Australia?

[Tocho]

So, I'm going to Australia next year. I don't know for how long yet, but I'm most likely staying the full year that the visa allows. (provided I don't run out of money)

But I have a few questions, and would be very grateful for anyone taking the time to help. I'll be on a WHV (Working Holiday Visa) and I'm looking to work in agriculture (read: fruit picking) for 88 days to be allowed a second year in Australia later on, but I'll work other jobs as well to support myself financially, of course.

First things first: WHEN should I go? Currently I'm debating whether I should arrive in June or August. I graduate just a week before the flight in June, so that'd be nice to travel immediately afterwards, but I'm not sure. Any thoughts on when it'd be best to arrive?

Is Western Australia worth it? I'm sure it's a great place but with a somewhat limited budget, I think it's better to check out WA when I return for the second year/some other time. Right?

I've read tons of stuff about Australia; what to do, where to go, what you mustn't miss, what isn't worth your time, etc. But, like everything else, opinions from the people actually living there/that have been there is much more reliable and credible. Especially true for the incredible NF community.

So - I was thinking of starting in Melbourne/Victoria, travelling east, get to Sydney, then move up along the east coast. Although, if I want to go to Darwin/(northern) NT - when would this fit best in? Is there any place I absolutely HAVE to see when in Australia? Is Uluru/Ayers Rock worth it? (considering how it's located in the middle of nowhere)

Are there any places/things I should avoid doing, and why? Are there any places/things I definitely have to visit/do, and why?

And yes, I'll be travelling alone.

Any thoughts and/or replies are much appreciated, thanks in advance for helping.

PS: Australia is ridiculously big.

[Lachy]

Hey Tocho, yeah, Australia is BIG. And mostly empty!

I'm not sure when picking season is, might be a good idea to find out so you can plan your timing around that. I'd think arrive with 2 months of kicking around seeing stuff, then pick (replenish the funds), then travel again. But you might think differently.

You'll probably be staying in backpacker hostels, you'll meet tons of people and your plans will change for sure as you fall in with groups, so don't plan too strenuously. Starting either in the north or south on the East Coast is probably best, and then work your way in the other direction.

As for things to see/avoid ... not really sure. I've never been to Ullaroo myself, maybe one day. Things like beaches you'll see plenty of. Maybe if you throw out some places you've heard of we can give an opinion on them?

[Tocho]

Hey Tocho, yeah, Australia is BIG. And mostly empty!

I'm not sure when picking season is, might be a good idea to find out so you can plan your timing around that. I'd think arrive with 2 months of kicking around seeing stuff, then pick (replenish the funds), then travel again. But you might think differently.

You'll probably be staying in backpacker hostels, you'll meet tons of people and your plans will change for sure as you fall in with groups, so don't plan too strenuously. Starting either in the north or south on the East Coast is probably best, and then work your way in the other direction.

As for things to see/avoid ... not really sure. I've never been to Ullaroo myself, maybe one day. Things like beaches you'll see plenty of. Maybe if you throw out some places you've heard of we can give an opinion on them?

Yay, someone replied! I was worried, considering how empty the travelling part of this forum is. Australia is kind of TOO big.

Yeah, picking season is mainly August-May, so almost year-round. (although the peak is November-February I suppose) Forgot to ask something in my initial post: how vital is a driver's licence? I mean, I'm not going to buy a car and drive around in Australia anyway. At the moment I'm getting my driver's licence but I may not have finished it before leaving for Australia. Or is this something I should really focus on so that I have my driver's licence before going there?

And yep, I'll be staying in backpacker hostels (most of the time). I've realised my plans will change, but just a general plan would be nice still. Would it be best to get to Darwin from Cairns? Or from Melbourne/Sydney? If you know. I'm most likely starting out in/near Melbourne. (I'm visiting a friend who lives "near" Melbourne, too. Most likely in the beginning of the trip)

And right, things/places. I'll obviously (try to) learn to surf haha. I will skydive at some point, probably near Cairns. I'm not sure about going to Uluru though. I'll dive/snorkle at the Great Barrier Reef, because nature is beautiful and that's also something you "have to do". I'm definitely not going to Tasmania unless someone convinces me with plenty of very good reasons. I might visit the Kakadu National Park when/if I go to NT.

