Travelling Australia

When travelling Australia, the first thing you need to consider is your budget. The most expensive part is flying to Australia, but once you‘re there, it’s possible to have an incredible time on the smallest of budgets. It is not as cheap as some parts of Asia, but it’s certainly not the most expensive place in the world. In this blog, I will explain exactly how to travel Australia as cheaply as possible whilst having the best time.

The next thing to consider is the destinations you wish to visit. Australia is huge. Much bigger than you can comprehend until you have driven and flown across it. As such, the climate is incredibly different in Cairns than it is in Adelaide, for example. Between Cairns and Adelaide, there is the Red Centre: with its extreme and unique climate, it feels otherworldly. So where is best for you? You need to decide how many places you wish to visit. Personally, the east coast of Australia is my favorite. The major cities are closer together and there is a lot going on. There is also an incredible amount of choice when it comes to accommodation, travel and food.

Sydney

Sydney is by far the most visited city in Australia, and for good reason. With the Sydney Opera House and Harbour bridge, it is prime postcard tackle. It is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia.

One of the best things about Sydney is the fact that it is surrounded by beaches. You can take an Uber (or public transport) to Bondi, Coogee, Manly and so many more. The beaches surrounding the city are stunning. It‘s hard to believe that a busy downtown is just a few km away. The Coogee to Bondi walk is amazingly beautiful, and if you do visit Bondi, try Shuk for lunch. Their shakshuka is the best there is. Plus, there is the Art Gallery of New South Wales as well the Royal Botanic Garden to visit.

To soak in the Australian sun and get the best view of the Opera House, I highly recommend getting out on the water.

The most luxurious way is to hire this yacht and sail around Sydney harbour. That is definitely a top-range offer, but there are many cheaper options as well. This sailboat is also super luxurious, but the price tag isn’t. To hire it with a captain for 4 hours costs $1,25, which at the time of writing is just over £700. But it fits 10 people, so get a group from your hostel together, and you will only have to pay a little over £70 each to sail around Sydney harbour. If you have a New South Wales boat licence and want to captain your own boat then you can hire this RIB and cruise to the harbour, to Manly or one of the other beaches in the area.

Brisbane & the Gold Coast

Unfortunately, I only had one day in Surfer’s Paradise, and the weather was torrential rainstorms. If you are luckier with the weather (don’t go in February like me) then you could hire a Catamaran for the day or even for longer – you can sleep on this Catamaran for up to 4 days! If you have a big budget, then an amazing yacht that Click&Boat have available in this area is this Azimut 62. You can also hire Jet-skis and SUPs with this yacht. They recommend getting in touch to tell them exactly what you want so that they can give you a unique quote.

Although I didn’t get a chance to see Surfer’s Paradise much myself, I did hear good things about it. It‘s a big city right on the beach, so perhaps it is worth stopping here for a day or 2.

Noosa is an amazing place for surfing and is a sleepy coastal town. It is incredibly photogenic – perfect if you want beautiful photos for your Instagram. The one thing you definitely need to do whilst you are there is to do the coastal walk. This is a much longer walk than the one I mentioned previously in Sydney, so make sure you don’t wear flip-flops and remember to take water, a hat and sun-cream with you.

Brisbane is a major city and so you can expect the usual here. I spent one of my days in Brisbane in Queensland Art Gallery and another in Australia Zoo, which is easily accessible by train. I would definitely recommend Australia Zoo – especially if you are familiar with Steve Irwin. And in the city center itself is Streets Beach, a beautiful man-made beach.

Cairns

Cairns was one of my favourite places in Australia. The climate is beautifully tropical, and it’s really worth taking a day tour into Daintree Rainforest and up to Cape Tribulation. Another absolute highlight of Cairns is snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. This is something you really can’t miss out on if you are travelling Australia.

Click&Boat have an option for everyone when it comes to getting to the Great Barrier Reef. For tighter budgets, I would suggest renting this motorboat in Cairns. If you are part of a larger group and have a bigger budget, then this motor-yacht is the perfect way to experience the reef while offering protection from the hot midday sun.

If you visit Airlie beach then one thing you could consider is actually staying on a boat instead of just hiring a boat. It’s not as expensive as it sounds if you are splitting the cost with friends, and gives you a freedom that few people visiting Australia get. This motorboat sleeps 6 people and if you rent it for 4 days in January – the hottest month – it is actually only £1,378. (at time of writing) That’s less than £230 per person, which is an incredible bargain considering the experience you will be having. If you are planning on going to the Whitsundays then you should consider booking a spot on this sailboat. You book per person, and it comes with kayaks and snorkels and much, much more included.

Perth

Perth is a big city and so, as usual, there is a lot to do. It’s also a great place to start if you wish to explore more of WA whilst travelling Australia. If you want to sail in Perth in style, you should have a look at this luxury yacht based there.

Whilst you’re in Perth, make sure you check out Fremantle and the famous prison there. There are some great tours that you can take around the prison that are really cheap, and I really enjoyed them. It’s a great experience for a small price. The town of Fremantle itself is a nice place to look around as well and if you are wanting to relax on the water for a day there then you could check out this sailboat – renters of this boat often see dolphins! It isn’t expensive, either. Get your family, friends, or just other people from your hostel together The boat has space for 12 people and split between you the cost is a little over £40.

So, I would highly recommend travelling to Australia and exploring what the different cities have to offer. I would choose the east of Australia over the west and would travel from Sydney up to Cairns. But Melbourne is definitely worth checking out too. G’day mate!