View of Lady Elliot from Above

When we arrived to Hervey Bay, a sleepy beach town in the Sunshine Coast, we were welcomed with warm weather and salty sea breeze. Even warmer was the welcome we received from Diane, our hostess at Chamomile Bed and Breakfast. From all the places we stayed in Australia, we felt the most at home there. It was like staying in the lovely home of a relative you actually like. Thankfully, it is the beginning of the fall season down under, making the area very quiet and having the B&B all to ourselves. Diane or as we started calling her, Auntie Di, would make us omelets with eggs and chives from her backyard. Every morning, we had breakfast on the terrace, being serenaded by the colorful birds which surrounded the house.
The following day, we took a small plane to Lady Elliot Island. I will try to articulate with words the beauty of this place, but do not think I can do it justice. It’s tiny island, propped by the Great Barrier Reef, in the middle of nowhere, no mainland in sight. After a 50 minute flight, we approached the island. From above, we can witness the reefs, jumping fish, and larger than life manta rays. When we landed, I felt as we had arrived in fantasy island, except Tatu was not there to welcome us. After the formalities of the island hosts, we took a glass bottom boat to snorkel around the reef. We were overwhelmed by the beauty we encountered below. Larger than life manta rays, small (thankfully) sharks, and colorful fish inhabited this glorious underwater world. Although Lady Elliot is small and simple, it reminded us of how large this earth really is. Being in a place so remote, surrounded by the vastness of the ocean, reminded me of how sometimes I think I’ve seen enough when there is so much more in this world be in awe of.


Beauty from the Reef

 Our last day in the Sunshine Coast was an active one. We began our day renting paddle boards at Enzo’s on the Beach. Enzo’s is a cafe on the beach with a perfect view. The water was beautifully calm and the perfect early fall water temperature made it ideal for SUP. Perfect for the dutchman as it was his first time paddle boarding. Thankfully the warm water made his falls less painful!

Discovering the Reef

We concluded our day with a run along the bay. There is a long boardwalk with a great sunset view of the beach which stretches around six miles. Along our run we discovered the place where we would have the most decadent meal of our trip: Coast. As we ran by, the place stood out. While most of the restaurants in the area are very basic, Coast had a warm modern design. Under the impression it was low season, we did not make a reservation. The hour wait was a blessing in disguise as we were able to witness the making of one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had: a gin, lime, and cucumber concoction that was simply unforgettable. Our hostess walked us through the menu, sourced from local farmers. We were sold on the pork. Being Puertorican, I know my pork. I have to say this was one of the most moist and delectable pieces of pork I have ever had. The Korean-inspired side dishes were the perfect compliment.

Paddling on Hervey Bay

Our last day, we headed back to Brisbane where we would fly back to Melbourne in order to fly back to our respective homes. Then, we realized we were 48 hours away from saying our so longs and return to counting the days for our next encounter. My heart started to become heavy, but consoled by the fact that these two weeks were magical. We were able to rediscover a country we had both seen before, create new memories, and most significant, fall deeper in love. For that Australia will always be in my heart.

The Dutchman and Repatriate as Drinks

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Run with a View: Brisbane

We arrived on a Saturday evening in Brisbane. Given the time constraint, it was challenging to decide what we wanted to see. We stayed in a charming B&B called The Collingwood in the suburb of Paddington. We decided to discover the city by running downtown to the Brisbane river and studying the cafés, antique shops, and boutiques which lined Latrobe Terrace which led us down to the river. In two and a half miles, the sun had set and we were running by the river banks. There we were taken by the beauty of the city and its gleaming lights. In our return, we ran mostly uphill, welcomed by the stillness of Paddington.


Orinoco and I meet

The next morning, I woke up like a kid in Christmas morning, excited to hold my Koala. We were the first ones to arrive at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. We went straight to the koala section. The sanctuary allows you a brief ‘cuddle’ of a koala and a picture for $16 AUD. I got to hold Orinoco, the name of the adult koala I briefly got to hold. There was a mixture of excitement, fear, and disbelief when I finally got to live a childhood dream. Although the moment lasted a few minutes, I am happy I got to do it. Afterwards, we walked around the sanctuary and spoke to one of the zookeepers who shared with us a lot of interesting information about the koalas and the condition in which they live. The sanctuary works to rehabilitate koalas from the wild and become socialized during the process. Some are born there and have no experience in the wild. That being said, Orinoco and his friends are way more docile than the ones in the wild. In others words, don’t try to hug one outside the sanctuary! The claws on these little furry treasures are huge!


