Trident Perpetual Festival

Bye bye from me!

2011-01-05T17:05:00.001Z

Hello friends!
So here I am, on behalf of Trident, saying goodbye from the Perpetual Festival.
From May to December 2010 I travelled to 30 different parties around the world - accompanied each week by two lucky winners who got their paws on tickets and flights through packs of Trident Gum.
Myself and the comp winners travelled everywhere from Africa to Asia, Europe to Australia with stops off in New York, Cape Town and Buenos Aires to name a few.
The whole trip has been documented here through 3000 photos, 900 blogs, 200 videos and also billion (perhaps) posts over at Facebook.com/Trident.
I had the time of my life and cannot thank you all enough for checking out the fun and silly updates along the way.
The journey is now over - so sit back and enjoy some of the highlights from the trip!
Adios

Katie x

www.twitter.com/KatieParsons
hello@katiep.co.uk

Trident Top 10 - Animal Encounters

2011-01-03T10:14:00.004Z

Animals and creatures across the globe turned into an accidental blogging and photo theme of the past 30 weeks. From the big to small, exotic to unusual - turns out everyone is drawn to man's four/two/one/100-legged friends. Check out 10 of the cutest creatures I encountered on my travels.

10) Caterpillar, Beach Break, Week 4

9) Tiny lizard, Thailand ,Week 25

8) Monkey, Thailand, Week 25

7) Fluffy puppy, Koh Samui, Week 25

6) Spider, Sydney Australia, Week 27

5) Kangaroo, Melbourne Australia, Week 28

4) Giant ray, Sydney Australia, Week 27

3) Pelican, Port Macquarie Australia, Week 29

2) Baby elephant, Melbourne Australia, Week 28

1) Tiny puppy, Miami, Week 22

Katie x

Trident Top 10 - Daft videos

2011-01-01T12:58:00.004Z

I have done some pretty silly things over the last 30 weeks.. and a few of those have been captured on camera. Some are embarrassing, some of them are daft and some are just plain silly. Check out 10 of those said videos below.

10) Rolling Rolling Rolling, Beautiful Days in Devon, Week 13

I think it's an inbuilt instinct since childhood to roll down a hill when you see one. I hadn't actually done it in many, many years - it hurts more when you're old and bony ;)

9) Mud Mask, Mallorca, Week 17

I went on a hike along the coast of Mallorca one weekend with some friends who live on the island. They lead me to this lovely natural pool where you can smear the mud from the river on your face. It was pretty gross and stinky.

8) Racing airport carts, Barcelona, Week 8

Yeah, pretty silly... but we were bored in the aiport!

7) Water slide, Croatia, Week 9

Set to me as a challenge from members of the Trident Facebook page, I headed down a waterslide armed with a camera (and tried very hard to not get the camera wet!).

6) Juggling and gymnastics in Bulgaria, Week 12

Listen, I know it all looks silly - but the festival didn't start till 7pm each night and I can't speak Bulgarian. I had to find something to do with my time!

5) Surfing in Miami, Week 22

When in Rome right? Well, I really wanted to go surfing.. so I didn't let a little thing like 'no waves' stop me. Silly KP.

4) Chazza and Dave, Bestival, Week 15

Armed with some paper masks and a distinct lack of rhythm, myself and some friends attacked Bestival for some mad looking stunts.

3) Rollerblading in Miami, Week 22

One short girl, one pair of blades, a man on a segway - and a drunk madmen on the beach. Standard.

2) Cliffjumping in Mallorca, Week 17

My mates have been jumping off cliffs (into water) in Mallorca for the whole summer. I am not that brave... but I gave it a go (and freaked out in the process).

1) Syncronized Swimming in Bulgaria, Week 12

The number one spot goes to Bulgaria - and the five star swimming pool that myself and winners Claire and Venice visited every day. This is my favourite of the videos as it shows just how much fun it was hanging out with Claire - and how kind she was to help me make a silly video. You rock Claire! x

Thanks for watching

Katie x

Trident Top 10 - Celebrity encounters

2010-12-31T15:54:00.003Z

Having visited 30 different locations worldwide - and a host of different festivals, gigs, clubs and bars - it was inevitable that I was going to bump into some superstars along the way. From the mainstream famous to the old school obscure, the chart-topping beauties and the legendary artists - there was a whole heap of stardom on show. Check out this list of 10 nicest celebrities I met on my travels.

10) Mr Hudson, Wakestock, Wales, Week 6

Chart-topper Mr Hudson was extremely nice and friendly during our interview at Wakestock festival. I even bumped into him in London a few weeks after the event, and he remembered me and said hello- what a dude.

9) Zane Lowe, Mallorca Rocks, Week 2

Legendary DJ and tastemaker Zane Lowe and I had a little interview/chat in Mallorca before his set at the Mallorca Rocks opening night. He was very down to earth!

8) Mr Scruff, Garden Festival Croatia, Week 7

The lovely Mr Scruff was playing a set by the water in Croatia - so we did a short interview together during the late morning of the festival. At lunchtime, myself and some friends were eating in a local restaurant, and Mr Scruff came in and joined us. Lovely!

7) Sarah Harding, Ibiza, Week 18

I bumped into Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding in a ladies loo in Ibiza at Pasha night club. I wouldn't usually stop a celeb and ask for a photo - but in the name of fun-blogging, I did just that!

