Oi! It's Australia time. I can't believe I've made it this far. It's continent number 5 on the trip and number 6 for me overall (Antarctica next?). But there was one thing I needed to mentally prepare myself for before arriving to this completely new land: Prices.
Australia is obviously significantly more developed and expensive than anywhere I had been in Asia over the last few months, which means I had to plan accordingly. Especially with my ever decreasing finances. So, before I came here I told myself that this time around was going to be more of a "visiting friends" trip than an actual "sightseeing trip."
I had plenty of people to visit when I got to Australia, and this was obviously what I was looking forward to most. So I contacted a few people, made up an itinerary based around their availability, and things actually worked out perfectly: First stop would be Townsville in north Queensland.
Townsville was actually an obvious choice for me because it's where my best friend/early travel buddy Alex is from. His family and friends still live there, and because I had met some of them already back in the States a few years ago, I had even more people that I could visit during my time there.
I stayed with Alex's parents in the suburbs of Townsville, and I have to admit, it wasn't long after arriving in Australia that I couldn't believe where I was. They had a nice home and were amazing hosts, and I felt like I was part of the family. I was very grateful for Margie and Tom's hospitality and I got a kick out of what it felt like to be living in a suburb again. They lived on a court (which I grew up on as well), front lawns were manicured, the neighbors were friendly, and I honestly felt like I was back home in America. I had gone from Bangkok to the suburbs of a completely developed country in 24 hours and it was fair to say I was going through something of a culture shock.
I was back in the civilized world, which became more and more evident each day. It was great being here and being in a place where most things actually made sense, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't miss some of the chaos and exotic life of Asia (and obviously the prices as well).
But again, it was refreshing to see familiar faces, and I was really impressed with Townsville and how amazing the weather was in what they call "winter." Probably the warmest winter I've ever experienced, which is easy to see why someone might live there if they prefer warmer weather. Although I'd be hesitant to feel how hot it gets in the summer...
Another highlight was visiting the nearby Billabong animal sanctuary, where I got to see and interact with all the classic Australian animals: kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and of course crocs. I had honestly never been too intimidated by crocs before, but after seeing how big these guys were up close and watching them feed, it was terrifying. At this point I really felt like that I had made it to Australia.
Townsville ended up being quite a successful introduction to Australia and at this point I was looking forward to see some more old friends. The next stop would be Brisbane to visit a friend who stayed with Alex and I on our couch for 2 months and needed to seriously return the favor...
Tom became a good friend when he was living with Alex and I on our couch in our fraternity house 3 years ago on his trip to America. It was all good fun but none of us had seen him since, and I was the first one to pay him a visit. Everything worked out when I arrived and I happily stayed on his couch for almost a week. He took me around a bit and I got a good impression of Brisbane.
Highlights were definitely catching up with life and an improvised bike ride pub crawl that we did using public city bikes. Many cities offer free bike service with various bike stations scattered all over the city where you can hire and return bikes within a certain time limit, so we took advantage of this by strategically going to pubs and bars near each station.
It was a great success, and we didn't have to pay for transportation for the entire night out. I highly recommend this activity to anyone who lives in a city that offers such services, as it's a very effective and easy way to get around while going out, provided that you're capable of riding a bicycle after a few drinks. Great idea Tom!
There weren't 'a lot of other crazy stories to tell from Brisbane, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. After that brief visit I would be off to Sydney to catch up with another friend for the THIRD time on my trip, just in time for his 30th birthday.
Australia is obviously significantly more developed and expensive than anywhere I had been in Asia over the last few months, which means I had to plan accordingly. Especially with my ever decreasing finances. So, before I came here I told myself that this time around was going to be more of a "visiting friends" trip than an actual "sightseeing trip."
I had plenty of people to visit when I got to Australia, and this was obviously what I was looking forward to most. So I contacted a few people, made up an itinerary based around their availability, and things actually worked out perfectly: First stop would be Townsville in north Queensland.
Townsville was actually an obvious choice for me because it's where my best friend/early travel buddy Alex is from. His family and friends still live there, and because I had met some of them already back in the States a few years ago, I had even more people that I could visit during my time there.
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| Tom, Margie, and I atop Castle Hill. Thank you Tom and Margie for your hospitality! |
I was back in the civilized world, which became more and more evident each day. It was great being here and being in a place where most things actually made sense, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't miss some of the chaos and exotic life of Asia (and obviously the prices as well).
But again, it was refreshing to see familiar faces, and I was really impressed with Townsville and how amazing the weather was in what they call "winter." Probably the warmest winter I've ever experienced, which is easy to see why someone might live there if they prefer warmer weather. Although I'd be hesitant to feel how hot it gets in the summer...
Another highlight was visiting the nearby Billabong animal sanctuary, where I got to see and interact with all the classic Australian animals: kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and of course crocs. I had honestly never been too intimidated by crocs before, but after seeing how big these guys were up close and watching them feed, it was terrifying. At this point I really felt like that I had made it to Australia.
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| Kangaroo Selfie |
Tom became a good friend when he was living with Alex and I on our couch in our fraternity house 3 years ago on his trip to America. It was all good fun but none of us had seen him since, and I was the first one to pay him a visit. Everything worked out when I arrived and I happily stayed on his couch for almost a week. He took me around a bit and I got a good impression of Brisbane.
Highlights were definitely catching up with life and an improvised bike ride pub crawl that we did using public city bikes. Many cities offer free bike service with various bike stations scattered all over the city where you can hire and return bikes within a certain time limit, so we took advantage of this by strategically going to pubs and bars near each station.
It was a great success, and we didn't have to pay for transportation for the entire night out. I highly recommend this activity to anyone who lives in a city that offers such services, as it's a very effective and easy way to get around while going out, provided that you're capable of riding a bicycle after a few drinks. Great idea Tom!
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| Tom and I setting out on the bike crawl. Safety first. |
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