A few days ago, I took a moment to answer some questions for an interview. While browsing through photos and memories of my first solo travels in Australia, I realised that 11 years have gone by. And by doing the math, it totals nearly 18 months spent travelling alone in Australia.
From September 2014 up to now, I have been travelling around Australia solo for 7,5 months! It put a big smile on my face. As you may already know, I am not a resident of Australia. I am an EU citizen, which means I can only travel within the country with an Australian travel visa.
Looking back to my solo backpacking trips in Australia (on a gap year), I would have never thought that I would fall in love with Australia. Eleven years after that fantastic solo trip, I still am very much in love with this fascinating country that I call my second home.
A recap of 11 years of Solo Adventures in Australia
I launched Rocky Travel in October 2010, which means that Rocky Travel celebrates its 5th anniversary this year. It’s hard to believe it. After the initial difficulties and the many mishaps, I went through, I am very proud of what I have achieved over time. Rocky Travel has received various accolades and awards, making it one of the leading Australian Travel Blogs and the number one Blog for women travelling alone in Australia.
It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of thousands of readers that are following Rocky Travel blog every day and the constant support of travel businesses and tourism boards that have believed in the quality and integrity of Rocky Travel as a valuable resource for independent-minded, solo travellers and travel brands alike.
To celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Rocky Travel, I am thanking you warmheartedly for this wrap up of the last year spent travelling alone in Australia!
2014 – One year travelling alone for my 50th birthday
If you have been following me, in May 2014, I turned 50 and had a reason to travel solo to Paris. In September 2014, I started my 5th Solo Trip in Australia and spent nine weeks exploring new corners from Northern Australia down South to Melbourne and crossing over to Western Australia.
Exploring North Tropical Queensland by land and sea
A small Jucy campervan took me through lush tropical forests to the colourful wetlands. I was keen to experience solo camping and camped alone for three days in Cape Tribulation and three days in the Atherton Tablelands.
2014 marked my first experience housesitting in Sydney. After reading a lot about it, I was keen to try out house-sitting in Australia, and it did work well for me. I got my first house-sit gig for one week in Mona Vale, Sydney and looked for a beautiful home with a pool and a lovely cat.
Solo Road Tripping Australia
I love to travel solo in my 50s, but it’s only in 2011 that I started driving alone and getting familiar with the Australian roads. Since then, I have covered over seven thousand km and counting. From the Eastern to the Western Coast, on the GOR, on Kangaroo Island, to the Red Centre, to Tropical Queensland.
I love setting off alone and explore the country by car. So far, I have been travelling on sealed roads with short detours on dirt roads. The next challenge is to take it to the next level and go on four-wheel-driving adventures in the Australian Outback!
Three-day Yorke Peninsula Solo Road Trip A fascinating place I recently discovered in South Australia. The fascinating golden fields of cereals and rugged coastline of the Innen National Park on the Yorke Peninsula.
I love train travel. Being Australia a BIG country, train travel is a very relaxed way of covering long distances and see places that you wouldn’t be able to see otherwise. Train travel is not only about the destination; it’s very much about the rail journey itself and all that you experience on the train.
It needs an accurate, sustainable travel plan to make it work. While there are various ways to save money and make long-term travels possible, you need to evaluate them and find the ones that work well for you.
I am very proud I managed to find a way to spend five months travelling and blogging around Australia.
Meeting and spending time with friends
As a solo traveller, it’s easy to meet strangers and make new friends. Every time I return from a solo trip, I have gained new friends. It is the best part of my solo travels in Australia. This year it worked out fantastic! I could spend time and stay with lovely friends that I met over the years while travelling alone in Australia.
Exploring more of Melbourne Australia
I have been discovering more of one of my favourite Australian Cities: I walked the Melbourne Laneways, learnt more about Melbourne coffee and food culture and went on a hot-air-balloon ride over Melbourne beautiful surroundings.
