New Zealand Video

It has been a couple of months (okay, over half a year) since I came back from New Zealand.

I've finally put together a short video of my trip!

I hope you enjoy it! (ps there are Kea in it!!)

Please subscribe to my youtube channel, because I hope to start vlogging in the future!

Goodbye 2015

What a crazy year 2015 was. I took a large jump closer to becoming more like the real Me! It was a very strange feeling to finish the year and know that I had a successful year!! So if you feel like it, I answered 39 Questions about 2015. You don't have to read it all! :)

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?

Traveled overseas to New Zealand, Bungy Jumped, Zorbed, Ziplined, Jumped completely out of my comfort zone (53 strangers on Contiki tour) Saw a Kea, a Kiwi, a Tuatara, and other amazing NZ animals, went as far south as I ever had, went as far East as I ever had, went through customs (didn’t get in trouble), went on a ferry that carries cars, saw a dormant volcano, climbed to the top of an extinct volcano… so freaking much! Tattoos!!

2. Did you keep your New Year’s Resolutions, and will you make more for next year

I didn’t send cards to my friends like I said I would – I sort of looked after myself (I joined a gym, but stopped going after 2 weeks because someone who worked there was a bitch to me – still paying for it though :( ) I read more blogs, but didn’t blog as much as I wanted… I did start this blog with my bestie… so hopefully next year will be better. I stressed about money sometimes… but not as much as I did in 2014… and I tried to be a better work colleague, but it’s hard when your workplace goes to shit… but we survived and 2016 is going to be awesome!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes, my cousin gave birth to her little Ruby!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

New Zealand!

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?

confidence – I think I answer confidence to this question all the time. I’m definitely getting better… I still just haven’t figured out how to make friends and meet people without feeling super awkward!

7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Jumping off that bridge in New Zealand! I still can’t believe that I did it!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Travelling to New Zealand on my own, and the whole experience of making new friends, being adventurous and taking a huge literal leap out of my comfort zone!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Being single all year. I haven nothing against being single, I love it, but I would like to experience being in a relationship no matter how short!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No, I was quite lucky health wise. I’ve been a little mentally down in the last couple of months, but I’m working through it!

11. What was the best thing someone bought you?

My mum bought the air tickets to New Zealand for me! If she wasn’t there to help I probably would of never made it!

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

I would say my own… I’m very proud of how I handled this year

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

A few people, new and old, that could just disappear from my life.

14. Where did most of your money go?

New Zealand

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

New Zealand

16. What song will always remind you of 2015?

Lean On by Major Lazer – it was our Contiki Day Song, so whenever I hear it, it reminds me of NZ

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happie

b) fatter or skinner? Skinnier

c) richer or poorer? Richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Travel

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Stressing

20. How do/did you plan to spend Christmas?

Christmas lunch with the family!

21. Did you fall in love in 2015?

with New Zealand :D

22. How many one night stands?

No

23. What was your favourite TV program?

Sense8, new series of Orange is The New Black

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Yes

25. What was the best book you read?

It’s a tie between Room or The Light We Cannot See

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Star Wars made character playlists on Spotify!

27. What did you want and get?

Trip to New Zealand, Thermomix… heaps of stuff

28. What did you want and not get?

Lots of things…

29. What was your favourite film of this year?

Star Wars The Force Awakens

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I had the day off work. I got my nails done, had morning tea at my aunts cafe… just relaxed. I turned 29!

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Spending more time with Emmy

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?

Dressing more the way I wanted to, because I could actually buy clothes I liked in my size! YAY!

33. What kept you sane?

Emmy, and my mum

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Oh dear… too many! Currently I’m in love with Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaacs

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

Trump! So glad I don’t live in America

36. Who do you miss?

Spending time with Emmy

37. Who was the best new person you met?

Most of the people I met on Contiki… in particular Veronica, Courtney, Emma, Lucy, and Emily

38. What was the best thing you ate?

Fish & Chips on the foreshore in Auckland! (Fush & Chups!)

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015?

LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!

Cameras & Luggage

Hello friends!
Time for some more travel talk!

Only 96 days until I head to New Zealand, and I'm very excited! I have a backpack, I have some good walking shoes, I have $500 left to pay off my tour, I have my flights booked, and I have my passport!
I still need to save some spending money (but I have 7 more pay days until I go) and I just need to relax and chill out until then.
I need a camera (because you always NEED to take photos when you travel) I have my old Samsung digital camera, that is slow and sluggish... I have my iPhone 6 Plus (that takes better photos then my Samsung)... and my sister has a Canon DSLR (which I am planning of taking, but it's large and bulky) so I'm looking at getting a new camera. I was thinking of getting a tough waterproof camera, but while looking at Harvey Norman, I came across the Olympus Pen (the mini DSLR) I went home and did some research, and have decided to get an Olympus Pen E-PL7.

They are similar to normal DSLR cameras, they have interchangeable lenses, but are smaller and lighter. The E-PL7 has built in wi-fi to connect to your smartphone, and has many other cool features. Harvey Norman currently have them on special for $448 (including one lens) (I've seen the same camera at other camera shops in Australia for $700 and more). They are out of stock at the local store, so I'm hoping I can get one ordered or rain checked for the sale price. It doesn't even bother me if it takes a couple of weeks to come in. So on Monday, after Jury Duty :(, I will head to Harvey Norman and see what I can figure out!
I've been watching videos about the camera on Youtube, and reading reviews, and all the reviews are pretty positive. I go pretty research mad when I find something I like. I would like to hear peoples opinions on cameras, have you had any experience with the Olympus Pen cameras? Let me know in the comments!

