Round the world - Australia

Two weeks in Australia might not seem like a lot of time but this leg of the round the world trip was entirely planned around the Indian Pacific train which only runs once a week in each direction. Once I had reserved my cabin and locked in the dates, I had time either side to explore a few cities.

Given most of my trip prior has been very nature focussed, along with the constant threat of spiders and snakes in the wilderness, I chose to spend my time in the big cities of Melbourne and Sydney. Upon arrival, it was certainly a shock to the senses with lots of people and noise from traffic. Though the people of Australia are no where near as friendly as those in New Zealand and Japan, I still managed to have a good time.

Apart from the train, I did not plan anything to do in Australia. It was nice to not come with any expectations and experience daily life as it comes.

Waypoints

-37.81322, 144.96517 - Melbourne

Melbourne CBD is nice and compact. The grid system and free trams make it easy to get around. I particularly enjoyed tours of the State Library (free) and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (paid). Both are spectacular and their histories are made more engaging with an expert. Walking the Botanical gardens and Southbank are a relaxing affair on a sunny day. The National Gallery of Victoria is also recommended (it is also free!). Melbourne has plethora alleyways and its in these where the hidden gems are for eating out.

-38.66411, 143.10375 - Great Ocean Road

I learnt about the Great Ocean Road by chance and decided to book a day tour of the famous stretch of road along the south coast of Australia. We set off very early in the morning as there was a long day of driving ahead of us. With plentiful stops throughout it was a really well thought out tour. We visited Gibson Steps and got our first glimpse of the unforgiving waves that gives the south coast the nickname of Shipwreck Coast. After that, we visited the 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. Making our way back along the Great Ocean Road proper, we spotted wild koalas in the trees and went for a short walk in Maits Rest Rainforest Walk. Lunch was in Apollo Bay and a final viewpoint at Teddy's Lookout in Lorne. Really fun day out.

-31.95375, 115.8583 - Perth

My visit to Perth was short. I had always intended it as a positioning stop to start the train ride on the Indian Pacific. Due to unknown reasons when booking my flights, the date I wanted was not available so I ended up having two nights in Perth. However, due to the late arrival of the flight from Melbourne and the early check in for the Indian Pacific, it meant I only had one full day in Perth. With that, I decided to brave the waters and visit Rottnest Island for the day.

-31.99534, 115.54058 - Rottnest Island

Another early start to take the ferry over to Rottnest Island. The journey was pleasant and luckily the seas were calm with the stretch down the Swan River slow due to speed restrictions. Once on the island it was instantly obvious why it was a popular destination to visit. Clear waters, pristine beaches and lots of convenient amenities provided the slow, relaxed day I needed in between travel days. I decided to walk anti-clockwise from the ferry port for a short hike. Within ten minutes I spotted my first quokka just chilling out under a tree. They are incredibly adorable creatures and some are not afraid to approach humans. I walked as far as Geordie Bay Jetty before retracing my steps and ended back at to get some quality beach time at The Basin. Soon enough, it was time to join the bus tour around the island. It is a much more relaxed way to see the island than cycle around (which a lot of people did). We were introduced to the plant-life, marine-life and [island formation/rocks]. The tour was really informative and enjoyable. Afterwards, a short wait for the return ferry back to Perth.

-31.94435, 115.87703 - Indian Pacific Train - Perth to Sydney

The next 4 days and 3 nights would be spent on the magnificent Indian Pacific train travelling from Perth to Sydney. I met some wonderful people - both locals and tourists who were all up for a good time onboard. More details of the train and the journey will be in another post, but here I'll post a few photos of some of the places we stopped at.

-30.74648, 121.4684 - Kalgoorlie

We arrived at the mining town of Kalgoorlie around 10pm. Coaches took us for a tour of the town as well as to the mining super pit. Granted, it was late at night so visibility was poor; you could only see the lights on the vehicles which are operated 24 hours a day.

-30.61278, 130.4155 - Cook

Cook usually has a population of around 4 people, typically staff who work on the railways. We arrived in 45C heat but it was still an enjoyable time getting a good look at the whole train for the first time.

-34.9158, 138.59616 - Adelaide

Adelaide had multiple tours for us to choose from. I picked the Adelaide Oval tour (as I had enjoyed the Melbourne Cricket Ground tour so much). We got to see a lot of behind the scenes locations and even climbed up the scoreboard!

-33.73053, 150.30096 - Blue Mountains, Sydney

The final day was spent in the Blue Mountains. I chose to take the cultural tour which was awesome. Super friendly and knowledgeable Uncle Dave welcomed us onto their lands.

-33.79467, 151.28786 - Manly Beach

After arriving into Sydney, I did not really have any plans so my first evening was spent settling down and planning what to do. Before the rain poured, I hot-footed it to Manly Beach for a relaxing morning. The beach was lovely and surrounded by great cafes and restaurants. Unfortunately, the waves were quite strong so swimming was not allowed by the coast guards. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed relaxing on the beach after four days on the train.

-33.89174, 151.27604 - Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach coastal walk

This walk was suggested to me by some passengers on the train! On the day I went there was a lot of sea mist coming in but it did not detract from the walk itself. There are a lot of ups and downs with steps but was not too difficult. I lost count of the number of beaches along the way, so there are plenty of opportunities to rest and relax. In fact, I felt like the smaller beaches would have been more relaxing than Bondi Beach which was pretty hectic even on a grey misty day.

-33.86887, 151.20721 - Sydney

As the weather improved, I managed to tour the Sydney Opera House, walk up the Harbour Bridge for some incredible views, and go shopping in downtown Sydney. It is a great place for a city break and I enjoyed my time here. If I had more time, I definitely would have loved to take the train out to some of the outer suburbs.