There’s one place close to my heart and on my mind on a near daily basis: Australia. It’s somewhere I plan on returning to very, very soon. More on that soon (P.S. if you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll be the first to know the details!). I want to go back to the place where I spent one of the most memorable places of my life, starting with catching up with friends in Sydney, before the wedding of a friend from my year down under.
Despite a year living there and nearly four months of constant travel, I barely scratched the service of this great land. There are so many places I never got to go: Perth, Tasmania, Darwin. And so many I barely scratched the surface of. One such place is Melbourne. Despite spending four or so days there, they weren’t what you might call pleasant. There was the flood and then the lack of places to stay and the stress of sorting it all out.
My love for Sydney wasn’t immediate. It grew on me over time as I moved into a neighborhood and met friends. My stomach did a flip every morning on my train ride when the Sydney Opera House came into view. But from what I’d heard of Melbourne, it’s a knockout. It has the gritty qualities of Berlin and London, but more laid back. It also has some amazing street art in Hosier Lane, which I definitely enjoyed.
While I stayed in St. Kilda during my brief time in Melbourne, I didn’t get to experience much apart from Luna Park and the few shops that weren’t damaged by the floods. While my then-boyfriend was off getting his car fixed, I spent the afternoon wandering around the National Gallery of Victoria and the Shrine of Remembrance.
After leaving the waterlogged hostel in St. Kilda, we hopped between accommodating friends’ houses, including one in Brunswick, a hip outer suburb, and Brighton, an upscale neighborhood known for these iconic beach houses.
Out of all the places in Melbourne I’d like to see or return to, Brighton Beach is at the top of the list. It took an otherwise crummy experience to a city and injected it with color. We just sat for a while watching the kite surfers and admiring the distant skyline. But for any future visits, I’ll be sure to stay further away from the beach and to pack warmer clothing, as the city is known for “four seasons in a day.”
I have never been to Brighton Beach, but I had been to Melbourne and I can attest to the silly weather. It went from cold to hot to rainy to sunny then back to cold all in one day in October. I am originally from Sydney, but if given the opportunity I would move to Melbourne for the experience. The laneways are so awesome!
I have never been to Australia but reading your post and looking at the pictures it seems like a place worth visiting. One of my friends has been to Australia and the way he described it – well it seemed like he found heaven on earth. It´s a country I have to put on my bucket list.