Australia

Definitely my favorite city in Australia. I liken it to a blend of Portland and San Francisco. Very hipster, exceptional diverse cuisine from all over the world, friendly people, burgeoning music scene, and overall chill place. It’s a city I would not only visit again, but feel very happy living in for a couple months. It does get cold in winter, so I would definitely suggest visiting during their spring, summer, or fall April through October. I met quite a few locals who travel north to the Gold Coast or as far up as Cairns for warmer weather during winter.

See & Do

• Central Business District (CBD). Center of downtown.
• Queen Victoria Market. Most popular and largest market in Melbourne. It’s quite impressive and you can easily spend a couple hours just walking through it. Go shopping for groceries, shop, or have a meal.
• State Library Victoria. Beautiful public library.
• Chinatown. Bustling area in downtown with shops and restaurants.
• Royal Arcade. Interesting old time fancy shopping mall.
• Flinders Street Station. Train station hub.
• Federation Square. Very cool artsy square and market.
• National Gallery of Victoria. Public gallery with free entry.
• South Melbourne Market. Similar to Victoria, on the south side.
• Melbourne Zoo. I love animals, but mixed feelings about zoos. Melbourne is not only a great zoo, but seemed responsible in animal care, education, and conservation. One big reason I wanted to visit was to see animals native to Australia that I hadn’t seen elsewhere.
• Fitzroy. Hipster neighborhood great for markets, international cuisine, and vintage second hand clothing like Lost and Found Market which is awesome. Reminded me of the Mission District in San Francisco.
• Brunswick. Hipster neighborhood great for markets, international cuisine, and vintage second hand clothing like Brotherhood of St. Laurence. Barkly Square is a bustling market.
• Collingwood. Another hip neighborhood.
• St. Kilda. After seeing multiple signs around town, I thought I’d check it out. Reminded me of Shell Beach from Dark City or Coney Island in New York. Nice beach, some shops and cafes, amusement park. Fun little excursion if you have some extra time.

Food & Drink

• Fortune Dumpling. Dim sum.
• Din Tai Fung. Dim sum.
• Brick Lane. Awesome breakfast spot tucked away in an alley.
• Oriental Teahouse. Restaurant with great food and great tea.
• Oxi Tea Room. Awesome tea house with some food pairings. Walk in possible, reservation recommended.
• Proud Mary Coffee. Outstanding hipster breakfast spot with great food, coffee, and tea. I actually learned about this place, which is the original, through one that opened in Austin, TX.
• Mediterranean Wholesalers. Grocery store with imports from Italy, Greece, and other parts of the Mediterranean.
• Wholefoods Brunswick. Fresh healthy food with amazing frozen fish and soup options.
• Babbage Foods. Fresh healthy food.
• Mama Manoush. Lebanese.
• Kumo Izakaya. Exceptional Japanese and sushi.
• The Old Bikeshop Cafe. Converted bicycle shop turned cafe with good healthy breakfast options and popular coffee stop.
• Take Two Bagels. Breakfast.
• Zia Teresa. Italian.
• El Mirage. My go to breakfast spot in East Brunswick.

Nearby

• Getting There. I flew direct from Queenstown, New Zealand which ended up having the best options at the time. Or you can fly direct from Christchurch or Auckland. If you’re feeling adventurous, spend a few days in Tasmania. From the airport, you can take the Melbourne City Express Skybus to the CBD’s Southern Cross train station and then find your way from there to wherever you’re staying. Takes about 30 minutes.
• Getting Around. Melbourne has a great public transit system of busses and trains, as well as ride shares. Pick up a myki card which makes topping off and getting on a breeze. Found at various convenient stores or at the airport.
• When To Visit. I went in April since I like shoulder seasons. It’s the middle of fall and was cool but pleasant. Definitely work a jacket in the mornings, but warmed up throughout the day. I heard it’s cold and rainy as winter approaches. Spring and summer are of course great times to visit.