I haven't really planned all too much when it comes to "touristy" things to do, but I'll find out eventually. Meanwhile, if anyone has any hidden gem worth sharing/that they want to share, that'd be great.

Thanks in advance.

[QuinnFerno]

Hi Tocho,

I'm from far north Qld, and my travel experience around Australia is mostly restricted to east coast, haven't been down as far as Victoria or over to WA. If you want to learn surfing you'd be best doing that down in NSW/Sydney area, up north the Great Barrier Reef blocks most of the surf and we have lots of dangerous jellyfish in summer. I'd suggest for tourist reasons spending the summer in NSW/southern end of east coast and then in spring or autumn coming up North, checking out the Great Barrier Reef, maybe the Whitsunday Islands (where I plan to take my next holidays, and fruit picking available in Bowen right nearby). BUT from a fruit-picking point of view summer is mango season up here so more fruit-picking jobs.

I'd like to see Melbourne one day, not really sure why but lots of people seem to like the place so I'll have to find out why. Also they had cool tourist ads with big balls of yarn ...

The only thing I'm keen to do in WA is camel riding on the beach watching the sun set over the ocean.

Tasmania held no interest for me at all until I started looking at it from the perspective of all the naturally grown food down there, big apple trees, free range farms etc.

It really depends on your main interests. I'm only interested in nature really, so Daintree Rainforest, snorkelling in the Whitsundays etc are the attractions I'd be interested in. If you're into big cities, architecture, history etc, then I'll probably have no clue how to help. It depends how much our country differs from yours and in what areas, so you make the most of the experience.

I think a driver's licence would be wise, to open up job oppportunities as well as from a safety perspective.

I'm probably going to ruffle some feathers here, but I see no point in visiting Brisbane. Hate that place. Lol. Though Highfields nearby (near Toowoomba) has a chocolate cottage with great homemade chocolates. But maybe that's not so special considering where you're from

[70Kel]

Hi,

I live in Brisbane and can vouch for Uluru. By far Australia's most unique place in my opinion (expensive though so only stay for a short period) & I'm not into the outback! There is also the Olga's to visit while you are out there (lots of walking:])

I would suggest to look up http://www.flightcentre.com.au/?gclid=CO2PvP7HhbQCFUE5pgodO0EA8g for flight details. I'm presuming your international flight will get you to Melbourne or Sydney, then if so, I would book a flight to Uluru (might have to go via Alice Springs) & then one from Uluru to Darwin, Darwin to Cairns. Then work your way down the east coast back to Sydney/Melbourne to fly home.

Queensland you have great barrier reef, I'd recommend Quicksilver tours from Port Douglas (north of Cairns) expensive but I have been told it is by far the best day out for snorkeling on the reef. the Whitsundays are also awesome & if you like sand islands, big surf with beautiful fresh water lakes, Fraser Island is a must (near Hervey Bay). All those areas cater big time for backpackers.

Car Licence will help to keep the costs down if you team up with other backpackers but that is up to you. I personally would fly Cairns, Proserpine (whitsundays), Proserpine to Brisbane & drive to Hervey Bay (or drive from Proserpine), pretty sure there is fruit picking at Childers/Bundaberg regions (don't think you will get a direct flight to Hervey Bay from Proserpine, can get a bus though or train? Another option..)

Lots to do in Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne re:touristy things.

Enjoy

[Tocho]

Woah, so many replies. Thank you everyone for helping out

It really depends on your main interests. I'm only interested in nature really, so Daintree Rainforest, snorkelling in the Whitsundays etc are the attractions I'd be interested in. If you're into big cities, architecture, history etc, then I'll probably have no clue how to help. It depends how much our country differs from yours and in what areas, so you make the most of the experience.

I think a driver's licence would be wise, to open up job oppportunities as well as from a safety perspective.

I'm probably going to ruffle some feathers here, but I see no point in visiting Brisbane. Hate that place. Lol.