6) Ari James, Miami, Week 22

On a vist to the famed Miami Ink Tattoo studio (home of the TV series), I met celeb-tattooist Ari James. Hooray!

5) Grandmaster Flash, Spirit Of Burgas, Bulgaria, Week 12

Hip hop legend and intimidatingly powerful star Grandmaster Flash was actually a surprisingly cheery and fun interviewee.

4) Mark Ronson, Ibiza, Week 1

On the first week of my adventures I bumped into Mark Ronson in a bar by the beach. We chatted about heavy metal and bands that we like... then I stopped stalking him and left him to his night!

3) Corey Taylor, Sonisphere Turkey, Week 5

The Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman is one of my favourite people to interview - witty, sarcastic and very funny.

2) Newton Faulkner, Beautiful Days in Devon, Week 13

The friendly, smiley dreadlocked singer was very kind in letting me interview him backstage in Devon. We decided after chatting that we looked rather like brother and sister. Weird.

1) Rolf Harris, Bestival on the Isle Of Wight, Week 15

The man, the Australian, the artists, the musician, the legend. I totally stalked him in a car park and ran over for a photo. My mate on Facebook thought it was a snap of George Lucas. No dear - it's Rolf bloody Harris! Wow!

That is all. Good times.

Katie P x

www.twitter.com/KatieParsons

Trident Top 10 - Food

2010-12-28T08:11:00.003Z

Oh man alive... I love food. I love eating, I love new flavours and one of the definite highlights of the past 30 weeks has been the tasty plethora of dishes i've indulged in from all over the world. For starters - festival food quality is at an all time high (bar Global Gathering), and event organisers are taking their eco and tastebud responsibilities far more seriously, bringing in a load of freshly, locally made organic grub that certainly tickles the tonsils. Going further afield, the locally crafted food I sampled in places like Africa and Asia made for some mouth-watering mealtimes. Check out my (very hard to cut down) Top 10 list - based on eating memories and experiences.

10) Tea And Toast, Bestival, Week 15

So simple, so highly effective. The delicious, cheap and friendly Tea And Toast stall at Bestival (right on the edge of the Black Camp Site where i was pitched up) was the perfect way to start the day. When you are cold and wet and (perhaps) miserable in the morning - this was a simple home comfort that made everything OK again.

9) New Orleans food, Voodoo Experience Festival, Week 23

The festival food at the Voodoo Experience was delicious. There was a whole row of stalls all selling amazing varieties of local typically New Orleans grub - from seafood dishes to meats and deserts and cocktails. Check out my video report of all the delicious treats on offer.

8) Melon and Ham, Ibiza, Week 17

I am drooling looking at this photo. After days and days of eating just pizza and drinking beer - I decided my health might be better improved by eating some well-prepared tasty grub. YUM.

7) Mash Shack, various festivals

Three cheers for the Mash Shack! The people running this UK festival stall brought it to Beach Break, Wakestock and Beautiful Days (where this photo was taken). It is warming and tasty and delicious mash - with a variety of other sausage and gravy options - even vegan ones! Three cheers for you Mr Mash Shack! (I also once poured hot water all over my foot outside one of these, by accident - and the people working there helped me)

6) Breakfast in New York, CMJ, Week 21

Yeah OK - this make look like something gross from a service station - but New Yorkers seriously know how to breakfast. This pancake, syrup and bacon combo is from a Deli up near 60th street and 5th Ave and was only about £4. So yummy. Topped off with a large coffee - and you're ready to start your day pounding the city's cold streets.

5) Crepes, Rocking The Daisies, Week 18

The crepes at the South African Rocking The Daisies Festival were amazing. Myself and winners Danielle and Daniel happily queued for ages to eat these tasty items - boasting banana and nut and chocolate and marshmallow toppings. Once the sun set and the cold crept in... these were a perfect anecdote.

4) Pizza, Mallorca, Week 17

One weekend when I was in Ibiza, I took a boat over to Palma to see some friends and check out the local sites. One night we went to an incredible pizza place where the dishes were gigantic and totally amazingly delicious.

3) Fish and Chips, Port Macquarie, Week 29

The Fish and Chips in Australia are amazing - mainly because all the fish is so fresh. One late afternoon in Port Macquarie, myself and winners Daniel and Andrew went and got some fish and chips and sat out on the grass looking out over the river and sea in the gorgeous sunshine. It was incredibly tasty. I really am drooling right now.

2) Mexican food, Cancun, Week 24

The guacamole in Cancun was so tasty that the green goo earns itself the right-near top spot on this list. So fresh and so yummy and delicious - I could eat it for every meal of the day.

1) Koh Samui street food, Thailand, Week 26

The number one spot goes to this dish right here. After living on the same street for two weeks and trying every different restaurant and cafe - the hands-down best meal was this one. Picked from one stall as part of the night market, all these incredible different bits of freshly cooked foods - tempura vegetables, sweetcorn, meat - came to about £1.50. Seriously. It was so amazingly delicious that I cursed every other meal I had eaten as a total waste of time (and money). HOORAY!

