OK! Quick update on my CONTIKI CROATIA SAIL- it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I had the best time with the best people and wish it didn't have to be over. Just to give you a brief overview basically all we did all day every day was get up whenever we wanted (I always made breakfast a priority) lazed around, had a swim stop before lunch in the amazingly blue sea doing dives and relaxing on blow up beds then we would drink some beers play some cards, dock in a cool ancient town, explore, eat food, get ready to go out, drink a billion Bruno specials, go to a bucket bar, go to a club, come home, have 3 hour long conversations, sleep on the roof. Get up and DO IT ALL AGAIN!

First day, I met my roommate who turned out to be the loveliest girl ever! No roommate could have topped her. Abbey was travelling with her two friends from her home in Tasmania, Kiira and Chelsea. We immediately became friends and I was so surprised to learn they were only 18 and 19!!! Crazy because we got along SO well, they made me feel REALLY old.

THEN we met our tour leader who seemed really cool and nice and gave us a massive introduction that was apparently meant to be quick but lasted FOREVER. He explained to us that this is OUR holiday and that there should be no BMWing (b****ing, moaning and whinging) because every minute you spend complaining is a minute you are taking away from YOUR holiday. This guy sounds cool right? Yeah that's what we thought until the music incident where his true colours shone. He REALLY didn't like not being in control and by the end of the tour none of us really appreciated his approach OR the fact that he would NEVER make an effort to get to know anything about us and would only really speak if the topic was about him. Strange.

So me and my drinking buddies that I managed to make on the trip just happened to get on his nerve a bit when we never really followed anything he told us to do! Not in a bad way, just in terms of not going to the bars he wanted at that particular time. I was very lucky to make really good friends on the first night with a few boys from Esperance who reminded me EXACTLY of my mates at home- we immediately hit it off. Drinking FAR too many Bruno specials the first night. From then the Esperance boys and Andy another young guy from Newcastle and I would make it our mission to go hard and make the most of our time in Croatia.

SPEAKING of Bruno! He for sure MADE the trip. There were 5 crewmembers. 2 sailors, one cook, the captain and the bar man- Bruno. He by far had the hardest job with us all begging him every two seconds to get us a drink. Plus he had to clear the table, set the table, bring us all the food, and clean up after us- EVERYTHING!!! We were so lucky to have him because he was extremely good at what he did and he was also really hilarious! Claiming he hated everyone and threatening to throw us off the boat but really being a top bloke and a great guy to have a laugh and a conversation with. His claim to fame was his Bruno Specials a blue concoction that tasted AMAZING. Though be warned, never order a Bruno alternative. The boys and I struggled to get through the AWFUL combination and learned that the hard way. At the end of the week we had to pay off our tabs so we didn't really know how much we were spending each night- it was VERY dangerous! Each of us racked up a good amount and I reluctantly tallied mine at the end expecting the worst but actually managing not to spend a crazy amount! Thank GOD!

One of my favourite places we went to was for sure Korcula. A cool town that was really small and old with giant towers and a really nice view. It was our first night at a bucket bar and one bucket really was enough! We then caught taxis up to the 'Boogie Jungle' which is unfortunately located on a hill and had many steps and hills… that resulted in my awful leg injury that I complained about for days! So when we had to return again for bad whether we welcomed it having enjoyed our first time so much! We had our pirate party on the boat and when I asked this American girl who was drawing pirate paraphernalia all over everyone to draw a scar on my face after looking in the mirror I realised she had drawn a STAR!!! And to think we speak the same language. STARS aren't piratey at all!! Haha. Another AMAZING night had with everyone and the Boogie Jungle did NOT disappoint.

Another favourite place of mine was Dubrovnik though I have already visited it. This time we managed to fit in a lot more including a kayak around an island!! Luckily we scored the 3pm time slot instead of 9 am and we all partnered up, myself scoring Clint, stoked to have some power to accompany my chicken arms. We made a good team and were really enthusiastic sitting in the middle of the group. We went all the way around the island passing the nude beach (gross old men standing weirdly) and to a secluded rock beach in a cave. Pretty nice but a bit cold and the rocks hurt our feet tooo much! Bring back Aussie beaches!!! Unfortunately Chelsea and Abbie struggled big time on the first leg going absolutely NO where on their all girl boat. So Kiira and I had to give up our male strength and switch to the all girl boat. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! And we KILLED it!!! We did even better than when I was with Clint and came in third at the end spending the whole time at the front! Girl POWER.

Then a group of us went up to the city walls to walk along them at the most perfect time- sunset. We made our way around and this was the moment when my friend Alana and I really connected. We realised that we both had the same flights to Athens the day after the tour ended! I was so lucky to find someone as amazing as her to continue my tour with, as we became really close friends by the end of it! Exchanging boy stories and drinking bulk drinks and generally just having fun with our similar personalities :) our romantic walk of the city walls really consolidated it with the incredible view of the surrounding islands, the old town inside and of course the gorgeous sunset. Tough to beat.

I was so luck to have met a group of really amazing people and have made some real connections with the girls and boys I met. The Bradstreet boys, Andy and Clayton, Esperance boys Rhett, Sam and Ryan, the Tassie girls, Abbie, Kiira and Chelsea and my girl Alana. Wish it could have gone on for so so much longer and was really sad saying goodbye to such good friends. Hopefully catch up with them back in AUS!