General: Australia > Reviews > Australia - Some Highlights!

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Excellent
Shopping	Good
Nightlife	Good
Ease of getting around	Excellent
Family Friendly	Excellent

Advantages:	So much to see
Disadvantages:	Such a long flight away

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have not long returned from a gap year away where I spent most of my time in Australia working. This is definitely a country, which has lots to offer. I spent 6 months here and you could definitely spend longer. Below are some of the highlights of my trip:

**SYDNEY**

There are lots of things to see and do here, the Opera House being the most obvious. We paid to do a tour inside here, which I would recommend as you can see inside the theatre and its running. You can climb in Harbour Bridge but it's not for the faint hearted though as it very high up. If you take the boat to Taronga Zoo you can see the Opera House from the water and the views of Sydney skyline are amazing from the zoo, plus there are lots of different animals in the zoo to keep you entertained all day. Blue Mountains is a must see, it is two hours out of Sydney but the views are breathtaking! Hunter Valley for the wine enthusiasts, various tours operate where you can go wine tasting and see the wineries.

**SURFERS PARADISE**

Here has all the theme parks with Universal Studios, Dreamworld (which includes a zoo and the Australian big brother house) and Seaworld. You can take surfing lessons here at some of the great beaches they have.

**BRISBANE**

I lived here for 3 months and the city is gorgeous. Southbank is the cultural area which has a very stylish man made beach overlooking the skyline. From here you can visit Australia Zoo legacy of Steve Irwin and see all his crocodiles on display and the famous Crocodile show. We also visited Moreton Island, which is like paradise! We had the opportunity to feed dolphins in the wild here from the beach.

**FRASER ISLAND**

The largest sand island in the world, which is definitely a bumpy ride to move around in a car or bus! It is worthwhile making this roller coaster ride as the secluded beaches with pristine blue and aqua waters are so relaxing to go for a swim in. It has shipwrecks, which you can get up close to see the ruins and coloured sands to view. There are sand dunes and beautiful scenery to be seen everywhere you go. You have a high chance of seeing a Dingo as they roam the island.

**WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS**

It is lots of different islands, which you can take a tour and sail around. We took a small tour, which only had 10 people in total, and we were very glad that we did. We got to see Whitehaven beach with little tourists to spoil the view. I think it has to be the best beach I have ever seen it is so picturesque! You can snorkel here and it is great for beginners as you can snorkel in shallow waters. This was fantastic for me as I can not swim and even though you can't stand on the coral you feel more content that you are in more shallow water. Some really nice coral and fish can be seen. The wind in your hair and sun in your face this really is the best place to relax. It was so nice that my partner decided to pop the question to me here!

**CAIRNS**

The main place in Cairns is the Great Barrier Reef and it definitely is the best place to access to it. You can take a tour out into the ocean into the deeper waters and the coral is far more beautiful than I have ever seen it anywhere else. There are more fish to see even huge tropical fish. We decided to do a cultural experience tour here and learn more about the Aboriginal culture, which was interesting. Dainetree National Park can be visited from here where you can see crocodiles. Mossman gorge can be seen as well and the lush rainforests. You can take the skyraril over Kuranda and the train through it where you can view the magnificent rainforest.

**DARWIN**

Here you can see jumping crocodiles and the true Aboriginal's as this is where most of them live. The Yellow water Billabong cruise is very recommended to see the wetlands. We got to see birds nesting in the water and termite mounds on the way there. The only problem with Darwin is that in the wet season it is very humid!

**ALICE SPRINGS & ULURU**

Alice Springs is a small town with not much to do in it. You can take a tour to Uluru from here but do beware it is a 6 hour drive there. We stopped at Kings Canyon along the way and went for a walk. The only problem is that it is very warm here, thankfully it isn't as humid but flies will be everywhere! You can do a base walk around Uluru and watch it change colour as the sun sets and rises.

**KANGAROO ISLAND**

A few days here would be enough to see this island. You can see tiny penguins and seals in the wild on the beaches. The Remarkable Rocks are situated here and they are all the strangest shapes.

**MELBOURNE**

Lots of tours can be taken from here, we used here as a base and then took a tour to go to the Great Ocean Road. We took a helicopter flight over the 12 Apostles which I enjoyed lots. We went to Philip Island to see the tiny blue penguins come in shore there was hundreds of them. You can see the neighbours set and the famous Ramsey Street.

**TASMANIA**

If you jump on the boat from Melbourne or take a short flight you can get to Tasmania. The views here are lovely it is such a small place and it is unspoilt by tourism. The weather here is more pleasant and not as warm as other parts of Australia. It is an outdoor place if you want to see the sights.

**CANBERRA**

This is the capital of Australia and parliament and lots of history can be found here. You can have tours inside parliament including the old one. If you are to come home here there isn't a lot of sightseeing to be done but at the same time it was lovely to see the capital .