Australia: The Wonderful Land Down Under

By David Barclay | March 6, 2024

Australia is a wonderful country to visit, with plenty of sights and activities for every traveler.  It’s a very large country and to see a meaningful portion of it you should budget at least 2 weeks for your vacation.  It’s also unlikely that you will have time to visit every place I’ve highlighted in this blog post, but don’t fret, Australia will draw you back for another visit, it’s a country you can’t only visit once.

The best time of the year to visit is the spring/summer/fall of the Southern Hemisphere, between September and May.  Some parts of the country can get hot in the summer, so many visitors opt to visit between September-November or March-May, when the weather is neither too hot nor too cold.

Australia is a popular destination, and the best accommodations can fill up early, so it’s best to start planning a trip to Australia at least 9-12 months in advance.

Below are some of the more popular destinations within Australia for visitors.

Sydney

A first trip to Austria should include a stop in Sydney, and it’s easy to include at the start or end of a vacation as many international flights arrive at and depart from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport.  Sydney is a beautiful city with an incredibly large harbor, and the waterfront is a great asset with many activities for visitors. 

Guests may want to stay near the Circular Quay at the north end of the business district, to be close to the Rocks, the Harbor Front, the famous Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbor Bridge.  Those willing to stay a little farther from the harbor may enjoy the Inner East (in Kings Crossing, Surry Hills, or Paddington) with its great restaurants, bars, and nightlife.

Popular activities in Sydney include harbor boat cruises (either private or group), climbing the Harbor Bridge, touring the Opera House, or taking a walking tour of the Rocks and Harbor Front. 

Wine lovers wishing to experience what Australia has to offer can take a day trip out from Sidney to visit the Hunter Valley.

Cairns & the Daintree Rainforest

Along the northeast coast of Australia is the city of Cairns, a great jumping off point for activities in this part of Australia.  From Cairns, visitors can take a day trip out to the Great Barrier Reef or head up to the Daintree Rainforest for a short exploration of nature.  Vacationers can also decide to spend several days exploring the Daintree Rainforest, in which case they may want to stay at the Silky Oaks Lodge and use it as a base for half and full day trips into the rainforest.  Visitors can go on a Daintree Safari, hike to see beautiful waterfalls, go birding to see some of the 430 species of birds that live in the forest, drift down a river on a “Li-lo”, or take a private cruise on the Daintree River to see birds, snakes, and crocodiles.  Those wishing to see more crocodiles can take a trip to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, where you can hold a baby crocodile or try your hand at feeding the larger adults.

The Great Barrier Reef

One of the natural wonders of the world, it’s worth a visit to this aquatic paradise.  Travelers can fly from Cairns to Hamilton Island and stay at one of the resorts there.  Those looking for a little more exclusivity and pampering can travel to one of the private islands on the reef.  The Hayman Island Resort is an InterContinental resort, reachable from Hamilton Island by a private transfer yacht.  The transfer takes about 1hr, and guests are treated to local sparkling wine and snacks on their journey. 

The Lizard Island Resort is a smaller resort, located within the Lizard Island National Park.  Guests board private small planes and fly directly from Cairns to the island’s dirt airstrip.  With only 40 rooms, it offers guests a very bespoke experience.  The national park, which consists of most of the island and the surrounding waters, has numerous small beaches.  Guests can request a picnic lunch and either have a resort boat take them to a beach or they can borrow a small dingy and motor to a private beach on their own.  Guests can snorkel right off any of the beaches or go on daily trips out to the reef to snorkel or scuba dive.

The Red Centre & Uluru

The Red Centre is in the heart of central Australia.  It gets its name from the red soil due to the high iron oxide content.  The most famous part of the Red Centre is Uluru (previously known as Ayers Rock), a massive sandstone monolith and one of Australia’s most famous natural landmarks.  It is considered the world’s biggest “rock” with an above ground circumference of 9.4km and a height of 348 meters, and like an iceberg, only a small portion of the full geological structure is above ground (it stretches 6km underground).  Uluru is notable for changing color during the day and year as sunlight strikes it at different angles, and it glows a beautiful red at dawn and dusk. 

