Australian Adventure...Part 2

My last post left off with me making my way to Airlie Beach after my amazing tour along the Queensland coast. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Australia, Airlie Beach is on the coast near a town called Mackay. A rather fun fact about Airlie Beach is that it has no beach...you have to drive about an hour to get to one. I was lucky that Miss Aussie had a good friend who took us there for lunch which was lovely. It was a beautiful view across Airlie and the food was amazing. That night was a big night out. We had fun and I met some new friends. There was also a crazy early morning spa pool session! Unfortunately, what happens in Airlie stays in Airlie my bogging friends.  Needless to say it was a big night. The next day I embarked on my trip to Sydney. 

Airlie Beach and Hotel

In Sydney I was unfortunate to suffer from the winter flu. In Australia, it is there Winter and there were a few nasty bugs going around which I of course picked up. After  so many flights and late nights, having a time to stop meant that my body just gave in to the virus. So, as much as I wanted to see everything I had to rest up lots and lots. I cancelled my blue mountains tour and slept a lot. Of course I did see the famous Sydney Harbour. I was only a 5 minutes walk from there which was lovely for me to get out there as well as Darling Harbour. In other things, I was able to have lunch with a friend I met travelling last year and saw a good friend from home who is living out there. We had food together and also had a pretty cool night out in swanky Sydney bars. By the time I left Sydney, I felt a lot better but managed to pick up a cough which led to a near loss of voice for two days. If you know me...that's the worst thing ever (maybe not for other people).

Sydney - Not bad sightseeing for being struck with flu!

On my return into Brisbane, I had a drinks with Miss Aussie's brother and his friends. I began to feel completely immersed into Aussie life. That weekend I spent time with Miss Aussie and her family. It was then time for our next trip to Melbourne. We visited the aquarium, ate lots and partied in the casino. Melbourne was a fantastic place, it felt very European and with the cooler temperature it felt like home. I loved the city but can't say it was my favourite place. Mainly because it felt like home and the idea of going away is to see somewhere very different. It is definitely true what they say about shopping in Melbourne, it is amazing. There are so many cute little side streets to explore and cafes to visit. It really is a cool city with a lovely vibe.

Melbourne Aquarium

After Melbourne my trip was near the end. But myself and Miss Aussie had a few more days and we chose to get an apartment in Brisbane for that time. We hung out in the city, had a quiet night out as well as a night with her big brother. Then came one of the worst days of the holiday, time to say goodbye to Miss Aussie as she had to fly back out to work. I don't have many friends like her, in fact I don't have any friends like her and it showed in our goodbye. We both spent the morning ignoring the fact we were to be parted. I know know the meaning of 'the elephant in the room' to its full extent and in this case it was awful. As my friend came to collect me to spend time with her, and Miss Aussie's taxi pulled up (both at the same time too can you believe) it suddenly became real. It was time to say goodbye and it was awful. There were hugs and tears and a shared understanding that the friendship we had was not something you find every day. We both have and still do have things happening in our lives which are difficult to understand and we help each other through that. Whether that be to sit in silence or just to be silly with. We read each other well and that is what makes this friendship extremely special. We both had our moment and said our goodbyes. We both know that we will see each other again and I hope it's sooner rather than later. 

After that brutal goodbye I set off to a place just outside Brisbane CBD called Ashgrove. It was beautiful, peaceful and quiet. I spent time here with Miss Glam and we had lots of fun in my last couple days. She understood my sadness after leaving Miss Aussie and was able to pep me back up. We had another reunion with travelling friends from last year and we also went to one of my favourite places on my trip - The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Yes, that's right, I held a koala. I didn't want to let go of Byron. He was just adorable and cuddly. I also got the opportunity to feed kangaroos. It was an amazing experience and something which was definitely top of my list to do when I headed out to Oz. 

Koalas before feeding ... Can you spot the baby koala?

That was pretty much the end of my time in Oz and in my last day I had lunch with a friend I had made, as well as being collected for dinner and taken to the airport by another couple I had made friends with (all through Miss Aussie). As I said previously, I felt immersed in Aussie life as I spent time with people who live there and not in a group touring the whole time.

I am still reflecting on my time away and what I have learnt about myself. No matter how long or short you spend away alone, you find out things about yourself you never knew you knew. I am still processing my thoughts and I look forward to sharing them with you all.

Hope you have enjoyed the recap and I hope I have inspired you to try an adventure yourself!