So here it is, the final blog of my incredible adventure. Nearly nine months after leaving the United Kingdom I returned. I’ve been back over a month and returned to full time working. But the last few months of travelling, in Australia were just unforgettable.I flew into Australia from Indonesia in March. And after a few weeks of exploring further in and around Sydney we started to plan some trips around the east coast. Easter was spent in Sydney with darts, alcohol and plenty of food, before I took a solo trip down the Melbourne.
Melbourne is about a 1.5 hour flight south of Sydney and it’s the capital of the southeastern state of Victoria. It’s a city soaked in history with much to offer from the modern city centre laying next to the Yarra River, to historic buildings, beautiful parks, beaches and of course St Kilda sitting a short tram ride away.
The main reason for visiting Melbourne was to explore The Great Ocean Road. I had two days in Melbourne either side of the ocean road tour. After arriving early into the city I looked around the State Library to avoid the morning rain, admiring the outstanding architecture of the Dome Room towering above people studying below. As the rain settled I found my way out towards the Queen Victoria Markets. A major 19th century landmark in Melbourne and one of the largest open air markets in the southern hemisphere. After meandering around the endless stalls and grabbing a fresh local bite to eat I headed back to the library to join a free walking tour.
Three hours later and I’d seen so many amazing areas of Melbourne! After starting near the Melboure Gaol, walking through the CBD park and learning about the various shopping arcades before walking through the iconic Degraves Street, admiring the lane ways street art of the city. Finally, the tour concluded at the Arts Centre across the river giving the perfect location to watch the sunset behind the city skyline.
Day two started early as I joined the start Great Ocean Road tour and headed out of the city to explore the 243 kilometre National Hertiage listed road. We started by heading straight out towards Tower Hill making where we had time for lunch and a hike around the large sunken volcano forming an incredible landscape to gaze upon and plenty of wildlife to see. Koalas in the trees, snakes on the ground, emus trying to steal your lunch and wallabies hopping around the bush. Our next stop was our first on The Great Ocean road, The Bay of Islands. After this we drove onto see The Bay of Martyns, The Grotto and finally London Bridge where we learnt of a close escape of some tourists who were on top of the bridge as it collapsed several years ago forming the two stacks that stand tall today. To finish the day we raced to the famous 12 Apostles, which actually no longer have 12 standing, to admire the coastline sunset. And it did not disappoint as beautiful orange colours reflected off the sea onto Apostles creating a variety of colours.
We spent the night in the small fishing town of Port Campbell before rising early to spend a full day out on the road. Our first stop of the day was probably one of my favourite of the tour, Loch Ard Gorge. Named after the Loch Ard ship that run aground on a nearby island in in 1878. It’s now a main tourist stop along The Great Ocean Road. The beautiful sandy beach encased by towering sheer cliff faces with the sea breaking through the narrow opening. It was beautiful! Next stop was back at the 12 Apostles to see the sea carved landscape in daylight before heading on towards Gibson’s Steps where I hiked down to the beach to gaze up at the height of one of the 12 Apostles. Next was Mait’s Rest where we wandered through the rainforests before taking the original Great Ocean Road scenic drive to Bell’s Beach and then on to Split Lighthouse, famous for the children’s TV program ‘Round the Twist’. Returning to Melbourne we listened to stories about how the road was built and how severe bush fires have threaten the road and its surrounding landscape.
My final day in Melbourne was a bit slower paced as I visited surrounding areas before flying back to Sydney in the evening. I took the tram out to St. Kilda where the penguins return from the sea to nest at night. I walked along the beach before heading further afield to the Brighton Beach where the colourful bathing boxes stood in front of the sea. Individually decorated by their owns, tourists walked up and down to snap photos of the famous bathing boxes. My final stop was the salt water lake in Westgate park which twinkled a bright pink because of the sulphur in the water and the warm weather.
Next stop was Sydney for the night before heading up to Cairns. The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef located in tropical Far North Queensland. A beautiful area 3 hours flight from Sydney. The biggest reason to visit Cairns was of course a bucket list goal – scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef. We spent a whole day out on the reef after a couple of hours on the boat in rough seas we made it to the calm of the reef’s bright turquoise waters. I will admit the diving wasn’t the best and it was sad to see the coral bleaching but the bright fish darting around were incredible and the warm tropical waters made it just as amazing as the other dives.
After a day out on the reef we were tired and hungry so had a relaxed evening then completed an impromptu food and bar crawl from our hostel to the end of main area. We started in a bar with a drink, then had a starter at the next and then greek food. And this Greek food really was amazing! Sat on a balcony with a table filled with food, incredible cocktails, the ocean washing up on the shore and my favourite kind of company.
Our final two days in Carins involved driving about 620km after hiring a car. We first headed north to Cape Trib, enjoying the scenic drive and making several stops along the way. We stopped in Port Douglas and wandered around a sunny weekend market grabbing some fresh fruit juice and admiring the beautiful landscape surrounding this coastline town. Our next stop was the just before the crossing into the Daintree Rainforest, a river cruise to see the salt water crocodiles basking in the heat. The crocs lay in the mud before slipping into the water. The guide explained about the crocs, how big they grow, how quick they move and how long they’ve been living here. One swam close by with half a pig in his mouth while the others enjoyed the day’s heat on the banks. Our next stop was the Daintree Rainforest after crossing the sea water estuary on a hydraulic cable pull vessel. We drove all through the rainforest to Cape Trib, the most northern point, stopping along the way. We completed several boardwalks, got lost and saw some gorgeous beaches on the rainforest edges. That evening we did a late night drive back to Cairns taking on the winding coastline in the dark.
