Travel: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

*Check out my previous Australian adventures here first!*

It felt so good to get back to a metropolitan city. I adore the trains in Sydney - double deckers with seats that you can move to decide whether you want to date forwards or backwards - how novel! I took the train from Sydney airport to Central station, a short walk away from my home for the next few days, Wake Up! Sydney hostel. 

Firstthing on my itinerary was, of course, a city walking tour, but this didnt start for another hour or so, so I decided to head out and explore the parts of town I wasn't likely to see otherwise. The next suburb over from where I was staying was Surry Hills, a leafy tree-lined suburb with lovely streets packed with all sorts of interesting shops. It gave off major Portland vibes and I can imagine that it would be a very liveable area indeed. 

The end of Surry Hills took me out to the bottom of Hyde Park, London's much smaller cousin. The park, whilst quite tiny in comparison to the Hyde I was used to, was still rather pretty with its Anzac Memorial, Greek-style fountain, and views of St Mary's Cathedral. I decided to make the latter my next destination as I'm well aware the Cathedrals can have some of the most stunning architecture. 

St Mary's was no different, quiet and serene with large stained glass windows and stations of the cross. Interestingly, all Holy Water had been removed and replaced with signs explaining its lack due to the risk of spreading disease in the form of the Corona virus. 

I was right on time for my walking tour which left at 2:30 outside the Town Hall. Led by eccentric ex-drama student Jake, we were brought to the lovely QVB, filled with upmarket shops selling everything from cashmere to macarons; Pitt St Mall; the various places named after Macquarie; Circular Quay with its views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House; before finishing at the Rocks, the oldest area in Sydney. The tour was very informative, and I felt like even in those short few hours I had seen quite a lot of Sydney. 

It was now late in the day and about time I got something to eat, so I raced to find a quick bite and then headed back to the Rocks for my second tour of the day. This tour was full of history surrounding the convicts and criminals who had inhabited the area in the early days. As the sky darkened, it was time to head back through the busy streets and hope for a good nights sleep ahead of the following days excursions to the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley. 

On one of my free evenings in Sydney, I decided to take a short walk to Messina, which I'd read made the best gelato in Sydney. I asked to try the top sellers - salted caramel & white chocolate, and pistachio praline; both of which were out of this world good. I was a very happy customer indeed. 

The next day began with good food too as I went in search of Sydney's best breakfast which appeared to be found at bill's. This was back in Surry Hills, and I opted for the ricotta hotcakes, subbing banana for strawberries. The thick and fluffy pancakes were pretty good, particularly when doused in light maple syrup or the housemade butter. 

The hostel had planned a walk from the world famous Coogee to Bondi beaches, so at 11am, a huge group of us accumulated in reception to head out. We caught the bus to Coogee and began our walk along the coast, passing through various beaches which I have no doubt would have been even prettier in the sunshine, and ending up at Bondi and its famous iceberg pool, a saltwater swimming pool where the sea water sloshes over the edge. 

Much of the group were staying at Bondi for lunch, but I had places to go, people to see, so I caught the bus back to Circular Quay to finish up my Sydney explorations. I walked around to get up close and personal with the Opera House, and then into the adjoining Botanical Gardens. Sadly the main attraction for me, Mrs Macquaries Chair, from where you are supposed to get the best views back onto the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, was closed for renovation, but I still enjoyed wandering around the green park for a while. 

A cafe caught my eye as I left the gardens, as it offered taro frappes. This root vegetable, which I believe is quite popular in the Philippines, has a bright purple hue, so I was keen to test it out and hike my purple drink over to Darling Harbour. This harbour is home to Sydney's family attractions like SeaLife and Madame Tussauds, but also is just a very pleasant walk, with many restaurants lining its banks and boats pulling into the harbour from left, right and centre. 

After my day of intense exercise, it was about time I refuelled. I'd made a booking at Jack & Knife, purely on the fact that one of the reviews I'd read mentioned that they did a superb mac & cheese. Now, if you've read any of my blog posts before, you'll know this is the dish that I would die for, that I am legally obliged to try in every form in every city that I visit. Imagine my shock then, when I'm told by the waitress that they might not have any mac & cheese left because of the function taking place upstairs, but she'd check.

My heart started beating again when I was told they could indeed make me one. My mac & cheese arrived in a steaming bowl topped with melted brie. I don't say this lightly at all, but it was the best thing I've ever tasted. A friend asked me recently if I would consider myself a foodie, and whilst it wouldn't be an adjective I would automatically describe myself with, I realise I do tend to seek out the best food that a city has to offer, so I hope you can take my word when I tell you just how good it was. I gave my compliments to the chef and told him that this dish should have a space on the Main Menu rather than just as a side. Life changing. 

