Australia & Fiji: Recs
ABOUT
In November 2024 we spent two weeks in Australia and one week in Fiji in the following locations: Sydney, Hamilton Island, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, and Melbourne in Australia, then a week in Mamanuca Islands, Fiji (full route here).
Late November is late spring in Australia, so we got warm weather before peak summer crowds. Fiji is warm year-round (driest May through October).
If I had more time I would have liked to travel to the Western side of Australia to see the desert and Uluru (and stay at Longitude 131Β°).
SYDNEY
We stayed at The Old Clare Hotel (Glass Animals happened to be staying here at the same time!).
Food:
Nomad: we had an incredible dinner and still talk about the braised lamb shoulder.
Dear Sainte Eloise: a very cute wine bar.
White Horse: quite fancy but delicious.
Mr. Wong: upscale Chinese food.
Sake: Japanese food and sushi in Double Bay.
Pellegrino 2000: a small Italian spot for pasta; book ahead.
Le Foote: a wine bar and Mediterranean grill in The Rocks.
Coffee & Breakfast:
Single O: specialty coffee and breakfast in Surry Hills.
Paramount Coffee Project: coffee and breakfast in an old cinema building.
Activities:
Bondi to Coogee: we walked it backwards and finished with a swim at Bondi Icebergs.
Boat the harbor: take the ferry to Manly to see the harbor from the water.
Hyde Park: an easy park walk in the middle of the city.
Opera House: walk around the harbor and see it up close.
The Rocks: wander the old streets and weekend market.
Manly: take the ferry over for a beach day.
South Head: go around sunset for the harbor views.
Coogee Pavilion: stop for drinks after the coastal walk.
HAMILTON ISLAND
We stayed at Qualia, this resort and the Whitsundays were our main reason for coming to Australia.
Food:
Qualia dining: we mainly ate at the resort.
Coca Chu: Southeast Asian dishes by Catseye Beach.
Bommie: a fancier dinner overlooking the water; book ahead.
Activities:
Hill Inlet cruise: the Whitsundays outing I was most excited for, though it poured the whole time.
Great Barrier Reef: take a full day to snorkel the reef.
Spa Qualia: book a massage at the resort.
Passage Peak: a steep hike with views across the Whitsundays.
Resort Lookout: a bush walk with views over the marina and islands.
Hideaway Bay: a shorter walk to a quiet little beach.
One Tree Hill: go for a sunset drink at the lookout.
ADELAIDE
Food:
ShΕbΕsho: Japanese food cooked over fire.
Fugazzi: Italian food on Leigh Street.
Leigh Street Wine Room: stop for a glass of wine.
Adelaide Central Market: a covered market for breakfast and local food.
Africola: African inspired food and vegetables cooked over fire.
Restaurant Botanic: a long tasting menu in the gardens; book ahead.
Activities:
Adelaide Botanic Garden: a good place to slow down and walk around.
Art Gallery of South Australia: Australian and international art on North Terrace.
We skipped wine tasting on our honeymoon because we live so close to Napa, but people rave about Barossa and how beautiful it is.
Barossa Valley: a wine region about an hour from Adelaide.
Discover Adelaide wine tour: a small group day trip with tastings and lunch.
Barossa wineries day tour: another full day option with pickups from Adelaide.
KANGAROO ISLAND
We stayed at Sea Dragon Lodge.Very cool but definitely an older crowd, isolated and not worth the trek unless itβs your honeymoon.
Food:
Cactus: coffee and breakfast with local produce in Kingscote.
The Fig Tree KI: a meal under a huge old fig tree; check the seasonal dates.
Dudley Wines: wine tasting near the Penneshaw ferry.
Kangaroo Island Spirits: gin tasting in the garden; book ahead.
Activities:
Seal Bay: a guided beach walk to see the sea lions.
Flinders Chase National Park: go for Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch.
Vivonne Bay: a pretty beach for a quiet stop.
Little Sahara: sandboarding if you feel like doing something different.
MELBOURNE
Food:
Coda: our top recommendation; an incredible meal in a Flinders Lane basement.
Chin Chin: we had dinner here; popular, though the food feels a little 2010s now.
MoVida: Spanish tapas near Hosier Lane.
Embla: a small wine bar with food to share.
Supernormal: Asian inspired food on Flinders Lane.
Rice Paper Scissors: Southeast Asian dishes made for sharing.
Mr. Miyagi: a lively Japanese inspired spot in Windsor.
Tonka: Indian food tucked down Duckboard Place.
Coffee & Breakfast:
Lune: go for croissants and baked goods.
Drinks:
Seamstress: cocktails upstairs in an old textile factory.
Ponyfish Island: drinks right on the Yarra.
Berlin Bar: a themed cocktail bar to try.
Arbory: a drink along the river.
Boatbuilders Yard: a more casual riverside spot.
Naked for Satan: drinks while exploring Fitzroy.
Activities:
Great Ocean Road: we did a private full day trip along the coast.
Laneways: wander the city center for street art.
Degraves St: a little laneway for coffee and people watching.
Fitzroy: a cool neighborhood for shops and drinks.
Chapel St: head to Windsor if you want a night out.
Queen Victoria Market: food and shopping in a big open air market.
Brighton beach boxes: a beach walk past the colorful bathing boxes.
Botanical Gardens: take a break from the city and walk through the gardens.
Yarra Valley: a wine region near Melbourne if you want a day trip.
FIJI
We spent a week at Tokoriki Island Resort, a beautiful, community oriented place that people love to come back to. We only ate at the resort. If we went back, we would probably stay somewhere else to see more of the islands.
Activities:
Snorkeling: get out on the water and see the reef.
Island beach picnic: a boat takes you to Monu Island with lunch.
Kayaking & paddle-boarding: an easy way to spend more time on the water.
Kava ceremony: the traditional Fijian welcome drink.
