As mentioned in my 2019 round-up, in December I visited Australia and a bit of New Zealand with my mum. This was the first Christmas I spent away from my dad and brother, as they weren't interested in visiting Australia, however I had wanted to visit for a couple of years now and as it was my last year of uni, it was unlikely I'd be able to get three consecutive weeks off again in the near future, so my mum volunteered to come with me. We decided to visit as much of the country as possible whilst still having enough time to properly explore each place, and we were keen to explore everything from the outback, to rainforests, to cities. Unfortunately, there were very severe wildfires and airline strikes when we visited, however we were very lucky throughout and weren't too affected by either.
We started in Sydney, which quickly became one of my favourite cities, and one of the few places that I'd love to live in. As it was December, the weather was perfect and we visited all of the landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Bondi beach. I absolutely loved the beach and seeing all the surfers inspired me to add surfing back to my bucket list (with the aim of being able to actually stand up this time round). We went on a boat tour, which was enjoyable but I much preferred walking around the harbour, the financial district and the wharfs. The city is stunning, with a nice sprinkling of nutcrackers throughout and many rooftop bars to enjoy, and the Museum of Contemporary Art was a welcome (and air-conditioned) break from the heat outdoors. It was here that we first tried Tim Tams (which ended up being a staple throughout the trip) and Vegemite (which didn't), and was the first time we heard the didgeridoo played. I can't recommend Sydney enough, it has something for everyone and is definitely worth the 24 hour journey to get there.
From Sydney we boarded a flight bound for Uluru - i.e. the outback. Although I was keen to visit the desert (as I assumed I'd see many kangaroos), it was probably the part of the trip I was least excited about, simply because I assumed we'd get bored. Surprisingly, it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of the country for me! On arrival, the airport greeted us with 'Be Prepared for Dingoes and Wild Dogs' signs, which wasn't too comforting, and as we checked-in to our accommodation, we realised that at over 40°C, we wouldn't be able to go on long walks (not that there was a lot to see in the desert), and the flies made reading a book by the pool very difficult. Nonetheless, the activities on offer were very unique and intrigued me greatly. On our first evening, we visited Bruce Munro's famous 'Field of Light', combined with the Sounds of Silence dinner, which was a surreal experience. At around 7pm we arrived at a specific destination and were greeted with a didgeridoo performance and a stunning view of Uluru (a massive, red monolith which is sacred to indigenous Australians). We drank champagne and ate canapés as the sun set, and were then treated to a three-course bush tucker outdoor dinner, where we met many lovely people, included several Brits. As the sky darkened, the stars were clearer than ever, and a local star tracker taught us about the southern night sky, as well as about the visible planets and signs of the zodiac. We were then able to wander through the Field of Lights, which was much more impressive than I'd anticipated and the whole evening felt magical. The only other time I felt the similar sentiment was whilst seeing the Northern Lights dancing (again, with my mum) on a boat in the middle of the sea in Iceland in 2018.
I feel strongly about indigenous rights, and one thing I loved about Uluru was the variety of opportunities offered to indigenous people and their willingness to educate us about their culture. I believe that the café in which we had breakfast was Anangu-owned, and during the daytime there were many presentations by the locals to learn about how their specific people (obviously there are many distinct groups of indigenous Australians) hunt and other aspects of their cultures. I loved being able to learn about their way of life, and always find that hearing it from a local often provides a new aspect that you wouldn't typically learn about in a textbook. We attended many of these talks and watched many a sunrise and sunset, but by our last day we couldn't think of how else to best explore the area. On the way to breakfast I saw a leaflet advertising skydiving, and although I had already had booked to skydive from Mount Maunganui in New Zealand, I had read that the weather often led to cancelled appointments, and since we had nothing better to do, I rang up Skydive Uluru. I found out that within a couple of hours I would be jumping out of a plane, and although I had been itching to skydive for a solid year, I was shitting it. Although I'd initially only wanted to skydive from Mount Maunganui, Hawaii, or Dubai since I thought the views were stunning, I loved skydiving in Uluru. Similarly to the Field of Lights experience, it was such a unique feeling as we flew up and the calm followed by such adrenaline was other-worldly - to read about my full experience, click here.
