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 -Â 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…
