Where is East?

I have been dreaming up this trip for the last year or so and in that time my itinerary has taken many forms, from a cautious route to a wildly unrealistic shopping list of countries! But after having a reality check, consulting my bank balance and hours spent leafing through a lonely planet guide I have come up with a plan! I don't want to plan too rigidly as I think long-term travelling needs room for improvisation... so this route is only rough, with the aim of striking a balance between preparedness and spontaneity.

The plan is to fly to Singapore, head north through Malaysia then island hop up the coast of Thailand. I plan to spend Christmas at a full moon party in Koh Phagnan with my friend Sandra, then travel up to Bangkok and Chang Mai in the North. I'm then heading through Laos to Hanoi in Vietnam, then down the Vietnamese coast to Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in the South. Then I'm going North through Cambodia, and from there I will fly to Indonesia. The final leg of my trip will take me to both coasts of Australia, New Zealand's North and South islands and finally Fiji.

I've booked my flight to Singapore for November 1st 2011, and my return flight from Auckland, New Zealand is on May 3rd 2012... however, I have also purchased a 'flight change' as I may wish to work in Australia while I'm there, and if that's the case I expect to be headed back to England in July/ August 2012.