Aside from Antarctica, Australia is one of those places that I’ve always dreamed of visiting. With the extremely long flight and its reputation for being expensive, the Land Down Under had always seemed pretty unattainable. Alas, the hubby finally agreed to go for our fifth wedding anniversary so I quickly booked before he changed his mind! Side note: hubby only agreed because I found some “reasonably” priced premium economy seats. There was no way I was going to get him to fly to a continent on the other side of the world squished in coach!
Anyway, our flight was originally scheduled to leave at 1:50am BUT Cathay Pacific called about 12 hours before we were scheduled to depart saying our flight would be 3 hours late leaving. After doing the math, we realized we would miss our connection in Hong Kong so we decided to take the earlier flight that was available (but now with a quick layover in Vancouver). With that new plan in place, we hurriedly packed the remainder of our things and hightailed it to the airport. One thing to note about flying to Australia is that you need to sign up for the electronic travel authority (similar to a visa) at least a day or so before the flight. Airport authorities WILL ask you for it when you are checking in for your flight and won’t let you board without it!
After we settled into our premium economy seats, the plan was to sleep for most of the first flight to Hong Kong; and then since we would arrive to Sydney at night, we would stay awake for the second flight from Hong Kong to Sydney thus putting us on their sleep schedule. However, my body clearly had something else in mind because I pretty much slept off and on throughout both flights. No bueno. I should’ve known that would happen since any time I get on a plane, I immediately pass out…like immediately. People are still looking for their seats and I am knocked out cold. Needless to say this is doubly bad when traveling to countries with extreme time differences and Australia was no different. Whether it was excitement or just not being sleepy, I barely got a wink of shut eye that first night!
By the way, when we landed in Sydney and went through immigration, the line was ridiculously long and slow-moving. We noticed another entrance that scanned everything digitally with no line for certain passports so Will and I decided to go over there. Since there was a problem scanning mine, I still had to have a physical person take a look and stamp it but take note that you don’t usually get a stamp if you use that line.
Fast forward to the next morning: Running on very little sleep and pure adrenaline (as a mom, this is not unusual!), I was ready to start our Aussie adventure. I had to do a bit of reshuffling on the itinerary due to a couple of last minute tour cancellations but we went with the flow.
We quickly realized that you needed to take a ferry EVERYWHERE but got the hang of it relatively quickly (ok Will got the hang of it quickly because everyone knows that I am directionally challenged) and took the ferry from Circular Quay to Milsons Point.
It was about $8 each way and we had breakfast at Ripple Milsons Point which had a great view of the opera house and bridge as well as the Four Seasons Hotel at which we were staying (and was actually reasonably priced compared to other Four Seasons!).
For breakfast we had the brioche french toast and the eggs benedict which were both delicious (especially when you have a beautiful waterfront view!).
On our way back to the hotel, we got stopped by the police…for jaywalking! There were literally three police officers standing at the intersection waiting to catch jaywalkers… clearly they don’t realize that this is second nature to New Yorkers! Thankfully they let us off the hook with a stern warning (insert eye rolling here).
After quickly grabbing our beach gear from the hotel, we walked a couple of blocks (this time without the jaywalking) and caught the 380 bus to Bondi Beach which was a 30 minute bus ride away. The skies were a bit overcast so we didn’t get in the water but instead made our way to the icebreakers club where the pool was. Admission was only about $4 but then we found out that it was sea water in the pool which really didn’t make sense to us.
Instead, we grabbed a drink and then took the bus further north to Watsons Bay to eat at the famous Doyle’s on the Beach….and it was so worth it! We were seated at a table upstairs and the decor was very nautical and clean which was fitting given its location. I had the fig and feta salad, and mussels in white wine cream sauce while Will had the salt and pepper calamari and fish and chips with John Dory…everything was sooooo good. It was so good, every time we had a meal, we mentioned how it wasn’t as good as Doyle’s!
The next day was dedicated to the Blue Mountains Tour. Lasting an entire day, it was a memorable day full of gazing at beautiful lookout points, soaking in aboriginal history, and enjoying nature.
Entering the National Park and taking in the views along Jamison Valley, our first stop was Echo Point lookout, the vantage point in Katoomba that had views stretching across to the Three Sisters – a trio of rocky pinnacles. That unusual rock formation represented three sisters who according to Aboriginal legend were turned to stone (and depending on which story you read, the reasons they were turned into stone will differ!).
