It’s a dream for many travellers to travel Australia. With ancient landscapes, pristine national parks, lively cities, charming beach towns and dozens of spectacular wine regions, there is so much to love about visiting the land “down under.”
Whether you’re all about enjoyed the greater outdoors or indulging in world class restaurants and cultural experiences, you won’t forget your first visit to this beautiful country.
The long travel time for most international travellers means you’ll want to spend at least two weeks here, but three or four weeks would be even better. It’s important to remember that it’s a big country, and to factor in travel times. To really cover some ground, plan to fly rather than drive or train (our train system is nowhere near as useful for travellers as those in Europe or the US).
From coast to coast, there are countless destinations to choose from. Whether you’re looking to beach-hop down the east coast, stopping at major cities like Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne on the way, or you’re looking to experience charming country towns or the Red Centre, the hardest part will be narrowing down your itinerary!
Buzzing with events, fine food, diverse nightlife and culture, Brisbane is a sleepy little town no longer. Brisbanites have caught on, but it has taken the citizens of Sydney & Melbourne a little longer. As Brisbane continues to bloom, it seems that the rest of the country – and the world – are finally getting the message. I was at a dinner a few weeks … Continue reading Brisbane takes off
It’s a feeling that has been growing, slowly but surely over the past few months. My job has let me discover the best of the Queensland, the state I lived in for my entire life yet have often failed to notice. Admittedly, my discoveries occur in an office in the city, using the Internet, email and telephone calls to connect with other places and hear … Continue reading 11 Queensland Trip Ideas
A recent weekend getaway was the perfect introduction to the sophisticated city of Melbourne. In a few short days I fell in love with the southern city which was bursting at the seams with boutiques, laneway cafes, and opportunities to appreciate the arts. The importance of art and culture is reflected in the myriad of boutiques where friendly shop girls know the name about the … Continue reading Free in Melbourne: Ballet in the Bowl
Mainland Sydney can be overwhelming. Luckily, Sydney is a city of a thousand faces. After spending an hour and a half battling with dysfunctional and expensive public transport we reached Circular Quay and crammed onto the Manly Ferry with the tourist hordes. Manly is on Sydney’s north shore and is a half hour ferry trip from Circular Quay, or a twenty minute trip on the … Continue reading Seaside Sydney: Shelly Beach, Manly
Byron Bay must be the jaywalking capital of Australia. While it’s true that no one looks before the cross the road in most coastal towns, Byron’s pedestrians are truly a special breed. I remember as a kid, someone walking into the side of our car, which was not even going at 10 km/hr. When we went there last weekend, not much had changed. Fortunately, not … Continue reading Byron Bay getaway
Even if you’d told me how beautiful the Brunswick Heads river is, I wouldn’t have believed you. As we drove into town and turned onto the bridge to cross the river, my jaw dropped. The sparkling, clear blue water was dotted with kayaks, canoes, little jet boats and swimmers who were jumping off the bridge. There are a few sand banks just below the surface … Continue reading Lunch in Brunswick Heads
On our way to Byron Bay we decided to take a little detour to Brunswick Heads, somewhere neither of us had ever been. My Dad spent many of his summer holidays there as a kid and as it was only 15 minutes north of Byron, right off the Pacific Highway, we thought we’d pass through. I could have spent all day there! Driving into Brunswick … Continue reading Burning up on Brunswick Heads Beach
Surfers Paradise epitomises the best and worst of the Gold Coast. It’s one of the few Queensland destinations truly saturated with tourists. I can see how frustrating it must be for residents of Paris, New York and London must feel, being constantly inundated with wandering crowds and bumping into people stopped dead in their tracks to take a selfie with their iPad. However, the tourists … Continue reading Carving up the Surfers’ Skyline