12/01/2019 – 30/01/2019
After our Christmas with a difference in Taiwan, it was time for us to move further East leaving the colourful Asian continent behind to say a brief 3 week hello to the land down under before we headed to South America. Now….It’s time for me to confess a little. Australia was never a place that had me strolling through google images, wishing and hoping that some day I could set foot on it’s golden shores or dreaming about leaving my life behind in little old Ireland to settle in a far off exotic land like so many of my peers have done. In fact, I always seemed to feel a bigger eversion to the place the more I heard of people leaving to go. I always wondered why people would want to leave their families and friends so far behind to go join the other masses of Irish who, going by social media seemingly spent their weekends drinking beer in an Irish pub or sitting by the beach with of course, a beer in hand (Well, this I could probably get used to!). Where was the culture? Where was the new experiences? Where were all these things that ‘travel’ was supposed to bring? I certainly over the years grew to have a case of ‘JOMO’ (That’s the 'Joy Of Missing Out' for those not up to scratch with the lingo of todays cool kids) when it came to life in Australia for the expats but I will finally admit to my ignorance and once again confess that after our visit, I grew to have a case of FOMO (Yes, the 'Fear of Missing Out!) when it came to life in Australia. Irish people yonder....I am Jealous!
Australia is beautiful. I never knew the sky could be so blue, that waters could be so clear and that sand could be so golden. Outdoor living is at its best here, a commodity I could certainly get used to. The culture and history that I never knew existed...well how wrong I was. This continent oozes it's own unique ancient civilizations and is certainly proud of its heritage. And...don't get me started on those little furry Quokka's....talk about CUTE! AND....thank you Australia for your instant online visa's for the Irish as without you, I probably wouldn't be writing this post as, let's just say our journey to get to the land down under from Kuala Lumpur was nothing short of a disaster. But hey, we made it and that's all that matters!
As our time in Australia was short we made the decision to visit arguably three of the most famous cities on the continent (Perth, Melbourne and Sydney) and also for the fact Paul had family residing in these parts so a nice excuse to keep the contact and pay them a rare visit.
PERTH
Arriving in the Western State of Australia, Perth was first on our hit list. We were greeted at the airport by Paul's Aunt and Uncle, Mary and Chris, with whom we would spend the next week living with, eating all their food, getting sand all over their carpets and breaking their sun umbrella (Sorry again!) while we explored the city and the beautiful surrounding suburb of Fremantle where their house was situated.
Although isolated from the rest of Australia's big city magnets, for me it was one of my favourite stays. Although young and continuing to evolve, the city has succeeded in blending urban cool with tremendous natural beauty. The city is new, lending itself as a space that is clean and green with endless blue skies. It's home to Kings Park one of the worlds largest inner city parks offering sprawling views of Perths city skyline and the surrounding Swan River waterfront and Darling mountain range. There's also a new monster waterfront development which looks like a mini Sydney Harbour but with its own unique beauty.
The city offered some unique surprises, in particular for us the Perth Mint. For those who might not know, Western Australia is famous for its gold and thus came the creation of the mint in 1899 which holds proud the worlds biggest and heaviest gold coin making it worth more than $50 million. Not only were we told of the history and lure of gold but also how it is purified through a fascinating hands-on demonstration by our guide who heated up and then poured a standard gold bar for his audience. An experience which was ever so seductive.
Ranked as Australia's second street art capital after Melbourne, walking through the hidden laneways of Perth after our visit to the Mint we came across buildings and laneways which have now become tremendous works of art. It was fun to make some of our own artistic discoveries as we wandered through the back alleyways of the city.
After a quick visit to the heart of Perth's inner city, we spent a few days enjoying the port city of Fremantle which was a stones throw away from Mary and Chris's house. Situated at the mouth of the Swan River, it's known for its maritime history, remnants from Australia's days as a British penal colony, its cafes culture with a wide variety situated on 'Cappuccino street', a section known for its alfresco dining culture and of course Bon Scot, who formed the band AC/DC after he settled in Fremantle .