We then went to Scenic World and did the Scenic Cableway which provided a unique vantage point and 360° views of the Jamison Valley for seeing the Three Sisters, Orphan Rock, Mt Solitary and Katoomba Falls. It was a great way to see the steep valleys, canyons and Three Sisters rock formation. We then went in one of the glass-roofed carriages on a 52 degree incline on the steepest passenger railway in the world!
After that, it was a visit to the Waradah Aboriginal Centre where we saw a live aboriginal show through which we had a chance to learn about different Aboriginal tribes; experience smoking ceremony; discover the story behind the creation of the Didgeridoo; and witness Corroboree (song and dance)…and of course, then took a very touristy photo with one of them after!
We had lunch shortly after but no need to waste space on it here since it was just mediocre.
Next up was Featherdale Park. The average American thinks of koalas and kangaroos (and maybe vegemite) when you hear the word Australia and we would be able to see both at the park so were very excited for this part of the excursion. While most of them were behind a gate, there was actually one kangaroo outside just chilling so of course I ran to get a photo with him. We also saw a Tasmanian devil, an emu, and a HUGE crocodile.
After a pretty full day, we ended the tour with none other than a ferry ride on the Rivercat on which we sailed down the Parramatta River back to the city. Letting us out at Darling Harbour, this was perfect because it was one of the “must dos” on my list. A boardwalk with scenic views, we walked around until we found a restaurant that suited our liking. The top item that caught my eye on the menu at Blackbird Cafe was the kangaroo (don’t judge me!) which I ordered (medium rare) and was pretty delicious. It definitely tasted a bit gamey which may have been exacerbated by not ordering it just rare. Lesson learned for the next time I eat it 😉
The next day, we slept in a bit late and ordered in room service for breakfast after which we then headed out to The Rocks where there is an open-air food/craft market on Sundays. While a good place to buy souvenirs, I didn’t find anything to my liking so instead grabbed some gelato with a donut at Gellatissimo. I’m usually not a huge fan of sweets but that was heaven in my mouth (sorry, no pic because I ate it THAT quickly)!
We decided to make our way to Manly Bay that day and on our way to catch the ferry, we saw an UGG Australia store and decided to stop in (who can resist?!?). Of course, I fell in love with a pair of jean Ugg boots that were pretty exclusive and custom made so bought myself a pair (how can you come to Australia, land of the Uggs and NOT bring home a pair or two??!!). Also, bought one for my sister because I am the best sister in the world 🙂
Anyway, after finally making it to the pier, we took the Manly Fast Ferry to Manly Bay. Although it was pretty fast taking less than 20 minutes (hence, the name I guess..lol), the ferry seemed kind of expensive to me at $8AU EACH WAY.
Although the day was a bit overcast, we took a quick walk by Manly Beach before heading to lunch.
Although there were a number of restaurants from which to choose, we decided to have lunch at Manly Grill where I had the baked scallops with baby spinach, sour cream, and Grueyre cheese to start, followed by the Croc and Roo which was supposed to be a char-grilled kangaroo fillet topped with crocodile tail fillets (unfortunately, the “croc” was dry and the “roo” was under-seasoned). Will had the seafood chowder and the “Ribs and Ribs” washed down with a local beer.
After a filling but underwhelming lunch, we made our way back near our hotel for our next adventure: the Bridge Climb Sydney where you actually climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge! It is the tallest steel arch bridge in the world, measuring over 400 feet above the level of the water (EEK!). And, if I wasn’t scared enough by that terrifying stat, it was also raining for the time we were scheduled to do it. Not a drizzle, or a few drops…pouring, windy, non-stop rainwater. Le sigh. The things I do in the name of adventure! Even with the weather, our bridge climb was on and we promptly geared up to climb in the rain! Despite the weather, it was AH-MAZING with beautiful views of the Opera House. Since we weren’t allowed to have anything with us (no cameras, jewelry, NOTHING), there was a photographer taking pics and videos (which of course we then had to buy!) but overall, our time on the bridge was well worth the excursion’s exorbitant cost 😉
Of course, as soon as our time on the bridge was up, it stopped raining (go figure!). We headed to grab dinner at the Australian Heritage Hotel. We had the calamari in a passion fruit coulis and the “coat of arms” which was a half emu/half pepper kangaroo pizza that was DELICIOUS. This place is definitely a must in Sydney. It can be a bit rowdy/pub looking since they have a side that is mainly dedicated to bar/drinks but hands down, the food was excellent.
