Glass House Mountains, Australia

December 27th - December 28th 2011

We decided to take a trip to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo in Beerwah. I had been there before with my family when we visited Australia five years ago and it was a highlight of our trip so I really wanted Craig to see it. The entrance fee had gone up by $10 since the newest edition of Lonely Planet came out so it was $59 each to enter. We went in and saw the lizards and alligators then the giant aldabran land tortoises which Craig loved! We watched them get fed and then wandered around until the daily show in the 'Crocoseum' which showcases snakes, birds and crocodiles. The birds fly all around the stadium and the crocs are let loose in the enclosure with Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin. It was a fantastic show to watch and the Irwins enforce their support of animal welfare issues too.

Kangaroo

The new Africa exhibit was good as the animals had really big enclosures and a highlight was walking through the kangaroo enclosure where you can feed and stroke the kangaroo's. We saw the afternoon elephant feeding and watched the tigers. We spent a long time walking through each of the enclosures and exhibits and really got our moneys worth. Our final stop was the new animal hospital which has been set up to take care of injured animals and try and rehabilitate them.

After Australia Zoo we drove to the nearby Glass House Mountains. We drove around and ended up at a campsite which felt more residential where the locals seemed to stare at us, luckily we were only there for the one night.


Glass House Mountains

Glass House Mountains

The next day we had breakfast and left to go to a viewpoint which looks over the Glass House Mountains. The scenery was stunning. We did a small 800m circular walk through the woods and saw interesting trees with markings all over them, we weren't sure if they were natural markings or somehow man made. After our walk we returned to our camper and started our journey to Brisbane. The sat nav got us hopelessly lost but we eventually made it to Nestle Inn which was quite far out of the city but we could easily catch a bus everyday in to the city.

Noosa, Australia

December 23rd - December 26th 2011

With only a couple of days till Christmas we decided to head down to Noosa. It was the next major stop on our journey and also sounded nice in the Lonely Planet so we thought we'd pay a little more and stay there for a few days to relax over the festive season. We were preparing to pay a lot to stay in a nice campsite over Christmas and were slightly worried about availability too as we hadn't pre-booked anywhere. Luckily we found a Top Tourist Resort which we get discount at and paid $58.55 each for three nights.

On Christmas Eve we had a relaxing morning at the site which features a big pool and TV/Games room. We drove to Coles and got some goodies for Christmas day, a chocolate yule log as well as bits and pieces for a picnic on the beach. We went into central Noosa and looked around for a nice restaurant so that we could go out for dinner on Christmas day.

View from the National Park walk

We woke up on Christmas morning and luckily the weather had finally brightened up as since Fraser Island a few days before it had been uncharacteristically drizzly. We couldn't afford to get each other presents so there was no present opening on Christmas morning however we knew that we would be spending over the budget to treat ourselves to a lovely dinner out, our first dinner out in Australia. We drove to Noosa and walked along the beach watching surfers, sunbathers and people frolicking in the waves, such an unusual Christmas day! We walked along some paths and got to the National Park where we saw a kookaburra and kept our eyes peeled for a koala but unfortunately we didn't see one.

Kookaburra

With emotions running high as we were both missing family and home Craig and I had a little falling out over something trivial which dampened the Christmas spirit but we soon got over it and enjoyed our picnic on the beach. After our picnic we relaxed in the late afternoon sun and listened to some Ricky Gervais podcasts which gave us a laugh. We managed to find a pay phone to call home so I spoke to Mum for a few minutes. I really wanted to be able to have a long chat as I was missing home so much but the pay phone was so expensive and a short call cost about $10. Unfortunately we couldn't find an internet cafe to call on Skype and typically the computer at our campsite was broken. We felt a lot better after hearing loved ones voices, travelling makes you realise that Christmas is all about family and not at all about presents and spending money.

We went to Cafe La Monde for our meal out. I had pizza and a yummy 'Blue Lagoon' fruit juice while Craig had fish and chips, something he was really looking forward to and loved. We strolled on the beach as the sun was setting on our Australian Christmas day together.

Christmas evening

We booked another night at our campsite and spent Boxing day by the swimming pool relaxing in the sun.

Fraser Island, Australia

 

December 22nd 2011

We woke up early for our Fraser Island tour. After parking up the camper for the day we got picked up in a 4x4 by our guide Kris. He took us to the office where we paid up and met the other people on our tour. We drove to River Heads and boarded the boat to take us to Fraser Island. While we were waiting to get to the island some playful dolphins started swimming around our boat, jumping and showing off in the water. It was the first time we had seen dolphins in the wild so it felt very special and meant that the day started off very well.