Tips

• Great Ocean Road. Similar in spirit to the Pacific Coast Highway in California. Some surf spots, small towns, waterfalls and ocean views. Driving this road takes longer than you think. I made it about half way since I was only doing a day trip, but would be worth spending a night in Port Campbell. It’s gets even better the farther west you drive. Lorne (further east) is a neat little beach town. Great Otway National Park for you nature loves of forests, waterfalls, and hiking.
• Healesville. The Black Spur drive drew me out this way. Very Northern California forest vibe with its towering trees. Since I’ve been all over Northern California, it was a bit underwhelming for me. The town of Healesville is nice and good spot to eat. The main draw being the Healesville Sanctuary if you want to see animals in a less enclosed, more interactive space.
• Wilsons Promontory National Park. Although I did not visit, looks amazing if you’re up for a nature focused road trip.
• Tasmania. Didn’t make it here either, but hope to visit in the future and promote this to my top 5 above. Looks beautiful.

Melbourne Zoo Kangaroo

Melbourne Zoo Gorilla

Melbourne Zoo Lemur

Melbourne Zoo Baboon

Melbourne Zoo Lion

Melbourne Zoo Snow Leopard

Melbourne Zoo Tiger

Melbourne Zoo Elephants

Melbourne Zoo Lizard

Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road

What a beautiful multi-cultural city with beautiful people. You have all the advantages of a major metropolitan area with coastal beaches nearby. Reminiscent of Los Angeles and Southern California in many ways. From a pure tourist standpoint, I found it to be a great city. I loved the various neighborhoods, restaurants, cafes, tea shops, parks, art, and international influence. There’s a lot to see and do, or you can relax by the beach. In the opposite direction inland, it’s a nature lover’s dream.

See & Do

• Central Business District (CBD). Downtown.
• Sydney Opera House. Iconic attraction for shows or just great photos. Up close photos on site, wide angle at the harbor, or in my opinion the best place at the Rotunda Observation Deck in The Rocks for the quintessential views.
• The Rocks. Oldest part of the city. Located at Sydney Harbor.
• Museum of Contemporary Art. Located at The Rocks. Free entry.
• Royal Botanic Gardens. Nice walk along the river, very nicely laid out park.
• Harbor Bridge. Great view from the harbor below, on the bridge, or climb up on top of the bridge.
• Darling Square. Hip, modern complex of specialty shops.
• Darlinghurst. Cool, funky, high-energy area with cafes, multicultural restaurants, and cocktail bars.
• King’s Cross. Popular area for bars and nightclubs.
• Surry Hills. Stylish cultural and cafe scene.
• Haymarket & Chinatown. Bustling area with night markets, Chinese food restaurants, souvenirs. My favorite part of Sydney.
• Paddington Markets. Longstanding market with shops and produce.
• Vivid Sydney. Annual global, local, light, and food festival where the entire city is illuminated. Amazing light shows and art installations can be found all over town in May.
• Newtown. Hip neighborhood with eclectic shops and restaurants. King Street. Great hipster neighborhood worth visiting if you have time.
• Marrickville. Hip neighborhood.
• Bondi Beach. Surfer paradise, chill atmosphere. Icebergs Pool outdoors filled with saltwater along the coast. Bondi Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. Bondi Junction for shopping and public transit hub.
• Coogee Beach. Restaurants and shops.
• Coogee-to-Bondi. Two hour coastal walk. In between, stop at Tamara Beach, Bronte Beach, Clovelly Pool fed by the sea.

Food & Drink

• Matcha-Ya. Food and drinks made from matcha. Located in a cool area with cafes and restaurants.
• EdoMatcha. Organic tea store with high quality tea selection. Not just matcha, really good Sencha.
• Taste Organic Enmore. Fantastic organic grocery store. Great snacks.
• Earl’s Juke Joint. Speakeasy hidden behind a butcher shop with a New Orleans vibe.

