Australia Travel Guide
Looking for places to visit in Australia and how to make it the dream trip of a lifetime?
Australia IS everything you've dreamed of and more. It's a land of colors and contrasts: from the red, dusty outback to the lush, tropical rainforests, with moutains, vineyards, and the most beautiful beaches in the world in between.
We're Aussies who have travelled the country extensively for 3 years. We road tripped around Australia for 18 months in a caravan/ travel trailer with our two daughters Kalyra and Savannah.
You can hear more about that in this podcast episode.
We're from the Central Coast in NSW, and have also lived in Broome, WA, Mooolaba on the Sunshine Coast, QLD and Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
We've also taken many short trips to explore our beautiful country even further.
We have a huge amount of useful travel tips and destination highlights on Australia to help you plan your trip.
We've grouped them into the categories below so click to the one that suits you most. You'll find a complete list of all the posts below the categories so keep scrolling.
You'll find our best travel tips and general Australia content under the Best of Australia!
We hope you enjoy traveling either to, or around, Australia as much as we do. She truly is one of the most exotic and beautiful countries in the world.
UNIQUELY AUSTRALIA - TRAVEL IDEAS AND HIGHLIGHTS
No matter your interests, you can find experiences to match in Australia. Click the image below to find experiences and attractions that suit what you're looking for! It will take you to a wide variety of articles designed to inspire and help you plan. Almost all of our content and tips are based upon personal experience!
I must say that your travel blog of Australia is the best I have ever seen. You have really shown how incredible Australia is. You have encouraged not only Australians, but travelers from overseas to visit different regions of Australia. Your beautiful photography makes you want to travel around Australia. Often tourists only get to see the East Coast of Australia, and mainly the commercial parts and don't get to see the raw beauty of Australia. I do believe a lot of tourists will come to Australia because of your travel blog. They will see places that are unheard of. Keep up the great work and can't wait for you to do a travel blog on South Australia.
Louisa Kilmentos
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
LANGUAGE
British English is the main language spoken in Australia. But, be warned - Australian's have their own lingo. It's full of rhyming slang and shortened words. Don't be surprised if you have no idea what an Aussie is saying.
CURRENCY
Australia's national currency is the Australian Dollar, which comes in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes. Coins come in 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent and one and two dollar denominations.
SAFETY
Australia is generally a very safe and welcoming place to visit. It consistently ranks as one of the safest countries in the world ... despite its dangerous animals ;)
ACCESSING MONEY
Credit Cards are widely accepted. However, many smaller, local business will only accept cash, so always have some on hand, especially when traveling in the Outback. Amex will almost always incur a fee.
POWER
In Australia the standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. Plug Type is I, which is the plug that has three flat pins in a triangular pattern.
WI-FI & INTERNET
Free Wi-Fi is not readily available and it's expensive. Australia's internet can be slow and non-existent outside of urban areas. The two main mobile networks are Optus and Telstra. Telstra is the best.
BEST OF AUSTRALIA TRAVEL TIPS
Looking for some Australian highlights, don't miss experiences, and important things to know about traveling in Australia? We share some of ours and our reader's favorites!
BEST TIME TO VISIT AUSTRALIA
SPRING | AUTUMN
Mild temperatures in the South and still great for swimming. It's cool enough to tour Uluru and the Red Centre, and the humidity and rains won't be around up north in the tropics.
SUMMER IN THE SOUTH
Summer in the Southern regions of Australia is a popular time to visit. You'll find fun festivals. a festive spirit, and beautiful beaches. Some areas will be hot, but the ocean breeze will offer relief.
WET SEASON IN THE NORTH
The worst time to visit the entire Top End of Australia. It's EXTREMELY humid, with PLENTY of rain, potential cyclones & road closures. It's stinger season, so terrible for ocean swimming (like die from a box jellyfish sting kind of terrible)
WINTER IN THE SOUTH
Temperatures in the South will vary for levels of coldness. Aussies will find anything under 19°C cold. You may find winters pleasant. Probably too cold for beach swimming. Bryon Bay to Fraser Island will have the mildest winter temps.
DRY SEASON NORTH
Absolute BEST time to visit the Top End. You won't see one cloud. Warm, dry, fantastic for swimming, and daily adventures. The beginning of the dry will be most lush and green.
BEST AUSTRALIA BEACHES
After traveling in-depth for three years around Australia, and spending 22 years traveling through over 50 countries (many in-depth) we are quite confident in saying Australia has the best beaches in the world.
You cannot beat them for pristine beauty, endless space, and a laid back lifestyle to match.
AUSTRALIAN ICONS
These are the places you think of when you hear the word Australia. I'm sure many of them are on your Australian bucket list.
We visited almost all of them. Browse around for our best tips on things to see and do for each one. Our 3-week itinerary below will help you visit several!
