We switched around our plans a bit and headed to Sydney to meet up with Robin. He is originally from Bondi and invited us to come over and stay at his place for the night after a tour of the suburb. There truly is no other tour guide better than someone who has known the area since their youth. Driving in was absolutely incredible. The sun was ( Read more... )

The Blue Mountains is such an incredible place and only 2 hours west from Sydney we had to give it a second go. We ventured to the same laid back hostel that we previously stayed at and the owner recognized us right away. It was so amazing to feel as though we had finished the travelling loop. With so much of our trip feeling like we were explorers ( Read more... )

Travelling to the southern hemisphere was strange in ways that I cannot describe. Christmas in summer, tropical rain seasons and winter being 15 degrees are a few that come to mind. Above all of these though is the absence of seasons in most of Australia. Because of the time of year that we left Canada we had a REALLY long stint of winter/spring ( Read more... )

Byron Bay is a dizzying display of consumption (alcohol, drugs, coffee the next day..), overpopulation and alternative lifestyles. To be fair, we were visiting during the most gong show weekend of the year due to Easter and the Blues and Roots Festival. Perhaps the Byron elders still understand the harmony between nature and humanity but the charm ( Read more... )

We traveled inland from the surf (and from our impossibly nice stay near Surfer’s Paradise) to take in some of the rainforest bushwalking that everyone was talking about. This area of Queensland is made up of the McPherson Ranges which form a natural barrier between the state and New South Wales. The surrounding land is very lush and green with ( Read more... )

Sun loving (or hating if you’re from a variety of Asian countries) tourists seem to be in a heavy, steady stream on this end of the country. I cannot believe the volume of bodies in every shop, on every beach and basically any surface you can find. From being in isolation for the majority of this trip and having beaches to ourselves we are humbly ( Read more... )

There are a few islands that shield Brisbane in from the Pacific Ocean. One is accessible by bridge and popular with the grey nomads, one is popular with people seeking the ultimate tourist attractions and one is pretty chill and populated with locals and surfers alike. We chose the chill one in hopes of some good waves and relaxing vibes. I know ( Read more... )

It’s amazing to me that more people weren't raving and begging us to visit Brisbane. It is honestly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen and having 21 countries on my belt, I’ve seen a few. The picturesque Brisbane river snakes its way through the city and separates it into the CBD and the slightly less chaotic and uber cultural ( Read more... )

The largest town in New South Wales’ outback, Broken Hill is way more progressive than one would think. The silver and zinc mining days are more or less over and the shells are all that remain. And what fabulous shells they are! Artists and film makers FLOCK to this town to use its old warehouses, open spaces and surrounding ghost towns. Even ( Read more... )

This place gets all of my votes for most worthwhile site we have visited so far in Australia. The town of Mintaro was founded in 1849 and has since become heritage listed. Even though we were visiting in the dead of the Summer I still could have been convinced that I was somewhere in the English countryside. Sometimes it is easy to forget that ( Read more... )