Melbourne

Arrival

After another seamless flight experience we arrived in Melbourne. A friend of ours graciously picked us up from the airport during his work day and welcomed us to the city. We made our way to the hotel in South Yarra (situated near the train station and an all-around nice area) and got settled in. The hotel’s rooms were set up apartment style and were beautiful. We got balconies overlooking the city, the usual apartment amenities, and our rooms were adjacent to each other.

After taking a little bit to relax, we met up with a couple friends to get drinks at this Irish pub before heading out for dinner. The pub itself was fun as there was some catching up, relaxing, and a shot taken after a quick drinking game. We made our way to Hawker Hall and sat down for one of the largest meals I’ve tried to eat in my entire life. Someone in the group casually ordered the “Feed Me” for everyone. The next thing we knew there were appetizers flying across the table, main dishes galore, and desserts, for the brave, to top it all off. It was a blur of food and drink in the best way possible. We all enjoyed a great time before heading our separate ways so that we could get ready for the next day’s adventure: The Great Ocean Road!

Flinders Street Station

Flinders Street Station

Inside the Irish Pub

Great Ocean Road

We heard a lot about how long this excursion is before our trip. Put simply: it’s absolutely worth it. I’ve posted an estimate of the route we took below in the form of Google Maps. Our tour guide, Rachael, was superb with the small talk and letting people do their thing. Plus, we didn’t lose anyone, so props to her!

I’ve also listed three main categories below that can be expanded upon by pressing on them for more details. This provides an overview of the excursion in text form.

• Departure

  We left Melbourne on our way to Torquay for tea, the Memorial Arch (official start of the road) for photos, Kennett River Township to see koalas, and Apollo Bay for a quick meat pie lunch.

• Main Events

  We journeyed through the Great Otway National Park (rainforest) to Port Campbell National Park (site of the Twelve Apostles) and Loch Ard Gorge.

• Return

  To kick off the return trip we ventured to Gibson Steps before seeing the Australian countryside inland on our way back to Melbourne.

I’ll share some of the highlights that stood out to me in favor of an exhaustive description of every detail. Firstly, the drive itself was idyllic. The scenes of mountains married to the sea and blending into beaches was unlike anything I’d seen before. Secondly, the little towns off the coast that we made pitstops in (Apollo Bay specifically) had the group contemplating making the move to Australia full-time. Thirdly, koalas like to hide and aren’t all that blind-friendly. They mostly kept to themselves high up in the trees and I can’t really blame them. There’re Eucalyptus leaves to eat after all.

The pictures/video below will speak for themselves, but I’ll share some brief thoughts on the main events. The Otway National Park is home to the second tallest trees in the world and it showed with how massive they were. The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and Gibson Steps all had their own unique beauty and features. It’s easy to see why someone like our tour guide would be willing to make the trek out to see them so often. This excursion was, point blank, a no brainer.

Experiencing the City

Something we heard about more than once during our time in Melbourne was a croissant place called Lune. It’s one of those things that people were talking it up so much that I was skeptical if it’d live up to the hype. Lo and behold, a couple friends met us there one morning after suggesting it and the croissants we got were easily the best I’ve ever had (it’s not particularly close). I’m now one of those people hyping it up.

After taking a minute to digest our croissants we followed our friends through a commercialized area down some alleyways (or laneways for Australian folk) covered in art. The imagery varied and included references to sports, music, politics, and a smorgasbord of other topics. Plenty of photos later, we encountered Queen Victoria Market. I can’t begin to explain the sheer number of goods available here. Between getting more food (donuts, deli options, etc) and touching kangaroo and other animal pelts, we got to experience a shocking amount in a short period of time.

We had planned on attending an Australian Football League (AFL) game so we stopped on a nearby riverboat to grab a couple of drinks. Imagine ambient music, temperate weather, and refreshing drinks. We were fortunate to have experienced all of the above while watching people paddle or ride their way down the river. When we felt ready we walked the short distance to the stadium (Melbourne Cricket Ground) and bought our tickets.