We then hopped on a flight to Cairns, which offered a more humid climate. The first thing I noticed was the abundance of wallabies (essentially small kangaroos) and as we drove towards Port Douglas, I got more and more of a holiday-town feel. This was a very relaxing and nature-filled part of the trip and we spent both Christmas and my birthday here. Although I'd already scuba-dived a couple of times, scuba-diving in the Great Barrier Reef was on my bucket-list since I knew that it wasn't going to be alive for much longer, and whilst I loved seeing the turtles swimming (which reminded me of Finding Nemo) and the emphasis on being eco-friendly, the reef itself wasn't very colourful and the experience was extremely touristic compared to other places where I've scuba dived. We managed to see a wild cassowary in the Daintree Rainforest and a couple of very well-camouflaged spiders, but didn't catch a glimpse of any snakes or crocodiles unfortunately. We also visited the white sands of Cape Tribulation, which was so peaceful and quiet compared to the rainforest and was equally as enjoyable. On Christmas Eve I got an offer for the job I'm currently in, and we treated ourselves to a lovely dinner to celebrate. We were informed that typically Aussies eat barbecued shrimp for Christmas, and we saw this tradition in action as we walked along the beach on Christmas Day. We left Queensland on my birthday (Boxing Day), however a sudden storm disrupted all of the flights. After waiting for the storm to pass, we set off for Adelaide.
I honestly had no idea of what to expect from Adelaide; despite it being a well-known city, I had no preconceptions about its vibe or beauty. Nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised. It was reminiscent of Kirribilli in Sydney or Bristol in the UK, with its artsy vibe and independent bookshops and cafés. We took a tour of the city and then spent a couple of days on the nearby Kangaroo Island. This was an essential for me as I love animals and was desperate to see the Aussie wildlife, and Kangaroo Island definitely didn't disappoint.
First, we visited Seal Bay which was absolutely stunning and after learning about the Birds of Prey at Raptor Domain, we visited the Wildlife Park, where we managed to feed the wallabies and stroke the koalas, and saw everything from albino wallabies to wombats to crocodiles. It was honestly an animal lover's dream and I left very content.
The next morning we visited the Remarkable Rocks which were, you guessed it, remarkable, and then watched the seals at Admirals Arch. We visited a bee farm (where we bought honey, which got confiscated at the Kiwi border) then returned to the mainland, where we witnessed the most spectacular sunset. I really enjoyed visiting Kangaroo Island and would recommend it as it offers not only a plethora of unique species, but also stunning views and landscapes.
Our next destination was Melbourne, which I was very excited for as I thought I'd love it. Melbourne is a beautiful city and we spent New Year's Eve and New Year's Day here. One thing I loved about the city was that public transport is free within the centre, so it was quite easy to get around and on NYE we managed to get a great view of the fireworks from just outside our hotel. On New Year's Day, we went on an excursion to Phillip Island, which had a similar vibe to Kangaroo Island and it is perhaps unnecessary to visit one so soon after the other. Nonetheless, at Moonlit Sanctuary we saw a baby possum for the first time, alongside dingoes and emus, and in the evening we witnessed the Penguin Parade, which was adorable. It was here that I also bought my closest uni mates some anklets, that we all still wear to this day. We also passed the famous Brighton Beach, which I was a big fan of. Despite finding the city beautiful, I remember being slightly underwhelmed by Melbourne itself, and definitely preferred Sydney, however it's likely that our timing was just a bit off. (I also had an argument with my mum which is likely to have tainted my view of the city).
After a couple of weeks in Australia, we headed over to New Zealand. One of my favourite parts of travelling is being able to try local dishes, however New Zealand is the one country where I don't remember trying anything specific to New Zealand (other than the lamb, of course); on the other hand, I did try Korean food for the first time (which wasn't to my taste).We mainly stayed in Auckland, as the main reason we'd decidedly to visit New Zealand was so I could skydive from Mount Maunganui. Nonetheless, given that we only had a few days in the country, the additional day (from skydiving in Uluru instead) was much appreciated and meant that we wouldn't have to waste a day just travelling to the skydive site.
On our first day, we walked around the city (I especially liked Albert Park), making sure to watch the Haka at Auckland War Memorial Museum over lunch. Soon after, we decided to visit the nearby Rangitoto Island, however it was raining and so it wasn't as enjoyable as anticipated, but one thing that I thought was great was that you had to clean your shoes before visiting the island in order to avoid cross-contamination. On one of the days, by midday the sky was a faded yellow and everything was dim, similar to a sunset and reminiscent of the calm before a storm, which was quite creepy and ended up being due to the Australian wildfires, which were devastating that year. Luckily this only lasted one day. My favourite experience in New Zealand was without a doubt our trip to Hobbiton. On the drive to Hobbiton, our guide was a native Kiwi who taught us loads about the country and the culture, and Hobbiton itself was so unique and adorable and many of the guides were young backpackers, giving the area a fun vibe. We tried the local beer and enjoyed a delicious lunch with other tourists (including, of course, more Brits), marking the end of our trip down under.
Although the Aussies and Kiwis are famous for being very chilled and laid-back, I love how progressive they are compared to other countries, in terms of equal rights, sustainability and even just the fact that in Australia it is compulsory to vote. I learnt a lot about various cultures, as well as about James Cook and each country's history. There are still many places I'd love to visit in Australia, including Tasmania, Brisbane, and Perth, and the South Island of New Zealand (as well as some of the Pacific Islands) is still on my bucket list (perhaps to bungee-jump).
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