During the golden week vacation, I had my first great opportunity to visit Australia. I accompanied Nick on his homecoming to celebrate his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Not having been out of Japan for almost 15 years gave me itchy feet for Australia, the country I had long dreamed of visiting, so I was just thrilled to grab this wonderful opportunity. The experience I had there never failed to meet my expectations and will be treasured for many years to come.

Tree Top Walk, Walpole

Valley of the Giants, Walpole

Margaret River, WA

Busselton Jetty, Busselton WA
Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, is located approximately 30 minutes’ drive from Nick’s hometown. The city boomed during a gold rush in the 19th century and the population now stands at over 1.3 million. As the description “the most isolated city in the world” states, Perth is far away from any major cities; the capital city, Canberra is over 3,000 km away. But when you visit Perth, you will know it also deserves to be called, “the most beautiful city in Australia” and it’s definitely worth visiting. The landscape of the city is carefully planned to bring about the beauty of both historical and modern buildings. The city looks very urban, full of energy boosted by the thriving economy, but at the same time conveys a laid-back, somewhat Mediterranean atmosphere. Every corner I turned looked like a picture, and I couldn’t get enough of admiring the beautiful architecture. Without any reservation, Perth is by far the most beautiful city I have ever visited.

Perth City, from King’s Park
Although the ten days of our trip was hardly enough even to scratch the surface of things, I enjoyed sharing a wonderful time with Nick’s family, experiencing Australian culture firsthand, as well as immersing myself in the magnificent nature of Western Australia. I came back to Japan with slightly broadened perspectives towards the world, and of course with the anticipation of my next visit to Australia.