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Kayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!
  • Kayla Heybourn
  • Kayla Heybourn

Kayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!

Our adventure of a lifetime begins! 5 thrilling months of tripping our way through UK and Europe. Follow along as we explore century old cities and enjoy sunsets over the Greek Islands. We can’t wait to share this journey with you! Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 13, 2025
    Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Touched Down in London Town

    July 14, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Goodbye NZ, hello UK! After 36 hours of travelling, we have finally made it to London! We were lucky enough to have the entire row of seats to ourselves on both the long haul flights so a little bit of shut eye was caught! We have already experienced our first Underground train ride and wow, what an experience that is! (especially running on little-no sleep). The sheer amount of people here is insane! It’s now time to catch up on sleep before full tourist mode is activated tomorrow!Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    London Day 1

    July 15, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today was an unforgettable whirlwind adventure through the heart of London! We kicked off the morning with a stroll through St James Park being greeted by friendly squirrels! We soon arrived outside Buckingham Palace and wow, we were mesmerised! I may have shed a small tear here, I think it finally sunk in that we are actually here seeing these amazing monuments and it’s not a dream anymore! We then strolled through the amazing historic streets finding ourselves outside Westminster Abbey and then onto Big Ben.

    We made our way over the bridge to the London Eye and then decided to check out the Sealife Aquarium. We also got access to Madame Tussaud’s which was probably our favourite thing today. The 4D movie at the end….. incredible!!! One thing we are starting to learn here is that Londoners don’t do things by halves. The share scale of their buildings and attractions are insane!

    We ended our day at a vibey steak restaurant that I found on Tik Tok called Flat Iron. Let’s just say, I think you all would wish that you could taste our meals through your phone right about now- delish!

    A mere 25,000 steps were taken today - can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow!    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler
    1

    Bridges, Food & Fossils

    July 16, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Our day in London today was packed full of excitement and discovery. We started the day off in awe of the phenomenal Tower Bridge. I think we have realised now that we will never quite understand how these things were built because the detail was quite truely amazing!

    We walked our way along side the river until we were immersed in the bustling energy of Borough Market. This place was Jayde’s dream, fresh seafood, cheeses, meats and everything in between, we didn’t know where to start. We tried the viral chocolate covered strawberries and a couple of Oysters - Nan I would bring back a couple for you if I could!! We then finished with a delicious seafood paella. YUM!

    Next we made our way to Trafalgar Square - as a true Monopoly Fan it was cool to say I have now been here. Our feet were starting to get a bit sore so we jumped on a couple of e-bikes and made our way to Hyde Park. Biking through Hyde Park felt like I was in a movie - it was beautiful and everyone you passed was so happy! A true highlight so far.

    We finished today off with a visit to The Natural History Museum. An amazing experience that we will never forget. The exhibits are incredible.

    Another great day, and another 20,000 steps taken.    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Last Day in London

    July 17, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Today was a much needed slower paced day! In saying that it was another 20,000 step day…

    We started the day off with a tube ride to Notting Hill. I have been seeing the famous Portobello Market all over my tik tok so I was super excited to go and check it out. Unfortunately, although the bright coloured houses were cute and the suburb itself was lovely the market just did not do it for us! We didn’t stay for long before we decided we would hop on some e-bikes and make our way to Primrose Hill. We dropped our bikes before making the short but steep hike up the hill to the top. The view from up here was incredible, you could see soo many of the amazing spots we had visited over the last couple of days.

    We took a moment and sat on the grass for a while just reflecting on the last couple of days overlooking the beautiful view before deciding Camden Market wasn’t too far away and was worth a visit. The location of thi market was really cool! It weaved around an old building and canal and there were shops and people galore! After Jayde had fun trying all of the samples people were giving out we decided to head back to accomodation to refuel.

    As it was our last night in London we thought we would try out the night scene in and around were we were staying! If you’ve been wondering why today’s post has been a bit late, well let’s just say we had a pretty awesome night and meet some pretty cool friends!    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler
    1

    Van Life Begins!

