Travel begins - The end is coming close - about our time in Australia

As mentioned in the previous post, Nik and I spontaneously booked flights to Australia and Samoa. We had already decided that we wanted to see more than just New Zealand. Although New Zealand is the main part of our trip, you can't fly all the way there and not see anything else. That would have been a missed opportunity. So far, we hadn't booked anything, but now the time had come. On April 30th, we boarded a plane for the first time since our arrival. The first of many times in May!

The first flight took us to Brisbane, where we had planned for 5 days. Based on recommendations, we decided to spend two of those days on the Gold Coast and in Byron Bay. We arrived in Brisbane late in the evening and could still walk around in shorts and a t-shirt. A big advantage of Australia compared to New Zealand.

The next morning, we started our first day in this amazing city feeling fresh and rested. Without much knowledge of what to expect and only a few hints, we set off towards the city. We walked along the Brisbane River towards Southbank, a green area right by the water. Green area sounds boring, but it had everything. From the famous Brisbane sign by the water, to small parks and well-kept gardens with animals we had never seen before, to a beach and a pool in the middle of the city. The beach is not directly at the river, but a few meters back, at a small pool (you don't have to swim in the green, dirty river water).

From there, we took the free ferry that crosses the river. You can sit on it for as long as you want without paying. This way, you get a good impression of Brisbane from the water. After we finished our ferry ride, we strolled through the Botanic Gardens towards Queens Street, Brisbane's pedestrian zone. From there, we ended our day and went back to the hostel. We also used day two for further explorations of this wonderful city. Our route took us, among other things, to the tower of the Town Hall, the adjacent museum, St. John's Cathedral, and China Town.

For the third day, we rented a car. With it, we went up Mt Coot, which would have been hard to reach on foot. From there, you have an amazing view over Brisbane and the surrounding areas, as it is all very flat terrain. Next stop was the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. We had seen and heard a lot about it and wanted to see it for ourselves. It's like a zoo, but with completely different animals than in Germany. Since we both knew that we wouldn't see any Australian animals in the wild, we wanted to at least see some of them in a zoo. We could pet kangaroos, see snakes, crocodiles, parrots, turtles, platypuses, and many more animals. But the special ones were the koalas. Not only seeing them, but also being able to hold them in our arms. Heavy, chubby animals, but so cute and great for taking photos as a souvenir. Where else can you cuddle a koala?

After visiting the Koala Sanctuary, we drove towards the Gold Coast, where we spent one night. The next morning, we took a walk along Main Beach. It was the first beach we saw in Australia and it immediately showed us what amazing beaches Australia has. With a detour through the city, we continued to Byron Bay. Byron Bay is a small town right by the water and a surfer's paradise. The town is filled with backpackers and surfers who enjoy their time here. It has that Australian feeling that you imagine. Sun, beach, surfing, partying! Even though we only stayed here for one night, we enjoyed it and would have liked to stay longer. But that already marked the fifth day for us. In the evening, we flew to Sydney. But we still enjoyed some time in Byron Bay and walked to Cape Byron, the easternmost point of Australia.

Afterwards, we returned to Brisbane, where we returned the rental car and boarded the plane to Sydney.

Late in the evening, we arrived in Sydney and were glad to be in bed after a very uncomfortable flight. Three days were planned in Sydney, which we wanted to make the most of. So after breakfast at the hostel, we headed into the city. Luckily, it was Sunday. On Sundays, you can take most buses, trains, and ferries and only pay a maximum of $2.60 in total. So our day consisted of experiencing Sydney from the water. We took ferries in all directions throughout the day and enjoyed the magnificent views from the water. Absolutely worth it and you can truly spend the whole day doing it.

After finishing the sunset tour at the Opera House, we also admired the light show on the Opera House. But then we made our way back to the hostel. In the evening, we met three backpackers in the hostel who spontaneously offered to take us to the Blue Mountains the next day.

With vague ideas of what to expect, we agreed and set off very early the next morning towards the Blue Mountains. Even though we had originally planned to spend the three days only in Sydney, we were happy to get insights into the Australian nature that we would never have gotten otherwise. That was also the reason why we agreed to the tour. After an amazing viewpoint overlooking the Blue Mountains and the forested areas (the mountains shimmer blue in the air, hence the name), we went on two hikes.

The first one went through a canyon and right through nature. There weren't many views, but there were great insights into nature. Hike number two was the opposite. After we were all exhausted from the ups and downs of the first hike, the second one was about 10km round trip on a flat path. The nature wasn't really diverse either. But when you reached the end of the trail, the so-called Hanging Rock, you knew why the effort was worth it. An amazing view over a plain and rock formations in the Blue Mountains. Plus, there was the Hanging Rock. A rock that looked like it was just hanging in the air. There was nothing underneath the rock for hundreds of meters, and to get on the rock, you had to jump over a half-meter wide gap that dropped several tens of meters. It was a lot of fun, especially with the group we were with. A worthwhile trip.

But now our third and last day in Sydney had already arrived, and in the late evening, we boarded a flight to Samoa. But we still enjoyed the day in the city. At Darling Harbour, in the city at Hyde Park, in the old district of The Rocks, or on the Harbour Bridge. A great last day, and once again, we didn't want to leave. But now we knew that Australia is also amazing and worth a visit. A cool time.

I'll tell you about our time in Samoa in the next, and probably one of my last, posts. The time is flying by, just as I mentioned at the beginning. We're already looking forward to being home, but I also don't really want to leave here.

Until then,

Your Luca