Yum yum yum
Thanks for reading..
May I add that although these Top 10 foods were all very delicious, it was a pleasure to come back to the UK for Christmas and have my Dad's amazing festival roast chicken x

Katie
www.twitter.com/katieparsons

Trident Top 10 - Sunsets

2010-12-26T09:25:00.004Z

It is REALLY cold back in England and it is also getting dark at about 4 in the afternoon. This is quite a shock to my system after a blissful 8 months travelling from warmth and sunshine to heat and daylight. To remedy this return to the ice therefore, I have decided to make the next Top 10 list about sunsets. I'm very sure that everyone in Facebook here in the UK got quite fed up of the beautiful views I was treated to everyday.. but please allow me once last outburst of sighs and gasps at the glorious colours and scenes that greeted my eyes as the sun went down.

Top 10 Sunsets

10) Wakestock, Week 6

The view across the (admittedly very chilly) hills of North Wales was a welcome splash of beauty after the brutal storm of that morning.

9) Monegros Desert Festival, Spain, Week 8

The 24 hour rave in a Spanish desert 3 hours outside of Barcelona was a total scorcher. The light was an incredible golden orange and lit up all the people dancing in the rowdy hip hop tent.

8) Ibiza, Week 17

On one warm evening in Ibiza, I headed to a beach bar with a load of my pals from Red Bull who were over on the island for a holiday. We sat and drank Sangria as the sun went down and ate some very tasty steak.

7) Rocking The Daisies, South Africa, Week 19

The Rocking The Daisies Festival was located nestled among some hills in the South African countryside. Beautiful and sunny in the daytime; the moment the light disappeared, we were plunged into proper star-glistened darkness. Here was the view across the natural lake at the festival before the night drew in.

6) Garden Festival, Croatia, Week 7

The Croatian festivals were held right on the tip of a peninsular along the Dalmatian Coast. The view was constantly stunning, and the little DJ booth on the edge of the water provided some incredible snaps.

7) Festival Of The Sun, Port Macquarie, Week 29

Australia is beyond beautiful 24 hours a day, but as the second day of this intimate festival drew to a close, all 3000 ticket buyers were treated to this lovely sight behind the main stage.

6) Miami, Week 22

For one blissful week I was living right on Miami Beach and the seemingly endless stretch of white sand was complemented by this stunning backdrop. I took about 1000 photos of this one as the colours changed.

5) Ibiza, Week 1

For my first festival experience, I got to dance on top of an ancient fort to a Mark Ronson DJ set as the sun went down. Pretty impressive start, and the fun didn't stop for 30 weeks!

4) Soundwave Festival, Croatia, Week 9

We're back to Croatia for an amazing dancing experience in the heat of the evening - with our toes dipped in the water. Bliss.

3) Cancun, Mexico, Week 24

On the way back from a day trip of snorkelling and swimming with dolphins (amazing), our boat pulled back into our local port in Cancun and we were treated to this stunning view through the ship's mast.

2) Ibiza, Week 18

The sunset at Cafe Mambo in Ibiza is infamous - and while sceptical at first about the amount of tourists and hype that this view had associated with it, I couldn't fail to be won over by the colours and warmth that awaited my eyes as I sat sipping wine on the edge of the rocks.

1) Koh Samui, Thailand, Week 26

The number 1 spot goes to the island Koh Samui in Thailand. On November 28 I went along to the Loy Krathong festival with some Thai locals - and floated out a floral offering across the waters of this lake as the sun went down. It was a beautiful moment and an amazing sight. This photo shows a local boy wading into the water to push out his flowers into the night.

Well, there you go. Quite revoltingly beautiful. :)

Katie x

Twitter.com/KatieParsons

Trident Top 10 - Interviews

2010-12-24T06:49:00.006Z

Trident Top 10 - Interviews

I have been extremely fortunate to meet some amazing musical legends, superstars and great people over the past 30 weeks. Each week I have chatted to different artistic people, using my utterly unplanned random conversational style and off-the-cuff filming techniques to bring you some backstage improvised access from the best festivals in the world. Picking a Trident Top 10 was tough.. so I will go with those that I most enjoyed or looked forward to. Let's go!

10) Jeffrey Lewis, Standon Calling, Week 11

The legendary Jeffrey Lewis is a pretty intimidating interview proposition. Incredibly smart, creative and unpredictable. It was a total joy to have a casual chat with him and learn about his experience of the last 24 hours.

9) Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, Bestival, Week 15

What a legend! Mainstage performers at the festival and musical overlords The Flaming Lips have been part of my record collection since birth (thanks Dad). I decided to roll into this interview on a super casual level and get Wayne to recount some of his favourite moments of his rock and roll life. What a great storyteller.

8) Milly Blue, Soundwave Festival, Week 9

Soundwave Festival in Croatia was one of my favourite trips of the entire adventure. A large part of this was due to meeting this lovely lady Milly Blue. An incredible vocalist, lovely person and amazing ukulele player; we spent a large portion of the weekend dancing, eating, drinking and seeing her performance(s) on stage were a joy. Check out her answering Facebook's random questions.

7) Beardyman, Beach Break, Week 4

Beach Break in South Wales was awesome. Perfect weather, great music, good times. I managed to get a last second interview with Beardyman - and as his live shows will testify - he is a very quick-witted sharp individual. Check out our chat among the festival report below.

6) Howard Marks, Beautiful Days, Week 13

Beautiful Days was pretty weeny in global festival terms, so it was amazing to be able to wander backstage and ask Howard Marks for an interview direct to his face. He was incredibly polite and gracious and interesting and fun to chat to. Have a gander:

5) The Xcerts, CMJ New York, Week 21

UK three-piece The Xcerts are great. It was a really proud moment to see them performing on the other side of the pond and watch Americans soak up a bit of Brit talent. After the show, I walked down the road with vocalist Murray and improvised a chat.

