One Week in Australia

Australia has so much to offer, from its outback wildlife to beautiful coastal views. I went during the summer in the U.S., so it was wintertime there. That, plus the fact that one of my good friends lives in Melbourne was why we chose to explore some cities instead of visiting the Gold Coast and more rural areas. Below, I have outlined our one-week trip through both Melbourne and Sydney:

Day 1: Actually...

I was stuck in Malaysia for day one. I lost my passport and was trapped in the Kuala Lumpur airport for 24 hours! My friends went on to Melbourne, but they chose to wait for me to do some of the fun things we had planned. You can read all about that wild adventure here.

Days 2 and 3: Melbourne

I have to give my friend Veronica a shoutout here because she let us stay in her apartment and showed us around the city like a pro! We went to rooftop bars, vintage stores, cafes, and cool shops. We also checked out some of the local street art and ate some amazing food (avocado toast!!!!).

We also went to this really cool museum called ArtVo. This museum is full of rooms that have been painted by artists so that you can take 3D-like photos. I've posted some of my favorite pictures below, but this is really worth a stop if you have time! It costs $28 AUD ($19.44 USD) to enter, but they offer discounted tickets for students! Since we couldn't do a lot of outdoor things, it was a perfect way to spend a few hours and do something a little different.

One of the best things we did in Melbourne was attend a footy match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. If you haven't heard of footy, like I hadn't, its actual name is Australian rules football, and it's unlike anything I've ever seen! There are two teams of 18 players on a field. The goal is to get the ball through the goalposts on either end. The best explanation of the game I have been able to find is here. If you're not a sports fan, it's still a great time! Be sure to try a meat pie, as well!

Days 4, 5, 6, and 7: Sydney

Next, we took a short flight to Sydney, where we stayed in an Airbnb in Annandale. While it wasn't in the middle of the city, it was a quick Uber/Lyft ride or bus ride away. The first day we went to the Rocks District. This was such a cute part of town with historic buildings, markets, and yummy food. It's also right near the harbour, so we were able to take a quick walk to the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. A lot of people say that climbing the bridge is fun and provides great views. However, we chose to save our money (it costs about $174 AUD, or $120 USD) and just walk over the bridge to Luna Park instead. Luna Park was closed, but it was so exciting to see the iconic entrance and stroll through the empty grounds and take pictures of the Opera House from the bridge.

The next day, we woke up super early and took a train to Wollongong to go skydiving! Luckily, our Airbnb hosts were avid skydivers and gave us some tips and advice, as well as directions to get there. You can read about my skydiving experience here.

After skydiving, we traveled to Coogee Beach. We were planning to do the Bondi to Coogee beach walk, but we ended up grabbing some dinner and shopping at the mall there instead. It was a great way to wind down and see some beach views after the excitement of skydiving.

The next morning, we woke up early and took a two-hour train ride to see the Blue Mountains. We didn't have enough time to actually hike, so we did a few small trails and lookout points. The mountains were beautiful! However, if I did it again I would plan it so I could a full day of hiking and exploring (preferably in the spring or summer!).

We knew we wanted to see some wildlife while we were in Australia, so we researched and found the Featherdale Wildlife Park. It cost about $32 AUD, or $22USD, and they offer student discounts. We got to interact with kangaroos and koalas, and they had some great exhibits. For a few dollars, you can buy food and feed some of the animals, who are allowed to roam around the park freely.

Here are the top three biggest pieces of advice I would give if you are visiting Australia:

1. Take public transportation. There are so many apps and websites that will help you navigate the trains and busses, and they are so much cheaper and quicker than renting a car or taking Uber/Lyft. You can reload the cards as you need, but plan ahead so you're not trying to reload your card when you need to get on a train.

2. Try all the coffee! I don't know what they put in their coffee over there, but they have mastered the art. The coffee in Australia was the best I've ever had, and I could not get enough of it.

3. Flights within Australia are pretty cheap - go everywhere you can. It's so easy to take short trips anywhere on the coast, so make the most of your time and plan ahead!