Australia was a big one for us—not just because of the distance, but because this trip would officially complete our final continent.

And getting there definitely reminded us just how far away Australia actually is.

It took us approximately 24 hours of travel to reach Melbourne, including a layover in Los Angeles. By the time we finally landed, we had been on planes and in airports for what felt like an entire lifetime. Still, after such a long journey, there was something exciting about stepping off that final flight knowing we had finally made it to Australia.

We had several places we could have chosen for our first trip to the country, but Melbourne kept coming out on top. It seemed to offer the combination we wanted most—a great city, easy access to nature and wildlife, beaches, day trips, and one of the most famous coastal drives in the world. We are very glad we chose it. That does not mean Australia is checked off the list forever, though. There are still plenty of other places here I would love to see someday.

We stayed in Fitzroy, which ended up being a great base for us. It had plenty of personality, cafés, restaurants, and things going on, while still making it easy to explore the rest of Melbourne. That said, after spending some time in Southbank, we both agreed that if we came back, we would probably stay there instead. Fitzroy was nice, but Southbank felt a little more central to the areas we found ourselves enjoying most, and we think it would have made an even better base for exploring the city.

Our introduction to Australia, however, started before we even made it out of the airport.

Shortly after arriving, we were pulled into a line for an additional customs check. We had to stand with our luggage in front of us while a detection dog made its way down the line sniffing everyone and their bags. We later discovered they were actually training the dog—and somehow a piece of beef jerky ended up being planted in the vegetarian’s bag for it to find.

Thankfully, all was well and we were eventually released into Australia. To read the full story, visit our Funny Moments section.

Once we were actually in Melbourne, one of my favorite things was simply exploring the city on foot. There seemed to be street art around every corner, especially throughout the laneways, and some of it was incredible. Entire walls were covered in murals, layered with color, detail, and completely different styles. Some pieces were huge and impossible to miss, while others were tucked into narrow alleys and easy to walk right past if you were not paying attention. It made the city feel creative and constantly changing, and wandering without much of a plan was one of the best ways to experience it.

And, of course, we did not need a tour.

I navigated us through the city myself and, I have to say, did pretty well. We made our way through different neighborhoods, and also stopped at Queen Victoria Market, which was another fun part of experiencing Melbourne. The market was packed with stalls selling everything from fresh produce and baked goods to souvenirs, clothing, and local specialties. It had that busy, lively atmosphere where there was always something new to look at, and it was easy to spend more time there than we originally planned.

We definitely put a lot of miles on our shoes, though. By the end of each day, we had covered a huge amount of ground, but walking ended up being one of our favorite ways to see Melbourne because we kept stumbling onto little details, murals, cafés, market stalls, and streets we probably would have missed otherwise.

One day we headed toward the coast to explore St. Kilda Beach and Brighton Beach. St. Kilda had that relaxed beachside feeling while still being close to the city, and Brighton gave us the colorful bathing boxes lined along the sand that have become such an iconic Melbourne-area sight.

But some of our favorite experiences came when we left the city behind.

We spent another day at Moonlit Sanctuary, where we finally got the Australian wildlife experience we had been waiting for. We saw koalas, kangaroos, wallabies—including an albino wallaby—Tasmanian devils, dingoes, and emus. Being able to feed some of the animals and watch them moving around in a more natural environment made the experience even better.

The wildlife encounters did not end there.

That same tour took us to Cape Woolamai and Phillip Island, where we eventually watched the famous Penguin Parade after dark. Seeing the tiny penguins make their way back from the ocean was one of those experiences that felt uniquely Australian.

And apparently kangaroos and wallabies do not always feel the need to wait for designated wildlife stops.

As we drove around Phillip Island, we would occasionally spot them casually bouncing along near the road as if this were the most normal thing in the world. For us, it definitely was not. Every time it happened, we were staring out the windows like we had never seen an animal before.

The following day took us into the Dandenong Ranges National Park, where we spent some time hiking through tall forests and fern-filled scenery before heading to one of the area’s best-known attractions: the Puffing Billy Railway.

The historic steam train winds through lush forest, fern-filled gullies, and quiet hillside towns, complete with open-sided carriages, old-fashioned stations, misty scenery, and that unmistakable steam whistle. One of the best parts is being able to sit along the side of the carriage with your legs hanging out.

It is extremely fun.

It is also considerably less comfortable for your backside after you have been sitting there for a while.

Still, I would absolutely do it again. Riding through the forest with our legs hanging out of an old steam train was such a unique experience and easily one of the most memorable parts of the trip.

That evening brought something completely different. We met up with Brett, an old friend from back home who had moved to Melbourne many years ago. Apparently he has officially been there long enough because he now has a very noticeable Australian accent. It was strange and funny to hear at first, but mostly it was just great getting to spend time with him and catch up halfway around the world.

Our final full day was reserved for one of the experiences we had been most excited about: the Great Ocean Road.

We spent the day traveling along Victoria’s southern coastline, making multiple stops along the way, including through rainforest, beaches, cliffs, and small coastal areas. The scenery seemed to change constantly, which made the drive itself every bit as interesting as the destinations.

Of course, the most famous stop was the Twelve Apostles.

The towering limestone stacks rise out of the Southern Ocean beneath enormous cliffs, surrounded by crashing waves and a coastline that seems to stretch forever. What is funny is that there were never actually twelve of them, but standing there looking out across the water, the number really does not matter.

It is spectacular.

The formations have been carved over time by relentless wind and waves, and seeing them in person gives you a completely different sense of their scale. Photographs show the view, but they do not quite capture the sound of the ocean, the movement of the water, or how dramatic the coastline feels when you are standing above it.

The road itself also turned out to have one of the most fascinating stories of the trip.

We learned that construction of the Great Ocean Road began after World War I and that thousands of returned Australian servicemen helped carve the route through Victoria’s rugged coastline. What is now one of the country’s most scenic drives was also created as a memorial to those who had lost their lives during the war. Knowing the history behind the road made the journey feel like more than just a beautiful drive.

Another unforgettable stop was Loch Ard Gorge.

The gorge is surrounded by towering limestone cliffs that open into a narrow inlet of blue water and a small beach below. It is stunning, but the history behind the name gives the place a much more somber feeling.

In 1878, the Loch Ard was wrecked nearby along this dangerous stretch of coastline. The story of the shipwreck and the lives lost there is still closely connected to the gorge today. Standing above the water, looking at the steep cliffs and powerful ocean, it is not difficult to imagine how dangerous this coastline would have been for ships trying to navigate it.

It was one of those places where beauty and tragedy exist in the same landscape.

By the time we returned to Melbourne, we had somehow packed an enormous amount into a relatively short trip—street art, beaches, wildlife, penguins, forests, steam trains, friends, road trips, and some of the most dramatic coastline we had ever seen.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, Australia quietly became something else for us too.

Our final continent.

After years of traveling to places that had once seemed impossibly far away, we had officially made it to all seven.

Australia may have completed the continents, but it certainly did not finish our curiosity about the country. Melbourne gave us exactly what we hoped it would—and also left us with a much longer list of places in Australia we still want to see.