Itinerary
Melbourne –> Great Ocean Road –> Cairns –> Great Barrier Reef –> Blue Mountains –> Sydney
When looking for a place to travel toward the end of 2019, we noticed an incredible deal on flights from Alaska to Melbourne, via Hawaii. Quickly booking flights, we had no idea that this would be our last trip for a very, very long time – and that the whole world would change only a few months after we left.
Melbourne
After arriving in Australia following our flight, I picked up the rental car and mentally prepared myself for driving on the “wrong” side of the road. I had done it once before, and the only real challenge, mentally, was on roundabouts and the obnoxious habit of always turning on the wipers when I go for the headlights. Minor details….
After staying the night near the Melbourne airport, we set out on what is considered one of the “great roadtrips” of the world.. the modestly named “Great Ocean Road”. Sticking to the section of the road nearest to the coast, we drove a total of 170 miles over the next two days, stopping regularly on the side of the road to try out small hikes or gaze out at the seaside cliffs. Along the way, we saw waterfalls, beaches and my favorite- wild koalas! The trip culminated in a visit to the Twelve Apostles, the picturesque sea stacks that seem impossibly carved out of the limestone rock.
Scenic Views 
“Hidden” Beach 
At the Twelve Apostles
After turning back from the Twelve Apostles, we made our way back to Melbourne, this time spending the night inside the city. Downtown Melbourne was beautiful, and in late November the Christmas decorations were already out in full force. Our hotel, the IHG Rialto, was right in the middle of town, housed in a historic 1890’s office building built during the initial gold rush. (Not related to the trip in general, I can’t recommend getting an IHG credit card enough!)
Cairns / Great Barrier Reef
Our next stop was Cairns, the closest major city to one of our main objectives of the trip – scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. We had originally planned to go mountain biking that afternoon, but arrived to the shop closed–out on vacation for the entire month. Not feeling like doing much of anything in the 99-degree weather, we headed out downtown to the oceanfront – an incredibly pleasant area to walk around and spend some time.
The next morning, we met our diving boat at 7 AM to head out for a day of diving in the Great Barrier Reef. It had been a dream of mine to visit here ever since learning about the dying reef in elementary school, and I was afraid that I would miss out on my change to experience it if I waited too long. In the course of our dive trip, however, we learned that the measures taken recently have actually reverse much of the damage/coral bleaching, and the reef is now in a period of recovery. The dives themselves were marked primarily by the sprawling superstructures of coral, in some places almost touching the ocean’s surface and in others slowly disappearing into the depths.
After a second day of touring the underwater expanses near Cairns, we returned to dry ground and visited Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest – the oldest rainforest in the world. In addition to a rainforest walk, you follow the Mossman River, providing gorge views and, in calmer sections, swimming holes.
Is it possible to not climb this? I think not.
Blue Mountains
The next morning we hopped out on an early flight from Cairns to Sydney, and then immediately set out for the Blue Mountains. Upon arrival near Sydney, we were shocked by the haze that had descended over the entire town – and only grew worse as we progressed to the mountain town of Katoomba, where we had planned to spend the next few days.
Upon arrival in Katoomba, we learned that the wildfires were only miles from town, and that evacuation – while currently not anticipated – was possible if the winds shifted. That evening, we headed out to the Echo Point lookout, famous for its “Three Sisters” view, and were greeted by an apocalyptic scene: the fire raging in the valley below. Alongside us were news reporters – thankfully, I wasn’t asked to comment!
The Katoomba wildfires, as viewed from the Echo Point lookout.
Thankfully, we didn’t get woken up at 3 AM and told to evacuate, and we woke up to a beautiful and bright, if hazy, morning. We started out on our list of hikes – Cahill’s, Lincoln’s Rock, Pulpit Rock – and had to be flexible, as a handful of the trails were blocked off due to the wildfires and active mitigations. There were pockets, however, away from the wildfires and haze – and Pulpit Rock was a major highlight of this section of the mountains.
Athea at Pulpit Rock Lookout 
Three Sisters – in the Haze
Sydney
After three days hiking all along the Blue Mountains, we headed back to Sydney for a couple days touring this amazing city. Unfortunately, as time progressed, the wildfire haze only got thicker and thicker, encompassing the entire city. The landscape became eerily beautiful, with the dampened sun creating a permanent sunset-like effect, with oranges and pinks lining the horizon.
Highlights of the Sydney Harbor experience were the Sydney Opera House, walking across the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and taking a ferry out to Bradley Head, where we enjoyed a couple miles of walking with fantastic harbor views.
Opera House from Harbor Bridge 
Bradley Head 
View from Ferry 
Bondi Beach
We returned back to Alaska (through Oahu) with mixed emotions. It was great to see that the health of the Great Barrier Reef was improving, but the devastation wracked by the wildfires was an immense tragedy. Reflecting back on this trip in 2021, I am grateful to have visited Australia prior to Covid, as the country has certainly changed in the past year.