Final Thoughts on Australia

Monday, March 8 was our last day in Australia. Our flight was at noon Brisbane time so we woke up and headed straight to the airport. It was sad to leave, especially after such an epic trip, but when we landed and saw the "Welcome to Los Angeles" sign at LAX there was a nice warm feeling of being home.


Home sweet home.


We each reflected back on our Australia adventures and put together some final thoughts…

GREG:


What an amazing trip! I can't believe it's over. I battled through a sprained ankle for the first two weeks (which caused me to walk like a gimp, but did not keep me off the dance floor), a nasty cough and a couple other minor injuries and ended up having my best trip yet. We went with a giant list of things to do in each city (sites, bars, restaurants, etc.) and managed to knock off just about everything on it.

While travelling is about the places you go and things you do and see, a major part of the experience is based on the people that share your journey. We met some great people from all over the world. Thanks to all of them for sharing their cultures with us, giving us tips on what to do, and joining in on our shenanigans. If any of you find yourselves in Southern California, be sure to get in touch with us. Also, a special thanks to the rest of the Travel In Sandals crew who made this trip what is was and provided me with memories that will last a lifetime!


DAVE:


Australia. It was my first real trip traveling abroad, and a trip I'll never forget. It was three weeks filled with new experiences, bonding with friends, self-reflection, culture, and of course, food and drink. It was everything traveling is supposed to be. My body and mind are essentially mush after 17 straight days of non-stop action, but I wouldn't do it any other way. If it doesn't kill you, it only makes you stronger...and we are still alive.

I keep getting asked, "What was your favorite part of the trip?" To be honest, it's impossible to answer. Do I list a specific city? Do I pick an experience? Do I pick something out of the box? To answer it as best I can, I'd say the best part are the memories I'll have with me for the rest of my life. The memories are something that nobody can take away from me, and the trip has added another aspect to what makes Dave, "Dave". The bonding with friends, the picturesque views, the blending of cultures, the new experiences, the continued self-development, and most importantly, the smiles and laughs amongst all of us will be cherished forever.

Here's to the next Trip of a Lifetime...In Sandals of course!


MO:


Australia! The Land of OZ! Aussieland! Down Under! WOW!!!! Where do I begin???

How about the beginning? As we sat on the plane 21 months ago returning from an amazing trip to Brasil, our minds immediately began planning the next big international trip...Australia! I had no doubt our next trip "down under" would be just as exciting and adventure-filled as the one we had just concluded. Turns out...I was way off! After some personnel changes, detailed planning, fortunate weather patterns and a large bag of 5 Hour Energy, this trip to OZ exceeded every single one of my many expectations! It was the perfect storm of a “holiday” and one that I will never forget (thanks in most part to this blog)!

Every part of this trip couldn’t have been drawn up any better, even if there had been a script. The places we visited, the sights we saw, the people we met, the food we ate, the activities we dared, the dance floors we dominated, the contests we won, the bar tabs we accumulated, the sleep we didn’t get, the laughs we shared...all of it, I wouldn’t change for anything in the world! Thanks to all of you new friends who made our trip so memorable along the way...and a very special thanks to the rest of the Travel in Sandals crew for making this trip what it was! I feel very fortunate to have friends like you that make it possible to share in such amazing lifetime experiences.

Next up??? No worries...I think I’ll enjoy this one for a bit longer.


MATT:


Australia is at the top of my list. It is the ultimate combination of fun, culture, relaxation, food and people. What we did in two and a half weeks is equivalent to a month-long trip for someone else. I wouldn't do one thing different and I can't wait to go back to visit all the new friends we've made.

Traveling is about so many things - relaxing, bonding with friends, exploring other cultures, seeing sites, eating new food, but the one thing you get from every trip no matter what or where you go, is learning about yourself. Your personality, decisions, tendencies, preferences, comfort zones - it's all put under the microscope, it's all tested.

On this trip we had a name for testing our boundaries, we called it "Fried Eggs." It came about when Mo ordered fried eggs at breakfast one morning and we asked, "do you like fried eggs?" And he said "I don't know, never had them before." I love that! That is the essence of traveling - try new things, see new places, fill your life with more. Thanks to all those who filled my life with more, especially the Travel In Sandals crew.


Final thoughts from Travel In Sandals...
Travel! Travel with family or friends, travel with an itinerary, travel without a plan, travel for a weekend, travel for a month, travel to new places, travel to touristy spots, travel with an appetite for food and culture, travel to discover the unknown, travel and get lost, travel outside your comfort zone, travel in style, travel to meet new people, travel to meet a new you...just travel and when possible, travel in sandals!

