Up until now I have endeavoured to keep work separate from my personal blog because it makes life simpler. Next week however I am working on an awesome project for Flight Centre UK that I can’t help but share with you guys – they are sending this London girl to the Outback!
Last year Flight Centre UK ran a contest in conjunction with the radio show Kiss 100 to find 5 people and their lucky friends to send on a Big Outback Adventure in Australia’s Northern Territory – and I’m going to spy on them!
I’ll be reporting live from Down Under for Flight Centre on facebook and twitter as the group travel to Darwin, onto Alice Springs and into the Red Centre. In Darwin we’ll be facing wave pools and crocs, sampling harbour cruises and deckchair cinemas. Intrepid Travel will be introducing us to Kakadu national park, an area the size of Wales, where I’ll be channelling Crocodile Dundee! We’ll also be flying to Alice to get up close and personal with the legendary Uluru and sleep under the stars in her presence.
In between worrying about snakes and bugs and having a mild wardrobe crisis (what does one wear in the Outback?!) I am super, super excited to be returning to Oz and filling in the gaps from my last visit. Like many visitors to Australia who are on a backpacker’s budget, I explored the East Coast of Oz from top to bottom; I even made it over to Perth to visit family, but had to sacrifice exploring the middle and top because my funds couldn’t get me there. From research and reading blogs on the Northern Territory ever since then, I know this was a huge mistake. Now I’ve got the chance to rectify that.
You can follow the whole group’s progress via the hashtag #BIGOBADV on twitter (in case you didn’t catch that from the image above!) Also Charlie from the Kiss 100 Breakfast show will be joining us and updating the Breakfast Show listeners each morning live from the Outback – if you hear a cockney girl in the background cackling, it is probably me!
I’ll be taking heaps of photos and noting down travel advice and general observations for the Flight Centre blog. If, however, you want to get the inside scoop on how I deal with the bugs and snakes, whether I dare to sample kangaroo steak and if the men in the Outback actually look like Hugh Jackman (I sure hope so!) then you’ll need to check back here in a few weeks!
In the meantime if you have any advice for a city slicker about to make her first foray into the Outback, kindly leave it in the comments section below. Yours gratefully 🙂
15 Comments
Caroline Eubanks
April 30, 2012 at 9:25 pmHave so much fun! Invest in a bug net. I bought mine for $8 in Alice Springs and it was worth every penny!
Jayne
May 5, 2012 at 8:50 pmWill bear that in mind – thank you!
Geri Grobler
May 1, 2012 at 1:08 pmDefinitely second the bug net, fly’s there like to travel in flash mobs! Also, don’t forget your sunscreen, if you’ve been covered up all Winter like I have your skin won’t be used to the down under rays that will burn you to a crisp courtesy of that little hole in the ozone. Have an amazing time!
Jayne
May 5, 2012 at 8:49 pmThank you! High factor sun screen is packed!
Suzanne Holiday
May 1, 2012 at 1:30 pmWow – sounds like an awesome adventure and can’t wait to read all about it. Move over Mick Dundee!
Jayne
May 5, 2012 at 8:48 pmhahahahhaah I’m bringing Mick home with me :p
Heather
May 1, 2012 at 3:40 pmEnjoy! It’s gonna be great 🙂 I went on a tour from Adelaide to Alice Springs (Uluru included of course) but never made it up to Darwin! Looking forward to hearing about it.
Jayne
May 5, 2012 at 8:48 pmThanks Heather – I can tell you all about it when you arrive in London 🙂
Tori (@eatori)
May 2, 2012 at 7:47 amYou’ll love it. Sturdy walking shoes and a hat are a must. Layer with vests under shirts to help keep the sun off your shoulders. Kangaroo is delicious- a little like venison and incredibly lean- so make sure you eat it medium rare, otherwise it’ll taste like shoe leather.
Jayne
May 5, 2012 at 8:47 pmFab tips Tori – thank you:)
Kirsten
May 2, 2012 at 10:36 amSOO excited for you!!!!!
Jayne
May 5, 2012 at 8:47 pmThank you Kirsten! Me too!!!!
Journey to the Red Centre | 40 countries before I'm 30
May 22, 2012 at 3:20 pm[…] A Big Outback Adventure April 30, 2012 […]
Amanda @ Adventures All Around
May 29, 2012 at 1:29 amCongratulations… That sounds like a fantastic trip. You’re probably going to have your itinerary all locked in before you get down to the Territory, but if you get a chance go check out Litchfield National Park too. It’s a day trip out of Darwin and just beautiful.
Oh, and be very careful and check with the locals if water is okay to swim in before you jump in. Those crocs have big teeth!
Jayne
May 29, 2012 at 8:02 pmhaha I learnt to stay on the look out for crocs at all times. I didn’t have the chance to visit Litchfield on this trip but have heard great things.. maybe next time 🙂