Holding an oversized grey fluffball in my arms was as amazing as I’d always dreamed it would be.
And I’d been dreaming for a long time.
You see, back when I was in middle school, my parents took a trip to Australia. I don’t remember anything about their trip except that they got my grandmother to babysit me for a week, and that I was burning red with both jealousy and excitement when I saw photos of them with a koala.
The day they showed me the photos was the day my dream of going to Australia was born.
Wanting to go all the way across the world to hold an animal may seem silly, but most of my travel dreams are born in a similar way. Maybe it’s happened to you, too. You see a beautiful photo, or read an inspiring book, or hear about an incredible dish you won’t find anywhere else, and without knowing it a seed of desire is planted. Over the years that little desire grows into a full-blown need to travel somewhere, and it won’t go away until you fulfill the need.
Now, let’s fast forward 30 years from this moment.
It had been half a decade since I’d traveled anywhere out of the country. I was so focused on building my real estate business that I didn’t have time to do any travel planning. As much as I love to travel, I’m a responsible adult who has bills to pay and a future to build.
But still, I was getting antsy.
Even though I’m a “responsible adult,” I think that sometimes the most responsible thing you can do is live a little.
It was right around this time that I got an alert from Next Vacay about a round trip flight to Australia for $581.
The deal was good for tons of flight in the next 6 months, but I had to buy the ticket within 72 hours.
The next day, I opened and closed the email over, and over, and over again. As I was contemplating the ticket, I called my friend who was about to finish up her residency in a few months. When I told her about the flight deal, she said I had to go, and that she would go with me.
With the deal about to expire, I opened the email one last time, clicked the link, and booked our flights.
Six months later we were touching down in Sydney. We had just over a week in Australia, and we planned to make the most of it. Kangaroos, Australian wine, scuba diving, and of course, koalas, were all on the docket.
Here’s what we did.
Day 1 - Sydney
After a loooooong day of traveling from Georgia, we didn’t have much energy, so we walked around for a bit, got some incredible dumplings (I had no idea how good the Asian cuisines are in Australia), and got to bed early to rest up for the next day of adventure.
Day 2 - Port Douglas / Great Barrier Reef
On the next day, we’d cross off a bucket list item that had been on my list for years: diving in the Great Barrier Reef.
Before I left for this trip, I’d never been scuba diving, but there was no freakin’ way I was going all the way to Australia and not diving in that reef. So I took a few lessons in a pool in Atlanta and got certified so by the time we arrived in Port Douglas, I was ready to go.
Exploring those reefs was an experience I’ll never forget. There were dozens of colors I’d never seen before, funky fish the size of cars, and beautiful coral in all directions. A peaceful, floating, tranquility I’ve never found anywhere else. If you haven’t done it yet, I highly recommend. Check it out:
Getting a hold of this scuba diving thing…
After freaking out about the size of this fish, we eventually we became friends.
At peace under the sea
Day 3: Granite Gorge
This was an unexpected and hilarious stop on our tour. Outside of Port Douglas is a park called the Granite Gorge. It’s a beautiful park, but that’s not why we went there. The reason we visited Granite Gorge is that it’s filled with wallabies. These little, tiny, friendly kangaroo looking fellas that mostly mind their own business. But when you enter the park, you can buy a pocket full of wallaby food, which makes them a little more interested in you.
As you walk around, tiny wallabies poke up their heads and hop on over to you, hoping you’ll give them some food. I came to Australia for the koalas, but I’ll go back for the wallabies.
Day 4-6 Wine Country
After experiencing underwater bliss and wallaby paradise, it was time to experience the magic that is Australia’s wine country.
We rented a car and drove through wine country. The landscape was mostly flatlands, but as we approached our first vineyard, there was a stone archway with two live kangaroos posed underneath, as if to say “Welcome, Heather, you’ve made it to Australian heaven.” Over the next few days we toured 9 separate vineyards, and well, who’s not going to have the time of their life vineyard hopping like two tipsy kangaroos?
Days 7-9 - Sydney
From there, we drove back to Sydney and had a few more days to explore. Now, I don’t usually love to visit cities when I travel. I like to see natural beauty. I want to see what a country is made of. But I loved Sydney. It’s beautiful, clean, there’s a ton to explore, and the food is delicious. I’d definitely go back there.
Why I’ll Be Back
My Australia trip is one I’ll never forget. Wallabies, kangaroos, tropical fish, koalas. Gorgeous beaches. Wine that flowed like water.
Not only do I want to see what else this country has to offer, but I want to do more of what I already did. There’s a lot more reef to explore, a lot more animals to meet, and, well… I’ve got to see those wallabies again.
Australia was relaxing, surprising, and fun all at the same time. And best of all, I got to fulfill a childhood dream while also getting to connect with my mother in a new way. She fell in love with Australia the first time she visited, and now I finally know why.
