Based on a 2 month trip along Australia's east coast in 2003.
Australia
First of all, make sure you have saved enough money, particularly if you want to see the whole continent and not just one or two states. Even though Australia may be a little cheaper than Europe as far as food and accomodation are concerned, keep in mind that you will inevitably spend huge amounts of money on transport. Second: Plan your trip well before you leave home. Decide exactly where you want to go depending on your interests and the season you are traveling in. Figure out your mode of transport. Third: Consider traveling with one or more companions who you know have the same interests. This is particularly true if you want to explore remote wilderness areas. Driving a 4WD, hiking and camping in national parks with no developed tourist infrastructure is a minor expedition. You want to be sure you have some reliable friends to share the experience as well as the costs and risks with. Most of Australia's wilderness is not really for the individual traveler: Unlike New Zealand, where most national parks have a developed, signposted track system with huts and wardens (who keep an eye on lone hikers), many Australian parks are really only for groups of well-informed and well-equiped experienced hikers.
Australia's national park system is slightly confusing and disorganized: Since everything from small urban nature reserves to large untouched wilderness areas is called "national park", the really interesting parks are somewhat hard to identify. In addition, there is no Australian national park service. Instead, every state has its own agency and different rules and programs. The following is an incomplete list of links that might be helpful in getting information on Australian national parks:
- Kakadu NP and Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP: Environment Australia, www.ea.gov.au
- Great Barrier Reef: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, www.gbrmpa.gov.au
- National parks in New South Wales: NSW Parks & Wildlife Service, www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
- National parks in Queensland: Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service, www.epa.qld.gov.au
- National Parks in Western Australia: Department of Conservation and Land Management,
www.calm.wa.gov.au
- National Parks in the Northern Territory: Parks & Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory,
www.nt.gov.au/ipe/pwcnt/
Sydney to Cairns
The East Coast, particularly Sydney to Cairns is an exception to the rule in that you can easily travel this most developed and touristy part of Australia by yourself and by public transport. But be aware that this is not going to be a wilderness experience in the outback. The focus in this part of Australia is on sun, surf, beaches and partying. You will be traveling with tons of 18 year old party backpackers who all stop at the same tourist spots. However, like with most tourist destinations, it is possible to avoid the worst tourist traps, stop in quieter and more remote areas and enjoy the natural beauty this part of Australia has to offer.
Make sure you pick the right season for wherever you want to go in Australia. Weather conditions are extreme, and this is not about being a little too hot or dry or wet, it's about roads becoming impassable, pouring rain for days or areas in national parks being closed due to extreme draught. For Sydney, it may not matter as much, but I thought the late summer (March) was a great time to visit, since it wasn't unbearably hot, but the water was still quite warm. April was a perfect time to visit Northern NSW and Southern Queensland: the main tourist season was over, but the weather was great and the water incredibly warm. If you are headed for the Tropics, going in the right season becomes essential: avoid the wet season (the Australian summer) and avoid the deadly jellyfish season (which lasts until June). Try to go in the Australian winter (European summer) so you won't get torrential rain for days, "no swimming" signs on those beautiful tropical beaches and bad scubadiving conditions due to rough weather and murky water. If you happen to be traveling in April (like myself), make sure you spend enough time on the great beaches in the south and remember that your last chance for safe swimming and snorkeling is Great Keppel Island off Rockhampton (further north is jellyfish country).
Sydney is a great city, definitely one of the great cities in the world. Allow at least a few days to take a look at the Opera House, the Botanical Gardens, the harbour and the beaches. If you need a break from the city, the Blue Mountains near Sydney make a nice escape.
Good places to stop for the night on the long bus trip from Sydney to Cairns are Nambucca Heads (NSW) and Mackay (QLD): Both are ignored by the party backpacker crowd and are quiet and untouristy. Nambucca Heads has beautiful beaches and woods and a nice estuary, while Mackay is a small town with an untouristy real life atmosphere.
My favourite places to stay (for a week or longer) were Noosa Heads (QLD) and, most of all, Great Keppel Island (QLD).
