Note the following is my personal perspective only and as always: travel or experiences is influenced by timing, who you meet, luck and generally how you’re feeling at the time.
Having lived in Australia for around 20 years, and travelling to a fair chunk of the country (except a lot of Western Australia – RIP WA), I would say I have a fairly broad view of the country. I always hear people claiming they won’t visit because of the dangerous animals, which is so lols because you hardly see any unless you live in the true outback. So here it goes, my very biased view of Australia.
Safety: 4 out of 5
I haven’t always felt safe in Australia, as a mixed-race female, I prefer the big cities as they are thriving with diversity, culture and are more accepting of diverse backgrounds. In terms of general safety, Melbourne has had its fair share of scary incidents, for example a few months ago a man drove into a tram and crowd right infront of my house… but in saying that, this is quite rare but shows you that anything can happen, even in ‘safe’ countries.
In terms of the animals you hear about and see on the news, this is so overhyped. I grew up in country Australia and am a huge hiker, but I’ve probably only seen a snake a handful of times. Once on my car tyre while driving in the NT… but again, considering how much time I’ve spent in the outdoors, it’s a pretty low occurrence.
Vibe and experiences: 4.5 out of 5
Australia truly has it all, amazing nature, interesting museums, and something almost for everyone. What brings is down is how DAMN expensive everything is, like a weekend skiing can cost (on a budget) around $500 AUD. But there are also a lot of free activities like hiking, beaching and strolling around cities.
Australia is a mash-up of so many cultures with Melbourne being one of the most must-cultural cities in the world. Being half Asian this massively bumps up the points!
Food, restaurants & bars: 4.5 out of 5
If the whole country had a food scene like Melbourne, top points. I still go by saying Melbourne is one of the BEST food cities in the world, with any cuisine you want being at your fingertips (Wooo0www). But unfortunately ‘typical’ Australian food is fairly grim, and some of the beers are whack, like Victoria Bitter, wtf is that!?
Landscapes & architecture: 4 out of 5
Nature and landscapes are absolutely stunning! Sydney, I still think is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with its gorgeous harbour, and it has some truly unique landscapes like Uluru, the Whitsundays and lots more. The only thing Aus lacks in nature is high mountain peaks (RIP).
Archiecture is honestly a bit bleh in Australia being developed fairly recently (1900s). Although some stunners like the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge bring it up in points.
Getting around & logistics: 2 out of 5
Firstly, most flights from anywhere relevant are AT LEAST 8 hours, if not 24… Public transport is fairly bad in Australia with the lack of trains, expensive flights and large distances, and can I remind you again there is no train from Melbourne airport into the CBD?! Roads are thankfully good but brought down by how dangerous a kangaroo hopping in front of you while driving. Ugh…
Overall rating: 4/5. Dang, Aus… You’re great, but not a 5 out of 5.
Mon's Voyage 
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