Australia —
the around the world trip that had everything
Nicola did this as part of an around the world trip with friends — flying from Singapore into Perth, working her way across Australia, through Tasmania, New Zealand and back via the Northern Territory, Honolulu and LA. Australia alone delivered the Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island, the Whitsundays catamaran, a helicopter over the Twelve Apostles, Sydney Opera House, Palm Beach twice for Home and Away, a road trip to Canberra and Melbourne, the little penguins of Phillip Island, Alice Springs saloons and three nights at Uluru. It is hard to think of a country that packs more in.
Watch our Sydney video first 🎬
What a country. What a contrast. What a trip.
This was part of an around the world trip that Nicola did with friends — flying from Singapore into Perth and eventually making her way home via the Northern Territory, New Zealand, Honolulu and LA. Australia took up a huge chunk of that adventure and delivered something completely new at every single stop.
Perth started the Australian chapter — a couple of nights in the most isolated major city on earth with a private taxi driver who gave them a city tour of Perth and its surrounds. Nice enough but honestly not one of Australia's most immediately characterful cities. The real magic was still to come.
The East Coast tour — Cairns, the reef, Fraser Island, the Whitsundays, Sydney, the road south to Melbourne — was the kind of trip that takes years to properly absorb. And then the Northern Territory, done independently after New Zealand, added an entirely different dimension. Alice Springs, the flying doctors, the saloon bars and three nights at Uluru. One continuous adventure from beginning to end.
We also spent time in Tasmania — which completely caught us off guard and turned out to be one of the most jaw-dropping places on the entire trip. And from Australia we continued the adventure into New Zealand — which is covered in its own page.
The moments that stayed with us
One of Nicola's absolute favourite experiences of the entire trip. Two dives on the Great Barrier Reef — the world beneath the ocean is something else entirely. The colour, the life, the scale of it. No snorkel comes close.
The world's largest sand island — utterly gorgeous. Lakes in the middle of sand dunes, dingo-filled beaches and a landscape unlike anything else in Australia.
Out on a catamaran in the Whitsundays — one of the most beautiful stretches of ocean in the world. The water, the islands, the light. Every bit as stunning as it looks.
Seeing the Twelve Apostles from the air is something else entirely. The scale of the rock formations rising from the Southern Ocean is breathtaking from the ground — from a helicopter it is extraordinary.
Going to see an opera at the Sydney Opera House is one of those things you do because you absolutely have to — and it completely delivered. Inside the building is as extraordinary as outside it.
Missed the cast on the first visit. Went back the next day. Saw Brax. Completely worth it. Nicola was delighted. No further explanation required. 😄
Melbourne is brilliant — lots of Irish, great food, a proper city vibe. But Phillip Island's little penguins waddling up the beach at dusk is one of those genuinely magical natural experiences.
The most unforgettable part of the entire Australian adventure. Three nights gave time to really experience the place — watching the light change, understanding the significance and feeling the extraordinary silence of the Red Centre.
Perth — the most isolated city on earth
The Australian adventure began in Perth — flying in from Singapore, the first stop on Australian soil. They hired a private taxi driver who gave them a personal city tour of Perth and the surrounding area, which was a lovely way to get oriented.
Perth is pleasant — clean, sunny, beautifully situated on the Swan River — but it's honest to say it felt a little devoid of character compared to what was coming. It's the most geographically isolated major city on earth, which gives it a certain self-contained quality. Nice to begin there, but the real adventure was ahead.
The Blue Mountains were breathtaking — absolutely out of this world. Driving through them with the vast green valleys dropping away on all sides and the haze hanging in the eucalyptus air is one of those experiences that stays with you.
Diving the Great Barrier Reef — one of the best things we've ever done
The Great Barrier Reef is one of those bucket list experiences that people sometimes worry will disappoint — too hyped, too touristy. It does not disappoint. Nicola did two dives and rates it as one of her absolute favourite experiences of the entire around the world trip. The reef stretches over 2,300km along the Queensland coast and diving it is genuinely like entering another world.
The colour of the coral, the variety of the fish, the clarity of the water and the sheer otherness of spending time beneath the ocean's surface — it is extraordinary. Even for an inexperienced diver, the guided dive experience is accessible and absolutely worthwhile. Do not settle for just snorkelling if you can dive.
Disclosure: If you book through this link we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Fraser Island, the Whitsundays and the East Coast tour
Fraser Island was gorgeous — the world's largest sand island, with freshwater lakes sitting incongruously in the middle of sand dunes, dingoes roaming the beaches and a landscape that looks like it shouldn't exist but absolutely does. A brilliant stop that often gets overlooked by people racing between Cairns and Sydney.
The Whitsundays were everything they promised. Out on a catamaran in the middle of some of the most beautiful water in the world — the Coral Sea, dotted with islands, the impossibly white sand of Whitehaven Beach in the distance. One of those days where you keep stopping to make sure what you're seeing is actually real.
Byron Bay brought the relaxed East Coast energy — easy-going, sunny and the kind of place that immediately makes you want to slow down. One of those places you can understand why people go for a week and end up staying for a month.