Uluru is also sacred to the Aboriginal people of Australia and the surrounding area provides visitors an opportunity to experience the Aboriginal people’s cultural heritage.

Although Uluru is in a sparely populated desert, that doesn’t mean guests need to rough it.  The exquisite Longitude 131 is a great boutique resort for a multi-day exploration of the area.  Each of the 15 luxury tents (more a room with a canvas roof) has an unobstructed view of Uluru.  A large deck with a daybed and “swag” or large outdoor sleeping bag allow guests to enjoy the stars, a small fire & nightcaps before retiring to their room.  Every other night, the resort takes guests off property for a dinner under the stars with a local astronomer sharing the wonders of the sky with guests.

Adelaide (Barossa Valley and Kangaroo Island)

On the southern shores of Australia lies the city of Adelaide.  While some travelers may want to spend time exploring Adelaide, most fly in to go to nearby locations.  Wine lovers will want to visit some of Australia’s most famous wine regions including, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley.  Those visiting Barossa Valley can stay at The Louise, a boutique wine lodge.  While Barossa Valley is best known in the U.S. for Shiraz from producers such as Penfolds, Jacob’s Creek and Henschke, guests can also try Australia’s version of a port-style wine at Seppeltsfield winery.  For over 170 years it has produced a para tawny fortified wine, and visitors can pay a fee to taste their birthyear wine or even the centennial wine (the vintage from 100 years prior to the guest’s visit).

Adelaide is also used as a waypoint to reach Kangaroo Island.  Off the coast of Australia, this island is famous for its wildlife.  Devastated by massive wildfires in 2020, the island made a quick recovery and is again open to tourism.  Visitors can take a short flight from Adelaide to the island or can drive south and board a ferry.  For those looking to stay on the island, the Southern Ocean Lodge is a great option, and a pioneer of experiential luxury in Australia.  Destroyed in the 2020 wildfires, the lodge has been rebuilt with a similar footprint to the old lodge and retains the breathtaking views of the Southern Ocean which helped make the lodge famous.  Travelers to Kangaroo Island can see seals on the beach, kangaroos and wallabies at the Wildlife Park, birds of prey at the island’s Raptor Domain, or simply hike around the island and enjoy the natural beauty.

Melbourne

Regaining the crown as the largest Australian city in 2022, Melbourne has a lot to offer visitors.  Famous for its vibrant energy, restaurants, café-filled laneways, trendy bars, spacious parks and village-like inner suburbs, Melbourne is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities.  A half-day can easily be spent touring the city, viewing its Victorian architecture, iconic laneways, parks, and botanic gardens.  Visitors may also want to stroll down to the bay and walk the beach-side promenade.

Melbourne is also famous for the Great Ocean Road, one of the world’s most scenic coastal drives.  Following the cliffs along the Southern Ocean, those driving along the road are treated to craggy cliffs, empty beaches, and soaring bluffs.  Visitors can stop to hike, stop at Bells Beach to learn about Australian surfing culture, see the historic Split Point Lighthouse, and enjoy a drink or meal in Lorne, Victoria’s premier holiday town.  Though no trip along the Great Ocean Road is complete without visiting the 12 Apostles, soaring rock pillars that jut out of the ocean just offshore.  A scenic flight along the coastline rewards travelers with breathtaking areal views of the 12 Apostles, Moonlight Head, the Cape Otway Lighthouse, Gibson’s Steps, and Lock Ard Gorge.

Western Australia

Occupying the western third of Australia, this is the biggest but also least populated territory.  Most of the population resides in the southwest corner near Perth, the rest of the territory is open country mostly devoted to mining.  Most visitors to Australia skip this part of the country, given the distance from the other popular destinations.  But travelers willing to venture to the far western parts of this country will be rewarded.  One of the most popular places to visit is the Kimberley region along the northern coast.  This tropical region is a contrast to the arid conditions in the rest of Western Australia.  While it’s possible to travel the Kimberley region by 4-wheel drive vehicle or helicopter, a few luxury cruise lines, such as Seabourn, have started adding expedition cruises to explore this part of Australia and provide a wonderful way to explore in luxurious accommodations.