Getting in touch with our Irish ancestors in Australia, we paid a visit to the Fremantle Prison which was initially used for convicts transported from Britain and Ireland to help build the city of Perth. Now listed as a World Heritage site, the six hectare site surrounded by large perimeter walls includes prison blocks, gate house, a library, kitchen and a church (of which there was a wedding being held that day...talk about starting your life sentence!). Our guide also gladly locked Paul into one of the solitary confinement rooms, turned off the lights and left him there for a while (probably feeling like hours for Paul!) as he continued with his stories about the prison. A nice little look for Paul into the harrowing conditions for the prisoners at the time but I certainly didn't want to volunteer.
What we loved most about Australia is its outdoor living culture. Doing things outdoors in the evening sun is a rarity back home so this was a bit of a novelty for us both. After exploring the charming city of Fremantle, later that night we were treated to an outdoor cinema experience to watch the amazing film that is Bohemian Rhapsody. Mary was fully prepared for the occasion with a car packed full of blankets, pillows and food for us to enjoy before the film began. As we settled into our chairs for the evening and as the sun began to set behind the big screen, we got comfy with a glass of wine in hand and enjoyed the next three hours immersed in a night of epic Queen music. Pure bliss and certainly the kind of Friday night I could get used to if living in this part of the world.
Have you ever heard of the Quokka selfie?? Well, let me tell you. One of my favourite trips in Perth was to the Island of Rottnest where not only are the waters crystal clear and the sand pure golden but where the Quokka resides, a small wallaby like marsupial and super cute! Some might say it looks like a giant rat but I would rather say it looks like a miniature kangaroo. Armed with our bike rentals and some lettuce for our furry friends, we headed off for the day to Rottnest, an island situated a short boat journey from the coast of Perth. We spent the day cycling from beach to beach, wading through the beautiful waters and stopping occasionally to say hello to the many Quokkas chilling at the side of the cycling routes. They were more than happy to come say hello, so thankfully we managed to capture that all important Quokka selfie after a few disastrous attempts!
I always said if I was to visit Australia, one of the main things I wanted to do was see some kangaroos and koala bears, being the animal lover that I am. So after our Quokka filled day at Rottnest island I got more of my wildlife fix by visiting Caversham wildlife park. The park is home to more than 2000 animals and birds and gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with a huge variety of animals such as the wombat, kangaroo, Koala and if your feeling up to it...a snake! This place is big on animal conservation, raising awareness of the plight of many Australian species which made my visit that little bit more enjoyable.
The following day... lets just say was a bit of a disaster. We had the notion to cycle down the coast of Perth towards Coogee beach. We headed off on our merry way after paying a 100 dollar deposit for each of our bikes. The bikes were no way worth as much as that with their hefty front wheels, dodgy brakes and lack of gears but we never had any trouble with bike rentals before so decided to take them up on the not so good offer. As we cycled out of Freemantle along the sea front, the property along the way grew bigger and more spectacular looking out over the deep blue waters and I even said to Paul with a great sigh, 'wouldn't it be so lovely to live here'. When we finally reached a quiet area of Coogee beach we parked up and locked our bikes together against a bike stand and shuffled off into the light golden sand, beach gear in hand. We spent a few hours lazing in the sand, frolicking in the water and enjoying the sunshine all the while making sure of course not to get burnt to a crisp being the pale Irish that we are. As we arrived merrily back at our bikes, unlocked them from each other, ready to head further up the coast, Paul noticed that the front wheel of his bike was missing!.....I kid you not, that in this beautiful area of Perth the front wheel of a useless bike rental was missing. I would understand if it was stolen from an expensive road bike worth thousands of dollars but from this piece of shit...I thought to myself, hate that mister robber because you got yourself a worthless bit of junk on your hands! We were both fuming and humoured at the same time thinking how on earth we were going to get ourselves back to the bike shop and more importantly, would we get our money back?? We did a few laps up and down the path in the hope that the wheel was some how hanging around in the bushes.... but of course it wasn't! So we decided to ring the bike shop in the hope that they could give us a dig out and feel a bit sorry for us stuck in this sticky situation. At first, when we rang they were nothing less than useless telling us our only option was to get public transport back to the office...ehhh, are you even allowed take bikes on busses here?? Aswel as that, to get to the bus stop was another 15 minutes walk and let me tell you that walking with a bike with it's front wheel missing is actually a very hard thing to do! As we started the long embarrassing walk to the bus stop, thankfully the bike rental shop rang us back within a few minutes and said they would send us out the Freemantle parking warden and a council jeep to pick us and our bikes up and bring us back to the shop. HURRAH!.... So to cut a long story short, we had the local council of Freemantle out in full force looking for an Irish couple with a banded up bike. Thankfully the search party was a success and we got back to the shop, exchanged a few awkward laughs with the staff where they were nice enough to give us our deposit back. A very stressful time but looking back gives us yet another backpacking story to add to the ever growing list!
