The 3 Areas to Visit On Your First Trip to Australia

Australia, Travel
Denise
Aug 27, 2017
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Australia: the seemingly faraway wonderland, home to cuddly-looking marsupials, and to some of the cheeriest people on the planet. The country-wide population is almost half the population of California alone, the natives have brilliant accents and slang, and “almost everything can kill you.” Starting with the sun, which due to its proximity to the South Pole ozone hole, more UV rays hit this part of the world. This means Australia is ultra golden, and there is no deprivation of Vitamin D, so slather on that sunscreen. Watch out for those coconuts up north, because when they fall, they can tumble upon your head and completely wipe you out. And the sea, it glints and glimmers, but beware of little stingers. If it’s not the stingers, it’s the crocodiles, and we’d stay away from those danger devils. Don’t mind the infamous huntsman spiders as well, which are commonly found in urban areas and are large enough to make anyone with arachnophobia scream bloody mary, though otherwise not harmful to humans. Throughout this post, I’ll share the three cities or regions to visit on your first visit to east coast Australia: Melbourne, Cairns, and Sydney. Yes, first, because I’m certain you’ll want to come back!

Aside from the accentuated fears of Australia, this place is beautiful and has some breathtaking sights and culture to experience. For part one of my adventures to Australia, I traveled from Melbourne to Cairns, to the Whitsundays and back down to Sydney. My bucket list isn’t even close to checked off though, with desires to visit the Pink Lake, road trip down the Great Ocean Road, cruise down the the stretch of the east coast from Noosa to Sunshine Coast, to Brisbane and Gold Coast. Surf Byron Bay, jetset to Tasmania, journey through Uluru, and the list never ends, with much inspiration from the Australia Instagram.

Australia was once the the land that British convicts were exiled to, reportedly to help build new infrastructures for the land. Nowadays, the mainland is divided by the states of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and New South Wales. Note: if you want to cuddle a koala (I know, such high priority), you can only do this in Queensland, South Australia, or Western Australia.

What to Pack

Since Australia is in the southern hemisphere, their seasons are reverse from those of us in the northern hemisphere. Meaning our winter is their summer, and vice versa. When I went in late March, the weather ranged by region, but anywhere from mid-60s in Melbourne, to tropical stormy heat in Cairns around 85+ fahrenheit, to 70s in Sydney. Depending on the time of year you go, I’d pack according to season of course. However, here are some additional suggestions to pack year-round:

sunblock
bug spray
sunglasses
lip balm

Australia has pretty much everything available you might need to buy, so if you forget something, it should be easily accessible there. Not to worry, there is an abundance of 7 Elevens in Oz.

What to Get

Trinkets and postcards can be found anywhere you visit, but Australia has a couple specialty goods I brought home:

Opal: the national gemstone of Australia, 95% of worldwide opal jewelry is produced here
Paw Paw: a luscious treat for the lips with healing properties for other parts of the body, this papaw fruit based ointment is popular among Australians. I love how soft, buttery, and shiny it makes my lips feel.
Kangaroo Jerky: because where else in the world will you find this? Though I admit, most of this went to my dog (turns out my personal kangaroo preference is for cuddling and pictures)

The capital of Victoria boasts an artistic and lively scene, ranging from the hipster streets of Fitzroy, to the open air markets around the city, down to the colorful Brighton bathing boxes. I heard friends rave about Melbourne’s brunch or “brekkie” scene and foodie culture prior to visiting. Note, foodies: Yelp is popular in the US, as Zomato is seemingly popular and reliable for reviews in Australia.

What to see:

St. Kilda: check out the Melbourne coast and walk along the beach. Luna Park is a short walk inwards, and I stumbled upon some bakeries and shopping on Acland Street
Fitzroy: a whole new level of hipster, this district is extraordinarily clean but also a whole new level of punk hipster I wasn’t accustomed to, although I only came for the night scene. I felt like I was in a time capsule or whole other universe here, though definitely worth checking out. There should be a great selection of cocktails, delicacies, and specialty foods to find here.
Open Air Markets: I only made it to the Queen Victoria Market, but based on some searches, there are a lot of others worth checking out.
Eureka Skydeck: located in the Southbank and strictly for the view, you can see the Yarra River, Melbourne skyline, and beyond at the skydeck. You can also enter a glass room for extra money, and pay for your picture in said room with even more extra money. I’d recommend going just for the view. My favorite part of this visit though, was that there is a post box at the top – so you can send postcards from one of the tallest boxes in the world!
South Yarra: this is where you can find pilates and barre classes, boutiques, and more trendy restaurants to dine at.

Getting around:

Melbourne public transit was confusing and not tourist-friendly, in my opinion. This might’ve contributed to the reason I didn’t fall in love with Melbourne (everyone is different, a lot of people I know love it there and even compare it to San Francisco). I was lucky enough to befriend a local who drove me around, but the rail/tram/bus system was not intuitive for a non-local to easily navigate. Here they use the myki card if you want to easily load money prior to boarding your mode of public transit.

A part of Queensland way north, Cairns is home to the Great Barrier Reef and many rainforest sites. Here I was greeted by lines and lines of tropical trees, lush greenery, and warmth mixed in with the occasional tropical rainfall. This part of Australia is the gateway to an adrenaline junkie’s agenda, with whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, and scuba diving all within arm’ Aussie ice cream in Daintree s reach.

