A Beautiful (and Delicious) Dream

Flights: Phoenix, AZ to Sydney, Australia (May 29^th – June 15^th)

·      American Airlines

·      PHX – LAX: 8:09 pm – 9:42 pm (Flight Time: 1 h 35 min)

·      Layover: 1 h 18 min

·      LAX – SYD: 11:00 pm – 7:15 am (Flight Time: 15 h 15 min)

Sydney, Australia to Phoenix, AZ

·      American Airlines

·      SYD – LAX: 10:15 am – 7:15 am (Flight Time: 14 h 00 min)

·      Layover: 2 h 40 min

·      LAX – PHX: 9:55 am – 11:35 am (Flight Time: 1 h 40 min)

Main Flight Total Cost: $1199

Sydney, Australia to Cairns, Australia (June 1^st)

·      TigerAir

·      SYD – CNS: 7:25 am – 10:35 am (Flight Time: 3 h 10 min)

·      Cost: $90

Cairns, Australia to Brisbane, Australia (June 3^rd)

·      TigerAir

·      CNS – BNE: 3:25 pm – 5:35 pm (Flight Time: 2 h 10 min)

·      Cost: $50

Brisbane, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand (June 5^th)

·      Virgin Australia

·      BNE – AKL: 6:30 am – 11:35 am (Flight Time: 3 h 5 min)

·      Cost: $179

Rental Car in New Zealand (June 5^th – June 14^th Rental)

·      Cost: $627

·      June 5^th-June 7^th: Auckland

·      June 7^th- June 9^th: Wellington

·      June 9^th- June 11^th: Christchurch

·      June 11^th- June 14^th: Queenstown

Ferry from North to South Island (June 9^th)

·      Depart Wellington 8:30 am, arrive Picton 12:00 pm

·      Cost: $273

Queenstown, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia (June 14^th)

·      Virgin Australia

·      ZQN – SYD: 3:40 pm – 5:00 pm (Flight Time: 3 h 20 min)

·      Cost: $187

Total Cost: $1199

           

Hostels:

May 29^th - June 1^st: The Village Glebe Hostel in Sydney, Australia

·      $25/night- 6 bed Female Dorm

·      Includes Free Breakfast

June 1^st - June 3^rd: Globetrotters International Hostel

·      $21/night- 8 bed Female Dorm

·      Includes Free Breakfast

June 3^rd - June 5^th: Bunk Brisbane

·      $25/night- 8 bed Female Dorm

·      Includes Free Breakfast

June 5^th – June 7^th: The Attic Backpackers

·      $21/night- 10 bed Mixed Dorm

June 7^th – June 9^th: The Dwellington

·      $23/night- 5 bed Female Dorm

·      Includes Free Breakfast

June 9^th – June 11^th: Kiwi Basecamp

·      $22/night- 4 bed Mixed Dorm

·      Includes Free Breakfast

June 11^th- June 14^th: Southern Laughter Backpackers

·      $21/night- 8 bed Mixed Dorm

Budget:

·      Food- $30/day (Total: Approx. $480)

·      Flights- $1705

·      Lodging- $362

·      Other Transportation- $966

·      Activities- $300

·      Souvenirs/Misc- $200

·      APPROX. TOTAL COST- $4013

Before Departure:

Australia and New Zealand- my long time bucket list trip. I can’t believe that in just three weeks I will embark on this trip of a lifetime. The plans have been in the works for an entire year now, planning and budgeting, and it feels surreal that it is all going to happen so soon. Part of me wonders if I have built it up too much in my mind that I am going to be disappointed once I get there. We read in a piece called “The Tourist” that even when you feel like you are experiencing the true culture, there is still a wall built up for the tourist so that they can never be fully exposed to the authentic culture. Yet, I think I am okay with that. Part of me is just excited to use the trip as an “antidote to academia” as Kate Harris once wrote. Freshly graduated, ready to start my next chapter, but not without first taking a mental break from academics and “real life” by exploring some place entirely new. So I am ready to see the gorgeous scenery I have seen in photos and to visit the most popular tourist destinations. However, for me one of the focal points of any trip that I take is the FOOD. Therefore, I am going to document my trip through the food! In addition to the stories and experiences behind the food as they come up.

