See you soon

Saying goodbye is never easy. It is even worse if that includes a country, a city and good friends. Let’s try see you soon instead.

Something Blue

Not far from Sydney, the Blue Mountains owe their name to the blue tinge that the range takes on when viewed from a distance. This is not unique to these mountains but here the abundant eucalyptus trees maximise the effect.

Eucalyptus forests, steep cliffs and waterfalls — blue or not blue, if dramatic scenery is what you are after then the Blue Mountains will surely deliver.

Iconic locations

Saying goodbye to Matilda after sharing the roads for a month was easier than we thought. After all, walking can be very rewarding as well. Imaging starting off in the heart of Sydney’s business district, followed by a stroll through the botanical garden and finishing off in the harbour. Yes, the Opera House comes included in the walk.

From one icon to another, Australian beach culture is synonymous of Bondi Beach. Perhaps not the most beautiful and definitely not the quietest of them all, but there is something special about it. A beer at the RSL should be mandatory to complete the experience.

The city is blessed with plenty of fine dining options. And then there is Harry’s Cafe de Wheels, Australia’s most famous pie cart, which has been serving take away food since 1938 — it may not be fine dining, but it does not get more authentic than this.

Friends

Friends, tour guides and great listeners, Shem and Tarryn made sure we had a good look at the other Sydney.

And so we did. From bay to bay, learning about life on this side of the planet whilst remembering good old days, we grew fond of the city, for there is a lot of charm beyond the famous sights.

To finish it off, we had a night in, watching Ned Kelly on the telly and sipping away a nice bottle of wine — Australian of course. Lovely people and a great city, what a way to finish our own Aussie adventure.

Australia, Sydney, Shem and Tarryn, see you soon ;)

Round Up Australia

When the plane landed in Perth, there were still doubts in our head about our Australian road trip. Those thoughts quickly disappeared after the first night with Andrew, Anne and the rest of the crew: a delicious BBQ, local craft beer and wine from Margaret River. A fantastic start.

By the time we arrive in Sydney to the arms of Shem and Tarryn, some ten thousand kilometres later, we had already fallen in love with Australia. A million times.

A country with a short history perhaps, full of controversy and open wounds. But there is pride and respect too and those who fell in battle are remembered everywhere.

The never-ending roads can make the driver feel lonely. The west is so vast and empty that driving for hundreds of kilometres without seeing another soul becomes the norm.

Do not despair though, chances are, there will be a white sand beach at the end of the road. And when the time is right, a glorious sunset will remind you how lucky you are to be there, in such good company.

Coming Up

There is life after Australia. There are mountains and rainforests, kiwis and penguins, craft beer and wine. Something tells me it is going to be fun.