On Saturday, Sasha and I pulled the trigger on flights to Melbourne for January 2016. As I’ve mentioned before, we’re going to Paris next month to watch the French Open, and so I’ve lured Sasha into traveling ‘down under’ in order to go to the Australian Open (we both win, right?). I visited Melbourne in May of 2010 as the tail end of a vacation in Sydney, where I was visiting friends (and of course, I kept a travel blog!). My parent’s best friends (and practically my second parents growing up) moved to Australia when I was in high school, and I got to stay with them for a few days before flying back to Texas.
I absolutely loved both Sydney and Melbourne. I genuinely think Australians are the coolest people on planet earth, so I was a little fan girl-ish the whole time I was there.
For our 2016 trip, we’ll spend a handful of days in Melbourne, catching up with the Pattens, seeing the sites of the city, and watching tennis, and we will also take a flight to either Auckland or Christchurch (the capitol of New Zealand) for more adventures. Traveling around Milford Sound is on my Bucket List! I could spend hours on Google images clicking through pictures. I’m slightly nervous about traveling 20+ hours with a 1.5 year old, but that’s what iPads are for, right? Ha.
I cannot wait to start planning the trip; however, I’ve got to finish my Paris and St. Petersburg itineraries first! In the meantime, I’d love to start collecting helpful resources. Do you follow any Australian blogs? I’ve listed a few of my favorites below. Have you been to Melbourne or New Zealand? If so, I’d love to hear your recommendations!
Favorite Australian Blogs
- Abby’s Roads
- Alkek’s Abroad
- Claire, Collected
- Tuula Vintage
- Max and Me
- What Katie Ate
Below are a few of my favorite pictures from my trip in 2010. We traveled there during the fall/winter season, so I’m excited to see Australia during their summer!
Sydney Opera House
Blue Mountains in New South Wales
Bondi Beach
Lion at Taronga Zoo
Manly Wharf
Melbourne’s City Centre or “The City”
Hosier Lane
13 Comments
I’m coming!
No, but REALLY. You are, right????
I wanna come too! I FEEL Australians. I’m convinced they are my kin. I call them the British Californians. So fun. Sooooo excited for you! xoxox
I feel like you are one of them too! Definitely some sort of Aussie blood flowing through that hot bod 😉
Robert and I travelled around New Zealand for two weeks in 2011 and it was our favorite trip to date!! We loved Milford and also a hike through Tongariro National Park on the north island. We can chat more over photos soon 😉
I cannot WAIT to talk about your trip! I had no idea!! So fun. And yes, so looking forward to tomorrow!!
I’m more worried how I’m going to handle the 20 hour flight :-/
You’ll be okay! Just take some meds 🙂 And play with IB!
Aww thanks for the shout out! Im bummed we won’t overlap in SYD, but Im envious of your Aussie Open visit – that’ll be amazing!!!
I’m sad that we won’t overlap too!! But you’ll be busy with baby back here in the states! 🙂 Which is ultimately way more exciting!
Yayyyy I’m so excited for yall! We are heading to NZ at the end of May, flying into Queenstown and driving around that area for the week.
That is amazing – I cannot wait to read your posts about the trip and take notes!! xo
How exciting, Ailee! Isn’t it the summer season in Australia during that time? I could be wrong; it’s been eons since I last visited Sydney!
Anyway, here are two of my recommendations. Both Shane (Australia) and Amanda (New Zealand) are expats from the US!