The game was between Collingwood and Port Adelaide. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, that’s cool. It didn’t to us either! The sport of Aussie Football is something I’d describe as a mix of rugby, American football, and soccer. I tried to follow the game, but I kept getting distracted with how massive the stadium was. You know the Roman Coliseum? Double its capacity and you’ll still fall slightly short of MCG’s max of 100,024. So, cricket is a pretty big deal in Melbourne.

Unfortunately, I became quite ill at this point in the trip and had to head back to the hotel after the game. The rest of the group went to go out for the night. It was pretty evident the next morning that the group had a great time based on the late wake-ups. I spent the rest of the trip coughing and sneezing prior to us heading back home.

A massive thanks to friends on the trip for providing great company, assistance navigating, and being all-around wonderful people. Trips like these aren’t easy to manage, so it’s a special thing when I’m able to embark on them with great people. Thanks again, and to next time!

Cairns

Australia Airports

It feels fitting to talk about Australian airports when describing our time in Cairns. Our first flight from Sydney to Cairns was seamless and stress-free. Usually the energy of security in American airports makes me feel like I’ll be arrested if I stare at the TSA the wrong way. In Australia I just tossed my things on a conveyor belt and moved on through. The best part? We weren’t ever asked to take off our shoes. I understand security measures are in place for a reason in the USA but I appreciated the ease of flying while I could.

Arrival

Combination City Council and City Library

Surprisingly, public transit wasn’t an option to our hotel in Cairns. This turned out to be a boon because our Uber driver was super polite and owned a local restaurant. We didn’t know this right away because he spent a good amount of time crapping on the airline we just used. Apparently, JetStar is super unreliable and we heard this, unprompted, from several people throughout our trip. To be clear, our experience was wonderful with the airline and we were thankful that we didn’t experience a horror story like others described. Eventually, the driver mentioned that he owned a Thai restaurant and that we should check it out while in Cairns. We didn’t commit one way or the other but we were given a brochure to think on it more.

Cascade Gardens Holiday Apartments

Our hotel, Cascade Gardens, was an… interesting experience. There were basically two schools of thought upon our arrival. The first went something like, “This isn’t the nicest place I’ve ever been to, but it’ll do the job.” The second went something like, “I’m in panic mode and I’m already game planning on how to find a different place to stay.” It was evident from the mix of silence and comments made on our walk up to our rooms that we were all working it out in our own way.

Once we debriefed our feelings about the hotel, bought groceries, and got settled in, we decided to head down to the pool. There’s not much to write home about here; however, as we were all lounging around, someone in the group noticed something giant flying in the air above. The sense of wonder was real amongst the group and someone found some photos of what we were seeing. The best way I can describe it as, and I believe they’re called something similar, is a flying fox with vampire wings. They were big enough that even I could see them flying around despite not being able to distinguish any details. It was an exciting introduction to the wildlife to be sure and I suggest looking them up. We then made some dinner and got ready for our excursion the next morning: the Great Barrier Reef!

Great Barrier Reef

We made our way to the pier to hop on the boat and excitement levels were off the charts. The boat itself was a decent size with three levels and a mixture of indoor/outdoor spaces. We were designated to sit on the mid-level deck indoors with all the people who signed up to scuba dive. A conversation amongst our group prior to signing up for this excursion was the age old question: do we snorkel or scuba dive? Initially, there was some FOMO being surrounded by the scuba people; however, this quickly turned into a sense of relief as the scuba instructors/staff droned on and on about this and that. I’m sure it was important information, but we were just excited to leave the tension of the room and hop in the water. The boat ride itself was not for the faint of heart, but, for those unaffected by sea sickness, it was a scenic ride out to the reefs.

