Hello everyone!
In late-March I flew from Vancouver, Canada to the beautiful harbour city Sydney, Australia. It was a 20-hour long flight each way, but it was certainly worth our time. Today I want to tell you guys all about my trip, and share some of my favourite photos!
We started off in Sydney, where we did some sightseeing and ate some amazing Asian food.
We journeyed towards Melbourne in a rental car and…… of course, got lost, but in a good way! We came across the coastal town of Malacoote, which is within a national park. There was a beautiful beach trail that was several kilometres long.
It was breathtaking. First we came across a pebbly path where the ocean waves crashes with the rocky shore……. but upon closer look, those were not pebbles beneath our feet, rather they were little sea shells! Millions and millions of them! They were beautiful.
We were in love with the seemingly endless stretch of beach. Being one of the several hikers on the trail, the universe felt so big and vast and quiet.
On Philips Island, we visited a chocolate factory! Being a chocolate addict, of course I was enamoured. We saw some little penguins as they journeyed from the ocean back to their homes on the shore (no pictures unfortunately, because the little penguins are afraid of flash!) We also visited a koala conservation and had fun spotting some koalas. (See if you can find them in these photos below!)
Once we were in Melbourne, I was fascinated by the State Library of Victoria which was BEAUTIFUL. All I wanted was to sit in the grand hall and write my novel for a day, but……… my fiancé pulled me away because we had much more sightseeing to do. Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to catch any good photos (I know!? How could I not!????! REGRETS)
As a writer, I have a sharp eye for research opportunities when there is a setting that is related to my novel. In my current WIP Children of the Sun, one of the characters had been imprisoned earlier in his life. When I saw the Old Melbourne Gaol on the map of course I couldn’t turn away. Even though no part of my WIP takes place in a jail, I thought a tour of the prison would give me insight into how this character’s past shapes his current life. This was an awesome, inspiring, unforgettable moment during my trip.
We saw some awesome street art in Melbourne. Here are some of my favs!
Last stop was Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was a small, low-key city compared to the festive and artistic Melbourne, but the city definitely had its own character. In our hotel lobby I saw a brochure for the Deep Space Network, which is a network of 3 satellites that facilitate communications between Earth and space stations. One of the Deep Space Network sites is located in Canberra, Australia! I got SUPER excited because the DSN was featured in Never Forget, so of course I had to pay a visit!
SOPHIE LI 
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