4) The King Blues, Wakestock, Week 6

The King Blues are ace. I have interviewed them many times over the past few years for my previous jobs, so it was a pleasure to see some familiar faces at the Wakestock festival in North Wales. What a daft and silly interview.

3) Serj Tankian, Spirit Of Burgas in Bulgaria, Week 12

System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian is a musical genius and a damn intelligent chap too. I love interviewing him, he is very friendly and fun.

2) All Time Low, Rock En Seine in Paris, Week 14

In early 2010 I had the pleasure of touring with All Time Low around the UK and Ireland as an on-the-road-reporter. Was super to see them and their crew in rainy Paris. Alex kindly answered all the crazy and mad questions put to him from fans online through my Twitter account. What a nice chap.

1) Mr Motivator, Bestival, Week 15

I grew up seeing Mr Motivator on TV. His face, his voice and his outfits are an embedded part of my childhood memories. Seeing him in the flesh backstage at Bestival was one thing... getting to interview him was a whole new level. Not only was he kind and funny.. but he allowed me to dance with him and gave me some genuinely motivational life advice. Mr M - the number one spot goes to you.

For all interviews and videos from the Trident Perpetual Festival - check out the YouTube channel HERE.

Katie
www.twitter.com/KatieParsons
x

Trident Top 10

2010-12-24T06:44:00.003Z

So ladies and gents - I am now back home and the fun and fabulous festival adventure has ended. BOOOOOO. I had an amazing time - and did so much and saw so much and heard so much - that I decided to go back over the last 30 weeks and relive some of the fun through a series of Trident Top 10 lists.
Yes, was a bit of a happy mission. I have done 30 weeks of travelling. I have posted 900 different blogs. Made 200 videos, Taken over 3000 photos. But every single part has been amazing. There have been countless moments throughout the adventure where I have stopped and said to myself "I hope I remember this forever, because this is so beautiful/amazing/incredible/tasty - and I never want to forget!". Well, to help myself along that memory lane - I am getting old after all! - I will make these lists.
Sit back, and enjoy

Katie xx

...And now to bed...

2010-12-17T23:19:00.005Z

So, that's that then. I am back from the Gaucho tour... back in my room.. and tomorrow morning I head out to the airport and back to England! What an amazing 30 weeks it has been. I really can't begin to summerise what an experience I have had. There have been endless highs - and honestly - no lows at all. I have enjoyed every second of it, every festival, every city, every country - and have met some of the nicest people in the world. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of it all - Trident, Pretty Green, RPM, PHD, Nicola Varley, Virtual Festivals, festival PRs, bands, artists, friends, family and more. I'll leave you with a daft picture of me today, taken just after an 80-yr old cowboy won me this 'ring' and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Everyday's an adventure ;)
Katie x

Bolleadoras

2010-12-17T22:40:00.003Z

After the Tango, the male dancer stepped forward holding two pieces of rope - each with a heavy weight at the end. These are called bolleadoras, and were originally used as weapons in hunting. The thick leather rope has a stone at the bottom wrapped in more leather. Nowadays, they are mainly used in dancers - where a performer swings the rope around, allowing the stone to hit the floor at timed intervals, almost like tap dancing. It's very loud - and extremely impressive.

Tango dancing

2010-12-17T22:39:00.002Z

We were then treated to a brilliant Tango dance from two local performers. I took a little video for you to see their sexy moves..

Asado

2010-12-17T22:37:00.001Z

An asado is a typical Argentinian barbeque feast. Ours took place in this giant hall!

And we ate some of the following:

Horse and cart ride

2010-12-17T22:34:00.003Z

Just before lunch, myself and a nice French couple i met went for a short horse and cart ride (called a sulky ride).

Someone snapped a photo of us (looks very old fashioned!)

Vegetarians look away now..

2010-12-17T22:33:00.001Z

Here is a sample of the insane feast that was cooked for nearly 200 people today..

Hooray!

2010-12-17T22:32:00.001Z

This chap here is in charge of the gaucho ranch - and is himself a gaucho (kinda cowboy). He was very 'huggy' and later on took me for a dance, and a ride on his horse. It's love I tell ya.

Matte

2010-12-17T22:30:00.002Z

This year is NOT what it looks like, honest.
I spotted this little pot sat next to the drive on our tour - and when I asked about it - found out that it wasn't actually some kind of dodgy drug stash, but 'Matte' - pronounced Matt-tay - a kind of loose leaf tea drunk here in Argentina. You stuff your pot with leaves, poor on boiling water, add sugar and use this clever hollow spoon (which has a strainer at the end) to drink it. It's like a very bitter green tea.

Gaucho ranch tour

2010-12-17T22:26:00.001Z

Today I spent the whole day heading out - and going on - a Gaucho Ranch Tour in Buenos Aires. I joined a tour group and we drove about an hour out of the city where we then arrived on a Gaucho ranch/farm - where they show/breed/race horses, have a museum and host massive feasts (like a giant Argentinian barbeque). It was an amazing and busy day - and I got to ride a horse, ride in a horse carriage, speak loads of mad languages all messed up together, dance with an old man, eat yummy steak and generally have a good time. Check out the video below:

Graffitimundo Street Art Tour Video

2010-12-17T00:52:00.001Z

Check out the video of the amazing street art I saw on today's Graffitimundo Tour in Buenos Aires.