Haha why do I keep seeing people hating on Brisbane! I'm interested in nature, but also cities to a certain degree. I wouldn't say I enjoy walking around in a city looking at buildings though - unless it's very important history that has happened there/very impressive architecture. (Think Rome, Florence, Paris, etc) Usually though, the "Old City Centres" are nice, but I don't imagine there are many of those in Australia (considering how 'recently' Australia was colonised by white people.) I won't drive a car between cities but I'll focus on getting my driver's licence, then.

Oi! Don't go dissing Brisbane! *huff* OK, admittedly, there's no particularly exciting tourist attractions. If you were to head up here though, I'd be happy to host you for up to a week. I'm an active host on couchsurfing.org, which is worth checking out for free accommodation for you backpacker types. (PM me if you do plan to end up travelling here, and want to crash on a spare mattress in our lounge room.)

In and around Brisbane, I'd strongly recommend a day trip or overnight stay out at Tangalooma (Moreton Island), which has a pod of wild dolphins that come in to the beach every night to be hand fed, and (humpback) whale watching tours daily in their migratory season (around Spring), as well as assorted fun beach resort kinda activities (e.g. kayak hire). The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is a fun and easily accessible (by public transport) Brisbane zoo to see lots of Aussie animals, and you can hand feed and pat kangaroos and emus and rainbow lorikeets. The Glasshouse mountains north of Brisbane are fun if you like mountain climbing (not too tricky). Brisbane is subtropical, and IMO best avoided in summer. Any other season is pretty nice.

In Melbourne, and Tasmania, you can see wild fairy penguins, which is fun. Well, if you like penguins. I think they're adorable. Sydney is worth visiting for what passes for (Western) history here, and there's fun landmarks we love like the Harbour Bridge and the opera house. If you head to Sydney, try and get out into the bush (national parks may do) where you can hear some bellbirds singing. I think they're one of the most beautiful sounds in the world; so delicate and magical.

June, July, August is Winter in Australia. But if you've travelling up north, the seasons are more like "Hot" or "Hot and Wet", so pay attention to average rainfall as well as temperature when planning your journey.

I don't have a driver's license, and I manage just fine. But then, I live in a capital city. You'd do pretty fine getting around to all the major touristy stuff, and travelling between towns, but the big problem would be doing agricultural work, as I think the farms won't have easy access to hostel accommodation, as a rule? You'd probably cope one way or another, but a license would help your job searching significantly.

The best way to get to Darwin (or Alice Springs) is by plane. Anything else is, IMO, crazy talk. Not worth the time or stress of the journey. Don't forget to plonk a map of Sweden on top of a map of Australia, and compare the distances; we're a big, big, country. I worried like hell about a touristy friend making an overland trip across the middle of Australia. It's pretty empty dry desert in the middle there, with any signs of human habitation few and far between. If you must travel across it, for heaven's sake take a train or an air conditioned coach (bus), e.g. from Adelaide to Alice Springs, then another trip from there to Darwin. Don't try and drive.

Awesome! Couchsurfing is awesome too! I may have to take you up on that offer and crash your lounge room. Eh, I meant to say crash on a mattress in your lounge room. I definitely meant that.

Tangalooma/Moreton Island sounds like an incredible place, although I will try to forget about this(#2) before going there. Thanks for the other recommendations in and around Brisbane as well! And well, winter in Australia is nothing like winter in Sweden. What can I expect, weather-wise, during winter? This obviously differs depending on where in Australia I am, but let's say in general, and NSW/Victoria/Southern east coast. I'm thinking, maybe a little rain, 10-20 degrees most of the time? Correct-ish or very off?

I'm definitely going to see the Great Barrier Reef! And beaches, lots of beaches. But like you're saying, I'm probably not going to visit Uluru. (Forgive me, Aboriginals, please) It's just a rock. Sure, a huge rock. But it's just a rock. And it's waaaaay off, compared to where I'll be, so it's not worth it this time. Maybe the second year.

Oh, I would NEVER not fly to Darwin/Alice Springs! And I will make sure to focus on my driver's licence, as I said earlier. Especially if it helps job searching.

Hi,

I live in Brisbane and can vouch for Uluru. By far Australia's most unique place in my opinion (expensive though so only stay for a short period) & I'm not into the outback! There is also the Olga's to visit while you are out there (lots of walking:])

I would suggest to look up http://www.flightcentre.com.au/?gclid=CO2PvP7HhbQCFUE5pgodO0EA8g for flight details. I'm presuming your international flight will get you to Melbourne or Sydney, then if so, I would book a flight to Uluru (might have to go via Alice Springs) & then one from Uluru to Darwin, Darwin to Cairns. Then work your way down the east coast back to Sydney/Melbourne to fly home.