Seventy Five Mile Beach

We eventually got to Fraser Island and took to the very sandy roads in our 4x4. We were very relieved that we didn't hire our own 4x4 to drive like many people do as it's so easy to get bogged in the deep sand. We drove through the rainforest which is the only rainforest in the world that grows on sand and Kris told us interesting stories about the nature and wildlife on the island. We drove through Eurong Resort and on to 75 mile beach highway where we cruised along the smooth sand with the ocean to our right. Kris highlighted that the water off the coast of Fraser Island is home to tiger sharks and if we were to go for a swim then we definitely wouldn't survive! We got to the Maheno shipwreck and stopped for morning tea where we had cheese and crackers, strawberries and amazing lamington cake which we hadn't had before. It's a lovely light sponge covered in chocolate and dessicated coconut, delicious! We had a look at the wreck, it's rusty hull covered in all sorts of miniscule sea creatures. The crowds eventaully gathered round making it impossible to get a nice photograph without someone walking in front of it so we moved on to see the colourful Pinnacle Rocks which in aboriginal culture is a place for women so no aboriginal men are allowed there.


Maheno Shipwreck

After Pinnacle Rocks we drove to Champayne Pools where we passed a couple of drivers stuck in the sand wheel spinning to get out. The weather was starting to make a turn for the worse so I wasn't keen on having a dip in the pools and instead watched on as the much braver people had a dip in the cold water. The pools were very beautiful, we watched the water swirl and bubble which is what gives it it's name and took in the pretty views out to sea. After Champayne Pools we walked back to the car and made our way to Indian Head. We climbed to the top which was a bit trecherous in the slippery sand and made it to the top. It was so windy that I thought I might be blown over the edge! Luckily we weren't and we managed to get some nice if a bit windswept photographs and looked out for wildlife which can be spotted from the top. On our way back down the rain and wind started to pick up so we huddled under the little awning for a buffet lunch which was lovely. It was nice being in such a small group which consisted of two cars worth of people compared to the impersonal coach loads who were also doing the tour, we paid $10 more but it was worth it as we got to know other people on the tour.

Pinnacle Rock

After lunch we drove to Eli Creek, we walked along the boardwalk and waded back in the water watching the kids boogy board their way down. We passed an absolutely massive spider in a web in the trees and heard reports of a snake in the mens toilets too, our first real encounters of scary Australian wildlife! Our last stop of the day tour was to Lake Mckenzie which boasts beautiful white silica sand and crystal clear waters. Even on our overcast and rainy day it still looked dazzling. We had afternoon tea and Craig had a swim in the water before the sky opened up again and we receded to our 4x4. We drove through the trees and back to the ferry for our crossing to the mainland where we had a great chat with Kris and relaxed in our camper for the night.

Long Island, Australia

December 18th - December 21st 2011

We woke up early as we were due to catch a boat to Long Island, one of the Whitsunday Islands. The boats first stop was tiny Daydream Island which looked like paradise. After an hour on the boat we were the only two to get off at Long Island and were greeted by a man on a golf buggy to take us to the resort. When we booked the day trip through Base backpackers we had the choice of an organised day trip with lunch which would include full access to the resorts pool or we could just buy the return boat trip to the Island. We decided to take our own lunch and booked return boat tickets but as it turned out we had access to all of the resorts amenities anyway. We were very happy that we decided to buy the boat tickets ourselves which cost $60 each as we saved ourselves $29 each which would mostly have gone towards the travel agencies commission.

Long Island walk

Once we had been shown the lovely pool area and beach we decided to start our day with a circuit walk around the island. We climbed some steep steps and were eventually surrounded by nothing but trees. As we walked we noticed how many spider webs there were in the trees and also crossing over the path. Craig and I both have a fear of spiders which was made worse when we accidentally walked into the webs! The path seemed like it was abandoned and was littered with sharp stones and rocks which were painful to walk on and it wasn’t very peaceful as crickets shrieked everywhere that we went. Despite the beautiful sunny day we felt like we were walking in the wilderness and couldn’t wait to get back to the safety of the beach. After an hour we made it back to the white sand of the beach and found some sun loungers to sit in while we ate our picnic lunch. It rained for a couple of minutes but the clouds soon cleared again to reveal beautiful blue skies which along with white sand and turquoise water meant that we truly were in paradise.