Despite our flying visit to Perth and the fact that Paul's wheel from his bike rental was stolen, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Perth with its rich history, beautiful scenery and of course all those furry animals. In particular a special shout out to Mary and Chris who went above and beyond for us, letting two disheveled backpackers take over their home for a week. Hopefully we will see you again soon!
Sydney
After a 5 hour flight from the west side of Australia to the east coast (you actually don't realise how big the continent is until you try to get from one side to the other!), Sydney was the next big city on our hit list arriving again to take over the home of more family, this time Paul's cousin Kevin, his wife Emma and their beautiful family. A few weeks previous they had already said goodbye to two other family backpackers so I think at this stage they thought their house was a bit of a hostel...a nice one at that for us! Spending time with their family over the coming days meant lots of laughs, hair styling by their daughter Alice who loved nothing more than brushing both our hairs, Harry Potter films, video games, a team effort of putting together a flat pack coffee table and trying to get rid of a huge black huntsman spider that had decided to make itself comfortable in our room! Apparently it was only a 'small' one too but I'm not sure if they were just saying that to freak me out even more but I suppose this is Australia, known for some scary ass Arachnids!
As luck would have it when we were there it was Kevins 50th birthday so a party was to be organised in their house by his wife and kids. While he was summoned to work, we spent the day setting up their lovely back garden ready for the festivities that were to come. Plenty of drink and delicious food were on offer and later that night we spent the evening celebrating with their friends. As much as he didn't fancy a party and all the fuss that comes along with it, I'm pretty sure he had a good night!
Again as luck would have it, we would be in Sydney for Australia day, the official national day of Australia marking the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the first fleet of British ships to the continent. It's kind of a big deal in these parts with hundreds of people coming out in force to enjoy the street parties under the blazing mid day sun, the boat races along the waters of Darling harbour, the air displays, the free live concerts and the creme dela creme, the massive fireworks display in the evening with the Sydney opera house as it's back drop. We got into the spirit of things for the day, soaking up the amazing atmosphere, waving our cute little Australian flags and standing in the packed Circular Quay that evening to watch the acclaimed fireworks. It was truly an awe-inspiring laser and fireworks display and we both felt very lucky to have been there to celebrate with the Australians and of course the many Irish that now call Australia their home.
We couldn't leave Sydney without visiting the infamous Bondi beach so we ventered out and spent the night soaking up the sun and party atmosphere and enjoying the waters of Bondi beach all the while meeting fellow travellers with a free wine and cheese night at our hostel....SCORE! We also decided to do the walk from Bondi to Coogee beach which was a very sweaty and hot affair but worth it for the sprawling views out over the crystal blue coastal waters and golden white beaches. I must also add that while doing this walk it dawned on me that the beaches of Australia are by far some of the best beaches we have seen on our travels to date....top points Australia!
