Guide to organize a first trip to Australia

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Australia is a destination that I always wanted very much and that I was about to travel to when I spent several months in New Zezland. On that occasion I remember not going for not having enough days. I chose the Fiji Islands, which was not bad either. Australia is the sixth largest country in the world so it is recommended to go ahead of time. It is also one of the densest densely populated. There is one inhabitant for every 3.2 km. And it is that Australia has a population of only 25 million inhabitants. In addition, 60% live in one of its 5 large cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Birsbane, Perth and Adelaide.

After visiting about 40 countries, I would say that Australia is where I have seen the best quality of life. The fact of going between the end of December and the beginning of January has probably also helped, since they are holiday dates. Be that as it may, the infrastructures, public services, climate, nature and the relation of prices vs salaries -salario minimum of about $ 15 / hour-, have seemed to me of an enviable level.

Our travel route through Australia

On our 16-day Australia route we took 2 domestic flights and stayed in 5 destinations: Melbourne (3 nights), Sydney (4 nights), Brisbane (2 nights), Byron Bay (3 nights) and Gold Coast (3 nights) . If I went back, I would take Gold Coast 2 nights and add one in Brisbane and another one in the suburbs of Melbourne to tour the Great Ocean Road. Here you can see the detailed map.

If it were 16 days again, I would do the following :

Day 1 — Arrival in Melbourne
Day 2 — Visit to Melbourne
Day 3 — Melbourne — Great Ocean Road
Day 4 — Great Ocean Road — Melbourne
Day 5 — Melbourne — Sydney
Day 6 — Visit to Sydney
Day 7 — Beaches of Sydney
Day 7 — Trekking in the Blue Mountains National Park
Day 8 — Flight from Sydney to Brisbane
Day 9 — Visit to Brisbane
Day 10 — Visit to Brisbane
Day 11 — From Brisbane to Byron Bay
Day 12 — Visit Byron Bay
Day 13 — Rest and surf in Byron Bay
Day 14 — Visit to the surroundings of Byron Bay (Lennox Head)
Day 15 — Byron Bay — Gold Coast
Day 16 — Departure

To thank Marta, founder of the company that gives free advice to those who want to travel to Australia to study English, Aussieyoutoo, their advice to design our route.

Australia guide for a first trip

Australia has many places to visit. In this list I have selected the ones that would be most recommendable for a first trip of 12–20 days .

1) Sydney, the most important

The most important city in the country. Sydney is in an unbeatable location. If you are lucky enough to see it from the air when you arrive by plane, hallucinate with the surroundings of the city. In Sydney you have to spend at least 3 or 4 days visiting the center where there are such emblematic places as the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. One of the days you have to book it for the beach. Bondi Beach is the most famous, but there are many in the area. It is also worth making a trip to the Blue Mountains National Park for some trekking.

2) Melbourne, the European

The second largest city in the country. Melbourne is famous among the Aussies for being a more European city where culture and good food are its great tourist attractions. In Melbourne you will find alleys with great cafes hidden among street art. The city is also famous for hosting important sporting events, such as the Tennis Open, and for the high quality of its universities. Here you have more info on what to do in Melbourne.

3) The Great Ocean Road

From Melbourne it is worth to rent a car for a couple of days and to cross this magnificent road parallel to the ocean until you reach the famous 12 Apostles. They are called the ‘twelve’ but in reality they are 4 or 5 huge rocks that come out of the sea. The Great Ocean Road is a good adventure for those who like the road and the sea breeze.

4) Brisbane, and its good standard of living

We arrived in Brisbane waiting for little and we dreamed of settling in it. Brisbane is a small city that offers a high standard of living. It does not have impressive tourist attractions, but it is worth spending several days. The best thing about the city is that it lives facing the river. Few cities have known that they take advantage of the river area so well: beautiful walks and bridges, free-use barbecues with views, public pools in front of the river with beach sand and its incredible botanical garden. The area gives for a whole day.
From Brisbane you can go to the famous Fraser Island, which is 300 km away. A large island 122 km long. You can go by car and upload it to the ferry or go on a tour. There are several options of places to stay.

5) Gold Coast, beach tourism

Gold Coast is the typical megaurbanized beach destination. It has an area of large skyscrapers, Surfers Paradise, which draws an almost futuristic skyline in front of the ocean. In Gold Coast you will find a tourist destination full of Australians enjoying life. And it is that its many beaches are full of people sunbathing, playing volleyball, doing all kinds of sports related to the waves, fishing, enjoying scuba diving, while in their parks do not stop seeing people with the skates, running , by bike or enjoying a good barbecue or picnic at public tables. Here they know how to live well. I recommend you to visit the beach of Burleigh Heads and do the little trekking along the coast.

6) Byron Bay, tranquility, sun and surf

Probably the destination that I liked most about the trip. Byron Bay is a small coastal town, with an atmosphere between hippy and posh, but in which first of all people will enjoy the sea, nature and tranquility. It is also an important destination for surfers and it is easy to rent a board or even surf lessons.
I recommend doing the walking tour to the lighthouse and see the sunset from there. Also visit some of its waterfalls, such as the nearby Killen Falls, is recommended. If you have several days, near Byron Bay you have other similar towns such as Lennox Head, which are also worth a visit.

