Our Aussie Adventure - Chasing (well… watching) Waves, Wine, and Wildlife
After spending six weeks in Southeast Asia, we were excited for a change of pace as we made our way to Australia! The sensory overload in SE Asia is unlike any other, and while we loved it, we were ready to slow down a bit. Australia is massive, so we chose to focus on the East Coast, and we split our time between Melbourne, Airlie Beach (Whitsundays), and Brisbane.
Melbourne
Our first stop was Melbourne, where we spent six days exploring the city. We stayed at our first Marriott, which felt like a home away from home from our travel for work days and we enjoyed every second! Melbourne is definitely one of the most livable cities we have visited. It was as if Chicago and London had a baby… relaxed, inviting, and friendly with Victorian architecture and modern city vibes. Melbourne was made up of many different neighborhoods, each with unique character similar to the patchwork of neighborhoods in Chicago and London.
We were impressed with how easy things were in Melbourne. It was easy to navigate, especially with the free public tram in the Central Business District, which allowed us to see the cultural sites, including Queen Victoria Market, Victoria Museum, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Flinders Station, and our favorite, the State Library Victoria. Seriously… this library was next level.
There were art exhibits, many work spaces with different atmospheres, a cafe, and a beautiful Dome in the grand reading room. We found that the library is also a meeting place for friends, business people, tourists, and pretty much anyone. There was always a crowd of people hanging outside on the steps playing life sized chess or relaxing on the lawn. This library exemplified the impact and influence that a central meeting place can have on a city. We absolutely loved it.
While we could go on forever about the library, there is also much more to love about Melbourne. We rented a car for a couple days so that we could explore the surrounding Yarra Valley wine country and the Great Ocean Road. Yarra Valley is known for producing cool-climate wines, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz. We visited a few different vineyards, including Soumah, Dominique Portet, Helen & Joey, and TarraWarra. They were all so beautiful and had excellent wines, which made for a really fun day. One our favorites was Soumah, where we shared a glass of their Viognier while enjoying picture-perfect views over the vineyard. The only bummer of the day was that we had to drive back to the city!
On the second day of our rental car, we went for a drive in the Great Ocean Road. It also happened to be Super Bowl Sunday (well… Monday for us), and we found a sports bar along the route to catch the game. It was PACKED! On a Monday! We learned that a lot of people take the day off of work to watch the game, which we thought was awesome. The bar was decked out in Super Bowl decor and everyone had NFL jerseys on. It was a big deal. We watched at the bar through half time (the most important part for Britt), and then continued our journey to southern coast where we picked up the Great Ocean Road. The drive reminded us of the Pacific Coast Highway in California with a couple of differences. The water in the Tasman Sea was a brighter blue and the drive was right along the water, whereas on the PCH the drive is more along the cliffs with rougher, deep blue water. Overall, we fell in love with Melbourne and both said that we could see ourselves living there if the opportunity ever presented itself.
Airlie Beach
After our week on the Southeast coast, we made our way to the North coast, where spent five nights in Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays. Airlie is one of the two main areas that people visit to see the Great Barrier Reef, along with Cairns. We chose Airlie because it was less touristy and more relaxed. We learned, however, that the Whitsundays are primarily known for the fringe reef rather than the outer reef that people generally think of when they picture the Great Barrier Reef. The outer reef is primarily in Cairns. Thankfully, both areas have similar wildlife and coral, so we didn’t feel like we missed out too much… although we didn’t find Nemo. 😞
Our main excursion in Airlie was a day tour to explore the Whitsunday islands and snorkel the reef. The Whitsundays are a group of 74 islands located off the coast of Queensland, which are popular for sailing, snorkeling, and diving. We felt some of the softest and whitest sand at Whitehaven Beach and saw some of the bluest waters throughout our day. In addition to the incredible scenery, we also loved the tour itself. Our guides, Dex and Daniel, were a blast… they truly exuded Australian surfer vibes and they had us laughing the entire day with their jokes and shenanigans. We were on a (VERY fast) speedboat, and our guides took every opportunity to rip donuts around other boats that their friends were captaining. The ride was not for the faint of heart, especially on the “Adventure Seats”, which were just a handle on top of the inner tube on the side of the boat. Finally, Britt’s highlight of the entire day… the Lamington, a classic Australian dessert that Dex passed around at the end of the tour. Lamingtons are deliciously light, spongy cakes coated in chocolate and rolled in coconut, and naturally, Britt fell in love immediately. Her dessert obsession continues…
Another highlight of our time in Airlie Beach was our Airbnb. It was our first time staying in a shared Airbnb, which consisted of four private bedrooms with a shared kitchen, living space, and bathrooms. The house was an eight-minute walk from the beach and a beautiful lagoon that the city built so people could swim year-round without the threat of jellyfish. We ended up having the house to ourselves for three of the four nights, and we cooked dinner each night followed by boxed wine and a Harry Potter marathon. It was nice reminder of what it was like to have a home!
Brisbane
We ended our Australia chapter with five nights in Brisbane, which we chose over Sydney for its proximity to both the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast. Brisbane is sprawling and has a lot to offer, including the many free museums which were conveniently located to our hotel in South Bank. We visited almost all of the free museums, and we thought they were all very well curated. We really enjoyed the main museum, which featured science, culture, and natural history exhibits. One of our favorite exhibits was called, Connections Across the Coral Sea, where we learned all about the history of the reef systems and conservation efforts to keep them alive. We also enjoyed walking through the Australian animals exhibit, which was… let’s say… a taxidermist’s dream. The exhibit showcased hundreds of (once alive) animals and insects found in Australia. Needless to say, we avoided the spider section!
Outside of the museums, we particularly enjoyed exploring the neighborhood of Paddington, with its charming boutiques, record shop, cafes, and antique stores. Like Melbourne, we also rented a car in Brisbane so that we could explore a bit more of the coast. Our first stop was the Sunshine Coast, where we checked out Noosa Heads, a chic and bougie beach town with swanky shops and restaurants lining a 2km strip along the beach. The highlight here was Noosa National Park, which is known for its stunning coastal views and hidden tide pools. Following a blogger's directions, we hiked for about 45 minutes in search of the “Fairy Pools”, which are tide pools hidden among rocks on the side of a cliff. After finding the unmarked turn along the path, we trekked down a very steep, rocky hill, and we were rewarded with a beautiful secluded spot to swim, relax, and watch the nearby surfers hoping to catch their next wave. We loved this hidden gem!
On the second day of our little road trip, we made our way South to the Gold Coast, where we explored the towns of Surfers Paradise, Miami, and Burleigh. The beaches were beautiful, and we spent hours watching surfers catch waves until the sun went down. Gold Coast really was… dare we say it… a surfer’s paradise. 🤦🏽♂️ The beaches went as far as the eye could see, and the waves were consistent throughout the day. In addition to the conducive surfing environment, the atmosphere matched a surfy, beach town. After the sunset, we checked out Miami Marketta, a vibrant outdoor market featuring live music, local artisans, and delicious food stalls. We had a little date night here where we listened to a very folky duo before heading back to our hotel.
Overall, our time in Australia was a wonderful combination of learning about Australian history and culture, exploring stunning natural scenery, and enjoying the vibrant energy of each city and its neighborhoods. We are already hoping to make it back to explore nearby Tasmania and the West Coast!