Queensland you have great barrier reef, I'd recommend Quicksilver tours from Port Douglas (north of Cairns) expensive but I have been told it is by far the best day out for snorkeling on the reef. the Whitsundays are also awesome & if you like sand islands, big surf with beautiful fresh water lakes, Fraser Island is a must (near Hervey Bay). All those areas cater big time for backpackers.

Car Licence will help to keep the costs down if you team up with other backpackers but that is up to you. I personally would fly Cairns, Proserpine (whitsundays), Proserpine to Brisbane & drive to Hervey Bay (or drive from Proserpine), pretty sure there is fruit picking at Childers/Bundaberg regions (don't think you will get a direct flight to Hervey Bay from Proserpine, can get a bus though or train? Another option..)

Lots to do in Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne re:touristy things.

Enjoy

Thank you as well for replying. Sorry but I'll skip Uluru this time, I think. And yeah, driver's licence will be a big priority now.

I'm arriving in June, at a 99% certainty. Might even book the flight next week.

I was thinking of this as a tentative itinerary:

Arrive in Melbourne, hang around for a few days or something (sort out TFN, bank account and credit for phone)

Visit friend in middle of Nowhere, Victoria for a while (few weeks I think)

Fly to Cairns in July/August

Stay in Cairns for a while, work and explore the area. Great Barrier Reef, skydive, etc. Travel down the coast until...

Brisbane for a week or three/more if I for some weird reason like the city

Get to Sydney in November/December, party/surf/beaches/work if I can find any jobs/etc

Travel along southern coast, possibly back to Melbourne or friend in middle of Nowhere, Victoria

Go home and miss Australia only to return some time later.

I do realise my plans are subject to change and I may very well end up in Perth with backpacker friends, who knows? But how's this for a tentative itinerary? Would it be better to do it the other way around? Work my way up instead? Anything major that I'd miss out on with this route? (Don't say Uluru)

Oh and a question. How much is sunscreen down under?

Cheers everyone for your replies so far

[Cruella T'Kill]

I did the WHV with the second year extension and been around a good portion of Australia. All I have left is the north coast

DO NOT discount WA!! I've been to both the east and west coast and I definitely prefer WA in terms of beaches and nature and just being more laid back and less touristy. On the other hand, it's a bit harder to get around and less of a backpacker crowd, so it really depends on what you're looking for. Also, you'll find the heat on the west coast is much drier compared to the east coast. The humidity over here in Queensland is pretty rank some days....

Melbourne in June is not going to be particularly pleasant. I left at the end of May this past year and it was raining and cold which isn't a huge help when you're trying to get out and about and enjoy the city. Melbourne is my fav place in Australia (as long as it's not winter). The coffeeshops, restaurants, bars, live music, festivals, markets...... It's amazingly vibrant and cultural and it would be a shame for your view to be coloured by crap weather. I would almost recommend starting at the top in Cairns and as you work your way down the coast, the weather will get better as it gets closer to summer time.

As for transport, there are lots of trains and buses. I believe there may even be a backpacker hop on/hop off bus that travels the east coast..... Also, you can sometimes hookup with other backpackers that are driving that same route through hostel notice boards and gumtree ads. Splitting gas with 3 or 4 people can get pretty cheap and then you've made some new friends!