    July 18, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today was the start of a new adventure on our big adventure! We started by packing up our hotel room and making our way to pick up our new home on wheels…. Morpheus!! Morpheus is our cute wee campervan rental that we will be staying in while we Road Trip around the UK for the next 3.5 weeks!

    After we got settled into our new home the first stop was Tescos for our first grocery shop. Let me tell you, the UK have far better supermarkets then NZ, the choices of food is unreal!

    We then hit the road making our way to beautiful Cambridge. This was a 2.5 hour drive which turned more into 3 hours since Christie never mentioned that you should avoid the M25 at 4.30pm…. And after a few Exits were missed due to my poor navigations skills… sorry Jayde, only up from here right! 😬

    After 3 hours we made it and wow it was sure worth the extra miles travelled! We found a beautiful place right along side the canal to park up for the night and as we cooked dinner we were treated with a show of rowers training on the water in front of us and a heard of cattle just grazing in the park opposite.

    From all of the hussle and bustle London had for us , Cambridge has felt peaceful and much needed. We are all tucked up in bed now with the beautiful fairy lights hanging above us - thank you Tanya.

    Look forward to seeing where this journey takes us tomorrow. 🚐    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Mum & Dads stomping ground - Hellidon

    July 19, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today was a bit of a special day but I’ll get to that in a bit!

    We started off the day being woken by the sound of rowers on the canal right outside our door. Name a better spot to wake up in, I’ll wait…. After a short lie in and a few phone calls home we started our day with a warm bowl of porridge and a cup of coffee before packing up and making our way into Cambridge Town. We had a look through the market that was on before strolling through the beautiful streets soaking in the view of the breathtaking buildings. We found our way back to our camper and then started planning our route.

    Now here comes the most special part. Our next stop was a small wee town about an hours drive from Cambridge called Hallidon. Now it might not sound like much but 30 years ago around the same age as Jayde and I my parents were doing there big OE and Hallidon became there home while they earned some money working at a pub called the Red Lion. Ever since the planning of our trip it has been a goal of mine to return to Hallidon and visit the place they called home 30 years ago. We did just that today! We found the Red Lion, had a drink and then walked around the surrounding streets. It was perfect and brought me a sense of connection to mum and dad back home.

    After soaking it all in we made our way to Southam where we are spending the night at a cute wee campground. The people have been so lovely and we have been a hit with all the kids with our “funny accent”. Today has been perfect x

    Oh and Nan, I’ve taken your advice and have done some commentary for you. Hope you enjoy xx    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    York

    July 20, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Today was a bit of a bigger travel day for us. We started off the day with our usual oats and coffee surrounded by the glorious sound of happy kids. We made friends with the surrounding children at the campground we were staying at and they loved asking us heaps of questions about our foreign country and how we say “lunchtime and hello” in New Zealand. We finally said our goodbyes and then hit the road making our way to Warwick.

    We wanted to have a look around the iconic Warwick Castle but when asked to pay a hefty $140NZD we decided to get a free view of it from the surrounding streets instead. We spent a couple of hours wandering the old streets before heading back to the van and getting back on the road. Next stop York.

    After a couple of hours and a few road ragey people later we safely arrived in York. A small but beautiful town just out of Leeds. We were really looking forward to a good old Sunday Roast from a local pub only to be highly let down and disappointed when we were told that Sunday Lunch” as they call it ended at 5.00pm and it was now 5.20….. We ended up settling on a Pizza for dinner which turned into a few games of pool (which I won by the way) before finding a spot to camp for the night.

    We are heading out to the coast tomorrow so a change of scenery is on its way. That’s it for today, talk tomorrow x    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    We’ve hit the Coast!

    July 21, 2025 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Another fabulous day in our little camper! We spent the morning strolling through yet another market this time in York. I have to say York has been one of the nicest places we have visited yet. The streets were clean, the people were lovely and overall it had such a nice feel to it. I had seen this amazing looking frozen Custard on Tik Tok and if you know me, I love cold custard so this sounded right up my alley! It definitely lived up to the hype. We then explored the surrounding streets and came across the beautiful York Minster. It was stunning and so unbelievable!

