2020 is certainly shaping up to be an interesting year for the Travel industry. Australia suffered terrible bushfires, which it was just starting to recover from and now we have been hit by the Corona pandemic. In the blink of an eye the world shut down, to try and get a grip on the continuous spread. Many people have had their dream overseas holidays cancelled, as Australia and the world have locked down their boarders. Here we are trying and prevent our population from suffering the terrible lose of lives we have seen in other countries, and thus far our isolation has been successful on most accounts.
For many months now we have all been confined in our homes dreaming of getting out and where our next adventure will take us. Initially, we will not be able to go overseas like many of us would love to do. Living in Melbourne we crave a winter get away but this year we are just going to have to battle through and postpone our Travels to the Thailand or Bali sunshine for another year.
Gradually, we are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel, with local and regional travels given the go ahead, now, domestic travels are looking likely in the near future. The travel industry has been suffering like many other people in business worldwide, from the effects of the Corona virus crisis. The travel industry was one of the first to be hit by the illness and it will likely be one of the last to recover, as people have less available income to spend on holidays. They are also reluctant to visit places that may have not eradicated the virus.
Since we are going to travel here in Australia for the foreseeable future, I thought I would write a blog on some of my favourite places to visit in Australia and some of the reasons you might like to visit them. Through business and leisure, I have been to every state and territory in Australia at one time or another, some I have stayed weeks and some only a few days. I have lived in both Sydney and Melbourne and travelled the East coast from the tip of Qld to the bottom of Tasmania with numerous stops in between. There are still a number of places on my list, including Broome and the Kimberley region. We have a bucket list caravanning lap of the country planned for “one day” in the future, just to take it all in. Our country is vast and there are many different places to choose from.
Here are my top 5 suggestions on where to go for your great Australian getaway in 2020. These are in no particular order as it would be so hard to choose what was the best.
1/ Tasmania-
I used to visit Tasmania for work on a regular basis. I would fly into the Northern areas of Burnie, Devonport and Launceston and drive down the length of the island finishing in Hobart. I have done this 2 hour road trip countless times, but there are a number of beautiful towns that you can stop off at along the way.
Towards the top of the island, one of the most popular places to visit for those who love nature is Cradle Mountain. If you have over a week you could hike one of Australia’s most popular hiking trails called the overland track. If time is more limited there are a number of walking trails around this natural paradise, that cater for all levels of difficulty. Forests, lakes, plains and wildlife as well as the famed mountain view itself, are the driving forces for tourists who come to this area.
Launceston is an interesting city with it’s colonial style architecture, and one of my favourite things to do when I come to Tasmania is eat. The food is just divine, it is usually locally sourced and very fresh and extra tasty. You might like to head up to the Tamar valley wine area from Launceston to check out the fine wine offerings.
Across the island to the East is the popular Freycinet Peninsula, home of wineglass bay, the picture perfect white sandy beach known as one of the best and most beautiful beaches in the world. Kayaking, fishing, rock climbing, eating, hiking and relaxing are some of the options of things to do here, they also offer site seeing cruises to explore from the water.
Heading south you’ll find Tasmania’s capital Hobart, built on the Derwent river it has an idyllic harbourside location. This harbourside is filled with yachts once a year at the completion of the Sydney to Harbour yacht race, but generally it is home to leisure and fishing boats with the occasional charter cruise options. To the side of the harbour is Salamanca Place, this is the place to be on a Saturday when they hold a weekly market. It is full of crafts, and locally grown produce. Every other day it is home to great souvenir shops and cafes which all show case Tasmania’s tasty foods and wines.
Popular day trips from Hobart are visits to the MONA (museum of old and new art) museum, known for it’s whacky and controversial collections. Which just happens to share it’s location with another winery. Then another must, is a visit to the world heritage listed site of Port Arthur. Known to be Australia’s best preserved convict site, full of interesting history.
This is just touching the surface on what Tasmania has to offer. Victorians can also go across on the Spirit of Tasmania Ferry, it sails from Port Melbourne daily. You can take you car on the ferry with you to make getting around the island even easier.
2/ Nth QLD and the Great Barrier Reef-
Queensland (Qld) is a big place, you would generally not see all of Qld in one go, unless you had a few months to travel. More often than not tourists fly into one part and concentrate on that smaller region. In the south of the state, you have the Gold Coast, which is one of the most popular places families visit, theme parks are the huge draw card here. We used to go here every year when I was younger for our annual family holiday. We loved the fun of Dreamworld, SeaWorld and the like.
Further north people can fly into the sunshine coast, which offers easy access to the Whitsunday islands and one end of the Great Barrier Reef. Then further north again with access through Cairns airport we can fly into Northern Qld. The major draw card for Qld as a whole is the warm and sunny weather, winter is the perfect time for the Southern Aussies to migrate up to enjoy what sunny Qld has to offer. Cairns offers access to both the rainforest and the reef with stunning scenery to experience both from the air (if you can) and at sea.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth and can be seen from outer space. It is made up of many species of corals and fish and is so interesting to experience. There are literally 100’s of options you can take to get your self out to the reef, some more adventurous than others. You don’t even have to go into the water to experience the beauty of the reef but it is obviously best if you can. Swimming with the marine life there is one of my highlights, although I was scared of one big groper who had his eye on me.
Many people will head out to Kuranda to experience the mountain village markets, you can get there by cable car or train and both are a treat with scenic views on offer. You can also head down to the romantic seaside village of Palm cove, this is where a number of the high end hotel resorts are located. Cairns itself offers aboriginal culture, adventure sports and a social vibe along the esplanade, you can take a dip in the salt water lagoon here too. Venturing into other waters up north can be dangerous as remember we have salt water crocodiles lurking below looking for their snacks.