Nearby

• Blue Mountains. National park, off roading, hiking. Jenolan Caves, Grand Canyon, Ruined Castle.
• Lord Howe Island. Two hour flight to wildlife, diving, snorkeling, and beautiful hikes.

Tips

• Getting There. Many people skip a visit to Australia because for some, it’s very far away. Stories of 30 hours, etc. However, Sydney is very accessible from many cities in the world. From the U.S. for example, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Dallas, and Honolulu all fly direct. 15 hours from LA isn’t nothing, but it’s only a few hours longer than flying to central Europe, just to put it in perspective. Only 9.5 hours from Honolulu. I’m mentioning, because this was one of my hangups. One tip if you’re worried about the travel time, break up the trip, such as stopping over in Hawaii or Fiji. Alternatively, if you can afford it, fly Business Class where you’ll probably sleep through half of it. Credit card points are a great way to reduce the cost.
• Getting Around. Sydney has great public transit with a comprehensive subway, bus, and train system. Pick up an Opal card or use a contactless credit card to ride with ease.

Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney

Coastal Walk

Coastal Walk

The Great Barrier Reef is truly a once in a lifetime experience to see the largest and most diverse underwater ecosystem on the planet. I saw clownfish (Nemo), giant clam, green turtle, and a Maori wrasse named Wally to name a few of the highlights, including the coral on the reef itself among many other fish. There was some damage to parts due to a semi-recent typhoon and no doubt over tourism. This has been a long time my bucket list item especially as climate change devastates the ecosystem. There is hope though as we’re seeing portions of the reef recover. Be responsible, don’t smash into the reef, and wear reef safe sunblock.

The Great Barrier Reef is huge and there are many places to access this wonder of the world. Cairns is one of the most popular and easiest ways to visit the reef. The town itself I thought was quite nice with plenty of dive shops, places to eat, shopping, and tour operators. Plenty of land activities to keep you busy if the sea isn’t your thing. This is where I had my reef experience. I visited during a shoulder season, so it wasn’t too crowded. I imagine high season June through December can get pretty busy. Another advantage of Cairns is the airport which can easily get you here and also out to Bali, other major hubs in Southeast Asia, and New Zealand. It can be pretty overwhelming visiting the Great Barrier Reef, so I’ll include some information and tips below to help you plan your visit.

I’m unfortunately very prone to sea sickness, more sensitive than most, so I had a very particular trip that allowed me to visit the reef that minimized time at sea. It was still a bit rough though. Others not so sensitive to the sea will have many more options. For those in a similar boat as me, no pun intended, here’s what I did. Took my scuba refresher in the Gold Coast as a precursor since it’s been awhile since my last dive. Flew into Cairns and stayed for a few nights to both go diving and to relax. Booking extra time is advisable in case there is bad weather. Not only rain, but especially wind which can be quite problematic in this area. Windy is a helpful resource for forecasting. The options for most people wanting to scuba dive are either to do a liveaboard for several nights or day trip at sea all day. The trip out to the Outer Reef is 2-3 hours each way and gets pretty rough soon after you leave the mainland. It calms when you get closer to the reefs. That led me to find a day trip that broke up the trip with some stability in between stops. Great Adventures Green Island + Reef Tour offered a stop first to Green Island and then on to their anchored pontoon boat at Moore Reef. What was great about this itinerary is that my stomach was able to settle while at Green Island, which was itself quite nice, and while on the very stable pontoon between dives. There were also other activities if you’re not into diving or snorkeling. This tour is also good if you just want a brief trip into the Great Barrier Reef. A little touristy, but generally well run and great staff. The good size catamaran was about as stable and calm as you’re going to get. Each leg of the trip is about 45 minutes to an hour on the boat. You can get in up to 2 dives straight from the pontoon. Had I not found this option, I’m not sure I would have been able to go diving. If I had been able to stomach it, literally, I would have gone with Pro Dive Silverswift for a 3 dive day trip to the Outer Reef which looks amazing.

