Australia is a great place for a vacation. With a land mass about the size of the continental United States, there are many great sites to see. Although it’s a long flight, it’s well worth it. Most visitors focus on the more popular tourist attractions such as Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, The Great Barrier Reef and Ayers Rock in the outback . There are many sites to explore in this vast land. Having visited several times and lived in Australia for 2 years, I was fortunate enough to be able to travel around to many of the lesser known locations. If time permits, I highly recommend the top five off the beaten path towns.
1. Byron Bay – is located about 480 miles north of Sydney. It’s a picturesque beach town where many surfers and artists gather to enjoy the sun, sand and waves. This relaxed town not only has great surf, but if you travel to Cape Byron Lighthouse, you can stand at the farthest east point of Australia’s continent. This point has spectacular views. Between June and November, thousands of humpback whales pass by.
2. Monkey Mia - located on the west coast of Australia roughly 500 miles north of Perth, offers great snorkeling and beautiful beaches. The biggest attraction in this small beachside town is the large population of wild bottle nosed dolphins. Although the park rangers have specific feeding times with the dolphins, they are known to come up to swimmers and boats at all hours to interact with the people. They have become very comfortable with human interaction. Dugongs are also seen regularly.
3. Kangaroo Island – this is Australia’s third largest island. This is a must see destination for nature enthusiasts. The cheapest way to get to this island is a 45 minute ferry ride from the mainland south of Adelaide. A vast array of wild life can be seen on this island from sea lions in Seal Bay, koalas (which are not bears contrary to popular belief, but marsupials), echidnas searching for insects, kangaroos, wallabies, goannas, penguins and numerous species of birds. On the other side of the island, there are fantastic rock landscapes.
4. Daintree Rainforest – roughly 70 miles north of Cairns, this amazing tropical rainforest holds many great wonders. The untouched beauty and isolated location allows the visitor to truly experience the sights and sounds of the rain forest. It is home to the largest range of wildlife and plants in the world ranging from frogs, snakes, crocodiles, tropical birds, green ants, bats and butterflies. On my visit, I attended an exotic fruit tasting. An event not to be missed.
5. Coober Pedy – a little over 500 miles north of Adelaide is the Opal capital of the world. Exploring the opal mines is a must. Because of the heat, many of the locals live underground. There are some really nice bed and breakfasts underground. Definitely a unique experience. Beware, the landscape is sparse so much so that this location was used to film ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’ and ‘Red Planet’.
If time is not an issue, but money is, one of the best ways to get around Australia to see these sites is in a Wicked Van. These fun whimsical camper vans offer transportation and accommodation all in one.
Go on and step off the beaten path. Explore some of the uniqueness that is Australia.
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