Cheers, I made it back to The Land Down Under, but this time I was so happy to have my husband share the adventure with me. In 2005, I studied at the University of Wollongong and ever since, it's been a country I have to get back to visit. I have dear friends there and it's a country/continent that has kangaroos & koalas roaming around so how could I not go back whenever I had the chance!
With the seemingly endless flights to get across the world, we decided our first stop was the Whitsunday Islands to re-energize and battle the jet lag on the tropical beaches. We stayed at HamiltonIsland, which was an ideal spot for relaxing, excursions and cuddling a koala! You will surely come across plenty of kangaroos during your stay. I was even fortunate enough to see one with a "Joey" in her pouch (photo below). During our stay on the Island, we took a day-cruise to Whithaven Beach to soak in the clear, blue waters and set foot on the white, sandy beaches. There is a spot to walk up for great, scenic shots so with my wine glass in tow, we headed up there before spending the afternoon chillin' under the powerful Aussie sun.
After a few days of rejuvenation, we made our way to Hunter Valley (aka Wine Country). We stayed at Hunter Valley Resort, a lovely family owned resort surrounded by peaceful vineyards. Tip: Wake up early around sunrise to catch all of the kangaroos along the vines. You'll also find them hopping about at sunset, but not nearly as many. During our stay in Hunter Valley, my best friend from Sydney came out to join us and partake in the fun-spirited,Two Fat Blokes Wine Tour. The majority of my photographs are silly ones as I was so caught up in the enjoyment of it all that I often forgot to take out my camera (which isn't always a bad thing!).
Onwards from Wine Country to City Life as we drove to Sydney for a few days. I had remembered loving the feel of dining along Darling Harbour so that is why we chose to stay in this area. Throughout the next days, we made our way to Circular Quay for me to take the obligatory Sydney Opera House pic and then we spent most of our time seeing my Aussie friends and making the most of my time with them for nights out and days at Bondi Beach.
Moving on to Melbourne for our last destination on our Aussie Trip. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the crazy amount of change since I was last in Melbourne over ten years ago. The architectural designs throughout the city are super cool and innovative. It's a must see city when making your way over to Oz. Being situated close to the coast, it's ideal for taking a drive along the coastline on the Great Ocean Road and visiting the scenic beauty of the 12 Apostles (pics below).
Our final stop ended with a Final. One of the main reasons we decided to take this journey to the opposite side of the world was for my husband to check off a top bucket list item: Australia Tennis Open. We not only ticked it off at the Quarter Final matches, but did so twice after a champagne tipsy purchase to witness Roger Federer winning his 20th Grand Slam Final.
Please enjoy these tastes of Australia and stay tuned for my next post: Fiji Feels from the Wine Glass!