Long Island Beach

View from the sun lounger

After a relaxing afternoon under the shade of a palm tree reading books and listening to music we decided to cool off with a swim in the resorts pool. We walked back to the pier and saw a manta ray gliding through the water as well as what locals referred to as a ‘sea cow’. We enjoyed the boat ride back on the open deck and looked out for other sea life and were treated to the sight of a turtle coming up for air. The salty spray misted our faces as we came in to the dock at Airlie Beach. We treated ourselves to pizza before heading back to Flametree where we had spent a lovely evening a couple of nights before.

Tropical flowers

The following day we packed up and headed south to Cedar Creek Falls which was a small detour on our long journey to Rockhampton. The falls were more of a drizzle due to the lack of rainfall in the area but funnily enough as we got out of the van to take a look it started to rain. In heat like this rain is a welcome respite. We drove south for hours stopping at Revive and Survive areas which were set up by the Australian government to reduce accidents on the roads due to tired drivers. Volunteers run it and you can stop off for free tea, coffee, juice and biscuits. We stopped at Yaamba rest stop for free to save some money on camp sites and planned our trip to Capricorn Caves for the following day.

Inside Capricorn Caves

The next day we drove to Capricorn Caves and paid $26 each for a ticket. I’ve always loved caves having explored Cheddar Caves and Wookey Hole in Somerset, England when I was little. The guide met us and our small group and took us around the caves explaining each interesting feature. He took us to Cathedral Cave where weddings are actually performed and played us a piece of music demonstrating how the natural acoustics here are nearly perfect and actually better than in the Sydney Opera House. With the music playing and the lights and candles extinguished to demonstrate ‘cave darkness’ the place took on an eerie yet magical quality. During the last part of the tour we followed a zigzag path carved through the rock which was surprisingly tight and not for those with claustrophobic tendencies. We crossed the swing bridges and were back outside in the daylight. After the Capricorn Caves we drove on to Agnes Water and Town of 1770 where we stayed the night paying $36 for a site and that price was discounted! The closer it gets to Christmas the more expensive everything gets.

Craig and I in Town Of 1770

The next morning we parked up in Town of 1770 and went for a leisurely walk along the boardwalks with views over the ocean, golden sands and boats bobbing gently in the breeze. It was another hot day but noticeably less humid. The further south we went the more we noticed that the sun still shone brightly but the unbearable humidity had begun to disappear. We climbed some steps and found the stone monument dedicated to Captain Cook commemorating the year that he first landed on Australia in 1770. We walked back to the van and drove to Agnes Water where we admired the people having surf lessons but decided to give it a miss ourselves. We drove on through Bundaberg and Childers and some beautiful landscapes and arrived at Hervey Bay. We found a beach front campsite and got a night for $25, much more reasonable than in Agnes Water! We got chatting to the friendly manager and booked a tour of Fraser Island which cost $185 each. It’s very expensive but Fraser Island is a must do and I’ve been looking forward to seeing it.

Townsville to Airlie Beach, Australia

December 11th –  December 17th 2011


We decided to drive to Townsville so we packed up and got on the road as it would take us three hours to get there. We filled the campervan up for the first time which was $70, not as expensive as we were expecting but still a huge chunk of our budget gone for the day. We drove on passing the crop fields and tree covered mountains in the distance before finding a campsite in Townsville and having a dip in the sites pool. The next day we drove to Reef HQ which is a huge living coral reef aquarium. We saw sharks, rays and various colourful reef fish as well as sea horses which were a highlight. The reef was good but for $26.50 we would have liked for it to have occupied a bit more of our time, you could easily see everything in well under an hour but we stretched it out as long as we could by watching sea life documentary films on the second floor.

Reef HQ

We had plenty of time left on our parking ticket so we walked along the Strand passing loads of amazing children’s play areas, my cousins Lily and Chase and Craig’s nephews Alfie and Aidan would absolutely love it here! The sea front was lovely; it was another beautiful day so the walk past the boats in the harbour was great. At the far end we found a free lagoon swimming area which we hope to take advantage of tomorrow.
As the sun was shining the following day we decided to spend the day at the lagoon in the sun. We parked up for free and found a grassy spot to sit and read. We went for a dip in the salt water pool and generally relaxed. It would be great if England had these types of free facilities although we don’t really have the hot weather to make the most of them. Even free parking in England is a rarity!

