In 2019, almost a year after my first trip to Fiji, I was offered the opportunity to go again.  After winning an incentive at work, I was offered discounted rates for a holiday to Fiji and was happy to accept.  I chose to explore more of the Yasawa Islands since I had fallen so in love with them in the past.  I spent five nights in Fiji this time, taking along a friend I had made in New Zealand, Nickie.  We stayed at a different resort each night and I was lucky enough to see three more of the varied islands of the Yasawas. 

After leaving our previous resort, Mantaray Island, we had a short ferry journey to our next destination.  As we stepped off the main ferry onto a small local boat, we noticed a local Fijian in traditional dress performing a warrior dance to welcome us to the island.  This was done every morning and evening as the ferry passed and required the performer to cross the water to a rock in the sea.  This was an impressive entrance and as we touched our feet in the sand of this island for the first time we knew we would like this place.

The resort was a lot more rustic than our previous accommodation and I would be staying in a tent on the beach whilst Nickie had a beach front bure.  After a welcome cocktail, our first point of call was for a walk to the sunset spot.  This was a track leading us around the island to a perfect lookout to watch the sun go down.  We were already falling head over heels for this rustic and welcoming resort and we excited for a full day the next to explore the island. 

Barefoot Kuata spreads out along a beach, with accommodation all to the left and dining and social areas to the right.  In the middle of the resort is the reception and dive shop.  Walking between the areas with sand between your toes was amazing and it really felt like you had landed on an island retreat.
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After the sun went down, we washed up and headed for dinner.  At the sunset spot we had met a couple who had arrived on the island a few days before and sat with them for dinner which was a delicious three course meal yet again.  This resort only had a few people staying and therefore everything talked to each other.  The bar was social and featured a circular bar where I spoke to a variety of guests who had come from all over the world to be in this special island. 

My night in the tent was surprisingly comfortable.  There was only one other girl in the six-bed tent and therefore we had lots of space.  I woke up in the morning to the sparkling ocean and sat out the front of the tent admiring the view which felt a million miles away from Auckland.  
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That morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and fuelled up we decide to hike to the summit of the island.  This gave us amazing views of the island and its neighbour, Wayalailai which I had spent two nights on in my previous trip to Fiji. 

​The area is well known for the reef sharks living nearby and we were excited to go see them.  I had done this on my last trip but had been a little nervous so was ready to be braver this time around! The boat ride out to the reef is around 20 minutes long but luckily wasn’t too bumpy.  When we got to the reef it was perfect conditions and we could see the sharks clearly from the boats.  White-tipped reef sharks are small friendly sharks who will do no harm to humans.  Therefore, it is perfectly safe to swim with them!

Ready to get up close and personal with them, I jumped in and spent an enjoyable hour watching these amazing creatures.   I think both me and Nickie were really impressed with our encounter and had been amazed at how close they got to us.
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We made our way back to the island and were joined by some day trippers from the main port of Nadi who were amazed of the colour of the water in the outer islands and the coral.  I felt very lucky that we had been able to stay here. 

Before lunch we had a quick sunbathe a swim in the two swimming pools on site and caught up with some other visitors who had been Bull Shark diving that morning.  Their tales were thrilling and made me add this activity to my bucket list.

After a lovely lunch we headed to the beach to read and swim as the tide got higher.  There were loads to do on this island, from hikes, to diving and kayaking that we felt spoilt for choice.  It was such a special resort and was the one that impressed us the most.  The dining and facilities were all simple yet beautiful and made me feel right at home.  Features such as the sunset spot and the warrior dances all made for a more memorable stay and we were very sad to leave this island.

Our ferry eventually came to take us to our last resort in the late afternoon and we boarded with a sense of sadness wishing we could stay just a little longer. 
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This part of the Yasawas is my favourite.  The island themselves are varied and beautiful with lots of things to do, the people was welcoming and interesting and the views are to die for.  The water is clear, the life is simple and life’s worries will simply fall away on these amazing islands. 