In Cairns, definitely do the Great Barrier Reef. Try to get a boat that goes to the outer reef, it tends to be less damaged, but will cost you more. You can do an intro scuba dive, even if you aren't certified! Skydiving from Cairns is amazing! If the company offers a video, I would get it, mine was totally worth it and the pictures were incredible. Also, take a little side trip up to Cape Tribulation. It's really old rainforest with some amazing beaches and scenery. It's pretty rustic; power north of the river is pretty limited and the backpacker resorts are very basic and there is pretty much no phone/internet reception. It's kinda awesome to get out into the fresh air and camp under the stars Heading down the east coast there are tons of cool places to stop. Airlie Beach is base camp for sailing in the Whitsundays. It's a huge party town and great for meeting other backpackers. There is also a little town called 1770. There isn't much there, but there is a great hostel there called Cool Bananas. It's great for a couple days of relaxing, surfing and meeting other cool people. I would DEF head to Fraser Island. It's a sand island with no pavement: it's all 4 wheel driving on the sand. A tag along tour is a group of 1-4 4 wheel drive vehicles with a guide and you have the opportunity to take the wheel and drive along the beach. All tours included camping stuff, so you can camp out on the beach with the dingoes or in secure campsite. Definitely worth it if you're into the nature. Noosa is a pretty cool beachside town with a really nice national park for day walks. On the way to Brisbane, stop off at the Australia Zoo. It's the zoo made famous by Steve Irwin. It's a little on the expensive side, but definitely worth it; an all day activity. Brisbane is cool though it lacks all the usual things a tourist would look for. It does make a pretty good spot to explore the surrounding area. The sunshine and gold coast both have amazing beaches, but gold coast is definitely a more touristy/party place. Heading down into NSW, definitely stop in Byron Bay. Its kind of a hippy/alternative down the great surf, probably one of the better places to learn to surf. A side trip to Nimbin is always fun if you like hippy type stuff. Port Macquarie makes for a nice couple days, great beaches and cool koala hospital. I didn't much like Sydney myself; I found it too big and busy, but it's definitely worth a couple days to check out the sites. I did the route from Sydney to Cairns a couple months ago, so PM me if you want any more info or hostel recommendations.

As for work, you'll find lots of competition for the typical backpacker work (restaurant, bar, etc) in big cities. It can be easier to find pub work in some of the small towns/resorts along the coast. They usually offer you a pretty decent wage and cheap accommodation. You can work for 1-2 months, save up some money and experience real Australian living, then continue travelling until you need to stop for money again. That's what I did for a while For farm/fruit picking work, you can also do non-paid work that counts towards your visa extension. There is a really great website called HelpX. Basically, you get to a farm and work around 4 hours a day in exchange for room and board. It's a really great way to see parts of Australia that most tourists don't get to see. And do some really interesting things: during my helpx time I worked on a snake farm, horse farm, tomato farm and nursery. I was very fortunate to be welcomed into their homes like family. I still keep in touch with a couple of the farmers.

Anyhow, I'm trying not to write a book here, so PM me if you have any questions. I've done a buttload of travelling so chances are I've been there and can give some recs for things to do and places to stay. You might end up like me and not want to go home

[deathstalker]

This is the best thread ever, considering that I am also planning on going, once I get my driver's license done here in Estonia.

[Tocho]

I did the WHV with the second year extension and been around a good portion of Australia. All I have left is the north coast

DO NOT discount WA!! I've been to both the east and west coast and I definitely prefer WA in terms of beaches and nature and just being more laid back and less touristy. On the other hand' date=' it's a bit harder to get around and less of a backpacker crowd, so it really depends on what you're looking for. Also, you'll find the heat on the west coast is much drier compared to the east coast. The humidity over here in Queensland is pretty rank some days....[/quote'] Awesome! Are you planning on staying even longer? (I'm aware that you can only extend your WHV once)

And I'm not! But well, Australia is so big and I figured it'd be better if I focus on east the first time/year.

Melbourne in June is not going to be particularly pleasant. I left at the end of May this past year and it was raining and cold which isn't a huge help when you're trying to get out and about and enjoy the city. Melbourne is my fav place in Australia (as long as it's not winter). The coffeeshops, restaurants, bars, live music, festivals, markets...... It's amazingly vibrant and cultural and it would be a shame for your view to be coloured by crap weather. I would almost recommend starting at the top in Cairns and as you work your way down the coast, the weather will get better as it gets closer to summer time.

I am starting at the top in Cairns, only arriving in Melbourne, fixing legal stuff, then visiting my friend in Victoria for a while. Then I'm off to Cairns. I'll get to Melbourne to enjoy it for real at the end of/during the summer, so my view won't be clouded.

In Cairns... // ... for day walks.

Thanks a lot for the recommendations! Fraser Island seems like an incredible place.

