I feel like I really focused on dryness, desert, and fire last post, so I figured I would have a go at another basic element in this one: water. Similar to the US, Australia covers a continent with a long coastline that borders on two oceans. This means there is a lot of spectacular coastal scenery, and probably the first things you think of when you think of Australia are beaches, surfing, and the Great Barrier Reef.
While I haven’t tried my hand at surfing (honestly, I am still working on mastering walking), I did check out a few beaches – some famous even in the States and some that I had never heard of. Probably most famous are the beaches of Sydney, prime among them being Bondi, which I did not go to, and Manly, which I did and loved. What a blessing to live in such a fabulous world class city… yet be able to get to the beach on public transit within an hour. Had me feeling a little jealous of the Sydney dwellers, to be quite honest.
My folks and I got to explore much of the coastline of Victoria as well, tackling a portion of THE Great Ocean Road, out to the Twelve Apostles (rock formation), before heading up the coast between Melbourne and Sydney. (This is where the fires have gotten way out of hand now, if you are following the news). This is less of a beach bumming kind of beach and more just stunningly beautiful. More Pacific Northwest, less SoCal. I would never get tired of going on drives or walks (and trying unsuccessfully to make the sand squeak) and taking in the scenery here.
Although it was too cold for me to go swimming, plenty of animals disagree. This is prime whale watching coast for a good chunk of the year, although we just missed it, and you have to get to the southern coast in Australia if you want to see the penguins. I also saw the largest manta ray I have ever seen in my life, swimming just off the pier in some small town. The road trip took us to plenty of cute little one-horse towns near the coast, where there was one inn, a couple shops and restaurants, and maybe a gas station. My favorites were Tilba, Meeniyan, and Pambula, in case you want to know.
If you are looking for more of a “surf’s up dude” vibe, Noosa fits the bill. It’s one of the best in Australia. The Sunshine and Gold Coasts of always sunny Queensland seem lousy with surfers, although they are literally everywhere in this country. Noosa was the perfect spot to crash for a couple days of vacation and enjoy a beautiful beach, lovely state park, and the cleanest, clearest river I have ever seen. We also did some sitting by the river, watching the fires worsen, with mom and dad’s friends at their vacation place in Little Wobby.
And last but not least, as I mentioned I did hit the GBR. I accessed it from Bundaberg, at the southernmost tip. Lady Musgrave island in the reef proved to be a great day trip, although I definitely need to go back and do a multi-day beach hopping and diving reef tour. It was so nice being out on the water all day, snorkeling, watching the sea turtles and dolphins, riding around in the glass bottom boat, and strolling on the island. Bundaberg also ended up being quite the cute little stopover since it had the turtle center I mentioned last post and is home to the best rum in Australia.Â
The Aussie coast offers so much to see and do – there is really something for everyone. And although we drove for miles and miles, we only covered just a small portion of it! I can’t wait to go back someday.
It's not about the destination, it's about the journey 