​There are many things that can often feel quintessentially ‘American’, for me, summer camps are one of them. The idea of an entire industry built around providing a space for children of all ages for them to spend an entire summer seemed so strange to me as a British counterpart. I was used to spending my summer holidays mainly with my family, either in my hometown or abroad but never in one place for a whole two month period.

​However, now as an adult, with three summer seasons under my belt and a fourth snubbed by the Coronavirus Pandemic, that mysterious fragment of North American society that alluded me when I was younger, I miss more than ever. 

​But this lifestyle and industry is not simply locked to America as I once believed, for my experience lies North of the border, above The Great Lakes of Ontario and into the splendid rural setting of Lake Manitou-Wabbing. This small location, seemingly insignificant to so many, became a source of respite for me during my three years at university and continues to do so into my post graduate, adult life.

For such a place to make me want to travel across the Atlantic and to fully commit myself to as an international staff member is testament to the people I have met, the experiences we’ve shared and the sense of fulfilment that working with young people from all backgrounds can give you. 

I started my commitment to this journey in the summer of 2016, while I was still anxiously weighing the decision of enrolling into university that coming first semester. Attempting to piece together a naïve and ultimately flawed plan for a gap year after I’d left school drew me to the idea of working towards being at a camp for the following summer.

However, having just returned from America, I felt slightly burnt out by the land of the free. Yet during that trip, our short two-day jaunt across the border to Niagara Falls and seeing the CN Tower glow across the waters of Lake Ontario inspired me to explore more of the country. If there was some way of experiencing Canada, a country I’d always been interested in seeing in a similar ‘Camp America’ format, I wanted to find it. 

Of course, this equivalent does indeed exist and there are multiple ways of getting on board. While you can easily go out there and contact these camps independently, companies such as CCUSA and NyQuest can do that job for you. I chose the latter, and after setting up an account I was instructed to fill out a form, highlighting what role of camp work I was interested in from councillor to cook and in-between.

This process will result in becoming your camp CV, detailing your interests, whether you wished to work on specific activities and any skills in those field that can aid you. Before long I was contacted to arrange an interview with a NyQuest representative where I was explained the full process, got my questions answered and allowed me to show my sincerity to partake in the program.  

​Upon landing in Person Airport, Toronto, I spent a weekend in Ontario’s capital, aided by NyQuest, who paid for your board as well as getting us orientated to the city and allowing us to set up Canadian bank accounts for our wages. In doing so, an entire hostel was filled with budding camp workers from across the world and acted as the perfect way to meet other people, find would-be co-workers and get to know stories of other camps in the area.

I remember this brief moment fondly with nightly parties and quickly feeling that Manitou co-workers were hard to come by among a sea of Tamakwa, Winnebago and Olympia. I’ll admit it felt somewhat daunting to wonder if I would be somewhat a minority once I’d finally arrived at the camp and those nights had me knowing that these friendly people were not coming with me to my final destination.

This first summer put me out of my comfort zone more than ever, not only heading abroad by myself but also putting me in a unique position of responsibility as a councillor on the shores of Camp Manitou. One of the largest staff positions and often the ‘go to’ for many international staff, my job as a councillor placed me with two other Canadian staff members We worked not only as part of a larger team but also were responsible for a cabin of a dozen 12-13 year old boys. This meant holding a special sense of responsibility, caring for and mentoring these boys in a way that was more akin to an older brother archetype over a parental role. 

Alongside this, during the day, I would also work with a team of staff as a climbing instructor, running sessions for the many campers who chose the activity through a school period type format. While at times challenging, I came away from the experience enlightened, not only from growing more confident in myself, but from experiencing a glimpse into the world of a Jewish community. Moreover, I’d collected a group of amazing friends from across the globe and formed a wonderful relationship with my cabin of campers that lasted well beyond that summer. With all this in mind, I applied for summer 2018.

​The second time around, I decided to explore the other opportunities at camp and applied as an activity specialist, working alongside an activity head to assist the running of the different programmes at camp. I also moved away from my previous role with the ropes staff to a new challenge, engaging in a multi layered activity that included archery, fishing and horticulture as part of the ‘Eco-Adventure’ program.

