Byron Bay, NSW, Australia

July 19th, 2018

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I’m on my last few days in Australia. I’m currently traveling with a friend of mine and we have been exploring Queensland and Byron Bay (in New South Wales). Queensland was in fact the last state that I needed to see. So, I actually was able to go to every state and territory in Australia (in exception to a few islands that are quite a ways away and the Australian Antarctic Territory (although those are all on my list for next time). I knew that when I came to Australia, I wanted to see as much as I could, which is being, such a large country is nearly impossible to do. But I thought that I would do a little break down of what were my favorite things that I did there. I got to see very, very small parts of these states so I have very limited information to what I have done. 

New South Wales:
Where to go: Wollongong (beaches, neighborhoods, downtown), Cities around Wollongong (There are so many and each are really cool), Blue Mountains, Royal National Park, Lake Illawarra, Byron Bay, SYDNEY!!! (NSW Art Gallery, Sky Tower, Opera house/Harbour Bridge, Luna Park, State Library, Barracks, St. Mary’s Cathedral), Manley Beach, Bondi Beach, Jervis Bay
How I got there/around: Trains/busses (On Sundays, all public transportation is a one-time fee of $2.60, So I would definitely recommend taking advantage of that!), planes (look for low-cost flights on google flights), lots of Ubers.
Where I stayed: Campus East (Where I lived), Base Sydney Hostel, Wake Up! Byron Bay (LOVED THIS HOSTEL!!)

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Queensland: 
Where to go: Brisbane, Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast), Cairns, Kuranda (Skyrail), Great Barrier Reef. 
How I got there/around: Ubers or shuttles. 
Where I stayed: Base Brisbane, Down Under Hostels (Sun and Surf, Surfers Paradise), Globetrotters International (LOVED THIS HOSTEL!)

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Tasmania:
Where to go: Hobart!!, Port Arthur, MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), I really wish I could have had more time to explore here!
How I got there/around: Ubers or shuttles, but our hostel offered a car to rent. 
Where I stayed: The Nook Backpackers (I really liked this place, plus they had dogs there).

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Southern Australia:
Where to go: Adelaide Gaol, Grampians National Park, Adelaide Oval Cricket Grounds, Art Gallery, State Library, Adelaide City Markets, walking around the city. 
How I got there/around: Ubers or shuttles, walking.
Where I stayed: Hostel 109 Flashbackers

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Western Australia:
Where to go: Perth, Fremantle, Optus Stadium, Heathcote Reserve (Memorial Chess set for Heath Ledger), Perth Mint, Elizabeth Quay, Kings Park, and Botanical Gardens
How I got around/there: Ubers or shuttles, walked, Hop on/Hop off
Where I stayed: The Old Swan Barracks

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Victoria:
Where to go: Melbourne (Botanical Gardens, Eureka Skydeck, Queen Victoria Markets, Hosier Lane), St. Kilda, 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Lorne, Grampians National Park, Brighton Boxes, Phillips Island
How I got around/there: Ubers or shuttles, free trams, walked
Where I stayed: AirBnB, Melbourne Backpackers

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Northern Territory:
Where to go: Alice Springs, Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park (YOU HAVE TO GO HERE, wish I had more time)
How I got around/there: Walked, tour, shuttle to/from airport
Where I stayed: Jump Inn Alice (Loved it here)

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Australian Capital Territory:
Where to go: Canberra, Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, Old Parliament House Gardens, National Museum of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra Museum and Gallery.
How I got around/there: Hop on/Hop Off, Walking, Ubers
Where I stayed: Canberra YHA

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Overall, I loved every part of Australia. Each part of it is special and has its own unique flare. I could talk about each area more. But if you have any questions, I can totally answer them! I really loved every moment in Australia and I can’t wait to go back and explore more.

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Cheers,
Wandering in Wollongong

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Perth, WA, Australia
June 9th, 2018

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Hello from the wild, wild, west Australia. Probably not how they would word it, but I decided to book a last-minute, on my own trip to Perth! My goal is to hit all six states and the Northern Territory before I leave Australia in July and this week ended up being the only week I could make it over there, so I founded the cheapest flight possible and flew to Perth for 3 days. I figured I would do a little break down of my trip (also, this helps me procrastinate from studying for my final). 

