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As we explored Australia’s southwest coast, Francesco and I found one hidden gem after another. There are places that you hear about all the time—the big tourist hotspots like Bondi Beach—and then there are places you stumble upon without planning to. Sometimes those places wind up being the highlight of the trip! We stumbled on the colourful port city of Bunbury, which is famous for its wineries. In addition to its wineries, Bunbury is also known for the bottlenose dolphins that make a home in Koombana Bay, and others that visit throughout the year. For dolphins, Koombana is a happening place! A short drive away is Hamelin Bay and we spent some quality time with its most famous residents—its stingrays! Hamelin’s stingrays are very friendly and swim right up to the shore; they seem to know how popular they are with tourists! Farther along the coast, we stopped in Esperance at Pink Lake (there are several in Australia) and marvelled at its cotton candy hue. At Augusta, the most southwestern point in Australia, we climbed the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, which looks out over the beautiful Indian Ocean.