Thanks for reading about my time in Sydney! I have no doubt I'll be back in this beautiful city before too long - what are some things I should check out on my next visit? Drop me a message in the comments below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry where you can also be the first to know when I post a new travel blog!

Travel: KAKADU NATIONAL PARK, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA

Waking up in Darwin (read about my time there in this blog post), it was another early morning as I raced the thirty minutes down to the pier to pick up my tourbus for the next three days. You can imagine my frustration as the bus then headed into town and picked up more travellers from the very hostel that I had left that morning, and I wondered why my travel agent had not chosen that logical location as my pick up point instead…

Once onboard, our driver/guide Candice drove us the long way to Kakadu National Park where we stopped for photos at the sign before moving on to Ubirr Rock. Here we were told the interesting stories behind the Aboriginal rock paintings, and climbed up to the Nadab Lookout for views over the extensive floodplains and into Arnhem Land, an area still pretty much off limits to visitors.

I enjoyed this little excursion, with the exception of the persistent flies which quickly became the bane of my time in Kakadu. They just can’t seem to get enough of you – flying to one area of your face only to be batted away, and then return to the exact same place! Believe me when I tell you that gets very old very quickly…

Indeed I was very pleased to be rid of the flies back in the van as we drove to Warradjan Cultural Centre where we stopped for a simple picnic lunch and the opportunity to explore the mini museum, before heading on to the evenings campsite at Cooinda. As there were so few of us, we each had a tent to ourselves which was pleasant, and they even had fans in them which certainly felt like a necessity.

We chilled at the campsite, enjoying the resort pool for a few hours before dinner. Alas, it seemed that my travel agent had neglected to tell the tour company that I was vegetarian in spite of being notified numerous times, so I was slightly disappointed with the food options, although Candice did try the best with what was available.

Day two was a very early start as we drove a short way down to Yellow Waters billabong to catch one of the first crocodile cruises. If you read my Daintree adventure, you’ll know that I went on one of these tours there too, but let me tell you that this was on a completely different level. First off, we had an excellent guide in the form of Ruben, who did not stop talking for the whole two hours, which was amazing as he shared fascinating stories about anything and everything, and was continuously pointing out wildlife left right and centre. I particularly loved the Jabiru bird and the water buffalos which we saw crossing the river.

Of course, this is without even mentioning the crocodiles, of which we saw more than I could count, and very close too. We were even lucky enough to catch a crocodile fight in close quarters. This was a definite highlight of my Kakadu adventures and I would recommend it to anyone heading to the Northern Territory.

We hopped into the bus towards Gunlom Falls where we trekked towards the falls and then had free time to swim. One thing which we were told is that every place that we were swimming most likely had crocodiles in them. Whether or not we would see them or be bothered by them, we didn’t know; but it was our guides duty to make us aware that we were swimming in crocodile infested waters.

So, you can imagine my trepidation as we arrive at this huge plunge pool, the bottom of which you have no chance of seeing, and knowing that that’s where the crocs are. I had brought goggles but decided I was better off without them, not really wanting to see the delightful creature of the deep coming up to chomp off one of my limbs.

Anxiety aside, I survived my dip and we hopped back in the van. We were given the option of taking a big, hard trek up to Nawurlandja lookout, or heading straight to the campsite so we’d get there in time for sunset. Being a sunset lover, I opted for the latter option as did the other travellers, only to discover that Candice had mixed up her sunset times and that we in fact could have done both options.

Alas, this meant that we arrived at our Mount Bundy campsite earlier than usual, so I took the opportunity to say hi to the animals who lived around the site, including horses, pigs, peacocks, and heaps of little wallabies. When it came, the sunset was rather spectacular and an enjoyable way to end the day.

We left camp before the sun rose to drive towards the termine mounds, where huge structures of over 60 years old reside, some still full of millions of tiny creatures still building each and every day. They really are massive and rather impressive, particularly when you take into account just how tiny these termites are.

We had a few swimming holes to head to that afternoon, including Florence Falls, Wangi Falls, and Buley Rockhole. At the latter, I was swimming away when I heard my name being called. ‘Don’t go any further,’ Candice warned me. ‘That’s the crocodile breeding ground.’ Okay then… And so day 3 was very much a swimming day, and one that I thankfully managed to survive with all of my limbs still intact.

And with that, it was time to make the long drive back to Darwin, and for me to take my flight back to Brisbane after my extensive East Coast and Northern Territory travels. Now just to explore the rest of Australia and the world!

