Australia is an amazing country for so many reasons. Its sheer size means that Australia spans across completely different climates and time zones, from the red desert in Western Australia (that by itself is as big as Europe but inhabited by less than 5 million people), to the lush tropical forests and the Great Barrier Reef in Queenslands.
Over Christmas David, Emily and I went on a road trip from Sydney (in New South Wales) to Brisbane (in Queensland). The 1100km journey only covers a small portion of the Australian East Coastline, and it is definitely worth the effort. The Pacific Highway runs nearby the coast all the way, and it takes approximately 14 hours of driving to complete the whole journey.
As you leave the big city behind and you drive up through New South Wales you cover great distances of lush priories, fragrant eucalypti forests, swollen rivers (well, unless it is a year of drought) and small towns with a distinctive country feel to them. These are small places where the pace of life is slower and the economy is still very much linked to the land. Along the way there are also a number of great beaches, national parks and questionable attractions such as the 'Big Banana' and the 'Macadamia Castle'.
Great stop overs in this region are Port Macquarie (we stayed at Flynn's beach for two nights - which was lovely) and Coffs Harbour.
As you head north towards subtropical Queenslands and the Gold Coast palm trees start creeping up, the air gets much more humid and suddenly you feel like you are in another country. Places like Byron Bay and the Gold Coast are known destinations - the former is famous for its beaches, music festivals, a bit of a hippy past and more sophisticated crowds, the latter is popular among surfers, backpackers and local holidaymakers (who tend to rent out apartments near the beach over the festive periods).
Brisbane is a big city, which is quite spread out and in some way reminds me of LA (you need a car!). More about Brisbane in future blogs. We spent the holidays at David mother's place, eating far too much and playing UpWords.
I love road trips, and this one was a very good one, and so much better than dealing with airport terminals on Christmas evening!
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