Armed with less prior experience in all three areas of the activity, I quickly learnt on the job, assisted by two other specialists and was able to contribute these skills to the team. This summer combined fishing trips on the lake and coaching for archery competitions with a more relaxed cabin life, living with two other staff members by the lake. Combined with an impromptu canoe trip on the Spanish River, I still refer to my second summer as the best yet, with some amazing campers as well as some great trips to private lakeside cottages on my days off. 
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Going into my third summer, I had risen to the role of the activity head for the Eco-Adventure program and was looking forward to the new challenges leading a team had in store for me. Having had prior experience with both the activity, campers and staff allowed for the programme to run more cohesively, built up on the successes of the previous summer as well as many of the ideas that we had been unable to accomplish in 2018.

One of the biggest challenges that came out of this experience was learning to know when to stand my ground and when to be flexible and embrace external ideas. As such, one project for an event we were working on clashed with another activities plans to use the same equipment. After trying to insist that we needed said equipment, I had to learn to compromise and work with my team of staff to find an alternative while still delivering a quality experience for the campers. By the time the event came, it was a massive success due to how the team came together to overcome challenges, embrace new ideas and became one of my proudest memories from that summer. 

Reflecting on the news that I wasn’t going to be having this experience again in 2020, I remember one of the camp directors saying that the mission statement of this camp was to “take any entitlement out of the entitled”. This is a bold goal but I do believe from my experience that I have met some of the most incredible down to earth people, both campers and staff from my three years at camp.  This includes people who don’t want their privilege to define who they are and those from humbler backgrounds who can become idols for others to follow.

Another surety that I have from this experience is that the friends I have made from camp will be friends for life. There is an intimacy from living so closely with one another that brings out the real side of people that results in a unified connection that doesn’t fade no matter the distance. As life races forwards and new opportunities emerge, I hope that I will still have the ability to return to camp and experience all the challenges and delights that it brings for so many people around the world. 

​In 2019, almost a year after my first trip to Fiji, I was offered the opportunity to go again.  After winning an incentive at work, I was offered discounted rates for a holiday to Fiji and was happy to accept.  I chose to explore more of the Yasawa Islands since I had fallen so in love with them in the past.  I spent five nights in Fiji this time, taking along a friend I had made in New Zealand, Nickie.  We stayed at a different resort each night and I was lucky enough to see three more of the varied islands of the Yasawas. 

​Our first island port of call was Mantaray Island Resort.  I had been to their neighbouring resort in my previous trip and was keen to experience the differences between the two.  We were greeted with a warm welcome off the boat and offered a drink as we checked in.  We had a sight mishap regarding our food for the stay which we had to resolve but after this, we collected our bags and made our way to our rooms. 

The resort is set in the trees and had a jungle vibe to it.  With a long beach coming out of this jungle it was very picturesque and unlike other resorts I had been to before.  The restaurant was high up in the jungle and had a view over the trees out onto the ocean. I was staying in the large dorm whilst Nickie was in a private room.  We were on opposite ends of the island, but it was never a long walk.  That afternoon we sunbathed and hired some snorkelling gear in preparation to hopefully see some mantarays. 

Last time I had come to this part of the world, it was the end of mantaray season and therefore the likelihood of seeing them was very low.  This time around we were in staying in the height of the season and therefore were hoping to get lucky.  Mantray Island Resort sits on a small estuary which many mantarays flock to as a haven to mate and give birth.

With no sign of them on this day, I went for a snorkel off the shore and found not many fish, but a lot of jellyfish so I made a hasty retreat to the beach!

That evening we had dinner in the upper restaurant and enjoyed a three-course meal.  We spotted a lone traveller eating by himself so invited him to join us for dinner.  Our dinner guest turned out to be Australian and we ate the rest of our meal enjoying getting to know him better. Later than evening we made our way down the bar which is known for its party atmosphere.

Mantaray Island Resort is one of the ‘party’ resorts in the Yasawa Chain and I was curious to see how they lived up to their name.  There were few backpackers staying at the resort during our time, but it seemed most were in the bar playing games with the staff.  Each game resulted in a prize cocktail for the winner and Nickie did very well winning two cocktails that night! We played crab racing, musical chairs, and a variety of other fun games. 

