Traveling up the Australian East Coast - MUST STOPS!

I was planning to write about my favorite places along the Australian East Coast a while ago but it always seemed quite difficult to pick some favorites. But I had such a chilled and wonderful weekend with an old school friend who was actually also in Australia when I was there and talking about the time over there really made me feel like looking through some old photos and to just pick some in order to show and share them with you.
But I also have to say as breathtaking and beautiful as a place can be, for me it's the most memorable when it's shared with the right people and it is also so dependent on what you are connecting with this place as well as all the memories of this place.

・M E L B O U R N E  &  T H E  G R E A T  O C E A N  R O A D・

While being an Au Pair in the South of Australia I had quite a lot of time to explore Melbourne with the Queen Victoria Market, the beautiful parks, busy shopping streets, the Yarra River, China Town, Hosier Lane etc. It's a beautiful vibrant city with so many facets and I loved spending time in the city.

Of course I also had to see the famous Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostels. I loved the beaches and the whole landscapes. That was also where I saw Koalas in the nature and not a touristy zoo.

・S Y D N E Y ・

If someone hears Australia the city they will think of first is probably Sydney. It's really busy there but I loved the vibe and atmosphere the city provided. It was a magical and special moment to see the Opera House in real life and Bondi Beach was great to hang around and enjoy an ice cream as well. There is also a secret spot (which in the meantime probably isn't as secretly anymore) that is a playground where all the backpackers and travelers head to to take a photo on a swing with the skyline of Sydney in the background (it's called the Dover Heights Swing and you can take a memorable photo for free there).

・B Y R O N  B A Y ・

Unfortunately I don't have too many photos of my time in Byron Bay. But if I had to choose one favorite spot it would probably be Byron. I don't really know why but I just loved this cute little town next to the beach with its nature, markets, people, lighthouse and just the whole atmosphere in general. I felt so happy there!

・B R I S B A N E・

It wasn't really planned but I ended up quite a long time in Brisbane. The photo shows Southbank a lot more touristy and less natural than other spots but I still liked it because it was so different. In Brisbane you can also explore the city with a free ferry called CityHopper or as well as in the other cities I loved walking through the botanical garden.

・F R A S E R  I S L A N D・

Fraser Island is the largest sand island of the world and it was truly amazing there. We where there with a tour group and explored Fraser with a 4WD which was a little adventure itself. There are also planes landing at the beach right next to where you drive haha. Some other memories are that we saw the milky way at night, dingos, dolphins and the Lake McKenzie was so unique!

・T O W N  O F  1 7 7 0・

Driving up north you can't miss the Town of 1770. It's an insiders' tipp if you want to go surfing because it's so cheap (around $17) to take a surfing lesson there!

・T O W N S V I L L E・

I saved the best for last and that's not directly the town I want to talk about but the mountain right next to it. Townsville is a small town in Queensland and once you're there you can't miss this big mountain where you should definitely go up and enjoy the sunset. Truly magical and one of my favorite memories of my whole time in Australia!