I had read about Charters Towers in the Lonely Planet and it sounded interesting so we drove the 90 minutes inland to see it. It began life as a gold rush town and has many interesting buildings and lots of history. We parked up in town and walked along the High Street. We got a walking tour map and walked by each of the architecturally significant buildings and saw some large murals too. We jumped back in the camper and went to Tower Hill.

Charters Towers

We drove to the top and saw amazing panoramic views over Charters Towers and the surrounding area. We did a little walk at the top and then went to see the old abandoned war bunkers which were very eerie and the old mines too. We saw a huge wild kangaroo watching us from a distance before it hopped away into the dry bushes. With the sun beating down on us it felt like we were in an old American town in the Wild West. In the late afternoon with the sun still very hot we found a campsite and jumped in the pool to cool off.

Views from Tower Hill

Abandoned war bunker

The next day we took one last look around town before driving back to Townsville along the highway. It was pouring with rain on the way back which was actually quite a relief from the usual intense heat. Once in Townsville we grabbed an umbrella and went to the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery where we saw an exhibition called Desert Country which included lots of colourful aboriginal paintings with fascinating narratives. We stopped at an internet café to catch up on news from home before driving our van to the top of Castle Hill. It was a bit of a misty and grey day but the views over Townsville were pretty.

Airlie Beach

After some shopping the following morning we drove to Airlie Beach which was roughly four hours away. On the journey we crossed a bridge which reminded me of my friend Sally’s beautiful paintings at our degree show. It’s on these long journeys that I think of home and my mind wanders back to what my friends and family are up to while I’m not there. Once in Airlie Beach we decided that it looks like a party town as there are backpackers, tourists and bars everywhere. We stayed at Flame Tree Tourist Park a few kilometres away which is lovely as it’s peaceful and the place is full of animals and amazing birds. After a relaxing day at Flame Tree we drove back to Airlie Beach and checked in at Base as we had a spot reserved with a voucher for just $5 a night which was too cheap to pass up! We went for a walk and to the Saturday market which was selling pretty handicrafts, sweets and food and drink, unfortunately we couldn't afford anything as we were planning to spend a good chunk of the budget taking a boat out to one of the Whitsunday Islands nearby the following day. We walked along the Bicentennial Walkway which runs along the coast and admired the pretty views and tropical flowers and mangroves en route. 

Cairns and North Queensland, Australia

December 1st – December 10th 2011

We arrived in Darwin and had a bit of a wait due to a delayed flight before we could get our connection to Cairns. We were very tired as it was a night time flight and as usual we didn’t manage to get very much sleep. Once we landed safely in Cairns we went through customs and immigration with no hiccups and proceeded with our bags to the shuttle bus which for $9 took us to Travellers Autobarn. After going through all the formalities, noting down scratches and signing contracts we were off! We were very tired and also very hungry so the first port of call was a supermarket. We found two and after price comparing Woolworths with Coles we found Coles to be slightly cheaper and had a bit more choice. We stocked up on eight jars of pasta sauce which was on offer, beans, spaghetti and the cheapest bread!

Campervan!

We drove to Barron Gorge National Park but the road ended up being a dead end, the views of the river and gorge were lovely though so we stopped to take some photos before going to Lake Placid campsite where the really friendly guy gave us a couple nights stay at a discounted rate. Craig tried to haggle some more off the price but he wasn’t having any of it! It’ll be strange not having to haggle everyday like you have to in Asia! We made pasta for dinner which was a nice change from what we have been eating in Asia for the past three months and we get an early night to recover from our lack of sleep.

Barron Gorge National Park

We woke up after a good night’s sleep and after breakfast strolled to the local shop to get bits and pieces and got chatting to the lady behind the counter. Our first impressions are that it’s very hot and humid (even the locals’ say it’s unusually hot!) and very friendly which is how I remember it from my trip to Cairns five years ago. The rest of the day was chilled out, we read magazines and got to grips with our campervan, ‘home’ for the next two months. It’s only little, a high top campervan with space at the top to put our big rucksacks and a little fridge, microwave, sink, two cupboards and two gas ring stoves. It’ll take some getting used to but it’s great to have the freedom to drive anywhere anytime and to be out of dorms too.