Travel Day- LAX Airport- California Pizza Kitchen

I was in California! How could I not get food with the name California in it? I mean, yes, we have CPK in Arizona… But it was also a lot of food, I was really hungry, and had a long flight ahead of me. So I had my favorite BBQ Chicken Pizza as my last meal on US soil!

Day 1- Sydney, Australia- Vegemite on Toast

Well, I arrived at 7:15 in the morning and what says Australia more than Vegemite? Everyone talks about Vegemite when they talk about food in Australia, but from non-Australians it is always bad things. Well, they were right… It was disgusting. But, I had to at least try it! Glad I did, but safe to say that will be my one and only experience with Vegemite.

Day 2- Sydney, Australia- Sausage Rolls

So delicious, and so much better than vegemite. Simple pastry filled with sausage meat! I had it in these bite sized forms, but I was also told they came in long, single rolls. I may have to eat these again! I grabbed these at a small bakery off one of the main streets in Sydney and enjoyed listening to a conversation between a couple about their child who was apparently deciding on where to attend college.

Day 3- Sydney, Australia- Barramundi

I will say I am not a huge fish person, however I felt it was necessary being in a city right on the coast to try some of their seafood. This fish called the Barramundi is very Australian. The name comes from an aboriginal word meaning “large-scaled river fish.” It was great with the herb oil they put on it! This one was worth stepping out of my comfort zone for.

Day 4- Cairns, Australia- Jaffle

Yes, I will admit I had two of these. A savory and a sweet “jaffle.” I looked up the best places to eat in Cairns on Yelp and this one had amazing reviews. It did not disappoint. For the savory jaffle I tried one called “The Overlord” which was a three cheese melt with garlic butter. The sweet one I went for “The Floyd” consisting of banana, nutella, marshallow, and puff pastry. They were basically just grilled cheese, but somehow these seemed extra tasty. The place I picked these up from looked like a little dive, but had a great atmosphere and I had the chance to talk to a couple of the workers about their favorite things to do in Cairns.

Day 5- Cairns, Australia- Cherry Ripe

This is one of Australia’s oldest candy bars and still one of its most famous. It was in all of the grocery stores and small stands that I walked past, so I finally decided to pick one up. Cherry and coconut covered in dark chocolate. How can you go wrong with that?

Day 6- Brisbane, Australia- Hamburger with Beetroot

This was not an ordinary burger! The restaurant I got this at claimed this to be their “world famous burger” made with Aussie beef and topped with Australian beetroot. It was a really interesting combination of flavors! My waiter was the one who suggested this as a typical Australian dish.

Day 7- Brisbane, Australia- Crocodile

For my last day in Australia I decided to try crocodile kebobs. I couldn’t bring myself to try the kangaroo, which yes that is a meal here, so I settled for the next most Australian animal (in my mind- thanks Steve Irwin). This is considered somewhat of a delicacy here, so I was thankful I was able to find a place where I could try it!

Off to New Zealand! Ready to try even more new food and report my favorite (or at least most interesting) day-by-day.

Day 8- Auckland, New Zealand- Fish and Chips

Yet again, I am on an island, so how can I not try the seafood? While fish and chips can obviously be found elsewhere in the world, it is a very common dish here. They eat the fish and chips with something called “Wattie’s Tomato Sauce,” which is basically ketchup.  I picked this up from a little stand by the water and watched boat after boat heading into or out of the harbor, wondering who owned the boats, whether they lived on them, or what their situation was.

Day 9- Auckland, New Zealand- Hangi

SO much food!! It was a little expensive though, so I was glad I wasn’t gipped on the portion. I got the pork hangi, which came with potatoes, kumara, pumpkin, stuffing, and salad. Hangi is definitely a traditional New Zealand meal that I had read about before leaving. It is cooked in the ground with everything kind of thrown in. This was a delicious, filling meal.

Day 10- Wellington, New Zealand- Feijoas and Kiwis

I actually stumbled across this outdoor market today in Wellington. There were endless amounts of fruits and vegetables! I wandered around for a long time just admiring all of the colors, smells, and locals picking up their groceries for the week. I decided to try two fruits that are New Zealand favorites. One, of course, the kiwi! Oftentimes, New Zealanders are referred to as kiwis, so I figured I ought to have their namesake. I have had kiwi before, but these seemed extra flavorful. The other fruit I tried was one that I hadn’t heard of before called a feijoa. Really unique to anything that I have had before! I guess if I had to compare it though it would be closest in taste to pineapple.

