Cheerio!

I’ve left the UK now, but I just wanted to share some of my thoughts and tips for prospective travellers.

I know Melbourne is famous for having 'four seasons in one day', but make sure you always have an umbrella on you when in the UK. I got plenty of use out of my raincoat, and later winter jacket. Around the time I was leaving, England turned white overnight with frost...and then snow!

Public transport in the UK is not cheap, but it is well-connected. I would highly recommend getting a digital Railcard (for trains). My one (for ages 16-25) gives you 33.3% off all trips and you can link it with your Oyster card to extend the discount accros all public transport in London.

Be aware that many ticket machines in parking lots only accept coins. No cards, no notes, just coins. And if you ever prebook your train ticket online and need to collect it from the booth, make sure you have a physical credit/debit card on you. I usually use my phone and didn't have my card on me and was unable to retrieve my tickets. The card won't be charged and is just needed for the machine to process your tickets. Unfortunately, these are just outdated machines.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed listening to people play on the public pianos in many of the train stations around the UK. It’s a really nice way to encourage community engagement and also means that it's quite a peaceful atmosphere.

Australia seriously needs to get around the Tesco/Sainsbury supermarket Meal Deals. You can choose a ‘main’, ‘snack’, and ‘drink’ which comes to the grand total of £3,50 or £5,50 and is perfect for an on-the-go meal.

Another deal to look out for are the £1,59 pints at the Wetherspoons pubs. They're perfect for pres before a night out.

Keep your eye out for the cardamon buns at the Söderberg Swedish bakery chain. Absolutely delicious. And also make sure you get to sample the free novelty hot chocolate tasters at the Whittard tea shops.

My obsession with pillar box spotting has now come to an end. I've thoroughly enjoyed marvelling at the age of particular post boxes based on the Royal Cipher of the reigning monarch at the time of its constructed. While most boxes have the cipher of Elizabeth II (1952-2022), I also spotted the ciphers of George VI (1936-52), George V (1910-36), Edward VII (1901-10), and Victoria (1837-901)!

Finally, I’ve begun realising that my Aussie accent might be weakening. People first started telling me while I was walking El Camino back in June, but now, multiple Brits have been unable to place my accent. I am actually a bit upset by this, but I've decided to embrace it as a reflection on where I’ve been and the wonderful people I’ve been interacting with.