Thank you for reading all about my adventures in Kakadu! If you enjoyed today's blog, there's plenty more to come, so feel free to drop me a follow on Twitter @CiarasCountry to stay up to date with where I'm heading to next, and I'd love to hear about your adventures too - please leave a message in the comments below with your favourite trips or any you have coming up!

Travel: DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA

After all the fun of my East Coast Australia adventures (read about them here) I gave myself an early start to head to Cairns airport, although needn’t have given myself three hours to check in for my regional flight as I whizzed through security. Five hours later, I landed in a hot Darwin and then took a shuttle into town where I was staying at the YHA. I checked in and then had to figure out what to do with the rest of my day.

Thinking of nothing better than a massage having spent the last two weeks traipsing around with a heavy backpack, I walked out of town for a blissful hour of relaxation and rejuvenation, and then continued walking out to check out the spectacular sunsets that Darwin is famous for.

As the light faded, I decided to investigate the Tropical Lights exhibition around the city. Following a map I’d downloaded from the internet, I wandered around to see the various light installations that had been set up. I really enjoyed this as it was a good way to get my bearings and see a more creative side of the city.

The following morning, I’d planned myself an extensive walking tour of Darwin taking in the must-sees of the city. I started off at Mason Gallery, a store filled to the brim with Aboriginal artwork that I would have more than loved to take home had I not had a stupidly small baggage allowance for my return Jetstar flight.

Next up was the Chung Wah Society, a small Chinese temple surrounded by smiling Buddha statues and covered with red ornaments and plenty of incense – a pleasant change from the high rises that surrounded it.

I carried on to the George Brown Darwin Botanical Garden where I spent a happy hour chasing the shade and admiring the precious flowers which sprang up in bloom; before moving on to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. This certainly was an eclectic museum, with exhibits ranging from Aboriginal art, to Cyclone Tracy, to natural history, and even an exhibit dedicated to a massive crocodile ironically named Sweetheart who had a penchant for chewing up boat motors.

Speaking of crocodiles, I decided to ask the museum receptionist whether it was safe to walk along the beach. She said I should be alright, although warning signs as I entered the beach suggested differently, but I went ahead and risked it, being extra careful to keep one eye on the waters edge at all times. I wandered along the shoreline all the way back towards town – thankfully without coming into contact with a single large-toothed reptile.

It was about time to eat something, so I checked TripAdvisor and opted for Kurt’s Cakes, where reviews had recommended the vanilla slice. It was indeed quite delicious, but a bit much even for my sweet tooth.

Back at the hostel, I prepared myself for a long walk down to the pier where I was to pick up a boat for a sunset harbour cruise I’d booked the day before. Having seen the previous nights sunset, how could I resist? I was one of the few not to have chosen to include a buffet along with my cruise, having spoken to the staff and gathered that catering for vegetarians was not really something they did. Subsequently, it was just me and a few others who took charge of the top deck whilst everyone else was seated downstairs in the dining room.

This ended up being rather nice as I had uninterrupted views and could clearly hear the guide who stood beside us, even when his tannoy broke so the other guests couldn’t. His spiel was clearly rehearsed and he told us in detail what we could see as we cruised away from the port before leaving us to enjoy the sunset on our own.

And what a spectacular sunset it was. I was particularly impressed that there were not only stunning colours ahead of us, but behind too with a sunset view that I hadn’t really experienced before. Definitely something special. This was made even more interesting as we returned back to port in the dark, just as huge lightning bolts cracked across the sky in a late summer storm.

Thank you for reading all about my Darwin adventures! I'd love to hear about and see the most spectacular sunsets you've ever seen - drop me a message in the comments below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry where you can also stay up to date with all my upcoming blog posts! 

Travel: DAINTREE RAINFOREST - East Coast Australia Adventures Part 5

The following morning after my time in Cairns (check that out here) was an early start as I was picked up outside my hostel for my Cape Tribulation tour. We had a few more pickups en route before we headed off up North, first stopping at Mossman Gorge for a ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony. This involved an Aboriginee tribal member teaching us about the various plants they use for medicine, food, and paint; and then inducting us through a smoking ceremony to welcome us to the land we were about to explore.

We took a shuttle into the gorge where we were given free time to walk through the forest and swim in the raging river, throwing ourselves into the white water and splashing downstream with the hope of catching onto a nearby rock before you disappeared into the ether. Certainly a refreshing, if slightly terrifying experience, given the humidity.

