feb, 2020
I left my heart in Australia ~ Sydney, Cairns, Melbourne
By anne-Marie Leduc
australia changed my life forever.
i am sure i was australian in another life. as soon as we landed in sydney, i had a feeling i’ve never had before, i felt home. i felt like i’ve been there before, like a big blanket welcoming me back home. everything i love was in the same place: beaches, big city, good food, nice people… it is with a heavy heart that i’m writing those words. i wish one day we will be able to move there. i’ve never love a place that much before. i never felt attached to my own country. Don’t get me wrong, i am proud of being french canadian from quebec, but i felt something special in the land downunder.
sydney
sydney is my top destination in the world. in my opinion, it is the perfect balance between beaches lifestyle and big city vibes. it is modern and trendy.
restaurants recommendations:
Bondi:
*Sonoma Bakery for coffee and breakfAST
*the depot for brunch
*tipica FOR AUTHENTIC ITALIAN pizza
*totti’s for an amazing garden interior courtyard lunch or diner
*carbon FOR MEXICAN TACOS AND cocktails
IN THE CITY:
*the grounds of the city for an afternoon coffee break or cocktails
*chinchin for a fun vibe diner
*alberto’s lounge for an intimate diner
THINGS TO DO:
Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk
Go to the iconic icebergs pool for a dip and a drink after
Take the Manly ferry to visit for the day
where we stayed:
ovolo boutique hotel near the CBD. i highly recommend it is what a boutique hotel should be. great service, attention to detail and you they offer free snacks and happy hour. the buffet breakfast was included and very good.
melbourne
melbourne is such a cool and trendy city! there are so many good restaurants, bars, coffee spots and vineyards nearby. we had so much fun! we were lucky to meet a long time friend of mine who live there Melbourne has amazing rooftops bars, restaurants and coffee shops.
Restaurant recommendations:
*Patricia Coffee Brewers for coffee
*Auction Rooms for brunch
*naked in the sky for the rooftop view
*cookie or chinchin for a fun diner night
Fun things to do:
*going out on the river happy hour
*Mornington Peninsula Winery Tour with chillout wine tours
*Healesville Sanctuary TO SEE AND FEED koalaS and kangaroos
Cairns, great barrier reef
when we planned our trip to australia, cairns was not on our plans because of the season. cairns in febuary is monsoon and Stinger (jellyfish) season. we decided to go to byron bay instead. unfortunately, we had to change our itinerary because of bad weather and flooding there. tom and i are certified as scuba divers, we took a chance on last minute flight with no reservations as the weather up north in cairns appeared calmer.
once in cairns, we talked to the various diving companies and picked a 2 days/1 night stay on a liveaboard boat on the great barrier reef with cairns dive (https://cairnsdive.net.au/liveaboard/).
the weather turned out to be perfect and jellyfish were not a concern. I even summed up the courage to do the night dive. this was an unforgettable experience for an ocean lover like me.
