Australia is a magnificent mix of European culture and breathtaking natural beauty.

For our honeymoon, Molly and I decided to spend almost three weeks on the continent. We flew into Melbourne, which is reminiscent of San Francisco, with its 19th-century architecture, museums, gardens, and some of the finest cafes in the world.

After four days exploring, we rented a car and drove along the Great Ocean Road, first west to the 12 Apostles, and then east over the next week, "around the bend" and up into Sydney. Along the way we fed kangaroos and wallabies at Phillip Island, hiked at Wilson's Promontory, and went wine tasting outside of Sale.

We then spent five days exploring Sydney, a city as exciting and beautiful as New York, but with all the laid-back charm of Venice Beach or Barcelona. We also spent an amazing day hiking in the Blue Mountains.

Finally, we flew up to Cairns, the capital of far north Queensland. We spent two days scuba diving on The Great Barrier Reef, and another couple days lounging on the beaches and driving up to Cape Tribulation, where we took a crocodile river cruise and hiked through tropical rain forests looking for cassowaries.