When in Sydney one also has to take the ferry out to Manly, a coastal port town with a relaxed holiday vibe and a sandy tree-fringed beach where surfing is life. Not only can you bask in the sunshine on the beach but the area also boasts a beautiful coastal walk with native bushland, quiet inner harbours, picturesque bays and those panoramic ocean views which we were so fond of in Sydney. Not only was Manly itself a beautiful town but the 30 minute ferry across, was an attraction in itself giving us the opportunity to see Sydney Opera House and the massive Harbour Bridge in all their glory against the city back drop and sapphire blue water.
Sydney offered so much more than I ever thought it would making me totally now get how it was voted one of the best places in the world to live...as long of course as you can afford to live there, because it is just a little bit expensive! Its beaches are stunning and the city boasts a cosmopolitan vibe that is stylish and fun and certainly a place where one would never be bored!
Melbourne
I was kind of sad to leave Sydney as I felt there was so much more for us to see and do there but all was not lost as the super cool city of Melbourne awaited us. Despite its crazy ass weird four seasons in one day kind of weather, we really enjoyed our visit to this laidback, hipster city where the coolest spots in town are hidden down a plethora of back alleyways and where world class sporting events are held. Speaking of which, when we were in town, the prestiges Australian Open tennis tournament was on. No, unfortunately we didn't get tickets but instead set ourselves up in front of the big screen in Federation square and sadly witnessed Djokovic kick the ass off Nadal. We had put a sneaky bet on that Nadal would win but alas, it wasn't to be!
Our time in Melbourne was mainly spent taking in the beautiful sights of the city, of which there was plenty. My favourite being the State library of Victoria which is quite ironic for me as I detest reading anything that has a front and back cover but what caught my attention was the stunning domed ceiling reading room that was waiting for us inside. On offer was also a free exhibition of Ned Kelly's armour , who, a descendant of Irish parents, became one of the most famous bushrangers, outlaw and gang leaders in Australia.
If Melbourne wasn't pretty enough already, a bunch of talented street artists went and made the city even cooler with their creative masterpieces. Since then the city has gained international acclaim for its diverse range of street art and like most things in Melbourne only easy to find if you know where to look. But, if and when you find it, the glorious street art will make you swoon, just like it made us. Paul was also chuffed at the fact that a lot of the murals were a nexus for music and rock and roll such as that of AC/DC's Malcolm Young and Bon Scott bursting through the walls.
Unlike Perth and Sydney, Melbourne was never famous for its beaches but after a few days of exploring, we wanted our beach fix again so decided to make the journey out to the cities own Brighton beach. Although the beach admittedly wasn't as beautiful as those we had just come from, I actually really liked it for the 82 bathing boxes that lined the beach front, all uniquely painted by their owners. I probably spent more time taking photos of these insta worthy gems than lying on the sand or attempting to swim in the rough sea but it's an easy thing to find yourself doing here as thanks to these distinctive decorations the boxes turn Brighton seaside into an immediately recognisable beach scape. If like me you're a sucker for a bit of tack and colour, this is the place for you!
Before saying good bye to the crown jewel that is Australia, we spent an evening with more of Paul's family, this time his cousin Cian and his wife Bianca. Neither had seen each other in years... like, a lot of years but this kind of thing happens when you live on the other side of the world but hey, better late than never! We stuffed our faces at a delicious Mexican joint and for a group of four that had barely ever met, we sure did have the Lols. We hope you come to Ireland soon guys so we can return the favour!
So that's it, our quick 3 week visit to Australia was so much more fulfilling than I ever thought it was going to be. A great opportunity for us to spend some time with family and familiar faces. Three weeks was really not enough time to explore this beautiful continent. Paul had more family he hoped to visit up in Queensland but unfortunately time was not on our side and we still had the whole continent of South America to go explore. Speaking of, what I do miss a lot about Australia as I write this post from the back of beyond in Boliva is the awesome wifi I had there and being fluent in English (although my friends would tell you thats questionable at times!). First world problems of no wifi and language barriers are hard when traveling!
Adios amigos (See, I'm learning!
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