A Look Back at My Australia Trip

On this day last year I arrived in Australia (technically on the 17th, down under time). I stayed for nearly three weeks, visiting Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney, spending almost all of that time working to produce two of the largest fundraising events in Australian history. It was super hard. Rain, tough manual labor, going to bed at midnight and waking up at 4am, tent sleeping. Despite all of the difficulties I got to experience the excitement and emotion of thousands of people coming together and riding their bikes for two days to raise money for cancer care and research. So much hope! And, while I only had about three days off to see the sights, I made the most out of my time. I'd love to go back during warmer months to see more beaches and get up to the only area I didn't travel to, the northeast where the Great Barrier Reef is.

To mark the year anniversary of my trip I thought I'd reminisce with some pictures! From on-route at work, to the Blue Mountains, Darling Harbor, the Great Ocean Road (my favorite part of the trip), and lots of pit stops across the country, here are some of my favorite shots from my trip to the land down under.

Australia: Recap Three

The last of my Australia recaps focuses on Sydney, where I spent most of my free time. I was there a total of two full days and two half days. In that time I explored the city, went to the nearby Blue Mountains, and spent an afternoon at Manly Beach. Of all the cities I visited - Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney - Sydney was my favorite. I loved the vibe of the big buildings, seaside eateries, and old bars AND public transportation really was a dream. Makes me wish LA had a safe, easy bus system.

The first day we got in was spent seeing all of the touristy places like the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, as well as other cool buildings.

That night we had a drink at an outside bar in Darling Harbour - sunset was incredibly gorgeous!

On my first full day I was up bright and early to catch a tour to the nearby Blue Mountains. The day consisted of visiting an animal park then touring several places with beautiful views of the forest and the famous Three Sisters.

While I had a good time, I don't think this was a must-see, or at least via tour. I'm more of a city and ocean kind of person that a mountain lover. AND with the tour I didn't get to see the Jenolan Caves (the oldest discovered open caves in the world!) that boast incredible calcite formation. I didn't see this offered on any of the tours and didn't even know about them until I heard that a co-worker visited them.

The next day was spent at Manly Beach, a ferry ride away from Sydney. Unfortunately it was rainy and cold, but the trip over to the island there was scenic and relaxing and the time spent there consisted of delish seafood and walking around the island.

Unfortunately the next day I had to hop on a plane and fly back to LA. I wish I had just one more day to check out the other beaches in Sydney, such a Bondi. I hear it's amazing! Maybe one day...

Be sure to check out Australia: Recap One and Australia: Recap Two to read about my entire three week trip!