Australia in a Nutshell

Australia Fun Facts:

• $1 USD = 1.08 AUD
• Australia’s coastline is 25,800 km long and boasts more than 7,000 beaches
• Australia exports around 793 million litres of wine per year. Although our visit caused them to lose out on a few litres…
• In New South Wales and South Australia, a large glass of beer is called a “schooner.”
• Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth
• Western Australia, the continent’s biggest state, is roughly the size of Western Europe

Australia Superlatives:

Favorite Australian Slang

Krista - “how ya going?” = how are you doing?

Scott - “little ripper” = extremely good thing

Admittedly, we have both adapted “sunnies” for sunglasses

Best city/town:

Krista - Perth - I loved the west coast beaches!

Scott - Sorry Sydney, Perth gets the nod this trip.

Best beach:

Krista - Manly Beach, Sydney. The main drag (the Corso) of shops and cafes was adorable and the homes on the Manly Scenic Walk reminded me of Windansea.

Scott - Cottesloe Beach in Perth. Great swimming and low-key.

Best Australian attractions or activities:

Krista - Free tastings at the Margaret River Chocolate Factory, driving the Great Ocean Road, Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, and Darling Harbor in Sydney.

Scott - Visiting the Margaret River area in Western Australia and attending the Melbourne Victory soccer match at Etihad Stadium

Most overhyped attraction:

Krista - Scott’s old dorm in Sydney - it had been turned into a hotel!

Scott - What’s the big deal about the Opera House again?

Favorite Australian Wine:

Krista - Vasse Felix Sauvignon Blanc

Scott - Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon

Best decision made in Australia:

Krista - To rent a car and drive to Margaret River - free wine tastings at all 50+ wineries

Scott - Seeking out my old stomping grounds at the Australian Hotel in Sydney for Happy Hour. $3.50 AUD or beers, wine, wings and fries. We went twice.

Most interesting fashion trend

Both - we found quite a few people don’t wear shoes, even in the cities.

Biggest surprises about Australia:

Krista - Kangaroos have very little hands and arms, which I found extremely creepy, especially when I got an up-close and personal look at the one that jumped in front of our rental car.

Scott - I’m surprised more people don’t live in Perth. It’s awesome. (Some might say “Perth-fect”)

Most helpful suggestion we can offer for YOUR trip to Australia:

Krista - take the trip to Western Australia - don’t just visit Sydney. The West coast is unreal.

Scott - Talk to the Australians - they are so nice. Also, plan for a long visit; the distances are HUGE.

*Please note that due to mainland China's censored access to Blogger.com, our China posts are a bit behind. (We're back in Hong Kong briefly, where access to Blogger.com is allowed.)