My favourite part of living and working in Surfers Paradise is most definitely the fact that I'm footsteps away from the beautiful beach. Our apartment is about a 10 minute walk from everything and the hustle bustle of Surfers Paradise. Springbrook National Park is close by which offers endless hikes to waterfalls, throughout the beautiful rainforest. Days off usually consist of visits here if not going to the beach. Another highlight is Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, where we had the opportunity to hold a koala, and feed kangaroos.
After exploring for a month it was time to return to Surfers Paradise and job and apartment hunt. Fortunately we were very lucky with both. My first interview was with Novotel (a large hotel brand) for a reservations agent which I was successful. We also found a beautiful apartment around the same time which was in a great location, and affordable. Time to begin our new lives :)
Our last (and in my opinion the best) excursion of our 2 week long roadtrip was Fraser Island. Fraser is the largest sand island in the world which you can drive and camp on. We began with a night in Noosa and headed for the island the next day. We were split into groups and loaded into the jeeps. Driving down the beautiful beach, windows down, and music blasted. I was in heaven. Over the 3 days we visited Lake Mackenzie, an old ship wreck, Eli Creek and Lake Wabby. We spent our nights in a hostel on the island where we of course indulged in beer pong and met new travellers.
Next stop on our way down the East Coast was a tiny town called Seventeen Seventy. The name comes from the year that James Cook landed here, his second landing in Queensland. Our primary reason for visiting this little village was to ride minibikes in the countryside and see kangaroos! We arrived at our hostel which was basically in the middle of the bush, where I FINALLY saw my first wild kangaroo! We got settled and ended up meeting some locals who took us to karaoke in town. Karaoke must be a special event to the locals because everyone was dressed up so nice and it was packed for such a small town. The next day was our Scooter Roo Tour which was definitely a highlight of my Australia trip so far! The tour took us all along the beautiful countryside on mini motorcycles. We stopped at a gorgeous forest, rode past many kangaroos and stopped at a harbour for dinner before heading back. I was the happiest girl and definitely in my element!
Next stop on the list was Airlie beach; the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. The Whitsundays consist of 74 islands and lie amongst the Great Barrier Reef. These islands have some of the most beautiful beaches and are known for the crystal clear water and marine life. We spent the night in Airlie beach and the next day hopped on a party boat (with our box of goon of course) known as the Atlantic Clipper. This cruise consisted of 2 nights and 3 days of snorkelling, plenty of drinking, beaches and making new friends. Our stop at Whitehaven beach was beyond my favourite, with sand that was 98% silica and the bluest water I've ever seen. I tried scuba diving for my very first time, however was not a big fan! The boat had two water slides which were also a blast. If you ever visit Australia, the Whitsunday Islands are a must see!
The next adventure on our list was to roadtrip the East coast of Australia and make our way back to Surfers. This meant driving on the opposite side of the road.. while keeping an eye out for kangaroos. We picked the car up in Cairns and were on our way. First stop..Townsville! a beautiful little city which we mainly visited in order to get to Magnetic Island. We hopped on a ferry and spent the day at the island, doing a walk which took you to old World War II forts while spotting sleepy koalas. In the evening we took a walk to an area that was known for the wallabies which we fed and pet. After our first week spent in Surfers Paradise, relaxing and overcoming the jet-lag, our next stop was beautiful Cairns. Located North on the East coast of Australia, Cairns is a beautiful city and the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Here we checked out the nightlife, visited the popular lagoon and caught up with a good friend whom I met in Lake Louise.
Our trip began in beautiful Surfers Paradise...which is exactly what the place is. Paradise. A quaint little beach city located on the Gold Coast. With surfer dudes everywhere, a massive beach with white sand, plenty of nightlife and shops galore, this city offers all around good vibes. Our first week was spent in a hostel called "Backpackers in Paradise" My second hostel experience of many more to come.
Oi! 3 flights and 26 hours later we've made it to beautiful Aussie land. The next journey shall commence with a year long working holiday visa. From mountains to sunshine and beaches, the next adventure begins!
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staya mateFollow my year long adventure in beautiful Australia :) Archives
December 2016
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