Travelling to Australia in 2010 changed my life forever and installed an ever-present wanderlust.
A very young me on the bottom right in a jeep on Fraser Island, Australia in 2013.
How Australia changed my life.
My latest Winging It Travel Podcast episode features just myself. This week, I was pondering what to say, so I went back to a classic Winging It episode of me freestyling into a microphone about a particular topic.
This week, I will delve into the transformative journey that began with my first steps on Australian soil in 2010, and culminated in a life-altering decision to stay there in 2013. It's a story of self-discovery, of embracing the unknown, and of finding a home in the most unexpected of places.
How did my trip come about in 2010?
Well, this is a classic story of mine (hence the name of the podcast): When I was at music college in London, I had a torrid time with a few breakups, a mugging, and a faltering performance in my degree, so I decided to take some action.
I heard a rumour of a trip to watch the Ashes tournament in Australia at the end of 2010 between Australia and England amongst my close friends (this in the days before whatsapp as I didn’t have a smartphone).
Weirdly, I have always been into cricket. A very middle/upper-class sport and not a popular one on the council estates in Norwich but I always found myself watching it all day and totally captivated.
However, I got the phone number of our travel agent and talked to him about the pending trip. At the end of the call, I had booked my flights to Australia with my friends.
Could I afford it? No. Did I know what to expect? No. Had I travelled outside of Europe? No.
But as soon as I booked it, I couldn’t quite believe that I was going and it was only a few months before setting off.
So there is some context for you, I have never had an incline to travel anywhere exotic, never thought it was possible to afford a trip like that and for once, my mind was taken away from music and trying to be a decent player amongst the cut-throat London music scene.
Let’s devle into some topics as to why that trip changed my life.
Scarborough Beach in Perth, Australia
Landing in Perth, I could not believe what I was seeing.
After a horrendously long connection of flights via Southeast Asia, we finally made it to Perth, and I had some instant observations.
Perth greeted us with a distinct scent-a mix of burning grass and the promise of a scorching summer day. It was a sensory experience that immediately immersed us in the local environment.
The traffic lights sounded different and appeared much more efficient than their UK counterparts.
Everything was spacious, clean and brand new.
The beaches were absolutely incredible.
You have to bear in mind here that I grew up in Norwich, which is very old in terms of infrastructure; there are no tall buildings (apart from the Cathedral) and no beach in sight. Add to that, I was living in London at the time, Perth seemed like paradise.
The first time we set foot on Scarborough Beach and Cottesloe Beach, I was in heaven.
I just couldn’t grasp how blue the water was, how warm the sand was beneath our feet and how people were sunning themselves in the middle of a working day. What is this place?
For once, I didn’t have to worry about the weather ruining my plans for the day; it was guaranteed to be great.
Arguably, the most important conversation of the whole trip came at the cricket match in Perth.
We were sitting behind an Australian guy willing to chat with us about cricket and Australia. I mentioned to him that I absolutely loved the place already.
He said, ‘Well, you just need to get a working holiday permit, buy a car for $600 and come and live here for a year’. I asked him, ‘Is this possible and easy to do?’
His reply, ‘Yeah, you just look it up on Google, apply for the permit and then fly over to work here’.
My mind was blown.
I didn’t realize it was that easy. Don’t forget that there were no smartphones to check Google at this time, so I had to wait until I got back to London to double-check his information. I kept that thought in the back of my mind.
Perth for us was cricket and drinking at the Lucky Shag Bar; such great times, and it was always there for me in terms of nostalgia and a carefree way of travelling.
We were part of something in the cricket tournament. I was experiencing something life-changing, and subconsciously, my life was beginning a new transition.
Fancy dress for an England test match in a bar in Melbourne in 2015.
2013-2014 was the beginning of my travel journey, which continues to this day!
Lo and behold, that guy was right!
When I returned to miserable London in January 2011, I suffered from post-trip blues, but I made a pact with myself.
I am going back to Australia to work for a year and live there. Before and after, I want to travel to places like New Zealand and South America.
There was one snag with the plan, I told myself to wait until 2013.
I wanted to finish my degree in music first and get it in the bank, so I worked hard for two years, saving as much money as possible before my trip in January 2013.
Fast forward to May 2013, my friend Michael and I landed in Cairns to start our East Coast adventures and I knew I made the right choice.
After a fast-paced trip through Southeast Asia, New Zealand, and Fiji, it was time for one last blowout in Australia before I had to find a job.
The East Coast is a must for any traveller. We checked off some great sights, such as Millaa Millaa Waterfalls (Herbal Essence Ad Location), Magnetic Island, The Whitsundays, Agnes Water, Fraser Island and Noosa.
I managed to find a job in Melbourne by meeting someone on the East Coast who gave me a phone number to ring, and just like that, I was into the Melbourne lifestyle.
My life included living at a hostel, parties, casino trips, running around Albert Park, watching Australian Rules Football, going for lunches, earning decent money, and even managing to save money for my next adventures.
You will have to listen to the episode to hear more, but essentially, Australia gave me travel experiences, friends for life, amazing weather, incredible beaches, new skills, and the ability to travel after the end of my visa.
From that moment on, I knew I would be returning in some capacity, but more importantly, I knew I would be travelling for the foreseeable future.
I was no longer interested in music or having any kind of career or saving for a house, I just wanted to travel.
Sydney Opera House
What do I think of Australia today?
Since 2014, I have been back to Australia twice in 2018 to visit Sydney, Brisbane, Byron Bay and back to Melbourne.
I think and talk about Australia every day.
My trips in 2018 were very different; I was much more experienced in travel, and I had just completed a year in New Zealand on a Working Holiday Visa, which I loved.
Australia is where you can base yourself and have everything in one country. If you want beaches, big cities, wild camping, great coffee, great money, attending sporting events, meeting amazing people, or disappearing in the countryside, then this place has it all.
In the future, when I become a freelance location-independent human being, I will be back in my favourite country.
I want to take more road trips this time, especially to Tasmania and Western Australia; they look incredible.
Of course, ten years later, I am a much-changed person, but my wanderlust for Australia still hasn't changed, and if you told me tomorrow that you could go there on holiday, I would be there like a shot.
I don’t want a holiday, though.
I want to live in Australia again, breathe the clean air, drive the long roads along the coast, be Australian again, and see the people again. I just need to be there for a period of time to soak it all in.
And I promise you, Australia, I will be back.
Check out my latest YouTube episode in Jordan.
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Who is James Hammond?
My name is James Hammond, and I have been working and travelling since 2013. I love seeking new adventures, meeting people from different cultures, and feeding my wanderlust. In 2013, I decided to embark on a worldwide two-year trip with an Australian work visa chucked in the middle of it, and I haven’t stopped!
I am currently based in Vancouver, Canada. I am involved in many projects, such as my podcast, writing my new travel book, developing my YouTube channel, and planning more adventures.
This episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Spreaker, and anywhere you get your podcasts!