The Journeys ... The last trips

Being an expat is not exactly traveling. In many ways it is better and in many ways it is worse.

Obviously, you has a much deeper understanding of a country after living in a country for four years. Traveling can often lead to fleeting and romantic glimpses of a country that do not exactly reflect the reality.
On the other hand, traveling sharpens the senses. When we travel, everything is new to us and we open up to experience these novelties. While being an expat though, the novelty wears off once a new routine has been established. We start building walls again to protect us against the frustrations of every day life.
Therefore, I obviously have a very good understanding what Australia is about after living here for four years. On the other hand, some of my judgments might be harsher than deserved, simply because routine started to cloud my perception.

But enough of Adrian's philosophy on traveling and life.
While living here, I actually had time to explore Western Australia a bit. A part of Australia I haven't seen during my first trip to the country.
During these four years, I went North to Exmouth and South to Albany. The distances in WA are massive. From Exmouth to Albany are 1'669 kilometers - on the quickest route, which I did not always take. As a matter of fact, Erika and I used differing modes of transportation for our trips: renting a van to go to Exmouth and Karijini, cycling to Bunbury on the road, cycling the Munda Biddi Trail, renting a car to go to Denham, riding our bicycles through the Wheat belt to Albany and then took a bus back to Perth. And then then were all the short trips we took with friends who were driving. So, yeah, it was a diverse way of getting around.

Of course, there was also our cycling trip around Tasmania. Thousand kilometers through the most hilly terrain Australia has to offer. In some parts it was actually like Europe: green and hilly. And even though it is small, you get the same feeling of remoteness when you cycle around - often camping far away from any signs of human life.

I reckon, the question is: what are my fondest travel memories of those four years. This question is always difficult to answer. Usually, recent memories are freshest and therefore seem to be the most 'impressive' ones. I think, from a traveling point of view, Australia is definitely worth the trip. Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth is staggeringly beautiful, Karijini National Park is fun to hike around, Tasmania is beautiful and a great adventure and the golden landscape of the Wheat Belt in WA are beautifully melancholic - or melancholically beautiful. Maybe, the next best tip I can give you is: when you travel in Australia, make sure you have your own transport, it makes all the difference.