24/01/2018: Yesterday, I landed in Brisbane, Australia, after a really great flight with Thai Airways (highly recommended!). I always travel incognito with glasses and a hat. 😄
I took the Airtrain and arrived in the city within thirty minutes. It was just a five-minute walk to my hostel on Upper Roma Street. The hostel is modern, clean, and full of people. But Australia is much more expensive than Thailand, so I had to swallow hard when I saw the prices for the dorm rooms, even though I knew what to expect. I chose the cheapest option (still more expensive than my single room in Thailand 😩) and moved into a 20-bed room. Now you're probably thinking, 'Is she crazy?!' 😄 But it's not that bad. I had a good night's sleep the first night and have only met nice people so far. And besides, I won't be spending too much time here anyway.
After arriving, unpacking, and showering, I went to a real supermarket for the first time in 4 weeks and bought groceries for myself. The hostel has a kitchen where backpackers can cook their own meals. It's really great! I made wraps with avocado and salad, had dinner with other backpackers, and collected a lot of tips for my onward journey. After feeling sad about leaving Thailand, I'm now really excited about my time in Australia! Would you like a first look from the rooftop of my hostel? 😊
25/01/2018: Thanks to complimentary breakfast (hostel, yay!), I started the day well nourished. This morning, I went straight to the 'Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary', the world's first and largest koala 'zoo'. Oh, it was soooo amazing! I was with three Irish girls that I met in the hostel, and we had a really great time despite the heat (between 34-35 degrees Celsius). Take a look: