HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 'STRAYA
REEFS
Australia is home to the world's largest, and most famous reef system in the world; The Great Barrier Reef.
Fact: it even has its own postbox!
It is famous for its abundance in marine-life, world-class diving and beautiful corals (which unfortunately have been dying off at alarming rates!).
Cairns is the most popular destination to reach the Great Barrier Reef and here you can book on 1 day snorkel trips, boat tours, dive tours the lot!
A reef that unfortunately gets overlooked by its Eastern sister, is the Ningaloo Reef, found along Western Australia with access from Coral Bay & Exmouth. I was lucky enough to spend a few days here and it is not to be missed. The coral is thriving, and although not as colourful as the Great Barrier Reef, it is alive and kicking.
I saw turtles, reef sharks, tiger sharks, dolphins, stingrays, manta rays and all kinds of weird and wonderful fish whilst enjoying boat trips and snorkel swims.
BEACHES
With over 50,000km of coastline, you will never be short of beaches to visit in Australia.
In fact if you were to visit a different beach every day it would take you 27 years!!
The beaches in Australia are amazing, from the worlds whitest sand, to the world's purest sand, to beaches entirely made of shells, theres tons to see!
My favourite beaches are Hyams Beach, Whitehaven, Coral Bay, Cable Beach & Shell Beach.
SURFING
Its actually surprising that i've managed to be in Australia 12 months and NOT have a go at surfing yet! But its on the list so don't fret!
Australia has a massive surf culture and the East Coast is where you can find some of the best surf spots with hundreds of places you can try to catch a good wave.
Or if you're a total novice, you can find surf schools which offer training for a day, a week, however long you want before giving it a go yourself!
I feel that if and when I try surfing, it'll be my luck thats the day a shark will be in the waters.
If surfing isn't for you, try standup paddle boarding instead!
JUNGLES
Jungles? Wait what? In Australia? But I thought it was just Sydney & the Outback mate?
Nope.
Australia is actually home to one of the oldest continuous tropical rainforests in the world, and when I say oldest, like I mean back to the age of dinosaurs old!
I am of course talking about the Daintree Rainforest in North Queensland and it is a truly spectacular part of Australia. The perfect place to escape and go hiking, spot some wildlife (watch out for the crocs though!) and take a swim in some pretty sweet swimming holes.
& what a year its been!
To celebrate my 12 months away living in Australia I thought I'd try and convince everyone else why it should be a destination top on your bucket list!
I have fallen in love 10 times over with this country and I've still got more I need to see!
If you're considering coming to live and travel in Australia check out my post here on all my tips on how to get yourself ready from visas, bank accounts, flights etc.
Australia is up there as one of the most remote countries in the world, but despite that, is one of the most popular places to visit for backpackers and for bloody good reason.
If you don't mind long flights, and getting to stop off in new and exotic places along the way, then Australia is for you!
REEFS
Australia is home to the world's largest, and most famous reef system in the world; The Great Barrier Reef.
Fact: it even has its own postbox!
It is famous for its abundance in marine-life, world-class diving and beautiful corals (which unfortunately have been dying off at alarming rates!).
Cairns is the most popular destination to reach the Great Barrier Reef and here you can book on 1 day snorkel trips, boat tours, dive tours the lot!
A reef that unfortunately gets overlooked by its Eastern sister, is the Ningaloo Reef, found along Western Australia with access from Coral Bay & Exmouth. I was lucky enough to spend a few days here and it is not to be missed. The coral is thriving, and although not as colourful as the Great Barrier Reef, it is alive and kicking.
I saw turtles, reef sharks, tiger sharks, dolphins, stingrays, manta rays and all kinds of weird and wonderful fish whilst enjoying boat trips and snorkel swims.
BEACHES
With over 50,000km of coastline, you will never be short of beaches to visit in Australia.
In fact if you were to visit a different beach every day it would take you 27 years!!
The beaches in Australia are amazing, from the worlds whitest sand, to the world's purest sand, to beaches entirely made of shells, theres tons to see!
My favourite beaches are Hyams Beach, Whitehaven, Coral Bay, Cable Beach & Shell Beach.
SURFING
Its actually surprising that i've managed to be in Australia 12 months and NOT have a go at surfing yet! But its on the list so don't fret!
Australia has a massive surf culture and the East Coast is where you can find some of the best surf spots with hundreds of places you can try to catch a good wave.