For our last day in Sydney, we went to the Opera House (no visit to Australia is completely without stepping foot in the infamous Opera House!). We had reserved the Tour and Tasting Plate which includes a 1-hour long tour of the Sydney opera house with a 3-tiered gourmet tasting plate. We chose to do the tour first where we heard the controversial story of the Opera House’s construction and how the groundbreaking design and vision for a world-class performing arts center came into existence. The architecture is just as beautiful inside as it is on the outside.
Going inside the concert halls was even more beautiful with intricately designed sets. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take any pictures inside the concert halls since they were setting up for a D’angelo concert. I wish I was as brave sneaking pictures then as I am now because the stage set up was absolutely breathtaking.
After the tour, it was time for our tasting. We headed downstairs to Opera Kitchen to pick up our food and found a table with great views of the harbour. The tiers included a selection of salads, mini wagyu burgers, chicken burgers and fries, dumplings, and sushi.
With time quickly passing and us with a flight to catch, we walked back to our hotel to check out and grab our bags. Learning a lesson from other countries (where taking a taxi to the airport comes with a hefty price), we opted for public transportation to the airport instead of a taxi. The train was a short walk from our hotel, so we easily found the train which cost about $34AU. Bidding good-bye to Sydney, we were on our short 1 1/2 flight to Melbourne in no time on Qantas. A nice surprise on that flight was seeing that they give food even though it was such a short flight! I don’t know why I’m such a sucker for airplane food even though it is usually so bad, but I still get excited 😉
After checking in to the Crown Melbourne, we had a quick dinner at the Merrywell which was located on premises. The food was so so but knocked us out so called it an early evening.
For our one full day in Melbourne, we did what most would call the most popular tour in Melbourne: the Great Ocean Road tour. Lasting about 14 hours, it made for an extremely long day but packed a lot in. The first stop was a beautiful beachside location to get us warmed up for the long journey ahead. We then continued through several charming port towns before stopping at Kennett River to see if we could spot any koalas in the wild (we didn’t).
Our next stop was Apollo Bay for lunch at Thai Kitchen (which was included in the tour cost). That was probably the WORST meal I’ve eaten in my life. I supposedly had the pad thai (how can you mess up pad thai?!?!), but it was utterly disgusting and inedible. Will’s lunch was equally bad so we went on the hunt for food. Thank goodness we found a pizza place to quell our hunger (and get that nasty Thai food taste out of our mouths!).
Next stop was a guided walk through Great Otway National Park and Maits Rest Rainforest where we saw a bunch of the tallest Eucalyptus Trees in Australia. We were able to enjoy the beautiful wildlife and scenery. We then made our way through Port Campbell National Park to see the 12 Apostles. We were actually asked about a helicopter ride and since we figured we won’t be back in Melbourne anytime soon, might as well go for it (though it was a bit steep!). We were so glad we opted for the helicopter ride because the bird’s eye view we received was unparalleled. Seeing the 12 Apostles from above was breathtaking (despite the rude helicopter companions we had that wanted ME to take pictures for them but blocked all of my own shots!)
After the aerial view, we headed to the final (and best-loved stop-off point): the Loch Ard Gorge which was a couple minutes away from the Twelve Apostles. A treasure trove of natural beauty, coastal wilderness, and maritime history, we meandered through blowholes, offshore limestone stacks, and towering limestone cliffs. Here, we could see the Archway, Razorback and Dumpling Pots and listened to the tragic tale of the 1878 shipwreck by the Shipwreck Coast. Long story short: Way back in the day, a large clipper ship engraved with the name Loch Ard beached on a nearby island with only two of the fifty-four passengers surviving: a fifteen-year-old boy called Tom Pearce, and a seventeen-year-old Irish girl called Eva Carmichael. Both passengers were washed ashore during the event where Pearce raised an alarm to the surrounding locals. The act saved Carmichael’s life, though she returned to England soon after, having lost most of her family in the tragedy. Pearce continued to live a fruitful life and was often referred to as a hero of his time. Awwww!
