Australia

The moment has finally arrived for our Australia trip! This adventure has been in the works for an entire year, ever since my mom expressed her wish to celebrate her 70th birthday in Australia back in 2022. The anticipation has been building, and I couldn't be more thrilled about embarking on this exciting journey in Australia. We had a very long journey, including a 15 hour flight from LAX to Sydney. Check out my blog for tips on this journey.

The house we had rented was situated to the north of Sydney, approximately a ninety-minute drive away. We made the decision to rent a car for our transportation, which did make me a bit apprehensive since I had never driven on the opposite side of the road before. Nevertheless, I was eager to give it a try.

September 29, 2023: Friday, Landed in Sydney

Our plane landed on Friday, September 29th, and despite not getting much sleep, I was feeling surprisingly okay. Upon disembarking, we had to navigate through the customs and border patrol procedures, which turned out to be quite chaotic (this was suprising to me). There were various kiosks scattered around for obtaining custom stickers, but the lines were disorganized. We roamed around until we found a section that appeared to be more organized, used the kiosk to input our information, and proceeded to passport control.

After passing through passport control, we located the car rental facility, picked up our car, and hit the road. Alex was the first to take the wheel, and he did such a fantastic job that we had him drive the entire way to Forresters Beach. The house we had rented offered a breathtaking view. After settling in and taking a short nap, we made a trip to the nearby grocery store before enjoying a leisurely stroll along the beach.

For dinner, Alex was craving for KFC, so we set out to find a KFC restaurant and, to our delight, stumbled upon a KMart nearby. We were all excited to discover a KMart in the area and ensure to plan a visit during the following days.

September 30, 2023: Saturday - Happy Birthday Mami!!!!

We enjoyed a leisurely morning and had lunch together, followed by a delightful celebration of my mom's birthday with a delicious cake.

Our intention was to dine out that evening, extending the celebration, but we inadvertently fell into a deep slumber and didn't awaken until the following morning. The only one awake during the dinner time was Alex (poor guy).

October 1, 2023: Sydney (My Day)

We embarked on an exciting journey into Sydney to witness the mesmerizing performance of Miss Saigon at the iconic Sydney Opera House. Arriving with some time to spare, we decided to indulge in a delightful meal at the Opera Cafe.

The show was nothing short of extraordinary. The production, acting, and the overall experience were simply awe-inspiring. It stirred a multitude of emotions within me, leaving me deeply moved. If you ever find yourself in Sydney, I wholeheartedly recommend this as an absolute must-see!

Following the performance, we had a dinner date with my longtime friend, Tristan. It had been nearly five years since our last reunion during our trip to Hong Kong in 2018.

He picked a Peruvian-Japanese Restaurant called Lima. I had asked for a place that had rice because my mom loves rice and he definitely delivered.

October 2, 2023: Monday - New Castle

Being in this place with a 15-hour time difference has been quite an unusual experience. Initially, we were dealing with a 14-hour time gap when we arrived, but over the weekend, we had to adapt to an additional hour's difference. I've also opted to continue working during my stay, but this time difference has significantly disrupted my work routine.

Today, we set out to explore the New Castle area, located to the north of Forresters Beach. Initially, I had the misconception that this town had actual castles. When I first searched for nearby towns, I saw "New Castle" and immediately checked it out on TripAdvisor, thinking it was referring to New Castle, UK. For a while, I believed we were heading to see a castle, but after some further research, I realized my mistake. Nevertheless, we decided to go ahead and explore the area, and it turned out to be a charming beachside town.

We made a reservation at a restaurant situated near the Beach Caves called Caves, and it exceeded our expectations with its immense charm. I savored a delightful Mojito Mocktail, so exquisite that I couldn't resist ordering a second one. One thing that we had to adjust to with restaurants was that you order at the cashier or bar and then sit down. It was almost always the case at every restaurant.

We arrived ahead of our reservation time, so we seized the chance to explore the neighboring beach areas. Our spontaneous discovery was a captivating jetty. The most memorable aspect of this impromptu adventure was the stunning clarity and beauty of the water.

October 3, 2023: Exploring more of Sydney (Beth's Day)

Our first destination on today's adventure is the Tarango Zoo. Beth had kindly arranged for us to have a special opportunity to get close to the charming Koalas. Unfortunately, it happened to be one of the hottest days we encountered during our time in Australia, which made our leisurely strolls a bit challenging.

Next part of our day was going to the Sky Tower.

Final part of the day was going around Sydney in a Big Bus Tour.

We saw a lot this day and with the heat, it made it for a very exhausting day.

October 4, 2023: Mountains to Bathurst

On our way to Bathurst to drop Alex off for race weekend (this guy will find a race anywhere in the world...LOL).

