Going Down Under

Tired of the cold weather that Korea has to offer this winter? Too many layers that make you feel like the Michelin man? Me too. So time to go elsewhere.

For my winter vacation, I wanted to go somewhere new and warm. Additionally, I wanted to go to a country where English is spoken the majority of the time, giving my brain a true vacation. Looking at flights, the price for Australia looked too good to be true. So, in February 2024, I found myself boarding a plane with a suitcase full of bikinis and summer dresses on the way to Sydney, Australia!

I started my trip at Bondi Beach, Sydney. Sunshine and the beach were the two main things I wanted out of my trip. So as soon as I got myself settled into my hostel room, I got in my bikini and walked across the street to the sandy coast. Well, let's take it back a bit, I went to the store to get sunscreen because I was not going to be sunburnt (plot twist, I ended up getting sunburnt) on this trip. I spent many hours on the beach on my first day, soaking in all the sun rays I could. Every day after then, I found spots in my schedule to just lay on the beach, read my book, and take in the gorgeous weather. Additionally, I joined in on the festivities my hostel had to offer and met lots of cool people there. This hostel in particular offered a walk from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach, Taco Tuesday deals at the partnered restaurant downstairs, a happy hour social, and a trivia night! Such a great way to get to know people from all around the world!

Taken on the walk from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach. Taken on my iPhone XR.

A few days later, I was on my way to Melbourne! I have a bit of a confession... about 70% of this trip was to go see Taylor Swift in concert. As I was denied the ability to go back to the States and see her with my best friend, I made it my mission to go and witness her masterpiece of a concert to anywhere internationally she would be (update: I got denied internationally, too). Landing in Melbourne, I made it to my hostel which was in the middle of the city, ideal to see everything I wanted to in the few days I had to explore. On my second night at this hostel, I joined in on a social night at a bar down the street. This is where I met friends that I spent the rest of my time in Melbourne with! Not having set plans is sometimes better than making plans because you never know who you will meet and what you will be invited to go see. Truly had so much fun with these new friends of mine, more than I could have planned out on my own. In Melbourne, I went to many of the iconic museums, beaches, markets, and famous tourist attractions as well as having a few locals show me the best bars and restaurants.

I did, however, make it to the Taylor Swift concert in Melbourne- just now how I necessarily wanted it to go. I ended up tailgating the concert with other fans who were unable to secure tickets. Bummed that I was not able to see the live performance with my own eyes, it was still fun to be surrounded by Swifties outside of the arena and listen to Taylor Swift play inside. A top memory for sure!

The State Library Victoria, Melbourne. Taken on my Canon EOS rebel t6.

One of the recommendations I had prior to this trip was to take part in a tour of the Great Ocean Road. So on one early Tuesday morning, I found myself and 12 other girls from all around the world in a van being guided down the beautiful coast of Melbourne. Not only did I get to see the beautiful ocean and natural wonders, but I also got to see kangaroos and koalas in the wild! HIGHLY recommended to take the day to do this!

Koala found in a tree way up high on our drive on the Great Ocean Road. Taken on my Canon EOS rebel t6.

The last part of my trip was spent back in Sydney, but in the central part of the city this time. From here, I finally made my way to the iconic spots: the Sydney Opera House and the Taronga Zoo. The Sydney Opera House, being such a notable landmark in the world, I had to see it for myself. It is truly magnificent! I really could not believe my eyes that I was seeing it in person. The Taronga Zoo was just as stunning, but I have been to other zoos that are just as great. I did get to see the giraffes (my favorite animal), so in all, it was worth it to go. To soak up the last bits of the Aussie sun, I took a ferry boat ride out to Manly Beach. This beach was recommended to me by a couple on my Bridge climb excursion (noted down below) and it was definitely worth adding onto my itinerary. Another day spent on the beach with a book and ice cream to balance out the heat, yes please! This being at the end of my trip, I had a hard time packing up my suitcase (now filled with Aussie snacks and sand from the beaches) and getting back to the airport. I actually did cry in the airport, but this is not the last time I will be in Australia. I have many more places to explore in this stunning country.

