Travel Articles & Travel Tips

Australia Vacation

Thinking about an Australia vacation? There's so much to see and do in the land Downunder ...

I have a wish list of travel destinations I would like to go to and Australia is high on that list. I like the idea of the country being a large island, where there are lots of animals and plant life only found there and no where else. An Australia vacation for me conjures up images of lively cities, fascinating countryside, superb beaches and friendly people. The only problem I might have is coping with the heat in the interior regions. Christmas would be a good time for an Australia vacation just to see how weird it feels to eat Christmas dinner under the blazing sun.

Sydney is an obvious choice to visit. The Harbor with its distinctive Opera House is famous all over the world, and is always used to promote an Australia vacation.  I'd like to do the climb on the Sydney Harbor bridge. There's some quiet beach and coves along the Bondi Beach, where I could work on my tan and drink a few tinnies. The Chinatown area looks pretty good too.

Melbourne is another city I'd like to see. A lot of Brits, me included, are hooked on the Neighbors soap opera which is filmed in the city. In fact, I think that Neighbors is more popular in Britain than it is in Australia. We have watched the soap for twenty years and an Australia vacation would not be complete without going on the coach tour to Ramsey Street. This is a real cul de sac street, albeit with a different name, where they do all the exteriors. There's also some more cultural attractions in the city! There's an aquarium and an old gaol that you can visit. The National Gallery of Victoria has a respected art collection and the Melbourne Museum houses an excellent natural history exhibit.

I would also like to explore the Gold Coast with its great beaches and golf courses. There are also Winery Tours here. The other major city I'd see is Perth. The Botanic Gardens have hundreds of examples of Australian plant life. I'd also visit Shark Bay which has a beach, marina and nature reserve.

My trip would have to involve going into the outback and seeing the heart of the country. Ayers Rock would be amazing and no Australia vacation should be without a trip to Alice Springs. There is so much to see there, including kangaroos, bats and ostriches if you're lucky! I was surprised to learn that there are many museums here. There is one dedicated to the history of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, an Aviation Museum and a Museum for Pioneering Women. You can also visit the Reptile Center, the Aboriginal Culture Center and ride a camel!

Of course, travelling around Australia to visit all these places requires a bit of time, so if you're planning on an Australian vacation, make sure to allow plenty of time for getting from one place to the next. I've heard many funny stories about visitors who arrive in Australia unprepared for the vastness of the country (you can drive for hours in some places without seeing another car on the road!) and then feel disappointed when they discover that they can't see Melbourne (in the state of Victoria), Noosa Beach (in Queensland's Sunshine coast) and Alice Springs (Northern Territory) on the same day, as each of these destinations are about 2,000 or more kilometres apart!

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