Our first destination was Calmsley Farm, where we had the chance to encounter baby Kangaroos and Koalas up close. After being somewhat disappointed by the sight of a sleeping Kangaroo at the zoo the day before, we were thrilled to come across more active Kangaroos at the farm. What made this experience even more special was the opportunity to stroll among the Kangaroos. Initially, there was a slight apprehension about entering the area with these youngsters, luckily there were no adult kangaroos in this area. However, with time, my confidence grew, and I found myself more at ease exploring the surroundings.

While leaving the farm, we couldn't resist one last visit to the Koalas, marveling at their undeniable adorableness.

Our next destination was the Hydro Majestic Pavilion, a charming restaurant and hotel nestled on the mountainside en route to Bathurst. Here, we indulged in the delightful tradition of High Tea, surrounded by breathtaking mountain vistas.

The spread before us was a sight to behold, offering an abundance of delectable treats. My passion for High Tea, and particularly my weakness for freshly baked scones, compelled me to savor every morsel to its fullest. :/ I was so stuffed that I could not really think about eating for the rest of the day.

During this journey, as we made our way through the mountains, the rain began to fall. The weather turned a bit chilly, and the rain persisted. The thought of driving back to Sydney through the mountains in the dark with the rain pouring down didn't fill me with anticipation.

As we made a pit stop to refuel, drawing closer to the race track, we spotted the pace car.

The return journey through the mountains, after dropping Alex off, was shrouded in darkness. The road offered no illumination, relying solely on reflectors. This segment was far from my favorite, navigating the mountain roads in the dark, especially with the challenging left-side driving.

October 5, 2023: Chill day! And The Entrance.

After a full day of driving to Bathurst the day before, we opted for a more relaxed agenda. Our friend, Tristan, came over to spend time with us. I had heard about a highly recommended Thai restaurant in The Entrance, so we set out to explore it, only to discover that it was unexpectedly closed. Tristan jokingly remarked that fate seemed to be against me dining at that particular Thai restaurant. Undeterred, we strolled through the downtown area of The Entrance. We did find a Vietnamese Restaurant and the food was delicious! We also found a yummy ice cream place.

Following that, we explored the nearby Norah Head Lighthouse, and to our delight, it exceeded our expectations when compared to the pictures. I am truly grateful that we made the decision to visit it. The lighthouse featured a picturesque pathway leading to a rocky area along the ocean, which was simply breathtaking!

The only issue we encountered was the prevalence of flies, similar to other beachfront areas we've explored in the Central Coast of Australia.

October 6, 2023: Cooranbong!

I was filled with anticipation as we embarked on our visit to this special area. It holds significant historical importance for our church, as it was where one of our church's co-founders dedicated many years to establishing the Seventh Day Adventist church in Australia.

Our journey took us through the town, and we had the opportunity to explore Avondale University. Additionally, we made a stop at the residence where Ellen G. White resided during her time in Australia. It was a meaningful and memorable experience.

Our exploration extended to nearby sites, but we encountered a road closure, thwarting our plans. In response, we changed our itinerary and decided to visit Lake Macquarie. While it was a pleasant destination, it couldn't quite rival the breathtaking beauty of the ocean views we had been enjoying throughout the week.

We headed back to the house and made a spontaneous choice to dine at a charming old-school diner just down the street from our house. The place exuded a vintage charm that instantly caught our attention, and it went by the name of Matt's Diner. To our delight, we discovered that they served an incredibly delicious banana shake. It was the perfect conclusion to our day of driving around Cooranbong.

October 7, 2023 - Forrester Beach - Sabbath

Instead of making the 40-minute trip back to Cooranbong, where we had originally planned to attend a church service, we decided to explore a closer option that we had noticed on our way to Forrester Beach the previous day. Given the significant presence of Seventh Day Adventists in the area, locating a nearby church was pretty easy. Our experience at this local church, Forrester Beach SDA, and the service it offered turned out to be thoroughly enjoyable. It also gave me a lot of decorating ideas for our local church.

October 8, 2023: back to Bathurst

We had to drive to Bathurst to pick up Alex, but since we weren't attending the race, we could leave home later than originally scheduled. This allowed us to have a leisurely morning. Our initial plan was to visit several viewpoints in the Blue Mountains. However, during our previous trip to Bathurst, it was raining, and we couldn't make it to the overlooks. This time, the weather cooperated, giving me the chance to test out my new telephoto lens.

We went to the following lookouts.

• Three Sisters

• Hargraves Lookout

The views were phenomenal, but to be honest and a bit bias, the mountains in NC are even more beautiful.

October 9, 2023: Exploring Sydney - Part 3 (Alex's Day)

After returning home late from Bathurst, we decided to spend the morning at the house. Naturally, I woke up early and put in some work before we started our day. Although it was originally Alex's responsibility to plan the day, he hadn't, but fortunately, Beth had a supplementary list of places she wanted to visit in Sydney. There were several lookouts in the Sydney area that were on her list.