Teach yourself Argentinian Spanish

2010-12-17T00:30:00.001Z

Help me please..

Darn it

2010-12-17T00:27:00.000Z

This print was for sale - at a really good price - and I REALLY wanted to buy it and frame it for my house back home... but it was too big for my luggage and couldn't be rolled up. Boooo.

Your trash

2010-12-17T00:23:00.000Z

Your Trash Is My Treasure

Graffitimundo Street Art Tour

2010-12-17T00:17:00.003Z

This afternoon I went on the amazing Graffitimundo Street Art and Graffiti tour of Buenos Aires. The three hour tour (which costs 90 Pesos) takes you around various different areas of the city, accompanied by an English-speaking guide who tells you the history of all the pieces, details about the artists and the techniques they have used to create the work. It was really brilliant, and I couldn't stop snapping all afternoon. Here is a selection of a few photos I took

(For all the photos from Graffitimundo, CLICK HERE)

La Boca round two!

2010-12-17T00:13:00.003Z

I so enjoyed the colours of La Boca yesterday that I went back this morning for another look. More pics!

Buenos Aires City Tour video

2010-12-17T00:00:00.002Z

Check out my little video from yesterday's tour of Buenos Aires..

Hello from La Boca

2010-12-15T22:15:00.000Z

Cheers to the random Spanish tourists who took this snap of me against the happy colourful walls in La Boca!

La Boca - caminito

2010-12-15T22:11:00.002Z

La Boca is an area of Buenos Aires that is a real mixture of rundown old houses - and this insane set of streets around Caminito (meaning small walkway I believe) that are really bright and eccentric and happy. The have loads of restaurants on them and shops and tango displays - and are apparently painted in such bright colours as a passed-down tradition from Italian immigrants. As an addict of all things colourful, I was gobsmacked at the streets - and took LOADS of snaps. Check them out:

Jet-lag buster

2010-12-15T22:10:00.000Z

I have actually gone insane from jet-lag... and figured I had had too many coffees already in one day, so opted instead for a nice tall ice-cream. Good lord, I look mental.

Buenos Aires architecture

2010-12-15T21:27:00.002Z

Buenos Aires has a huge range of 'class' levels and wealth within its city walls, as well as a whole heap of various invasions, liberations and immigrants arriving over the last few hundred years. The architecture of the town reflects all those diverse influences - from classical French styles to modern Mexican colours and greek creations.

Giant flower

2010-12-15T21:25:00.001Z

One of our first stops on the tour was this incredible giant metal flower. It is programmed to work with the sun, and opens and closes depending on the natural sunlight (like a real flower!). Thing is, the structure is so large that that closing/opening process takes around 20 minutes. Still, a beautiful piece of creativity and craftsmanship.

First stop.. City Tour!

2010-12-15T21:22:00.001Z

I arrived in BA this morning - after a 12 hour flight from Sydney - and felt pretty knackered when I landed at 10am. However, determined not to waste the day - I immediately booked myself onto a tour of the city (at a cost of 65 Argentinian Pesos) and took off for about three and a half hours around the town in a mini tour bus, with a guide. However, the guide did only speak Spanish... so I kinda had to roll with it. Luckily, I can understand most Spanish, I just can't say anything back.. so we coped with a few cheery nods every now and then to prove I knew what was going on!

Week 30 has begun!!

2010-12-15T21:20:00.000Z

The FINAL week of the Trident Perpetual Festival has began... and I am in Buenos Aires, Argentina! Hope of sunshine, steak... and sexy Tango dancing!

Natural pools

2010-12-13T22:30:00.000Z

I love that Sydney has a load of natural swimming pools filled with sea water... so nice!

EEK! Bluebottles!

2010-12-13T22:28:00.002Z

Yesterday I went to a beach and went for a nice swim.. only then did I see this sign! EEK! Bluebottles!

The next step of our journey....

2010-12-13T22:27:00.003Z

Yesterday we left Port Macquarie and headed to Sydney for a few days - before I jet off to Buenos Aires for the FINAL week of this adventure! Here is our mini-plane that took us to Sydney! G'day!

Port Macquarie boat tour - video

2010-12-12T09:24:00.001Z

Have a wee look at the beautiful views from our Port Macquarie boat tour earlier this arvo.

Goodbye Port Macquarie

2010-12-12T09:08:00.001Z

We have had a really love time in Port Macquarie. I had never been before, and we have truly enjoyed its sights and sounds, food and drink, views and fun. This was my final peek at the town before I hit the hay. Roll on Sydney!

Aussie Rules

2010-12-12T09:07:00.001Z

The local government have put up these signs to stop people littering. I love the Aussie sense of humour and honesty.

Port Macquarie boat tour

2010-12-12T09:03:00.004Z

It was such lovely weather today that we decided to go on a local boat tour to check out the scenery, the local oyster farms and some wildlife. Was perfect - bright blue skies, sea breeze and a cool boat. Good times. Check out the snaps:

Picnic Intruder

2010-12-12T08:59:00.003Z

This morning we were sat on the grass chilling out in the sun... and our picnic was rudely intruded by a giant pelican!! Was actually pretty un-nerving at first (not knowing if they are dangerous at all). Bless ;)

Festival Of The Sun video...