The final day in Cairns was limited by an evening flight back to Sydney but that didn’t stop us filling the day. We headed south today following the scenic drives to national parks, waterfalls and crater lakes. We stopped regularly completing short hikes to beautiful landscapes and had lunch at the fresh water lakes in the national park before watching the turtles swim in the clear waters. The final drive back to Cairns was winding descending roads back to the main highway.
So long Carins! Next stop Uluru!
A quick change over in Sydney and we were on the plane to Ayers Rock airport. The Red Centre of Australia, also known as the Northern Territories.We arrived to the red sandy resort and walked round getting our bearings. That evening we did the famous Field of Light tour. As night fell 50,000 spindles of light lit up as far as the eye could see, with the silhouette of Uluru in the distance. It was just incredible!
The next day we joined a four day tour of Uluru and its surroundings. This started with a Uluru base walk after a cultural talk about the history behind this sacred place. That night was our first night sleeping under the stars in swags and it did not disappoint. I have never seen stars so beautiful before and the Milky Way shinning so bright!!
Our first full day on the tour started at 4.50am to see the sunrise over the magnificent Uluru. The Rock changed several shades of red as the sun began to rise and break through the horizon. As the rocky landscape glowed under the morning sun we headed into Kata Tjuta where we hiked in the Wind Valley for 3 hours. Next stop was Kings Creek Station, a 3 hour drive with a quick stop at Curtain Springs, Mount Connor lookout and the salt flats. That night was an Aussie BBQ with cold ciders and marshmallows roasting over the campfire. The perfect evening in the outback with games and songs around the campfire and a beautiful starry sky.
Another early start and 500 stairs straight up to begin the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, a beautiful hike with breathtaking views in every direction. The waterhole in the Garden of Eden deep within the canyon surrounded by the towering walls, allowing echoing voices to be heard for miles and the domes of rock in the distance made this place look anything but a place on earth. After the early start, the day was still young so after replenishing energy levels with an outback brunch we raced off on quads bike through this vast landscape. The red sandy tracks through dust into the air on every turn and acceleration. We rode through dense woodland and wide open desert as the camels roamed free and lizards ran up the trees as we got closer. The views at the top were incredible and the descend was adrenaline filled with sharp turns, rocky terrain and wide open spaces to go full speed. It was the best quad biking I’ve ever done!
The final stop of the outback tour was ‘Bush Camp’. No phone signal, no electric and no flushing toilets. Just the stars, a BBQ, a fire and swags. But the lack of comforts didn’t make this a bad experience at all. The bush camp night was filled with games! Wheelbarrow races, cricket and the cereal box game, with the best seat in the house below the Milky Way. Lay in a swag with nothing but the shinning stars making up the Milky Way on a clear night. I have never seen stars like them ever before, no photo did them justice. It was a moment you just sit and take in and know you’d have to return to see these stars again.
The final few weeks in Australia, Sydney was used as the base once more. The next stop was a weekend away the Wine Capital on East Coast Australia – The Hunter Valley. And it was the perfect weekend to go. Cold mornings with clear skies left us with warm days to explore the various vineyards. We stayed on a Vineyard in Luskintyre and went on several wine tours. Saturday was a whole day of touring vineyards, tasting cheese and chocolate before returning to our accommodation to try more wine. We made our own cheese and meat platter and enjoyed a bottle we’d brought after trying so many different wines throughout the day. Sunday was less drinking and more exploring of the Hunter Valley. We tasted chocolate at every opportunity plus a little more wine and also tried our hand at the water golf driving range and of course we couldn’t resist a round of crazy golf.
After returning from The Hunter Valley I did my final Australian dive for a while. Diving with Seals on the coast south of Sydney. The freezing cold winter waters didn’t stop us as we pulled on heated vests and jumped into the rough sea filled with Seals. Many of the Seals remained out on sunbathing on the rock but those in the water regularly came back to see what we were up to. They swam at you like bullets before diverting at the last second in a different direction before looping round to do it again. The more bubbles you made the more they came back to play with you. They really are the puppies of the sea!
One of my favourite adventures in Sydney was a few days before I left. A spontaneous decision to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge on one of the final nights of the Vivid Light Festival. This was just incredible and it was the perfect night to do it, with the weather on our side, a neon dance floor at the top and the city sky line lit up brightly for Vivid, it was amazing!!
This adventure has been eye opening and life changing. I cannot even begin to put into words how incredible this trip has been. Its had ups and downs, laughter and tears, late nights, early mornings, amazing dives and breathtaking landscapes. I have learnt things no teacher or time in a classroom will teach you and met so many different people along the way. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
It is true – the World is a book and those who do not travel only read the first page. I cannot wait to read the rest of the chapters and see more countries.
For now its a few months of full time working before seeing what the next adventure has to offer.
Until next time..✈
HJ Travel Blog 