Driving around Australia along the South East Coast of Australia
In May 2015, I set off on a road trip through the South East Coast of Australia. I had done this route many years before by bus. I love the South East coast of Australia, it is less busy than the north shore from Sydney to Brisbane, and in my opinion, there are extraordinary places in this part of Australia.
Experiencing Vivid Sydney 2015
The vivid Sydney Light festival had been on my list for over three years, so that I was happy to make it in June this year. It is one of the most exciting Australian festivals I have been to in Oz.
An Outback Adventure in the Kimberley, North-Western Australia
In August this year, a dream came true. After exploring the Eastern Kimberley 4 years ago, I finally could tick the Western Kimberley Australia off my list and traverse the ancient Outback land from Broome to Kununurra. Please read about my Kimberley Adventure Tour here.
Enjoying Housesitting in Perth and Ocen Reef
2015 was a lucky year. I have been experiencing more Housesitting gigs in Perth and its surroundings. It is very much the hit of my travels. While I saved money on accommodation, I could enjoy the freedom of living alone in a comfortable modern house with the company of lovely pets. In this post, you can learn from my house sitting experience in Australia and how to housesit as a solo traveller.
It is a short recap of 7,5 months of travelling alone in Australia. I returned a couple of weeks from Australia, and to tell you the truth, I am already missing it and can’t wait to set off on my next solo adventures in Australia.
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Michela is a passionate traveller and outdoor enthusiast, who has been travelling solo for +30 years between Australia, Italy, Europe and more countries. She is keen to share her knowledge and best tips to help solo travellers travel more and plan their adventures in a simpler and smarter way. Michela is the founder and editor in chief of Rocky Travel.
No doubt, Australia is a beautiful place and perfect to spend holidays, but it is expensive too. Interesting travel post, I really enjoyed your experience.
Congrats to 5 years of being up and going. It’s a big accomplishment and yet what you’ve achieved. Australia is a beautiful place lived there for 3 years but sounds like you have a plan that is helping to offset high cost of living.
If I’d be in your shoes, I ‘d spend more and more time in road tripping the South East Coast of Australia. It is indeed a treat to visit such place where the environment and the food are more than extra-ordinary. Chow.
I’m a little late to the party but well done Michela. Always good to hear some passion about my home country too. I had memories reading this, as my first big travels were two years around Australia in ’97/98 before I went overseas. You’ve seen so much. Have you been to the Pilbara yet? It’s my favourite part of Australia, along with Tasmania.
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Kanchan
October 27, 2015 @ 7:04 am
No doubt, Australia is a beautiful place and perfect to spend holidays, but it is expensive too. Interesting travel post, I really enjoyed your experience.
rockytravel
October 29, 2015 @ 3:49 pm
Australia is an expensive country but there are ways to miminize travel costs. Glad you find the post useful.
De'Jav Speller
October 27, 2015 @ 12:37 pm
Congrats to 5 years of being up and going. It’s a big accomplishment and yet what you’ve achieved. Australia is a beautiful place lived there for 3 years but sounds like you have a plan that is helping to offset high cost of living.
rockytravel
October 29, 2015 @ 3:03 pm
Thanks for the compliments, De’Jav! I’m glad you enjoyed this post. 🙂
Alice Genoh
October 27, 2015 @ 10:44 pm
If I’d be in your shoes, I ‘d spend more and more time in road tripping the South East Coast of Australia. It is indeed a treat to visit such place where the environment and the food are more than extra-ordinary. Chow.
rockytravel
October 29, 2015 @ 3:04 pm
Hi Alice, Thanks for your tip. I love the South East Coast of Australia and more explorations are on my list. 🙂
Andy
March 15, 2016 @ 11:16 pm
I’m a little late to the party but well done Michela. Always good to hear some passion about my home country too. I had memories reading this, as my first big travels were two years around Australia in ’97/98 before I went overseas. You’ve seen so much. Have you been to the Pilbara yet? It’s my favourite part of Australia, along with Tasmania.