Now I do not know about you, but I literally knew nothing about Australia before traveling there. The only things that would ever come to mind were koalas, the Sydney Opera House, the Outback, and Vegemite. In conclusion: nothing profound. I was so ecstatic to be able to have the opportunity to spend my winter vacation exploring and touring this wonderful country/continent. I had no idea what to expect or what I would be seeing, but all I knew was that I could not wait to go. Here is a highlight reel of my travels that will hopefully shed a little more light on Australia and inspire you to one day visit yourself.
1. Sydney, Australia
Before we begin, let’s all say it together:
“P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.”
That and the Opera House is practically all that I associated with Sydney. What I did not realize was that it is also a bustling city with a huge economic center. The architecture and street layout screamed Washington, D.C. with a dash of San Francisco. I instantly fell in love with the city and all the amazing sites. In addition to all of the touristy locations (the Bay Bridge and the Opera House), there are so many places to explore. With small farmers markets and quaint cafes there is also no shortage of food to try. After taking a walking tour of the city, our guide let us in on a little gem of information: one of the stalls at a nearby market sold exotic kabobs. When I say exotic, I am talking about crocodile kabobs and kangaroo kabobs. Before you get sad about the idea of eating cute little kangaroos, we were assured that the kangaroo population in Australia is actually growing too large and to not feel bad about it.
I have always been an adventurous eater, so after hearing about this I knew I had to try it for myself. All I will say is that I was not disappointed. For more picky eaters, the crocodile basically tasted like chicken. The kangaroo was actually surprisingly tasty and resembled the taste and texture of lamb. Despite all of the beautiful attractions I saw in Sydney, trying crocodile and kangaroo will still remain one of the most memorable parts of my vacation.
2. Melbourne, Australia
This is probably the other most well-known city in Australia and also Sydney’s largest rival. The ongoing feud on which city is the true cultural center of Australia was not only entertaining to hear about from the locals, but also leads to their intense drive to upstage one another. I was actually visiting Melbourne on Christmas Day and was blown away by the elaborate decorations and festivities. Not only was the city beautiful, but it probably had some of the best food of the trip. Chinese food so happens to be my favorite cuisine in the world so naturally going to Melbourne’s Chinatown was a necessity. For any dim sum lover, Melbourne needs to be on your bucket list because yes, we did wait over an hour to eat Chinese food on Christmas day and yes, it was well worth the wait. If that’s not your thing, Melbourne is also known to being the vegan capital of the world. There are literally whole streets of the city that only have vegan restaurants and all of them are just as hipster as you can imagine.
For the artists and lovers of all things aesthetic, Hosier Lane is heaven. What was originally a series of average alleys in the middle of the city has become a must-see destination. The walls, trash cans, staircases, etc. are all completely covered in anything from typical graffiti to elaborate street art. Wandering around and admiring the art and colors was in itself a museum of sorts. Also if it was not obvious, I along with everyone there was not shy about snapping tons of photos for the ‘gram.
3. Bernie, Tasmania (still technically Australia)
Okay, okay, I know you have been waiting for me to get to the animal portion of the trip because of course if I was in Australia, I needed to see some cute critters. In Tasmania, we went to the Wings Wildlife Reserve which showcased every single stereotypical Australian animal you can think of. From emus and wallabies to kangaroos and koalas, this reserve is perfect for animal-lovers. Not only did we get one-on-one time with kangaroos, but we also got to watch a feeding for Tasmanian devils which was both fascinating and slightly horrifying to watch. It was truly the best way to end the trip and an outing I will never forget.
Being in Australia was such a whirlwind of an experience. Although I got to see and do so much, there is still so much more to explore. Australia has such an interesting history and welcoming vibe that has something for everyone to enjoy. I hope in the future I am able to go back and traverse the Outback with some of my mates. G’day to you all and thanks for coming along with me.