Like many people, I was aware of modern day Australia’s roots as a penal colony for the British Empire. What I didn’t know was that out of the 165,000 convicts transported to The Land Down Under (where women glow and men plunder), tiny little Tasmania received 75,000. Most of the convicts were released to live…

In addition to connecting me with hosts in Launceston and Hobart, friend and Tassie native, Edwina told me to check out Cradle Mountain and the East Coast on my visit. Tasmania isn’t exactly a hotbed of Couchsurfing hosts – especially outside of its two biggest cities – but I was able to find a great…

Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park is arguably Tasmania’s biggest attraction. The park’s Overland Track is considered to be one of the greatest walks on the planet. Conditions can be extreme even in summer and it is not advised to attempt the walk during the winter, especially by yourself without proper equipment. The situation tragically…

When I arrived in Australia, Tasmania wasn’t on my radar. The place has always fascinated me – with its devils and duck billed platypus – but I didn’t think I would make it there. Shortly before leaving Honolulu, I randomly met a Sydney based travel/food writer. Edwina is AMAZING! She met up with me in…

My one “must do” for Australia was the Great Barrier Reef, and visiting the Reef means going to Cairns. The climate reminded me of Hawai’i and I saw many plants that I see at home. The region is even a huge sugar producer like Hawai’i once was. Cairns also happens to be the backpacker capital…

My dissatisfaction with Cairns led me to move my flight up and leave for New Zealand a week earlier than planned. This left me with a day each to see the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. I also wanted to visit Kuranda, but opted to go for Daintree instead. Since I was alone…

Like most people, the driving force behind my visit to Cairns was the Great Barrier Reef. The week before I left home, it dawned on me that I wasn’t PEDI certified. Fortunately, I was able to get my Open Water certification the weekend before I left. Unfortunately, I perforated my eardrum and got a nasty…

Sydney was a great way to start this trip. I overcame some adversity, met some wonderful people, ate some great food, and enjoyed myself quite a bit in the short time I spent in the capital of New South Wales. A few weeks before arriving, I found a Couchsurfing host. I messaged her two days…