There is something in part of the Australian psyche that compels travel to see the rest of the world. Perhaps it is a desire to see in person the monuments and paintings and cities that we have only read about in books or seen on TV, perhaps it is to provide a comparison to understand what it means to live in Australia. Whatever the reason, in April 1999 I left Sydney with a backpack and plane ticket. The route – one way: Sydney, Bangkok, Saigon, Bangkok, London.

First Stop, Bangkok. For my first impressions read ‘Khao San Freakshow‘. I spent about a month in Thailand, visiting the Islands of Ko Samui and Ko Phan Ghan in the south and the area around Krabi to the southwest.

Next a flight to Ho-Chi Minh City, otherwise known as Saigon and a month travelling up the eastern coast via Dalat, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue to Hanoi. A couple of days down to Ha Long Bay and then up into the mountains to see Sapa and Bac Ha.

Back to Bangkok, north to Chang Mai and Chang Rai and then further north still to the Thai Lao border next to the ever-present Mekong River.

A month travelling down through Laos. One of my all time favourite travel destinations despite being caught in landslides and setting off into the middle of nowhere.

I spent another three weeks in Thailand before flying to the UK, arriving in August 1999. After a month including a trip around Ireland, I decided that I wasn’t quite ready to settle and so I flew to Prague on September 1.

From Prague I made my way down to Vienna, passing by Melk and continuing south to Venice, then Pescara and over to Corfu. Down to the Peloponnese including Olympia and Nafplio, then out to the islands of Paros, Santorini and Crete.

Another couple of weeks in the north of Greece, Delphi to Meteora and then over to Italy, Naples, Rome, Sienna, Florence then the Cinque Terra and over to Nice. After a memorable train ride from Nice to Barcelona I spent three weeks in the Catalan capital before finally returning to London in mid November.