I fell in love with Australia when I was 12 years old. It was my first trip to the isolated continent and my first ever trip overseas. My family flew over from America for three weeks to visit friends in Brisbane and during the holiday, hopping between Australia’s east coast capitals. I was then fortunate enough to return to Australia to vacation and study. My love for the continent at the bottom of the world grew, and I decided to establish my roots here and make it home.
Throughout my time in Australia, I’ve witnessed its many sides. I’ve stared in awe at its endless terrains, and protected coastlines that are increasingly rare in the world and marvelled at the strangely adorable and extremely photogenic endemic species. I’ve also been witness to a darker side of the sun-soaked country as I’ve driven alongside black coal mines, stretching between the Outback towns they built. I’ve learned the reality of its devastating colonial history that left behind a stolen land, dotted with the oldest continuously living cultures on Earth.
It’s clear to me now that this isolated continent has as much pain and heartache suffered upon its red dirt, as it does grandeur and resilience in its iconic features. Although Australia’s natural, cultural and built heritage offer important windows into the past that are reflected in the history being made today, many visitors rarely absorb the raw histories of the sixth continent as easily as they do its natural beauty.
Throughout my time in Australia, and especially that spent in remote locations, I’ve become passionate about sharing a raw glimpse of Australia, that includes not only stories of and from its people, wildlife and environments but also their predecessors, whether that be in recovered cultures, extinct species or volcanic remnants.
