So, we fancied going to see Australia and it had to be during our (UK) school holidays, so the Australian Winter. We had agreed an extended holiday from work. What to do though, Perth, Ayers Rock, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Adelaide, Hobart. We also decided that we wanted to break the journey with a stop both ways.
Setting off from Manchester, we flew to Singapore via Dubai, with a 36 hour layover in Singapore. From there, we jetted off to Perth which was only a 7-hour flight from Singapore.
We stayed in the central business district. Perth was quite a small city and easy to get around. I like sport stadiums, so took myself off to see the Perth Cricket Ground (The Waca). We did a lot of shopping and indulged in some fabulous food from origins all around the world. We even took a day trip on the train to Freemantle, visited the prison – and of course, some more shopping!
After Perth we flew to Ayers Rock for a 1-night stay. Shortly after arriving at our hotel, we took a breathtaking helicopter ride over Ayers rock and the surrounding area. There was something special about watching the sunset over Ayers Rock. We felt we had understood a little about Aboriginal Life.
The following day we flew to Cairns, destination for the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns, like Perth was quite small. We did two bucket list things whilst in Cairns. The platform on the Great Barrier Reef was stunning. We snorkelled, fed the fish and went out on a glass bottomed submarine to really appreciate the sea life and the Reef. The other thing we did was take a hot air balloon ride first thing in the morning. We had done a hot air balloon ride previously, but never one with Kangaroos and Wallaby’s jumping and running beneath us – truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
After exploring Cairns, our journey took us to Melbourne, where I was immediately captivated by the blend of historic colonial architecture and sleek modern high-rises. I could genuinely move to Melbourne.
Alongside the traditional sightseeing, shopping, and culinary delights (including a memorable visit to the MCG), we indulged in an evening aboard a vintage tram, enjoying a delightful meal and drinks, while traveling around the streets of Melbourne.
The other significant thing we did was a trip to Phillip Island. On our way to Phillip Island, we stopped at an animal sanctuary where we engaged with Koala’s, Kangaroos, and so many other native animals to Australia. We continued our journey to Phillips Island where we watched the Penguins launch themselves from the sea to the beach. A truly magnificent site and a lifetime memory.
Our final stop in Australia was to Sydney. What a fantastic City! Yet another one I could move to.
We stayed in a superb, serviced apartment. We did everything a tourist could or should do in Sydney. We saw an opera at the Opera House, we climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge (A must for any able-bodied person), we went up the Sydney Tower Eye, and visited Darling Harbour. We went to Bondi Beach (though apparently Manley beach is better.) Like the other places visited, we ate, shopped and took in all the sights of Sydney.
After Sydney we made our way home via Bangkok for a stopover.
The whole trip was supposedly a once in a lifetime, but if anything, it just made us want to come back and see the stuff we hadn’t seen (and maybe Melbourne and Sydney again).
