My Journey Round The World

Australia, Australia, Australia… What to say???… This is the country where I stayed the longest and believe it or not this the country I like the less! I still don’t really know why?! When I was in Melbourne with Aishah & Nick - I met in Guatemala - we went to see the musical Fame. One of Nick’s friends said to him about the performance: “Choreography is good, songs are nice, but I didn’t like it.” We found that surprisingly funny and laugh about it. And here it is for me about Australia – your time to laugh – people are really friendly, landscapes are amazing, I did had a wonderful time, but… I don’t like it! I mean I don’t like the country as much as I liked Latin America. I guess that New Zealand and Australia are, for me, too similar to what I know, to Europe, but so remote and for Australia so huge!

However I did had a remarkable time there!

• Arriving in Brisbane and staying in such a great flat thanks to Rachel, a friend of my dear friend Tanya – what would I do without you! – I met in Vancouver ;
• Travelling with Austrian Gerhard in his jeep, discovering part of the Sunshine Coast: beautiful Fraser Island, Eungella National Park, discovering wild kangaroos & wallabys at Cape Hillsborough National Park, Brampton Island, sailing the well-known Whitsunday Islands on the 16,4 meters lenght Kiana boat ;
• Cairns where I met my admirable hostess Sally which advices me to visit Kuranda in the middle of the rainforest, gave me tips to go diving on the Great Barrier Reef & brought me for a performance to her local theatre ;
• Melbourne - my favourite city – staying with crazy, lovely couple Aishah & Nick for a week, with whom I had a fantastic time – Guys, I’m waiting for you in Europe this Autumn! ;
• Discovering the awesome – yes I finaly wrote it Duncan! – Great Ocean Road on my way to Adelaide where I met again incredible people such as my host Fraser, his friends and in particular Pippar & his Mum Lasca… I could come back to Australia only to meet people again
• Perth to visit my dear travel partner Fleur – with whom I experienced Mexico & Guatemala last October – & her great cook boyfriend Duncan. Thanks to them I discovered The Pinnacles, Margaret River region with the funny Cow Parade & where I’ve seen my first whales! One of the thing I really wanted to do during my travel – when are you coming to visit me now?!
• last stop in Sydney where I had my last coushsurfing experience at Lynn & Kevin’s place who drove me around the city, allowing me to see more whales and the breathtaking Blue Mountains!

Despite all that, not sure I’ll go back there – unless to meet those incredible people again if they really don’t come to Europe! – however, Australia is an impressive country to visit & if you do visit it, fly if you don’t like long-distance roadtrip (!) - unless for the Great Ocean Road or in helicopter! – but try to have a car around the cities and most of all take your time to catch the koalas in the trees or the kangaroos in the wild…

Ready for more than 20 hours journey! London Tuesday morning… Back to the routine life I so much wanted to escape few month ago and that I’m so looking forward to be back to… See you soon!!!

As said, Lynne & Kevin are wonderful host!!! One of Kevin’s hobbies is to show his country as best as he can, he even has a tourist guide licence now On Friday he drove, Karen, Robert & me around Sydney shore to see: The Domain, Fort Denison, Watsons Bay, show us the secret breathtaking view of the city from the reservoir, Bondi Beach, Tamarama – the beach to be seen! –  Bronte, Coogee, Maroubra beach, La Perouse, Kurnell, Cape Solander where we’ve seen the blow of a whales from the shore! and Cronulla – Bate Bay, where I was delighted to look for whales again! We’ve spotted 5 in the distance, and it was still amazing! I loved it!

On Saturday, Lynne joined us and we went around the Royal National Park – the second oldest national park in the world after Yellowstone in the US, as Kevin told us – again, breathtaking views and a great pic-nic organised by Lynne, close to a place which reminded me of Elli Creek on Fraser Island I spent a wonderfull day with all of them! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Blue Mountains National Park - 267 183 hectares –  is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, a million-hectare conservation area that stretches for 230 km along the range.

Thanks to my host Kevin who let me know how to get there and what to do and even if from time to time I would have love to share the breathtaking view with someone – those reminded me of the Grand Canyon in the US, not for the colours – it’s winter here but it’s all green! – but for the immensity!!! - I spent a wonderful day all by myself!

Sydney, last stop before heading back to Europe… I can finaly see the famous Opera House which I found… small! next to the city building and Harbour Bridge… After spending all night on the plane, I follow my host advices and went on a ferry trip to Manly. What’s great is that you can buy a ticket which allow you to use train, bus and ferry all day! Being in Sydney, I couldn’t miss the aquarium. I have to say that I wasn’t really impressed…  except by the huge reef tank! That was amazing!