PLANNING AN AUSTRALIAN TRIP
Are you ready to plan your Australian trip? Here are some useful articles on costs, saving money, finding accommodation, and getting around.
CITY GUIDES
They may be few and far between, but the cities in Australia offer culture, beauty, diversity and laid back charm.
OUR AUSTRALIAN FAVORITES
Hover over each card to reveal our Australian favorites, which was SOOO hard to pick!! You can use the search bar below to find out information on each one.
FAVORITE TOWNS
- Broome, WA
- Bright, VIC
- Burleigh, QLD
- Margaret River, WA
- Port Douglas, QLD
FAVORITE FOOD REGIONS
FAVE CITIES
- Sydney (beauty)
- Melbourne (culture)
- Adelaide (food and wine)
- Darwin (chilled uniqueness)
FAVE NATURAL BEAUTY
- Uluru, NT
- Kakadu, NT
- Kimberley Region, WA
- Daintree Rainforest, Qld
- Freycinet, TAS
FAVORITE WINE REGIONS
- Margaret River, WA
- Barossa Valley, SA
- Hunter Valley, NSW
FAVORITE ADVENTURES
- Snorkeling Great Barrier Reef
- Horizontal Falls, WA
- Working on a pearl farm, Kimberley Region, WA
- Swimming with manta - Ningaloo, WA
- Swimming with seal lions, SA
FAVORITE ROAD TRIPS
- Gibb River Road
- Port Douglas - Daintree
- Red Centre Way
- Sydney to Gold Coast
HIDDEN SECRETS
- Wilsons Prom, Vic
- Mudgee, NSW
- Noosa Everglads, Qld
- Karijini NP, WA
- Flinders Ranges, SA
FEATURED VIDEO
WHAT STATE ARE YOU INTERESTED IN?
FOLLOW OUR CURRENT ADVENTURES
Travel has been the focus of our life since 1997 - intentionally.
We don't plan on stopping that. We now have a base in Raleigh, NC - after being granted a Green Card for our extraordinary ability in the art of travel blogging.
We will continue to explore more of the US but also intend on traveling further abroad - Europe, South East Asia and Central and South America.
We can't wait to share more of our favorites as we experience them.
Be sure to join our free VIP email community - form below.
And connect with us on social for live udpates!
ALL AUSTRALIAN ARTICLES
Browse through to see all our articles on travel in Australia!
15 Best Australian Road Trips (adventure + beauty)
Where do you go on a road trip in one of the most beautiful (and vast) countries in the world? Start with one of these 14 road trips!
Best Places to Stay in Perth on a WA Road Trip
The Western Australian capital is blessed with the natural magic of the Swan River and Perth beaches, and unlimited experiences for couples, families and the kids. Your Perth itinerary should always include a range of […]
WARNING: Australia is Full of Things that Will Kill You (Bugger it; Visit Anyway)
Too many Americans tell me they won’t travel to Australia as we have too many things that will kill them! No!!!! Here’s how to stay safe and love the thrill of it
6 Helpful Tips for Travelling Around Australia in a Caravan – A Beginners Guide
Without a doubt, Australia is one of the most amazing countries to explore. Full of natural wonders, unique wildlife and dazzling beaches. There is so much to see and do, and what better way to […]
7 Things to Do in Busselton, WA (the gateway to Margaret River)
Looking for ideas on things to do in Busselton, WA? Busselton, Western Australia is the gateway to the Margaret River region, a luscious area where wine, craft beer, gourmet food, beaches and surfing is part […]
Brisbane Day Trip to the Scenic Rim for a Family Adventure
“Don’t dawdle or we’ll miss it,” I warned the three boys. We were nearly at the summit of Mount Cordeaux and I could see glimpses of gold and crimson through the trees. As we climbed the […]
3 Gold Coast Hinterland Accommodation Options
When you hear the name Gold Coast, you probably associate the destination with golden beaches, theme parks, and nightclubs. After recently living in Burleigh Heads for 18 months and going inland and exploring the Gold […]
7 Spectacular Things to do in Coonabarabran, NSW
After spending a few days exploring Coonamble and The Pilliga, we headed east to Coonabarabran – the gateway to the Warrumbungle Mountains. Coonabarabran in Central New South Wales is a gorgeous little town. We had […]
6 captivating things to do in Coonamble and the Pilliga in NSW
When I was younger, I remember hearing someone jokingly say that New South Wales stood for Newcastle, Sydney and Woolongong. Meaning that nothing interesting existed on the western side of the Great Dividing Range. But […]
Educational Things to do in Dubbo with Kids
It didn’t take the kids much to twist our arms and have us agree to take a road trip with their cousins to Dubbo in central west NSW. It was, after all, the very location […]