    We then hit the road and started our Journey out to the coast. We were so keen to start seeing a little bit of change in scenery so we’re excited when we started seeing seagulls swooping above us. We ended up stumbling across this very Kaiteriteri like little town called Seaburn where we have decided to park up for the night. We had a yummy steak dinner cooked infront of the best view!

    After dinner we went for a stroll along the sandy beach, honestly I did not realise they had beaches like this in the UK. We stopped into a very cool pub just along the beach which had lovely music, got a drink and hooked up to the power to charge all of our devices. Electricity, a novolity I probably took for granted….

    We are heading to bed now to recharge for a big travel day tomorrow up to Edinburgh!    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    We made it to Scotland!! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

    July 22, 2025 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We have finally made it to Scotland! After an early start of refilling and recharging we got on the road and started our 3 and a bit hour drive to Scotland. We could tell we were getting close when the landscape started changing from flat dry land to more hilly green land. It was a breath of fresh air and we were so excited to be entering into a new Country!

    First stop in Scotland… Edinburgh and wow what a place it is!! Standing on the other side of the river looking back at the old buildings and castle, it honestly didn’t look real! It’s crazy to think that these building were built 100s and 100s of years ago and they are still standing so proud and beautiful, it is truely magnificent.

    We strolled down the Royal Mike whilst also visiting the Scott Monument, National Galleries and taking in picturesque views of Edinburgh Castle sitting proud above the city. To finish off the day we hiked to the top of Arthur’s Seat which provided an uninterrupted view of Edinburgh, incredible!!

    In true van life style we found some showers at the local swimming pool - showers another thing taken for granted at home! Before heading to our free camping spot for the night. Just look at the view!! Isn’t it insane!    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler
    1

    We’ve come to find Nessy!

    July 23, 2025 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    After a bit of a messy start to the morning - running out of gas to cook our breakfast, desperately needing to go to the toilet and Google maps just not helping the situation we finally hit the road and started our journey up to Inverness, the land of the Loch Ness Monster! We drove up through a National Park which provided some really beautiful scenery including castles, deer and passing the Culloden Battle Field which Mum had mentioned to me earlier in the week. She says I should have seen or read Outlander before coming here so I might have to now when I get home.

    After a few hours driving we arrived in Inverness. A small but charming city that blends ancient history with natural beauty. We had a quick stroll through the streets before jumping back in our van and heading to our campsite for the night - Loch Ness Bay Campground. Wow, this place is breathtakingly beautiful, a spot right next to Loch Ness with a surrounding landscape that looks like it’s come straight from a fairy tale. Sitting at the end of the jetty, overhanging the water it was so peaceful and something I felt needed sharing with Mum and Dad back home. After a few video calls to family we made our way back to camp, had some showers and now we are tucked up in bed ready for another amazing day tomorrow.    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    All aboard the Hogwarts Express!

    July 24, 2025 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Unfortunately there were no Nessie sightings in Loch Ness over night so we decided to try our luck and spot the Hogwarts Express instead!

    We started the morning with a cup of coffee and porridge in bed thanks to lovely Jayde before packing up our campsite and hitting the road. We had seen a place to feed and pat Highland Cows the day before so that was our first stop for the morning. I had been pestering Jayde about finding some Coo (as they call) to pet so I was super excited about this. We pulled up to the farm got handed a cup full of carrots and sandwiches and then headed over to feed the fluffy things. As you’ll see by the photos they are so cute! I’ve asked Jayde if we can get one when we get back home so here’s hoping!