Before departing the Shipwreck Coast, we took Gibson’s Steps which are carved into the limestone cliff and walked along the beach. We saw a few people venturing into the water but we didn’t have our swimsuits so opted not to take a dip. Instead, we enjoyed the incredible views that stretched out for miles.
Since we were exhausted after such a long day, we went straight to sleep. The next day we took an early morning flight to our third and final stop on our Australian adventure: Cairns. After checking into the Pullman Reef hotel, we quickly changed into our swimsuits and headed to the Reef Terminal (only about a 10-minute walk from the hotel) to check in for our tour. Once we were checked in, we grabbed a burger at the nearby cafe and then walked the pier until we found the boat to Fitzroy Island.
I had read reviews about the island before arriving so was prepared for it being extremely pebbly. I had never been to a beach that was filled with that many small stones (which definitely made for an uncomfortable experience when we had to walk into the water barefoot). Also, since we were in Cairns during jellyfish season, which is generally from November to May, we had to take extra precautions and wear a stinger suit to go snorkeling. Let’s just say we were pretty disappointed with the snorkeling on this island (the water was way too murky to see any fish clearly) and had way more fun laughing at ourselves looking like human smurfs.
After heading back to the hotel and a quick change, we walked along the boardwalk for dinner at Waterbar and Grill Steakhouse. Our hotel was the perfect location and a short walk to both the pier and restaurant. At the restaurant, I feasted on prawns and borewoers (South African sausage) with garlic mash which was fantastic and a waterbar martini with lychee and it was sooooo good. Will had the steak which he said melted in his mouth. The service was beyond excellent and I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Cairns. The food was so good that I only remembered to take a picture AFTER I started eating and tried to reconstruct the originally beautiful plating (as you can tell from the pic, that was an epic fail!). Trust me when I say it was delicious though!
Shortly after arriving back in our hotel room, we noticed strange noises coming from outside. We then looked out the window and saw swarms of what turned out to be something called a spectacled flying fox (aka a fruit bat). Needless to say, we were both freaked out and amused at the same time.
For our second day in Cairns, we headed to North Bar & Kitchen for breakfast (which a short walk from the hotel and by the pier). I enjoyed a delicious Eggs Benedict with a side of sausage while Will had fluffy pancakes and we both washed down our breakfast with fresh smoothies.
I was really excited and nervous for this day because it would be my first time scuba diving. Since two dives was only $70 more than a single dive, both Will and I had signed up for two dives. By the way, I would highly recommend reading up on the do’s and don’ts of scuba diving before signing up. There are a ton of precautions you have to take (e.g., no flying for a certain amount of time after scuba diving, etc.) so you want to make sure you are prepared. We did have a brief introductory “lesson” where the instructor went over important hand signals, breathing, how to adjust the face mask underwater, and how to equalize your ears as you go deeper underwater (but it was way too brief for my comfort!). It was SO overwhelming. I was super anxious before I hit the water.
If I wasn’t already anxious enough, I was then fitted for my diving gear and HEAVY is an understatement to describe the weight of the equipment my 5’1″ frame had to carry on my back. I was not prepared for it to be that heavy. It was so heavy, I needed help getting off of the bench and walking to the edge of the boat! Then it was time to jump in and begin my descent underwater. Let me just say that although I had a smile on my face in the photos, I was freaked out the ENTIRE time and couldn’t wait to come back up. With every meter we descended down further into the water, I got more and more nervous (which was exacerbated by me having a hard time regulating my ear pressure). I was so proud of myself for sticking it out because I would’ve been mad at myself for missing out on all of the beautiful marine life that I saw, including clams and Nemo the clownfish! Needless to say, I had my fill on my first dive and opted out of the second dive and went snorkeling instead. Will didn’t chicken out like I did and got to see a pineapple sea cucumber (yea, I’m a tad bit jealous).
