Sydney 
Here it is in all it's glory, the Sydney Opera House!
After a long flight from India, I finally made it to Sydney! I hopped in an uber to Surry Hills and immediately fell in love with the beautiful tree lined streets that I would call home for a few days.
I stayed by Bourke Street at an airbnb. It was conveniently located parallel to Crowne Street, which was hopping with cafes, pubs, and cute independent boutiques.
The little backyard area was my favorite place to chill!
Cup Half Full was my morning spot to grab coffee, a treat and just relax. The staff were super friendly and made me feel at home (not to mention they made a killer flat white)!
DASH! Dash was the adorable dog who lived at the airbnb. We hung out quite a bit and I fell in love with him!
My first day in Sydney I made the trek to to the Opera House. The walk from Surry Hills was just about 40 minutes, but I found it easier than figuring out the public transit. Spring had just begun so I found myself dodging pollen the size of golf balls!
The Royal Botanic Garden was unlike anything I had ever seen. The bamboo in the botanic garden sounded like a wind chime, creaking and hitting together. The smell of fresh flowers, the sound of bees buzzing, it was the most beautiful place, right in the heart of Sydney.
Not to mention, the Sydney Opera was right in the center of all the beauty!
If you're wondering, I did purchase a selfie stick for my solo trip!
View from the Taronga Zoo! The coolest part was taking the ferry over and then the lift up to the zoo! The views were out of this world, and we even saw seals!
Melbourne
I took the overnight train to Melbourne which cost around $75. It took about 10 hours so that was my “accommodation” for the night.
Of course there is the ongoing feud of whether Sydney or Melbourne is better, and that may be up to you. While Sydney has the iconic tourist spots (that are amazing), Melbourne has a bustling art vibe and better culture (in my opinion).
It seemed every street I turned onto there was another amazing piece of art to discover.
Okay, I had to try Vegemite. It is not for me - way too salty.
Phillip's Island
I did the Phillip Island one day tour (which costs around $120) to maximize my few days in Melbourne. The tour is a chock full ten hours that starts at the Koala reserve.
The drive was absolutely beautiful and I was able to snap a few photos while we were on the go!
The Nobbies, below, is an island known for the largest colony of fur seals. We made a stop here and there is a very pretty boardwalk/beach you can explore.
The Penguin Parade! The final stop was at Summerland beach to watch these magical little penguins make their nightly trek. There are no actual pictures of the penguins as this is very distracting as they journey from sea to land.
Great Ocean Road
Another full day experiencing this 12 hour Great Ocean Road tour. It cost about $100 and you were able to see quite a bit in a short amount of time. The road itself is gorgeous - you can gaze out at the coastal scenery and potentially spot wild koalas!
The Loch Ard Gorge (above and below) is one of that stops and is part of the Port Campbell National Park. It is home to one of the most famous shipwrecks.
The Twelve Apostles (above and below) are beautiful limestone rock formations that, even on a cloudy day, are incredible to gaze at.
We stopped in Apollo Bay for lunch (I had some pad Thai at a small family run place) to walk around. It was a cute little town that had amazing panoramic views of the ocean.
We saw some wild koalas along the way - sleeping, of course.