After this died down, we headed to the beach on the invitation of the staff and set up a fire.  Sitting with a new group of strangers whilst the staff members played soft reggae versions of popular songs, I felt at ease and happy to be back in this special country.  The staff members shared interesting stories of their life and how many had moved from the capital, Suva and other large cities to come to the island in search of employment.
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We ended our evening when the fire started to die down and I went to bed excited to be back on Fiji time. 

​The next morning, I was woken to the sound of a horn blaring through the resort. It was 6am and we all realised in the dorm that this horn meant that mantarays had been spotted.  Everyone scurried around trying to find their belongings as we made our way down to the beach still blurry eyed.  One by one we were given snorkelling gear and boarded small boats to make it over to where the sighting was.  The morning was a cold one and the wind was blowing with signs of rain showing.  Undeterred, we jumped into the water when given the signal and everyone kept their eyes down into the depths hoping for a sighting of a manta. 

It turns out these majestic animals are fast swimmers and at the first flash of a tail, the group was off swimming frantically to keep up.  I learnt in Tonga that I was not the strongest swimmer and attempted to keep up with the fast pack as the mantaray got further and further away.  I did see a flash of one though, so I pleased that I at least got to see one. 

At this point the wind picked up and the rain started, making it harder to swim against the current and cresting waves.  I was picked up by a boat and was satisfied that I had seen enough.  I took in the other members of my boat crew and realised I had jumped in a neighbouring resorts boat when I didn’t recognise anyone! It took a while until I could explain this to the driver but eventually was passed over to my resorts team.  After this exciting early morning activity, we made our way back to our rooms and dorms to freshen up and get ready for the day.

Our ferry to the next destination was not due to arrive until mid-afternoon, so we had breakfast and me and Nickie discussed what we wanted to do that day.  Others joined in on this conversation and after talking to the diving master, Nickie was convinced to join him on a dive.  With no diving experience I chose to decline the offer and instead cheered Nickie along as she got ready.  Instead I relaxed on the beach and in a hammock and got to know our other travellers more.  Nickie came back just before our final lunch on the island and told us all about the fish she has seen and various coral.  I think she had even spotted a reef shark!

Our time on Mantaray Island Resort was short but I really liked the layout of the resort.  It was unique and almost had a south-Asian influence to the décor and style.  The beachfront staff were friendly, and the bar was a great social hangout in the evening.  The beach was not the most versatile since it became hard to swim at low tide and lost its picturesque beauty but overall, I enjoyed my time here and think it is a great island for a solo traveller. 

After spending two weeks with my parents in South-East Asia, I jumped on a plane to go back 'down under'. I spent a week in Brisbane and Noosa and then travelled onto Melbourne before finally heading back to Sydney. My week in Melbourne was spontaneous due to undetermined time constraints and I tried to pack in as much as I could during the time I was there.  Fortunately, a few of my friends were also in the area at the same time so I was able to catch up with their tales from the road. 

Whilst in Melbourne I discovered the Great Ocean Road, camped at the Grampians  National Park, saw penguins in St Kilda and drank in fancy roof-top bars. ​

After a fantastic two-week trip around Singapore and Indonesia with my parents, I made my way back to Australia and my next destination, Brisbane.  Since I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my time after travelling the East Coast, I bought a flight to Brisbane thinking it would be a good starting point to potentially working in this part of the country or making my way up Queensland again. 

A few months after buying my flight, I decided to complete my farm work in rural NSW. I would start this job around a month later, so I had a lot of time to kill! I chose to stay in Brisbane for a few days and head back to Noosa, a small town at the top of the Sunshine coast which I had really enjoyed previously visiting. 

I landed in Brisbane and felt a lot of déjà vu as I made my way back to the hostel I had first stayed at a month or so earlier, Bunk Brisbane.  The time before I had come here with eight other close friends, so it was a little quieter this time around! I headed to a supermarket to get some food and settled myself in for a quiet evening in bed as the dorm as quiet.

