Kangaroos, surfing, and the Outback were all I knew of Australia before I visited in January. I quietly hoped it would surprise me, and as you’ll see below, there were no shortage of favorite moments!

Highlights -

• couchsurfing with Ben in Brisban
• doing nothing in Byron Bay (and watching Green Street Hooligans)
• 4×4 safari on Fraser Island (and swimming in freshwater Lake McKenzie)
• surf lesson in Agnes Water (and watching Bra Boys)
• impromptu porch party at Magnum Backpackers in Airlie Beach
• sailing the Whitsundays (and getting to steer the yacht)
• first SCUBA dive
• staying with Michael and Ann in Trinity Beach
• hugging a Koala Bear at the Cairns Tropical Zoo
• snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef
• Sydney FC vs. Melbourne Victory soccer match at Aussie Stadium
• sipping wine outside the Opera House with the Germans - Andy and Constantine
• the views at Bondi Beach (and the cliff walk to Coogee)
• couchsurfing with Bonnie, Tom, and Eliza in Newtown
• hot milk chocolate at the Lindt chocolat cafe
• watching the 2008 Australian Open Men’s Singles Final on the jumbo screen outside Rod Laver stadium
• taking in the amazing architecture (modern and Victorian) around Melbourne

Discoveries -

• Australia may well have the prettiest blonde women in the world (I’ll keep you posted as I have to give California and Sweden a fair shot)
• Australians love their designer sunglasses (aka “sunnies”)
• Australians love to drink beer
• like New Zealand, mixed liqour drinks are sold in cans and commonly consumed (rum and cokes, gin and tonics, etc), yet I didn’t manage to try them in one month’s time
• it rains a lot in Queensland during the summer

# of Nights Couchsurfing -

4 - two in Brisbane and two in Newtown. I also spent 2 nights with a friend’s relative in Trinity Beach, 2 nights aboard a sailboat, 1 night on Fraser Island, and 2 nights aboard buses. Couchsurfing was tough due to high demand, and the holidays (New Year’s in early January and Australia day later in the month).

Eating -

Heaps of chocolate, one plate of nicely prepared kangaroo, meat pies, gelato, ham and cheese sandwiches, and almost daily cappuccinos.

Average Daily Budget -

$98

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Dare #4

From Stu: I dare you to get a hamburger with the lot in Australia from a real fish and chip shop (that encompasses the following ingredients)

- fried egg (hard yolk/soft yolk optional)
- bacon
- lettuce
- tomato
- beetroot
- grilled onion
- cheese
- grilled pineapple ring

Must include two steamed dim sims with soy sauce as a side. Must include photo.

Reward: $10

__________________________________

This burger was massive - and literally the last meal I ate in Australia before heading to the Melbourne airport. I made the mistake of pouring the soy sauce all over the dim sim, which made a real mess of things once I commenced the eating portion of the process.

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I booked my departure flight from Australia out of Melbourne for the end of January because it seemed like a noteworthy city to visit. It was only after talking to my tennis fiend of a friend (code name - Sup2dresq) before leaving that I learned my travels would offer me the opportunity to attend the 2008 Australian Open, one of the four major tennis tournaments of the year.

In fact, my friend offered to cover the cost of a Grounds Pass to ensure I got myself to Rod Laver stadium for the men’s singles final. My hostel was close enough to the tennis complex that I could walk to get there. I headed to the stadium a few hours before the 7:30pm start time so I could do a little exploring. I wasn’t alone, as the best spots for watching the match on the jumbo screen outside the stadium were already taken up by people on blankets and plastic chairs. A band was entertaining them on a small stage.

As I walked around the grounds, peering into the locked gates of smaller tennis courts, I realized how much fun it would’ve been to have caught earlier matches. Even in the early rounds, the best players would be in the Rod Laver and Vodafone stadiums, costing more to see, however the air would be electric with the various fan favorites still alive and in the running (mine being American Andy Roddick).