Noosa is admittedly touristy, but in a nice way: since it is a pretty upscale resort, everything is very clean, the are cafes and bakeries near the beach and facilities like large supermarkets and internet cafes further inland. It is also very scenic, with no ugly highrise buildings, beautiful swimming beaches and a national park within walking distance featuring nice trails along the coast and in the forest, small coves and a large deserted surf beach. I was particularly excited to see my first koala there. Another good thing about Noosa is that it caters to a mixed crowd: not only international backpackers, but also Australian families and couples of all ages. THE place to stay (don't even think about staying anywhere else) is the Halse Lodge YHA. It may not be that cheap, but it's definitely worth the money.
Great Keppel Island is a gem, my personal favourite on this trip. Avoid Rockhampton which I thought was pretty much a rathole and head straight for the island. However, make sure you stock up on groceries before you leave, since grocery supplies on the island are very limited and ridiculously expensive. There are two accomodation options on the island: The YHA and an independent hostel. Compare them well (use of snorkeling gear etc.), but in the end, they are pretty similar with bunkbeds in safari tents and other cheap housing options. Apart from the tent camps and a couple of more expensive accomodation options, the island is completely undeveloped and deserted and consists mostly of a national park with many trails thru forest, up small hills and along the coast. The beaches are amazing: There are 22 sandy beaches which are all safe for swimming and snorkeling. They are mostly deserted, so you can easily walk for a bit and find your private beach paradise for the day. The snorkeling is definitely worth it since the island is surrounded by small coral reefs. You can snorkel right off the beach and see parrot fish, seaturtles and sharks. Don't ask me about how harmless the sharks are, the locals only made comments like "haven't heard of any problems" and "they are so well fed they are never really hungry". So I guess it's "no worries", like pretty much anything else in Australia.
If you want to see many different parts of Australia, consider getting a Quantas Boomerang pass that is specifically designed for tourists and allows you to fly at fixed prices and with maximum flexibility. You have to get the pass while you are still outside Australia (this is what I meant about planning ahead), so check with your travel agent or Quantas before you leave. Quantas Internet fares can also be a good deal, but you usually have to book weeks ahead and can't change dates or destinations later on.
Greyhound/McCafferty is the national bus company. Their buses are similar to Greyhound buses in the US and the best bet if you want to go by bus (forget about Oz Experience and other backpacker buses which are overprized, offer no flexibility and cater mostly to 18 year old "alcoholics").
Australian hostels aren't as good as the ones in New Zealand. Independent hostels can be particularly dirty, bug-infested and noisy. Try to stick to YHA hostels which guarantee certain standards of cleanliness and also attract an older and quieter crowd. If there is no YHA, just take a look at the hostel flyers to distinguish the nice hostels ("quiet, small and friendly atmosphere") from the party hostels ("free drink on checkin", "foam party on Tuesdays", "toga party on Thursdays" etc.). For information on good hostels all over Australia, check out www.bpf.com.au and www.bugaustralia.com.
Finding a good hostel in Sydney is particularly difficult. All Sydney hostels are overpriced, but at least The Wattle House is more than worth the money: My favourite Australian hostel, it is a beautiful small house in the student district Glebe, very clean and well-run, with a B&B feel (check out www.wattlehouse.com.au). If you are a Working Holidayer (for Working Holiday Maker visas, see www.immi.gov.au) looking for a cheap place to stay for a couple of weeks or longer, take a look at the Glebe Lodge (which is not a hostel for international backpackers, but a place that rents out rooms for all kinds of people): It is near the Glebe public library on Glebe Point Road (look for a building with a sign saying "short and long term accomodation" or try to call 0408 400 293).
If you are into conservation work, alternative lifestyle, organic farming or staying with/meeting local people, check out Conservation Volunteers Australia (www.conservationvolunteers.com.au) and Willing Workers on Organic Farms (www.wwoof.com.au)
Australia is a beautiful continent. It is so huge and has so many different climate zones that you never feel like being in a geographically isolated country (one of my problems with New Zealand). Instead, I find that Australia has a certain "center of the universe" feel to it. There are deserts, eucalyptus forests, tropical forests, amazing beaches, coral reefs as well as some more "European-looking" landscapes in the temperate climate zones of the south. Most of all, I liked the famous Aussie lifestyle, the "no worries" attitude, the general obsession with sports and outdoor activities, Aussie fashion (shorts, bikini tops, no shoes) and the general friendliness and relaxed attitude. Can't wait to go back and explore the west coast. Any sponsors, please get in touch with me :=).