Last city and last couchsurfing experience for now with Lynne & Kevin who also hosted an American couple: Karen & Robert in the meantime. All together they drove us around Sydney during 2 days and for our last evening, we went to one of the Sydney’s oldest pub: Fortune of War – http://www.fortuneofwar.com.au – before heading to the last performance of The Rocks Fire Water event: “relive the tragedy and adventure of the crew from the tall ship Sydney Cove as they sail from India to Australia in 1797 as told through the eyes of an 11-year-old Indian-Australian girl”. http://www.therocks.com/sydney-Things_To_Do-The_Rocks_Fire_Water.htm - and doing a night tour of the city where we had the chance to see the Macquarie Visions, exhibition: “a free public event celebrating in immersive light displays, the 200th anniversary and story of two visionary leaders, Governor Lachlan Macquarie and his wife Elizabeth.” - http://www.macquarievisions.com.au

On my last day, I also met David, a Swiss guy, with whom I did some rafting in Chile last February! So nice to meet on another continent – the world is small finally! – and found out that we have the same opinion about travelling such a long time… After 9 & 10 months, you have to push yourself everyday a bit more. He still have 3 month to enjoy and I’m glad to go back to Europe now

During the long weekend – Foundation Day – Mon 7 June, Duncan & Fleur took the opportunity to drive me to Margaret River – http://www.margaretriver.com/: the wine, chocolate & cheese region south of Perth. We arrived just before the end of the CowParade: the largest and most successful public art event in the world – staged in over 50 cities worldwide since 1999 – http://www.cowparade.com/ so we tried to hunt cows as much as possible during the weekend between visiting the region through the beautiful kauri forest, eating, watching surfers and for me whales! What an amazing weekend…

Duncan & Fleur: THANK YOU SO MUCH for welcoming me! I’m already missing your delicious evening meal!!! As Duncan & Fleur cook perfectly -Duncan use to be a chef de cuisine in France! - which didn’t help my silhoutte to get better

I arrived to Perth and jump in a shuttle direction Stirling Street and the Sunday Times where Fleur is working today. She kindly show me around the newsroom which reminded me good memories about my former job as a Press Officer for Nausicaa  After lunch I went to visit the city center and the Art Gallery hosting an interesting exhibition: RELATIVITY of one Australia’s contemporary artists: Patricia Piccinini – http://www.patriciapiccinini.net/. I had already seen one of her strange sculptures in Adelaide Art Gallery and was glad to learn a bit more about her work where she “explores the unending connectivity of her fantastical creatures, new communities and bio-ethical conundrums. Piccinini’s sculptures give form to her fascination with the relationship between the ‘natural’ and the ‘artificial‘” – Art Gallery of Western Australia. I’m wondering if this exhibition will end up in France one day?…

Next day, Fleur is working from home and she takes the time to bring me to the newly opened French backery: Jean Pierre Sancho – www.jpsancho.com.au – for whom she wrote an article published on the Sunday before. Surprisingly enough the manager already prepared a delicious chocolate cake to thanks her and offered us our picnic lunch – sandwiches, onion soup, baguettes, and 3 pâtisseries: tarte aux fraises, tarte au citron & flan – as we where unable to choose! - which we went to eat at Kings Park, surrounding the city. What a pleasure to eat such a good french baguette and patisseries after such a long time! In the evening, she brought me to a nice restaurant-bar: Kitsch - http://www.perthnow.com.au/lifestyle/kitsch-bar/story-e6frg3pu-1225840352308 - where we had a delicious meal… Working as a freelance journalist for the food & wine feature is a really great job!

On Fleur advices, I went to the 4WD Pinnacles, Beaches & Sand Dunes trip: we first stop to the Caversham widlife park to see the inevitable Australian animals before heading toward the Pinnacles Desert: limestone formations within Nambung National Park and my favorite part, the white Lancelin sand dunes where we spent some time sand surfing!

The next day, I went by bike along the beach to Fremantle – where we’ve seen the UK rugby team having fun at the Little Creatures brewery - https://www.littlecreatures.com.au/ - 2 days before and with whom Fleur spend a all day with for an interview just after I left! – to visit the lovely city & famous market opened only on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays.

Tonight: on my way to Sydney. One more week in Australia before going back to Europe…. And guess what?! I’m so looking forward to it! Pics & comments from Perth are on the way… Little problem with sending pictures, sorry!

On my way to Perth, to visit Fleur, whom I travelled with in Mexico and Guatemala for 2 weeks in October.

Last stop before Sydney and Europe!  

I might have like to stay longer in Melbourne than staying a week in Adelaide, not even going to Kangaroo Island as it was really expensive and trip where sold out as I booked too late…

Anyway, I did a Barossa Valley wine tour – yes even if I don’t drink wine! I tasted all of them – stopping at the World’s Largest Rocking Horse and the amazing Whispering Wall ; again with Groovy Grape agency ; which was pretty good! I learned more with our guide than going to the Tourist Office!

I also really enjoyed staying at Fraser’s place – my couchsurfer host – and taking my time for a week, no rush, no stress in this quite city with beautiful Botanic Garden and Library with free internet access  Fraser has a disc shop – www.rocktherapy.com.au - Olivier, you would love that, records everywhere in the house - He show me around, cooked for Pippar, one of his friend – with whom I spent a great afternoon around the oldest fresh produce market in the country - and me, brought me to his friend birthday where we had a hilarous evening, brought me to car boot sale - Mum & Claude you would have liked it! - drove me with his energetic Mum Lasca to Hahndorf Hill… I felt like home! I can’t wait for him to come to Europe to show him our countries and make him taste a proper mayonnaise!!!