Australia…my teenager dream that has come true…
To be honest after South America I felt that the best part of my trip is over..but after visiting the land of kangaroos and koalas and so many natural beauties I feel completely different.
I didn’t spend much time in Oz (mainly lack of time and also money), but what I saw was truly beautiful.
I am sure that the regular blog readers know Tracy from Australia, the first person I met during my trip in Rio de Janeiro, and with whom I hooked up a couple of more times in South America..we have become friends on the long road. She left South America a month before me and just about to start her new life back home..
I arrived to Melbourne International airport early in the morning on the 20th September. It was a bit of a mission finding her place in Sunbury (which is a very pretty suburb of Melbourne..or just off Suburbia as I know she is reading it and is a perfectionist;-) because the buses were not really frequent, but eventually I got to her town, made friends with the people working at the train station who guarded my backpack until I took my computer to the first shop I found to get is repaired.
Then I found her cute little house..I have to say I was very impressed with her house and in general the houses in Australia..you don’t really come across this architecture in Europe..neither in South America:) Here is a few examples:
I went food shopping and cooked ‘rakott kel’ (typical Hungarian owen baked meal) for her..Finally she arrived in the evening..well..I have to say she wasn’t really that free, happy Tracy I met in South America..she seemed stressed and tired..which made me picture my future once I am back to the UK hunting for jobs…
Anyway it was very nice to see her..I think both of us felt that at the moment the other person is the ’only thing’ we have left from South America..beyond all those unforgettable memories that we’ve been through…
The next day she went to work and I spend the day with her mum, Dot, around Sunbury, New Gisborne, Woodend and Macedon. She is just as nice as her daughter..I felt spoilt. Kelly, Tracy’s younger sister joined us during the day with her 1 month old baby Zenda. Wow..holding a baby was just….fantastic and scary in the same time 🙂 We visited Hanging Rock and Camel’s Hump, the cross and other lovely places.
We had dinner together, then Tracy arrived and we chatted a bit then we retired as next day we were off to the Great Ocean Road. Well this was something spectacular..she drove all the way to the Twelve Apostoles (and past). Great sunny day on Saturday, a bit less sunny on Sunday but still nice.
Australia is beautiful…truly is..but at that point I still wasn’t addictive to it as a lot of my travellers fellows have become.
On Monday I spent my whole morning in the computer shop…unfortunately my little netbook wasn’t as healthy as I thought, but in the afternoon and the next day I went to Melbourne.
Now..someone at some point in the past told me that the best fit for me as an Australian city would be Melbourne. .
I am sure it would have been different if I visited it in the summer time, and also if I had spent a bit more time there but Melbourne reminded me of London…A LOT. In fact..it was interesting to see my reaction…I got nervous..dropped camera on the tram..I just felt I was back in my routine..cold..rain..
I saw Melbourne in beautiful sunshine as well and it enchanted me with its little cafe’s and riverside walks and the scenery but …I just couldn’t think of living there..
The best part was in the Crown with Tracy (she quit her job on Monday so she came to me to Melbourne on Tuesday) just before entering the casino having a happy dance in the hall with classical music and waterfalls around us…now this made me emotional..and all I could think of was Colombia and the people there and the conditions..and I was angry with myself that I let this shiny world make me happy..I spent long time in poverty..and it felt refreshing being in a flashy environment again..but I don’t want to feel this way…I want to feel the way I felt in Colombia getting rid of these materialistic chains that I ‘m still wearing the remaining of…
Anyway..a few days before this I decided that I would go to Sydney for 3 days..I just couldn’t go away from Australia without being in Sydney and seeing the Opera house. So I stayed in Melbourne in a hostel that night as I had a very early 6am plane on Wednesday.
Sydney at first impression was hot, sexy, playful and fun! I think these would be the words I would use for this stunning city!
I made my way straight away to Manly by ferry. The transport is really easy in the city, less complicated than London, and London is easy peasy..
Manly is a superb surf beach..a bit more upmarket than Bondi, see some pics:
I just envied the people there going for their morning run by the beach or walking their dogs …in 27 degrees (in spring). I spent about 2 hours there because I was supposed to meet Sasha at my Bondi hostel at 12pm. I met Sasha in Rio as well..we went together to the Sambodromo and stayed in the same section, partying over the nightJ. She couldn’t make it in the end so we re-scheduled to Friday.