On the way to Brisbane, stop off at the Australia Zoo. It's the zoo made famous by Steve Irwin. It's a little on the expensive side, but definitely worth it; an all day activity. Brisbane is cool though it lacks all the usual things a tourist would look for. It does make a pretty good spot to explore the surrounding area. The sunshine and gold coast both have amazing beaches, but gold coast is definitely a more touristy/party place. Heading down into NSW, definitely stop in Byron Bay. Its kind of a hippy/alternative down the great surf, probably one of the better places to learn to surf. A side trip to Nimbin is always fun if you like hippy type stuff. Port Macquarie makes for a nice couple days, great beaches and cool koala hospital. I didn't much like Sydney myself; I found it too big and busy, but it's definitely worth a couple days to check out the sites. I did the route from Sydney to Cairns a couple months ago, so PM me if you want any more info or hostel recommendations.

I'd heard about Australia Zoo before, reiteration everywhere must mean it's something I really should visit, and Steve Irwin was awesome.

I'll most likely skip Nimbin, I've been to Christiania in Copenhagen and I don't really like drugs haha. I sent you a PM already But may PM you again for further info, I shall see. Thanks again!

As for work, you'll find lots of competition for the typical backpacker work (restaurant, bar, etc) in big cities. It can be easier to find pub work in some of the small towns/resorts along the coast. They usually offer you a pretty decent wage and cheap accommodation. You can work for 1-2 months, save up some money and experience real Australian living, then continue travelling until you need to stop for money again. That's what I did for a while For farm/fruit picking work, you can also do non-paid work that counts towards your visa extension. There is a really great website called HelpX. Basically, you get to a farm and work around 4 hours a day in exchange for room and board. It's a really great way to see parts of Australia that most tourists don't get to see. And do some really interesting things: during my helpx time I worked on a snake farm, horse farm, tomato farm and nursery. I was very fortunate to be welcomed into their homes like family. I still keep in touch with a couple of the farmers.

I'm not expecting it to be easy to get a job in the (bigger) cities, but I'm kind of assuming fruit picking/farming takes only a few days to get, if even that. I've not seen HelpX before though, only workaway.info. Thanks for the link, will definitely check it out.

[shortstuff]

Something you will have to watch out for in smaller towns is they don't always have very good public transport if any at all. So depending on where your planning on going a license and car will come in handy

[illc]

I would say the best year of my life was spent on a WHV in Australia ... not that I'm unwilling to have that year surpassed (and am actively aiming to make 2013 one of the ones that does!)

Tonnes of good suggestions by everyone else. I'm a wee bit jealous, but that's a side effect of my rampant FOMO ... and there's a decent chance that I'll be getting back down there myself this year for work too.

My two cents: I moved down and quickly found myself cemented in Sydney with an amazing circle of local and international friends I initially made through Couchsurfing.org and then which quickly grew and grew and a great government job. An amazing asset for travelers, especially if you're at all ourdoorsy, are university outdoors clubs. I looked up the University of Sydney and University of Technology, Sydney clubs and joined for a very low price (somewhere between $10 and $25 I think). Through these I got at least 3 trip possibilities a week directly to my inbox: hiking ("bushwalking"), rock climbing, canyoning, kayaking, etc. etc. and these were always run by knowledgeable locals at prices well below what tourists were paying for guided trips (I got chatting to some Americans deep down in a gorgeous canyon over lunch once - a beautiful place worth any monetary price [note: not your life! Play safe!] to visit - I'd split the cost of a tank of gas and thrown a couple of extra sandwiches in my bag. The guided tourists had paid over $200 for the same trip!) ... plus you meet really outgoing people.

[Tocho]

Thanks for your $0.02, illc.

Might update this thread when I've purchased my ticket. We'll see. Again, thank you to everyone for your help, suggestions, advice, and everything else.

[Shawry]

Heaps of good information in this thread.

I've worked with many overseas travellers who've just fallen in love with a city (I'm in Melb, but have many friends in Syd and Bris).

The biggest regret I hear is that they get stuck in a single city, and although they love living and working with their group of new friends and workmates, they do wish they'd seen more of the country before heading home.

