My trip to Australia
I booked a trip to Perth to visit some close friends and relatives, a visit that had been a long time coming, but absolutely worth the wait.
Honestly, I’d been wanting to go since my early 20s, when many of my friends first moved over to Oz. Life got in the way, but finally, the opportunity came, and I grabbed it.
The excitement started the moment I began my journey - over 20 hours of travel ahead, with a mix of anticipation, curiosity, and the thrill of reuniting with people I care about on the other side of the world. Questions ran through my mind: Would I sleep on the flight? Would it drag on forever? I’d travelled solo before, so I wasn’t too worried about navigating airports or connecting flights. But still, this was the longest journey I’d ever taken.
I checked in at Dublin Airport and got assistance to the gate. As soon as boarding opened, I was eager to get on board. It was a massive plane. I found my seat and was warmly greeted by a lovely South African air hostess named Sarah. She was amazing, bringing me drinks, helping with the in-flight entertainment, serving dinner, and generally making sure I was looked after. We chatted throughout the 7.5-hour flight to Dubai.
When we landed, Sarah kindly offered to walk with me through the massive terminal. From there, I was handed over to a Dubai ground steward who, unfortunately, wasn’t quite as friendly, they no personality at all! Still, the two-hour wait for my next flight passed quickly. Soon I was settled into another comfortable seat for the next leg, a 10.5-hour flight.
I passed the time watching TV, listening to audiobooks, enjoying great food and a few cold beers. At one point I dozed off, and when I woke up, we were nearly there. After landing, I breezed through security, collected my bags, and made my way into arrivals, where I was met by Amy and David!
It felt fantastic to finally arrive in Australia.
For my first week, I stayed with Amy and David, catching up — and catching up on my jet lag, of course. We spent our days exploring Perth, trying new foods, enjoying a few beers, and soaking up the local atmosphere. We also met up with Amy’s cousin Aiden and his wife Shannon — it was brilliant to reconnect.
David and I decided to up the adventure and swim with sharks, manta rays, and giant turtles at the massive aquarium in Hillarys Marina. And no — we weren’t in a cage! It was absolutely terrifying but incredibly exhilarating. Swimming beside 2.8-metre sharks? Madness! The guide reassured us that all the animals were hand-reared and used to humans… Did that put me at ease? Not in the slightest! But honestly, I’d highly recommend it — the adrenaline rush was unreal.
That first week was packed. We chatted with parrots, petted kangaroos, fed koalas, went to a beer festival, walked through vineyards… it was non-stop and absolutely brilliant.
In the second and third weeks, I stayed with my cousins Dean and Aaron and their partners. They had a gorgeous house — and a swimming pool! I kept having to remind myself that I was actually on the other side of the globe. It all felt so surreal.
One highlight was Irish Day at the Ascot Races — hot weather, great company, and plenty of laughs. Relaxing at Dean and Yvonne’s place, sitting by the pool with Aaron and Christine, eating delicious food and soaking up the sunshine… “Ah sure where would you get it?”
We also made a trip into the city to explore more of Perth and feel the buzz of the West Coast. I met neighbours and friends of my cousins, enjoyed BBQs, shared jokes, and experienced that unmistakable Irish sense of fun — the craic!