And then there was the overnight stay on a ranch — one of those unexpected tour stops that turns into a brilliant memory. Horses, red dust, a night under the stars somewhere out in the Australian countryside. Class craic.
Sydney — sunshine, the Opera House and two trips to Palm Beach
Sydney is everything it's supposed to be — the Opera House is as magnificent in person as in every photograph, the harbour is stunning and the sunshine is relentless. The buzz of arriving in Sydney for the first time is something genuinely special.
Going to see an opera at the Sydney Opera House was a bucket list moment done properly — inside the building is as extraordinary as outside it, and the experience of being in one of the world's most iconic buildings for a performance is something that stays with you.
Beyond the Home and Away pilgrimage, Sydney gave brilliant beach time at Bondi, the harbour walk, great food and that easy Australian warmth that makes the city feel immediately welcoming to Irish visitors.
The road south — Canberra, the Great Ocean Road and Melbourne
After Sydney, they rented a car and drove south — stopping in Canberra for a day. Australia's purpose-built capital is genuinely interesting — the parliament buildings, the National War Memorial, the beautiful lake at the heart of the planned city. Worth a day if you're driving between Sydney and Melbourne.
Then came one of the great moments of the entire trip — a helicopter flight over the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road. The limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean are spectacular from the cliff tops — from the air they are extraordinary. One of those upgrades that is absolutely worth every cent.
Melbourne was a revelation. Lots of Irish people, a brilliant food and café scene, beautiful architecture and a character completely different to Sydney. The highlight was Phillip Island's little penguins — watching the tiny fairy penguins waddle up the beach at dusk in their hundreds is one of those genuinely magical natural experiences that stays with you for years.
The Northern Territory — a completely different Australia
After New Zealand, Nicola flew independently into Alice Springs to do a tour of the Northern Territory — and this part of the trip turned out to be just as extraordinary as anything that had come before it.
Alice Springs is completely unlike the rest of Australia. A frontier town in the middle of the Outback, surrounded by the MacDonnell Ranges, with a distinct character all of its own. The Royal Flying Doctor Service museum was genuinely fascinating — the story of how medical care reaches the most remote communities in one of the world's most sparsely populated landscapes is extraordinary. And the saloon bars were absolutely brilliant craic — proper Outback pub culture that felt like something out of a film.
Uluru — three nights, which made all the difference. Uluru has a presence and a power that simply cannot be captured in photographs. It is not just the scale of it — though the scale is extraordinary — it is the feeling that surrounds it. Walking the base of the rock at different times of day, watching the colour change from red to gold to purple as the sun moves, understanding a little of what this place means to the Anangu people — it leaves a mark on you that does not fade.
Some places are famous for a reason. This is one of them.
Our guide to Alice Springs reel
Book an Australia tour through TourRadar
Australia is enormous and the highlights are spread across a vast country. A structured tour takes the stress out of coordinating transport, accommodation and the route between stops — and means you see far more than you would trying to piece it all together yourself. TourRadar has brilliant Australia tours covering the East Coast, the Northern Territory and beyond.
Disclosure: Affiliate link — if you book through it we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Book Australia experiences with GetYourGuide
Great Barrier Reef dives, Sydney Opera House tours, Twelve Apostles helicopter flights, Uluru experiences, Phillip Island penguin tours and much more:
Disclosure: If you book through these links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
Australia FAQ
What to pack for Australia
Australia packing essentials
Australia means heat, beach stops, Outback landscapes and long travel days all on the one trip. These are the things we'd pack without hesitation.
Absolutely essential — the sun in Australia is no joke, especially at the reef and in the Outback. High SPF is a must.
View on Amazon →The sun is intense — a proper hat makes sightseeing, diving and Outback exploring so much more comfortable.
View on Amazon →Essential in the heat — especially heading into drier areas like Alice Springs and the Northern Territory.
View on Amazon →Worth having for tropical areas, evenings near water and anywhere around Uluru at dawn and dusk.
View on Amazon →Handy across such a vast country — maps, bookings and staying connected without expensive roaming.
View on Amazon →Australia uses Type I plugs — different to Ireland. Don't arrive on day one with nothing charged.
View on Amazon →Long days out taking photos will drain your battery faster than you think — especially at the reef and at Uluru.
View on Amazon →Handy for the Uluru base walk, Blue Mountains trails and any outdoor days in the national parks.
View on Amazon →Disclosure: These are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
🚗 Hiring a car in Australia?
We rented a car for the Sydney to Melbourne leg — it made all the difference for stopping at the Twelve Apostles and Canberra at our own pace. Klook has competitive car rental rates worth checking.
Disclosure: If you book through this link we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Planning your own Australia trip?
Dive the reef. Get out on the Whitsundays. Go to the Opera House. Drive to the Twelve Apostles. Spend three nights at Uluru. Australia rewards every bit of effort you put into it.
Affiliate disclosure: if you book through our links we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. We only recommend experiences we've done ourselves.