Day .05 (Tuesday the 5th):
So since I’m cheap when it comes to flying, the cheapest flight left at 10:05 pm from Sydney, so I took the train up to Sydney Airport. I also didn’t check a bag because that would have cost me $50. So that meant that I was wearing 4 layers of sweaters, my raincoat, an NAU hat, and an NAU scarf (basically a walking NAU study abroad billboard) since I had to keep my baggage under 15 lbs (purse included). I’m a little disappointed because they didn’t even weigh my bag and I almost went through heatstroke to prove how cheap I am. I flew with TigerAir and they were okay, but since they are a budget airline, don’t expect much legroom, any drinks or snacks. Which is fine with me when I’m flying, but just be aware of that when booking flights, although those services can be purchased beforehand. I arrived in Perth at 1:10 am because of the time difference and I decided that I didn’t need a hostel that night, so I decided to sleep at the airport. I’ve done this before in Iceland, but before you decide to do this, always make sure that you check that the airport is open 24/7 and has security. It wasn’t so bad sleeping there, but I ended up only getting a few hours of sleep. When you sleep in public places, sleep on top of your bag and wrap your purse around your wrist and hug it into you. When I fell asleep, I was around 5 other people who were sleeping there and no one else besides employees, and when I woke up I was the only person who was sleeping, and the airport was packed. Then, after the sun rose, I took the A380 bus to downtown Perth, which leads us to full day 1!

Day 1 (Wednesday the 6th):
So, after I arrived in Perth, I walked to my hostel, Old Swan Barracks, and dropped off my bags. From there I decided to do a quick walk around the area that I was in. I found the visitor center and booked a Hop on/Hop off 2-day trip that included a cruise to Fremantle. Hop on/Hop off is a giant red bus that will take you to the largest tourist attractions in the city that you’re in. Sometimes they’re worth it, sometimes they’re not. I liked the Perth one because it lasted two days and gave me ideas of places that I should visit. I’m a “let’s get there and then figure it out when we’re there” sort of traveler, so the Hop on/Hop off helps. I first visited the Perth Mint. I toured it and I got to see a block of gold be melted down and then reformed, which was super cool! I also got to try to pick up a gold brick and I need to hit the gym because I couldn’t even lift it. 
From there I took the bus to Roe Gardens and King Gardens. I somehow always end up at the gardens, which is cool because I’ve seen the botanical garden of almost every city I’ve been to while abroad. Now I’m afraid of heights but a lot of time son this trip, I’ve had to suck it up because I don’t want to miss out on anything, so in Roe Gardens they have a staircase(s?) that are formed like a double helix, and I climbed up all 104 steps and got a great view of the city and the surrounding area. From there I walked to the King's Garden and it was beautiful and had a great viewpoint of the city. 

Then I took the bus, which also gives you a tour of the city in between stops, to Elizabeth Quay. They have been working on Elizabeth Quay for 10 years and are still working on it. They have a really cool walking bridge, statues, clock tower and buildings in that area. I almost was an architect, so I loved just walking around looking at all of the buildings and structures that they are building and have built. My friend, Maddie, is studying abroad in Perth, so I ended up meeting up with her and her friends for karaoke that night. We sang Jessie’s Girl and let me tell you, no one needed to hear my voice sing that song. But we had a great time and that leads us to day 2.

Day 2 (Thursday the 7th):
This morning I booked a tour (that was super cheap for what you got) at Optus Stadium. It is where AFL and cricket are played and it is huge! It took 15 years to build and they just completed in 2017. But after touring it, you can see that the 15 years was completely worth it. The details that they put into everything were amazing. It was the little things like putting in 781 women’s bathroom stalls (they said that they have never had a line up) and the fact that they color-coordinated their food vendors (red for hot meals and yellow for beer or drinks). We got to see the coach’s boxes, the locker rooms, corporate boxes and the media room. It was heaven and one of the coolest tours that I have ever done! I was also the youngest member of the tour group by about 35 years, but I fit right in. 
From there I headed back to the city and just walked around. I did laps around the streets and just took photos of buildings and people watched. The city really reminded me of Seattle and was a nice little taste of home. It is also Autumn in Australia, so the leaves were changing colors and it was such a cool feeling, to just walk around and be a part of the city. 
Then I walked to the bus station and caught a bus out to Melville and then walked to Heathcote Reserve Point. Why do you ask? Because there are two chessboards that are dedicated to Heath Ledger by his family. Now, I don’t want to come off as one of those creepy fangirls, but Heath Ledger has been my biggest celebrity crush (except for Kevin from the Backstreet Boys) for as long as I can remember. So it was really cool to go see a spot that was just for him since I can never meet him in person. Heath Ledger was almost a Grand Master of chess and his family wanted a place where people of the community could come play and spend time with other people. It was really cool to just sit by myself and enjoy the views of Perth and just think. Then I decided to start the 20-minute walk back to the bus stop to head back to Perth.
When I got back, I went to my hostel to change and when I walked into my room, one of the guys asked me my name and then asked me to describe the color, Amber. After I changed and laid down in my bed, the guy pulled out a guitar and then started to sing. He was from the Philippines and started to sing and since I don’t speak Filipino, I don’t know what he was singing, but I am 96% sure that my name was mentioned at some point in the song.
So then I went and met Maddie and her friends for dinner and drinks at a whiskey bar, called Alfred’s and I had some of the best pizza ever at this bar. Oh my gosh, it was sooooo good and I had a great time catching up and chatting with the girls.

