It’s pretty chilly outside (-3C/25F) and this cold Milan weather has me reminiscing about one of my previous trips to Australia. In 2012, I spent two months traveling up the West Coast of Australia (mostly visiting friends along the way), starting in Melbourne and working my way through Sydney, Coffs Harbor, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa and up to the Whitsunday Islands which make up part of the Great Barrier Reef.

While Sydney (and its surrounding beaches) is actually my favorite city in Australia (I’ll have to save that for another post), the Whitsunday Islands are absolutely stunning: white sandy beaches and crystal clear warm aquamarine water perfect for snorkeling, diving and just enjoying the natural beauty. A majority of the 74 islands that make up the Whitsunday Islands (off the coast of Queensland, Australia) are actually protected national parks (which is probably why they remain so clean and intact, despite the number of tourists that flock to these parts).

The sites are simply gorgeous, and Australians tend to be fun, lively, friendly people in general 🙂