2010-12-12T08:56:00.001Z

Check out the video from our two days of fun at the 2010 Festival Of The Sun!

Xavier Rudd

2010-12-12T08:54:00.002Z

Last night's headline performance was brought to us from Australia Xavier Rudd.. a multi-instrumentalist with plenty of hits to keep the Aussie crowd dancing, jumping and singing. He was amazing!

Festival Sunset

2010-12-12T08:53:00.002Z

Last night we had the most beautiful sunset across the festival site.. check out the snaps:

Snow cone

2010-12-12T08:52:00.001Z

In hommage to all the real snow that's currently blitzing the UK back home.. we decided to get some tasty edible snow cones from a festival stall. I got strawberry, Andrew got something similar.. and we bought Dan 'Tiger's Blood' flavour. Whatever that is.

Tinny Cooler!

2010-12-12T08:50:00.006Z

The ultimate Australian accessory has to be the tinny cooler - also known as a stubby cooler. It keeps your can cold during the summer months.

I spotted this one on the grass at the festival..

So grabbed myself (and paid for) this official Festival Of The Sun version from the merch table!

You have been warned!

2010-12-12T08:50:00.001Z

Festival Of The Sun Day Two

2010-12-12T08:49:00.002Z

It's NOT raining at Festival Of The Sun - very exciting!

Mmmm Fush n chups

2010-12-11T12:20:00.002Z

Today's lunch was brought to us by the letters F and S - FISH AND CHIPS! Proper tasty fresh local fish and yummy chips :)

Nurse Katie

2010-12-11T01:20:00.004Z

Andrew has cut his foot.. but luckily I have a first aid kit with me, and I have now improvised two different ways of dressing the wound. The first - yesterday - fell off. Oops. Today we are going with anti-septic cream, tape, a dressing pad... and a smiley face :)

Port Macquarie

2010-12-11T01:20:00.002Z

We are at a PORT - as the name suggests - and there are loads of beautiful boats and heaps of peaceful water to gaze upon. Thought this was a nice view..

Saturday morning...

2010-12-11T01:18:00.001Z

This morning we went out for some breakfast to get ourselves ready for the next day of festival fun. Outside our hotel, there's a lovely local market selling lots of cool arts and crafts and local produce.

rainy festival fun!

2010-12-11T01:17:00.002Z

Dan and Andrew partying in the rain-drenched festival arena. That's the thing, it's not cold here - just wet - so no one really minds getting totally soaked through!

Festival wristband..

2010-12-11T01:15:00.001Z

My final festival wristband.. ahh... stil have to think of something cool to do with all of them!

Food!

2010-12-11T01:14:00.001Z

Kebabs and wraps and burgers and salads and pancakes and ice-creams and smoothies.... and german sausages (what Andrew is eating right here):

Festival Of The Sun fashion

2010-12-11T01:13:00.001Z

The floor at the 'main stage' is all made of sand.. so everyone danced about in the rain (YEAH RAIN!) all night with their shoes off - some people even wearing wetsuits!

Festival Of The Sun!

2010-12-11T01:12:00.000Z

Last night was the first night of the Festival Of The Sun here in Port Macquarie. Myself and winners Andrew (left) and Daniel (right) went along through the local campsite to the fest...

Week 29 has begun!

2010-12-10T04:18:00.002Z

Oh my goodness! Week 29 has begun! This morning I left Melbourne and caught a 6am flight to Sydney, where I then changed plans for a short flight up to Port Macquarie for the Festival Of Sun. At the airport I met up with this week's winners Dan and Andrew (both 23 from the UK) and we checked into our hotel. By 10am we were ready to explore the local town - and this was the view that met us:

Alongside the beach are a series of boulders and stones that have been painted by locals and visiting holiday makers with a series of happy messages, tributes and drawings. There are probably over 200 of them - but here are some highlights:

Mmmm Kangaroo Burger!?

2010-12-10T04:14:00.000Z

Here is my pal Nathan eating a Kangaroo Burger. Not sure how I felt about that - so didn't try it!

Ramsay Street! - the video

2010-12-10T04:13:00.000Z

Check out the video from my tour around Neighbours' Ramsay Street!

Ramsay Street!

2010-12-10T04:07:00.002Z

When I was little I loved watching Australian soap opera Neighbours. It felt like I was getting a little insight into the life and sights of my cousins' world down under. Actually, Neighbours is totally crazy - and certainly those 1980s episodes were totally weird. Nevertheless, I am sure Neighbours has a special place in the heart of many UK TV fans... which is why today I went and visited the real life Ramsay Street - the street on which the TV show is filmed. The street is actually a pleasant residential road called Pin Oak Crescent, and my friend Matt kindly drove me over to it to take some photos of the soap spectacle. Real people live in these houses - and the TV company send them a weekly timetable letting them know when their houses will be required for certain shots. This means they cannot change the external look of their houses/gardens and decor. What a strange life! Check out the pics of the street and Matt and myself below:

Journey of a book...

2010-12-10T04:03:00.002Z

I bought this book in the airport in Sydney and finished it today while reading in the park. I wasn't sure what to do with it next, as it's too heavy to transport to my next destination, so I decided to leave it in the park with a note inside.. hopefully someone will see the note and this will be the beginning of a fun international journey for The Finkler Question..

