Australia is an enormous country and it can be daunting to try to figure out exactly where to explore and what to do when there. After the Blueprint Travelers traveled around the country for 3 months, we put together this list of their top 10 highlights in Australia, based on the moments that were most significant in our travels. There is no significance to the order of this list.
1
Cuddling With a Koala on Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is known for its protected nature, wildlife life, and relaxing island lifestyle that makes it so unique from the rest of Australia. Unfortunately, in late 2019 and early 2020, over 42% of the island was burned by wildfires (bushfires in Australia), which displaced and killed many wild animals. The Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park is an important conservation center for the island, especially after this natural disaster. And you can cuddle and interact with some of the animals that cannot be rehabilitated back to the wild while also supporting their conservation efforts. This is definitely one of the highlights in Australia and something that you can look to do in different parts of the country. Just make sure that you look for sustainable and ecologically-minded experiences.
2
Floating Above the Great Barrier Reef
And on top of snorkeling above the reef, we got to see some clown fish (the fish of Finding Nemo) swim in and out of an anemone, one of the big highlights in Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the world and is even visible from space. It is a remarkable and unique part of the ocean that can only be discovered by snorkeling and scuba diving into its ecosystem. Read more about the different options you have for visiting the reef from Cairns, Australia.
3
Hopping into the Ocean Pools on Sydney's Coastline
Sydney is an iconic city, known for its harbor and opera house. However, the best parts of Sydney are on the coast, including hiking to different ocean pools that are built into the coastline. Most of the pools are free for anyone to enter and they are a great place to hop in and cool down under the Australia sun.
Some of the best coastal walks include from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach where you can find a few pools between the two beaches, including the famous Iceberg Pools. Or you can walk from Split Bridge to Manly Beach, where you can find a pool at the end of your hike and plenty of secluded beaches on the way.
4
Getting a Private Tour to Explore Kakadu National Park in the Top End
Kakadu National Park, outside of Darwin, is famous for its incredible landscapes, wildlife, including the impressive saltwater crocodiles, and beautiful rock paintings by the local Aboriginal people. The main reasons for visiting Kakadu National Park are to see some of the locations of saltwater crocodiles, swim under some waterfalls during the dry season only, and visit some of the rock art.
The best way to visit Kakadu National Park is through a tour with Cyaround Australia Tours, where the tour can be designed to your own interests with an incredibly knowledgeable guide in a personalized and bespoke experience. This luxury experience is the ultimate way to vacation in this region and will be one of the highlights in Australia for you.
5
Catching Both the Sunrise and the Sunset at the 12 Apostles of the Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is one of the iconic road trips within Australia and takes you along the amazing coastline and rock formations of Southern Australia. The Twelve Apostles are one of the main attractions of the road trip, having been formed by erosion over the last thousands of years. With the way that we designed our road trip, we were able to see these formations at both sunset and sunrise, one of our highlights in Australia. You can check out this itinerary at the link below. (It’s the 3 days, option 2 itinerary.)
6
Going to a Variety of Pubs and Cocktail Bars in the Fitzroy Suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia is the culture capital of the country and is a great place to wander, explore, and take in the food, art, music, history, and sports that make this city so vibrant. The Fitzroy suburb is considered the bohemian and youthful part of the metropolitan area and is full of restaurants, bars, clubs, and boutiques. Some places that are worth checking out in this area include Naked for Satan for a nice rooftop bar with views of the sunset over the skyline, the Black Pearl for cocktails in a speakeasy-style bar, or the Napier Hotel for a classic Australian pub vibe.
7
Watching the Sunset at Uluru in the Red Center
The Red Center of Australia is an iconic landscape that stands out as a visually mesmerizing part of the country. Uluru is a unique and enormous rock that protrudes out of the ground in the center of the desert of Australia. It is striking and not only a tourist attraction; it has been a a spiritual and ceremonial site for the local Aboriginal people who have inhabited Australia for over 50,000 years.
Seeing the sun set over this rock is a special moment that is one of the highlights in Australia. You can’t help but think about all the people who have experienced a sunset over this rock throughout thousands of years.
8
Hiking Through and Around Freycinet National Park
Freycinet National Park is one of 19 national parks in Tasmania and a great way to explore the landscape of the island. The Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach hike is one of the most popular hikes in the area. It takes you up to a viewpoint where you can see Wineglass Bay on one side and Hazards Beach on the other side. Besides this long hike, there are isolated bays where you can go swim and other viewpoints where you can see the dramatic cliffs along the coast (and potentially whales!)
9
Hiking to Little Secluded Beaches in Noosa in the Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast is the beachland north of Brisbane. The communities here are artsy and bohemian and the ocean is perfect for surfers at any level and avid beach goers looking for a relaxing beach destination with a boutique flair. Noosa National Park is a coastal region of the Sunshine Coast that is full of coastal fauna and a beachline that is popular for surfing. To reach some of the more beautiful and isolated locations around the national park, you will need to hike along the coast. Make sure to bring a bathing suit and towel because you will not be able to resist the quaint beaches along the way that are true highlights in Australia.
This national park is located within the popular town of Noosa along the Sunshine Coast. This town combines laid-back luxury with stunning natural beauty in its surfer beaches.
10
Attending Local Sports Games - Cricket
Going to sporting events in different countries can be very interesting. Countries play different sports and seeing the culture and interests of locals can be very exciting.
During our time in Australia, we had the opportunity to go to a cricket match to watch the reigning champions, the Brisbane Heat, at their hometown opening game. (Unfortunately, the Australian Football League was on summer break during our entire time in the country or we would have gone to one of their games as well.) It was fun to get to participate in the local customs of attending a sporting event and observe the similarities and differences to what we have experienced in other countries.
