I am elated to finally have embarked on a journey that I frequently claimed I would undertake ‘when the timing is perfect.’ In reality, the timing is never ideal because Australia is a considerable distance away, not the most budget-friendly travel destination, and I’ve always found myself drawn to other places. I’m truly appreciative of the opportunity to undertake this trip, and it has far exceeded my initial expectations.
My affection for Australia has grown even stronger than I could have imagined. For some inexplicable reason, I had never felt a profound attraction to the ‘land down under.’ Consequently, my expectations were quite modest — I was mainly eager to immerse myself in Melbourne’s famous coffee culture, wander through the captivating art-laden alleys of Melbourne, snap a selfie with a short-tailed marsupial, and traverse Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge. Bondi Beach was also on my wish list, largely due to the indelible image of it that I’d carried since watching ‘Point Break’ in the early ’90s. I’ve successfully crossed off all these items from my Australian travel bucket list, but there’s so much more to this remarkable journey. While I could recount numerous highlights from my travels, I’d like to share the six most indelible moments that have left an everlasting imprint on my memory.
Street art in Melbourne
One of my six major highlights of traveling in Australia was the vibrant street art scene in Melbourne. This notorious street art culture in the city was one of the reasons I chose to kick off my Australian journey in Melbourne, rather than the more common starting point of Sydney. I had heard about the laneways in Melbourne’s city center, most notably Hosier Lane, which is adorned with graffiti and street art. There are also districts like Fitzroy and Collingwood, known for their mural art, stencils, and colorful alleys.
Melbourne’s street art scene was as lively as I had hoped. So many murals! Apart from the places I mentioned, I often stumbled upon art while wandering the streets. When I returned to Melbourne towards the end of my trip and strolled through the laneways once more, I noticed several new works and witnessed artists creating fresh murals. I marveled at how artists turned these brick walls into ever-changing canvases, keeping them engaging by continually adding new art pieces, often reflecting current events. For instance, during my initial visit in January, many murals depicted themes related to the devastating bushfires that had ravaged parts of Australia.
I decided to join a street art tour in Fitzroy and Collingwood, two neighborhoods renowned for their abundance of artworks. Despite having explored these areas on my own, the guided tour exposed me to even more art than I could have discovered independently. If you have an interest in street art and want to venture beyond Melbourne’s central business district, I highly recommend checking out the Fitzroy Street Art Tour.
Snorkeling, Swimming, and Beach Bliss on the Whitsunday Islands
Visiting the awe-inspiring underwater world of the world’s largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef, had always been a top item on my Australian vacation wish list. With concerns about climate change and the coral reefs deteriorating, I wanted to experience the marine life and coral while they were still thriving on the Great Barrier Reef.
After careful consideration, I decided not to fly to Cairns, which is where most tourists access the reef, and instead opted to explore the Whitsunday Islands. This island group comprises 74 small islands, with most of them being uninhabited and not too far from Cairns. There was an added bonus: Whitehaven Beach, a beach that you can find on almost every “world’s best beaches” list ever published. I wanted to swim and snorkel on the world’s most famous coral reef and visit one of the world’s most renowned beaches.
Initially, I had planned to book a 2 or 3-night island-hopping cruise, but when I arrived at the departure point on Airlie Beach in the Whitsunday Islands, I had a last-minute change of heart. A persuasive salesperson selling island tours made me question how much time I really wanted to spend on a boat with narrow bunks (my budget didn’t allow for a luxury cruise). Ultimately, I chose to stay at an island resort, from which we embarked on visits to several islands, snorkeling spots, and, of course, Whitehaven Beach. (The 3-day tour I booked was also available as a shorter day trip departing from Airlie Beach).
It turned out to be an excellent decision. Not only did I have the chance to explore the vibrant underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef, but I also enjoyed the serene beauty of Whitehaven Beach. The Whitsunday Islands offered a unique and memorable experience that allowed me to fully appreciate the natural wonder of Australia’s marine life and stunning beaches. It was a dream come true, and the memories I made on the Whitsunday Islands will stay with me forever.