    We then got back on the road headed for Fort William. Ben Nevis is found here and it is the tallest mountain in the UK but don’t get too excited, it has nothing on mountains we have back home. Something some of you might get excited at though, especially if you are a Harry Potter fan is the real life Hogwarts Express! Now shock, Ive actually never seen Harry Potter, how I was able to get into the UK, I’m not really sure…. However, seeing the Hogwarts Express in real life at Glenfinnan is a truly magical experience. The sight of the train curving along the historic viaduct, with its towering stone arches, surrounded by the dramatic Highlands landscape, and breathtaking views of Loch Shiel below, is unforgettable. Standing there, you can almost imagine yourself heading off to Hogwarts.

    We had one more unforgettable experience to finish off our day. On our way to our campsite for the night and nearing dinner time we were caught in a road closure for an hour. Instead of just sitting and waiting starving for the next hour we decided to have a BBQ right in the middle of the road. We were like a McDonalds Drive through! People were loving it. We managed to get our burgers made and ate, just in time for the road to re-open.

    We are now parked up for the night, getting ready for bed.

    Tomorrow we are reunited with our bestie, Christie!!! Yippeeeeee xx    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler
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    Re-united with Christie in Oban!

    July 26, 2025 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We woke up to a bit of a gloomy day in Fort William. It was raining and cold. We had planned to hike Ben Bevis but with the average conditions we decided to head on and get to Oban.

    We forced ourselves out of bed made our usual coffee and oats for breakfast then got on the road. We were so excited to finally be re-united with Christie again so the 2 hour trip seemed to go fast!

    There have been two things we have wanted to try in the UK, Fish and Chips and a good ol Sunday Roast. As we were walking through Oban town we came across a Fish and Chip shop that was ranked #3 in the whole of UK! The price was astronomical but we thought we had to try! To be honest I think Kiwi’s do the fish and chips better…. Sorry not sorry.

    We then got back on the road, drove the twisty, windy single lane roads until we found Christie!! It was the best. We had the best afternoon catching up and we can’t wait for the next couple of days with her x    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Site seeing, seafood and Sausages

    July 26, 2025 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Today was our first day that we haven’t travelled and it was so nice. It was also our first morning where we didn’t have oats and that was even more nice!

    We started the morning by making Bacon and Egg Muffins with fresh juice and fruit at it was Yum! We then jumped in the van and headed into town where we were tourists under Christie’s guide. She made us walk up about 100s steps to McCaiges Tower where we got an awesome view of Oban. We then stopped in a little coffee shop, got our caffeine hit of the day and continued our walk along the wharf to a little seafood shack which apparently is the Seafood Capital. Jayde had been eyeing the mussels and oysters up since the day we arrived so he couldn’t wait! We ordered some mussels and oysters and then sat on the wharf to devour! 7/10 from me and about a 9/10 for Jayde he exhaled them!

    We headed back home for some relax time before heading up to Christie’s dad’s house for a BBQ. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal and a few drinks. Keith had especially brought two Beef Sausages from the butcher for Jayde and I as we mentioned that we could not find them at the supermarket . They were delish!

    The boys had some boys time and the girls had some girls time playing Yahtzee (which Christie won…..). Overall a great wholesome day!    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Last day in Oban call’s for Sunday Roast

    July 27, 2025 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today was our last full day in Oban and unfortunately the weather gods didn’t put on a very nice day. We had drizzly rain for most of the day and it wasn’t very warm…

    We started our morning with another lovely spread of English Muffins and fresh fruit before heading up to Christie’s Dad’s to help with a few jobs and to try and get redemption from my loss of Yahtzee the night before… (unfortunately I did not).

    We then headed back to Grannies to do a little bit of life admin/planning while the rain really settled in. We all started getting a little excited as today was the day we were going to cross out last “must try” of our list, a good ol Sunday Roast!

    We learnt our lesson from the first time and booked in nice and early for 4pm. We were hanging out for it all day so once 4pm finally rolled around we headed out and walked to the restaurant! 3 Sunday Roast were ordered and within 3 minutes they were devoured! They were delicious. Aged Sirlon beef with all the trimmings you could ask for. It was also my first time trying Yorkshire Puddings! Once our plates were cleared we made our way to the bar sat down with a drink and watched the Woman’s Football final.

