This morning I had the privilege of hearing the lovely Tal Fitzpatrick of Volunteering Queensland speak. She was enlightening members of Study Cairns on the benefits of volunteering, particularly with respect to engaging international students who are studying in Australia. We take the term ‘volunteer’ or ‘volunteering’ for granted here – most of us being aware of the definition, and the difference for example, between ‘volunteering’ and ‘work experience’ (corporate placement etc.). However, some cultures aren’t so familiar with our use of the term ‘volunteer’. In a nutshell, volunteering in Australia means ‘giving up time for a not-for-profit organisation’. For example, in Tropical North Queensland, organisations of this description that need assistance include Meals on Wheels, YAPS and RSPCA, Wildlife Rescue, SES, to name but a few. In Australia we hold volunteers in high regard. Many volunteers are extremely well trained and sacrifice hours of their own time to assist when others need it most. A good friend of mine, Julie, has spent countless hours over the past ten years training, learning and dedicating her experience and time to help the SES and Red Cross, and as such has gained valuable emergency response experience – critical during floods, cyclones and disaster periods.
Bringing this back to the context of ‘international students’, well, imagine moving to a new country, where the culture is different and English is your second language. Sometimes it’s lonely trying to fit into a community. Challenges for international students include:
Language
Culture shock
Poor coping skills
Isolation
Accommodation & financial issues
Discrimination or perceived discrimination
Loneliness
These types of issues can often be overcome and addressed through positive volunteering experiences; the same could be said for others feeling isolation within a community.
Additionally, volunteering offers a great opportunity to practice language skills, make friends in a safe environment and to learn work skills at a comfortable pace. Employability is increased, especially in Australia where we value skills gained from those who volunteer; and students who have engaged in volunteering activities cite the benefits as including learning new skills, practising English, making a difference, making friends, helping people, trying something new, engaging in teamwork, giving back to the environment, learning leadership skills and making the most out of a ‘living abroad experience’.
Whether you want to help with animals, kids, elderly, community events and much more, there’s a wealth of info at www.volunteeringqld.org.au.
And if you’re in the North Queensland region, find Study Cairns on Facebook and Twitter for info on being a study-tourist, traveller, or even home-stay host, as well as heaps of travel advice on the beautiful northern Queensland region.
“Rome, it’s as beautiful as everybody says it is; to me it’s not the big things they tell you about – the sculptures, the imposing squares and monuments, though they are amazing. It’s the little things; the tiny details, the improbable awesomeness of every little damn thing.” −Anthony Bourdain.
Last night we were watching Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel. He was experiencing his first visit to Rome, Italy, and one of his initial descriptions really hit home with me, because it wasn’t all the massive ‘stereotypically Rome’ monuments that got to me either … it was the little streets, lamps, fountains, statues. Beautiful, intricate details that to me are now ‘classically Roman’.
Simply amazing Rome, hope to see you again one day x
The weather has been so perfect here that I decided to take the chopper out for a spin …
Oh wait, that’s not mine – I get so easily confused these days. Alas, I was on foot on Friday, headed firstly towards Canopy Arts Space on Grafton Street to find out all about Inkfest initiatives (awesome!) + Inkmasters as part of Festival Cairns.
Inkfest is an innovative addition to Cairns Festival showcasing the fascinating and diverse artform of printmaking 17 August – 2 September, 2012. The Inkfest program includes a number of inter-related printmaking activities, for indigenous and non-indigenous artists, emerging and experienced professional artists, and community engagement. It includes two exhibitions, at the Tanks Arts Centre and Canopy Artspace (pictured below), where some of the best local print media artists will be showing works alongside Australia’s most celebrated printmakers.
Visitors are welcome to drop by the gallery on Grafton Street – it’s huge, interesting and informative. Well worth it!
Next on Friday’s adventure …
It’s not as scary as it looks. A bunch of travel journalists and I visited James Cook University’s Cairns campus to explore some uniquely ‘Tropical North Queensland’ areas of education.
