The Sydney opera house, kangaroos and koala bears, slapping some shrimp on the Barbie (said in the best Australian accent you can muster). Those clichéd stereotypes about Australia were really all we knew about that small continent. However, as we began researching the hot spots and places to visit for the land down under, we started to realize Australia has so much more to offer than an opera house and cute, furry critters. After our last vacation with friends, some of us threw around the idea of visiting Australia together. As as English speaking country with lots of beaches, ocean views, and great weather, we were all game to pack our bags again! It's a pretty temperate continent with Sydney boasting an average of 340 days of sun, so choosing when to go isn't really an issue. We started reading up on ideas and places to stay and discovered there are some amazing cities in Australia and that maybe an extended stay would be the best way to explore this continent. Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, the Whitsunday islands, the Great Barrier Reef... Some travel sites say that if you visit Australia, you have to create a list of the must sees that are important to you or else you'll race around from city to city seeing "everything" without really seeing anything. We felt very drawn to the New South Wales and Queensland regions, so for our travel inspiration we'll be focusing on the east coast of Australia. Starting out in Sydney- Some obvious must sees are the Harbour with the opera house and the Harbour Bridge, visiting Bondi beach (with a stop at the Bondi Iceberg swimming pool), and hitting up a zoo or animal sanctuary to pet all the Aussie fuzzy friends. These things are on our "must" list, but with some research we've discovered other areas and activities in the city that we're excited to explore whenever we go.
The City of Brisbane- Going north from Sydney, the next major stop would be Brisbane, in the Queensland Territory. One of the major cities that tends to be left off people's "must see" lists. Brisbane is a bustling city that seamlessly combines urban and outdoor activities into what could be a potential one stop shop for all your Aussie needs. Take a bike tour in the morning through the town, followed by kayaking or boating up the river, enjoy the evening relaxing on beautiful beach that is situated in the city and finish the night off clubbing in one of Brisbane's trendy night clubs. Visits here though may not be complete without of course holding a baby koala at the koala sanctuary or taking a yacht out to sea to watch the whales. Cairns, Australia- The one and only thing we knew about Cairns was its location to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Besides the main draw, Cairns boasts a fantastic zoo that many visitors flock to in order to cuddle a koala and tourists also take part in the SkyRail through the rainforest! The gondola ride lasts about 90 minutes (one way) with two stops as it transports you to Kuranda. River rafting, hot air ballon rides, glass bottom boat tours, hikes to glacier rock lookout, and visiting Mossman Gorge and the Daintree are just a few attractions you can experience in Cairns. Many tourists choose to explore this city due to its proximity to the diving and snorkeling outlets of the GBR. With tours lasting anywhere from 5-8 hours there is something for everyone. A plethora of companies offer diving, snorkeling, helicopter tours, and a combination there of. Just a quick google search led us to a company offering 5 hour snorkel tour to the Outer reef (supposedly this is some of the best snorkeling), lunch, and a helicopter tour for $150 per person. Hey, it's the Great Barrier Reef, we thought $300 for a full day on the world's best reef and a scenic fly-over tour seemed like a fair price. This was just one company's options and they had services ranging from $100-250 so again, there's something for everyone. Whitsunday Islands-
If you've been reading our previous posts, you'll recall Whitehaven beach made our list of dream beaches a few weeks back. With some extra research, we discovered something pretty difficult to pass up. These islands are immaculate stretches of white sand sprinkled throughout the clear sapphire waters of the South Pacific and there are a litany of charters willing to take you out to see them. You can easily take a day sail out, see the beauty and return. Or, if you can make the time (and we urge you to do so), take a multi-day trip and wake up to the secluded serenity this archipelago offers. Prices range from a few hundred dollars up to about $750 a person for a small craft (8 guests + crew) with private cabins with ensuite baths, gourmet food and personalized itineraries. A trip to Australia is a splurge in and of itself, but this excursion seems to be something so incredible that it's worth the additional price. These stops would be an ideal first trip to Australia, but we know we have left off so many incredible sights and places. If you have had the pleasure of visiting the land down under, share your favorite stops in the comments below. Until Next Time, C + D
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorChase & Dani here, providing Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|