Australia Tour Guide – Things to Do, Insider Tips and More

1. Exploring Fraser Island

Fraser Island is located between Bundaberg and Brisbane off Australia’s east coast. This heritage-listed island is the world’s largest sand island. If you’re a four-wheel-drive enthusiast, you will love a 4WD adventure along the windswept Seventy-Five Mile Beach. Keep your eyes peeled for The Cathedrals – colored sandstone cliffs, the hulls of many shipwrecks. There are many Champagne Pools along the way – called so because they are bubbling fish-filled rock pools. The waters are infested with sharks and whales and dolphins. There are plenty of dingoes, bats, wild horses, sugar gliders and over 300 species of birds on Fraser’s Island.  As you venture inland, you’ll see lovely freshwater creeks and lakes, sand dunes, ancient rainforests and more.

2. Exploring Australia By the Ghan Luxury Train

Enjoy Australia travel via Ghan, the luxury train named after Afghan camel drivers who once traversed this route. The trip takes you all the way from Darwin to Adelaide, across Australia. It’s the best way to take on the continent. The passenger train at 1.1km in length is the longest passenger train in the world. The train has modern suites with wooden furnishings with the dining car done up in the retro-Edwardian style. There’s a double bed in each cabin with a full en suite bathroom. The trail traverses 2979 kilometers (1851 miles) comprising of tropical regions, the Flinders Ranges, the scorching desert, the Katherine Gorge and the Red Centre.

3. Exploring The Unbelievable Uluru Rock

Uluru or ‘The Rock’ just blows your mind with its immensity, grandeur and changing the color display. Uluru and Kata Tjuta regions are owned by the Anangu peoples. At Uluru, feel free to explore the region on foot or by bike. People at times just stand and contemplate the many changing moods and colors of the great monolith itself. Watch the sunset to the music from a didgeridoo. Listen to Dreamtime stories by the campfire. Uluru is one of the most intense places to visit in Australia.

4. Driving along the Great Ocean Road

One of the greatest road trips to enjoy in Australia is the one along the Great Ocean Road. You can stop and surf at the famous surf spots Torquay and Bells Beach. Stop at the Anglesea Golf Course to get an eyeful of the kangaroos. Exclaim in awe over the magnificent rock formations of the 12 Apostles. Explore the Otway National Park with its waterfalls and lush forests. Do some whale watching in Warrnambool.

5. Exploring The Limestone Pillars of Pinnacles

Western Australia’s Turquoise Coast stretches for 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Perth. Along this coast lies the Pinnacles Desert, where you’ll see many hundreds of ancient limestone pillars that resemble alien tombstones. The Turquoise Coast is fringed by stretches of wildflowers, secluded beaches, unique wildlife, and some great fishing spots. Visit any time of the year – best any time is a good time to visit Australia.

6. White Water Rafting On The Franklin River

Tasmania’s wild coast is home to the turbulent Franklin River, which has some really scary white rapids. If you’re into white water rafting, travel 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Hobart and invest some time rafting along the 125 kilometers (78 miles) long Franklin River, all the way to the Gordon River. You can camp on riverbanks at night, and take breaks from rafting by trekking part of the way.

7. Exploring Daintree National Park

Daintree National Park is a designated Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Located in Far North Queensland, this national park is one of the most ancient ecosystems on Earth. The national park and its surrounds belong to the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal people. To them, the natural features of the park hold great spiritual significance. Enjoy the clear waters gushing over granite boulders at Mossman Gorge. At Cape Tribulation, the lush rainforest meets the reef along sugar-kissed white sandy beaches of the Coral Sea. This is one of Australia’s most beautiful places to explore. The stunningly biodiverse Daintree National Park is home over 18,000 plant species and a huge array of wildlife species. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot plenty of crocodiles, cassowary, the elusive Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo, and the giant blue Ulysses butterfly. Sign up for a wilderness safari at the resort town of Port Douglas.

8. Kangaroo Island

One of the absolutely must-visit places in Australia is Kangaroo Island, located off the coast of South Australia. Plan to spend at least a few days in this incredible island, which contains some truly spectacular wildlife. It’s a haven for Koalas, Seals, Pelicans, and Kangaroos, so many that you will simply lose count. The island contains a Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Center which hosts a show to teach people about the continent’s indigenous birds. The island’s landscape is magnificent. At sunset, be sure to enjoy the amazing view of the Remarkables, granite boulders that have been carved into strange formations naturally over 500 million years.

9. Yacht-Island-Hopping

Rent a yacht and hop the 74 islands among the Whitsunday Islands. You’ll enjoy some of the finest sailings in the world, with perfect winds, calm blue waters, and mind-blowing scenery everywhere. 69 of the 74 islands are uninhabited, so you can hop off and make camp wherever you choose. Renting a yacht that comes with a guide is easy enough – there are many tour companies that offer this service. Island hopping on the Whitsundays at the Great Barrier Reef is one of the coolest things to do in Australia.

10. Exploring the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, stretching for 2300-kilometers (1430 miles).  The main activities are flying over the Reef in a helicopter, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing and enjoying glass-bottomed boat tours on this living masterpiece. The Reef is home to the most vividly colored marine life. Explore Michaelmas Cay, a stunning reef sand island. Take a seaplane tour over Heart Reef, where the coral has formed itself into the shape of a perfect heart. Cruise the Agincourt Reef which offers more than 16 different dive sites.

Conclusion

So what are you waiting for? Make your plans and pack your bags already. Just be sure you’re not squeezing yourself into a week’s trip – there’s not much you can enjoy within a week, not with a continent like Australia. Give yourself plenty of time.