    We get on the road again tomorrow heading to Glasgow so to end the night we decided to bake ourselves some treats for the road, Banana Bread and Shortbread. Yum! The last photo is a photo for Dad. I found this recipe in Christie’s’ Grandmothers, mother’s book and it made me think of you. Xx    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Glasgow Baby!

    July 29, 2025 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Bit of a sad morning this morning. We packed up our little camper and had to say goodbye to lovely Grannie and Christie’s Dad and Penny as today we were making our way to Glasgow!

    We got on the road shortly after 10 and started heading towards the big city. The drive was so scenic and beautiful. We drove past so many Lochs and drove through a stunning National Park. Three hours later and we were in Glasgow!!

    First stop Blank Street to finally try there famous Matcha! It was yum. Not quite sure if it beats Bobby Franks from back home though! We then wandered down the street looking through some of the beautiful shops.

    We then decided to head to the Glasgow University to have a look around campus. It was insane! The architecture of this place was stunning. We are still constantly wondering how these places were made!

    We still had quite a bit of time left in the day so we decided to hop on the Subway and head into the city centre. A bit more shopping was done, some tea was had and then we headed back to the Van to get ready to go out for a couple of drinks.

    We headed to a local bar called Wunderbar, had a few drinks, got talking to the bouncers before calling it a night at 1am. Fun!    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Bye Bye Christie

    July 29, 2025 in Scotland ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    After a bit of a dusty start to the morning, we finally peeled ourselves out of bed and started getting ready for the day. We had a little squirrel friend join us this morning so we fed it some apple.

    We had some breakfast (back on the oats again…) then made our way to the University Sports Facilities to have some showers. A quick intermission was had - locating Christie’s lost wallet that she had left in the change rooms…. And then we made our way into town to try some Haggas Jayde had been recommended the night before. He thoroughly enjoyed it but just the word “Haggas” puts me off entirely.

    Christie hadn’t had her fix of Highland Coo yet and I definitely could see some more so we drove out to Pollock Park where there are lovely grounds that you can see and pat Coo for free. It was such a lovely day so we spent a few hours walking around the Park and enjoying the coo.

    We soon stumbled across a building right in the middle of the park called The Burrell Collection. It had amazing old sculptures and artefacts that dated back thousands of years! It was incredible and honestly blew our minds!

    Before we knew it, it was time for Christie to head to the bus station as she is starting her next adventure of her trip (boooooo, but exciting for her, and exciting that we next see her in Rome!!!!) She packed up her bags, said her goodbyes and went on her way.

    We also got on our way but unfortunately in the wrong direction to where we were meant to be heading. A wee spanner in the works but I’ll explain in tomorrow’s post.    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Welcome to the Lake District

    July 30, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Right, well I guess you are all wanting an update on yesterdays cliff hanger on why we had to head back in the wrong direction. Sooo…. unfortunately Morpheus (our Hire Van) threw the towel in on us yesterday and we ended up needing to drive back to Edinburgh to the Spaceship Rentals branch for them to either fix him or give us a replacement vehicle. They couldn’t provide us with any information on what was happening until 9am this morning so we had to spend the night in their carpark waiting to hear back. For a while, everything was up in the air and there was talk of us having to cut our UK part short as they had no replacement for us and Morpheus was down BAD!!!

    Luckily at 9am this morning we were told that they had sorted a replacement vehicle yipeeee but what’s better?!?! An UPGRADE from what we currently have. Soooooo…. meet Rowena our new and improved home for this last 8 days of our UK tour. She is so much more roomier and modern, we have a kitchen, toilet and the best thing is we can finally stand up straight. No more hunchbacks!

    Once we transferred our gear over we hit the road and b-lined it to the Lake District - Back on English soil. Bye Bye Scotland, you were Amazing!!! We were so excited to start seeing some change of scenery. Don’t get me wrong all the old building and castles are beautiful but after a while they start to look the same - sorry not sorry.