Baby Nemo! :-)
We went behind the scenes of a marine research centre that is used to film nature docos including the BBC’s The Great Barrier Reef that aired internationally earlier this year. And we discovered impressive research into the Eliminate Dengue project.
It was actually really interesting to hear about this research, and we did learn that mozzies are attracted to those of us who have ‘hotter body temperatures’ or people wearing dark clothes – so be warned.
The aim of the experiment is to breed the dengue gene out of the mozzies that have it, then all these new mozzies are released into the ‘wild’ to hopefully breed with the other evil mozzies. Such amazing stuff – but we don’t envy the poor guys at JCU who are continually getting bitten!
All this talk of mosquitoes made me thirsty, so we decided to nip out for a quiet Friday afternoon drink at The Pier Bar. A few champers later and it was time to dance, so we visited one of my fave clubs in town, The Attic. Even discovered an awesome new mix of Super Bass mixed by Liam Keegan (love it).
Attic DJ you *rock* for sharing Liam’s details with us! Cheers to you :-)
YUM.
OMG… empty much?
Panic over… thank you kind lady. BTW these fab cocktails (think Appletinis, Cosmos, Martinis) are all just $6 at The Attic on Friday nights – they have a new menu and are testing it out. Bargain!
We’re looking to reno our bathroom soon (too much The Block for us, methinks) so paid a visit to Status Plus‘ fabulous showroom in Cairns on Saturday morning. Good timing too – they were hosting an outdoor broadcast with Zinc FM, there were cook-offs, demonstrations and much more. Big thanks to Shar’ron for all her knowledge and help during the morning. One such delight we discovered was this magic tap – the stream is blue when it’s cold, and red when … you guessed it, hot.
Beer o’clock (actually, we were waiting for Cooper’s mum who got lost among the Cairns shops – as you do), so we decided to take a quick pit stop at The Courthouse, sipping on $4 Coronas under the winter sunshine. .
On Sunday, after a little morning clean up and walk with the dog, we took a drive to stunning Paradise Palms Resort & Country Club for a catch-up with some friends and family. Nice day for it too.
There’s a beautiful under cover dining area, and Sunday was blissful here. We ate, drank and were merry.
Are you considering a tour such as the one I’ve just been on with Back Roads Touring in the UK? Cooper and I are fans of tours because put simply, if you’re short on time / on your own / not travelled much / don’t want the hassle of getting lost or stuck in dreadful accommodation, then generally with a tour you can’t go wrong. There are however, some important factors to remember if you’re embarking on a tour. Further to this, if you begin a tour in London but are a first-timer in the city, here are a few tips that may be of use…
Top tour travel tips London and UK
11 tips/preparing for a tour + first time in London:
How long will you be in London – is it worthwhile buying an Oyster (transport) Card? My rule of thumb is that if you’re going to be commuting in London for over three days then buy a ‘weekly pass’ – it’s MUCH cheaper than ‘topping up’ all the time and allows Tube and bus travel in all the areas you’re going to need. If travelling within the city for just a day or two, buy a ‘day pass’ each day, unless you literally are only planning one trip on the Tube for the day (unlikely).
Consider day tour options around the city – it’s huge with lots to see. The ‘big red bus’ hop-on-hop-off option is always a good one.
Be careful when commuting on buses and the Tube – while these services are efficient for familiar users, sometimes visitors will find the rush of busy passengers overwhelming and insensitive. Be aware that buses can pull off without warning.
PLAN what you want to see and where you want to go – Tower of London, Kensington Palace etc. Organise passes in advance. London is vast, and it can be arduous and tiring to navigate if you’re unfamiliar with the city.
Most pubs and cafes offer free WiFi, so if your hotel is charging through the roof for this service, chances are there is a free option within just a block or two of your location.
On tour, always be on time back to the coach – it is only fair on the driver/guide and fellow passengers, and it’s very stressful for everyone if people have to wait and/or come searching for you.