Kangaroo Love at Lone Pine

From there, we proceeded to tour the rest of the sanctuary in order to see more animals indigenous to Australia. We got to feed the kangaroos, which was a little intimidating at first. When I place the small pellets in my hands, a large kangaroo came hopping towards me. I have to admit I was a little scared. After an amicable experience with the first one, we continued to go around the farm feeding more of them as the happily hopped towards us. Again, these animals are in a highly socialized environment which makes their behavior different than in the wild. Although we were probably in the minority of guests without children, I felt like a child again reminiscent of my petting zoo days with my father, but with much cooler animals. Overall, it was a dream come true and a must see for any animal lover.

Scene from City Hopper

We concluded our last evening in Brizzy (as it is fondly referred to by the locals) with the City Hopper,  a free ferry ride through the river. Again, we got to experience a lovely sunset through the city and concluded the evening with roulette at the casino. We bet big, we won big, and then we walked away with a little more than we came with as I got a little too ambitious. Thankfully the Dutchman was there to make me quit while I was ahead. Although it was a short time in Brizzy, I left with the desire of one day returning.

Koala Posing

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St Kilda Beach

My first stop in my adventure down under is Melbourne where I spent a week working during the day and indulging in the amazing culinary life of Melbourne on my time off.  Upon our arrival, we head to Prahran neighborhood for brunch.  As we walked through Chapel St, we found it difficult to choose where to eat as the choices in this modern neighborhood ranged from Russian to Basque.   My Dutchman and I have both been suffering a sunshine deficit in our respective countries so when we saw the corner outdoor seating area at Tusk, we were sold.  After enjoying a delicious dish of cornbread, egg, and guacamole, we walked around the neighborhood of vintage shops, art galleries, and bars with some old neighborhood stores intertwined. If Williamsburg, Brooklyn and The Mission in San Francisco would have a hip baby, Prahran would be it.   We finished our stroll at Babble Café where we sipped on Australian wine, people watched, and took advantage of their free wi-fi as many establishments in Melbourne do not have wi-fi.

Streets of Prahram

The Good Life in St Kilda Beach

Aside from the sunshine and the beach, two of my main takeaways from my week in Melbourne are the food and the hospitality.   As the director of my conference pointed out,  Melbourne is a very culturally diverse city, with 30% of its citizens being either foreign born or second generation.  It reflects on the food we sampled throughout out stay.  From the Malaysian Laksa soup to the Gnocchi with Duck Ragu, we enjoyed all of our meals.  We got a taste of local delicacies at Cumulus, a popular spot in the Flinders Lane.  This ample dining space gives you the opportunity to see the chefs in action and take in the liveliness of the crowd.  From the grilled octopus to the freshly sliced charcuterie, we felt the freshness in every bite.  We had the same feeling for Balancea, an Italian restaurant in South Yarra.  On a rainy night, we indulged on Prosecco, local oysters and fresh pasta.  The best part of these two restaurants was the service.   Although both quite expensive, we felt that it was completely worth it.

Local Oysters at Balancea

A trip to Melbourne is not complete without a trip down the “lanes”.  Lanes are tiny alleys in the city center which are lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants.  We took a break from exploring at the Brown Sugar Café where we shared a delicious bottle of Tasmanian Pinot Noir and witnessed the merge of personalities: the tourists, the businessmen having an after work drink, and young girls hanging out after school.  

The Lanes

Our Australian hosts treated us to a lovely evening at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.  Although there was not a game that evening, we had the whole MCG to ourselves.  We began with a reception of the National Sports Museum, which included a hologram video of  Shane Warne, one of Australia’s cricket greats.  It concluded with a lovely dinner at the club floor with a spectacular view of the grounds.

Working it at the MCG

 My trip to Melbourne concluded with me being surprised by my Dutchman with a spectacular gondola ride through the Yarra river.  I was extremely surprised and moved by the gesture as I never thought of a gondola gliding through the Yarra.  It was a beautiful, clear night as we had a brief history of Melbourne, admired the architecture (old and new), and to conclude, we witnessed an intriguing fire display at the Crown Casino.  We followed the magical night with another delicious dinner at Virginia Plain.  My goal this month is to try to replicate the shellfish risotto we had there.  We were about to lick the plate!


View from the Gondola

From drinks in the lanes to a magical night on the Yarra, I left Melbourne with many lovely memories.  The runs by St Kilda beach, walking hand in hand past the Victorian homes in Prahran, and falling deeper in love with my Dutchman sailing through the Yarra will always be in my heart.  The city is a magical combination of eclectic neighborhoods, green spaces (such as Albert Park and Botanical Gardens),  and the ocean.  It may be a 24 hour flight from DC, but completely worth every hour of it.

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