The Best Places in Australia to Visit
Okay, Australia is truly quite the country! There are SO many places to go and things to see. Seriously, be ready to read a lot, because there’s just so much to say about this fantastic country. Now, I might be a little bias to Australia because I did study abroad here, so I know A LOT about Australia and I truly think it’s an AWESOME place to be!
You may not know, but roughly 85% of Australia’s population lives on the coast, making the middle or the outback of Australia almost population-less. Alice Springs is one of the few towns/cities that is not on the coastline. That is why most pictures of people in Australia are of the ocean and sun. So, don’t be surprised if you feel like you’re only seeing pictures of beaches, because that’s where the majority of Australia’s population lives.
All of that being said, this article is all about the best places in Australia and more! After reading this article, you will learn about the best places in Australia to live, to see wildlife, to study abroad, to vacation, to go, to travel, to visit, unique places to visit in Australia, and much more.
This post is all about the best places in Australia:
Best Places in Australia:
Disclaimer: Some of you may already know this, but Australia is in the southern hemisphere, so they experience their seasons opposite to us. Now, where I studied abroad it was still pretty warm by April and May and I was just an hour north of Brisbane, in the Gold Coast. That being said, Australia does still experience colder weather at times, when my friends and I visited Melbourne, it was a little chilly in late April, like 60℉ weather. Their summer months are from December to March, and their “winter” is from June to September.
1. Byron Bay & Skydiving
Another disclaimer, none of these places are in any particular order, just how I remembered them. But anyways, first I would have to say, VISIT Byron Bay. And if you have time and are up for it, SKYDIVE there. It was BEAUTIFUL when I did it, and when you’re falling you see the GORGEOUS coastline! There’s plenty of other things you can do here as well, but my favorite by far, was skydiving. In my opinion, the VIEW is unmatched. In addition, Byron Bay is the eastern most part of Australia. So, you can walk to the Cape Byron Lighthouse, which is techincally the eastern most part of Australia. The lighthouse trail/path, does go directly to the lighthouse (just be prepared, it’s about a 1.4 mile walk, and in the heat, is kind of tough, but still really cool to see).
2. Visit the Gold Coast
Next, I HIGHLY recommend going to the Gold Coast! The Gold Coast is an AWESOME place and it’s also where I studied abroad. Thus, I guess I am a little bias to this place, but anyways there are so many good places to go here. First, I recommend going to Burleigh Head beach. I really like the town here and they also have a nice beach. It is known for it’s chilled, laid-back, and kind of “hippy” atmosphere, but is an awesome place to surf and catch some sun. You can also check out, Broad Beach (the man beach on the Gold Coast), Surfers Paradise (another main beach on the Gold Coast, also the main place to go out to bars and clubs), Coolangatta Beach, Mermaid Beach, Talledugera Beach, and many more.
Also, there are many national parks, two of the most popular being, Springbrook (for the waterfalls) and Lamington (for hiking). In addition, if you want to get a picture with a koala bear, and kangaroo, you can go to Currumbin Wildlife. You could also go to Steve Irwin’s wildlife center, Australia Zoo, which is near Sunshine Coast, not to far from Brisbane, Australia. Also, for all you foodies out there, the Miami Marketta is a great place to go to get great street food. And lastly, I would recommend, if you have a chance, to stop by Bond University. It is a small university, but I think is a lovely campus (also it’s the university I stayed at when I studied abroad).
{Related Post : Studying Abroad}
3. Visit Brisbane
Next, I would stop by, Brisbane. I would go to Stradbroke Island (there are ferries to this island and you can see dolphins, kangaroos, and koalas), blue lake (a tortoise lagoon), and the Glass House Mountain Lookout (also a national park and you can hike the Tibrogargan Circuit). And two very pretty botanical gardens are, Brisbane City and Mount Coot-tha. Some other good islands to visit are, Moreton Island (you can sand sled here), Coochiemudlo Island and Karragarra Island. These are just a view amazing sites, islands, and beaches to see, and not to mention, more national parks and fun museums to see while in Brisbane.