The Gap Lookout

Blue Point Reserve

This is one of my new favorite picture of the three of us!!! <3

October 10, 2023: Forresters Beach

We dedicated this day to unwinding, indulging in an Outlander marathon, and preparing for the upcoming departure of Beth and my mother, who were scheduled to return to the United States the following day. We made a choice to enjoy one last stroll at the beach.

I captured a shot of the house from the beach side. It was truly a magnificent sight. Just before we left, I casually mentioned to Alex that he might want to swap his sneakers for sliders, but he decided against it. As we strolled along the beach, he had an urge to get as close as possible to the crashing waves. However, the ocean had a different plan and unleashed a high tide wave while he was in close proximity. Predictably, his sneakers were drenched, and it quickly escalated into a sneaker crisis.

Back at the house, as we figured out the sneaker crisis..LOL, we looked at the option of puting the snearkers in the dryer. The dryer was mounted upside down on the wall. Placing the sneakers inside, it seemed as though the dryer might detach from the wall at any moment. So, we opted for an alternative approach and resorted to using a hair dryer. This was Alex's only pair of shoes during this trip and we would not have time to go to a store before having to go to the aiport the next morning.

What perplexed us was Alex's decision to carry only one pair of shoes for a two-week journey. It remains a mystery to this day. LOL!

October 11, 2023 - Part 1: Airport for Beth and Mom in Sydney

We woke up at the crack of dawn, 5 a.m., with a mission to reach the airport by 8 a.m. for their 10 a.m. flight. Before embarking on our journey, we decided to make a pit stop at the nearby cafe, Brown Sugar. This charming little cafe offered a delectable scone pastry, and I couldn't resist pairing it with a soothing chai tea latte.

With our breakfast in hand, we hit the road towards the airport. However, as we approached within a mile of our destination, our plans were thwarted by an accident. A truck had been involved in an accident, causing a spill of oil that completely blocked the left side of the road. Fortunately, our well-planned schedule allowed us some flexibility, and we managed to make it to the airport without any delays. Sadly, we had to bid farewell to my mom and Beth, who were heading home ahead of us. This accident turned out to be a valuable trial run for what Alex and I would have to navigate the next day.

October 11, 2023 - Part 2: Exploring Sydney with Tristan

After dropping my mom and Beth off at the airport, we made our way to Tristan's apartment. I was curious to check out his place in Australia. His apartment was just a few blocks away from the Fish Market, so we decided to have breakfast there. Well, I didn't eat the fish breakfast, but they did. I spotted a cozy cafe within the Fish Market and treated myself to another scone and a chai tea latte. It seemed like chai tea lattes were the theme of the day. LOL.

Subsequently, we embarked on a water taxi excursion around the wharfs, providing us with a unique perspective of Sydney.

We visited the Four Seasons, where we sat down, and I indulged in yet another delightful chai tea latte. Needless to say, I was obsessed with chai tea lattes during this trip. Following this, we hopped on the tram to Chinatown. The tram system impressed me with its user-friendly design – simply tap your card upon entry and exit. It was incredibly convenient! I wish we had a similar system back in the United States.

Following that, we hopped back on the tram, excited to satisfy Alex's steak craving. Our destination was the renowned steakhouse, Botswana Butchery, and it didn't disappoint. The salmon I ordered was exceptional, undoubtedly the finest I've ever tasted in a steakhouse. Alex also had high praise for his steak.

After this delectable dinner, we decided to elevate our afternoon by visiting a rooftop restaurant, where we enjoyed a breathtaking view and continued our delightful conversations. Then, we made our way back to Tristan's apartment. After a while, we headed back to Forresters Beach, focusing on finishing our packing, preparing for an early night, as we had an early start the following day to catch our flight at the airport.

October 12, 2023 - Airport to head back to the states

We woke up at 4:30 am. We ensured that our AirBnB was in perfect order, and made a brief stop at the charming café just down the street. I couldn't resist indulging in one more scone and a comforting chai tea latte.

Although bidding farewell left a twinge of sadness, I was undeniably excited to return home. The journey ahead was a demanding one, comprising a 15-hour flight from Sydney to California, followed by a 4-hour flight from California to Chicago, and then a 3-hour drive to reach Indianapolis. Factoring in layovers, our total travel time clocked in at an exhausting 27 hours.

Having embarked on this round-trip adventure, I've accumulated some valuable insights and strategies. Be sure to visit my blog for a comprehensive guide on how to not only endure but also enjoy a 15-hour flight.

Before we end, a quick lesson learned:

If I were to do this trip again, it would definitely be for longer period of time, but if it were the same amount of time, I would split it up a bit differently.

• 1 week at the beach

• 3 days in the mountains

• 3 days in Sydney

Until the next voyage! Wishing you endless wanderlust!