    After what felt like a quick 3 hours we arrived in Ullswater in the Lake District. Stunning! There were people everywhere - think boujee Kaiteriteri! We had a wee stroll looking through the town and the campground which was $140NZD for a campsite for 1 night. Yuck. So we decided to find our FREE spot for the night.

    And here we are our free campsite for the night overlooking the beautiful lake. We sat on the rocky beach right opposite us for an hour so before heading back across to the van to make some dinner. We then took a walk after dinner alongside the lake to the little town. It’s so cute but giving RICH RICH vibes.

    What a day huh, we went from being sad and frustrated that our UK trip could be cut short to now spending the day/night in one of our favourite spots we have been so far. That’s the beauty of travel. See you tomorrow xx    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Buttermere to Windermere

    July 31, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Woke up to the most beautiful view of lake Ullswater this morning. Right at our doorstep, it was truely magical. It was a lovely still morning so we made our breakfast and took it over to the rocks to sit and enjoy the view while we ate. It was a perfect way to start the morning.

    We then packed up Rowena and started to make the journey to Buttermere. It was only about an hour drive but good god it was one of the smallest roads I have ever driven on. It is called Honister Pass and it is well known for its sheer slate faces, narrow roads and tight bends. I swear Jayde’s knuckles almost turned white but me, happy as Larry. The landscape around us was simply phenomenal. I was awing and aaring while I looked out the window the entire time. BEAUTIFUL! We finally made it to Buttermere. I had seen these amazing infinity pools here made from a waterfall and was keen to check it out. We made the small 30min hike through the valley until we came across the waterfall. As you climbed higher there were natural pools made that you could swim in and enjoy the view of the Lake beneath you.

    We picked a pool, got changed and then went for a quick dip. I say quick because the water was freezing! If you know of the Riwaka Resurgence back home then you can imagine what it felt like. It was worth it though, we felt great afterward.

    We then made the trek back down and made some lunch in the carpark. We were surrounded by farm land so while we ate our lunch we were entertained by the working dogs hearding some sheep in for shearing. It was actually really impressive to watch!

    Once we were fed we got back on the road and started to head to Windermere. Much like Ullswater a very RICH RICH area. We had some dinner then went for a stroll around the town there are so many people here holidaying and the vibes are immaculate. We got an icecream, people watched as we watched the sunset and now we are in bed ready to wind down.

    Wow, what a great day. Lake District, you have my heart!    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    We are in Wales

    August 1, 2025 in Wales ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    It was a big travel day for us today so apologies if you were hoping for an exciting blog for today, this will probably not be it.

    One exciting thing I can note though is we didn’t have oats this morning, YIPEEEE! It was International Girlfriends Day today so I decided to make us French Toast to show what a great girlfriend I am. I topped it with fresh strawberries and banana and it was so yum that I forgot to snap a pic until I was half way done.

    We then got on the road and started our 6+ hour trip to Wales. Since we lost a day when we had issues with the van, we needed to make up some distance o give us enough time in the Cornwall area. We both still really wanted to see Wales so we decided to full send it and make our way to Swansea. Not going to lie the drive started off a little bit boring. Not too much to see other than tight roads and then being on a motorway for what felt like years.

    We finally started to make some progress and came across a sports complex where we decided to stop for showers and dinner. Chicken stirfry on the menu tonight - not too shabby.

    We quickly got back on the road and made the last hour bit of our drive. I am so glad we did because the scenes were stunning. We drove through a huge valley, the sun was setting and it was just bliss. If the rest of the drive was like this, time would have gone so fast! I just wanted to keep driving really, I think driving at this time is my favourite.

    We have stopped at a wee park4night just along the river where we will stay for the night before heading into Swansea tomorrow. That’s it. I’ll have a better post tomorrow, promise x    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Nothing to see in Swansea

    August 3, 2025 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We started our morning with our usual coffee and oats in our peaceful Park4night spot with the river flowing behind us. We were excited for today as we were heading into Swansea. I’d seen some really beautiful pictures of Swansea and was expecting a bustling town full of local charm but unfortunately this wasn't quite that.

