Australia
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A Quick Stroll in Nature
It was a warm day, only made bearable by the cool breeze that blew through the canyon. The foliage was a dry green striving to blend with the red earth. Weeds and dry grasses hung limply along the trail edge; having abandoned the hope of rain. The path hugged the canyon wall, leaving a steep drop to the clear stream below. It had been four years since I had last seen Jordan, but it was like no time had passed at all. The conversation flowed with ease as we bridged topics of time, films, and the workings of the world. Though I was out of the city and surrounded by…
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Melbourne: The Early Days
Another new city, only this one was different. I would be living there; going out to find a job, a home, and experiencing life like a normal non-traveler for the next six months. To be honest, the thought was utterly terrifying. I hate searching for jobs; the whole process makes me feel like I’m trying to sell myself. Really that’s all finding a job is, boasting about your qualifications and hoping they are impressive enough to get you hired. Anyways, I postponed the search for quite a while; telling myself I needed a break. Worst of all was during this lull I didn’t even do much exploring. I spent most…
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Green Point
I had never heard of Green Point, granted there are plenty of places in Aus I’ve never heard of, but it sounded like an amazing opportunity. Jenny and Mark had recently purchased a lovely retirement home right on a salt water lake fed by the ocean, and they were heading up for the weekend to work on it. They were kind enough to invite me to come and experience another part of Aus. We left well after the sun had been forgotten and the drive was harrowing to say the least. For some reason all the truck drivers decided the middle of the night was the perfect time to drive…
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Workaway
I was quite nervous about meeting the family. What if they didn’t like me and told me to leave? What if I didn’t work hard enough and disappointed them? What if they changed their mind and decided they didn’t want a stranger living in their house? Sitting outside the coffee shop near Hazelbrook Station, I couldn’t seem to keep all these “what ifs” out of my brain. See I was about to have my first Workaway experience. Workaway.com is a website designed for work exchange. People make a profile to request help with some aspect of their life: renovation, housework, caring for the kids, yardwork, gardening, painting, animal care, even…
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Bushwalks and Boundless Thoughts
I’m sure I could write multiple blogs about all the different bush walks I did in the Blue Mountains and go into extensive details about the flora and fauna. However, since I recently posted two blogs about ocean walks in Sydney, I felt like five more about walking would be a little overkill. During my three weeks in the Blue Mountains I hiked to Victoria Falls, Govetts Leap via Popes Glen, Asgard Head, Thor Head, Terrace Falls, The Three Sisters via The Prince Henry Cliff Walk, Euroka and Red Hands Cave, and the South Lawson Waterfall Track. See what I mean about overkill? I quite enjoy solo hiking and the…
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Those Hot Spring Days
How was it only spring and already unbearably hot? Hannah, my friend from the free walking tour, and I were meeting to do the Bondi to Coogee walk and check out the Sculptures by the Sea. After a lot of trouble reloading my public transit card because my bank put a hold on my account ̶ even though there was a travel notice ̶ we were finally able to start our walk. Unlike the Spit to Manley walk that takes you through forested areas, this one was strictly a beach cliff walk. The only thing that made the sun remotely bearable was the breeze, even so I was dripping sweat…
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Spit
I left the hostel early, before free breakfast, and before the receptionist arrived. It was already warm outside, yet the clouds promised amiable weather. Following the route I had walked the previous day, I passed through Hyde Park and stopped at a corner Starbucks to get my first gingerbread latte of the season. Yes, I am well aware that Australia has its own coffee culture and there are plenty of other places to grab a good cup in the morning. There are just particular drinks that taste a certain way and I am very fond of…I have yet to find a gingerbread latte that tastes better than the one from…
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The Yellow Brick Road
I don’t know why I’m so crazy about this phrase. I looked up whether there’s a yellow brick road in AUS (pronounced Oz) but the only thing I found was info on a mortgage broker…oh well. So, in case you haven’t guessed I made it to Australia: only two continents to go! The hostel was nothing particularly special, other than the fact that as a guest you had access to a local gym. I took advantage of this feature every single day, including after my ten-hour flight to Sydney. As I do in pretty much every city I stay in, I looked up free walking tours and found a company…
