Hello Australia
I should have written this information down much much sooner but I guess it’s better late than never, right?
#2014epicholiday Part 2 – Hello Australia.
The 22-day Australia adventure (not including the first 3 months living/working in Melbourne)!
If you missed it, there’s also #2014epicholiday Part 1 – Un-BALI-vable!
Cairns/Fitzroy Island/GBR
|| November 22-24, 2014 ||
Where we stayed: It didn’t matter, we went to Fitzroy Island via-boat for one day to relax and snorkel, and then scuba dived and snorkeled the GBR (Great Barrier Reef) 2 times the following day. E P I C .
You can see more pictures from scuba diving the GBR here.
Food worth mention: Bang and Grind – Eggs Benedict with Smoked Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon
Things we saw/did: Dipped in the Cairns Esplanade waiting pool (more than once). Swam with sea turtles around Fitzroy Island. Saw a small shark while scuba diving the GBR. Snorkeling on the GBR is just about as good as scuba diving since the colors are so vibrant near the surface.
What we learned:
- The ocean is more beautiful then you can imagine
- You can touch Wally, the labrador of the sea
- Nightly BAT migration!!!
- You only need to scuba dive with one mask – buddy check!
Brisbane
|| November 25, 2014 ||
What we did: Picked up our janky Jucy Van as we headed off for our 7-day road trip down the east coast of Australia.
What we learned:
- It’s illegal to sleep in your car on the Gold Coast
- All camping grounds close at 5pm on the Gold Coast leaving your only option for sleeping legally at a truck stop… be sure to make your camping reservations in advance
- Get a newer Jucy van so it’s not janky
- It’s fun to say “Brissie” with my bad Aussie accent
Byron Bay
|| November 26-28, 2014 ||
Where we stayed: Camped near town at Glen Villa Resort.
Things we saw/did: Heaps of surfers! Cicada shells covering the trees at the camp ground (ewww!). Wild Turkeys running around on Thanksgiving. We watched The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Part 1 to get out of the rain. Yes, it rains in paradise too.
What we learned:
- Byron Bay is an adorable surf town. It reminded me of Laguna Beach, CA
- Cape Byron State Conservation Area is the most easterly point of the Australian mainland
- It was Social Inclusion Week, a national initiative focused on supporting, encouraging and embracing all people to feel valued and respected as vital members of the community. The Community Gratitude Tree in Byron Bay asked the question “What or who do you value most in our community?“. Answers were written on colorful cloth and attached to the tree.
Coffs Harbor
|| November 28, 2014 ||
Where we stayed: The Lorikeet Tourist Park, BEST camping spot.
Things we saw/did: Lorikeets, Kangaroos, baby Joey’s!
What we learned:
- Kangaroos are HUGE with 100% muscle in their tail
- Camping with a locked, clean bathroom is quite the treat
Booti Booti
|| November 29, 2014 ||
Pit stop at Seven Mile Beach… breathtaking.
Seal Rocks
|| November 29-30, 2014 ||
Where we stayed: North Coast Holiday Parks Seal Rocks
Things we saw/did: Sunrise over the rocks and the Tasman Sea. “Bogens” cracking whips, very odd.
What we learned:
- Seal Rocks used to be seal colony but they no longer breed in New South Whales
- Seal Rocks is a small fishing village that has resisted attempts by developers to commercialize
- parts of the movie Adore were filmed near here
On the road in NSW (New South Whales)
|| November 30, 2014 ||
Honey bees, tall tress, a water taxi and Nick made a friend.
The Entrance
|| November 30- December 1, 2014 ||
Where we stayed: Two Shores Holiday Village – Waterfront parking with a view of the bridge.
Things we saw/did: We cooked our last camping dinner in the Jucy Van as we sipped on a bottle of wine. The anticipation for the following days adventure into Sydney was rapidly growing as it was only a few hours away. Pinch me!!!
What we learned:
- we could have skipped The Entrance and stayed further north out of city life.
Syndey – Bondi Beach
|| December 1-5, 2014 ||
Where we stayed: An airbnb in Bondi Beach (private studio with bathroom, outdoor shower, 2 minute walk to the beach – PERFECT location). Unfortunately it’s not rented anymore.
Food worth mention: Porch & Parlor – porched eggs with a side of halloumi, Birchina – everything was good, bRU coffee – quinoa porridge, smoked salmon spelt stick.
Things we saw/did: Saw a symphony at the Sydney Opera House. Ate heaps of delicious food in Bondi Beach. Explored the limestone rocks to the north and south of Bondi Beach. Sunset picnic on Bondi. Stopped by the Tesltra CIC to say hi to our Portland friends/co-workers. Swam in the cold, but refreshing, ocean. Got a pedicure! Did I mention the beach?
What we learned:
- the Sydney Opera House is covered in over 1 million ceramic tiles
- even during the Christmas holiday BBQ summer time, it can still rain
- there’s a reason why they call it the Bondi Icebergs Pool
- Sydney is like New York City, Bondi Beach is like Laguna Beach (but even more awesome)
- we could have stayed here forever… LOVE Bondi
- we discovered grilled haloumi cheese, YUM!
—–
Then we were off to explore Tasmania, and a quick stop back to Melbourne to finish off our EPIC holiday! Tasmania and Melbourne need their own photo tour, stay tuned for the upcoming adventure recap of:
#2014epicholiday Part 3 – Tassie!
and
Life in Melbin’
xo,
~t
