The great Land Down Under needs little introduction. You’ve all seen the pictures: scenic vistas, spectacular wildlife, bustling cities and burgeoning culture, Australia has it all. It takes a while to get there, but the trip is well worth it for individuals with a taste for adventure.
In fact, the only real trouble with visiting Australia is that there is so much to do and see, so you end up having to choose between options instead of doing everything.
To help you make up your mind on where to go, what to see, and what to do during your visit, we have created a list of Ozzie tourist essentials that you have before you.
You can save everything you’ve missed the first time for your second trip, which is almost guaranteed to happen once Australia sinks its teeth into you (sometimes literally!). The travel bug is real folks, and Australia is teeming with them. So before scheduling your flight, take a peek at our list.
Scuba-Dive at the Great Barrier Reef
Few places around the world can match the Great Barrier Reef when it comes to creating a feeling of awe and wonder. Lying off the coast of Queensland in Northern Australia in the Coral Sea, the reef covers an area of over 2000 kilometers. It is the world’s largest organic structure, built over thousands of years by tiny coral polyps. It is a veritable underwater forest, with numerous species of fish, mollusk and plant nesting in its nooks and crannies. Going scuba-diving among its shallow waters is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience nature first hand. Don’t miss this opportunity, as coral bleaching caused by global warming is threatening to destroy the Reef for good.
Get a taste of city life In Sydney
Sydney is one of the world’s great metropolises and the largest city in the whole of Australia. It houses nearly a quarter of its population, with people from all walks of life sharing the same streets and neighborhoods. There is something for everyone in Sydney – a bustling night-life for party-goers, art galleries and music venues for those aesthetically-inclined, museums and cultural heritage sites for those with a penchant for history, and kick-ass beaches for basically everyone. Some of the highlights that you don’t want to miss at any cost include the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbor and Bondi beach.
Journey to Uluru
Lying at the very heart of Australia, the sandstone formation known as Uluru among the natives, and Ayers rock by Westerners is a wonder of the natural world. Its striking red color makes it stand out from the surrounding plains, giving it a sense of cosmic significance. Uluru beckons your imagination to go back to the times of prehistory, where strange animals roamed the land undisturbed. Later, when the ancestors of modern-day Aborigines settled these parts, Uluru became a sacred place, and even today climbing the rock is looked after with disdain by the locals. To give proper respect to the great rock, regular walking tours are offered by tourist companies, which often include picnics under the night-sky, with Uluru standing defiantly in the background.
Learn to surf
Australia is the proud home of many of the world’s best surfing beaches. After all, Australia is essentialy one giant island, with a seacoast that’s over 30000 km long. That is a lot of potential spots to ride the waves, and locals as well as tourists from all over the world make ample use of them. Beaches such as Snapper Rocks, Bells Beach, the Gold Coast and Byron Bay are some of the more popular surfing hot-spots, but there are many more to be found, especially on Australia’s Eastern Coast. Amateurs looking to catch their first wave are in luck, as there are plenty of surf-clubs and schools for all ages and wallets. Surfing is practically a national pastime in Australia, so everyone is expected to know their way around a board.
Pack your bags, we’re going on an adventure
These are just some of the highlights of what Australia has to offer to prospective tourists. There is much more to explore once you get there. Traveling to Australia is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and once you get a taste of it, you will certainly be coming back for more.