The Shehu and Brown Family traveled Down Under to Australia this past August to take in the semifinal and final games of the Women’s World Cup! The mother/daughter duo traveled to Melbourne, Cairns, and then Sydney. Their custom-created itinerary also included several day trips for a nice variety of Aussie experiences in and outside of the cities. Their vacation started in Melbourne with a 4-night stay at the Adina Apartments Melbourne. They liked the downtown location, the extra space, early check-in, and the washer/dryer, but found the apartment to be a bit dreary and drab. They took a small group and full-day eco-trip to the Great Ocean Road, one of Australia’s most famous coastal roads and the highlight of any trip to Victoria.  It was a long day with so much to see including the Twelve Apostles limestone stacks and Gibson’s Steps, the site of historic cliff lines along with a bushwalk in Great Otway National Park. While the tour felt a little rushed, they really enjoyed the day. Next, they flew north to Cairns where they spent four nights at the Doubletree Cairns. They found the hotel quite bright and cheery and loved their room’s water views and the spacious hotel atrium. They also appreciated the hotel’s central location and the tropical, beachy vibe of the city. From here, the two took small group day tours to explore the scenic beauty and wildlife of Northern Queensland. The first tour was to Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation where they took a guided walk, a 4-wheel drive into the forest, and a cruise down the river to see crocodiles and more. On another day, they took an eco-tour to Paronella Park and Millaa Millaa Falls with a naturalist guide to explore the Wet Tropics Rainforest of Wooroonooran National Park and the Atherton Tablelands. Their trip ended in Sydney with a 6-night stay at the Pullman Quay Hotel. They commented that they enjoyed the spacious room, great location, and hotel staff. They got a nice orientation and historic tour of Sydney with a guided 4-hour bike ride where they saw all the city’s classic highlights. We also pre-booked their entry to see inside the Sydney Opera House where they returned later to see Miss Saigon.  Another small group and full-day trip, this time to the Blue Mountains and Featherdale Wild Animal Park, rounded out their New South Wales stay by offering sweeping views of the Three Sisters and Jamison Valley, a ride onboard the Scenic Railway, koala and kangaroo interactions and a cruise by boat back to Sydney Harbor on the Parramatta River. For the long day trips, the family recommends bringing some food as the breakfasts and snacks provided by the tour companies vary greatly. Overall, the trip was tremendous fun with enthusiastic soccer games, lots of clear skies, and clean cities.