I pretty much ate every meal like this!
Yes, Australian cuisine had a special place on my list of highlights during my trip to Australia. Throughout my entire time in Australia, I hardly had a meal I didn’t enjoy. Breakfast, in particular, was crucial for me, and I always made it a point to never skip it, even if it meant going slightly over budget. Breakfasts were consistently fresh, hearty, yet never made you feel unhealthy. It wasn’t about gorging on pancakes (as you might find in the United States) or indulging in bread and cheese (as you might do in many European regions), but rather about savoring fresh, crispy vegetables, often paired with eggs and some amazing spices, sauces, or hummus blends.
I could almost list every breakfast I had in Australia as a highlight, but here are some worth mentioning. If you’re planning a trip to Australia, I highly recommend saving these locations in your Google Maps for a visit during your travels. Here they are:
In Sydney: Suzy Q’s (Surry Hills) and Dolce Terra (Manly).
In Melbourne: Industry Beans in Fitzroy, The Grain Store in the CBD, Cartel Coffee Roasters, Proud Mary in Collingwood, and Miss Jackson Café in St Kilda. I also enjoyed the iconic food markets of Queen Victoria Market Night Market and South Melbourne Market. Both had a variety of food stalls offering international cuisines.
On the Great Ocean Road: Pond Café in Torquay.
In Brisbane: Morning After and Little Loco.
In Byron Bay: Bayleaf Café and Byron Fresh.
In Fremantle: Moore & Moore and Ootong & Lincoln.
Wildlife!
Australia is renowned for its diverse wildlife, including many unique species found nowhere else in the world. But did you know that Australia has more species than any other country on Earth? I was eager to see kangaroos in the wild, swim alongside tropical fish in the Great Barrier Reef, maybe cuddle a koala, and, of course, snap a selfie with a short-tailed marsupial.
I hoped not to encounter those enormous Australian spiders I had heard about for years—I have a fear of spiders, and I’ll admit that when I learned about huntsman spiders as a teenager, I swore I’d never travel to Australia. Fortunately, I relaxed a bit since my teenage years, but I still felt uneasy when I saw a spider, regardless of its size.
Did my expectations come true? Well, I didn’t get to cuddle a koala bear. One thing I learned during my travels is that only the state of Queensland allows koala cuddling in sanctuaries, while it’s prohibited in any other state in Australia. After learning more about why cuddling koalas should be avoided, I decided to skip the famous Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane. You can cuddle koalas there, but I felt it wasn’t the right thing to do. Instead, I saw koalas at Maru Koala & Animal Park near Melbourne, which was also where I encountered kangaroos for the first time. Sadly, it wasn’t in the wild, but I could feed the kangaroos and interact with them inside their enclosure.
I saw kangaroos in the wild for the first time, and it was an experience similar to what a friend had told me before my trip, “The first kangaroo I saw in Australia was one by the side of the road, unfortunately as roadkill.” But as I drove along the Great Ocean Road, the same thing happened to me: I drove past a giant kangaroo hit by a car.
Luckily, I did see kangaroos in the wild in Western Australia and small wallabies (miniature kangaroos) on Phillip Island near Melbourne. I visited the island to witness the famous Penguin Parade, but to be honest, seeing the wallabies was more exciting for me than the penguin march.
I also encountered an array of birdlife, including tropical birds in city centers (rainbow lorikeets and galahs) and white ibises in urban parks in several major cities.
On the Great Barrier Reef, I observed numerous tropical fish, although, admittedly, not as many as I had imagined. However, the giant Maori wrasse and sea turtles made up for that.
Last but not least, let’s talk about those giant spiders. I didn’t encounter any of them, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Every Moment Spent in Sydney
I’ll be honest; I was absolutely convinced that I’d prefer Melbourne over Sydney. That’s why I booked a round-trip flight from Melbourne, allowing me to spend some time there at the beginning of my trip and then return at the end of my Australian holiday. Melbourne had won me over with its captivating coffee culture, astonishing street art scenes, and unique fashion districts. I was sure it was my kind of city.
