THE HOLIDAY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
When writer Rebecca Denne went on holiday to Sydney, she never imagined she’d end up staying for four years
AUSTRALIA HAS A MAGIC ABOUT IT LIKE NOWHERE ELSE
It’s 2010 and I’m sat outside on the Manly ferry with a friend, sailing through Sydney Harbour, coffee in hand, sun blazing down and not a care in the world. It was the holiday of a lifetime (the fact we’d boarded the wrong ferry was somewhat irrelevant). Little did I know that this journey, passing two of the world’s most iconic landmarks, would later become my daily commute.
Australia has a magic about it like nowhere else. The people are infectiously laid-back, the food is among the best you’ll ever taste and the beaches are stunning. As you dip your feet in the postcard-worthy waters, stroll along Hyams Beach (it has the whitest sand in the world) or take in the Blue Mountains’ breathtaking Three Sisters rocks for the first time, the 24-hour flight is swiftly forgotten. I recommend trying a multi-city trip to pack in as much as possible. You can book a tour with Travelbag that takes in Sydney and Melbourne – two great multicultural cities.
When my three-week holiday came to an end, my heart became heavy. I remember arriving back at my (freezing) London flat and feeling a little empty. The holiday blues didn’t go away, so a few months later I applied for a visa and let fate play its part. Nine months on, an email pinged into my inbox: ‘Your Working Holiday Visa has been granted’. I stared at my screen. I was moving to Australia.
I stopped off in Thailand on the way back, and one of the highlights was visiting the unspoiled island of Koh Lanta – I’d never even heard of it before, but you can go there as part of a Travelbag tour. It remains one of the most memorable places I’ve ever been to.
After a month of travelling, I arrived back in Sydney for a year. I ended up staying for four. Work was just two blocks from Manly Beach. Lunch breaks were spent eating fresh sushi or going for a swim in the ocean. At weekends, I’d explore local markets, drive to hidden beaches or fly to Melbourne and rummage through vintage treasures on the slightly rough-around-the-edges yet charming Brunswick Street. I didn’t need to take holidays – my life was just as good as a holiday.
Ultimately, I came back to the UK to be closer to friends and family, but Australia will forever be my second home and I definitely left a part of my heart there. Perhaps another holiday’s in order (*Googles flights to Australia*)…