After soaking up some sun rays at the Esplanade, checking out the night market, dropping jaws at the bats (yes, there are many, many bats here and they just dangle from the trees all day…and fly around at night), I was satisfied taking it easy in Cairns. Our Contiki tour group took us for a trip north to Daintree rainforest, where we heard warnings of coconuts and crocodiles. As a matter of fact, we stayed at cabins in Daintree after a day of ziplining and kayaking, and were told that two people saw a croc lingering in the shadows while they were tanning. Apparently, these fellas sense when their prey recurrently come to a place, and then they camp out and wait for you. A bit eerie, but good to know. On our ride, we stopped and got some delicious Australian ice cream (pictured right) and encountered many aboriginals, who can share a great piece of the country’s history and native roots with you.

What to see:

Port Douglas: a cute little town north of Cairns and south of Daintree that has restaurants, ice cream, and plenty of palms.
Daintree Rainforest: this lush wonderland is a true taste of Australia wildlife. Just wear and bring a lot of bug spray, as the mosquitoes here are aggressive and will attack you even through your clothing.
Cairns Esplanade Lagoon: whenever I had time to kill or wanted to bronze, I came here to lay out. A lot of families and children come here, but as advertised, it’s free of stingers! There are changing rooms and showers too, and is open for long hours from 6 AM to 9 PM daily.
Great Barrier Reef: This is a given, and it’s where Finding Nemo takes place. Come see the world’s most vibrant, colorful, and historically popular coral reef. Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef is dying, much of it is due to tourism and our usage of sunblock polluting the waters. See it while it’s around, and take action to help preserve the reef.
Hold a Koala
Cairns Night Market

Getting around:

I was on a Contiki trip which pre-arranged buses for us, but you will need a tour bus or rental car to get around to these attractions of Cairns. The Great Barrier Reef was a ferry ride away, which I will caution other seasick individuals to ingest motion sickness pills before embarking on this ride! It was by far the most nauseating ride of my life.

Visit Whitsundays, Australia

One of the world’s most beautiful beaches, Whitehaven Beach, is located here, and it falls nothing short of extraordinary. The swirls of turquoise and aqua among the white sand are best viewed by helicopter I imagine, but physically being on the beach is a paradise in itself. The only downfall is that you must wear a stinger suit if you want to go into it’s crystal blue water, but the sights are one-of-a-kind. There is an actual rule that you cannot take any of the buttery, silky soft sand from this beach when leaving.

Airlie Beach is where you will embark to jet on-and-off this part of Australia, and there are some great bohemian bowls at the harbor, as well as shops downtown.

My Sail the Whitsundays visit in the Whitsundays consisted of a two day sailing trip, which was a unique but more raw, minimalist experience. We spent most of our time carelessly bronzing up top on the boat, snorkeling, and socializing. Nothing will replace the experience of being anchored under the moon at night, on the peaceful and calm Coral Sea.

For a more glamorous experience, there is Daydream Island, which the rest of my Contiki trip went to while our group went sailing, which is an entire island dedicated to a resort.

Sydney, Australia

The most populated city in Australia by a sliver ahead of Melbourne, and the capital of New South Wales, Sydney has the world’s largest natural harbor.

What to see:

Bondi to Coogee Walk: For a highly publicized, world-known beach, Bondi is extraordinarily beautiful with its aquamarine swirls. Public transportation is easy to get here (take the metro, then a designated bus for Bondi), and food is plentiful. You can opt to pick up and drop off at the walk along any part, but the entire coastal span is 6 km.
Sydney Harbor Bridge, Opera House: Come see the beautiful icons of Sydney lit up at night, and enjoy a cocktail along the bar nestled next to the Opera House. I came here one evening to munch a snack while writing my postcards.
Manly Beach: Accessible by ferry from Sydney, and highly recommended to me. Unfortunately, it’s on my list for next time as I didn’t make it this trip.
Surry Hills: A darling, very centrally located neighbhorhood that is lined with delicious brunch spots (I ate at Rustic Pearl and loved it) and shops.
Blue Mountains (two hours outside Sydney by train): An Australian friend from the suburbs of Sydney strongly suggested I meet here out here and come see the Blue Mountains, and I have zero regrets. There is a train that leaves periodically from the same platform at the Sydney station. The blue haze comes from the Eucalyptus trees in this region, which emit oil that is blue in color.

Getting around:

A total breeze here! I loved Sydney’s transit, which uses the Opal card and is very intuitive for a tourist to figure out. There is the light rail system that extends to the suburbs (similar to a metro system), buses that are clearly marked, and ferry.

What to Do Before

If you’re a US citizen, you will need a travel visa which is very easy to apply for. Per any usual trip, check exchange rates, call your cards in advance, and pack according to weather reports.

WiFi is plentiful and easy to find in Australia, as is communicating with locals, so you can always look up information as you travel or make arrangements whenever necessary.

What I Missed

My Contiki group did the entire tour down the east coast through Noosa, Byron Bay, and Gold Coast. This was a chunk of the trip I really wish I had more time off for, but decided I would just have to do in the future.

Byron Bay: a hippie beach town known for its impeccable sunsets.

Noosa: beautiful, stunning, and everyone recommends it to me. Also the Australian yogurt brand that has made headway in the US.

Brisbane: the capital of Queensland, sounds very modern and urban.

Uluru, Darwin: the true aboriginal culture up north.