Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!

Well, Australia is awesome. That’s for sure. I spent almost 4 weeks here and felt like I saw a lot. But looking at a map I see that I could spend 4 years here and still not see everything cool there is to see. Australia is huge! Like, huge. Go look at a map.

The highlight of my trip was Victoria area. I arrived in Melbourne via an 11 hour over night train ride from Sydney. I have been looking forward to this part of my trip the most because I get to meet up with my friend Brigid, whom I met in Fiji. We worked in the same office and we became really good friends. (She’s in my 50 things list on the top of this page). So we explored Melbourne (pronounced mel-bun for you American’s out there) for a few days (saw all the most important things like where the best bars and pubs are). What an amazing city! It had such a different feel to it then Sydney, way more cool and hip. Speaking of hip, the city was over run by hipsters in tight jeans and oversized spectacles drinking coffee and being all cool. I felt a little but like a homeless lady in my second-hand Fiji clothes. But, regardless, Melbourne is awesome.

Brigid and Jeremy my travel partners

Like I said, we saw all the bars and tried all the beers

Ned Kelly Cider

Walking down the streets was a bit of a problem for me actually. In Fiji I am used to just going with the flow, which is slow, not walking faster than everyone, because it’s rude and obnoxious, and taking my time to get somewhere. Not here. I was being pushed around and kept getting dirty looks from busy Melbournians. Guess I’m going to need to get my act together and lace up my walking shoes.

A few days later Brigid took me to a beautiful little island named Phillip Island. It was so gorgeous. There is a little march of the penguins starring the smallest penguins in the world! 33 cms! So stinkin’ cute. There was also a beautiful coastline called the nobbies that we spent a few hours at. And the island was full of wallabies (little kangaroos) and koalas and black swans and interesting birds.

About to go into the penguin parade with Brigid’s little niece and nephew

You couldn’t actually take photos of the penguins…..so this is a photo of a photo.

The nobbies on Phillip Island

Some famous surfer beach

I can’t talk about my time in Melbourne without talking about the beautiful family I stayed with. Brigid’s family took me under their wing and made me feel right at home. They showed me around, drove me around, fed me, and stayed up late into the night talking with me. I don’t think my time here would have been so special if not for them.

I flew out of Melbourne on a red-eye flight to Darwin at 2 in the morning. I was a little unprepared for this part of my trip, I hadn’t found a place to stay yet and had no plan for getting out of the airport and into the city to look for a hostel. I don’t know what I was thinking. But, luck was on my side because I made a friend on the plane.

This may get a little cheesy so prepare yourselves. On the flight to Darwin I sat beside the most beautiful boy ever. An Australian rugby player who is originally from Fiji. I heard him speaking Fijian and immediately struck up a converstaion with him. I took it as a good sign that by 3am we had both ordered coffees in order to stay awake and continue talking. We ended up talking almost the entire flight until I finally fell asleep on his shoulder. We arrived at 6am and proceeded to spent the entire day together! He showed me all around Darwin and we ate our meals together and walked around town and sat by the beach, watched a movie and he helped me find a hostel. Wouldn’t you know it? I came all the way to Australia and found a Fijian boy! Anyways, like all good things it had to come to an end when he dropped me off at my hostel that night. We decided not to exchange contact info. No point really. But boy, I sure did have a good day with him. Felt like it was right out of a movie.

So, Darwin! Darwin is a cool city! Small but beautiful. It is at the top of Australia so it is HOT HOT HOT! We are in the dead of winter and it was in the 90s. Supposedly during the summer time Darwin in unbearable people migrate somewhere else and the suicide rate goes up. Gah! It is surrounded by gorgeous parks, Kakadu and Lichfield, and the ocean is sky blue and gorgeous. Unfortunately you can’t swim in the ocean or the rivers because of those damned saltwater crocodiles! They are everywhere and there are attacks monthly. You couldn’t pay me good money to get anywhere near the water there. I only spent two nights here.

Overall thoughts on Australia:

– It’s gorgeous, duh! You kind of get the feel for how ancient this place is when you see some of the rock formations.

-The wildlife is super cool. A lot of the animals that live here only live here.

-I should have taken more photos.

-Melbourne is cooler than Sydney.

-If I were an animal I would be a kangaroo.

Watch out for Kangarooos!!

-Vegemite is disgusting.

-It’s a lot like America, only smaller and the language is all weird. (See Australia-isms post)

-Rugby boys are cuter here. Swoon.

-Crocodiles are scary as fuck.

-The aborigines artwork is gorgeous and interesting and I am going to buy a piece one day when I have money.

-I dig the didgeridoo.

-Flat whites are where it’s at.

-Brigid’s family is awesome.

-It’s so very expensive.

On to my next adventure! South East Asia here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!