5 reasons why I can’t wait to go back to Australia

I’ve been home in Amsterdam for almost four weeks now. I was so happy when I could finally hug my parents again, meet all the babies that have been born while I was gone and to catch up with friends. But I am already so excited to go back to Australia! Here are 5 reasons why.

1. The coffee!
Before I went Down Under I only drank coffee on the weekends – just so that I wouldn’t become one of those cafeine-craving-addicts who can’t start their day without a cup of coffee (no offense, of course ;)). But when I had my first sip of coffee in Melbourne I was hooked: MAN those Ozzies sure know how to brew a good coffee! Ever since I couldn’t resist drinking one Large Latte a day.

2. The people
Aussies are so nice. They will always ask you “how ya going” and will always make time for a little chat. When I was traveling in Vietnam I met an Aussie couple who I started chatting to over breakfast, for an hour or so. We stayed in touch via Facebook and when I was in Brisbane last year they invited me to stay with them. I ended up staying for a month! Correct me if I’m wrong but the average Dutchie would never invite a ‘stranger’ into their home and let them stay there for such a long time. We can learn something from their hospitality 🙂

3. The endless and countless beaches
Beaches. Beaches everywhere! Did you know Australia has over 10.000 beaches? Of course we all know famous beaches like Bondi, Coogee and even St Kilda, but even just a short ride away from the crowds you’ll stumble upon pretty, quiet and secluded beaches. I remember when I drove from Bundaberg to Agnes Water there were so many empty beaches along the way where you’ll never come across another living soul (except for a few birdies hehe). I love it!

4. The weather
Sun. I love the sun. And even though winters in Australia can be quite cold and rainy when you’re in Sydney or Melbourne, you’ll often still see the sun shine during winter in Brisbane and further up north. During summer there are plenty of hot, beautiful days where everyone just spends most of their spare time outside.

5. The funny slang
Aussie slang always cracks me up. When I first arrived in Oz I kinda struggled cause I literally didn’t understand what the locals were saying. “Let’s have a cuppa during smoko or perhaps later in the arvo“… Say what? A cuppa = a cup of tea, smoko = smoking break or just a short break and ‘arvo’ is afternoon. Aussies just LOVE to abbreviate. And did you know that The Ozzies invented the word ‘selfie’? If you’d like to hear more typical Ozzie words or sayings then watch this funny clip on YouTube.

Other reasons I can’t wait to go back Down Under are their amazing sunrises and sunsets, the fact that there are public toilets everywhere (what? I just drink a lot of water…), you can celebrate Christmas in your bikini and their money is waterproof (how convenient!). But before I go back to Oz I have a city trip to Budapest coming up, so stay tuned… 🙂