Eventually, I settled into a spot behind the footpath directly in front of the jumbo screen. Once the band stopped, lots of plastic chairs became available and I instantly upgraded myself from asphalt to plastic. Once situated, I queued up for some overpriced sushi and Jacob’s Creek white wine.

The fan favorite seemed to be Tsonga from France, though there was no shortage of Serbian supporters and flags for Djokovic. Considering he beat the world’s #1 player for the past few years (R. Federer) and the #2 player to reach the finals, he seemed to be hands-down favorite to win the tournament.

A beautiful sunset transitioned the environment from day to night, and try as they might to support Tsonga, it just wasn’t his match to win. After taking the first set, he fell in the next three with the 4th set tie-break providing palpable moments of tension. By then, I had abandoned my front row seat for a little cool air in the stadium. The inside was plastered with plasma screen TV’s so you wouldn’t miss a point while getting refreshments. The only catch was if you had a stadium seat, you couldn’t go back in while play was occurring.

After the match concluded, I walked back to Federation Square, a few blocks from my hostel. It was packed with people who had watched the match on the jumbo screen there. As I walked by, Djokovic was triumphantly accepting his trophy with an acceptance speech thanking all the Serbian supporters.

Well played Djokovic, and special thanks to Sup2dresq for helping me to experience my first tennis tournament!

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On my last day in Sydney, before a night bus to Melbourne, Bonnie took me on a 1/2 day tour which included a few errands she needed to run. The second brought us to the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in the central business district. Almost 2 months after rediscovering Cadbury candy, my veins were running with pure milk chocolate.

Bonnie recommended the hot chocolate, so we ordered two cups, along with 3 truffles we each selected from the counter. When the hot chocolate arrived, it was literally a cup of melted Lindt milk chocolate, and a separate pitcher of creamy milk which you poured into the cup. And to top it off, we were eating truffles! Yes, this was the richest, creamiest, hot chocolate I’ve ever experienced. Brilliant!

We tried to walk off the chocolate by touring The Rocks, a historic district of Sydney along the harbor. Bonnie use to lead tours in the area so I was surely seeing the best views and spots. I was exhausted from the cold and Sudafed, and not looking forward to the 11-hour overnight bus ride to Melbourne, so I quit while I was ahead, and returned to her place for a short nap before packing up to leave.

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Bonnie was new to couchsurfing, and I was her third guest.  She worked in Sydney, and lived with Tom and Eliza in Newtown, a very close suburb to downtown Sydney.  It’s also right next to the University of Sydney, so it’s got a college town feel to it.  Supposedly it has one of the highest concentrations of Thai restaurants in the southern hemisphere, however despite the endless cheap lunch options ($4 for Thai - yum!), I wouldn’t get to take advantage.

I arrived on Bonnie’s doorstep and she made me feel right at home.  It felt great to escape the hostels, especially as I was just about to come down with a cold which would put me out of commission for a few days.

Bonnie was also hosting a Japanese guy at the time I was there.  He did musical street performances and could juggle.  That’s about all I can remember.  Oh, and he makes a great pizza.

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After an afternoon at the Opera House, my next day in Sydney was dedicated to checking out Bondi Beach.  It was a short train and bus ride to get there from King’s Cross, and the weather was beautiful.  When I got off the bus, I was looking at one of the coolest beaches I’d ever seen.  Gigantic surf pounded rocks on both ends, while the best surfers I’d seen tackled some big looking waves.  And the beach was topless, not that I noticed.

A popular scenic walk runs from Bondi Beach south to Coogee Beach.  I wore sneakers for the task, and didn’t wear my board shorts so swimming in the cool ocean-fed pool wasn’t an option.  Instead, I used one of my coupons on a free glass of cold white wine from the balcony of the Iceberg Club (can’t recall the exact name).

I then commenced the walk, which seemed easy enough, however under the hot, mid-day Australian sun, with a hangover, it sucked the lifeforce out of me.  After passing 3 intermediary beaches before reaching Coogee, I could’ve cared less about another damn beach!  So I jumped on a bus back to Bondi Junction, too tired to explore any further, and grabbed a train back to King’s Cross, ready to make my way west to Newtown for my next couchsurf.

