Have you had enough of the wet, wind and rain? Of course you have, this time of year is always pretty miserable, especially once the festivities of Christmas are over and we still have a fair wait until spring. So if you want to get away and feel some sunshine on your face for a while, where could be better than Australia? Since the southern hemisphere is in the middle of a scorching summer, you certainly won’t be short of sunny weather. A truly spectacular destination with incredible scenery, wildlife and so much to see and do, Australia is a place that everyone should have on their bucket lists. Here are a few places to visit while you’re there.
National Parks
There are of course lots of incredible national parks in Australia where you can go camping, fishing, bird watching, bike riding, you could have a picnic, hike and generally enjoy the outdoors in stunning natural surroundings. You have Royal National Park south of Sydney which is characterised by coastal cliffs, secluded beaches and eucalyptus-rich bushland. Then there’s Kakadu National Park, which is an enormous, biodiverse nature reserve in Australia’s Northern Territory. For something more unusual, The Purnululu National Park is a World Heritage Site in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia and is s one of the most striking geological landmarks in Western Australia- if you want to see interesting scenery this is definitely one to check out. Find out where the closest parks are to where you plan on staying on your trip, and be sure to make a day or two to give them a visit. A chance to see all that this country has to offer.
The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia and is one of the seven natural wonders in the world, it’s so big it can actually be seen from space. There are many Great Barrier Reef snorkeling tours and dives, so do your research and find out which sounds the most interesting and appealing to you. Expect to see everything from whales to sharks, manta rays, sea snakes and of course, thousands of varieties of interesting and stunning fish species.
Australian Cities
There are lots of incredible Australian cities to explore. You have Sydney, Melbourne Brisbane, Canberra and Perth amongst others, so if you love a good city break then you’re in luck and have far less to travel than tourists coming from outside of Australia. Enjoy the trendy urban atmosphere, shops, restaurants and attractions.
The Outback
In contrast to the stunning vibrant urban cities is the outback. Most of the inland is remote outback, and if you want something challenging and fascinating then why not go and explore? You can navigate the stunning yet challenging terrain by booking a tour or camel trek, these can run from one to ten days so it all depends on how extreme you want to go. You can see beautiful wildlife, take in views of mountains, waterfalls, gorges and much more.
Bonnie is always on the road with some amazing adventures ahead. Her favorite continent is South America and she’s passionate about culture-focused traveling and ethical and sustainable tourism. During her time in university as a research assistant for a sociology professor, she realized she can’t fully understand cultures from a safe distance. She quit her job to become a full-time “voluntourist,” which brings her to places where she can immerse in local communities and support their causes. On top of writing, one of Bonnie’s priorities is offering women advice on how to stay safe while solo backpacking.