We stayed in three parts of Australia over a month of being there.  Those places were Melbourne, Sydney, and the Blue Mountains.  We stayed in a hotel for two days in Melbourne.  While in Sydney, we were kindly hosted by friends of friends of friends of ours from church.  The friends of our friends from church were going to host us in their home but some of their friends were going on vacation and so offered to have us stay at their home while they were gone.  We had never even met either of them!  How’s that for hospitality and Christ’s love?  The second home we stayed at was a similar situation.  Friends of our friends offered us their home for a few nights while they were gone.  Their home was in the Blue Mountains.  On the day we arrived, they were having a family reunion and we were able to meet a lot of their family members.

During our stay in Australia, we wandered about the city streets of Melbourne, watched  a Les Miserables play production (as one of our Christmas presents), swam in the Great Barrier Reef, visited several beaches, spent Christmas with new-found friends, saw Sydney’s famous fireworks, saw the Three Sisters, and pet koalas and kangaroos.

City of Melbourne

Great Barrier Reef

Sydney’s fireworks

The Three Sisters

Sleeping koalas

Cute kangaroos

I really liked our time in Australia for many reasons.  For one thing, we were able to socialize with people who actually spoke the same language as us and who knew friends of ours from home.  It was nice being able to relate to the same things.  For another thing, I loved the cities we visited (Melbourne and Sydney).  They were clean, had cute shops, good food, and unique characteristics such as the very cool Opera House or the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge.  I also loved the mountains and beaches there.  It was neat getting to see the Three Sisters for myself and take photos of them as well as some of the pretty beaches Australia owns.

Australia is a fun place to be.  It’s got something to offer for everyone.  There are cities and shops for those who are shop-a-holics, there are beaches for those who like to take a day to relax and get a suntan, there are mountains for those who like the quiet and peacefulness they provide, and there are adorable animals (a.k.a koalas and kangaroos…which you can pet and play around with) for animal-lovers.  What isn’t in Australia?!  I personally love Australia and recommend it to everyone who wants to have a good time!