Time truly flies.

Clockwise: Pub verandah in Forbes / Australia Day / Frangipanis / Surf’s up

In one week Mike and I will be getting on a plane and flying back to the USA. As much as I’ve loved my time in Australia, after ten months I feel ready to go. Of course there are plenty of places I didn’t get to explore (Western Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania), but I’m satisfied with all of the sightseeing that we’ve accomplished. We visited four states, most of the major cities, and plenty of country towns. Just the other day I met an Australian woman in her fifties (or so) who had never traveled beyond New South Wales. When you look at it like that, we’ve done pretty well. And even when you don’t look at it like that, we’ve still done well!

Only a few days left to walk along the water, eat local snacks, and spend time with friends. Better get busy!

xo, jill

“Going where the air is clear.”*

When we arrived in Adelaide, everything just felt right. People describe Adelaide as more of a country town than a city (of 1.2 million), and I think that’s a pretty good description. The streets are wide, the traffic is sparse, and the pubs are plentiful. It was like we happened upon the perfect summer environment.

We started off our time in Adelaide by celebrating my birthday. Then we camped out in the Glenelg neighborhood for a new nights and enjoyed cooling down near the beach. The beaches in Adelaide aren’t amazing compared to the rest of Australia, but they certainly get the job done on a hot day. And you can always jump off the pier if you’re craving a big splash.

Adelaide was so great we decided to stick around for four weeks. It really won us over.

xo, jill

*Ben Folds “Adelaide”

Three of them.

After finishing the Great Ocean Road, we continued on our way into South Australia. We first stopped in the town of Mount Gambier. I found it very charming. Not only do you get free drinks at the pokie machines, there’s also a giant sink hole garden in the middle of town. From there we began our day of unusual lakes.

First stop: Blue Lake.

Not only is the lake a gorgeous shade of blue, it also changes color every year nearly over night. I’ll let you read the Wikipedia instead of trying to explain the process. If I were a resident of Mount Gambier I’d definitely be stopping by the lake every so often to check on the color changes. The lake provides the drinking water for the city so there’s no swimming or water fun allowed. Otherwise I’m sure it’d be quite the tourist hotspot.

Second up: Pool of Siloam.

The water in Pool of Siloam is seven times saltier than the ocean. We headed here so that Mike could have the experience of “swimming” in buoyant water. Since I had already swam a few times in the Dead Sea, I was ok to sit this one out. Plus, it was a windy day and the idea of showering off with cold water outside was really unappealing.

And finally: Our own private lake.

We found a campsite that night next to our very own private lake. I believe we were in Coorong National Park. This also happened to be the night that Mike decided to go on a little wombat hunt. All I know is I woke up alone in the tent to hear expletives followed by running footsteps and the car door slamming. No actual wombats were spotted.

From here we continued on until we reached my favorite city of the entire trip: Adelaide.

xo, jill

Quiet beach.

One evening Mike and I drove out to a lookout along the Great Ocean Road. I couldn’t tell you exactly where we were… somewhere near Peterborough. I went down the steps and enjoyed some quiet time on an empty beach. Just me and the seagull.

xo, jill

Peaceful.

The Grotto is another little spot I enjoyed along the Great Ocean Road. A sinkhole and waves have created a peaceful little open cave that’s popular with visitors.

If only you could take a little swim in that pool.

xo, jill