I love living on Magnetical Island (did you know that is what Captain Cook named it? But everyone calls it Magnetic without the al) The island’s real name is Yunbenun because that’s what the Wulgurukaba people call it. They are the traditional custodians of the island and were known as the canoe people.
Living here is safe and fun. I love the koalas, I love riding my bike to Magnetic Island State School and my new friends. I love art class, singing lessons, swimming class and musical theatre. And I’m going to join AFL next year too.
But I also love traveling, and I miss it a lot.
Mum and I always say we feel free when we just have our backpacks and our passports. I love Yunbenun but I love traveling and I can’t wait until we are allowed to go away again.
These are my favourite places I can’t wait to go back to. What are yours?
Disneyland in California
Since Covid has happened all I’ve wanted to do is go back to Disneyland California. I miss Minnie and Mickey and California Screaming (the Incredicoaster),the delicious churros, or losing my tummy every time we dropped from the Guardians of the Galaxy, or my favourite part watching the Mickey’s Magical Map show and waiting at the Disney Castle for the fireworks to shoot into the sky.
It is mummy and my happy place. Some people ask how can you love backpacking in Asia but also love Disneyland, because they are different, and I say you can love whatever you like. Why should you have to choose? What mummy and I do is different. Different is amazing.
Skiing in Japan, exploring Tokyo and swimming at Ishigaki
I love Japan so much. I love the people because they are so stylish and organised, and everything is cute kawaii, and they are always so nice and polite. I love walking around the streets of Tokyo with mum, playing games in the arcades and winning toys, and going to fun restaurants like we did with my friend Lara. We went to an Alice in Wonderland café for her birthday and it was just like being in the book.
Skiing at Club Med Tomamu is so much fun. We have been the past two years but we can’t go next year because of Covid. But as soon as we can travel again we are going back to Japan. I will eat lots of pino ice cream, mum will eat ramen and we will just love being there.
When we were traveling in Okinawa we went to a sea glass beach and collected so much glass. We swam and went kayaking and we had to wear felt boots because of the stone fish. In Ishigaki we had sukiyaki and stayed at Club Med Kabira and went to an island called Taketomi where there are no cars, just bullock carts and bikes.
Malaysian Borneo
I love going to Borneo because I have so many fun memories there with mummy. It had the best wildlife – we have seen wild pygmy elephants and orangutans at Kinabatagan River and huge bugs and bats flying out of caves in big ribbons and swirls, and I LOVE the Mari Mari Culture Centre.
We saw rafflesia which are the biggest flowers in the world. We swam in rivers and lakes and made lots of friends. When we go back I want to stay at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru resort in Kota Kinabalu. It’s my favourite. There’s an island nearby in Abdul Ramen National Park where you can zipline cross the water to another island.
China
China was so much fun, mum and I hiked eight hours and camped on the Great Wall of China. It was so beautiful, I was only six but I still remember sleeping in one of the watch towers and feeling shivers.
Also the glass walkway at the Hallelujah Mountains was so cool. It was quite far up so we were above the clouds. It was also funny because when we were walking on it one of the glass pathways had a video in it somehow, so if someone stepped on it, it would make a cracking sound like it was going the break so all the people would jump on to the mountain attached to the walkway to save themselves including me.
I love the people, I love Din Tai Fung and the xiaolongbao dumplings, they are my favourite of all. The nature in China is so beautiful and I also love eating peking duck.
Mummy took us to the best restaurant in Beijing for duck, it was so expensive she only had one glass of wine with dinner. We want to go on the bamboo rafts again when we go back to Yangshuo and see our friends at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat.
When we go back I want to go everywhere we have already been and all the places we haven’t.
Paris
I love Paris because I love their sense of fashion, it’s so unique and beautiful. And the pastries are so delicious like the pan au chocolate and the eclairs, those are just some of the amazing and yummy foods that Paris has. And one of the most pretty towers in the night is the Eiffel tower.
There are around 1000 amazing bars and lookouts that give you a breathtaking view of the Eiffel tower and Paris itself. We walked so much every day, even more than Disneyland, and went to museums and beautiful parks and rode on ferris wheels and sailed little boats at the Jardin du Luxembourg. We went to Disneyland is Paris but it’s not my favourite. The lines were too long.
And my au pair Viktoria and our friend Todd came and visited us in Paris, I can’t wait to go back again.
The Philippines
There are lots of waterfalls in the Philippines, especially in Kawasan Falls in Cebu and in Cambuguhay Falls in Siquijor. I loved climbing them and jumping in, and there are rope swings and rock slides. You have to hire a guide so you get to meet really nice local people. I really want to go back to the waterfalls and see how the people are now that there are no tourists.
I also love the beaches and swimming and snorkeling. Mum and I always have a good time in the Philippines because it is so easy to travel there, and they have amazing festivals.
Amazing Osmena Peak
What are the places that you’ve been to that you want to go back to after Covid? I have lots more. This is part one.
By Emmie