When I wore my fanny pack and boarded the flight to Australia, I wasn’t quite sure as of what to expect, except for the kangaroos and what I knew from reading travel magazines and Wikipedia. Things were growing boring back in my hometown, and my busy schedule wasn’t helping at all. So, I decided to live in my suitcase for a week. Australia was the first country that caught my sight when I stared at the world map poster hanging on the wall.
Embarking on a tour to explore the Australian realm of history, environment, and culture was a whole different experience in itself. The flight was one of the most mesmerizing rides I had ever had in my life. Peeping through the fluffy clouds, I caught a glimpse of the sapphire ocean. Once I arrived at the Sydney Airport, I took the shuttle to Town Hall. With so much time ahead, I decided to saunter through the streets to explore the city. My first stop was at the Sydney Tower. Although acrophobic, I still climbed up to the top of the tower and I was glad I did. I could almost view all of Sydney from the top, and the suburbs too. Most importantly, I spotted the Queen Victoria Building which was just a five-minute walk away and decided to go there next.
The Queen Victoria Building was a grand shopping mall that didn’t look anything like a shopping mall form the exterior. In fact, it appeared much like a historical building that was surrounded by a luxurious aura. The appearance of the mall made me dig into its past and I came to know that the mall was actually a lat-nineteen-century building that was about to be taken down until an Asian corporation came forward, and leased it for 99 years, altering it into a majestic looking shopping centre.
Every twelve minutes, a tram runs from Town Hall Station to Circular Quay from where a ten minutes’ walk took me to the Sydney Opera House. The building is divided into a concert hall and an opera hall. People have to be lucky enough to grab a ticket half an hour before a show, and unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. Next to Sydney Aquarium, is Wildlife World where I found kangaroos and koalas. Though I couldn’t touch the kangaroos, I definitely wrapped my arm around a koala to click a selfie.
The next morning, I started off toward Melbourne and the train ride consumed half my day. I went on a tour to the Yarra Valley Winery with a few other travellers. The scenic valleys and the picturesque countryside provided a perfect backdrop for my wine tasting journey.
At Alice Springs, I rode a camel and headed over to Darwin to begin my trip to Litchfield, Kakadu, and Katherine Gorge. Litchfield National Park was a place worth visiting with plenty of waterfalls, and rock pools in which you could take a dip; whereas, the Kakadu National Park, spread over 20,000 kilometres, is home to a variety of different animals and birds. I had booked a tour that included a 4WD car, thus it was easier for me to go into those big spots like Fog Damm, Twin Falls, and Jim Jim. At Kakadu, I went for a cruise in the Yellow Water River to catch a glimpse of some crocodiles. Water birds were scattered all over the area.
It was soon time to return home and so much I had not seen. Nonetheless, I have a good enough reason to return.