    We packed up the van and got on the road. The plan? Soak up some coastal vibes and see what the city had to offer. The reality… Well…

    Swansea greeted us with not a lot really, it definitely was not the buzzing energy we’d imagined or had seen in photos. We took a stroll along the beach which was probably the only thing really going for it before looking at each other and making the decision - Cardiff here we come!

    And oh, what a difference a city makes. Cardiff was buzzing. People everywhere, including let’s say “lively” characters that provided us plenty of entertainment. The bars and restaurants were packed and all in all the vibes were just so much better. We parked up, made some dinner - Lamb Kebabs on the menu tonight before deciding to go grab a drink. On our way we stumbled across a huge lit up ferris wheel overlooking the water. Naturally, we hopped on for a nighttime ride - so fun!

    After our spin, we grabbed a drink in a tiki bar just below us and people watched for an hour. We headed back to the van and crashed for the night.

    Cornwall here we come!

    Oh and Oma - no ChatGPT help here everything has been amazing that’s why it sounds like it! promise x    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Bath

    August 4, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Apologies for the late blog the wifi yesterday was not the best… but nonetheless here is yesterday’s blog.

    We started the morning with a very wet one it was raining in Cardiff and not very pleasant at all! We were hoping to head to the massive indoor Cardiff Market but when I typed in the directions, silly me, it was CLOSED. We had explored a little bit of the town the day before and we had a bit of a drive ahead of us so we decided to hit the road.

    Destination Bath! Only an hour and a half later we arrived in Bath. A very beautiful city famous for the ancient Roman Baths and elegant architecture that blends Roman History with modern charm.

    As we were wandering around we noticed that the streets although very populated were some of the cleanest streets we had walked down yet. Well, minus the guy that was either high or drunk who had passed out literally in the middle of the road. (Don’t worry, there were people trying to help him). We wandered around for an hour or so admiring the architecture before heading to where we were most excited to see, the Roman Baths.

    One thing we have definitely learnt here is that they charge for EVERYTHING! And not just a donation they want half your weeks wages for you to be able to see anything. There have definitely been some things that we have passed on and have just admired from the outside but the Roman Baths was just not something we wanted to pass on. So we decided to bite the bullet and pay to enter.

    Let me tell you, it was definitely worth it. We were both given audio devices that when we wandered around you could listen to the history behind everything you were seeing. It was so mesmerising seeing this ancient complex that Romans once bathed and socialised in and worshipped the goddess Sulis Minerva. Once outside we sat around the main Roman Baths, Jayde had to touch the water (even though you weren’t allowed) before heading out and making our way back to the van.

    We then got back on the road and made the final 3 hour push to Newquay in Cornwall. We arrived late so didn’t get to see much of the amazing landscape but that will be in tonight’s blog. - Spoiler Alert, its beautiful x    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Newquay

    August 4, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    We were awoken by the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs this morning. Our beautiful Park4Night spot just back from huge big cliffs overlooking a beautiful sandy beach. The surfers were up before us getting at it so we thought be better do the same.

    Another variation of oats this morning, I tried making banana oat pancakes with strawberries. They were yum and definitely better than having another bowl of porridge for breakfast! We packed up the van and then both went and had showers.

    It was another wet morning this morning so we thought we would wonder through the streets and hide out of the rain in neighbouring shops when we had the chance. There were mainly just surf shops and bakeries through town but they had some cool stuff in them, stuff we don’t really see at home! Our parking was nearly up so we grabbed a couple of Cornish Pastries to try (in my opinion just a squashed steak pie) and hid back in the van waiting for the rain to clear.

    Soon enough the rained cleared and the sun was beating down on us. Finally we were able to explore the epic coastline that enticed us to come to Newquay. Just look at the pictures, insane. Huge big cliffs faces towering over a surging ocean below. It was beautiful!

