There's No Place Like Oz

Return to Australia: 3 weeks in my home away from home

Return to Oz Three months ago we had just landed in Australia and had a three week trip ahead of us! I was thrilled to return to a country I love and had been missing for several years. It’s hard to wrap my head around how much the trip meant to me leading up to […]

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Our Hunter Valley getaway: Hunter Valley Resort review

Hunter Valley Resort review As soon as we began discussing our recent 3-week trip to Australia, I knew I wanted to include a visit to the Hunter Valley, one of Australia’s well-known wine regions. Just 2-3 hours from Sydney (depending on traffic), the Hunter Valley offers Sydneysiders, Aussies, and travelers alike a getaway from city […]

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Return to Oz

I think most of us have seen The Wizard of Oz at least once. But hopefully most of you have been spared the film Return to Oz. When I was a little girl, my dad would rent a couple of movies for us to enjoy on snow days. And one cold, dreadful day, dad brought […]

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My job search in Australia with the WHV

Four years ago I was on a road trip, traveling along the east coast of Australia from Cairns to Sydney! As soon as I returned to Sydney, I kicked off my job search. I wrote the following post a few weeks after landing a job, publishing it elsewhere. Since it hasn’t been online for a […]

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Work and Holiday Visa: What to do when you finally get to Australia!

This is the last post in a 3-part series about the Australian Work and Holiday Visa for Americans. Read part 1 (the visa application process) and part 2 (the before-you-go research to consider) if you need to catch up before checking out part 3 (you’ve arrived — now what?!). Apply for your Tax File Number […]

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Australia Work and Holiday Visa: Before-you-go research

This is the 2nd post in a 3-part series about my experiences with the Work and Holiday Visa in Australia. Links to parts 1 and 3 are at the bottom of this post. For me, researching a trip is half the fun of the experience. I love reading about my next destination and learning about […]

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Work and travel in Australia on the Work and Holiday Visa: Applying for the WHV online

Australia was the first country I wished I could visit. When I was 13, my best friend spent 3 weeks in Oz on the People to People Youth Ambassador program. I was also invited to participate but the price tag was too much for my family. When she returned and shared every wonderful detail of […]

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Celebrating Australia Day 2013 in the USA

Happy Australia Day, everyone! Whether you’re an Aussie at home or abroad, or a fellow Australia fan like me, I hope you found your own traditional or unique ways to celebrate the day. If you’re asking yourself, “What IS Australia Day,” it’s a national holiday celebrated on January 26 which commemorates the arrival of the […]

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There’s No Place Like: Three Bags Full cafe in Melbourne

This is the second post in the new “No Place Like” series in which I highlight places that have blessed me with a feeling of “home”. As I write, I’m sitting in a beach cottage at North Carolina’s Outer Banks (OBX), waiting for coffee to finish brewing and the griddle to be free so I […]

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A Year in Australia: By the Numbers

I quit my job as a career counselor for uni students at 30 to move to Australia for 12 months for a once in a lifetime opportunity. Following six months of travel + six months of living in Sydney, I realized there are MANY numbers that add up to one great year. Ways I made […]

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