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Day 3 (Friday the 8th):
This was my last day in Perth and I had to use my cruise to Fremantle. So, I checked out of my hostel but left my bags there and headed down to Elizabeth Quay to board my ferry. I made the wrong decision to wear a red shirt because when I got there, there was a giant tour group, wearing all red. Once I parted the Red Sea and made it to the dock, I made it to my ferry and hopped on board for an hour-long cruise down the Swan River to Fremantle. 
Once we arrived I jumped on a tram that took me all around Fremantle and I visited the highest point, which also had a war memorial for those who served in WWI. Then we took the tram down to the Roundhouse, which was an old prison and served as a place where they let sailors out at sea. How they let sailors know what time it is by shooting a cannonball out to sea every day at 1 PM. So, I went to go see this demonstration, and right before they shot the cannon they asked if anyone was flying today and I raised my hand and they had me go stand in the back because. One time a woman was watching the cannonball, went to the airport, had gun powder on her from the cannon, and they wouldn’t let her board the plane and questioned her for hours. So, after they told me that story I was nervous all day, especially since I have been randomly bomb tested every time I’ve gone through the airport while in Australia. 
But after that, I walked around the city which is known for its Victorian architecture. I met up with Maddie and her friends, shopped around at the markets, and then grabbed lunch at this super cute hotel and had the best chicken parma. After that, I said good-bye to the girls and headed back on the ferry back to Perth city. I went back to my hostel, charged up my phone, and then headed to Elizabeth Quay, ate some gelato, said good-bye to the city, and then hopped on the bus to the airport. My flight was at midnight and I got back to Sydney at 6 am and then back to Wollongong at like 10 am. 

This was my first experience traveling alone for a few days while abroad and I have to tell you that I loved it. It’s definitely fun to travel with friends and it’s sometimes better to do things with other people, but I also think it’s important to travel on your own. You learn how to handle situations on your own, can go do things that you want to do, and can go at your own schedule. But it can get lonely, so I’m super happy that I was able to hang out with Maddie and her friends for a bit. I learned a lot about myself while traveling on my own, and I recommend trying it once while you are abroad.

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That was a long one, but also a fun one. I’m hoping that I can see Perth again soon! 

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Cheers, 
Wandering in Wollongong
 

 

Wollongong, NSW, Australia

May 14th, 2018

 

Hi there! This post is long overdue, but since it’s a month since I started my Thailand journey, I thought that today would be an appropriate time to write about it. We had a mid-session recess, and it’s different from spring break in the US. It’s more of just a break from classes and most Australian students don’t go on major trips like back in the US. But I went on a backpacking trip with one of my good friends, Mo, who is from Denver, and we went with a group of about 20 people with backpacks all around the lower half of Thailand. I figured I would start with a little itinerary of what we did.

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Day .5/1: April 12th/13th

Mo and I flew from Sydney to Bangkok and somehow our Qantas flight was merged with Emirates, and holy moly that was the nicest flight I have ever been on. They gave us full-course meals (with free wine/alcoholic drinks), a night care package (eye mask, socks, and a sticker that says wake me up for food), and there was hardly anyone on our flight. We landed at 1:45 AM in Bangkok, and since we are from the US we didn’t have to get visas (always check before you go to a country if you need a visa). Then we were picked up and arrived at our hotel at 4 AM. We slept for a little bit and then decided to go explore a bit.

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It just so happened that it was Songkran in Thailand, which is the Thai New Year. Not only did Mo and I travel to Thailand, but also the future, it is 2561 B.E.. It is tradition to pour water on everyone and the more water you have on you the luckier you will be in that year. I made the mistake of wearing a white t-shirt…don’t do this. We walked around for a few hours and found the main Songkran celebration area, and I’ve got to tell you I literally was not fully dry for over 72 hours. That night we met up with our group and grabbed dinner and got ready for the next day.