I have made contact with some people who are also going on the Contiki Tour with me. I have added one of Facebook, and we have started chatting. It will be nice to get to know some people before we actually meet, it takes a little of that first meeting anxiety away.
I want to ask him about the luggage he plans to take with him, but being a guy, he's probably not as obsessed with luggage and packing lists as I am. I'm still worried about my luggage getting left somewhere that isn't where I am!

Flight to New Zealand booked!

Flying Perth to Melbourne, 3 hour stop over, than Melbourne to Christchurch. I leave Perth at 11.45pm, get into Melbourne at 6.10am, fly out of Melbourne at 9.30am, and arrive in Christchurch at 2.30pm. It's going to be a long day!

New Zealand, here I come!!

Passport

My passport has arrived.
It took me 3 tries to get it, I'm so glad that it's here.
It's one less thing for me to worry about!
It's a pretty amazing look book.
Considering what you can do with it, and what you can't do without it!
I don't like my passport photo (but who does)
The next step in my big adventure planning is flights.
I have decided to purchase my flight to New Zealand first.
Contiki need to know when I fly in ASAP, and I'm not 100% sure when I'm planning on coming home yet... if I stay an extra couple of days in Auckland, or just fly straight home.
I was going to fly direct to Auckland, then to Christchurch, but have discovered it's cheaper to fly to Christchurch via Melbourne. So that's the plan.

I'm still having trouble deciding on checked baggage or not. There are pros and cons to it. Pros - more space for stuff, Cons - having to carry it around. My flights include luggage... so maybe I can just check luggage on the way home instead. I don't know, it's one of the ultimate travel questions!
I think I mentioned that I did a mock-pack and failed miserably :( I got in most of my clothes... but that was it, not toiletries, no extra stuff... Do I buy a bigger backpack? Do I pack less? I'm worried that if I get a bigger backpack, it will be too big for carry on. My Crumpler ASO Outpost, is the right size for carry on, but just not big enough for all my stuff! Do I want to be the girl who wears the same clothes everyday? {20 Packing Light Benefits}

Good thing I have a couple more months to figure this out :)

<3 Molly

How to travel with carry-on only! - This is my favourite article so far! It's very informative, and has some awesome ideas! It's going to be very helpful in the future!

I have discovered, that even flying from Australia to New Zealand, I still need to follow the carry-on liquid rules... this means, no bottles over 100ml... and only enough to fit in a 1 litre clear re-sealable bag.
That means, I'm either spending lots of money at LUSH (solid shampoo, solid perfume) or cutting down how much liquid I'm taking :D I'm lucky, because I'm not a big make-up wearer... but I love my  perfume and also sunscreen!

Travel Journals for New Zealand

I want to document my trip to New Zealand.

I want to find the perfect Travel Journal.

As a long time lover of Moleskine I was instantly interested in the following 2 journals.

 <3 Moleskine Passion Travel Journal

Moleskine Voyageur

Wanderlust Travel Journal

This is only A6 size, but has variety of pages, and pockets.

Or I could use my Midori Traveller

I will need to buy some more inserts for it.

What do you guys think? Do you have any suggestions?

<3 Molly

New Zealand 2015 - Backpacks & Luggage!

I spent most of last night looking for backpacks online.
Even though I have a perfectly good Crumpler ASO Outpost backpack.

So I have given up the backpack search and I'm going to travel to NZ with my 25L backpack.
3 weeks with 25L of space (plus an extra bag (maybe a messenger bag))
As a chronic overpacker... this may be difficult for me, hence why I'm starting to plan now.
I'm thinking of getting one of these too...
A Crumpler Squid it's a stowable backpack. It unfolds to create a full size backpack. (and the colour I would choose is called "Snot Green" LOL!)

So that would give me 45L of packing space for my trip!

The next question will be... to laptop, or not to laptop!
I have a 11inch Macbook Air, so it's not going to take much room... but I hardly use it... and I have an iPhone 6 Plus now... so I probably wouldn't need to use it... at the moment I'm going with NO... but being able to watch a movie, or TV show on the road and in the evening... might be a good idea. It would fit, I have a dedicated space for it, in my Outpost.

I guess the most important thing to do is...
GET A PASSPORT!
I cannae go anywhere without passport!

I swear I'm not that excited!

<3 Molly

New Zealand 2015 - The Beginning!

My Contiki tour in New Zealand is booked and confirmed!
I'm very excited, and a little stressed.
Will I be able to pay it off in time? Will I get flights? Stupid brain!
The trip isn't until September, I have a lot of time to plan and organise.
The trip is 16 days and explores the South and North island, starting in Christchurch and finishing in Auckland. There are a few places I wanted to see that I will miss, but I'm sure I will be back soon!

As a crazy, obsessive planner... I have already started my packing list! As well as the list of things I may need/want for my travels.
I want to try and do this trip as laid-back as possible. Travel stresses me out. Being overweight and travelling is tiring and stressful, but it will be the 1 year anniversary of my weight loss surgery while I'm away, so I should be considerably healthier. I'm already starting to feel healthier now. I'm down 35.6kg in less than 4 months, and on Tuesday I start Boxing. Very excited to start working out, doing something I think I will enjoy :D

It's looking good.

<3 Molly