We made two separate stops to spots on the reef. Someone on the trip and I harbored some concerns about how much we’d be able to see. Those concerns were laid to rest almost immediately with how incredibly vibrant the coral appeared. The refraction of the light created vivid colors and the wildlife mingled amongst it all beautifully. We saw a fish that, in a group member’s words, “looked fake and like a giant piece of coral.” At the other stop on the reef we saw what someone described as “Nemo fish” and, while free-diving, I was able to see several types of fish and coral up close. Words don’t do justice to how incredible of an experience it all was.

We eventually made the journey back to Cairns and were greeted with a rainbow in the sky. With no immediate plans after the excursion, the group pointed out a brewery in the distance on the pier. We made our way to what’s called Hemingway’s. For Twin Cities folks, imagine Surly but in Australia. For others, imagine a giant beer hall with outdoor seating available. We enjoyed some food and beer towers and then winded down for the evening in preparation for our next excursion: Fitzroy Island.

Fitzroy Island

Something to know about our time in Cairns is that each day could’ve easily been full of rain. While we benefitted from good weather most of the time, our luck ran out the day of Fitzroy Island. The morning started great as we stopped at a cafe. It became bleak, however, as we waited for the boat and rain started to come down. We met a couple tourists from Toronto that shared skepticism with us on whether this excursion was going to be worth it.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.

Someone in the group and I gave snorkeling the good ol’ college try and saw nothing of note because of the visibility and our snorkeling equipment malfunctioning. Others in the group made the smart choice of cutting their losses and getting chicken tenders at the resort on the island.

While the island is likely picturesque on a perfect day, we tried to redeem what we could out of a let-down. We eventually made our way back to Cairns and decided to check out that Thai restaurant I mentioned earlier. In 2 Thai is the name of the place and Chris, the owner, made the experience wonderful. He went as far as to offer us transportation back to our hotel and it was a great nightcap as we prepared to go canoeing the next day!

Canyoning

Did I write canoeing? Sorry, I meant canyoning. Someone in our group was misreading the title of this excursion and no one thought to double check it when it was booked. When we showed up at the pick-up spot to depart, the tour guides, Pete and Luke from Cairns Canyoning, brought their sense of humor and teased us about canoeing. On our drive to the rainforest, they described in broad terms that we’d be traversing a waterfall system instead of hopping into boats. When we arrived at the rainforest we geared up (helmet, vest, harness, etc), received a safety brief, and started our journey.

Naturally, the first thing we did was jump off of a cliff. It progressed from there to licking an ant that tasted like a lemon drop, abseiling down a waterfall, sliding headfirst backwards down a rock face, and ending it all with someone getting trapped in a water vortex. That’s excluding the other cliffs we jumped off of and the maneuvering of narrow pathways and slippery surfaces. I give Pete and Luke a ton of credit because we all made it out unscathed (save for a couple bruises) and with smiles on our faces. I couldn’t recommend an activity more if someone was considering doing something adventurous. If the Great Barrier Reef was a 1a, this was an easy 1b.

To wind down after returning to Cairns, we checked out the night markets and enjoyed some gelato. Remember the flying foxes I mentioned? We saw them flocking in the hundreds while we walked around as they looked to roost in trees in the city center. It looked almost Biblical as they clouded the sky, so that’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea. We also ran into our Toronto friends at Just Devine Gelato, so it truly was a full circle moment while preparing to head out to Melbourne the following day.

Just Devine

Sydney

General Trip Info

Australia was an amazing experience. A group of friends and I spent over ten days exploring three separate cities (Sydney, Cairns, and Melbourne). Each was unique in its own way and we were able to see and experience things that we couldn’t anywhere else. I’ll provide a breakdown of highlights of each place we went to in different posts in an attempt to detail/describe the trip. First off: Sydney!

