Planning a big trip must be a huge undertaking. Booking flights, transport, accommodation and planning what you’re actually going to do whilst there. It’s all a bit daunting. First though, you need to decide where you’re going to go. With a country as vast as Australia, unless you’re going for months, you’ll never fully explore it. In this blog, we look at two of the titan’s beautiful states to help you decide where to travel in Australia.
Queensland
Home to the Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Islands, Gold Coast and more, Queensland has a host of things to see and do. Taking up over one million square kilometres, it’ll take a good amount of time to explore it all. So, here’s our best bits.
The Great Barrier Reef
No visit to Australia, let alone Queensland would be complete without experiencing the Great Barrier Reef. The two-thousand kilometre stretch of coral reef is full of tropical marine life. Snorkel or dive into the crystal seas to be immersed in turquoise bliss. Spot the bright coloured fish dipping and diving thorough the undersea wonderland. If you’re not up for being under the water, there are plenty of boat trips and helicopter rides to see the reef from above.
Whitsunday Islands
Seventy-four islands completely uninhabited. The Whitsundays are abundant with marine life, pure white beaches and untouched natural land. Though there’s more than just swimming in the warm, crystal seas to fill your trip. Hop in a helicopter for a birds-eye tour of the Whitsunday Islands National Park.
The Gold Coast
The main reason for heading anywhere with the name ‘coast’ is usually, the coast. Not to disappoint, the Gold Coast has white sand beaches that stretch for 35 miles of pure bliss. While here, you can learn to surf at the renowned Surfers Paradise. While on the subject of water, just off Main Beach is Wave Break Island. Here you can see over 50 species of fish while snorkelling or diving!
Victoria
Home to Melbourne, the World’s most liveable city, Victoria is full of wildlife, countryside and a spectacular coastline. Located at the bottom of Australia, its comfortable climate with warm summers and mild winters, draws in millions of visitors every year. Here’s our favourite things to do. We haven’t been, but we’d love to!
Melbourne
For six years in a row, Melbourne has been voted the world’s most liveable city by The Economist. The laid-back culture and hosts of great places to eat makes this city so endearing to many – it’s on my dream list! If sports are your thing, you’re not missing out either. The Australian Open, the Formula One Grand Prix and the Melbourne Cup can fill your trip at the right time of year.
Phillip Island
For most, Phillip Island the natural home for Koalas, Penguins and Fur Seals. Three and a half hours from Melbourne, this island is a nature lovers dream. Unspoiled beaches, wildlife experiences and old farms cover Phillip Island. There is an ace card up its sleeve though. In November the thrills and spills of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix comes to the Island, something I’d certainly love to see!
Great Ocean Road
We’ve covered this one in a previous blog, but it deserves another mention! A road trip not to be rushed, the Great Ocean Road could fill your entire trip. The epic 12 Apostles and Bay of Islands shows the dramatic and rocky coastline. Visit the Otway Ranges for a true rainforest experience green heaven. Finally, you can’t talk about an Australian coastal drive without talking about surfing. Head to Bells Beach and you might spot a few pro surfers amongst the swells.
This short blog is just a snippet of what you could do in both of these amazing Australian states. It’s so hard to choose and if there was an unlimited travel budget, we’d all travel to both. Some will love the tropical climate of Queensland and its white beaches, others would prefer the milder south. Which would you choose? Let us know in the comments.