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Day 2: April 14th

This was temple day, which is the day that I was most excited about! To get to our first temple, we took a boat ride on a long thin boat on the Chao Phraya River. The first temple that we went to was Wat Arun or Temple of the Dawn. It was incredibly beautiful and was made of porcelain! We walked around for about an hour and we were even able to be blessed by monks. From there we took another boat ride to another temple called Wat Pho temple, it was packed because of Songkran and it was gorgeous. Make sure that you pack a sarong because you must cover your knees fully and your shoulders also must be covered. It’s super important to make sure that you are respectful at these temples because they are extremely important to people’s religion and culture. Then we took a Tuk Tuk to ride back to our hotel and that was so much fun but also terrifying! Mo and I decided to walk around for a bit and got soaked, again, and then our group went to Bangkok Tower Hotel for dinner and we got a 360 view of Bangkok and it is a huge city! We went back to our hotel and tried to dry our soaking clothing (it didn’t work).

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Day 3: April 15th

We had a free day, so Mo and I discovered the magic of Thai iced coffee (Ice is safe to drink in Thailand, but I was always careful just in case) and walked around a bit and only got a little wet today because on the last day of Songkran, most people stay home and spend time with family. Later that afternoon, our group got on an overnight train to head towards Khao Sok National Park. The train ride was super cool! We had regular seats that faced each other for the first 2 hours and then someone came and made up our beds for us. I had the top bunk and that was mistake numero uno. It was pretty hot on the top layer because I have forgotten to mention that most days were 90 degrees but had a “feels like” prediction of 105 degrees. Anytime a train went by, everyone would wake up and I almost got my hair caught in a fan, but it was such a cool experience, if you go to Thailand, it’s on my must-do list!

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Day 4: April 16th

Our train arrived at 6 AM and from there we went on a two-hour drive towards Khao Sok. Then we took the most beautiful boat ride to get to our bungalows in the middle of Khao Sok. Halfway through the boat ride we went into a little inlet and swam around! The water is a teal/blue/green and indescribable. The water was also super warm and deep about (140 meters in the deepest part). Khao Sok National Park is a dammed lake that has ruins deep down underwater. We stayed at some of the coolest and cutest bungalows and just spent the day swimming, hanging out on innertubes or this log that had suspended and kayaking. I also got a horrible sunburn that I am still feeling a month later (you have to get a sunscreen that is over SPF 50, the sun is so strong there). I really wanted to never have to leave, so if you are going to Thailand this is also on my must-do list!

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Day 5: April 17th

We left Khao Sok super early that morning and took another beautiful boat trip back to the mainland and then took a drive and then another ferry to Koh Pha-ngan and took a taxi (which is basically just the bed of a truck with a hood on it) to Bottle Beach. This day we just hung out on the beach with dogs, snorkeled and then that night watched a fire show. It was such a beautiful beach! While bugs are everywhere in Thailand (I’m used to this from Australia), we did have an incident where a spider ran out from Mo’s pillow, but if you have bug spray, you should be good to go! I don’t think I got bit until my last day in Thailand.

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Day 6: April 18th

We woke up and enjoyed the morning at Bottle Beach, and then took another Taxi to the other end of the island to stay near where the Full Moon Parties are held. Full Moon Parties are huge on Koh Pha-ngan and they are actually a really large event on the Island.  We also had a Muay Thai lesson, and let me tell ya, I don't think I've ever had so much fun while sweating so much. But It was a lot of fun and a great stress reliever! Mo and I walked around and explored that area and then our group decided to go get Thai massages (they were a normal Thai massage, not the other kind…) and my back felt so great afterward, but I was a little sore just because I had so many knots. Then we went and grabbed dinner and drinks as a group. The alcohol is really strong in Thailand, so start slow with alcohol, and be really careful if you go out and watch your drinks at all times.

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Day 7: April 19th

This was our last day with the group, and we started off with an all-day boat cruise to different places to snorkel. I’m also terrified of deep ocean water, so that was a big deal for me to swim from our boat where the reefs were. The reefs were super beautiful and the fish were insane colors. We lounged on the boat for the day and then came back and had a good-bye dinner since half of us were leaving the back-packing group. We then went out for a few drinks, and before I had started drinking, I got called up to do karaoke, and let me tell you singing “Summer of ‘69” while completely sober is definitely a memory I will have forever. But Mo and I had a great time with our group, but we had to head back to school in a few days, and we still had some other places we wanted to see.