So spent the afternoon surfing (better- trying to surf) on Bondi..I was the only girl in the water with her embarrassing big board among all those good-looking (but also aware of it) surfers. I ended up struggling in a current for about half an hour by the time a guy came to ‘save ‘ me..he was very nice, tried to console me with the fact that Bondi is not for beginners and also surf itself takes time..and I only did it once in Peru so….I kinda gave up and went sunbathing insteadJ
In the evening I went for a walk with Erica and Stefania, 2 lovely Italian ladies studying and working in Oz. Wow..the crowd is so so different here to even New Zealand…but very nice people all.
On Thursday morning we continued our walk with Stefania on the Great East Coast Walk..pictures on Bondi and the beach path:
Around 2pm I went to the centre to look around. (I booked my second night there)
Walked around in China Town and popped into Paddy’s market, and I really felt the desire to hop onto this Mono Rail that I saw crossing in an elevated railway around the centre. When I went to the ticket office funnily enough a Serbian-Hungarian guy gave me the information on ticketing. I was so surprised that we started talking and we didn’t stop for at least 40 minutes. He told me how did he end up in Australia and in his break he took me on the Mono rail for free with a top spot too, next to the driver:)
We got off at Darling harbour..very nice area with all the pubs and restaurants. I would have loved to spend more time there but it’s impossible to do everything in such a short time. So we said bye, I headed back to my hostel as in the evening I was meeting a very nice friend of mine FROM HIGH SCHOOL, Miki. Our story is a funny one..we never really spoke when we were younger only from the time we bumped into each other on the plane to London..anyway..who knew that once we were going to have jugs of beers in the roof terrace of a central Sydney pub enjoying the stunning view on these skyscrapers (similar to Canary Wharf)…
Since I HAD TO see the Opera house by night as well he was reluctant to come with me and be my guideJ So there..great night..I love surprises and extreme situations..this was one for sure.
Here is the proof:)
On Friday –with a hangover- I met Sasha at 10am (Miki came with us too for a while) and we walked to the Botanic Garden, then entered the Opera House and then Miki left and me, Sasha and an ex colleague of hers walked to the Sky Tower- while I went up and took pictures they had lunch together.
I had my flight back to Melbourne at 3pm so we said bye, I grabbed my bag and rushed to the airport (again kinda late but made it). Tracy was waiting for me at the airport..turned out she quit her job, as she didn’t feel it was for her so I had her all to myself for the next 4 days…
So Friday night we went for dinner to Kelly’s, then Saturday we invited her other sister, and mum and her friends and I cooked some gulyas with pogacsa. (great success)
Then went to Melbourne with the last train as I wanted to check out the nightlife there…
We had a brilliant night with Tracy there..went to Chase Lounge first hoping that there was 80’s night, but it was early 2000 night with Beyonce..was fun though.
Then we found a Latin bar…hahh! that’s all I needed! J loved to go back to Latin America for a couple of hours!
Then we ended up in a late club called ‘Sorry Grandma’ I found the name hilarious..great club! We rocked until 6.30am!
Slept 2 hours then went home to a family lunch..we were both knackered but it was worth itJ
On Monday we just chilled and went for a short walk with Tracy’s sister, Bobby (her dog..cutest ever) and the little ones..
On Tuesday..the last day we went with Tracy and her mum to Daylesford and visited the lake and the springs…(horrible tasting water but I felt the good effect on meJ ) Very nice area..and I bought my big dream a pair of fantastic EMU boots..Ugg fans..EMU is taking over 🙂
Then Tuesday evening she took me to the airport and I flew to Bali..I had a similar situation than I did in LA with visa to Indonesia…I don’t seem to learn from my mistakes but hey..I just bought an outbound ticket from Indonesia and that’s it…sorted 🙂
So my next note will be on Bali and the other islands in the beautiful Asia…wow…I am back to Asia..cannot believe it…as some of you know this whole trip was inspired by my Thailand trip so…it feels great being here.
alizroundtheworld 