Thanks for following along on our Australian journey and for chiming in with comments, e-mails, suggestions and support. We'll do this all again on our next trip so be sure to log back in when Travel In Sandals hits the road in 2011!!


Here are some of our favorite pics from the trip.




























Cheers,

Mo, Matt, Dave and Greg.

Day 17 - Brisbane, Markets and Pancakes

Day 17 was our last full day in Australia and we spent it exploring Brisbane. Located in the middle of Australia's east coast, Brisbane is the third largest city in the country behind Sydney and Melbourne. It is situated on the banks of the Brisbane River giving it scenic waterfront walks and several recognizable bridges.

Once we got settled at our hotel in the heart of town, we ventured out to explore the city's weekend markets - Riverside & Eagle Street Pier Market and the South Bank Lifestyle Market. Between markets we grabbed lunch at a recommended pizza restaurant called Bellaggio Woodfired Pizza in the New Farm part of Brisbane. The delicious pizzas, pastas and calzones gave us the energy we needed to finish off the day.

Matt, Dave and Greg along the Brisbane river banks with the Story Bridge in the back.

Mo and Matt do their Lady & the Tramp impression at Brisbane's Riverside Market.

Mo, Matt and Greg try the Riverside Market fare - Indian dumplings stuffed with pork & peas.

The delicious calzone at Bellaggio Woodfired Pizza in Brisbane.

Mo, Greg and Matt walking through Brisbane's city center...nice form.

Dave pretending to be Atlas by holding up the large spheres.

The numerous stalls at the South Bank Lifestyle market.

Walking around the markets worked up a thirst so we stopped off at the Plough Inn in the Stanley Street Plaza for some beers and live music.


Greg under the botanic garden arches on Brisbane's south banks.

Wheel of Brisbane located on the city's south banks.


Since we only had one night in Brisbane we had to make it count. We did some research, asked around and found out The FOX Hotel has a good crowd on Sundays. Plus, the convention center across from the hotel was hosting the annual SEXPO show and the vendors tend to visit after the show for a drink...things just seemed to work out on this trip :)

Dave, Greg and Matt heading out for their last night in Australia.


Brisbane casino lit up at night.

Mo had cheerleaders during his billiards game.

Greg and Matt lounging at the Fox Hotel.

Matt and Mo with Danica, a new friend at the Fox Hotel in Brisbane.

"You girls want to make out for an American website?" Works every time!

Mo & Alli throw up their OC signs.


Matt providing a lift for his friend Alli.

Matt ready for the final late night meal - pancakes!


Day 17 is in the books. Day 18 consists of waking up, driving to the airport and taking the 12 hour flight back to Los Angeles. Sad to say good bye to Australia, but looking forward to getting home.

Day 16 - Guns and Alcohol in Surfers Paradise

Day sixteen was spent in Surfers Paradise again and instead of walking the streets and beaches as we did the day before we decided to punch it up a little...by firing guns! None of us had fired a gun so we went to a shooting range and loaded up. We needed the adrenaline rush because night two in Surfers started at 5pm again.


Mo, Dave, and Greg under the Surfers Paradise umbrella of sky scrapers.


Mo and Greg walking around Cavill St., Surfers main drag.


Mo flirted with anything in a bikini.


Matt getting a litte taken off the top.

Matt is all smiles after shooting the 22 semi-automatic.

Dave firing away!

Travel in Sandals are armed and ready.

Dave playing the largest didgeridoo Australia has to offer.

Night two in Surfers Paradise consisted of the second part of our club crawl package....yes, it started at 5pm again. We hit CDs, Melbas, Sin City, Cocktails & Dreams and Twenty 1.

Greg, Mo, and Matt enjoying Sin City nightclub with Plan B staff.

The boys ready to rock...it's not even 8pm at this point.

Mo and his teammate won a drinking contest. Travel in Sandals went 2-0 in club crawl contests.

Dave got lei'd by twins!

Matt and his new friend Emily.

Oh what?

Greg and Simone down 5hr energy drinks to power through the night.

Mo giving his best Lebron Witness pose in front of our reserved table.

Dave and Mo doing what they do best....smash champagne.

Matt, Simone, Mo and Dave overlooking the five empty bottles.

Our final night out in Surfers wouldn't be complete without late night eats...kebabs, pizza, and chicken nuggets!

One more day in Australia. Next, we drive 45 minutes to Brisbane to explore the city and see local markets. We fly back to Los Angeles on Monday, March 8.