Seeing Australia - My Trip to Sydney & Melbourne

Australia. When I thought of studying abroad somewhere, I veered away from Australia because I was a little scared of all the spiders, snakes, sharks… even the kangaroos! But when I chose New Zealand, I knew I had to visit at some point because I might not get another chance to see this part of the world again. So, for my term break, I grabbed my duffel bag and made a trip to see Sydney and Melbourne in all their glory.

My Mom, who’s exploring her way around the Pacific Ocean on a cruise right now, met me in Sydney, where we spent 5 days exploring and seeing the highlights: the Taronga Zoo, the Opera House, and the Blue Mountains. I had never imagined myself anywhere near these places as a kid. You see the Opera House in movies like Anyone But You and think to yourself, “Oh, wow. That’s really cool.” And then a year later you’re going on a run through Sydney and you casually pass by it, and it’s just there. In my head the Opera House was where celebrities met and saw really expensive concerts, but then I got the surreal experience of being there myself. I felt similarly about the Blue Mountains when I saw the Three Sisters. I sat down on a bench and journaled for about half an hour because I couldn’t believe where I was standing. It’s the feat of making it around the world and seeing something like the Three Sisters that makes you grateful for the life you’ve got.

Anyway, you may be wondering: what’s Sydney like? In the beginning I said I was afraid of all the wildlife in Australia, but to be honest, when I got there, I was told the most I’d probably see was a spider. All of the dangerous wildlife were in the outback or up north past Brisbane. You can even visit wildlife parks where you get the opportunity to feed kangaroos up close and personal! This was one of my favorite parts of the trip because it showed that all you need to live in Australia is a little caution and care about the wildlife. As long as you don’t mess with them, they won’t mess with you.

I didn’t get to see too much of the city besides The Rocks and the walk from Bondi to Coogee Beach, but I liked the parts that I went through. It felt a lot cleaner than some of the American cities I’ve been to, and seeing everyone laying out on the beaches and just enjoying the weather made Sydney feel very cozy and vibrant. Moving from Sydney to Melbourne, I could definitely see a difference in the cities. Someone compared them to American cities, with Sydney being more like Los Angeles and Melbourne being more like New York City. The main draw of Sydney felt like the beaches and the neighborhoods around them. When I explored Melbourne, it felt more culturally diverse, had more foot traffic on the streets, and everywhere you turned, something was happening. My Mom had boarded her cruise ship in Sydney, so I was alone to see Melbourne by myself.

There’s not as much to see in Melbourne (at least from a tourist perspective), but I did meet a local who took me to the Great Ocean Road. It’s a couple hours from the city, but in my opinion it was one of the best parts of my entire trip. There were a lot of tourists, but the view was spectacular. If you end up in Melbourne and want something closer to the city, take the bus to St. Kilda’s pier. (Side-note: you need to get a special card for the bus, but you can look up where to buy a “myki” card online easily). There’s not a ton to do at St. Kilda’s pier, but if you walk along the pier you’ll find an observatory where you can watch the penguins return home after sunset. I arrived early, maybe 15 minutes before sunset, and I had to wait around 45 minutes before seeing the penguins. It was well worth the wait. When you see the penguins in a zoo or wildlife park, it doesn’t feel real. When I saw them at the pier, I was watching them return to their natural habitat! Even in the dark, the experience was incredible. Penguins!!!

It can get really easy when you’re studying abroad to feel like you’re not doing enough, spending too much money, not having the best time of your life, but I think what’s been important for me to remember is the little moments that have made me feel happy, excited, or grateful to be here. Not every second has to feel bigger than life, and it’s never going to be perfect. The other thing that’s helped me get over these feelings of uncertainty and guilt is journaling (and blogging). It helps me reflect about my time here, and I know when I get back to the states that I’ll have something I can look back on to remember the things I did.

Until the next one,

Patrick