These mountains 'blue' me away...

So the Blue mountains were definitely worth exploring! We took a break from the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a day, and got a 2 hour train from 'central station' to 'Katoomba'. The journey was smooth and easy, and we didn't get lost like everyone thought we would. The mountains stretched further than the eye could see, and had a slight blue tinge to them, I guess because of the reflection of the sky. We walked along to 'Echo point' and down the VERY steep stairs to the 'three sisters' (three peaks in the picture). We saw some beautiful parrots and peacock-like birds too, but thankfully no creepy crawlers or snakes!

Get merry on the ferry!

One way to see all the best views of Sydney is to hop on the short ferry ride to MANLY beach! You sail past the Opera house, swing by the harbour bridge and then cruise off into the distance with a view of the city skyline. We went to Manly on the weekend, so it was quite busy with surfers, volley-ballers and sunbathers, but the atmosphere was great. Because it was Sunday, we only paid about $2.50 for our whole days travel! The actually beach itself is long and luscious. There's some nice restaurants to treat yourself to dinner, but also lots of bottle shops and ice cream parlours to make your beach days even more enjoyable!

BONDAI BEACH BLISS

Bondai beach really is a cool little hub with so many surfers, beach babes, rooftop cafes and beachside restaurants. I was told by a few people that I'd be underwhelmed, but I actually really liked it! The beach itself isn't too big, and you can take a coastal walk around to Gordon's bay if you want a quieter  spot. It's $6.50 to use the ocean pools as well if you fancy, which looked pretty fun... but I just stuck to eating and drinking on the beach of course ;) it's super easy to get out to the beach from central Sydney, as it's just a short bus ride away. Check it out!

                Down the rabbit hole I go... 

If you're looking for a swanky little bar that has atmosphere, good food, happy hour and plays throwbacks...then say no more! I'd definitely head to the Rabbit hole again, around 6pm on any night of the week. There's daily deals on food and $5 drinks. I had the smoked salmon rocket salad with feta, tomato, red onion and peppers. The cracked black pepper on top topped it off and I wasn't left feeling bloated (which meant more room for alcohol). This place keep getting busier and busier throughout the night and tables were reserved from very early on. It's surely a bar to visit in Sydney if you want something with style!

                     Coffee rivalry...

So apparently Melbourne and Sydney are constantly at battle with each other over who has the best coffee, art, entertainment, food, etc. Which is why Canberra got the the capital city status in the end, as it's smack bang in he middle of both! This cappuccino in Melbourne was pretty damn good! It wasn't even the slightest bit bitter, was smooth and had a rich, hit creamy after taste. I didn't have a bad coffee in Melbourne at all... so am looking forward to trying what sydney had to offer, to compare.

            Magic Mondays in Melbourne

So we arrived to Melbourne on Sunday night and stayed enjoyed the range of bars in the Fitzroy area that evening. The next few days were spent day exploring the lovely St. Kilda beach, federation square, ACMI centre (Aussie centre for the moving image), southbanks coffees and wines, a rooftop cinema and came across a hidden bar called 'Boston sub' on chapel street. GO AND FIND IT! Overall, Melbourne had a real sparkle to it. I found it similar to London, but with slightly less people, and ones that are friendlier on public transport.

                         Truffle up!

So we stayed in the funky St. Kilda for our first night in Melbourne. 2 minutes walk from our place was a busy cafe called the Galleon, with a long line outside. I immediately know it was a place to have brunch! I tried the tuffled eggs with wilted spinach and crispy mushrooms on pied bread, which was a real tongue tingler! I've never had truffled eggs, but I will definitely have them again. The rest of the menu included big meaty breakfasts, but also vegan and gluten free options to keep everyone happy. 

Where: St. Kilda Galleon cafe, Melbourne 

Price: ££

Rating: 8/10