Never go anywhere / leave the coach without a credit card and your passport, as well as contact number(s) for your guide and other emergency contact details – just in case!
In the UK, Orange Mobile offers inexpensive pay-as-you-go SIM cards (easy to top up at any ATM) that can be utilised in most mobile phones, iPhones, and even iPad / tablet options. Orange or T-Mobile shops are all over London.
Don’t over-pack! Inevitably everyone who ends up with too many (large) bags admits they’ve brought too much, and it becomes painstaking trying to get from one place to another. Also, take clothes that you can mix, match and layer. It helps to bring clothes you can wash together too – you don’t want to be doing ‘separate loads’ on the go. If you’re stopping somewhere for two nights, do your washing as soon as you stop which leaves ample time for drying. Wrap washing in a towel and ring as much water out of it as you can, then hang washing around the room or on coat hangers. Jeans are serviceable, but can be quite heavy if you take too many.
Ask your tour guide where the nearest supermarket is, and buy your water in big bottles which is far cheaper.
If you see a person travelling on their own, include them in your outings. The more people you embrace, the better. You’ll also get more out of your trip by talking to and getting to know your co-travellers.
As those of you reading this blog will know, I’ve recently been on a journey through the ‘Heart of England’ with Back Roads Touring in the UK (organised via Escape Travel in Australia).
Back Roads Touring offers a wide range of options throughout the UK and Europe, and in fact I have my eye on several more trips in the UK that I’d love to book over the coming year or so (particularly the Corners of Cornwall 7-day, The Red Dragon of Wales 6-day, and Secrets of Southern England 4-day tours – take a look at the itineraries on the website and you’ll understand why). A few of our co-travellers had even booked two or three Back Roads Touring adventures in a row, with our Heart of England tour sitting in the middle of their holiday plans.
The Heart of England tour itself though is a classic choice, especially if you’re trying to decide on one particular option in the country. Four days was a nice length of time to be on a tour, there were no early morning starts and we generally had enough time to explore each destination. Best of all, this tour offers an overview of all that we’d typically associate with England – green countryside, old English pubs, castles, royalty, Shakespeare, medieval sites all the way through to mythological and mysterious destinations such as Stonehenge.
Evidently these tours are ideal for a person with a mature, intelligent and interested mindset who is a keen, (sometimes) seasoned traveller seeking a low-stress adventure, as well as quality, comfortable accommodation and up-market dining options.
With so many tour operators to choose from these days, why consider Back Roads Touring?
Small travel groups.
Mini bus means travelling through towns and seeing them (many large buses can’t go where Back Roads Touring can).
Quality dining options.
Personalised service including travel advice and assistance.
The opportunity to get to know everyone on board.
Relaxed travel experience.
Expert guides who introduce ‘local’ experiences at each tour stop.
Pleasant accommodation.
Aspirational destinations.
Back Roads Touring offers the discerning traveller the ultimate in exploration options based on over 25-years experience in the small group and tailor-made tour industry in this region.
My own trip highlights? This time around I’d definitely say Windsor Castle (vast, stunning, lavish, historical) and Stratford upon Avon (romantic… Shakespeare! Need I say more?). I was also impressed by the accommodation and delicious meals that were part of the ‘Back Roads Touring’ experience.
Hi, we’re Sarah & Cooper. Welcome to Travel Live Learn! We’re Aussie expats currently living in the UK (for the third time!) with our adorable Westie, London. Our mission? To inspire you to embrace a life of adventure—whether it’s travelling longer, relocating to the UK or Europe, or exploring the freedom of remote work and digital nomadism. Enjoy your time on our site! We'd love to stay in touch: subscribe for our weekly stories, updates and remote work job opportunities direct to your inbox.
TLL SHOP!
Grab our guides for 2025:
Master House Sitting with Our Must-Have 101 Essentials eGuide! Buy It Here
And, 7 Essential Strategies for Maximising Your Use of ChatGPT eBookBuy it here
Also, Visit Our Amazon Storefront! Shop Here!
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