3/Uluru-
Visiting Uluru is quite spiritual. Some places you just feel at peace and you look at where you are in amazement and wonder. I have felt this way at places like Stonehenge in England, The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the temples of Bagan in Myanmar and Uluru in the Northern Territory. It just has that special feel that comes with the history and meaning it has to the Aboriginal culture of Australia. Unless you are doing a trip around Australia and taking in the sites, it is probably not somewhere you are going to drive too. It is pretty much in the middle of nowhere and not particularly close to anywhere besides the neighbouring Alice Springs. Which is still about a 5 hour drive. The iconic outback train, The Ghan, that goes from Adelaide to Darwin stops in Alice Springs taking in some of the other options the red centre has to offer. This might be another option if wanting to experience more of the country.
For Uluru itself you could stay as long as you would like to explore the area and it’s surrounds but it is the perfect destination to come for an extended weekend getaway. There is only really one place to stay here and that is the resort called Ayres Rock Resort. It is a huge complex, morphed into it’s surrounding scenery that offers accommodation on every different level, from 5 star to camping and everything in between.
The resort is a gateway to the National park and the scenic sites and experiences that await you once you leave it’s gates. Obviously, you are going to explore Uluru from every angle. Climbing the rock is taboo, but walking it’s base is interesting and rewarding. You learn a lot about the Aboriginal culture and community, the history of the land and the traditions associated with the native culture. You can see the rock at sunrise, during the day and during the evening at sunset, there are a number of tours that cater to seeing it in every way.
The popular sounds of silence tour takes you to a BBQ dinner of an evening, tasting delicacies such as crocodile and kangaroo and experiencing the sounds of the digeridoo. You see the colours of the rock as the sunsets then see the sky open up above, with a million stars as you dine in the desert under the moon light.
Equally as impressive as Uluru and still in Kata Tjuta National Park is the Valley of the winds, some other more rounded rock formations. The red earth in this region is striking and something you will never forget.
4/ Sydney and surrounds
Sydney is where I grew up so I know it pretty well. My family still live here so we will often go back once or twice a year. Sydney is best known for the picturesque harbourside and a number of the things to do here are based around this location. You can easily catch the Sydney harbour ferries around, they are a reasonably cheap form of public transport. They will take you to popular places like Luna Park, Taronga Zoo, Manly Beach, Cockle Bay (Darling harbour) and further afield down the Parramatta river if you wanted to venture outside the main tourist spots. There are a number of great dining options in and around the harbour too. The Rocks is a quaint historic area just under the harbour bridge that is great to explore. Full of old historical pubs, restaurants, shops and they even have a huge outdoor market on the weekends. They sell all types of weird and wonderful things, a lot with an Australiana theme, making them good souvenirs. Be sure to capture some tourist pictures of the bridge and the opera house from the many vantage points.
Besides venturing to one of the many famous beaches around Sydney and enjoying the great outdoors at places like Bondi or Palm beach, you could travel further afield and explore some of the places Sydney siders might go for a weekend away.
It’s about 5 hours drive from Sydney to get to the Thredbo or Perisher snow fields. Besides the obvious skiing and snow boarding the National park is home to many outdoor activities all year around. Fishing and adventure sports are high on the list.
If your not into this type of thing you could head north of Sydney instead. Approx. 4 hours drive is the famed Hunter Valley. Popular for foodies and wine buffs and those just wanting a romantic getaway. Golf courses and luxury spas neighbour each other, along with the many options of wineries and restaurants for good food and fine wine tours.
5/ Melbourne and surrounds-
Melbourne is where I live now, having family visit from interstate and liking to get out and about ourselves, I think we have managed to explore the city and further afield significantly. Usually people would choose to come to Melbourne for the sports, arts or events and food. Melbourne is generally buzzing with an event or festival of some sort. Home of the Australian open, Australian grand prix, AFL and a number of theatre productions you can usually book in an activity to coincide with your visit. There are also a number of museums and markets to explore if there is not an event on. You can catch a free tram around the city and explore the famous laneways, shops and restaurants.
To venture out of the city most people would choose one or two iconic trips. The first being the Great Ocean Road and the second is Phillip island. The Great Ocean Road is known for the 12 apostle rock formations and is one of the most famous road trips in the world. Besides the rocks there are a number of interesting coastal towns along the way. Surfers will know Torquay and the famous Bell’s beach but another place I love is the Otways. There is a tree top walk that is very interesting to explore. Depending on how far you wish to drive and for how long, you could also visit towns like Lorne, Warnambool and Port Fairy. All are seaside towns with their own unique vibes. If it is the right season whale watching is popular along this seaside coast too.
Phillip Island is usually where tourists go to see the penguins. The penguin parade happens at dusk and they are very cute to watch. Phillip Island also offers much more than just the penguins, it has a number of shops and restaurants that are interesting to explore, a historical village that puts on shows like sheering sheep and cracking a whip. The beach is lovely in summer but equally pretty in winter you just might need an extra warm jacket. There are a number of walks and ways you can check out the wild life, produce and offerings of the island itself. It is about a 2 hours drive from the city to get here.
I have not mentioned South Australia, Western Australia, or the Australian Capital territory which have equally as impressive sites and things to do, I could easily help you plan an Aussie getaway in any of our beautiful states or territories and that includes NZ if the trans tasman bubble opens up. I’ll keep that one for another blog. Contact me anytime via email at kylie@kb4travel.com.au or follow along on Facebook for travel deals or Instagram for travel pictures and inspiration.
