Final Weeks in Australia Recap

It has been a little over a year since I got back from Australia, so I thought I’d take a trip back in time to recap my final 2 weeks in Australia. These were probably the best weeks of my trip, not only because I was finished with school and only had free time, but this is the time when my boyfriend Max came to see me, and then traveled back home with me.

Whitsunday

Whitsunday was north of the Gold Coast, where the southern end of The Great Barrier Reef is located. The main reason we picked the Whitsundays was primarily to snorkel The Great Barrier Reef, but we also wanted to travel somewhere more tropical and remote. The resort we stayed at was gorgeous. We had our own private condo with a master bedroom and bathroom, kitchen, living room area, and balcony with a stunning view of the bay. We were there for about a week, so we wanted to feel the most comfortable during our stay, so this option of housing was best for us. The resort had a pool, hot tub, golf cart shuttle, and a yummy inclusive breakfast. The staff was incredibly nice and it was cool to meet people that were coming from different country doing a work study.

Outside of relaxing at our resort, we took part in various activities. Our favorite being our day excursion out on the water. With a 7am start time, we hopped on a day cruiser on the mainland and departed to the different Whitsunday islands to pick other passengers up. Although it was a beautiful sunny day, the outer barrier reef waters were safe to snorkel, so we went to a few different spots on the inner reefs, where the water was more gentle. During the cruise to our first snorkeling spot, we saw dolphins and insane views of all of the islands. The first snorkel spot was the coolest. We saw lots of unique fish and coral. It was unfortunate to see a lot of the coral dying and bleached, but the lively coral and marine life that was there brought the experience to life. We were required to wear wetsuits the entire time, because it was the season of a mini, almost invisible jellyfish that migrate from Asia. They can be deadly and dangerous, especially since it is hard to see them, so everyone was required to wear a wetsuit. We also ventured to a very small private island with a long and skinny sand bar and overlook out into the other islands. We spent about an hour or so here, so Max and I took a small raft over to explore the island. The activities off the boat were accompanied by refreshments, food, a tanning deck, and bathrooms on the boat, so we felt very comfortable being out on the water all day. The people with us were all fun and nice, and it was a 10/10 experience.

Max and I also took an adventure above the waters in a private plane ride over The Great Barrier Reef. This was by far one of the coolest things I have experienced. The ride felt like it went by so fast, but we were able to make the most out of it all. We flew over the outer parts of The Great Barrier Reef, which was the part we were supposed to snorkel but did not. We saw the heart (literally) of the GBR, along with many extraordinary islands and views. This will always be an experience Max and I will treasure. I was happy to have been able to take Max on this excursion, since he loves flying and adventures like this.

We had many other fun pool and beach days, shopping trips, and dinners. Whitsundays will always be remember for the amazing weather, views, and the place I taught Max how to make guacamole with fresh avocados!

Sydney

Oh Sydney! This was our next stop on our 2 week adventure and it was another great one. I have already been to Sydney earlier in the school year, so it was very helpful to have prior knowledge of getting our way around the big city. Sydney’s transportation system was an interesting thing I did not know would catch Max or I’s eyes. Once you get down the system, it is very easy and cheap to use. You have the trams, trains, and buses. It made using public transportation enjoyable and fun.

Like Whitsundays, we did a variety of activities and excursions during our time there. One of the highlights that I did not do before was take a ferry over to Manly Beach, which was a popular spot to explore and about an hour boat ride. We did not have much of a plan going over there, but we were ready to explore. I remember Max saying he wanted to find the highest elevation, because we could soak in the views of the city behind us. We took a bus up to the park which was about 20 minutes, and got dropped off. The problem was the trails were closed, the bus already left, and the next one wasn’t coming for an hour. So we sat for a while until someone came off the trails and pointed us in a direction we could take. We hiked for quite a while until we reached different spots where we could see incredible views. We even encountered an echidna, which is a small animal that could be mistaken for a porcupine. Luckily, two Australians were near us when we saw it and told us all about them – how cool! After our long hike, we ventured into town were we went shopping for souvenirs, had really good frozen yogurt, and people watched until it was time to head back to the ferry.

Another surprise we enjoyed in Sydney was China town. Although we may have walked through a bad part of town the get there, we were all smiles when we arrived. We were told of a hidden gem called Spice Alley Street Food Market, which was a somewhat hidden alley full of beautiful decorations from Asia and a line of authentic Asian food restaurants. Max and I had about 60 dumplings total between the two times we went because it was too good not to keep getting up for more! We also has fried rice and thai noodles with teriyaki steak, which I enjoyed very much. Although we were already getting the experience of being in a new culture in Australia, it was even cooler to experience a second culture.

Sydney is definitely a place we want to go back to someday, because there is just so much more to explore. Max was even “joking” that we’d live there someday… we will see about that!

The Rest of the Trip

I am missing so much from our trip, but at the end it was time to head back to the Goldcoast where my campus was. The rest of our trip was spent relaxing and packing up my things at my campus. We chilled by the pool, went to the mall, and said goodbye to some of my friends. I am so thankful that Max made the trip out to come visit me. It was something I will next forget and we both learned a lot during our time abroad together. It was also amazing to have someone by my side on the LONG trip home, even if I gave him my isle seat.

If you ever have the opportunity to travel with your significant other, do it. You will experience so many great things, learn a lot and bond with each other, and introduce each other to new and exciting things. It was definitely an unforgettable experience!

Keep doing what makes YOU happy!

Jessica