Prior to my trip to the Blue Mountains my friend KN emailed me to say she had bought a last-minute ticket to Sydney. She would be visiting for seven fun-filled days. She likes hiking as much as I do so we had to explore the Blue Mountains together. They’re only 100 km away from Syndey and easy to get to. I was happy to see a friendly face and excited that I had someone to check out this beautiful part of Australia with.
After my first two months in Australia I made a post about the differences I had noticed between Australia and California. My Australia trip has come to an end, and upon request of some silly Australian friends, this is a final list of differences I have found between the two countries. Making these posts is fun because they’re all silly little things that don’t make a big difference. That being said, it can be the little differences that make things exciting, and even though Australia and California are very similar, there are many things I will miss.
So without further ado I would like to introduce 12 more differences I have found after 5 months of travel in Australia. If you want read about more differences between the two countries check out my 1st month and 2nd month.
Since my tour through The Kimberley was such a success I was depending on Adventure Tours to duplicate the experience for The Outback. After a bit of research I went with a 6 day tour from Alice Springs to Adelaide. The first three days would be spent touring the iconic sights of the outback. The last three days would be making the long drive down the South end of Stuart Highway. If the awesome itinerary didn’t fully persuade me, the fact that the tour was on sale sealed the deal.
Plans will change no matter how perfectly detailed a travel itinerary is. I hoped to spend several days in Kakadu National Park, but due to the weather I had to scratch that plan. Instead I cut my time short in Darwin, and after getting a last minute flight to Alice Springs, found myself in the red center. The guide from my Kimberley Tour continuously praised West MacDonnell National Park. After discussing our shared love for hiking she told me I had to spend more than just one day there. She gave me a list of things to do and I promised to spend at least 3 days in the area. I’m very glad I took her advice because it’s been one of the most memorable parts of my Australia trip.
Can you believe I’ve been in Australia for 2 months? I can’t, but I’ve sure gotten used to the travelling lifestyle. I’m constantly discovering things and meeting new people. There’s always another adventure around the corner, and I never know what to expect. Sometimes I may sleep in a tent or a cozy hostel. I could get drinks with friends or eat by myself in a crowded restaurant. Maybe I rent a car and explore alone or go on tour and meet tons of new people. Every day is different, and I love it.
A month ago I made the post 12 Things After 1 Month in Australia, and it’s already time for the second installment. I could title this “50 things after 1 month in Australia,” but I’ve managed to narrow it down to the 12 things that stand out to me the most. So here’ goes.
There are two trips from Darwin that both locals and tourists recommend. Kakadu and Litchfield National Park are known for beautiful scenery and fantastic waterfalls. Kakadu is a much bigger park known for it’s aboriginal artwork, while Litchfield is smaller and more low-key. My plan was to do both – 2 days in Litchfield and 4 days in Kakadu. Due to unseasonable rain I had to scratch Kakadu off my list as most of the roads were closed due to flooding.
I directed my full attention to Litchfield National Park. The guidebooks recommend just one full day for Litchfield, but I was intent to make it at least two. I had a week to kill before my flight to Alice Springs and was getting antsi to move on. So after getting some advice from MeanderWithMeg‘s Blog, I rented a car and drove the hour and half to Litchfield National Park.
This is the continuation of My Tour Through The Kimberley. I left off at day 4 in the Bungle Bungles. If you haven’t read Part I yet, you can find it here!
Day 5
We got up with sunrise as usual and began the bumpy ride out of Purnululu National Park. The drive was full of excitement as we saw lots of different wildlife including emus, a big wallaroo, and a Wedge-Tailed Eagle, which is the largest bird of prey in Australia. It was wonderful seeing these beautiful creatures in the wild. After driving for the entire morning we turned onto the famous Gibb River Road. The Gibb River Road is an unpaved, red dirt road that goes through some of the most beautiful parts of The Kimberley.
I have a travel story for you. One of those stories that isn’t funny while it’s happening but gives you a good giggle after. So I would happily like to present….
My 1st travel story that is sure to make you pack your bags.
I was recently in Litchfield National Park, an hour drive from Darwin, Australia. I forgot it was a weekend and unfortunately there were people everywhere. I spent the day checking out some beautiful waterfalls like Buley Rockhole and Wangi Falls. While these spots were refreshing they were not relaxing. There were too many people. By the time I drove to The Cascades and saw the jam-packed parking lot I decided to call it a day. I didn’t want to sit in another waterfall with a hundred other people. I was going to save The Cascades for early the next morning.
Unbelievably I’ve been in Australia for 1 month, but it feels like I just left California yesterday. Time is flying by! I’ve done so much and already made many great friends. I’m starting to get used to life on the road, but a month isn’t long enough to get used to everything. Minor differences between California and Australia still pop up and surprise me.
I say “California” because the US is huge and I’m not going to group all of it into my judgments. The same goes for Australia. The country is as big as the US and I’ve only been to a few parts of it. So I thought it would be fun to go over the differences I’ve noticed so far, and perhaps update my list as the months go by.
I just came back from the most epic journey through The Kimberley in Western Australia. It was truly an adventure and I can’t wait to tell you about it! When I first started to plan my trip to Australia this was one thing I really wanted to do, so I signed up for it right away. When I was finally in Darwin I couldn’t wait till Saturday. The tour was just around the corner.
Day 1
After calling to confirm my reservation I was told to be outside my hostel at 6:50 am. However, during dinner I thought that 6:50 was a very odd time and decided to wait outside my hostel at 6:15. Unfortunately I had heard correctly and the bus came at 6:50 sharp. This wasn’t the best way to start my trip, but mistakes always make things more exciting.
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