Must Sees in Australia (in no particular order):
1. Great Barrier Reef – just watch out for those jellyfish.
2. Whitsunday Islands – so worth the semi-scary sailing trip to see some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.
3. Melbourne – my favorite city in Australia!
4. The Opera House – standard tourist answer, but oh so awesome.
5. Blue Mountains – a great day trip from Sydney, and some spectacular mountain views.
Lessons Learned:
1. Australia is huge! We only saw a small part of the east coast in our three weeks there.
2. It is relatively easy to drive in Australia – lots of signs pointing you to stay on the left side of the road, lots of rest stops and gas stations. They definitely cater towards tourists driving around this part of the country.
3. Northeast Australia is hot! We were there in spring time and I was roasting in Cairns. It was very humid and sticky. Also, the sun there (and in New Zealand) is way stronger, so I would get sun burnt in 5 minutes as opposed to my usual 20.
4. I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. Lots of crazy poisonous creatures here. Luckily, we didn’t see any (I don’t think we even saw a spider the whole time) but it kind of stays in the back of your mind.
5. There really are kangaroos everywhere!
6. The people here were so kind and friendly, everyone was willing to help us.
