Bruny Island

February 05, 2018 by Rachel in Australia, Food

We left for Bruny Island last week after two days in Hobart. The only option to get to Bruny Island is by ferry and we were not the only people who had this idea! The line to ride the ferry was long and we waited in our car for about an hour before we could board. Neither of us had ever been on a ferry where you drive up in your car, park on the ferry, and then drive off once arriving at the jetty. It was all quite exciting! The ferry ride itself only took about 20 minutes and we arrived in Bruny Island shortly after 1:00pm.

Hobart

January 27, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

We arrived in Tasmania on Friday and will be staying two nights in Hobart before picking up our rental car to start our journey around the island. It will be a busy trip, but we are both looking forward to exploring this part of Australia.

Yarra Valley

January 24, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

We are quickly winding down our time in Melbourne and will be leaving for Tasmania tomorrow. Melbourne is such a vibrant and fun city with beautiful beaches, amazing food, and quirky neighborhoods.

On my list of things to do before leaving was visiting the Yarra Valley, the regions wine country. The drive is only an hour from Melbourne so we rented a car on Wednesday and set off to explore this area.

Bayside Coastal Trail

January 24, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

Tuesday morning we hiked part of the Bayside Coastal Trail, a 17-kilometer coastal walk from Brighton to Beaumaris in Melbourne. We did not complete the whole trail but started at Sandringham and walked through to the Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary.

Australian Open

January 21, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

Sorry it's been so quiet over here on the blog, but I came down with a bad cold and have been cooped up inside for the last few days. We did venture out last night for the Australian Open and had a really great time. We always enjoyed attending the US Open each September while living in New York and were able to take a tour of Wimbledon during our time in London this past fall.

Great Ocean Road - Day 3

January 19, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

Our last full day traveling on the Great Ocean Road started with driving to The Arch. This naturally sculptured arch stands 26 feet tall and is located a short distance from Port Campbell. We were the only people there first thing in the morning and we spent quite a bit of time listening to the waves crashing against the arch.

Great Ocean Road - Day 2

January 18, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

Our second day exploring the Great Ocean Road started with breakfast at Hello Coffee in Apollo Bay. Housed in a warehouse, it was an adorable and delicious place to fuel up before getting back on the road.

Great Ocean Road - Day 1

January 16, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

We are spending this week driving along the Great Ocean Road, an Australian National Heritage stretch of road beginning outside of Melbourne. We rented a car Monday morning and started our journey.

Yarra Bend Park

January 14, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

Yesterday, Alex and I explored Yarra Bend Park, the largest area of natural bushland near Melbourne. We choose the Dights Falls path which follows the river around the park. The walk took us a little over an hour and there were lots of other people and cyclists on the trail.

Brighton Beach

January 13, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

Alex and I spent Thursday at Brighton Beach. The beach is a 30-minute train ride from Melbourne and is famous for its 82 bathing boxes painted in a rainbow of colors. Many of these bathing boxes were built over a 100 years ago when beachgoers were more modest and neck-to-knees bathing suits were the style.

St. Kilda

January 11, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

We spent Wednesday exploring St. Kilda Beach. The beach is only a mile and a half from our Airbnb and we were able to walk there in about 45 minutes. Although not one of the prettiest beaches we've been too, it certainly made for a lovely day walking around the pier and relaxing in the sand.

Central Business District - Part II

January 08, 2018 by Rachel in Australia, Food

Alex and I headed back to the Central Business District (CBD) on Monday to continue our sightseeing in this area. We woke up to a sudden rainstorm, but thankfully, it didn't last long and shortly after we jumped on the train and headed back into the city center.

Central Business District - Part I

January 07, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

Sunday was our first day venturing outside of our neighborhood and we started with the Central Business District (CBD). Melbourne was founded in 1835 by settler John Batman when he decided a point on the Yarra River would be "the place for a village".

G'day Australia!

January 06, 2018 by Rachel in Australia

We arrived in Melbourne on Friday after a 26-hour journey from Omaha! Luckily, we were able to sleep on the plane and made it through customs without any problems.