Crucial Tips and Advice for an Unforgettable Journey to Australia

close up photo of grey koala bear

Sydney, Australia (SYD)

Australia is a place I have always wanted to visit. Since I was a little girl obsessively watching animal planet, and Steve Irwin specifically, it has been #1 on my list. With the effects of climate change weighing heavily on Australia, I worry it will not be what I imagined from the shows I watched long ago. I wonder how the outback compares to the Irwin days after the destructive fire in (year). I worry that the Great Barrier Reef has is irreversibly impacted by reef bleaching and that I am too late to see the beauty it once possessed.

My heart aches for the koalas that perished in the wildfire and the sea creatures suffering from the dying coral. While these events sadden me, I still need to see Australia myself. Even if it is not what it used to be, perhaps I would still take something away from the trip, fulfilling my lifelong dream of seeing some of the wildlife in the country. Sometimes travel can be an opportunity for growth and learning in addition to being fun.

Information

  • Visa or Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) required (small fee)
  • Passport 
  • If from the USA, use smart-gate kiosks through the border 
  • Emergency services dial 000
  • Travel medical insurance suggested 
  • Make sure prescriptions are legal and carried in original packaging with prescription
  • English spoken 
  • No tipping
  • Winter and summer are the opposite time of year from in the mainland USA

Transportation 

There are several ways to get around Australia, depending on what you want to do. I would be more interested in seeing the nature aspect of the country than cities. Cities are easier for quick trips, however. I have included a variety of options for transportation that can be customizable according to what you would like to accomplish on your vacation. 

Travel by plane is most convenient. Other airports: MEL (Melbourne), BNE (Brisbane), PER (Perth) [see list for more airports in Australia]

Greyhound bus 

  • A variety of pass options are available: from one-way trips to a single destination, to an unlimited number of trips/locations on the bus route for a set amount of days
  • Travels up the East Coast

Campervans

  • Two for the price of one! Lodging and transit. 
  • For the one who wants to road trip!
  • This Blog Post is a resource for information on an Australian Campervan trip!
  • The above post says to skip a bathroom in the campervan because bathrooms are without cost in Australia, and using a public restroom is simpler than emptying your own. 
  • There are a variety of campervans available, do some research to make sure you choose one that fits your needs.

Rental car 

Driving rules
  • Driving is on the left side of the road
  • In km, speed cameras will give you a ticket for speeding 
  • Narrow roads
  • License in English or International License 
  • Driving is supposed to be pretty easy with good roads
  • Bring a map just in case you lose cell-service
  • Toll roads have an e-pass you can add to your rental
  • Don’t excessively honk- wave when waved to in order to be polite
  • Don’t drive at night (nocturnal animals)

City Transit 

  • Hop-on hop-off bus
  • Melbourne City Circle Tram
  • In Sydney, weekly rate caps (buses, metros, trains, trams)

Activities

There are so many things to do in Australia you could not possibly cover them in one trip, or blog post. I’m going to list several things of particular interest and their general vicinities so that depending on your priorities, you can determine what region of Australia is of interest and what method of transportation would be best to get to your destination of choice. This way, you can continue further research on activities upon narrowing your destination of choice down.

Sydney

NE Australia (Some of these are pretty accessible from Sydney)

Northern Australia

SE Australia

Lodging

I’m covering a couple unique options for lodging in Australia and a couple Sydney hotels as Sydney has the main airport. Because Australia is so vast, more hotels/traditional options will need to be covered in a future blog post taking closer looks at each region in Australia. Prices are a rough estimate and may depend on the time of year.

  • Campervan $50-$160
  • Backpacking/camping (some are free some have a cost, average cost with electric $45) (see post on costs of going to Australia)
  • $115 per night St Marks Randwick
  • $125 per night Meriton Suites George Street
  • $158 per night Little National Hotel Sydney
  • $104 per night Meriton Suites Mascot Central
  • For more detailed options based on the location in the city, see this post from Sydney Expert

Eats

Depending on your level of adventurous eating, these are some things you can sample in Australia. Proceed with caution on the Vegemite, as it is known to be distasteful to people from the United States. I will list a few restaurants in Sydney, but since Australia is so expansive, it would be challenging to search in a more wide-spread area. 

Dishes to Try

  • Kangaroo
  • Vegemite
  • Tim Tams
  • Meat Pies
  • Anzac Biscuits
  • Pavlova 
  • Emu
  • Barramundi
  • Lamingtons

Restaurants 

*list just scratches the surface of places to eat in Sydney

Sources

A guide to the South East Coast of Australia. Rocky Travel. (2023, February 2). https://www.rockytravel.net/australia-south-east-coast/

“Australia International Travel Information.” Travel, U.S. State Department, 1 June 2023, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Australia.html#:~:text=You%20must%20have%20a%20valid,days%20can%20obtain%20an%20ETA

Boon, M., McDonald, E., & Treasure, A. (2023, June 21). 55 best restaurants in Sydney 2023 to Book right now. Time Out Sydney. https://www.timeout.com/sydney/restaurants/the-best-restaurants-in-sydney

Mollie. (2023, January 4). 14 best things to do on the East Coast of australia – we are global travellers. We Are Global Travellers – A UK Travel and Adventure Lifestyle Blog. https://weareglobaltravellers.com/2017/06/east-coast-australia-bucket-list/

Tourism NT. (n.d.). Top 10 things to do around uluru – northern territory. Australia;s Northern Territory. https://northernterritory.com/articles/top-10-things-to-do-around-uluru

Urban List Writers. (2023, February 7). Sydney’s best cheap eats | urban list Sydney. Urban List. https://www.theurbanlist.com/sydney/a-list/cheap-eats-sydney

*post contains affiliate links

Michelle

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