The next day with still little social interaction in the dorm I decided to make my way to Brisbane’s library.  The weather was pretty grey at the time and since I had already explored the city, I thought it better to be more productive with my time.  I spent the day here booking flights, writing about my time in South-East Asia and planning out my next moves to get me to Dubbo.  I overall spent two days here as I didn’t find many others to interact with in the hostel and was still nervous about meeting others without the security of my large group behind me.

On my last evening in Brisbane, I met a new dorm mate who invited me down to a social happening in the hostels adjoining bar.  I took him up on the offer and ended up having a great night, taking part in beer pong, quizzes, and other games.  I met a guy from New Zealand who I discussed the merits of Auckland / Wellington with.  He assured me that if I like Sydney, I would like Auckland.  I met up with him again in Melbourne a week later, the joys of like minded travellers!
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This night was a big break-through in my confidence for solo travel.  I had been so lucky meeting a large group of friends when I first moved to Australia that I hadn’t had to worry about making other friends over the past six months.  This evening was therefore an acknowledgement to myself that I could make friends and confidently socialise with others without the comfort of a friendship group and I headed to Noosa the next day full of confidence. 

I jumped on a Greyhound bus the next morning and headed two hours up the coast to Noosa. This was an easy journey and I was met at the Noosa bus stop by the hostel’s bus to head up the hill.  The hostel I chose, Flashpackers Noosa, was in a different area of the town than I had stayed before but had great reviews and offered perks such as free surfboards. 

I met many people at this hostel and the accommodation was cosy with lounges to meet others in and socialise easily.  It was also small so many were keen to meet others to explore the area with.
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The day after arriving, I headed to the coast with a group from the hostel and explored the other side of the National Park.  Noosa is positioned on a peninsula with a sheltered bay on the left and rougher waters on the right.  We walked along the rough coastline with beautiful white beaches and then headed uphill to the national park.  This is renounced for Koalas and although I did my best to look, we didn’t see any.  We ended up this walk into the main town and proceeded to get the hostel bus back after a long day of exploring! 

The next day I tried my hand at surfing for the second time. I found I had not forgotten what I learnt in my week at Surf Camp and had a really good time attempting to expand on my skills so far.   I went with some fellow Brits and met up with some other hostel buddies on the beach.  Luckily, the day was warm, so the rest of time was spent sunbathing.

My final full day in Noosa was spent exploring the Everglades on a guided tour.  The Noosa Everglades are one of only two in the world so although the tour was pricey, I decided to sign up.  We took a boat out onto the river which is flanked up mangroves and bird watched as we sped along this expansive and diverse waterway.

We stopped for a BBQ lunch where we could also jump in the water.  Since the water is soaked in tea tree, the water appears almost black and when you dive down into it you cannot see anything.  It’s an odd feeling but quite fun to try out so we spent some time daring ourselves to dive into its murky depths.  Tea Tree is great for the skin so hopefully my body appreciated the swim too!

After lunch we took kayaks back which was a nice way to get to know my kayak partner who was a fellow backpacker.  The tour group was split between backpackers and older tourists, so we banded together for a fun afternoon spent making out way slowly back along the river.  It was also nice to add variety to the tour and made for a good and full day out.
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That evening I headed back to the hostel for a group evening with my new hostel mates. Everyone here was so warm and welcoming, and we ended up also speaking to those who were working at the hostel at the time. By the end of the evening I had two contacts to meet up with in Sydney in a few weeks’ time and felt even more confident in my solo travelling skills.  

My week back in Queensland was short but taught me so much.  I moved forwards to Melbourne with a newfound confidence and excitement in the next stage of my travels.  I was no longer worried about making new friends and about exploring by myself.  When solo travelling, it is important to be happy exploring alone as well as in a group.

Both have their benefits, and both must be appreciated in equal measure.  After spending a lot of time alone I learnt that I could be happy with my own presence and could also make some amazing memories spent with strangers.  It is certainly a way of travel that everyone should try out at some point and this short part of my trip made a big impact.