Onwards we continued up the coast with our next stop being a crocodile cruise. We were led into an entry area to wait, and given free Daintree black tea to try – iced or hot – before being led down to our long boat. What followed was a pleasant two hour cruise along the river, which I enjoyed more as a relaxing cruise than a crocodile cruise, as we did only end up seeing two crocodiles in the time. Still, two is better than none, and it was still impressive to gawk at their sheer size as we cruised by.

We hopped off further up the river where our bus was waiting to take into the Daintree. We kept our eyes peeled for Cassowaries as we drove, but these birds are so elusive the chances of seeing them was pretty close to catching a blue moon. Around 1:30pm we arrived in Cape Tribulation, and pulled into the Ferntree Rainforest Lodge.

Now, when I’d heard that I’d be going on a 2 day tour of Cape Tribulation, I’d assumed that it would indeed be a 2 day tour, not a half day tour where we would be dropped off alone for 24 hours to fend for ourselves, and then picked up for the second half of the tour the following day. I knew nothing about Cape Tribulation or what to do there, so this was a bit of a shock to the system.

There were only two of us from the tour staying overnight, so we dropped our bags into the room and then headed to the restaurant for dinner, with all meals included on my package. I opted for a tofu wrap with some yummy bush spiced chips which we ate in the open air amongst scrubfowls scratching in the dirt beside us.

Figuring we’d better make something of our day, we headed over to Dubuji Boardwalk to wander through the prehistoric jungle and see what wildlife we could spot. For this part of the journey, I was particularly pleased to not be with a large tour group as we were able to take our time, walking at a snails pace to make sure we didn’t miss a single thing, and as a result caught sight of reptiles, creepy crawlies, crabs, and even some wild pigs hiding in the bushes which gave us quite a fright as they rampaged through the shrubbery.

At the end of the boardwalk was Myall Beach which we took a gentle stroll along, making sure to stay well away from the waters edge as we’d been warned (and told various scary stories) about the crocodiles who lurked beneath the shallow surface all along the North Queensland Coast. No thank you. It was then back to camp for an early dinner before a guided night walk that we’d booked on a whim earlier that evening.

The night walk started before it even began as we were greeted with a huge python on the hostel boardwalk. Thankfully she presented no danger to us as she was so full with an entire duck that she could barely move, let alone attack us. We continued off into the dark for some of the best hours of my entire trip.

I absolutely adore wildlife, and pride myself on being quite observant when it comes to it, so spent the next three hours spotting as many animals as I could, and believe me when I tell you there was a lot, and of course we were not even breaking the surface of what was actually out there hiding in the dark. We saw ants, dragonflies, frogs, peppermint insects, crickets, stick insects, snails, mice, and a hell of a lot of spiders. Normally, I’d consider myself pretty wary of spiders, but somehow being in their territory made them less scary to me – I suppose I just don’t like them when they’re in my space, and here I was in theirs.

What a wonderful few hours, and our guide ended up suggesting he should have given us the tour for free, me for my observatory skills, and the other girl for taking photographs of many of the critters we saw en route that he could then post onto the website.

Having survived the night without any further run ins with unwanted visitors in our room, we woke up for breakfast and then a lazy walk down to the beach to admire the juxtaposition between forest and sea. Back to Ferntree for a pizza lunch, which quite frankly I could’ve done without given the amount of food I’d consumed over the past 24 hours.

Our bus came to collect us and we headed down to the Marrdja Boardwalk to check out the strangler figs and lick some green ants. No, that wasn’t a typo – we were literally told to catch a green ant and then give it a taste, as these ants taste either like lemon, lime, or sour. Interesting that.

Quite frankly I preferred our stop at the Daintree Ice Cream Company where ice cream is locally produced using local ingredients. The options available on the day we visited black sapote, wattleseed, coconut, and mango; all very yummy so of course I had to force them down in spite of how full I was feeling!

We carried on to Alexandra Range Lookout for scenic views and then drove through Port Douglas, a popular holiday destination full of resorts and luxury boats. The sunset welcomed us back to Cairns, and I spent the evening exploring a little of the surrounding area on foot, heading down to the beach and watching street performers taking advantage of the busy night. I’m not sure whether there’s much to see in Cairns, but I feel like I could have done with an extra day there to see the city itself, so maybe I’ll add that to an upcoming trip!

Thanks for reading! This is the last post in my East Coast Australia adventures, but the fun doesn't end there - I next headed to Darwin and Kakadu National Park, so stay tuned on Twitter @CiarasCountry to be the first to know when that's posted. Have you travelled around Australia? I'd love to hear about your travels - drop me a message in the comments below!