After returning home from a 12 month trip to Australia recently, everyone has been asking me if it was worth it and where should they go when they visit...
...the answer is 100% YES. Do it while you can, remember you can only apply for your working holiday visa if you are 30 years old, or younger. If it's too late, you can always do a tourist visa and just travel for a few months!
I travelled the East Coast of Australia twice and lived in Sydney for nine months. If you're only going to visit Australia once, then these are my must-see locations...
1. SYDNEY
Stereotypical, I know. But, I had the opportunity to work and live in this amazing city and I instantly fell in love. Not only was the Opera House my 'local', but there was something to do within walking distance wherever you were in Sydney.
One of my favourite locations in Sydney was 'The Rocks' overlooking the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, there are plenty of rooftop bars and amazing restaurants to chose from while you admire the view. Another great place in Sydney was 'Darling Harbour', set around the water, again, there's a buffet of bars and restaurants to choose from. Wether you like seafood, burgers, chocolate, ice-cream or just want an ice cold mojito - you'll find everything here.
Closer to Central Station, you'll find a hidden gem - Spice Alley. There's multiple street food style eateries underneath a ceiling of glowing lanterns, meandering through a little cobbled lane of Asian style cuisine.
Besides food and drink, there's always something happening in Sydney. I found so many amazing designer 'warehouse sales' including L'Oreal's makeup haul and a Stella McCartney/Heidi Klum lingerie event. There's plenty of live music venues including The Metro, The ICC and huge sporting stadiums. Cricket tickets can be pretty cheap and it's a great day out if you want to get involved in the local sport.
It's sunny the majority of the time in Sydney and having so many beautiful National Parks, gardens and walking trails nearby is the most ideal excuse for a picnic! Just watch out for the Kookaburras and Bin Chickens... I've had a full tuna sandwich swooped out of my hand before.
2. BYRON BAY
My absolute favourite place in the entire world without a doubt, as I like to call it, Byron-Bae. It's the icon hippie city - you'll have the ultimate chilled out Aussie experience here. Take advantage of the beautiful beaches and learn to surf. It's a small city with so much life, you'll find film and music festivals, quirky markets and witness some of the most stunning sunsets on your way up to the Cape Byron Lighthouse (and maybe even spot some dolphins and whales!).
It's really easy to get around by foot (barefoot if you want the full Byron experience), or it's popular to hire a bike and cycle around the centre.
Food wise, I recommend Main Street Burger. I had the best burger from here with cheese, pickles and a secret sauce, my mouths watering even thinking about it!
If you're into fashion, then Byron will steal your heart. It's full of the cutest beach fashion boutiques selling everything from bikinis & beach cover-ups to the chicest night dresses & accessories. If I knew this before I travelled to Australia I would have packed absolutely nothing and purchased my entire wardrobe here. Certain shops can be pretty pricey but you'll understand why when you see how beautiful and unique the clothes are here.
If you're into drinking beer, or not, visit the Stone & Wood Brewery and all you non-beer drinkers will be TURNED.
The city is so relaxed and friendly, if you're looking for a place to have a total detox of social media, the frenzy of the city or just somewhere to switch off. Here is where you need to be.
3. WHITSUNDAY ISLAND
You'll simply never see anything like this anywhere else on the entire planet. It's the closest I've experienced to heaven on earth. The island has a human population of zero, so the only way to experience the islands are by a day boat trip or a 2-night, 3-day boat cruise, with the easiest place to depart from being Airlie Beach. I was lucky enough to experience both! My advice to anyone wanting to go is if you're on a budget and don't fancy being stuck on a boat and not being able to shower for three days, do the day trip!
You get to see the same amount of places and experience all the same things as you would on the three day cruise, it just happens across a full day (7am - 6pm roughly). You sail all day, it's all inclusive food/alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, your snorkelling gear is included and you'll come back with an absolute belter of an Australian tan afterwards!
The photo speaks for itself and if you're lucky enough to visit the famous Whitehaven beach more than once, it'll look different each time. It's the purest sand, so pure that NASA have used this sand to build rockets.
When visiting the Island, take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints...
4. MAGNETIC ISLAND
So many people I met in Australia had never even heard of this island and it's so deserving to be number four on my list. My favourite part of Maggy Island, and reason for it being so high on my list, is the fact you car hire the coolest 4x4's or pink Barbie Cars and drive around the island.
There so many beautiful bays and walks to enjoy on the island but my top recommendation here would be to stop off around 4-5pm in the evening next to Wallaby Rock and feed the wild wallabies. They are extremely tame and will happily eat the food from the palm of your hand!
Definitely a bucket list experience and location.
5. CAIRNS
There's soooo much to do in this city I don't know where to start. I visited twice, both at the start of my Australia journey and at the very end. Its situated right at the top of the East Coast so it's a great starting point if you're planning on heading to Sydney.
I done a skydive over Cairns with SkyDive Australia and I couldn't recommend them enough. They are the largest and most professional company to do something like this in the whole of Australia. If visiting this location just isn't enough, completing a skydive will tick another thing off your bucket list.
Cairns is also the home of the worlds largest living organism - The Great Barrier Reef. Mark & I booked ourselves a private aeroplane tour above the reef and it was one of the most breathtaking and beautiful views I have ever seen. There's an option to do a helicopter tour but it's double the price so if you're sticking to a budget slightly then I'd still fork out and book and trip with GSL Aviation.
I also done a day trip to the reef on an all inclusive cruise, and here I managed to go diving in the reef and visit really cool locations like Sudbury Cay. The coral and animals I swam with were incredible!
Another trip I would highly recommend is The Daintree Rainforest & Cape Tribulation. Here, on our full day trip we set off to one of the oldest rainforests in the world and swam in fresh water gorges, walked along the beach, trekked through the jungle, ate homemade ice cream in Port Douglas and even went crocodile hunting along the Daintree River. It was a once in a lifetime trip that we both managed to survive, even after walking into huge spider webs and sailing by HUGE crocs. It's definitely not for the faint hearted but to be expected when you're in the tropic region of Australia!
6. NOOSA
Noosa is another beautiful place to visit in Australia, with lots of amazing beaches and cute fairy-lit streets with in bar entertainment you'll never be bored. It's probably a lot more pricier than any other city I visited on my travels, but worth the trip for a couple of days!
My favourite part about Noosa was the nature trails and National Parks. We done a walk through Noosa National Park which completely exhausted me but it was all worth it when we reached the Fairy Pools at the top...
...It's basically like having your own private rock pool with crystal clear water and uninterrupted views of the ocean. It's pretty hidden away and a bit confusing to find but If you just keep walking to the very top you'll hear the waves crashing and you won't miss it!
Go early to avoid all the other tourists and the really strong sun. You WILL get burnt, I did after surviving 10 months in Australia without doing so. Bring your water bottle, it's about a 4km round trip and pack some snacks to enjoy on the beach halfway there.
Another trip I wouldn't miss out on if you're visiting Noosa is the famous home of the Crocodile Hunter - Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. Here you can see so many Australian animals including hanging about with the kangaroos (and feeding them!), hugging a koala, watching the famous croc show in the Crocseum and you can even take a wombat a walk...
7. GOLD COAST
Last but definitely not least, this is what I'd describe as the party destination of Australia. The Gold Coast reminded me of being on holiday in Spain!... but somewhat nicer.
A lot of tourists visit here for that reason but it's what you make it! It's full of character and amazing for a night out on the dance floor. To top it off, there is of course a beautiful golden beach with a spectacular city skyline sitting directly behind it. I'd suggest a long weekend here to chill all day and party into the early hours.