Australian journal- Magnetic Island 2

For the second part of my trip I wanted to try out something new, after weeks of flying and driving I was pretty exhausted and therefore decided to travel Australia by train. So after checking all viable train travel options I grabbed one of the fantastic offers AustraliaRail had launched and got an bought an AUS-RailPass for 3 months. Looking closer on the map Magnetic Island was a perfect destination heading south of Cairns.
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How to get to Magnetic Island
The best wasy to travel to Magnetic Island is to catch the ferry from Townsville. The service rides every 30 minutes. Once you reach the island a public bus takes you from the ferry terminal through the island stopping at several resorts and main places. I had booked my accommodation on Magnetic Island close to Horseshoe Bay in the northest part of the island.  Unless you have your own vehicle, you must use either the bus which rides every hour or hire a mini moke car, one of those funny topless car or if you prefer a scooter, which is really good fun!
Michela
 (to be continued)

Australian journal 7- Magnetic Island

For now I am giving you a recap of what I have been doing during  my solo travel experience in Australia: I love travelling alone. The picture above shows you where I travelled by train across Australia.

From the North to the South Queensland along its coastline

The first leg of my train travel in Australia covered the whole of the coastline from Cairns to Brisbane.  The first stop was Magnetic Island where I stayed 3 days. A little island in the dry tropics of Queensland with beautiful little beaches and secluded bays, over 10 walking tracks and plenty of sports activities.

Travelling to Magnetic Island off coast of Townsville 

 After 4 weeks of extensive travelling Cairns in North Tropical Queensland signed the last destination of the first part of my trip. I really needed a break, a peaceful place where I could relax, fully unwind and finally keep travelling  across Australia for more weeks.

Michela 

 (to be continued)

Australian journal 6 train travel

Australia is a huge country with endless travel distances; as a solo traveler you are bound to be on the road for a long time and of course completely alone!  I find driving in Australia pretty tiresome, unless you have a travel companion with whom you can swap the drive and have a chat I would not welcome driving solo long distances on the australian roads.

So, how can you travel in Australia if not driving or flying?

There are ways, bus and train. I am a huge fan of train travel. In Europe I travel on train by 90% of my time. This time I was keen to experience train travel in Australia too. And this exactly how I travelled for the rest of my time in OZ. It has been an awesome experience, a rather different experience from the type of train travel I am used to in Europe. I will tell you more about my train travel experience in Australia on the next posts.

(to be continued) 

Australian journal 5 Queensland

The second Part of my Travel in Australia

Where I have been in Australia – April to May

Middle of April, after 4 weeks with a travel companion, my solo travel adventure could start. I had not made any fix plans for this second part of my travels. Queensland was my  focus and  was keen to see as much as I could of it. 

Queensland is a huge state with the most diverse landscape you can imagine. First step was to make my mind on how I wanted to travel for the rest of my time in Australia. in 2004 I travelled from Cairns to Brisbane on the Greyhound bus stopping at Mission Beach, Whitsundays Islands, Harvey Bay, Fraser Island. This time I wanted to see more places on the coastline and of the outback too.

After 3000km of driving, and a few flights within Australia, I was very much looking forward to exploring Australia on a more comfortable way so as to suit my solo travel needs better.

(to be continued)

Australian journal 4 Cairns

For my second visit to this Australian region, we managed to see the Moosman Gorge and Daintree forest north of Port Douglas. And eventually from Cairns we headed off to the Milla Milla Falls. Cairns itself is a nice small town, for the ideal base for discovering the surrounding area, to go on a Great Barrier Reef tour or taking a walking trail into the rainforest. There is so much too see and do in this area, you can plan a whole week there! Cairns itself has developed to a a very well organized city offering literally everything you may need during your stay.
After 4 weeks the first part of my Australia Trip my friend returned home from Sydney. And from that day I was travelling solo again, as I used to do and as I love most.
(to be continued)

Australian journal 4 Darwin

One of my favourite Areas of Australia
Darwin – the TOP END of Australia. This time was a bit of a disappointment! Cannot tell why, but this is how I felt! First of all the hostel did not work out so as expected. The weather that prevent us from going to the Kakadu National Park. 4 days spent in the city and trying to making the most of our time. Meeting people and relaxing.
 Some beautiful places of Tropical North Queensland
From Port Douglas to Daintree National Park, Cairns and the Atherton Tableland If Darwin let me down on this first part of my trip across Australia, Cairns definitely was full of nice surprises. We could not do exactly what we had planned, again due to the heavy rain, which made it difficult to access Cooktown and other regions. This area in North Queensland is very unique but you can only enjoy it fully if the weather is good.
(to be continued)

Australian journal 3 Adelaide

Adelaide – a family get together This time Adelaide was the primary stop for my friend, a place to see family and friends after a long time and for me to enjoy their company, by listening to their stories and their memories. It was fascinating and really enjoyed this time in Adelaide. The weather was not on our side, it rained, so the ideal time to hide and discover the beauty and treasures of the South Australia Museum.
Savouring the peacefulness of the Red Centre I have been traveling extensively in Australia and had been there 7 years ago. I was keen to show this spectacular part of Australia to my friend. This time I experienced driving 1500km from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon and forth to the Ayers Rock resort. A memorable experience!
(to be continued)

Australian journal 2 Great Ocean Road

A Road Trip along the Great Ocean Road Although it was my second time on the GOR I honestly did not have a vivid memory of the beauty of this coastal drive! The first time, seven years ago, I went on a 3,5 day tour, which was good, but this time I was keen to drive by myself, so we rented a car and headed off from Melbourne. The benefit of driving by yourself is huge, not only you stop wherever and whenever you want, you can decide spontaneously what to do and adjust your plans according to how things evolve on your way. From Geelong to Lorne there are a few places really worth a stop for taking photos and enjoying a stunning view over the ocean. What it most struck me was the variety of things you can do there.

Australian journal 1 Melbourne

My travel across Australia started in Melbourne, where we landed after a long flight from Dubai to Australia. The first days have been slow, as I was pretty much jetlagged. I like Melbourne, what I most enjoy is strolling through the arcades and walking along its Yarra’s river banks. 

The first day I needed to fill my lungs with fresh air and try to adjust as quick as I could to the southern hemisphere time zone. We arrived early in the morning, that meant waiting at least 12 hours for bed time:( uhm… 

so I decide to take a stroll along the Southbank of the Yarra River and stopped to watch some young girls kayaking. And I did a lot of walking for the most of my time in Melbourne. This time I did not enjoy Melbourne as usual, I could not get any sleep, since the hostel were we stayed was loud backpacker hostel, with ongoing wild parties, and on top of this the surrounding area was pretty loud too, due to road works. The drilling on the road at 6.00am in the morning was our free weak up alarm clock. Not really a relaxing start!  So, we were happy to leave after 4 days in Melbourne to reach our second destination: The GOR.