Sunday, August 28, 2011

Familiar Faces

Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Caloudra, Noosa, Hervey Bay, Rockhampton, Airlie Beach, Townsville, Mission Beach, Port Douglas, AUSTRALIA: 1 - 27 August 2011.

After three months of backpacking solo in Asia, it was very nice to fly back into Melbourne - a familiar place with familiar faces. There I first met up with my friends Kate and Elaine, and then my sister Aileen and niece Nicole arrived from Ireland to start our month-long Australian adventure.
After five days in both Melbourne and Sydney,
we flew to Brisbane to start our road trip up the east coast.
Highlights included watching dolphins and whales from Byron Bay's lighthouse, meeting koalas in Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, day trips to Fraser Island and around the Whitsundays, and spotting crocodiles near Daintree.Then to round off our trip, we celebrated my thirtieth birthday in Port Douglas. Nicole presented me with a green scarf that she knitted for me for the rugby world cup,
we had drinks and strawberries watching the sunset,
and the next day we went snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. I found turning thirty to be great - I'd recommend it.