I’m Marijs and this is my blog Rooftop Antics. My blog is about showing you how much fun traveling out-of-the-box is and sharing all my best travel hacks. I left the fashion industry with a 1-way ticket to India and haven't looked back since.
Back when I was still in Belgium and only dreaming of far-away countries such as Australia, my friend, Tinne, was already wandering this magnificent world. Well to be honest, we weren’t friends yet, but that was about to change. While being ‘at work’, my eye often wandered to her travel blog (which is amazing) and this post about Jervis Bay caught my attention. I always thought I had to visit this beach and now, two years later, I finally had my chance.
When you’re driving around a country the size of Australia, which is bigger than Europe in its entirety, a well-curated road trip playlist is a vital part of your journey. Any memorable road trip stands or falls with unique locations, inspiring people and flawless entertainment. Having driven from Darwin down to Perth and from Perth all the way to Melbourne and back up to Brisbane, I’ve gotten to know a thing or two about what it takes to keep you going (we’re talking 4000+ km’s). You need tunes to wake you up in the morning, tunes to remember all those great moments and tunes to enjoy the sunsets you drive past. And when all else fails and you’re sick of those songs, you will need some good podcasts.
If there is one piece of clothing I’ve been very happy to have in my backpack (aka suitcase) and an item you should include in your packing list as well, it is a raincoat. Yes of course, you need your bikini, shorts, etc. while traveling, but something a lot of people seem to forget is a raincoat. Why? probably because they’re going to warm countries such as Laos, Vietnam, India or Australia. Guess where I have used my raincoat? Laos, Vietnam, India and Australia. All these countries, known for their high temperatures, have spots with a lower average temperature or might be going through a wet season during your visit.
You’re getting ready to warm up with some hot chocolate as the temperatures are lowering and the nights are becoming longer. As that first layer of snow falls, you’re planning secret Santa with your family and getting into the Christmas spirit. This is what I love. But oh wait, that’s not my reality this year (even though I heard it’s not cold in Belgium either). I’m traveling in Australia and will have to go a second year without my family this Christmas. Last year I still had a bit of cold in the mountains of Darjeeling, India, but this year I’m in full summer mode. That means water slides, barbecues, cold salads, air conditioning and walking around in flip flops and shorts all day, every day. This leaves me with the feeling of a shoe that doesn’t quite fit. Even though it is a reality for everybody living in the southern hemisphere, summer and Christmas do not seem like the most obvious match to me.
Having traveled in Australia for little over four months, I notice that at times I’m longing back to South East Asia. Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely in love with Australia. Even though every country in South East Asia presents itself with its own challenges, life does tend to be very simple which is something that I can really enjoy. In these countries there are little to no worries about how much you are spending, logistics always seem to work out and don’t cost you a fortune and the locals introduce you into a completely different way of living. Sometimes it does seem nice to live in that tiny beach town and teach scuba diving to tourists while you go out almost every night. Although, knowing myself, I would get sick of that pretty soon though.
Time for an update of my travel through Western Australia, the largest state in the country. Since I’ve travelled down from Darwin to Perth, I’ve driven between 4500 and 5000 km, which is about the same as driving from Brussels to Iran! I’ve seen the ocean and finally swam in it (in the Northern Territory this is not possible), I spotted Southern Right whales and Humpback whales in the wild, I climbed a mountain, celebrated my birthday in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, tasted world class wines, I can’t even count the amount of times that I’ve seen the landscape change, I’ve traveled around in a 4WD, a stationwagon and a van and I’ve decided that I’m not ready to leave this country in the near future. Currently I’m in Perth, one of the most remote cities in the world and I’m gearing up to head back into the outback. Perth is a great city, however I don’t feel like I have explored it to its full potential. Traveling through Australia, one of the necessities is having a car, which I don’t. But if all goes well, that changes in the next few days. I’m on the hunt to buy my very first car! Yes, you read it correctly, I have had my license for 10 years and never had a car of my own. Many Australians will have their mind blown by this statement. Just one of the cultural differences between Europeans and Australians.
