I originally came across Bouddi National Park on the Central Coast of New South Wales in my perpetual quest to find awesome outdoor adventures that are accessible without a car. Someday I’ll get comfortable driving in Australia… and some year I’ll be able to afford a car.
I know I’m prone to hyperbolic descriptions of most all beaches and islands I’ve written about here, but I need you to believe me when I say that Kalanggaman Island is the most beautiful, magical, heavenly place I’ve ever stepped foot on.
Cronulla might just be Sydney’s most underrated ocean beach. It doesn’t have the glitz of Bondi or the dramatic ferry commute of Manly, but let me tell you what it does have: 6 km of gorgeous, flat, mostly undeveloped sand that you can easily have to yourself if you go far enough out.
I wasn’t planning on blogging about my little Koh Tao beach excursion to Sai Nuan – it was meant to be a lazy day, a break from all the scuba diving and working, and so therefore I left my blogger’s cap collecting dust in my hotel room and hit the beach.
When you book an international flight semi-last minute and primarily because you found a good deal, you’re probably not going to do extensive research to prepare for this trip.
In my case, I booked a cheap flight from Sydney to Phuket about 2 weeks in advance because it was the most inexpensive, non-NZ international flight I could find within my desired date range.
Remember that time I took a roadtrip to Wilsons Promontory with 3 young European backpackers, ate nothing but ham and cheese sandwiches for 3 days, and helped them hand wash our rental car at the end because they were convinced we had to before returning it?
I very nearly skipped Phillip Island on the roster of Victorian excursions to take from Melbourne. All you ever hear about it is the famous Penguin Parade, and honestly I’m not super interested in schlepping a couple hours just to watch these creatures waddle onto shore at dusk.
Remember that time I roadtripped from Melbourne to Perth, only to fly straight back to the east coast to explore Hinchinbrook Island? That happened over 4 months ago, but the experience is still fresh in my mind.
Beaches. Caves. Food. Tall trees. Wine.
These are the things Southwest Australia is most known for. With plenty of time and money, you could afford to sample the best of the region via all of them.
“Three bars! Three bars!” I whooped with glee as we approached Esperance, the first proper town we’d drive through in nearly three days. Alex grabbed his iPhone and feverishly checked messages while maintaining control of the steering wheel in his other hand.