7) The Uluru Rock, the symbol of the aborigines

Also known as Ayes Rock, this huge monolith of red sand stands out in the middle of nowhere and is a symbol of spiritual importance for some Australian aborigines. It is located in the area known as Northern Territories, in the middle of the country and thousands of kilometers from big cities. Arriving by land should be an experience only available to those who have many weeks ahead. Those of us who have fewer days must be content to fly to it if we want to know it. It is part of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

8) National Parks

Australia is cities, beaches, but also national parks. If you open Google Maps from any of its cities and look around, you will see a lot of national parks within 1 or 2 hours by car. Probably, choose the one you choose, you will not regret it. For example, if you are in Sydney, the most famous one is the Blue Mountains. While, if you are in Gold Coast, it is worth getting close to the Springbrook.
It is advisable to go with a rented car or, in the absence of this, hire an organized tour.

9) The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reserve in the world extending over 2300 km. It is a dream destination for diving lovers. It is usually visited from the city of Cairns or from the area of the Whitsunday Islands. Here is how to visit it.

10) The Whitsunday Islands

It is a group of 74 islands, 900 km north of Birsbane, located in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. Most are not inhabited, only 4 offer accommodation options. The most developed island is Hamilton Island, which has an airport and accommodation offer. Another famous island, which is also the largest, is the one that bears the same name as the group of islands, Whitsunday Island, where the most famous beach in the area is found, the long Whitehaven Beach. A beach often voted as the most beautiful in the world. Here there is no accommodation and you have to come on one day tours. There are people camping, although there is no running water.

It’s so expensive?

Australia is one of the richest countries in the world. Specifically the tenth per GDP per capita and the second in the Human Development Index. The currency of Australia is the Australian Dollar, which is around € 0.65.

Traveling in Australia is not cheap, but it may not come out very expensive if expenses are controlled. Expenses are not very different from traveling in northern and western Europe, the United States or Japan.

► Sleep: A bed in a hostel in a big city will cost you $ 30 AUS, while in a smaller city it can go down to $ 15 AUS. A hotel room well located in a major city is around $ 150 AUS. In large cities Airbnb also works very well and there are rooms over $ 75 AUS.

► Move: A Sydney metro ticket is over $ 3.5 AUS. Rent a car around $ 50- $ 75 AUS per day. A 9h train ticket from Melbourne to Syndey the $ 120 AUS. In Australia there are several low cost airlines with very competitive prices.

► Eating: The water was drinkable in all the cities I was in and all restaurants served it for free. A meal in a cafeteria or fast food restaurant is around $ 6- $ 15 AUS per person, while in a more elegant restaurant it will be over $ 25- $ 50 AUS. The pizzas are very cheap, they can be bought for about $ 10 AUS.

How to travel around Australia

Australia is a country where its cities can be separated by up to 4000 km. From Perth to Sydney there are 45 of roads! Over in hundreds of kilometers you will find almost nothing, not even telephone coverage. So, if you want to travel by land, you will need a lot of time and be well prepared. Otherwise, you will have to book flights. In the end, it is best to travel from one city to another by plane and rent a car when you arrive, at the airport, to move around the area.

► Domestic flights: There are many low-cost airlines such as Jetstar, Airasia or Tiger Air. Others are Qantas or Virgin .

► Rent a car: Australia has good roads and highways. Drive on the left. It is advisable to carry the international card. They let me drive with the European, but I do not know if all the companies rent without the international. Here you will find the main car rental companies such as Avis, Hertz, Europcar or Budget. Also other places. It is recommended to book in advance directly on the website of the rental company (I DO NOT recommend using the Rentalcars.com website, you always end up with problems). Rentals start at $ 50- $ 75 AUS per day and usually charge extra if you leave the car at another destination.

► Rent a van or caravan: To save on hotels a good option is to rent vans with space to sleep or caravans. Some rental companies are: Camperjourney, Hippie Camper, Jucy Rentals, Spaceships or Campervan finder. You can also look at the option of Relocations , in which you rent vehicles at one or two dollars per day in exchange for taking it from X (for example, Sydney) to Y (for example, Melbourne) in 3 or 4 days. A couple of relocation websites are TransferCar and CoSeats.

►Trains: In Australia the trains are not very fast and they are a good option if you want to see landscapes outside the cities or reduce the environmental impact of your trips. One of the most important train companies is NSW TrainLink , which operates routes such as Melbourne-Sydney and Brisbane-Canberra. Anyway, keep in mind that, for example, from Melbourne to Sydney there is about 12h of train. They are not high-speed trains.

► Bus: Buses are cheap, so it’s a good option for those looking to save and have time. Some of the main companies are: Firefly Express, Greyhound, Murrays and Australia Wide Coaches.