Aussies and Kiwis

We began the second half of our journey planning on going to Japan. One look at the temperature in Tokyo made us run the other way. Since I didn’t have a jacket and my husband had only tank-tops, shorts and flip-flops in his luggage… we decided to continue chasing the sun in Australia and New Zealand.

Even though we spent months in tropical countries, the sun in Australia took us by surprise. Besides Melbourne (whose weather was like a tempermental, fickle friend), the rest of eastern Australia from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast was intensely hot. Our first experience in an Aussie beach led us to heat exhaustion, and we learned quickly to always bring water and electrolyte bevvies during our outdoor adventures.

After Sydney, we explored the east coast with our trusty campervan and we found miles of isolated beaches where it was just us, the sand, and the ocean. It is pretty crazy to look at endless stretches of beautiful empty beaches. The whole experience was glorious, except for the sand flies feasting on my skin. Even getting caught in a random tropical cyclone was exhilarating. I highly recommend renting a campervan as a way to travel Australia as prices can be quite steep (ex. 1 drink in downtown costs around $22).

Equally as expensive yet seemingly more beautiful is the northern island of New Zealand. We based ourselves in Auckland and rented a car to explore. The whole island is filled with rolling green hills, forests, mountains, natural springs, and coastal beaches. When it comes to landscape and nature, I would say New Zealand is the most beautiful country we’ve visited thus far. They even have ferns that look like palm trees! And, the constant sun and natural hot springs helped warm our skin, since the country was a bit chilly.

In leaving New Zealand and heading back to the other side of the world, it dawned on me that this was the last leg of our journey. My thoughts begin to drift back to our home in Canada. It feels like we’ve been away so long, and I wonder how it will be to reconnect with our culture and daily routine. Anticipation begins, as I imagine seeing family and friends again. I also wonder what closure of our travels look like? As we begin to explore Peru and approach the conclusion of our crazy adventure, I keep these thoughts in my mind.