Mike's first time in Australia

My wiki user name: citizenmac	Length of trip: 2 weeks
Time of year: April	Type of travel: Independent

My first time in Australia was an unforgettable experience. My girlfriend is Australian so this was the first of many trips no doubt.

General itinerary:

• Sydney / 3 days
• Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef / 4 days
• Brisbane / 2 days
• Byron Bay & Ballina / 5 days

Trip highlights: Hamilton Island and the Great Barrier Reef was really the highlight for me. I scuba dived on the reef which was awesome. Sydney was also fun and stayed in a hotel with great views over the harbour.

"Absolute must-sees" to pass along: Great Barrier Reef without a doubt. Also if in Sydney go to the Sydney Aquarium we spent hours there it was the best aquarium I have ever been to.


Best wildlife encounters: There were a few...

Wally the Mauri Wrass at the Reefworld pontoon, he was very tame.

20 cockatoos in our hotel room while I was in the shower.

Also we saw Paddy Melon wallabies in the wild at Victoria Park nature reserve in the hills behind Ballina.

What surprised me most: The population is so much smaller than the United States so everything did not seem as cramped. Less traffic etc.

Advice I want to pass along: Its always good if you know an Australian (one of the locals) that can show you the hidden treasures. All the Aussies I encountered were very friendly and if you don't know any aussie when you arrive you probabaly will soon.

Best hotels: Intecontinental Hotel Sydney. The lounge at the top is great.
www.sydney.intercontinental.com

Favorite meals: Unlimited oysters at a seafood buffet in Ballina on the NSW far north coast.

I tried a meat pie also but having it for breakfast was probabaly a mistake. Aussies however can stomach this stuff any time of the day.


Photos from my trip:

View from Intecontinental	Shark at the Sydney Aquarium
Opera House	Seaplane - Whitehaven Beach
Byron Lighthouse	Nimbin - The Hippy Capital of Australia
Cockatoos outside our room - Hamilton Island	Wally the Maori Wrass