    We rounded off the evening by heading to Lusty Glaze Beach a famous beach that people can hire the entire beach for a wedding. It was such a cool vibe, bars and restaurants tucked up in the cove while sandy beach led you out to the beautiful ocean. In the summer they have outdoor movies here and that’s exactly what Jayde and I came for. Madagascar at 5 and then Bridget Jones at 8. A little picnic, a couple frozen Pina Coladas - Mum you would have loved and then an ice-cream to finish off the perfect day while tucked up enjoying the movies. And oh - I can’t forget about the sunset that set perfectly over the ocean. Breathtaking. I hope you enjoy the pictures although they simply don’t do it justice.    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Fossil Hunting in Charmouth

    August 5, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    It’s the beginning of the sad last couple of days as we head back to London to return our much loved home on wheels. Newquay was our last “must see” destination before we head back to London. Exciting though as our new adventure in Europe begins on Friday.

    We had a lovely breakfast of French Toast, bacon and banana, packed up the van and the said our goodbyes to Newquay. This has definitely been one of our favourite spots so far. We got on the road and headed towards Exmouth where we had to pick up a couple of things before continuing our journey to Charmouth.

    A small seaside town with a famous beach for fossil hunters. We parked up in the beachside parking lot and had a rest for a bit doing some Paris planning and then decided to make some dinner. Vodka Pasta was on the menu tonight, one of my all time favs which definitely hit the spot!

    After dinner we took a stroll along the beach to try and hunt down some fossils. There have been some amazing fossils here and you can even do fossil tours to help find some yourself. Unfortunately we didn’t manage to find any today but nonetheless it was a lovely walk along the beach before we headed to our campsite for the night.    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Bournemouth = last night in our Van

    August 6, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Woke up to a beautiful sunny day this morning and guess what….. no oats this morning!!!! Yipeeeee! Jayde cooked us a beautiful Omelette with ham, red onion, mushroom and Parmesan and it was delicious! Our mornings have started to become a little slower nearing our last couple of days. We have loved being in the van so much so I think we are trying to lap in our final moments.

    Once we had dragged ourselves out of bed we packed up and hit the road again. We were heading to Bournemouth only about an hour and a bit away so we wernt in much of a rush and before we knew it we had arrived.

    We had quite a bit of laundry to do so we found a nearby laundromat and got stuck in to do our laundry. While we were waiting we headed up the road for a coffee and matcha - which was absolutely delicious by the way and soaked in some of the glorious sun.

    An hour later our washing was clean and dry so we headed to the beach for some much needed R&R. The beach here is massive, probably about 5x the length of Kaiteriteri and bustling with energy. There were people everywhere! All through the bars, restaurants and on the beach! They have these cute little beach huts that are fully equipped that you can rent out for the day. Fun!

    We spent a couple hours exploring the beach before heading back to the van, having some showers and making dinner.

    We are heading to Stonehenge tomorrow on our way back to London before starting our journey to Paris. We couldn’t be more excited!    Read more

  • Kayla HeybournKayla & Jayde’s OE 2025!Traveler

    Last day in London

    August 7, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    A sad day today. It was our last day in our camper and the end of our UK adventure. We thought we would treat ourselves since it was our last day and had bacon and eggs for breakfast, it was delicious.

    Then for the last time we packed up the van and got on the road. Not before one last stop though- Stonehenge!

    As you probably can tell through my other posts we haven’t been that keen to pay astronomical prices to actually go inside things and this was no different. I had seen on tik tok a free entry pathway to get to Stonehenge and that’s exactly what we did and I am so glad we did. We were only 5m back from where everyone else was allowed to stand and as you can see by the photos we still got a pretty good view! We stayed for a little bit before heading back to the van and making our one last journey.

    Back to London we drove. It wasn’t a very pleasant day, weather wise so we were quite happy being inside the van driving. Only an hour and a bit later and we were back at Spaceship rentals packing up our bags and saying goodbye to Rowena.

    We endured the Subway again to get to our bus station before boarding just before 9.30. Woohoo we are on our way to Paris and we can not be more excited! Update tonight on how our journey went.

    Europe adventure begins!    Read more

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