My time in Australia falls into 3 groups: Eating, City Activities, and Nature Time.

Let’s start with everyone’s favorite: Eating. I ate a lot of yummy food in Australia, but three meals standout. First, Saint Peter in Sydney, a head-to-tail fish restaurant that is absolutely delicious. That charcuterie board is all fish. The olive is stuffed with tuna, and all the sausages and carved meats are made with fish. Mind-blowingly delicious. As the only solo-diner in the restaurant that night, they put me at the table in front of the kitchen for some entertainment and I really enjoyed watching the chefs all night. These plates are works of art, not just delicious food to eat.

Second, Attica in Melbourne served uniquely Australian food. Crocodile rib tart anyone? How about kangaroo? If you say no, I’ll eat yours because it was fantastic. The crocodile sorta tasted like a meaty white fist, while kangaroo tasted like grassy beef. I also had their “lasagna”, paired with a tomato water concoction that was delightful. Attica offers a beverage pairing that alternates wine with NA drinks, which I think is really smart for when you want to have wine but not up for a full wine pairing. The meal ended with a little chocolate koala; sadly, the only koala-siting I had during my time in Australia.

Third notable meal was a spur-of-the-moment reservation at Wildflower in Perth. I lucked out arriving in Perth on the Friday after a national holiday and before kids returned to school - think Friday after Labor Day in US. Found on the 4th floor overlooking the harbor, Wildflower has beautiful and delicious food best enjoyed while watching the sunset. The very local menu included Mantis, a crustacean that tastes like lobster but is the size of a large shrimp. What more could one ask for? Well, maybe their perfectly-cooked duck.

Honorable mention goes to the restaurant at Cape Lodge in Margaret River. Overlooking the property’s little lake, the food was quite good and lovely for breakfast, afternoon tea, and dinner. I particularly enjoyed their fresh juices at breakfast, and I tried vegemite with their fabulous sourdough bread. Vegemite was interesting. I heard it was yeasty but, to me, it tasted almost like a brie cheese with its funkiness. Glad I tried it - and it was better with butter - but not sure it’s something I’d reach for. Plus, it’s VERY stinky.

I spent my first day in Australia at the two most iconic landmarks: Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House. The bridge climb was windy but worth it - and they clip everything onto you so nothing falls! The views cannot be beat, and the climb itself was pretty easy. I had a great climb guide and learned that the Sydney Harbor Bridge was “inspired by” the Hell Gate Bridge in NYC (shoutout to my Astoria friends!). After the climb, I had a quick bite to eat, a short rest, then changed for the opera. The Opera House is beautiful, housing 3 theaters plus restaurants. I had dinner at Bennelong, located in the sail closest to the city, then headed over to the Joan Sutherland Theater for Madama Butterfly. A good production but not the best I’ve seen. As much as I love the music, Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton is not a good guy…

The timing for this Australia visit was centered around the Australian Open in Melbourne. As a devout US Open fan, I was super excited to experience another Grand Slam tournament. It did not disappoint. The Lemon Ace cocktail is trying to be the Honey Deuce Down Under, but you can’t beat a cocktail that requires millions of hand-balled honeydew. As expected of a Grand Slam, the tennis was world-class. The main event was the Women’s Semifinal matches, and it was great to see the American Jessica Pegula in the final four though it was not her day to win. Across the rest of the grounds, I enjoyed watching Wheelchair Tennis, which should get more attention! These athletes are amazing to watch.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Australian nature and wildlife. Views on views on view. I had a fabulous time hiking along the eastern coast from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach. A beautiful tour of the Blue Mountains, hiking down (then back up) a gorgeous waterfall with rainbow. Exploring the rocky southern coastal Great Ocean Road near Melbourne on a small tour had gorgeous views, but it was the hottest day of the trip (113F) and SO MANY flies were out and took away from the enjoyment. Rottnest Island in the Indian Ocean - 90 minute ferry ride from Perth - is a gem and convinced me to ride a bike for the first time in almost 20 years so I could see the sites. Finally, the Margaret River region has beautiful wineries tucked into gorgeous forest with some caves keeping you cool below ground. Worth the risk of driving on the wrong side of the road.

Across all of these places, the water is the bluest blue, the sands are fine, the greens are vibrant emerald, and the birds are vocal. I spent so much time outside in Australia that I actually developed a tan, despite the abundant sunscreen applied. I’m not the most outdoorsy person but, for Australia, some of my favorite memories will be quiet moments in nature. I think this is why they call it Oz…