4. Whitsunday Islands National Park
Okay, next on our list, I HIGHLY recommend visiting Whitsunday Islands National Park! The sand is all white here with INCREDIBLE BLUE ocean water and a PERFECT island paradise. This national park, is located near Cairns, Australia, which I would also recommend going to, so you can snorkel and see the great barrier reef!
5. Perth
Perth, unfortunately, is a place I did not visit while I was in Australia. But, some places that I have heard of that are worthwhile are, Swan Valley (a beautiful vineyard), Whiteman Park, Penguin Island where some penguins live, and the Bibbulmun Track, which is a very scenic walk.
Some well known national parks to visit are, Yanchep National Park (known for its caves, vegetation, and koalas), John Forest, Mundy National Parks, and many more. Some great beaches and islands are, Cottesloe Beach (another white sand beach), Heirisson Island, Scarborough Beach, and Shoalwater Islands Marine Park. As well as some more random places I’ve heard of to visit are, the blue boat house, Lake Monger, The Perth Mint, and the Fremantle Markets. Again, there are an immense amount of sites to see, these are just a handful.
{Related Post : Best Beaches on the East Coast}
6. Tasmania
Tasmania, again, is unfortunately, another place I did not get to, but my friends that did, told me some of the really cool places they saw. They really liked Mount Wellington, Cradle Mountain-Lake/Saint Clair (Overland Track, is a great walking/hiking trail at Cradle Mountain, it is over 40 miles). Also, some great national parks to visit are, Mount Field National Park, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Parks, and Maria Island National Park.
Some beautiful beaches are Honeymoon Bay, Tasman Peninsula, and the Bridestowe Lavender Estates. Also, some fun things you might want to see are, Tasmania devils, the West Coast Wilderness Railway, and the Salamanca Market. Again, in addition to all of these places listed, there are MANY more to see, Tasmania has SO much beautiful countryside to see and explore!
7. Learn to Surf
Also, with the countless beaches that Australia has to offer, I recommend picking one and taking a SURFING lesson. Or if you want something less intense, you could learn how to paddle board or how to sail. This is something I never thought I would have done, but in one of my classes I took abroad, we did learn how to sail, and I really enjoyed it. In addition, if you really want to learn something new, go to a rugby game. I still have no idea what the rules are, but it was a fun event to go to with my friends.
8. Go to Sydney
Now of course, take a visit to Australia’s largest and most populated city, Sydney. This is obviously a great central location to go to and one of the best places to visit in Australia for the first time. Also, there are LOADS of sights to see here, so again, here are just a sprinkle of marvels to see. One of the most famous places to see in Australia is the, Sydney Opera House and the Capital Theatre. You can see a play here (I was Kinky Boots) or many other theaters in Sydney too.
Also, I would see, St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Paddington Markets, Darling Harbor, and the Queen Victoria Building (shopping center). Now some outdoor sites to visit are, Bondi Beach, Hyde Park, Cockatoo Island, Bondi to Bronte Coastal walk, The Rocks, the Bondi to Coogee walk, Kaymay Botany Bay National Park, Bronte Beach, and Bare Island.
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9. Visit Melbourne
Just like Sydney, another major city to visit is, Melbourne. Some great places to visit are, Queen Victoria Market and the different parliament buildings, the Puffing Billy Railway (great for kids), and the Brighton Bathing Boxes. Some great nature sights are, Phillip Island Wildlife Park, the Great Ocean Road and the 12 apostles (you will need a car for this, the road is a total of about 151 miles) and many botanical gardens.
10. Visit Adelaide
Last but not least, GO to Adelaide, Australia and walk with camels! A couple different places in, Adelaide, offer camel and horse rides, along the Aldinga Beach, and trail rides in the Kuitpo Forest, which look quite fun.
And that wraps up our tour of Australia! I hope you enjoyed and learned some great new places to travel to and things to do in Australia. Again, these are just a handful of amazing places to see in Australia. Australia is truly a remarkable country with exceptional sights, food, people, and places to see. I highly recommend going here and enduring the 30 plus hours of traveling to get there (if you live in the U.S.) because you will not be disappointed. Thank you so much for reading and take care!