We decided to drive to the little town of Kuranda, somewhere that I have been before and loved. The roads were twisty and winding. We were also going uphill which the campervan struggled with a little bit; Craig’s taken to driving it very well though with no trouble at all. The views on the way up were great so we stopped for photos. We got some accommodation and chatted with the bloke behind the counter before walking along a railway line ‘shortcut’ to get to Kuranda. We had a look around the famous markets and went to the Fossil and Gemstone Museum which was free. The whole place was lovely and familiar and I found the stall that sold me my unique and beautiful didgeridoo five years ago which I have at home. After buying some banana flavoured vegan candy we went down to the Kuranda railway and did the river walk. We tried walking to the Barron Falls waterfall but got lost then got caught in a downpour. On our way back to town and absolutely drenched a lovely couple pulled over and gave us a lift saving us 15 minutes of walking in the rain, brilliant people.

Barron Falls

Craig and I at Barron Falls

The next morning we drove to Barron Falls and admired the breathtaking valley scenery and the cascading water. After watching the steam train come and go we left Barron Falls and drove to Palm Cove which is north of Kuranda. We found a campsite and strolled along the beautiful beach with the sun beating down on us. We had a relaxing following day in Palm Cove and enjoyed reading and being right by the beach.
After our laid back day at Palm Cove we drove back down south to Cairns where we popped in at the office to get a few things looked at on the campervan. We’ve only been in it for six days but already things seem to be falling apart! We parked up in town and had a walk around the harbour and lagoon and along the Esplanade. We booked a snorkelling tour of the Great Barrier Reef for in a few days time which was $129, our budget for each day in Australia is $40 so already we know we’ll need to pick our tours and activities wisely. We manage to pick up a brand new edition of Lonely Planet’s Australia guide for $45, way more than you’d pay in the U.K but hopefully it’ll be a good investment.

Palm Cove

After doing lots of reading and scouring the guidebook for free activities and places to go we went to Fleckers Botanical Gardens and wandered around all the pretty tropical plants and flowers. We crossed the road and did the rainforest boardwalk to Centenary Lakes and soaked up the very hot sunshine. After lunch we went to Crystal Cascades which was a half an hour’s drive away. We did the 1.5 km walk to the waterfall and back and watched as all the locals swam in the rivers many pools. After visiting the waterfall we had to go back to Travellers Autobarn yet again to get things fixed, not a good start to our two month road trip! Afterwards we went to the free Cairns lagoon and had a swim in the warm waters before having a look around the souvenirs in the night market.

Just over a week into our trip and it was time to do our snorkelling tour of the Great Barrier Reef which we had been really looking forward to. We got up early and parked up in the centre of town. After walking to the harbour we boarded our boat for the day and met the captain who was a British expat. We sailed out to the snorkelling spot and got suited up. It was a perfect day for snorkelling, blue skies and calm waters. We snorkelled with the guide who pointed to specific corals and fish and told us what they were, he also picked up a slimy sea cucumber and passed it to us. We were then left to swim around looking at all the varying types of fish which were a myriad of colours. We had a lovely buffet lunch and were out on the water again, this time in search of colourful clown fish which we managed to spot. We swam to the reefs edge where there was an eerie drop off point; it felt like a sea monster could rise up from the deep as the waters became so dark. At the end of the trip we were given complimentary cheeses, biscuits, fresh fruits and wine which was a lovely end to a really great day. The tour itself comprised of only 20 people and the three crew members so it felt really personal as we got to chat to each crew member and learn all about life on the reef throughout the trip.

Flippers up!

The day after our unforgettable Reef trip we decided to leave Cairns behind and drive the Millaa Millaa waterfall circuit. I had heard about Millaa Millaa from my friend Sarah who visited the waterfall and surrounding area on an organised tour but as we had our own wheels we decided to drive there and do it ourselves. The Lonely Planet guidebook also had a good bit of information on it so we set off using our rented sat nav to help us find the way. The views along the Gillies Highway were stunning so we stopped for a banana while we took in the fabulous views. Once at the Millaa Millaa waterfall we had lunch then got into our swimmers to go for a swim, We dipped our toe in and it was absolutely freezing! Craig was much braver than me and managed to get in with relatively no trouble but I was stood at the edge for ages while some Aussie’s spurred me on. Eventually we were both in; it took my breath away getting my whole body under as it was so cold! We did the obligatory Timotei hair flick as this is where the adverts had been filmed.

Craig's hair flick!

My hair flick!

