Goodbye Australia — RachiePie

We have officially left Australia and are back on the homeland! It has been an amazing adventure and I feel so fortunate to have been able to see so many places over the past year. Australia has always held a special place in my heart ever since I studied abroad there 14 years ago. And, after this trip, I have even more appreciation for the beauty and kindness of this wonderful country.

While we traveled, we moved around A LOT! The longest we were in any one place was Melbourne and Sydney where we stayed at the same Airbnb for two weeks each. The majority of the time we were in a town for two to three nights at most. In the last six months, we have stayed in 68 different hotels, motels, or Airbnbs. If you count how many places we have stayed over the last year, it adds up to 92 different accommodations! I can speak for both of us when I say we are ready for a more permanent home for a little while!

Alex and I also spent an enormous amount of time in the car over the last six months driving from location to location in both Australia and New Zealand. Knowing we would be driving so much, I thought it would be interesting to keep track of our mileage. I still can’t believe the final total!

Screen Shot 2018-06-30 at 12.59.21 PM.png

A mischievous Kea on top of our rental car in New Zealand

I have a step-tracker on my phone and have been keeping track of my step count over the last six months. According to the total we have walked/hiked over 2-million steps (2,022,232 to be exact!).

Below are some of my favorite Australian to American language differences I have mastered and even incorporated in my own vocabulary:

Screen Shot 2018-07-08 at 4.39.22 PM.png

Some Thoughts:

I love there is no tipping here in Australia (and New Zealand). Tip and tax are automatically included in the price and it makes things so much easier. It is often customary to pay at the front of the restaurant, which means you can get up at any time without having to flag someone for a bill.
People in Australia do not wear shoes and tend to go barefoot EVERYWHERE. I've seen people in restaurants, gas stations, laundromats, and just walking down the street with no shoes on. This definitely grossed me out and I never embraced the barefoot mentality myself other than at the beach. But, part of me appreciates the laidback and carefree mentality of the Aussies.
Often while driving through a small town or remote area there would be roadside stops for produce, honey, flowers, eggs, etc. But, no one would be manning these stops. Instead, they would have an “Honesty Box” where you place your money for whichever items you choose to purchase. It is such a simple idea, but always made me smile. I do not like to think of myself as a cynic, but I know at times I am. Something as simple as an “Honesty Box” helped me to remember others have faith in humanity (and reminded me I should, too).
While traveling around Australia and New Zealand, both Alex and I were struck and impressed with the conscious effort both these countries take in their care and concern for the environment. Our guided tours really focused on “eco-tourism” and ensuring animals, plants, and the surroundings were maintained and not disturbed too much. There is also a heavy focus on recycling and composting and pretty much every Airbnb or hotel we stayed at had recycling bins in the room or on the premises. Most of the roadside stops also had recycling bins in addition to their rubbish bins. We rarely saw trash while hiking, at the beach, or in the water. With so many tourists visiting and traveling through these two countries, I really appreciated the effort and awareness Australia and New Zealand made to ensure their cities, towns, beaches, and national parks remain beautiful.
There is a wonderful culture and acceptance of travel in Australia and New Zealand. Every town appeared to have a campervan park and Information Center detailing all the things to do in the area. Even tiny towns had tiny Information Centers. Many of the roadside stops have picnic tables and bathrooms encouraging people to take breaks while driving. One couple we met on our Whitsunday boat cruise had purchased a Land Cruiser which they completely took apart and transformed into a “home on wheels”. They are now spending the next eight months driving around Australia in their new “home”. While this is a bit extreme for Alex and I (we are more Airbnb, hotel and motel people – I love me a good hot shower!), I just love that “this” is a thing and there are so many people doing it. Being in a country with so many fellow travelers from all over the world really made it fun to meet new people and share experiences and favorite places. Backpackers are a chatty bunch and often will just start talking to whoever is nearby at a restaurant, laundromat, or other public place. There were multiple times we added something to our itinerary after meeting someone who enjoyed a place or experience so much.

In my final post back in December after we left Portugal, I put together a list of my favorite photos from our time in Europe. I decided I wanted to do that again. Let me tell you, narrowing down my favorite photos from the last six months pretty much did me in! This list could easily have been over 1,000 photos if I let it! Ha! Without further adieu, below are my favorite photos from Australia and New Zealand:

Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road - Australia

Field of Lights, Northern Territory - Australia

Fiordland National Park, South Island - New Zealand

The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park - Western Australia — The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park - Western Australia

Shell Beach, Shark Bay - Western Australia

Fraser Island, Hervey Bay - Eastern Australia

Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands - Eastern Australia

Alex and I so enjoyed this past year and it is certainly bittersweet now that we have wrapped up our travel. This has been an experience I know will forever live in my memory. Farewell Australia and New Zealand.