Australia; home to kangaroos and Neighbours, koalas and crocodiles, was the second stop on our adventure. We travelled from Melbourne to Byron Bay via Port Douglas stopping in many places along the way including Sydney, Cairns, Brisbane and Townsville.
The second stop on our travel itinerary was a country we’d both been longing to visit for years – Australia. We were expecting a land of sunshine, beaches, chilled-out people and wonders as incredible as the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru. So, did it turn out to be everything we thought it would be? Here's our experience of backpacking in Australia
One of the most anticipated stops on our three-week road trip along the East Coast of Australia was Airlie Beach, where we had our sights set on sailing around the famous Whitsunday islands. So, almost as soon as we arrived in Airlie we went on a search for Whitsunday sailing adventures, wandering around the harbour and checking out the beach and swimming lagoon while we were at it.
“What, is that,” said Andrew, pointing to the bed where we’d just settled down to catch-up on some episodes of The Walking Dead. I peered closer, my breath catching in my throat as I recognised the small, flat insect scuttling across the sheet.“A bedbug,” I replied in horror, my mind spiralling backwards in time to my last horrifying encounter with these disgusting beasts.
One of the most incredible things about Australia is without a doubt its animals. From iconic kangaroos to cute koalas, spiky echidnas and colourful birds, meeting these Aussie beasts was one of the highlights of our time down-under - here are some of our best pictures of Australian animals.
Our next stop in Australia was Sydney and after our disappointing journey on the Ocean Road we had high hopes for this iconic metropolis – here’s what we got up to during our week in Sydney.After over a month of staying mostly in hostels and moving on every couple of days we were extremely grateful to be staying with Andrew’s family in Penrith, one of the suburbs surrounding Sydney. It was a real relief to finally put our backpacks down and relax; staying with Janet and Graham really felt like a slice of home with lovely meals, a comfy bed and all the inside info we’d need about how to enjoy our time in Sydney.