Alexandra Gardens

2010-12-10T04:01:00.004Z

Next up, the sun came out - and I rushed outside to get a nice dose of vitamin C in the lovely Alexandra Gardens near the river Yarra..

National Gallery of Victoria

2010-12-10T03:58:00.002Z

On my final day in Melbourne, I took some time out to visit the beautiful National Gallery Of Victoria in Federation Square. There was some incredible aboriginal indigenous art on display - wish I could have taken it all home!

Melbourne Zoo - Video!

2010-12-07T07:40:00.001Z

Check out the video from today's visit to Melbourne Zoo - featuring a teeny baby elephant, kangaroos, tigers, lizards and more!

Queen Victoria Market

2010-12-07T05:02:00.001Z

Queen Victoria Market is a huge covered market in the city of Melbourne. It sells everything from wholesale tourist gifts, to fresh fruit and veg, clothes and hardware. I popped along this arvo (while it was raining) to see what I could find.

Baby elephant

2010-12-07T04:50:00.001Z

Special mention is going out to baby Ongard. She was born in September and is the latest addition to the elephant family at Melbourne Zoo. BEYOND ADORABLE!!

Melbourne Zoo

2010-12-07T04:46:00.002Z

Today I spent the morning hanging at Melbourne Zoo. It's probably the best zoo I have ever been to, and I wandered around for hours checking out koalas, tigers, elephants, kangaroos, lizards and more. I took a whole heap of photos which I will entertain you with now.. have a gander:

Brunswick Street

2010-12-06T22:27:00.003Z

Brunswick Street is a road up in the Fitzroy area of Melbourne. It's a really cool quirky street filled with loads of coffee shops, little cafes and independent record stores and shops. I spent a few hours wandering around there yesterday - snapping some of the cool street art on show.

Metal in Melbourne

2010-12-06T22:24:00.002Z

On Sunday night I was lucky enough to catch a heavy metal show here in Melbourne - featuring some of my favourite bands from around the globe. It was really fun to go along to a gig in another city/country - and see that the fans/dancing/fashion/banter is similar the world over - very comforting. My pals' band Architects headlined the show - below is a snap of myself and guitarist Tim (who is strangely the son of my Granny's nextdoor neighbour back home. Small world).

Luna Park

2010-12-05T07:49:00.003Z

Luna Park is an old-school amusement park in Melbourne (and also in Sydney) featuring rides and games and terrifying faces. Check out my attempt at arty snaps:

St Kilda market

2010-12-05T07:44:00.003Z

This morning I went to a suburb of Melbourne called St Kilda. It has a beach (woo!) and a special market on Sunday mornings. Check out the snaps:

Stereosonic Melbourne movie

2010-12-05T07:20:00.002Z

Check out my video from the fun happenings at Stereosonic in Melbourne:

Stereosonic snap

2010-12-05T07:12:00.000Z

They had a photo booth at Stereosonic - which snaps your face and then emails you the pics. Nice! Here is my confused attempt to not look tooooo sweaty.. ;)

This week's winners...

2010-12-05T07:11:00.000Z

This week's winners (by the way) are the lovely Paul and Julie from near Bristol. Here they are enjoying an evening in Melbourne. Hello!

New buddies

2010-12-05T07:10:00.001Z

I decided to chat to some local Aussies at the fest.. go dancing with them.. and fully submerse myself in Stereosonic life. Here is Liam and Katty. Yep - an actual person called Katty (rather than just Katie gone wrong).

Pricey

2010-12-05T07:08:00.004Z

So.. in order to buy a drink at the festival, you had to buy a 'drinks card' - which was $30. Your drinks were then stamped out of it one by one to add up in value. However, none of the drinks' prices were of a number that would go equally into 30. So you would always lose money. Cheeky so-and-sos. Grrr.

Pink loos!

2010-12-05T07:08:00.002Z

Hooray for the pink portaloos at Stereosonic - raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness and funding :)

Stereosonic Melbourne

2010-12-05T07:05:00.001Z

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending another Stereosonic Festival - this time in Melbourne. It was VERY hot, VERY crowded, VERY loud and VERY awesome. Check the snaps :)

5 and a half wombats

2010-12-04T08:23:00.000Z

According to this kiddy height chart in the museum, I am an unimpressive 5 and a half wombats tall. :(

Yarra river tour - video

2010-12-04T08:19:00.007Z

Check the video from this morning's tour. I added in a little daft music to set the happy mood ;)
x

Melbourne Museum

2010-12-04T08:19:00.006Z

After my boat tour, I took the 96 tram up the road to the Melbourne Museum for a little walk around with my pal Nathan and his son Otis. It's an incredible looking building, housing all kinds of historical natural artefacts and informative exhibitions. Entry is $9.

Yarra river tour

2010-12-04T08:15:00.002Z

This morning I went on a tour down the Yarra river that runs through Melbourne. Despite its browny colour (due to the mixing of salt and fresh water within it), it's actually the cleanest city-river in the world. I took some snaps and made you a little video so you can get a taster of the kind of beautiful architecture and 'nature' on view here in Oz.

It's festival time!!

2010-12-03T22:57:00.001Z

Week 28's festival is the Stereosonic Fest - this week in Melbourne. I went to the same fest last week (it's travelling around) but with a different crowd, different venue and different DJs on board.. it should be a whole new experience!

