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!
Sydney is the first stop for most travellers when they come to Australia, yet despite growing up not far north, in Brisbane, I felt like I hardly knew the city. I’ve visited on a childhood trip with my family, a few work trips and a couple of weekenders, but felt like I was missing what made Sydney so special. Since I moved from Brisbane to … Continue reading A Girls Weekend in Sydney
Last weekend, I visited The Grampians for the first time with two girlfriends, Olivia and Marlo. The Grampians National Park is one of the most beloved regions of Victoria, around four hours’ drive west of Melbourne. The park is enormous, and best explored in sections. We stayed in Hall’s Gap, which is close to more lookouts, mountains and hiking trails than we could possibly do in … Continue reading Highlights from a weekend in the Grampians
Every time I go back to Queensland, I make a pact with my boyfriend to go back more often. After this past long weekend on the Gold Coast, we’ve made plans to go back once every three months next year! Melbourne has public holidays for not one, but two sporting events every year. In September, we get a long weekend for the AFL Final and in November, … Continue reading A Long Weekend on the Gold Coast
One of my resolutions in 2017 was to spend more time in nature. While I’ve failed dismally for most of the year, I got October off to a flying start by whale watching on the Gold Coast with Spirit of Gold Coast. Sports-mad Melbourne has a public holiday for the AFL Grand Final at the end of September. I couldn’t care less about the Grand Final (shhh), so … Continue reading Whale Watching on the Gold Coast’s Humpback Highway
South Melbourne is one of Melbourne‘s most food-obsessed neighbourhoods. Locals seriously spoiled when it comes to eating and drinking, with more than their fair share of cafes, tiny owner-operated restaurants, specialty wine stores and old world pubs at their doorstep. At the centre of it all is the famous South Melbourne Market, full of fresh produce and street food. After living in the area for … Continue reading Where to Find The Best Brunch in South Melbourne
It’s not often that you find a world class art gallery that’s as easy to visit as the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Melbourne‘s fortress-like art museum has free entry and only charges admission for the annual summer blockbuster and winter masterpieces exhibitions. The NGV is the oldest major art gallery in Australia, founded before Australia as a nation even existed. The 2017 Winter Masterpieces … Continue reading 5 Free Exhibitions to See Now at the NGV, Melbourne
Beautiful one day, perfect the next. The old adage about Queensland holds true in the capital. One of the best things about Brisbane is year-round blue skies and perennial greenery. Brisbane’s seasons may be a little one-dimensional, but if I had to be stuck in any season, it’s summer. A Brisbane winter is blessedly a little cooler than its sweltering summers, but blue skies and lush … Continue reading A Visit to Brisbane’s Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens
Melbourne’s had some uncharacteristically pleasant weather lately, so I’m trying to make the most of it with as many weekend road trips around the state as possible. Both my boyfriend and I have been pretty stressed out recently with work, and with a long weekend along the Great Ocean Road on the cards already, we decided to make the most of the sunshine with a change of … Continue reading Wine-ing down in the Yarra Valley at Tarra Warra & Dominique Portet
The Mornington Peninsula has won the geographical lottery. Fringed with beaches and filled with wineries, the peninsula is quickly becoming my favourite destination for day trips from Melbourne. While you could definitely plan a weekend spent between waves and wineries, we did a simple day trip with coffee in Sorrento followed by wine tasting and lunch at T’Gallant Winery. When I started planning a weekend … Continue reading Wine & Sunshine on the Mornington Peninsula
Stressed? Burnt out? Bogged down in the winter blues? Prescribe yourself an extra long weekend in Queensland. In four days, I got the dose of sunshine, blue skies and blessed humidity that I’ve been missing in chilly, drizzly Melbourne. Before last weekend, I’d never considered squeezing in time in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast in one trip. I live in Melbourne, but … Continue reading The Great Escape: 4 Days in Brisbane, Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast