Australia 2023 & 2026

In 1999, Australia became the starting point of my 15-month Asian Big Tour – a journey through South-Eastern Asia and China to India.

In 2023, I organized a trip for a group of Slovenian kids and their parents to attend the Southeast Asian FLL robotics competition in Sydney. A three-day stopover in Brisbane in 2026 was part of the trip between New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

In this article I describe the following impressions from my Australia travel adventure 2023 & 2026: guiding a group for the first time, revisiting the capital Canberra, connection with the nature in Sydney, Asia Pacific Open FLL robotics competition, modern Brisbane and relaxed Gold Coast.

More articles about my Australia travel adventures are available here:

Heading back to Australia after a quarter of a century was a thrilling experience.

I had fond memories from my previous Australia travel adventure. My kids were excited to explore a country far from home, known for its unique features. They were eager to join a prestigious competition to showcase their robotics skills and future-focused projects.

Our group consisted of 7 teenagers and 8 parents. As a solo traveler who sometimes travels with family, I am not used to managing such a diverse and inexperienced group on international trips.

I volunteered to organize all activities, accommodation, logistics, planning and sightseeing for our group.

I booked some lovely apartments in prime spots in downtown Sydney, Canberra and close to the event venue – Macquarie University. They were a big upgrade from the dormitories I stayed in during my backpacking trip on a very limited budget decades earlier. The apartment kitchens let us cook breakfast and light dinners, so we ate out only once a day.

Although it was winter in Australia, the weather was much better than I expected. It was mostly sunny and mild, with only one rainy day in two weeks.

We started our Australia travel adventure by renting two vans to travel to Canberra. Driving on the left is never easy, and handling a larger vehicle makes it even more difficult, especially when parking or reversing.

Our first stop was Oran Park Skate Park to test my son’s skating skills, as he is a passionate skater. Skate parks and other public recreational facilities are built to a high standard, well maintained, and available across the country. Australians are very active, closely connected to nature, and spend a lot of time outdoors in all weather conditions.

The main reason for visiting the Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan was to spot kangaroos. We walked through the hilly area for almost two hours, but apart from native plants we did not see any kangaroos. Still, it was a pleasant walk in nature and a nice thing to do to get some fresh air.

With limited time and the challenge of long distances, I proposed to include Canberra in our itinerary. In terms of architecture, development and growth the Australian capital is the opposite of Sydney.

Chosen as a compromise between Melbourne and Sydney, this modern capital may lack the buzz, historical British colonial influence, and major tourist attractions. However, I still find it a well-planned, delightful, and fascinating place to visit.

We explored several key attractions. Again, I was captivated by the Parliament House, which overlooks the Australian War Memorial and Mount Ainslie in the distance. In the afternoon, the kids had a great time at Questacon – National Science and Technology Centre, where they enjoyed interactive exhibits about science and technology.

The main event was the reception at the Slovenian Embassy in Canberra, which was organized by the ambassador himself.

A rather small Slovenian embassy is in a dedicated sector, where most foreign missions are based. The area features wide boulevards, plenty of green spaces, and discreet security measures in a natural setting.

The ambassador explained to us the importance, work, obligations, and rights of foreign missions in general. The kids were especially thrilled about the special privileges granted by local authorities. Particularly the use of a car with diplomatic license plates, which is treated as foreign territory and cannot be checked by local officials.

Australia’s most iconic city, Sydney, with its remarkable landmarks, always offers a breathtaking experience. Beyond its beauty, it is a charming place where I enjoyed the ocean, wandered through picturesque parks, and tasted some delicious food.

I also met fellow Australians who had moved there for a better life.

For the second time in my life, I hopped on a sightseeing bus around the city. The first time was in New York City, when I hosted my father and his new family. It was definitely much easier to gather a group of 14 people on a tour bus visiting major attractions than to manage the logistics of using local transportation.

During two days, we discovered some of the city’s most popular attractions: Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Garden, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Rocks, Sydney Tower Eye, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Madame Tussauds and Sydney Fish Market.

We took a boat from Circular Quay across Sydney Harbour to Manly Beach. The beach is known for its surf vibe, which was a bit quieter in the off-season. Nevertheless, walking through The Corso, a charming shopping street with restaurants and cafés, was interesting and full of discoveries.

I especially enjoyed the return boat ride just before sunset, with views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Definitely the highlight of Sydney.

The main reason for traveling to Australia in 2023 was the Slovenian team’s participation in the FLL competition. Sydney was beside Morocco and the USA one of three hosts, where the world championships took place.

The First Lego League (FLL) is a mix of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through which children, ages 4 to 16, gain real-world problem-solving experiences by global robotics program using LEGO® technology.

The best teams from around the world qualify through national competitions for the world championship, which is held at three locations each year due to its size and logistics.

Macquarie University was a perfect host for the event. Over three days, more than 60 teams from five continents competed in two disciplines: robot missions with pre-built Lego robots and research projects presented to international judges.

Beyond technical performance, teamwork and core values played a major role in the final results. Progress, team spirit, learning, friendships, and exploration mattered more than winning.

The official competition was combined with entertaining events, educational evenings and socializing with like-minded children from all over the world.

On our final day in Sydney, the group split up, and my family chose to explore downtown once more from a different perspective. We started by crossing the Harbour Bridge on foot.

A wonderful afternoon sun enlightened the Sydney Opera and the bay with all its splendor. I had already admired Sydney’s most famous building several times, inside and outside. I could easily keep returning to enjoy its unique shape, covered with more than a million roof tiles and visited by 11 million people each year.

Later we headed towards Observatory Hill, looking forward to watching the sunset in a delightful atmosphere surrounded by tourists and locals. A wonderful moment to conclude another memorable Australia travel adventure.