We spent nearly all of 2025 shuffling between countries in Asia—Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Japan. By the end of September, it felt like the right moment to change course and we moved our tack to the Land Down Under: Australia.
After a year immersed in Asia’s incredible food scene, Australia required a small culinary reset. While the country excels at multicultural Asian cuisine, we didn’t indulge much—we’d had our fill over the past year. Where Australia truly shines is in its comfort classics: excellent meat pies, proper fish and chips, world-class coffee, and an outstanding brunch culture. The fruits and veggies are high quality and surprisingly inexpensive, and the meats are exceptional. The lamb, in particular, is first rate. Australia is also home to indigenous native meats such as kangaroo, emu, wallaby, and crocodile. It took some persuasion to get Barbie to try some kangaroo but being the trooper that she is, I got her to taste a small bite of my Roo. We both agreed the Roo was quite tasty, despite Barbie’s ‘on the verge to vomit’ facial expression.
Australia can be a bit of a mind-bender for Americans. Yes, there are strange animals and famously intimidating looking bugs—but the moment you arrive, a calm washes over you. Everything feels clean, functional, and quietly harmonious. People are genuinely friendly, polite, and so approachable. Aussies walk around smiling, striking up casual conversations, and happily offering help. Nothing ever feels like too much trouble.
Even the media reflects this tone. The news and TV shows carry a noticeably positive vibe. How about this concept…..imagine waking up to a cheerful morning show instead of constant hateful shit, division and negativity—it’s refreshing.
Australia feels like our safe space. Barbie and I always feel grounded here, like we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be. That sense of contentment explains why we’ve visited Australia five times over the past ten years of our round-the-world journey. Going forward, we plan to return every year, making Australia a staple in our now flexible annual travel circuit.
That circuit includes some of our favorite places on the planet: Hawaii, French Polynesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Siem Reap, Cambodia. We’d also add the Netherlands, Spain, and Mexico to the mix and to hunker down in, for a more extended amount of time. To be fair, this comfort with revisiting favorites means we’ve postponed exploring parts of South America—Argentina, Peru, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil remain high on our future list.
Over time, our travels have naturally slowed—and we love it. When we first began our RTW journey, we moved fast, hopping quickly from destination to destination to see as much of the world as possible. That pace wasn’t sustainable forever, especially as the years passed. When we started, Barbie was 44 and I was 51. Ten years later, we have zero desire to rush.
Looking back, that fast pace served its purpose. It helped us identify the places we truly loved—our personal “greatest hits.” Now we revisit those favorites and settle in longer. We’ve found our formula: slow travel in countries we love, with an emphasis on an active, healthy lifestyle. A good local is essential. Daily gym visits keep us fit and help us tap into the rhythm of local life. Listening to conversations, sharing spaces with locals—it makes us feel part of the community.
We’ve never felt healthier than we do in Australia. Australians seem to live life exactly as it should be lived. Nearly every town and city offers easy access to coastal oceanside walking paths, bike trails, gyms, surf breaks, and some of the world’s best beaches. Everywhere we went, locals were out walking, swimming, cycling, or surfing. Being surrounded by that energy naturally pulled us into a more active lifestyle.
For us flashpackers, the Gold Coast stands out as one of the more desirable places to live in the world. The endless white-sand beaches are only part of the appeal. Nearby hinterland towns, waterfalls, and national parks add depth and balance. The birdlife alone is incredible—magpies, cockatoos, kookaburras, king parrots, rosellas, ibis, pee-wees, galahs—all singing their tunes and even interacting with humans in surprisingly personal ways. The Gold Coast is way more busy than the serene tropical islands of French Polynesia, Hawaii and Thailand but we still enjoy this faster pace for several months of the year.
SYDNEY (NEW SOUTH WALES) –
After our year in Southeast Asia, we flew into Sydney to kick off a three-month Australian road trip. We spent a week exploring the city before renting a car and heading north along the New South Wales coast toward the more tropical, Queensland.
Sydney offers no shortage of things to do, but the crown jewel is the harbor—arguably the most beautiful in the world. If time is limited, the round-trip ferry from Circular Quay to Manly Beach is one of the best ways to experience this amazing looking harbour.
For walkers and active travelers, Sydney is paradise. The harbor and surrounding coastline are packed with spectacular coastal walks:
- Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk – 6 km, with multiple beach coves for swimming
- Manly to Spit Bridge Walk – 10 km of hidden beaches and sweeping views
- Manly to Shelly Beach – Easy 1 km stroll
- Waverley Cliff Walk – North of Bondi, dramatic ocean views
- Diamond Bay Cliff Walk – Watsons Bay / Rose Bay
- Taylors Bay Track – Bradleys Head to Chowder Bay, near Taronga Zoo
- Rose Bay to Watsons Bay Walk – Coastal hike ending with a ferry ride back
- Gap Bluff Walking Track – Near Watsons Bay ferry
- Cremorne Point Circuit – 3.3 km harbor loop with city views
- Taronga Zoo to Balmoral Beach – 6.8 km, about 3 hours
- Cronulla Coastal Walk – South of Sydney
- Wattamolla Beach to Eagle Rock – Royal National Park classic
Road Trip: Sydney to the Gold Coast
Shoal Bay (Port Stephens – New South Wales)
The road trip north was just as rewarding as the destinations themselves. Choosing where to stop on our way to Kirra Beach in the Gold Coast was the hardest part. We ultimately spent a full month in the Port Stephens area, about 2.5 hours north of Sydney.
October found us settled into a cozy Airbnb in Shoal Bay—a perfect base for exploring Port Stephens’ stunning beaches, coastal hikes, dolphin sightings, and even the occasional koala.
Top Port Stephens Beaches:
Box Beach, Zenith Beach, Fingal Beach, Shoal Bay Beach, Birubi Beach, One Mile Beach, Stockton Beach, Wreck Beach, and Kingsley Beach.
Port Macquarie (New South Wales)
From Shoal Bay, we drove 2.5 hours north to Port Macquarie for a one-week stay. The town struck a perfect balance—relaxed, scenic, and walkable, with excellent beaches and coastal paths. Just another Aussie beach town gem.
Our favorite beaches included Shelly Beach, Flynn’s Beach, Lighthouse Beach, and Town Beach.
The full drive from Sydney to the Gold Coast takes about 8–9 hours. Breaking it up with stays in Shoal Bay and Port Macquarie worked perfectly. Other popular stops—Crescent Head, Coffs Harbour, Yamba—were tempting, but we saved them for future trips. We’ve already spent extended time in Byron Bay on previous visits and absolutely love its youthful surfing beach vibe.
Kirra Beach, Gold Coast (Queensland)
On a previous Gold Coast visit, we stayed a month in Currumbin Beach. This time, we chose Kirra Beach, settling into a cool high-rise Airbnb overlooking the ocean.
Australia sits entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, meaning the seasons are reversed. Summer runs from December through February, so our October arrival placed us in late spring. Beach weather was already excellent, though warmer ocean temperatures arrive closer to December—ideal timing for this part of the country.
We are heading back to SE Asia for a two week pitstop in one of our favorite cities in the world…Bangkok. Then it’s onto chill town – Siem Reap, Cambodia to get well at the Angkor Grace Wellness Resort.
Big Doug & Barbie Drop Out of Society 