Day 11- Wellington, New Zealand- Griffin’s Biscuits

Yes, I purchased all of these. No, I did not eat them all in one sitting! I tried the MallowPuffs to start, which were delicious biscuits topped with fluffy marshmallow all covered in chocolate. I took many of the others home with me. But the reason I purchased all of these is because Griffin’s Biscuits is a New Zealand company so these are all really popular with the locals.

Day 12- Queenstown, New Zealand- Mussels

I had never actually tried mussels before this, but I really enjoyed them! These green-lipped mussels are native to New Zealand, so it was nice to be able to try them fresh right in the country itself. I had a few slices of bread to go along with the mussels, and it was the perfect addition. I ate these after a long day of hiking, so I pretty much scarfed them down.

Day 13- Queenstown, New Zealand- Lamington’s

I saw these in Australia as well as New Zealand, but finally was able to try one on one of my last days on the trip. It is a sponge cake covered in chocolate and coconut. This was a nice, sweet treat. I found these in another small bakery and actually had a nice conversation with a tourist from Belgium. They were here “on holiday” for two months so we talked about some of the adventures they had been on so far. Most notably, bungee jumping right here in Queenstown!

Day 14- Queenstown, New Zealand- Hokey Pokey Ice Cream

I saved the best for last! Oh man, this was so amazing! Vanilla ice cream with honeycomb balls throughout. I wish I had tried this sooner, so I could’ve gotten a daily ice cream cone! I bought this at a small ice cream stand but was told that it is really common in grocery stores and pretty much any other ice cream place in New Zealand.

Day 15- Sydney, Australia- Barbecued Shrimp

Shrimp on the “Bah-bie.” Okay, such a stereotypical statement Australians supposedly say. I never heard anyone say this on my trip, but I had to eat this just to say I did. The shrimp was perfectly seasoned and came with a delicious green sauce… Not sure what the sauce was exactly, but it was a great addition.

Day 16- Phoenix, Arizona

Back in good ol’ Arizona and the first meal I got was tacos. While Australia and New Zealand had a few Mexican restaurants here and there, nothing can beat some authentic Mexican tacos in AZ!

Now that I am back home from my bucket list trip, I can say that it 100% lived up to expectations. Not only did the food live up to expectations, the experiences behind the food and the adventures in between the meals were incredible, surpassing expectations. Behind each sweet treat or savory, filling meal was a unique opportunity to sit in a local restaurant and listen to people converse, or to sit along the water or amongst the gorgeous scenery and admire the setting.

Speaking of gorgeous scenery… A few of my favorite scenery photos that I captured:

An image from a beautiful hike we took in Queenstown, New Zealand. When we reached the peak of our hike I was reminded of “A Walk in the Woods” when Bryson wrote about his experience of exhaustion when he reached a peak and suddenly realized “the view [was] sensational: a boundless vista of wooded mountains, unmarked by human hand.” I was exhausted by the end of the hike, but the incredible view in all directions was just striking.

The view of the Sydney Opera House from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I climbed this with a few of the other tourists in the hostel I stayed in and got such a great view of not only the opera house, but the whole harbor. However, it was also terrifying up at the top of the bridge that high up.

So much green in Cairns, Australia! In addition to the gorgeous beach, there were so many opportunities to hike and experience the nature in Cairns and every other stop I made. Trail after trail and road after road that I travelled on was like Mark Twain said in "The Innocents Abroad"- "a wilderness of odorous flowers and shrubbery... excited, delighted, and half persuaded that [I was] only the sport of a beautiful dream."

Key West for the Week!

I just returned home from Key West, Florida and what an adventure my boyfriend and I had! I am currently hoping my slight sunburn will fade into a tan over the next few days, but who am I kidding, I’m just going to peel and be my white self again. But the burn was worth it because the sun and beaches were beautiful! I could lay out on the beach all day long and listen to the waves. But of course we did do more than just sit on the beach.