Sydney Opera House. Taken on my iPhone XR.

Here are some takeaways from my trip:

Hostels:

My experiences were great, maybe 9.7/10. I was very lucky in not having issues with the people in my shared, mixed gender rooms. Usually I was the one coming in late at night, the last one in bed, so I had no issue with people being too loud or messy. The shared rooms were always clean, bathrooms were nice (think of it like a dormitory type), and the people were social (at least for me and my bubbly self). A big fear in solo traveling is safety, especially for young females. In all of these hostels, I felt completely safe. They had key cards that would allow you in to your specified room as well as into the separate bathrooms. After normal hours, you would have to also scan into the building, to assure complete safety of the guests. I believe this is the way to go if you don't mind sharing your space (and sleeping in a twin-sized bunk bed) for a few weeks to safe money. In this experience, I met so many great people and were able to not be completely solo on my trip. It enhanced my experience in Australia, I am sure of it.

The hostels I stayed at: Wake Up! Bondi Beach, Selina Central Melbourne, and Wake Up! Sydney. The staff in each of these were very accommodating and helped me with any travel questions I had.

Food:

One word: coffee! I know it is not food necessarily, but it pairs with the going out to restaurant experiences. No other coffee will come close to being as good after you drink a nice coffee from Australia- especially a flat white so it seems. The coffee scene is huge there, so be warned. Don't even dare to go to Starbucks as it is not the hype at all.

Australia is a very diverse country and you can see that in the restaurants all around. I enjoyed many different cuisines for meals, ranging from Indian to something close to an American breakfast, and sometimes supplementing a meal with treats from the shops (Tim Tams are healthy, right?). Overall, there are no complaints from my end of places to eat here!

Experiences:

Hands down the best one I did was the Bridgeclimb Sydney! Like briefly stated above, I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge with a group of like-minded individuals (aka crazy enough to climb to the top of a bridge). Truly an unforgettable experience! Even if you are scared of heights, one lady on the climb said it was not too bad for embracing her fear of heights.

Other than that, I ticked off the list of recommended places to go to in Sydney and Melbourne as best I could. Every day being a new day of exploration, I found it a fun adventure to capture the Pinterest-ed "Top Sights". Exhausted every day, but well worth the journey.

Transportation:

Now, before I say anything about this, know that I am coming from South Korea where all I use is public transportation. That being said, it was so easy to get around the cities I went to. I was never bothered on the transportation at all, as that can be another thing to fear when traveling alone. It was manageable to figure out how to get from one spot to the next without much issue. In all the ways to get around, the one thing to know is when the last one would be running (or maybe just in my case as I was out until 2 AM most nights). If not able to get to in time, Ubers were the next option.

I used my credit card to tap pay in getting on the buses, trams, and subways. There is another card you can buy specifically for the transportation, but it was more convenient to use my own card. Google maps was great to use for seeking out ways to get to where I wanted.

Other things to note:

You will need a visa to enter the country, even if you are only there for a few weeks. I learned the hard way and spent longer than I wanted in the airport waiting for all the paperwork to be dealt with. Do the simple research beforehand like I should have.
The driving-on-the-other-side-of-the-road thing also applies to walking on the streets or up the escalators. Mental note when you are out that everything is much different to what is "normal". Follow the crowds to make sure you are not being that tourist.

SIM cards: I used an app called Ubigi for my travel SIM card. I did have to recharge it a few times even though the card was for 30 days usage as I did need to use lots of data in traveling around. Not sure if I would highly recommend it, but it did what it needed to for me and I did not have any issues within my phone while using it.

Research some phrases you might hear in passing with others as some of their lingo may be used differently than what you're used to. I was made aware of some key words and phrases, yet it still took me by surprise when hearing them at a bar or in walking by others talking.

Overall, go book that flight to Australia and enjoy every second of it.

Money comes back, but time doesn't. Use it wisely.

Going Down Under

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