I arrived in Brisbane on the morning of Friday 27th October following my flight from Tokyo, where I was met by Ria at the airport.

For the next several weeks I'd be staying with Ria at her apartment close to Brisbane CBD in Fortitude Valley, which was a welcome relief after what had been a tiring month travelling around China, Hong Kong and Japan.

Similar to my previous visit to Brisbane in September, it was the perfect opportunity to have a break from travelling, regain some normality, and live as close to a regular life as I was ever going to get while being away from home.

Fortitude Valley, although not one of my favourite places in the world, became a home away from home. I joined the Jetts gym around the corner for 6 weeks which was something I'd been desperately craving ever since I left Manchester.. I spent many of my mornings working up a sweat there. Food shopping and cooking most nights felt like a treat, as did having the option of watching Netflix and spending quality time with Ria.

We made a visit to the popular Eat Street Markets at Northshore in Hamilton one Friday evening which is just 5 minutes out of Brisbane City. The use of shipping containers have created a mini village by the riverfront where a large fleet of food trucks offer a wide selection of great food and drink, as well as two stages for live music and entertainment.

Mount Coot-tha is a peak on the outskirts of the city which overlooks the whole of Brisbane. I visited here 6 years ago on my previous travels and the memories came flooding back when Ria and I visited there one Sunday afternoon. We had a wander around the botanical gardens, however it was such a hot day that we didn't last too long up there.

Another of the main reasons why I came back to Brisbane was to fulfil a lifelong dream.. to watch England take on Australia at cricket in the famous Ashes series. The first of five Tests was being played at The Gabba Stadium in Brisbane which began on the 23rd November, and fortunately I managed to secure tickets for the first four days play.

I was buzzing to witness the first bowl of the Ashes at the packed out 42,000 capacity stadium. There was swarms of English supporters all around the ground which created a superb atmosphere. Unfortunately, over five days play, England underperformed and lost the First Test. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the four days I experienced in one of the most famous cricket stadiums in the world.

Other things we got up to included a visit to Southbank for a bite to eat, I had a wander over Brisbane's Story Bridge to Kangaroo Point, and we also attended a comedy show at a nearby museum which turned out to be rubbish.

Before I left in December I was invited to Ria's works Christmas party at the Gallery of Modern Art. It was a pretty swanky affair in a huge open space within the gallery where we were also able to take a look at some of the wacky exhibitions that were on show.

Cocktail attire was the dress code which I obviously had none of in my backpack.. however, thanks to my lovely ma sending over some of my formal gear from the other side of the world, I was suitably dressed for the party and the smartest I'd looked in the past 10 months.

Unlimited beer, bubbles, wine and spirits, as well as canopies, went down a right treat.. which led to Ria and I having a fantastic evening.

I've loved the time I've spent here with Ria in Fortitude Valley and it's been great not having to live out of a backpack for several weeks. I feel refreshed, recharged, and ready for a 2 week jaunt across Australia.. starting with a flight this evening to the opposite side of the country to Perth on the west coast where the Third Test of The Ashes is taking place.

I'm sad to be leaving Ria again but it won't be for long as we are due to meet up again in Melbourne where we'll spend Christmas together.

See ya xx