Sydney

We landed in Sydney on St. Patrick’s Day and I was wearing my white socks with green trim to celebrate the holiday. The journey there was brutal with 19+ total hours of continuous travel (MSP -> DEN -> LAX -> SYD). Fatigue, irritability, and general wackiness were all present at varying levels amongst the group. We decided to try the public transit options to get to the place we were supposed to stay and, fortunately, it turned out to be a seamless process. We got to our place unscathed and took in our surroundings briefly before starting to check-in. You can see my photo of our hotel below and my specific review listed here.

Sydney Potts Point Central Hotel

We quickly discovered our rooms weren’t quite ready yet. So, we stashed our stuff, cleaned up as well as we could, and charted a course to the Royal Botanical Gardens since it was so close by. I made the comment to the group, “I don’t know about y’all, but I’m actually feeling pretty good.” The universe clearly has a sense of humor, because as soon as we stepped out of the hotel my nose started to bleed. Thankfully with some tissues from the group I was able to get it stifled on our way.

I like to think I’m a mindful person and that’s generally viewed as a positive thing; however, this typically means I’m not opportunistic in the way of taking photos. All of this is to say that I hope you enjoy one of the only photos I took. Rest assured the rest of the gardens were diligently cared for with paved paths, ornate sculptures, and an abundance of greenery. It’s an accessible space and well utilized by the public it seemed. If I lived locally, I’d be here often taking advantage of the area.

After looking around a while we made it back to our hotel and got into our rooms. We settled in briefly before getting ready for our next adventure of Bondi Beach in which we’d be meeting up with another friend who lives in Australia.

Royal Botanical Gardens of Sydney

We eventually convened at the beach and made ourselves at home. My immediate thought after seeing who was all around me was, “Wow, I’m pale.” So, I promptly put my sun shirt on and got in the water to swim. The water was beautiful and we were surrounded by spectacular views (overlooks, restaurants, etc). The beach was covered in a light colored sand and it felt extremely welcomed after leaving Minnesota in March. We spent a good portion of our time here swimming and hanging out on our towels while catching up.

We then went to a local swimming club/restaurant/cocktail bar(?) place named Icebergs. We initially walked into a space where post-beach attire was not going to cut it and the patrons’ eyes on us told us so. A quick retreat found us where we should’ve been in the general area and we sat down to get food and drinks. It was a little strange because someone we met up with had a membership at this place. I couldn’t tell you what that means besides that it gave us discounted drinks. So, we enjoyed that thoroughly and reveled in a great time before returning to our place to wind down.

Being in Sydney we eventually made our way to the Opera House. It was a truly surreal experience being directly in front of a structure that I had seen in photos in books, online, etc all of my life. We got up close and personal for some photos and to take it all in. The Opera House itself fits pretty seamlessly into the surrounding area, so we were able to walk through towards a restaurant area to some other activities once we were finished. We eventually made our way to some famous bridge where we sat down to enjoy a sunny, scenic view.

On our way to get some lunch we came across a musician marketing a new song. His social media team was on the scene to capture some fun moments, including having a little kid “play” the drums to the soundtrack. Someone in our group found the musicians’ social media (Go-Jo) and, unfortunately, we didn’t make the final cut for promotional material. I’ve embedded a YouTube video below with the song we heard.

Go-Jo - Mrs. Hollywood

Afterwards, it’s a blur to me where we ended up for lunch. What I do remember is, because of the favorable exchange rate, I splurged and tried a wagyu burger for the first time (well worth it). We then took a ferry to Manly Beach and did some body surfing, hanging out, and chilling. The waves here were a good mix of small, medium, and large. My favorite part of body surfing was when a huge wave would come to wipe us out and, before it smacked us, I’d hear Australian kids yell in their Australian way, “Oh, noruuu!”

After the beach we grabbed a couple drinks at a local spot before eventually taking the express ferry back to our hotel . We hung out on the rooftop to play some games and party it up prior to heading out. I couldn’t tell you the names of the places we went, but it was in an LGBTQ+ area with a lot of personality. All in all, it was a fast and furious introduction to Australia with lots of memories made, laughs had, and tons to look forward to.