While Melbourne met all the criteria I had in mind, I surprisingly found myself falling in love with Sydney. I discovered that Sydney had so many charming neighborhoods, and each one had a completely different feel. Paddington, Darlinghurst, Glebe, Newtown, Bronte, Bondi, Manly – just to name a few. I enjoyed exploring the various corners of Sydney, and each new neighborhood made me feel like I was in a completely different place. I found that Sydney also had some great street art (though not as much as Melbourne, it was still fantastic!), and I never had a bad cup of coffee in Sydney. I thought Sydney might be a bit too posh for my liking, but I adored the city’s look and vibrancy, and I’d be willing to stay there longer. In fact, I’ve even considered long-term residency in Sydney because I’m thrilled to experience Sydney like a local for an extended period – there’s so much more to explore.
Two factors where Sydney unequivocally surpassed Melbourne were: a) the weather (Melbourne’s weather reminded me of London – I visited during summer, but it was quite chilly, with a lot of rain, and I only got one day of summer-like weather), and b) the beaches. I visited St Kilda Beach and Brighton Beach near Melbourne, but Sydney’s beaches are undeniably more beautiful, with a greater variety to choose from. My favorite beach was Manly’s iconic Harbour Beach.
Every Moment Spent on Rottnest Island with Selfies with Quokkas
When I searched on Google Maps and discovered that Rottnest Island was one of the most remote places you could think of, I was amazed. It’s a small island off the coast of Western Australia, not far from Perth, known as the world’s most remote state capital (Perth is the capital of Western Australia). In fact, Perth is closer to Bali than it is to the eastern coast of Australia! Of course, there was no question about whether I had to venture to Western Australia to find those quokkas.
It was a pricey detour, you might wonder if it was worth it. To me, it absolutely was. Absolutely. Every penny spent on my day at Rottnest Island was worth it (the actual travel cost from Perth to the island set me back 100 AUD: a return ferry ticket for 50 AUD, bike rental for 30 AUD, snorkeling gear for 20 AUD), and it might have been one of the best days I spent during my entire Australian journey. After all, it topped my list of Australian highlights and was one of my standout moments in 2020.
I had hoped to see some quokkas on the island, but the number I encountered exceeded my expectations, and they were much “friendlier” than I had imagined! I thought getting a quokka selfie might take some effort, but it turns out they’re selfie pros, striking poses for photos.
I highly recommend visiting Rottnest Island, even if you’re not particularly fond of furry critters. My primary reason for visiting the island was the quokkas, but I ended up being utterly captivated by the island’s beauty. I saw some of the most beautiful beaches during my entire holiday in Australia, swam in crystal-clear waters, and nearly had some coves all to myself.
I also enjoyed cycling around the island (the entire loop is roughly 15 miles/25 kilometers). No cars are allowed, so you share the road with other cyclists, and the occasional bus passing you by. I spent a whole day cycling, stopping at beautiful viewpoints, visiting several lighthouses, saying hello to countless quokkas, and snorkeling with colorful fish. My only regret was not staying overnight – I should have done more research in advance. Due to Rottnest Island’s remote location, I wasn’t sure if I could make it back, but if given the chance, I would hop on it without hesitation, and I’d definitely book an overnight stay. The Joy of Quokkas on Rottnest Island
There’s still so much more of Australia to explore, and a few months weren’t enough to cover this vast continent. I didn’t reach anywhere north of Perth (the Pinnacles are still on my list, as are the many beaches of Western Australia), nor did I make it to Lucky Bay, where you can casually stroll the beach with kangaroos, and I missed out on Darwin in the Northern Territory, most importantly, the inland areas. It was painful to remove the inland areas from my original itinerary due to time constraints, but now I see it as a good excuse to book another Australian holiday soon to see more of this beautiful land.