We arrived into Key West International Airport last Saturday and found a taxi to the Airbnb we booked. The place had great reviews, and definitely lived up to expectations. The Airbnb was a condo building right on the beach. The condo itself was pretty small, but had a kitchen for us to cook some of our own meals, and even a patio that we sat out on for breakfast most days. After we settled in a bit, it was already dinner time, so we put on flip flops and strolled down to nearby Duval street to look for a place to eat. The streets were crowded with people of all sorts, families, couples, and street performers. We decided to eat at “Sloppy Joe’s Bar” which was packed with people, so we figured it must be delicious. Of course, we both had to get their “Original Sloppy Joe Sandwich” and it was amazing. The perfect start to vacation, where I like to throw calories out the window. After dinner we continued to wander around Duval street as well as nearby streets and stopped in for a drink at a bar that I can’t remember the name of. But they had a patio overlooking the rest of the street so we could continue to chat and people watch, which was perfect.

Our Airbnb

The beach view from our Airbnb!

We were up early the next morning, so I quickly ran out to a little market a couple blocks from our condo that we had spotted the night before. I grabbed some groceries that would last us the next few days and threw on some eggs and toast when I got back to the condo. We enjoyed our breakfast with coffee while we sat on the back porch and listened to the waves. Then we put on our swimsuits and flip flops, grabbed our books, and headed to the beach. The only other notable event that day was that we took a taxi down to the famous “Southernmost Point” landmark to grab a picture and say we’d been there. Only 90 miles to Cuba from that point! Besides that it was a lounging beach day!

Monday we decided to take a break from the beach and do some of the more historical, tourist sights in Key West. We started with the Ernest Hemingway museum, which was located in his beautiful, old house. It was awesome to walk through the place he spent so much time writing. Afterward we went to the Key West Butterfly conservatory because I love butterflies, and why not? There weren’t many people there so it was really nice; only a few other couples and families walking around the space. We were pretty tired of walking around after that because we had been walking all day so we got a taxi to take us out on the overseas highway. Our driver told us all about the construction of the highway and about some of the other Florida Keys that it connects to. Our driver was a retired history teacher from Georgia, which we could tell by how much he knew and was able to share with us. We got pretty lucky with that! After our drive along the highway we had him drop us off right by Mallory Square. It was packed with street artists, vendors, and food trucks. We had some awesome fish and chips from a food truck and found a bench to sit on where we had an unbelievable view of the sunset. While we ate and watched the sun go down we kept our eye on some of the street performers. One in particular was very outgoing, performing magic tricks, and pulling in assistants from the crowd. I was impressed with how believable it seemed! To end the day we decided that we had to do the ghost walking tour. We had heard about all of the “haunted” tales of Key West before arriving, so we thought we’d give it a try. It was 90 minutes of walking to different, supposedly “haunted” sights and learning about some of the famous people, turned ghosts. It was definitely interesting… But I don’t buy into that kind of thing. Glad we did it though, because a trip to Key West wouldn’t be complete without it I guess!

The incredible sunset from Mallory Square

Tuesday was our last full day in Key West so we decided to do some more beach activities. We went jet skiing and snorkeling and spent the rest of the day lounging! I had an absolute blast on the jet skis. If you have never been, you have to try them! As for the snorkeling, that was much more peaceful. We took a catamaran cruise out to a secluded spot and had about an hour to snorkel and look around at the many different fish. I loved just being in my own quiet world staring peacefully at the fish. We met a few other couples on the catamaran cruise as well. They were from all over the US- Texas, Rhode Island, Missouri. We ended up having a picnic type dinner on the beach with one of the couples, the Andersons from Missouri, after the catamaran. They are both teachers so we chatted with them about that as well as where they went to school, how they met, other vacations they’ve been on, and so on. It was nice to have another couple to talk to! After we said our goodbyes to them, my boyfriend and I grabbed ice cream cones from a nearby shop and strolled along the beach. Then we went for one last swim in the ocean before calling it a night. Our flight left late afternoon so we had a nice easy morning with breakfast on the porch again. All in all, Key West was what I had imagined! Some odd and interesting people, plenty of sights, beautiful beaches and sunsets, and delicious food! Looking forward to our next trip to the Florida Keys, but maybe next time we’ll stay on a different key.