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The rains of Queensland were a thing of the past by the time I reached Sydney (and later Melbourne). Aside from a thunderstorm during the soccer match, my days were filled with blue skies and puffy white clouds.

I felt a great sense of excitement when I first stepped out of the train station to see the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. The Opera House is such a unique sight - often symbolizing all of Australia. I had joined up with a few Germans back at my hostel and together we snapped heaps of photos and enjoyed the various views of the harbor and Sydney skyline.

Sydney was really starting to grow on me by this point, and I was thinking to myself that if there was a city I could move to for awhile, it’d be Sydney. It felt like New York City, except people weren’t in as much of a rush. Also, for the first time, I was clearly surrounded by Australians instead of the multitudes of international tourists. Australian women, in particular the blondes, were a sight to be seen!

After the sights, I booked my onward flight from Bali to Singapore (w/Jetstar, $110 USD incl. taxes). I settled on 3 weeks in Bali (and nearby island Lombok). I know the vast majority of voters wanted me to stay 10 days so I could move on to new adventures. My tight itineraries in the first 2 months, combined with New Zealand’s physical activities and Australia’s sheer size have sapped my travel energy. I’m hoping some hammock time on a tropical island will ready me for mainland Asia in the months ahead.

I went out again in the evening with folks from the hostel, including Andy with whom I had toured the exterior of the Opera House. World Bar was a few steps above Scubar, reminding me of the 18th Street Lounge in Washington, DC except bigger. It was housed in a Victorian Building in King’s Cross, a few blocks from the hostel. Karaoke was in the back room, a DJ in the front room, and quieter mainstream music on the top floor. While our entertainment guide was getting busy with an older lady from the hostel, another guide from a different hostel was encouraging me to dance. He was funny, and got me moving a bit. If I were to stay longer, I’d have switched hostels because the guy did such a good job with his crew.

Despite the lack of dancing, I had a beer and 3 vodka tonics for about $7 USD. The deals at certain bars, along with a booklet of 15 free drink coupons that are available, can really make for cheap nights in Sydney.

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After catching a bit of sport at the soccer match, I spent the following day around the Darling Harbor area of Sydney. The first stop was the Queen Victoria Building which I ran into almost as soon as I got off the train. Normally a shopping mall wouldn’t be a must-see for me, however the exterior design drew me in and I found the interior to be even cooler with its mosaic floors. I grabbed a cup of cappuccino and watched well-dressed women with designer bags walk past ridiculously expensive stores.

After the mall, I headed to the harbor. The overcast skies soon rained down on me. I decided to skip the tourist activities requiring money - the aquarium, world’s largest IMAX theater, etc.

There were orange flags throughout the downtown area as Australia Day was quickly approaching. It’s a national holiday to celebrate the founding of Australia by Europeans, and seems to be akin to America’s July 4th. Basically, it’s an excuse to have a BBQ, beer, and a 3-day weekend.

I finished my afternoon’s stroll with a walk through Chinatown. Paddy’s Markets were closed, and I wouldn’t make it back to them. It’s an Irish-themed street market with lots of cheap goods.

After 24 hours in Sydney, I started to feel like I could be in the United States. It felt comfortable. The transit system was extensive, yet information was well communicated. I was impressed by the LCD screens in the train stops which seemed light years ahead of the LED displays we just recently got in Washington, DC.

In the evening, I went out with some people from my hostel to Scubar.  Our hostel had an entertainment guide whose job it was to take backpackers out to a different bar each night with the promise of a free drink.  I think it’s a way to welcome all the foreigners who come to Sydney and Australia with the intention to stick around and work.  Scubar was a basement bar frequented by backpackers, and it was a mess of drunken people.  Somehow I managed to enjoy it for a few beers before heading back to home base - King’s Cross.

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