AUSTRALIA - GOIN' DOWN UNDER

Three weeks in Australia is amazing, but not nearly enough.

SYDNEY - CITY ON THE HARBOR

THINGS TO SEE + DO....
SEE THE OPERA HOUSE AND THE HARBOUR BRIDGE
EAT + DRINK AT THE ROCKS
TAKE THE MANLY BEACH FERRY
A gem of a city. Sydney has so much to do, see, and explore. With it's famously beautiful Opera House framed by the Harbour Bridge and lots of rivers, a large bay, and amazing beaches right at its doorstep, there is something really fun about this city.
One of the first things I did when I arrived in Sydney was wander around the Central Business District (CBD) and see all of the buildings. There are quite a few golden oldies hidden between modern high rises. There are many shops and restaurants as well as many lovely views of the harbor with boats sailing by the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge. Public transportation in Sydney is really good, easy to navigate, but a little on the pricey side depending on where you are going. 
My friend Mike took me to The Rocks an old area of town just opposite of the Opera House for a quality pub meal and beers. We also took a ferry from near his house that went all along the river and ended at the Harbour. It was a fun way to see the city. After that ride, we took another ferry to Manly Beach for a chilled out day. There was a surf competition and we watched it with nice cold ciders in hand. We also went to a beach on the northern edge of the Sydney city limits called Avalon Beach which was a cool, local surfing cove and beach.

DAY TRIP IDEA FROM SYDNEY: BLUE MOUNTAINS + THREE SISTERS

I had a great time in the city, but wanted to see some more of Australia's natural beauty. I decided on my last day before heading to Melbourne, that I would do a day trip to the Blue Mountains for a little bit of hiking and to see the famed geological structure known as the Three Sisters. I put up my backpack in the train station for a few dollars. I got an open return train ticket for $14AUD and headed out for Katoomba, about an hour and half away from central Sydney. I love train rides and it was fun heading to the countryside. After getting off the train, I walked from the station to the gorge view. The Three Sisters were right there, jutting out of the green, lush gorge. I went for a hike down into the gorge which took a little more time than I originally intended, but I made it up and back to the train station. Remember to bring a map, lots of water, and snacks for your hike because I was silly and did not bring much or any of those things, even though I am a seasoned hiker. i was not thinking I was going to be out for so long and also got a little lost. Oops! It was a great adventure though!

MELBOURNE - FULL OF ART

THINGS TO SEE + DO....
WANDER THE CBD
​GRAFFITI IN THE LANEWAYS
ST. KILDA
​SOUTH BEACHES
I made it to the famous Melbourne (there is a Melbourne in Florida, my hometown) and it is such a vibrant place filled with diversity and artistic influences. The Central Business District (CBD) is filled with a nice mix of old and new charms in the business buildings and the cafés. Trams are the way to get around Melbourne and the in the CBD they are all free in a specified area. It was so fun just hopping on a random tram and seeing where it went within the free area and then hopping on another one and go in a different direction. The street art in the Laneways area was a fun afternoon activity as well as St. Kilda and its little seaside amusement park. The beaches south of St. Kilda are wonderful and chilled out.

BRISBANE....DOORWAY TO QUEENSLAND
Brisbane is a fun little city. With a lively riverfront area filled with restaurants and cafes, Brisbane is a place to relax. While I didn't stay in Brisbane proper, I stayed with a friend on Bribie Island. Bribe Island was great because it was quiet, had a nice fish and chips shop, great views of the mountains on the mainland and a good jumping off point for different places nearby such as the Gold Coast, Australian Zoo, cute town of Montville, and the Glass House Mountains. 

AIRLIE BEACH,
THE WHITSUNDAYS,
+ CAIRNS....AUSSIE ADVENTURES
I went on a road trip from Brisbane to Cairns with my friend being the driver. We rented a cheap car and split the tariff and the petrol charges for the one-way trip. It was great seeing a lot of Queensland during this long journey. A pit stop was needed, so we stopped in at Airlie Beach. Airlie Beach is a cute seaside town with blue waters to look out to from the hotel windows. Accommodation was a little pricey because it's the starting point to get to the Whitsundays (a group of islands off the coast) and the world-famous Whitehaven Beach. We booked a boat trip to the beach in town. When we got to the beach, the sand was the most fine powder your feet will ever touch. It squeaks under your feet and scientists use it to clean the Hubble Space Telescope! The water was beautiful and clear. The boat ride was fun, even though it was a little rough. After the stop in Airlie, we continued more north to Cairns, a little city surrounded by tropical rainforests. We again booked a boat and snorkel trip in town to go to the Great Barrier Reef. The trip took us to Green Island, a small little island with the reef right off the shore. It was the cheap route to swim on the reef. Whilst snorkeling, a family of sea turtles swam by and we got to swim with them in the wild! It was one of the coolest experiences to date for me as I live the ocean and all the marine life.