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Day 8: April 20th

Since Mo and I went out on our own, we went to Koh Samui, which is an island right next to Koh Pha-ngan. We had booked a hotel that was like $35 per person, and it ended up being a 5-star resort. It was beautiful and so nice and after 8 days of backpacking, it was nice to have air-conditioning and spider-proof pillows. The currency exchange is definitely in the US favor and things weren’t too expensive, which made it great for two college kids to have experienced without having to spend a lot of money! Mo and I really wanted to go to an elephant sanctuary that was ethical, and we found one on our island and we got to hang out with five elephants (two of which were babies) that had been saved from tourism and logging industries. They are such peaceful animals, it was so cool to see them happy, healthy, and being well taken care of. Please do not ride elephants! After that, Mo and I walked around a Friday market and tried out our bartering skills. You can barter for prices in Thailand, and I would recommend going to bargaining for 60% of what the price they originally told you, unless the price is labeled on the item or it’s food, you can’t really barter those. The nicer and friendlier you are with the vendor, the better deal you will get, but be genuine! Mo and I went back to our hotel and tried to repack and then mentally prepare for leaving.

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Day 9: April 21st

We woke up early and walked around the area and checked out some stores before heading back to our hotel to finish packing and check out. We flew from Koh Samui, which was a small and outdoor airport, really cool though, to Bangkok, and then we made our way from Bangkok back to Sydney via Emirates again (lucky us).

 

Overall, this trip to Thailand was such an amazing and beautiful experience. Getting to have a taste of the culture, landscape, and people of Thailand is something I will never forget, and I hope I can come back soon to see more. If you have any questions about Thailand, let me know and I will do whatever I can to help you out with planning out your trip!

 

Cheers,

Wandering in Wollongong

Happy Mother's Day, Momma, I love you and I hope that one day I can spoil you and take you to Thailand! 

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Left: Wat Arun Temple, Bangkok  Middle: Me at Bottle Beach with my new BFF Right: Khao Sok National Park

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Wollongong, NSW, Australia

March 20, 2018

 

              Hey all, I’m back with more stories and adventures to tell. I haven’t really posted about weekend adventures yet but I’ve been in Wollongong for over a month, so it figured it’s about time! I still have to post about my travels from before I arrived in Wollongong, so watch out for that post as well.

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              Weekend One: This weekend I went on a tour that visited 3 wineries and a brewery on the first day. It was interesting to learn about the different types of wine and beer and the scenery was beautiful! That night we stayed at a hostel/cabin in Port Stephens and we watched the most beautiful sunrise there and I’m still not over it. Later that day we went on a boat cruise to look for whales and dolphins and it was such a beautiful day and we did end up seeing some dolphins. And after that, we went sand surfing and that was my absolute favorite part of it all because it was so cool to go sliding down the slopes. I missed the skiing season in the states, so this was a great way to make up for it! It was a fun weekend where I met a lot of really cool people and we all left with some memories.

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              Weekend Two: This weekend I went to Sydney with two of my roomies to go see Mardi Gras! It’s super easy to get to Sydney from Wollongong. You just use your Opal card and it is about $5.25 and takes about an hour and a half. We left super early to beat the crowds and so we just wandered around Sydney and found markets and cool places to take pictures. We visited Hyde Park, the Botanical Gardens, Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We also saw a wedding and crashed for a bit. Finally, we went and watched Mardi Gras, and it was amazing! Mardi Gras is also the Pride parade for Sydney and it was huge! I think it’s one of the largest Pride parades and it was cool to see how tight-knit that community is, especially after Australia just passed marriage equality this year. The parade goes from 7 pm-11 pm but we left at 9:30 and made it back to Wollongong at 11:30 PM. It was a really great day filled with friends and adventures!

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              Weekend Three: This weekend I stayed in Wollongong but I explored the city for a bit and rode a few of the buses just to get my bearings of the town a little bit more. It was my first weekend since January where I wasn’t traveling, so it was nice to hang out.

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              Weekend Four: This weekend was jammed packed. It started on Friday night by going to a mixer for people within my major. It was great to meet people who are studying what I am, which was super nice to do. Then Saturday morning, two of my roommates and I decided to go to Nan Tien Buddhist Temple and it was gorgeous. I took a ton of photos, but it is so incredibly beautiful that pictures can’t do it justice. It’s actually the largest Buddhist temple in Australia and it’s just a few kilometers down the road from me. Then we came back and got ready for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s not a super big holiday here, so it was pretty easy to tell who was American vs. Australian when going out. That night involved green drinks, karaoke, and heaps of fun! Then after getting home at 2 AM, I had to wake up 3 hours later because I volunteered for a triathlon. I volunteered for a group called Aussie Books for Zim (They collect books for schools in Zimbabwe, go check them out!). I had a lot of fun and I was in the bike marshal gang, which involved me saying “Tight turn” and “Watch for the curve” over and over again for 6 hours, which combined with karaoke and lack of sleep has led me to lose my voice. It was totally worth it though!

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I'm Amber Dalgleish and that was my Weekend Update.

 

Cheers,

Wandering in Wollongong