I feel like I've been very spoilt over the last few years. Being based in Paris meant I could go on day trips, city weekend breaks as well as longer trips around Europe without thinking twice about it. But as much as I love big European cities and cute little villages, I've come to the point where many places start to resemble each other and I'm losing interest. I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm bored with travelling, just bored with my travel style.

I still want to see all the main sights when visiting a new place but I want more. I want to have experiences which I'll remember forever, to actually do something like taking a cooking class or maybe learning a language. This was the year I started to make this change and as a result had some incredible experiences which I'll never forget.

Hot Air Ballooning in Costa Brava

This was by far my most exciting travel experience of 2012 and it's something I've always wanted to do. My first ever hot air balloon ride took us over medieval villages and green farmland in Costa Brava with the Pyrenees in the distance on one side and the Mediterranean on the other.

Touring Rome on a Vintage Vespa

Hanging on to a handsome Italian man while sitting on the back of a vintage Vespa, weaving our way through the streets of ancient Rome as the sun set. Does it get any better than that? No, it does not. At least not as far as city tours go. This was the best tour of my life and an incredible way to see one of the world's most fascinating cities.

Driving from Paris to Berlin for a Music Concert

With Perth being the most remote capital city in the world, many touring bands would often pass over my hometown for Australia's bigger cities. But living in Europe is a different story. Not only did I get to see many of my favourite bands while living in Paris but I also had the opportunity to travel for concerts. This year we drove from Paris to Berlin to see Pearl Jam and on another trip we went to Milan for a one day music festival.

Zip Lining in Portugal

Zip lining was never on my bucket list. It just kind of happened. Even though I knew visiting an adventure park was part of my itinerary in Portugal I didn't planning on participating. I thought I would just watch and photograph the others. But I somehow ended up getting strapped in to a harness and before I knew it I was flying down the mountainside at full speed.

Visiting the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens

This is clearly a much tamer experience than the others but tulips are my favourite flowers and visiting the Netherlands during tulip season, at the famous Keukenhof tulip gardens, was one of the travel highlights of my year.