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!
Spring is in full bloom in Melbourne, which reminded me of the radiant beauty of the Ballarat Begonia Festival, which David & I stumbled upon back in April of this year. Over the Easter long weekend, David & I spent the weekend in Hamilton in the Southern Grampians. A spontaneous stop in Ballarat on the long drive home delivered one of the most beautiful moments … Continue reading In Bloom: Ballarat Begonia Festival
The Sunshine Coast in Queensland has more than 30 beautiful beaches, between the towns of Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosa. The most beautiful and popular beaches include Noosa Beach, Sunshine Beach, Kings Beach, Mooloolaba Beach, to name a few! I grew up in Brisbane, so have spent a lot of time on the Sunshine Coast on holidays and weekends from the city when I lived there. … Continue reading The 9 Best Beaches on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
This is something new I’m trying, since I unceremoniously dumped my New York City Life series after moving back to Australia (and I haven’t even posted my final NYC Life post – I think I’m still in denial that its over). I wanted to find a way to share more in real time (or close to it), and round up interesting travel news, openings and … Continue reading The Wanderbug Bites: October 2021
Queensland is one of the most popular travel destinations in Australia for first time visitors to the country. Famous for its abundance of sunshine and warm weather, Queensland is full of amazing places to visit from coast to country! Home to the Great Barrier Reef, some of the most beautiful beaches in Australia and the lovely yet laidback cities of Brisbane and the Gold Coast … Continue reading The Best Places in Queensland to visit
Australia is a beautiful country. It has spectacular, ancient landscapes, pristine natural environments and vibrant cities. Australians are generally considered to be laidback, friendly and relatively happy people, by international standards. It has a lifetime of adventures for visitors and citizens alike. It is a very special place, and it’s also my home. To most of the world, Australia seems unbearably far away, but as … Continue reading Australia Travel Guide: How to plan your first trip to Australia
Burleigh Beach is my favourite beach on the Gold Coast – ask most locals, and they’d likely agree. Most tourists still flock to Surfers, although Burleigh is booming these days, the once sleepy little beach ‘burb still has easygoing charm to go with its extraordinary natural beauty. With a wide, deep beach of soft white spend, not a speck of litter in sight and sweeping … Continue reading Burleigh Beach: The Best Beach on the Gold Coast
It was so gratifying to be on a road trip over the Easter weekend. David and I went to the Southern Grampians, a rural area four hours’ west of Melbourne. I’ll share a post about the trip soon, but tonight I just wanted to share some of my favourite photos from this beautiful region. I purposefully didn’t do too much in-depth research before the trip … Continue reading Rural Australian landscapes in the Grampians
Sydney is Australia’s largest city and unofficial capital, with a stunning oceanfront location and vibrant, diverse neighbourhoods. Sydney is a must-visit on your first trip to Australia and a great spot for a weekend city break for travellers from within Australia. Having lived either side of Sydney, both in Brisbane and Melbourne, I’ve visited Sydney for work and pleasure more times than I can count. … Continue reading Sydney Travel Guide: What to see & where to eat
Queensland is one of Australia‘s most famous travel destinations, popular with international travellers and interstate visitors alike. Most people visit Queensland to see natural wonders such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, but many also come just for the stunning sand islands and beaches lining the coast. I grew up in Queensland, and also interned at Tourism & Events Queensland during university, … Continue reading Queensland Travel Guide: Where to go & what to see
Last year, I had to travel from New York City to Australia to get my US working visa. I had my visa interview at the US Consulate in Perth, but while I waited for my passport to be returned to me I spent some time in Melbourne and Brisbane. This is a long overdue recap of my three or so weeks in Melbourne, in November … Continue reading Highlights from a brief return to Melbourne