 

 

My personal advice; Melbourne and Sydney are boring cities UNLESS you discover their culture. Find some walking tours, and chat to all the other hostel/backpacker people. Both cities have so many hidden gems that really unlock what makes them great places to live.

 

My 2nd bit of advice is dont bother with Canberra unless its on your way through from Melbourne to Sydney! 

[maegs]

It looks like you have a good trip planned! But you're going to have to go back too WA and the Territory are definitely worth a visit, as is Tasmania. If you're in South Australia, Kangaroo Island is also a really good trip. 

 

Quick thoughts on WA/NT/SA:

I have a couple friends who drove around Australia in a camper van, and their favourite national park was Karijini National Park in WA (It's up towards Broome). I also really liked WA, although I only made it to Perth and drove up to Monkey Mia. Perth and Fremantle are worth a visit. I went in June, and it was a bit cool, but not too bad. I'd also recommend going to the Territory and visiting the Kakadu/Litchfield/Katherine area. I was there in July, and we had perfect weather. If you go there, go in the winter (aka the Dry), otherwise a lot of stuff is flooded out (and/or full of crocodiles!), and the humidity is super high.

I know some people who went on a tour between (I think) Broome and Darwin, and they said the cost was worth it - campgrounds, food, etc was included and they didn't have to do the driving! That said, I did a bit of driving around Cairns and in Tasmania, and it was easier that I thought it would be to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road. It was actually easier when there were other cars around to orient myself to. I just used my Canadian license to rent the cars we had and didn't have a problem.

I was based in Adelaide while in Australia, and it has a bit of a rep for being boring. If you go, February is a good time because there's a big Fringe Fest on. If you like wine, there's loads of tours to the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Victor Harbour is a nice seaside town to visit for a day or two, and is where the ferry to Kangaroo Island leaves from. Kangaroo Island is pretty awesome. It's mostly countryside, and there's wildlife everywhere. While I was there we saw kangaroos, wallabies, seals, koalas (and one had a little baby with her!), an echidna, and tonnes of other animals. Finally, if you head up through Port Augusta towards Coober Pedy there's some nice hiking and whatnot (Dutchman's Stern and Flinders Ranges National Parks). Coober Pedy is neat, it's a town that's mostly underground because of the heat.

[Ananke86]

I'm a Brisbane girl and strongly suggest planning your trip as much as you can. Without sounding like I'm whining, places like Cairns and Sydney can be very expensive if you don't have accommodation planned and if you are in a city or town when they have their local Show or Exhibition on you may find yourself without accommodation or paying extra. Having a license could be really important and it's good you are getting it organised because some people don't understand until they get here just how far away everything is/can be. As an Australian we often say "it's just up the road" but in some cases we are referring to the highway and the trip could be a few hours drive. 

 

With regards to fruit picking, find the places you intend to work at and contact them to ask about their peak times and when they will likely be hiring. Some places can be quite strict and have deadlines you must meet or you will be looking for a new job the next day so it would be best to send out emails and ask them what their requirements are. If you work out the picking run, post up the details and we might be able to give some suggestions on places to stay and see. 

[Endor]

Can't believe no one has recommended Taronga Zoo in Sydney, I've been to zoos all over the world and I reckon it's one of the best I've seen, plus the views are stunning. You can get a ferry there Darling Harbour so you get a great ride past the opera house as well.

 

If you want to learn there's a pretty good surf camp place at Seal Rocks, they do weekends away if you're living in Sydney. http://wavessurfschool.com.au/2-day-trip-seal-rocks-surf-trip-australia-sydney-surfcamps-surf-schools/ It's a little bit rough and ready but the area is beautiful and the instructors are pretty good. One tip if you go on these sorts of things take some of your own food with you, especially some fruit.

 

You can skydive at Picton reasonably cheaply, that's where I did mine.

 

When you're in Sydney make sure you take a walk through Hyde Park, the avenue of fig trees is one of my favorite things in Sydney.

[Chives the Conquerer]

Hey guys,

I know I'm kind of digging this thread out of the boneyard, but I recently posted a topic about my goal of traveling to Australia next Summer (2015). If you guys could check it out, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[tracer-actual]

So Tocho - have you come over here yet!?

 

If not I can make a million recommendations.

 

Chives - link?