Australia: Melbourne, | Byron Bay, Sydney & Uluru

Australia, oh how I love thee.

Since I was a little girl, I dreamed of visiting Australia. Perhaps it was the art project in the 7th grade that solidified my love. My art class was asked to create a mural for the school library and each student picked a country to focus on. I chose Australia, and I was surprised no one chose it before me! So for my piece of the mural I researched the iconic elements that represented Australia. I painted the Sydney Opera House, a yellow road sign with a Kangaroo, and maybe some big surf waves? I don’t remember it was so long ago. But I know for sure the Opera House and a Kangaroo were up there.

And then a cousin from Australia came for a visit when I was 15. I thought he was so cool. And from that moment, I knew I was gonna make it there one day.

So when I realized that Australia was a HUGE country, I knew 2 weeks would not suffice for my first trip there. I planned to roam about the country for a month at my leisure. My only fixed points were entry/exit out of Melbourne. Why Melbourne? Family lived there, so I hoped to be able to meet with them, but alas, they were unavailable.

So, where did I visit? Melbourne, Byron Bay, Sydney, Uluru, Alice Springs, Adelaide, The Great Ocean Road and back to Melbourne. And lucky me, I arrived in Melbourne just in time for the heatwave. I was actually quite happy that it was 90-100+ degrees, rather than in the 70’s as it commonly could be in Melbourne. I mean, if I’m going to be there for their summer, I want summer temps. And my wish came true as everywhere I went in Australia, the heatwave followed.

Melbourne

So let’s start in Melbourne, which I believe Aussies pronounce as, “Mel-ben”. ????
I stayed in Prahran, at The Cullen, which was directly across the street from Prahran Market, so fresh produce everyday for breakfast! I was also within walking distance to Chapel Street shopping, which was nice. Also right around the corner was a great gym, Kaya. Their signage caught my attention, and they say they are ‘Melbourne’s First Mind & Body Health Club.’ When I walked in, the girls at the desk greeted me as though I was a member & the energy of the gym was great! So I was interested in whichever classes I could take while in town. And I ended up taking a yoga class and a Pilates Group Reformer Class. I had never seen a group reformer class studio before and apparently this is a favorite of their members, as it was packed! And I was sore for the next 3 days. Ha!

Here are some pics of Melbourne…

Hot City & Artsy Hotel!

Byron Bay

When I was ready to move on, I flew to Byron Bay for a week. Oh, how I loved Byron Bay. The energy reminded me of HI, and specifically, Kaua’i. In addition to the lush landscape, the beaches were beautiful too!
And there were plenty of places to stop and take pictures of the surf, especially if you walked to the Lighthouse.

A favorite place that I visited, was Crystal Castle. I loved it so much, I went twice! I had no idea that the Amethyst Geodes I had been looking for existed there. I bought a pair of geodes, a brother and sister. They have such lovely energy. And on my second visit, I bought 2 Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls. In addition to the incredible selection of crystals they had for purchase, the grounds were spiritually stunning and so peaceful. They had crystals so big, you could hug ’em! Rose Quartz was everywhere. And the Peace Stupa was incredible. I feel so blessed to have been able to visit there, twice in one week!

Here are some pictures of Byron Bay & Crystal Castle!

Sydney

I had a pit-stop in Sydney for 2 nights. I knew I had to see the Opera House, but it was about to be Australia Day and I didn’t want to be in the city for that. (Even though I’m sure it would have been quite an experience!) So I booked a room with a view of the Harbour and didn’t leave for 2 days. The view was so spectacular, I just sat by the window for hours, and that was sufficient for me.
Here’s Sydney!

Uluru

Last stop on this post is Uluru.
Uluru was my stop for healing. Incredible place to be for Australia Day, right in the center of the country. I spent 5 days there bushwalking, star gazing, and reading. Incredible energy, light and dark, and the most amazing dark sky I have ever seen. I look forward to returning to Uluru.