Aussie pride!

2010-12-03T22:55:00.001Z

Good lord. I went to this strange cheapo 'reject' store yesterday to pick up some toiletries, and I found this 'Aussie' section with loads of strange things on sale. So of course, I donned the big jester hat and waved my flag in support of this wonderful country!

Christmas in Melbourne

2010-12-03T22:50:00.003Z

In Australia they have a large department store chain called Myer. There is a huge one here in Melbourne and they recently put up their Christmas window display - which this year features the theme of The Nutcracker. The windows are filled with moving puppets - not that unlike Team America actually - and I went and checked out the spectacle last night, along with hundreds of happy Aussie kids.

U2 and Jay Z - the video

2010-12-03T22:49:00.001Z

Check out my video from last night's gig at the Etihad Stadium!

U2 and Jay Z

2010-12-03T22:44:00.003Z

So.. on Thursday I was scanning through an Australian website that lists all the gigs coming up in my area, and I saw that U2 and Jay Z were going to be playing on Friday night. I mentioned it to my pal who lives here.. and then Friday morning I get a text saying that his pal knows someone who knows someone and there is a spare FREE ticket going for the show! I jumped at the chance, and last night took a walk through the city to the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne to see Jay Z supporting U2 on their infamous 360 degree tour. Check out the pics:

My name

2010-12-03T03:16:00.002Z

My name is Katie - if you hadn't worked that one out. It's a very simple name, quite common and pretty easy to say - I thought. However, all this travel has made me realise that the way I say it (with an English accent) - K-tea (as it were) - really confuses people. In American they pronounce it Kae-dee, and don't seem to understand me unless I say it with that accent. In Australia.. it's Kaigh-d. Might seem a trivial problem.. but in certain famous coffee houses (ahem) they insist on taking your name when you order. In America, I gave up trying - and went with "Alice" as my new name. In Australia it all went a bit wrong..

Federation Square

2010-12-03T03:14:00.004Z

Last night I was wandering around the city waiting to meet up with my buddy and the sun was shining and I heard music! So I followed the sound and headed into Federation Square - next to the Yarra River in the city - and there was a cool, free live soul gig happening - with members of the public just sat on the cobbles and chilling out. There was even a crazy little kid breakdancing. Good times.

g'day!

2010-12-02T05:27:00.000Z

Eureka Skydeck video

2010-12-02T05:21:00.000Z

Check out the video from my trip up the Eureka Skydeck!

Eureka Skydeck

2010-12-02T05:17:00.002Z

Today I went up the Eureka Skydeck while the weather was still nice.. The Skydeck is a 285m-up, 88th floor viewing platform to look across Melbourne. Was pretty rippa!! Check the pics!

Aussie shop names

2010-12-02T05:15:00.003Z

They are all about word play here.. and silly names. Am going to start a collection and put all the pics on here...

yum Yum yum

2010-12-02T05:12:00.000Z

Ahh.. check out one of my favourite things about Australia - Boost Juice. Amazing large fruit smoothies available to slurp on throughout the country. My favourite is a Strawberry Squeeze. Yum yum yum :)

Melbourne's Lanes

2010-12-02T05:08:00.002Z

Melbourne city centre is filled with large wide streets full of traffic and tram lines, shopping and eateries.. but explore a little deeper and you'll find cool little lanes and arcades running between the blocks - filled with cool art, graffiti, little shops and cool cafes. Check out some snaps from what I have seen today:

Welcome to Melbourne!

2010-12-02T05:00:00.005Z

Hello all! Week 28 has begun - and I am now in Melbourne for Stereosonic festival - and a general runaround in one of Australia's most awesome cities. Melbourne generally has a more 'artistic' and bohemian vibe compared to its compadres.. and I fully intend to explore all the wonderful sights, sounds, shops, seaside and stuff on offer over the next week or so!

We woke up this morning (myself and this week's winners) and it was RAINING. Hard. We decided to catch a free circular city tram to escape the wet and to get ourselves settled. Trams, buses and trains form the main transportation of Melbourne - and a zone one tram pass costs about $30.

After that, we were lucky enough to have a few hours of sunshine - so I went off to explore! Katie x

Last supper

2010-12-01T21:20:00.001Z

For my final dinner in Sydney, I went into China Town with my cousin Bec and came across this place.. It was really tasty and not very expensive. We were pretty lucky with the timing though - as just as we finished and grabbed our jackets, around 300 school kids showed up for their Christmas gathering. Could have bene very busy indeed!

Customs House

2010-12-01T21:18:00.000Z

Right down at Circular Quay in Sydney is Customs House. A beautiful old building that now has a fancy ground floor area where you can read the day's newspapers for free, get online, have a coffee and chill out. I like it. The best bit is a 3D model of the city centre that is housed underneath a glass floor - so you can walk on/over the city and see where everything is based!

So Australian!

2010-12-01T21:17:00.001Z

God, I love the Australian language and mad linguistic terms!

Goodbye Sydney

2010-12-01T21:16:00.001Z

Yesterday was my last day in Sydney... this was the view I woke to:

A didgeridoo

2010-12-01T21:15:00.001Z

The girls met a guy down by the waterfront who was playing a didgeridoo! Now, that's something I should try and do...