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Cairns, Australia
It may be a city and quite a decent one at that but Cairns is primarily a base
for exploring some of nature’s great wonders. This is the best spot to check out
the Great Barrier Reef, one of our ten once in a lifetime trips with plenty of
scuba-diving options available for you to get close up to the coral. Thrill
seekers will enjoy the opportunity to bungee-jump or sky-dive while the Wet
Tropics Rainforest is another essential visit.
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Townsville, Australia
Sparsely populated Magnetic Island is reachable from Townsville. It’s good for
jet skiing, bush walks and boozy nights and is Australia’s best destination for
full moon parties. A very popular stop for party-loving independent travellers
or those on an Australia backpacking tour. Things have been a lot quieter here
in recent years due to the pandemic but should liven up in 2023 and beyond as
backpackers return to Australia in larger numbers once more.
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Magnetic Island, Australia
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Airlie Beach, Australia
Airlie Beach is another of the best places to backpack in Australia with a very
chilled out vibe in the day but also plenty of nightlife options with parties
going on well into the small hours. The Whitsundays are gorgeous and are made up
of 74 stunning islands. Don’t be surprised if you end up spending longer than
you planned here!
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Whitsunday Islands, Australia
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Fraser Island, Australia
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Noosa, Australia
Yet more glorious long sandy beaches and nearby national parks make Noosa
another popular stop with backpackers in Australia. Make it to the Glasshouse
Mountains and you will get a terrific panoramic view of the whole Sunshine
Coast.
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Brisbane City, Australia
City lovers rejoice as this is the capital of Australia’s sunshine state and a
good chance to stock up on anything you need at the 700+ stores in the city’s
central shopping mall. It’s a lively city famed for its live music and large
numbers of bars and clubs. With a relaxed riverside location, Australia’s third
largest and fastest growing city generally leaves a positive impression on
visitors and it has been chosen as the host of the 2032 Olympic Games.
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Gold Coast, Australia
Just south of Brisbane is Gold Coast, a city of around 500,000 people based as
the name would suggest on the coast. Surfers Paradise is its touristy hub with
an array of high rise structures, late night venues (some very seedy) and lots
of drunk people. It’s a popular destination with Australian teens celebrating
the end of high school. You’ll either love it or hate it.
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Byron Bay, Australia
A relaxing beach setting and another essential stop for anyone solo backpacking
Australia. Byron Bay is a popular place to learn to surf while you can also
kayak alongside dolphins and even do a bit of skydiving if that’s your thing.
Note that doing lots of these kinds of extra activities will quickly eat into
your budget. Consider allowing a bit more than the suggested figures at the top
of the page if that’s your plan.
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Nimbin, Australia
The next stop on our Australia backpacking route is Nimbin which has gained a
reputation as a bit of a hippy town and it’s a nice inland spot if you’re
getting a bit sick of the whole beach thing. It can be visited on its own or on
a day-trip from Byron Bay. The nearby Nightcap national park is home to an array
of peaks, waterfalls and wildlife.
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Sydney, Australia
One of the most easily recognisable cities in the world thanks to the iconic
Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Its setting is one of the best of any
major city in the world and a boat trip or water-taxi in and around the Darling
Harbour area is a must.
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Melbourne, Australia
With a distinctly different vibe from Sydney, Melbourne is less brash and
maintains a European cultural vibe with plenty of quaint remnants of Britain.
Melbourne is viewed by some as the sports capital of the world, with sports mad
residents and major international events such as the Australian Open Tennis and
Formula 1 taking place in the city as well as numerous teams in Australia’s
sports leagues. There are also enough museums, galleries and theatres to
entertain culture vultures while the multicultural population serves up a range
of different cuisines.
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Kangaroo Island, Australia
A large island off the coast of Southern Australia home to an abundance of
wildlife including – you guessed it – kangaroos! It’s a very scenic place and
has a few different settlements so pick one and base yourself there for a few
days whilst getting out and exploring the many nature reserves.
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Perth, Australia
Unless you have a sadistic love of coach journeys that last days then you will
probably need to fly from Alice Springs to Perth but unfortunately there are no
direct connections at the time of writing (September 2022). Therefore it can set
you back as much as 500 AUD to reach the city by air and anyone primarily
focused on an doing an East Coast Australia backpacking route will need to
consider whether it is really worth the cost and effort of heading this far
west.
Perth is a large but relaxed place and incredibly isolated from the rest of the
county’s urban areas. Days can be spent on the beach, cycling around the city or
visiting nearby nature reserves. At night, enjoy a drink in one of the many pubs
or delve into the indie or drum and bass music scenes.
On a slightly more positive note, as the westernmost city in Australia, ending
in Perth will probably make your onward journey or trip home a fraction shorter
and many major international airlines do fly in and out of the city. If you are
planning on visiting New Zealand after Australia, it may be more sensible to do
this trip in reverse and start in Perth before ending in Cairns.
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Bali Canggu, Indonesia