (oops), I've since done another overseas trip, to Bali at the beginning of this year. Again, a solo trip, something which I've gotten used to, seeing as pretty much all my friends are married/engaged/in a long term relationship/have kids etc.. Nonetheless I very much enjoyed it, a really great experience, such great value for money & some beautiful countryside if you make it out of the tourist hotspots.and those beaches... great, & stunning sunsets. If only I'd had a little more luck with the weather! It would actually go very close to nudging No. 5 out of its spot, but I'll just keep it as an addition to the post for now. *****
So continuing on from last time,I have been thinking of my best holidays or trips I've ever done. So this is a good way to note them & elaborate a touch on those experiences.
The top 3 really jump straight out at me, not much consideration required. Number 4 took me a few minutes before slotting in comfortably. But number 5 could really have been any number of good holidays/trips I've had. So to rattle off a few honourable mentions that could easily have snuck into 5th spot:
*Family Trip to Northern Territory in 1993. Plenty of memories of this one, especially when we broke down halfway between Alice Springs & Kings Canyon I'm betting there's still no mobile coverage there today - mobiles were barely on the scene in 1993! But that aside, was a fun trip
* Fiji - Almost exactly 2 years ago already. My only o/s holiday not to be top 5, but was still a memorable & relaxing holiday, & some of the most friendly people you'll ever meet! And what would the odds be of running into fellow Geelongians over there? Bula!! :)
* 2010 Tassie Trip - Took my old car on the Spirit Of Tasmania across to the Apple Isle for a different style holiday to my usual sit & relax by the beach. Would have loved to spend more time exploring over there, was a lovely week seeing some natural beauty. The ability to take your own car made it a lot easier!
Any of those could realistically been No. 5, but as it stands on Feb 12th 2015, here are my top 5 holidays/trips:
5) Year 10 Trip to Central Australia - Ok, I know you can argue whether a high school excursion is technically a holiday or not, but hey this is my list & my blog! It certainly falls under "trip" anyway, & its not like we had to write an essay about it when we got back! When we came to write our profiles towards the end of our final year at high school, most people had this as their most memorable high school experience. That it was! So many great experiences! We visited many little towns on our coach up to Alice Springs & Ayres Rock (as it was still known then). Yes I made it to the top - think just about everyone did, despite the warnings from the locals. Plenty of laughs, games of cards round the fire, trying to impress the girls in the other tents.. Ahh the stories.
4) 1998 Gold Coast Trip - Nothing quite like a week-long trip with a mate to the Gold Coast when you're in you're early 20's eh? Boy was this one big week! Geez this was a huge week - we literally went through a slab of Carlton Cold a day! Rented a bomb of a car to drive out & do the theme parks, then basically hit the town in the evenings! So. Much. alcohol was drunk over this week, t the point on ou last day when we had a few hours to kill before heading back to the airport, we just couldn't stomach any more booze. We settled for going to see small Soldiers at the movies instead. A trip we always planned to do again, but never did et round to it alas.
3) Las Vegas/LA/San Francisco Trip , 2011 - I have a couple of friends who have never been ones to do things the normal & easy way, & this continued when they finally decided to tie the knot in 2011. They wanted a honeymoon in the USA & friends in the States they wanted to be part of thier special day, so why not get married in Vegas? Luckily this fwell at a good time for me when I was looking to plan my next o/s trip, so I didn't need to be asked to be part of the wedding twice! A great rip all round - the Hucks night, trip to the Grand Canyon that we never quite made, Disney World, the experience of Alcatraz at dusk.... amazing experiences! It also marked my first ever Major League Baseball game, & I'm now a passionate Giants fan! All in all, a wonderful & special holiday!
2) New Years Cruise, 2013/14 - My brothers gf had been raving for months about a great cruise she & her best friend had done. to the point where I looked at doing one for a different holiday experience myself. And what better way to see in the New Year? Most of my friends by this time were all moving beyond the going out & celebrating NYE, & I didn't want another boring night at home with just a few beers & a BBQ. So even though it was just me, I booked a 13 day cruise on the Pacific Pearl, taking in New Caledonia/Vanuatu. Literally one of the best experiences of my life. Loved every minute of it. Bars, buffets, trivia nights, pub crawl through Vanautu, making new friends (someone I'm not good at), dancing the nights away, & of course the New Years celebrations. This went within a whisker of being my best holiday ever, as it stands i'ts comfortably No. 2.
1) Barbados Cricket Tour, 2008 - They do say your first overseas holiday is often your most memorable! Boy was it ever, in fact, despite how awesome my cruise was a couple of years ago, its still my favourite holiday ever. Was more than a bit nervous, as again it was just me, but at last I was part of a tour group here, so once I finally got to Barbados in the West Indies, I'd be amongst fellow Aussies & cricket fans. From start to finish (not counting my side trip to Vegas) they was just awesome. Again, made a great new group of friends, clearly helped by our love of cricket. Instantly fell in love with the relaxed lifestyle of the Caribbean. Great cricket experience in the Party Stand - hard to complain when you get free food & free booze all day! :) Plus some great tours around the island, great nights out. I earned myself the nickname "disco" on the holiday - I only have faint memories of this night, but it was a pub that became an outdoor sort of nightclub later on. Thanks to our tour group's plans, it was 2 for 1 drinks all night. Plus it was a retro night - my type of music. Apparently I let loose & showed up the rest of the group by out-dancing everyone!We had an awesome tour host (seriously that guy has the best job in the world) & we got to meet west Indies cricket legends Joel Garner & Desmond Haynes. Pretty darn cool to be sinking rum & cokes & talking the state of the game at a cricket legend's personal rum shack - one of the most surreal moments of my life! Just the most awesome experience of my life, & still to date the best holiday I've ever done!!