Turns out my first major diving experience on Koh Tao was very easy. Very close to the dive sites. You can essentially decide the day before if and where you want to dive. No advanced planning required and calm seas, at least when I went in March/April. The Great Barrier Reef is more involved and more crowded. Advanced planning is definitely recommended. I also did a couple night liveaboard in the Galapagos Islands, but despite using a magical patch to manage seasickness, I still felt queasy, making it difficult to work up an appetite to maintain my energy levels. There were at least land stops each day and relatively calm seas, at least in May. So I’m just glad I was able to see the Great Barrier Reef at all and moreover hope this helps those of you with a similar relationship to the sea.

The Reef

• When To Go. High season is June through December. Best Visibility is August through January. Wet Season is December through March. Jellyfish appear predominantly in November and May. Water temperature is 24-30 degrees celsius year round up north and dips to 20 in winter farther south. You won’t be diving in tropical waters outside of summertime up north.
• Inner and Outer Reef. There is a distinction between the two parts of the reef. The best diving is in the Outer Reef simply due to it being farther from the mainland and thus less visited and also impacted by the mainland. This of course varies up and down the Great Barrier Reef. It can easily take 2-3 hours to reach the Outer Reef from most towns.
• Cairns. Most popular, most options. Access to the outer reef. Many places to stay, amenities of a typical beach town. You’ll likely need to go a bit further out to see more pristine parts of the reef. The benefit for me visiting Cairns was the closer proximity to dive sites and slightly warmer, calmer (barely) seas, and the airport.
• Port Douglas. Another popular town with access to Agincourt Ribbon Reefs.
• Townsville. A friend raved about this town and said he thought it had the best diving. Also less crowded. There’s a smaller airport, rental car places, and near the SS Yongala Wreck, a must see for experienced divers. The Museum of Underwater Art is also accessible from Townsville. The reef is a bit farther out from here.
• Green Island. Accessible from Cairns only 45 minutes away is a nice little beach stop for a couple hours to relax or snorkel in shallow water. You can then either head back to the mainland or out to the reef for snorkeling and scuba diving.
• Dive Shops & Tour Operators. Pro Dive has a great reputation and seemed very helpful when I spoke with them, although I didn’t end up using them. Great Adventures and Reef Encounters are also good choices. Uncle Brians came up in my research and seemed quite popular, though I had no interaction with them.

Things To See & Do In Cairns

• Cairns Night Market. Shops and restaurants that comes alive at night.
• Esplanade Lagoon. Sunbathing, swimming, play area.
• Crave Cairns. Healthy cafe.
• Pho Viet Vietnamese Noodle Bar. Good Vietnamese food.

Near Cairns

• Daintree Rainforest. Only a couple hours north of Cairns just outside Port Douglas is the oldest rainforest in the world. I didn’t get there, but it was high on my list. I’d suggest spending at least one night to accommodate travel time and day trips from tour operators. These folks offer some cool tours in a more pristine part of the rainforest, located on private land with locals. The more public national park is also an option. Cape Tribulation is nearby. There is a small town in Daintree.
• Crystal Cascades. Waterfall and swimming hole.

Tips

• Sea Travel. The best way to do the Great Barrier Reef in my opinion, especially if you’re into scuba diving, is to do a liveaboard for a few nights. You’ll really get to see and do a lot this way. There are, however, some day trips to the Outer Reef that will get you 2-3 dives at some amazing places.
• Seasickness. There are three solutions that have worked for me. Reliefband is worn on your wrist and emits electrical pulses of varying intensity to suppress your need to vomit. Worked pretty well for me, but you may still feel queasy if it’s very rough. Dramamine is my go to, the only downside is sun sensitivity and drowsiness. I always bring some with me, but I learned you can also find abroad. Lastly, the most extreme is a prescription Scopolamine patch which is pretty magical. You place behind your ear and can wear up to 3 days. It’s even waterproof. I wore it in the shower and snorkeling. I still felt a bit queasy on the rougher legs. I also got sick the day after removing the patch back on land, which is a known side effect for some. Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, inform yourself of what each of these do and their side effects.
• Scuba Diving. Make sure your PADI or SSI certification is up to date or take a refresher. If you’re time bound and live near a place to do a refresher, I would suggest doing so before you go. Otherwise you can likely do so with the dive shop. Typically it’s few hours in the pool to refresh your skills. If you’re really rusty, you’ll need to do a 2-day pool and open water refresh. Check with the dive shop ahead of time about your certification validity and also which dive certification you need. For example, the SS Yongala requires Advanced Open Water since it’s deeper than the Basic allows for. One dive shop told me I could dive the wreck with my Basic and he would just do a deep dive with me the day before and that would suffice.