We both were exhausted after such a full day diving and snorkeling but couldn’t rest yet because we had a “Hummer tour” lined up. It was terrible and if I knew it was going to be such a time waster, we would’ve skipped it in exchange for some extra sleep! 😦 Basically, we drove to some guy who looked like Crocodile Dundee’s house to eat some barbecued crocodile and kangaroo sausage (which was actually really good). Then, we went bumping around in a hummer to another location to see and feed wallabies. While being able to interact with the wallabies up close and personal was really cool, that was the highlight of the tour and wasn’t worth the money we paid.
The only other cool part was that we ended up seeing a random snake in the road. It is definitely true when you hear that everything in Australia is trying to kill you!
For our last full day in Cairns, we had breakfast at North Cafe again (but of course it wasn’t as good as the day before). We checked in at the Reef Terminal (as you’ve guessed by now, pretty much all of the tours leave from the Reef Terminal) then boarded the boat to Green Island.
Unlike Fitzroy Island, Green Island had real sand. However, the downside of this island was that it was way more popular and therefore, MUCH more crowded than Fitzroy Island. After a short dip in the pool there, we headed to our Seawalker excursion where you put on a helmet and can walk underwater. It was a pretty cool experience but I’m still trying to figure out how the helmet doesn’t fill up with water as you descend into the water (things that make you go hmmm!).
We then went on a glass bottom boat and saw fish, coral, turtles and sharks. The not so fun part was that I think we got on the wrong boat tour because our guide only spoke Chinese and we couldn’t understand a word of what the boat captain was saying!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a ToyasTravels trip if I didn’t have another excursion lined up right after this one! After departing Green Island, we sprinted back to our hotel to take the fastest shower ever then headed back to the Reef Terminal for our tour to Kuranda, a tiny village in the rainforest.
Here, we took the Skyrail which glide above the canopy providing spectacular views of the rainforest, the Coral Sea and the Cairns Highlands. We then went to Barron Falls Station which has easy access walkways to three separate lookouts providing incredible views of the Barron Gorge and Falls. Although we would’ve loved to spend the entire day soaking in the views, we couldn’t spend too long since we had to take the Scenic Rail Train back (which was a 90-minute ride in and of itself).
By the time we finished with the train and walked back to our hotel, it was nearly time for dinner. Originally, we had reservations at Ochre restaurant but since we had already eaten so much “game” (e.g., emus, kangaroos, etc.), we went back to Waterbar since it was that good 🙂 This time around Will had the chicken tenderloins to start and then ribs and peri peri chicken, while I had the crab and cod fritters to start and the reef and beef (rib eye and local prawns) which was excellent. Again, our meal there did NOT disappoint.
For our final day in the country, we walked exploring the nearby area a bit and found Lillipad’s Cafe where we had breakfast. There was a friendly Rasta that appeared to be in charge, and we were glad to support a Black-owned establishment (especially since we hadn’t seen many folks with melanin during our time in Australia). I had the Eggs Benedict with asparagus and fresh watermelon / mint juice while Will had the French toast which was as big as my head.
Before heading to the airport, we went across the street to the Cairns Wildlife Dome at the Reef Hotel Casino to interact with and take photos with a koala, crocodile, and HUGE snake. It was the perfect way to end our time in the Land Down Under and prepare for the EXTREMELY long flight back!
All in all, the trip was everything we expected…and more! Below is my list of the top takeaways from our vacation in The Land Down Under:
1. It is 100% true that everyone says “G’day mate”
2. There are A LOT of British tourists (or maybe I just thought they were British because the Australian accent sounded a lot like the British one…shrug)
3. The “Black man head nod” (i.e., a slight head nod exchanged between Black males) is truly universal…even in Australia! Since I’m a frequent traveler and have been to a number of countries where people who look like me are not “the norm”, I’ve always been acutely aware when I DO see someone else that looks like me and acknowledge them accordingly. So when I started to notice that every Black male that we saw in Australia (which wasn’t that many…probably 4 guys across 9 days and 3 cities) would give my husband the same greeting that we were all too familiar with in countries closer to home, I softly chuckled to myself but also admired the fact that this small sign of acknowledgement could be found as far as Australia.
4. Research the time difference between your home country and destination, and figure out the best time to “schedule” your sleep on long haul flights so that you can be on your destination’s time when you land. This is extremely important on fast-paced trips like mine. Of course, I totally ignored my own advice traveling to Australia and was literally up most of the night during my first night there and only had pure adrenaline to get me through the next day!
Toya's Travels 
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