Are you planning a trip to visit beautiful Australia? Well, you’re not alone. Every year, nearly 700,000 Brits visit Australia, whether it’s to go on a well-deserved holiday, visit family and friends who have emigrated there (like Dan) or to embark on a working holiday!
Australia is a really big country and there is so much to see and do, so how do you make sure you’re doing everything you can without missing out on some of the top essential Aussie experiences? To help you plan your trip of a lifetime, we’ve put together our list of five essential Australian experiences.
1. Drive the Great Ocean Road
Located in Victoria, the Great Ocean Road is 150 miles long and is the perfect chance to see a long stretch of the continent’s beautiful coastline. Around every corner you’ll be presented with another jaw-dropping view, none more breathtaking than the Twelve Apostles. Here, the limestone cliffs have been eaten away by the raging Southern Ocean which has left a number of tall pillars of rock rising out of the sea to create a stunning vista. The Great Ocean Road actually reminds us a lot of the beautiful Algarve region in Portugal, with it’s limestone cliffs and stunning sandy beaches.
2. Dive the Great Barrier Reef
A visit to Australia gives you the opportunity to witness one of nature’s finest creations – the Great Barrier Reef. Located just off the coast of Queensland, diving underneath the water’s surface reveals a labyrinth of lagoons, islands, coral cays and caverns which are home to a vast array of marine life. Whether you prefer to scuba dive, snorkel, sail, island hop or fly over the reef, there is something for everyone who pays a visit to this beautiful part of the world.
3. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Those with a phobia of heights may want to skip this one, but it has to be one of the best and most iconic experiences in Sydney. This exhilarating activity will see you climb to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge for a panoramic view of the city. Wearing communication gear, a harness and special climbing suit, you’ll ascend into the sky to get the best view in the house!
4. Visit the Outback
Visiting the Australian Outback is like no other and is an essential experience for all visitors. The Outback describes the vast, unpopulated areas that make up Australia’s interior and remote coastal regions. You can have once in a life time experiences in the Outback ranging from challenging 4WD adventures to spectacular gorges and mountain ranges, the world’s longest stretch of straight railroad, Aboriginal rock paintings and of course, the iconic landmark of Uluru in the heart of the Red Centre. Nothing quite says Australia like the Outback and visiting these wide, open spaces are something that should be on every bucket list.
5. Visit Melbourne
Visitors to Australia often claim that cosmopolitan Melbourne is their favourite city. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and is known as the sporting and cultural capital of Australia! Melbourne is Australia’s most ‘European-like’ city and it is a must visit, with its charming neighbourhoods, amazing shopping, world-class food scene, epic street art, night life and a sporting tradition that runs deep in the veins of all Melburnians! Melbourne is also the home to one of the largest casinos in the world, Crown Casino. On a girls trip to Melbourne a few years ago we dined at Neil Perry’s award-winning Rockpool Bar & Grill and it was worth every cent!
Read more from Melbourne: A Weekend Getaway in Melbourne with JETGO, A Romantic Anniversary Weekend at the Melbourne Parkview Hotel
Whatever your travel style, tastes and interests, Australia boasts something for everyone. We also have fabulous weather, excellent food and breathtaking scenery no matter where you go. I think Australia is truly blessed and there was so much I missed about it when I was living in the UK, which you can read all about here!
