(At least the East Coast)
I remember when I first landed in Melbourne and was shocked by the amount of people and the heat. Turns out it was an abnormally hot day. But still, I encountered people and heat in varying degrees (no pun) on my journey down under.
The cities were big and spread out and had distinct subsections of culture.
I learned what it was like to live either barefoot or in thongs (flip flops). I learned the capital wasn’t Sydney. I learned that there were many breathtaking sunrises and sunsets to be seen.
Initially, I had concerns about all of the dangerous wildlife. Thankfully, I was never stung, bitten or clawed by any of those animals. I never even saw a snake in the wild. Did I? I don’t think so. I did see a few spiders and jellyfish, but nothing that threatened immediate harm.
At first, I had a hard time finding my rhythm. It’s difficult to pinpoint why. It’s not like I had to make a major adjustment or anything. Regardless, I don’t think I really settled in until I was almost a month into my time in Australia. That’s when I understood what was on offer. Traveling up the east coast was mainly about enjoying the beaches and water.
I was adopted into a large friend group of ex-pats in Sydney. They were welcoming and generous and gave me a sense of community. It was a kind of security blanket to fall back on if I ever needed it.
Speaking of people, my two marquee experiences were on tour groups. Actually, the main difference between having an awesome time in Australia vs. New Zealand came down to people. In NZ, I had plenty of fun just walking in nature. In Oz, fast friendships made the biggest impact. An interpersonal connection can easily add more value to an adventure. Since I consider myself a low-key extrovert, bonding with a few different groups of people really elevated whatever I was doing. I was fortunate enough to enjoy this on a few occasions.
There will always be something drawing me back to Australia. Part of it will be to visit the central and western areas of the country. The other part…I’m not exactly sure. To sky dive? Maybe. Either that, the crystal blue water or the gorgeous women.
It’s certainly not Vegemite.
“Awe, yeah?”
“Yeah, right.”
By the Numbers
Days in Australia: 56
Days at Workaways: 16
Nights in Hostels: 31
Multi-day Tours: 2
Hours in Transit (Bus or Train): ~60
AUD Spent: ~$4,342.18
USD Spent: ~$3,192.78 (Avg conversion rate of roughly 1.36)
You can see my full cost breakdown here.
For those interested in visiting one day, here’s a list of where I went and how I ranked stuff:
(click the top left button of the map to expand the list view)
| Favorite Places: 1. Fraser Island 2. Melbourne 3. Whitsundays 4. Byron Bay 5. Brisbane | Favorite Beaches:: 1. Whitehaven Beach 2. Lake McKenzie 3. Little Wategos 4. Bondi Beach 5. Balding Bay |
| Favorite Activities: 1. Pippies Tag Along Tour 2. Mandrake Sailing Trip 3. Snorkeling the GBR 4. Three Sisters Walk 5. Uncle Brian’s Rainforest Tour | Favorite Sunrises/Sunsets: 1. Cape Byron Sunrise 2. Cathedrals Dune Sunset 3. Horseshoe Bay Sunset 4. Sunset Bay Sunset 5. Surfers Paradise Sunrise |
| Favorite Attractions: 1. Hill Inlet 2. Sydney Opera House/Harbour Bridge 3. Melbourne Walking Tour 4. National Gallery of Victoria 5. Lone Pines Koala Sanctuary 6. Curtain Fig Tree 7. Gallery of Modern Art (Brisbane) 8. Queen Victoria Market 9. Gog & Magog 10. Sydney Fish Market |
Lastly, below is my “best of” photo album. Let me know if you want any to frame or put in Nat Geo cuz they’re so sick, etc.