Aptly named, the Gold Coast is reminiscent of the sunshine state of Florida in the United States for its weather, beaches, and overall vibe. Located only an hour south of Brisbane, which gives off a more metropolitan, business vibe, the Gold Coast has a much more vacation surfer/diver vibe. It’s a pretty good sized area that also has access to a lot of forest and parks further inland. It’s both a place where people live year round as well as vacation.

See & Do

• Surfer’s Paradise. The most happening and also the most popular for tourists. Relax at the beach or party it up. Easiest to access restaurants if you don’t have a car and stay in the center.
• Broadbeach. Popular beach spot.
• Burleigh Head. Popular beach spot.
• Coolangatta Beach. Popular beach, near the airport, shops and restaurants.

Food & Drink

• Miami Fish Market. Meals or market style fish to cook at home.
• Yum Cha Noodle House. Good noodles.
• Coles. Supermarket.

Nearby

• Brisbane. Many seem dismissive of Brisbane as just a big city for business people, but I quite liked it. It’s a little quirky, hipster in certain neighborhoods and seems like a decent place to live. I liked Fortitude Valley, Paddington, West End, South Bank, and New Farm. Just outside the city, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is awesome. Koala’s being one of my favorite childhood animals, you can get your picture taken holding them, which seems not to bother the animals in the slightest.
• Byron Bay. Consensus lists this place as the most beautiful in the vicinity. A small town, especially in contrast to the Gold Coast, the beaches and bays are gorgeous. The town itself very chill, hip, and healthy. It’s a surfer and backpacker paradise. Great views from Cape Byron Lighthouse, especially of Tallow Beach where I saw several dolphins from afar. Wategos Beach offers relaxation, kayaking with dolphins, and surfing. Twisted Sista is a really nice cafe. If I were to do it again, I’d stay in Byron Bay instead.
• Lennox Head. Just south of Byron Bay for more of the same.
• Currumbin Rock Pools. Small relaxed swimming hole.
• Springbrook National Park. Hiking and waterfalls galore.
• Nimbin. I actually suggest NOT visiting here. I’m listing it because it used to be a super cool hippie haven out in the mountain forest, but in recent years has taken a nose dive. Which is unfortunate since I was very excited about it. Now it seems mostly filled with crazy people and drugs. If you came up on this place in research and it sounded cool as it did to me, it doesn’t seem so anymore, at least not in 2024.

Surfer's Paradise

Byron Bay Wategos Beach

Byron Bay Dolphin

Currumbin Rock Pools

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Raptor Show

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Koala

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Kangaroos

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Kangaroo

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Dingos

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Tasmanian Devil

The spectacular Whitsunday Islands and access to the southern portion of the Great Barrier Reef. Tours typically include sunbathing on the beautiful white sands of Whitehaven Beach, guided walks to Hill Inlet for iconic views of the swirling sands, and snorkeling around the islands. People typically stay in Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island for day trips. Sailing trips are also very popular. For land lovers, you have the beach, sunbathing, restaurants, bars. For sea lovers, sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving. There’s a small airport and shuttles into town, making it very easy to get here. Not being a boat person, I didn’t find much to do, but if you dig sailing, the Whitsundays are definitely worth a visit.