Montag, 24. November 2014

Impressions of Melbourne & Great Ocean Road

15.10.2014 - 04.11.2014

On the 14th of October I took a night bus from Sydney to Melbourne, thinking I had saved a lot of money (which I hadn't), and believing I would get enough space in order to actually sleep. Oh, how wrong I was. I didn't sleep for a second, due to the bus driver looking like he was about to doze off any moment, so that I felt like I needed to keep an eye on him constantly. In the morning, around 7am, we finally arrived at Melbourne's Southerncross station. After crashing at a nearby hostel for a couple of hours, Aurelia, a high school acquaintance, picked me up and let me stay with her and her boyfriend and flatmates for a couple of days. I was sick for the whole first week in Melbourne and felt really bad for being a burden, but Aurelia made me feel welcome and cooked amazing veggie soup and chicken and other great stuff for me, so that I would feel better. THANKS SOOOO MUCH!!!
It's always cool being able to stay with someone that you've only been acquainted with, but get to know better after a simple thing as a really random message on facebook.

Whenever anyone speaks about Melbourne, you will notice a sparkle in their eyes accompanied by the sentence "Melbourne is so much better than Sydney". Or you will hear the less popular version, "Sydney is so much better than Melbourne". I can't remember ever meeting a person that loved both cities, and I'll have to say that I belong to the latter unpopular group of people. When I hadn't been to Melbourne yet, I thought it would become my city, and when I got there, I somehow didn't feel that instant connection. However, it definitely has its charm. Especially Fitzroy, one of the very hipster parts of town, where you will find millions of different vegan/raw/organic/altogether cafés one every corner of Smith Street and Brunswick Street. My inner hipster loved it, though.
I really couldn't find that many pictures of Melbourne itself, but I hope this little impression will do. I'll try to find more pictures in the next couple of days.

 Queen Victoria Market



THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD

I took a day trip along the Great Ocean Road to the 12 Apostles and back (and everything inbetween), and loved it. The weather was just beautiful, and the water crystal clear. I spontaneously decided to get on my first helicopter ride above the 12 Apostles right before sunset, and it was breathtaking! I've seen many, many beautiful sunsets, but the one at this spot is probably my favorite.















Samstag, 15. November 2014

Sydney + Blue Mountains

04.10.2014 - 14.04.2014
& 04.11.2014 - 12.11.2014

This city.... I can't describe how deeply I've fallen in love with it. Unlike Brisbane or any other city, I felt an immediate connection. Just by walking down Pitt Street, through Hyde Park and the Royal Botanical Gardens, all the way to the Opera house in the sunniest spring weather, I knew that this was my city.




 I saw this cute, elderly couple sitting on a bench in the Botanical Gardens, watching a wedding party being set up in front of them, and couldn't resist snapping a shot.


 Darlingharbour and the parks surrounding the area are probably some of the best spots to spend a slow, relaxed afternoon reading a book while sipping a freshly squeezed juice.

The fascinating view from the Blue Bar/Shangri-La.

BONDI BEACH. My heart belongs to this place. Even though, at times, it is overly crowded, I would still move there in a heartbeat.


A house in Katoomba, on the way to the Blue Mountains.
 The three sisters.
 The rails of Scenic World's steepest railway in the world.


I can't point out exactly what it is about this city that I love so much. I guess it is just the atmosphere, the good weather (compared to Melbourne), the beaches, and especially the choices you have! You can have all of it if you want - you can stay in a concrete jungle, or get to the beach within 30 minutes, and even go on a day trip to hike the nearby mountains if you feel like it. SYDNEY, you will have me back someday.

Sonntag, 9. November 2014

Best of Magnetic Island & Cairns (2nd time!)

I know, I know.
I keep on procrastinating when it comes to uploading new blog entries. I am already a couple cities (&posts) behind, so let me quickly put together a BEST OF of my short stay on Magnetic Island and my second visit in Cairns.
MAGNETIC ISLAND.





The moon, as seen from Australia.


BASE hostel on Magnetic island. Usually, I am not too big of a fan of BASE, but their hostel on Magnetic island exceeds the standards of all their other BASE hostels in Australia. I especially enjoyed the perfect location RIGHT by the beach, and the well-organized games and parties at the hostel bar (where Melina, Ingmar and I won a $80 bar tap woooohooo).




CAIRNS.
I think I really only took pictures of the Great Barrier Reef, and not of Cairns itself this time.
These pictures don't do the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef justice - you will need to see this with your own eyes!
I truly enjoyed my one day trip out on the reef with Deep Sea Divers Den, and I can only recommend them. It might not be ideal for the seasick (even I got seasick, and I don't ever do), but the true colors and fauna of the reef will make you feel better instantly.