We then swam to the waterfall itself and went under the water to the other side where it was surprisingly a bit warmer. We swam back to shore and dried off and then drove on to Zillie Falls the next waterfall in the circuit. This one was a view from the top and was slightly less impressive as we couldn’t really see it all in its entirety. The last fall was Ellinjaa Falls which we had to do a short walk through the forest to get to. It was very pretty and we passed a wild dingo on our way to it as well. After the pretty scenery of the waterfall circuit we decided to drive a couple of hours south to Mission Beach. The landscape went from rolling hills, rainforests and mountains to flat lands dominated by crops with railway lines seemingly unused running between fields.

Views from the road

Mission Beach was a pretty and quiet place with a massive beach. We stayed on a council run campsite which wasn’t as nice as what we had experienced but wasn’t too expensive either. While in Mission Beach we walked along the isolated beach and watched the little crabs scuttle into their holes in the golden sand.

Singapore

November 27th – November 30th 2011

We caught the train from KL Central train station and read magazines on the journey to Singapore. Once there we disembarked and realised yet again that we didn’t have a clue where we were in relation to the city! We really need to do a bit more research before we arrive at our destination! We spoke to an unhelpful and grumpy bus driver but undeterred spoke to another one who was much friendlier. We boarded his bus which took us to the train station; we boarded a train and waited a long time before getting off in Little India where our hostel was meant to be. We wandered around the bustling streets for ages with our big rucksacks on our backs and couldn’t find the address we were after. Luckily we found an internet cafe and tried to call the hostel manager to no avail as there was no answer. We were pointed to exactly the address that we were given on hostelbookers.com and realised that the hostel was no longer there even though we booked online just days before. After looking on another hostel booking website we noticed a note which stated how they had moved to another address in the last few days. With aching backs we walked to the underground train station, boarded and rode a few stops and then had another 15 minute walk to get the hostel which had no sign so we still had to ask a local if it was the right place! What a nightmare, we explained to the girl in the hostel but she was unsympathetic.

National Museum of Singapore

Not a very good start to the city but we decided to make the most of our few days here even though the new hostel was a lot further out of town than we wanted. For our first day we went to the National Museum of Singapore where I had read about an exhibition called Dreams and Reality involving paintings loaned from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. We paid the $11 to get in and wandered around all the paintings and drawings which were mostly from the Impressionist period. Once we’d looked around the paintings we left the exhibition and went on to the History and Living Galleries which charted the history of Singapore. We had audio guides which were great and the place was filled with so much information, if we had listened to everything we would have been in there for days! After lunch we went to historic Raffles Hotel which was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We went inside and had a look around the free little museum which appealed to my love of the nostalgic and featured many items from the ‘Golden Age’ of travel.

Raffles Hotel

Unfortunately we couldn’t afford a famous Singapore Sling cocktail so we left and went to the Bugis Street night market which was very lively. Craig bought a hot dog from a stand which had unusual ketchup and mustard dispensers where you squeeze the tube like you would milk a cow, very strange! We bought an umbrella as we have noticed since being here that when it rains it pours and we don’t want to be caught in the rain again like we were today after lunch.

Unusual ketchup dispenser in Bugis Street Market

The following day we decided to go to famous Orchard Road. We strolled up and down the street making the most of the air conditioning as it was another very hot and humid day. It was rather bizarre as it was so hot but there were Christmas decorations everywhere as it’s just a few days till December. After Orchard Road we went to vibrant Chinatown and looked around the shops before wandering into an internet cafe to do some research and catch up on emails.

Orchard Road

Chinatown

It was our last day in Singapore and we were quite grateful for it, not because we don’t like the city but more because it is just too expensive for us! With Australia as our next country we realised that we need every penny that we can get so we weren’t able to really make the most of what Singapore has to offer. We decided to go to the Singapore Art Museum where we paid $10 to see an exhibition by Hyung Koo Kang called The Burning Gaze. The artist focuses on portraits of himself or of celebrities, some ultra realistic and some caricatures. We watched a documentary whilst in the gallery of the artist making his work which was really interesting and provided a great insight into his mind. Craig was especially impressed by how realistic the work was. Also showing in the galleries was the Signature Art Prize which involves work by many Asian and Pacific artists competing for the prize.  Some of the work exhibited was spectacular and ranged all different media from photograph to sculpture to installation to video. After the fascinating exhibitions we made our way back to the hostel to pick up our things and head to the airport to begin our three month Australian adventure.