THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO AUSTRALIA - Pt 2
Visiting the Land Down Under and experiencing all it's got to offer, is hardly possible in one trip.
Yet, overdoing the itinerary for your visit to this island nation, is NOT advisable.
Before you stack your list of "things to do" up too high, I'd like to provide further insight on the highlights of Australia. And I won't get them all in here!
When you're ready to go, I'm here to help you plan a journey that's packed with adventure, making your vacation a Success without the Sprint!
Photo: Things to do in Sydney Harbour
SYDNEY
Sydney's one of Australia's largest and most beloved cities.
A fabulous place to start your first 4-5 days on the island, did you know it's NOT the capital of Australia?
With heaps of natural beauty and invigorating city life, there's much to explore.
To Sydneysiders, Sydney Harbour is an aquatic playground with roughly 240 km of sandy shoreline-accented by pristine beaches, lovely gardens, and swaths of natural bush.
The harbour's home to some of Australia's big-name attractions, like the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Photo: Sydney Harbour Bridge
Let's not forget the Blue Mountains, Circular Quay and the Harbour Royal Botanical Gardens.
And then there's the beaches ...
Photo: Surfers and beaches in every state of Australia
Australia boasts amongst the world's supreme surf spots, with perfect conditions for beginners and pro surfers alike.
Take that leap off a cliff and go for lessons! What better place to give it a go!
- Here are some beaches, famous for their beauty as well as their break:
- Sydney's world-famous Bondi Beach is suitable for all surfing levels, beginner to pro.
- Cabarita Beach is a stretch of sand highly esteemed by Australian surfers.
- Manly Beach is a favorite surf spot for Sydney locals.
- Maroubra, appropriately located at Australia’s National Surfing Reserves, gives a unique surfing experience.
- Superbank, possibly the best surfing spot, has its home at Snapper Rocks on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
- Rottnest Island is one of the more alluring surfing spots in Australia located just off the coast of Perth.
- Australia's sunny, warm days are the perfect opportunity to "put another shrimp on the barbie" and enjoy the company of friends on any of the country's spectacular beaches.
- Be a part of this local tradition!
Photo: Australians love to grill
MELBOURNE
It's easy to feel captivated by the beauty of Melbourne, so you'd wanna consider spending at least 4-5 days here.
You could honestly get lost forever, in it's wonder. Although it's nowhere near as busy as Sydney, Melbourne has a bustling scene of it's own.
In the city, you can dine at one of the many delightful restaurants and shop at any of the unique boutiques.
However, the best way to get a feel for it, is by touring the entire city. Be sure to visit Federation Square, Flinders Street Train Station, the Yarra River, Chinatown, Bourke Street Pedestrian Mall, and the even-so-popular Queen Victoria Market.
Many Australians live the vegetarian lifestyle, so finding a great vegetarian or vegan meal is easy as pie. Some eateries even accommodate by offering a separate dining menu for vegetarians and vegans.
Photo: Vegeterian and Vegan meals - Victoria Market
GREAT OCEAN ROAD
Trekking across Australia's expanse is a reliable option to travellers.
Even in the Outback, you'll find regular gas stations, hospitable towns, and quite a number of roadhouses and restaurants .... not to mention some of the world's most breathtaking scenery.
Travel along Great Ocean Road for some of the most amazing sights in Australia. This coastal road stretches for 151 mi and make the perfect 2-day trip. Take your time to soak in all the views. Be sure to stop at the 12 Apostles, the London Bridge, and all the beaches and forests alongside the road.
It's inarguable: An Australian Road Trip is going to top your list!
Photo: 12 Apostles along the Great Ocean Road
ADELAIDE (South Australia)
Often missed, Adelaide is South Australia's cosmopolitan coastal capital.
It's ring of parkland on the River Torrens is home to renowned museums like the Art Gallery of South Australia, displaying expansive collections including noted Indigenous art.
There's the South Australian Museum, devoted to natural history and nearby, the art museum of Sir Hans Heysen, a German-born Australian artist known for his watercolours and monumental Australian gum (eucalyptus) trees.
The city's Adelaide Festival is an annual international arts gathering with spin-offs including fringe and film events.
The local town of Hahndorf is only a 30-45 minute ride from Adelaide, offering world-class cheese, chocolate-making, vineyards, fruit farms and a nearby fresh produce market to do your daily shopping and public transportation.
It's a food and wine paradise, with over 300 wineries in the area.
Wake up in the Adelaide HIlls, where the country air is country fresh and the hospitality is always welcoming.
You'd not be disappointed by spending 3-4 days here ... until you have to leave.
AYERS ROCK (Uluru)
If you can squeeze it in, take 2-3 days to visit Ayers Rock.
Unless you fly, it'll take a few days to get to the famously massive sandstone, but it's well worth it.
Ayers Rock is a unique geological feature in a remote location about 462 km from Alice Springs. Standing high above the Northern Territories' spiniflex plains like some continental giant, this massive rock of Uluru is probably the ultimate, most majestic icon of this great Southern land. Watching as Ayers Rock changes from rich hues of terracotta and crimson at sunset over the Pitjantjatjara's tribal lands is a marvelous, awesome, unforgettable vision.
Magical moments including sunrise and stargazing, are also intoxicating.
Photo: Ayers Rock
GREAT BARRIER REEF
One of Australia's most quintessential tourist attractions is the Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritge site.
Known for it's unsurpassed natural beauty, it's the world's largest coral reef system made up of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching over 2300 km.
How's them stats?!
Since the reef stretches from below the Tropic of Capricorn all the way up to the northern tip of Queensland, there's plenty of opportunity to appreciate the reef's beauty up close, while you snorkel, scuba dive or whale watch.
Plan to spend 3-4 days here, visiting Cairns, The Whitsunday Islands, Lady Elliot Island and Cape Tribulation. Navigate the reef in a glass-bottomed or open boat (self-sail) or a semi-submersible educational trip.
Photo: Great Barrier Reef
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Because it's located in the Southern Hemisphere, it's summer is opposite of ours, which makes it ideal for a North American visitor to go in our cooler winters. September to
November and March to May, are the ideal times.
The weather's neither too hot nor too cold, making it the perfect time to walk around Australia.
If you've got school age kids, those may not be the ideal times to visit. May through June is considered off-season for Australians. It's their winter. July-August is their spring.
Wanna come up with an itinerary that matches your budget, timelines and curiosities?
Let me take you closer to the Pleasure of Travel, by moving you further from the Pain of Planning. START HERE
How? By setting up a consult call to discuss the possibilities there's to explore on this gorgeous island, located in the IUCN's (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Oceania region of the world.
Looking for more helpful info from currency, to suggested experiences to driving?
Then CONTACT ME and send me your email to sign you up for my fun and informative newsletter (you'll really enjoy it, trust me!) and in exchange, I'll send you a FREE DESTINATION GUIDE TO AUSTRALIA with some real practical info on the Land Down Under.