Or if you're a total novice, you can find surf schools which offer training for a day, a week, however long you want before giving it a go yourself!
I feel that if and when I try surfing, it'll be my luck thats the day a shark will be in the waters.
If surfing isn't for you, try standup paddle boarding instead!
JUNGLES
Jungles? Wait what? In Australia? But I thought it was just Sydney & the Outback mate?
Nope.
Australia is actually home to one of the oldest continuous tropical rainforests in the world, and when I say oldest, like I mean back to the age of dinosaurs old!
I am of course talking about the Daintree Rainforest in North Queensland and it is a truly spectacular part of Australia. The perfect place to escape and go hiking, spot some wildlife (watch out for the crocs though!) and take a swim in some pretty sweet swimming holes.
SPORT
Sport is engrained in the heart of Australian culture. There is always plenty of choice in Australia whether you're an AFL fan, cricket follower, horse racing enthusiast, love to watch the rugby or enjoy a day at the tennis, you will always find something to watch on tv or head to the stadiums to enjoy.
And if local sports aren't enough to tickle your tastebuds, then you can always visit one of the amazing international sporting events that take place in Australia every year; like the Australian Grand Prix (Formula 1) or the Australia Open (tennis), both of which are held in Melbourne. I actually was lucky enough to work at the Australian Open and it was a fantastic experience and a truly iconic event!
THE AUSSIE WAY OF LIFE
If there is one thing I love most about Australia, it is the aussie lifestyle. The vibrant art scene, the extremely laid-back atmosphere, their friendly nature and the high quality of life here. All of these things make Australia such a warm-welcoming country to a traveller. And aussies do alot of things well, but one they have mastered in the art of throwing a barbecue. It must be taken extremely seriously, and you can find BBQ pits in most parks and public areas that are free to use. There is nothing better than getting together with some friends, throwing on a sausage sizzle with some beers.
WINE REGIONS
Not gonna lie, since coming here i've become a bit of a wino, also gin'o and well, every-kind-of-spirit'o.
& when its producing over 1 billion litres of the stuff each year its hard to avoid!
& NO, i'm not talking about your $7 box of goon, I'm talking ACTUAL wine!
You can take day trips to any of the wine areas from the nearby major cities, or simply take a trip to the bottle-o, buy yourself a fine bottle of white, rose or red (or all 3 you crazy cats!) and have yourself a merry time!
Melbourne - Yarra Valley
Sydney - Hunter Valley
Perth - Margaret River
Adelaide - Barossa Valley
Sport is engrained in the heart of Australian culture. There is always plenty of choice in Australia whether you're an AFL fan, cricket follower, horse racing enthusiast, love to watch the rugby or enjoy a day at the tennis, you will always find something to watch on tv or head to the stadiums to enjoy.
And if local sports aren't enough to tickle your tastebuds, then you can always visit one of the amazing international sporting events that take place in Australia every year; like the Australian Grand Prix (Formula 1) or the Australia Open (tennis), both of which are held in Melbourne. I actually was lucky enough to work at the Australian Open and it was a fantastic experience and a truly iconic event!
THE AUSSIE WAY OF LIFE
If there is one thing I love most about Australia, it is the aussie lifestyle. The vibrant art scene, the extremely laid-back atmosphere, their friendly nature and the high quality of life here. All of these things make Australia such a warm-welcoming country to a traveller. And aussies do alot of things well, but one they have mastered in the art of throwing a barbecue. It must be taken extremely seriously, and you can find BBQ pits in most parks and public areas that are free to use. There is nothing better than getting together with some friends, throwing on a sausage sizzle with some beers.
WINE REGIONS
Not gonna lie, since coming here i've become a bit of a wino, also gin'o and well, every-kind-of-spirit'o.
& when its producing over 1 billion litres of the stuff each year its hard to avoid!
& NO, i'm not talking about your $7 box of goon, I'm talking ACTUAL wine!
You can take day trips to any of the wine areas from the nearby major cities, or simply take a trip to the bottle-o, buy yourself a fine bottle of white, rose or red (or all 3 you crazy cats!) and have yourself a merry time!
Melbourne - Yarra Valley
Sydney - Hunter Valley
Perth - Margaret River
Adelaide - Barossa Valley
CITIES
In Australia over 85% of the population live within 100km of the coastline and spread amongst the coastal towns and cities.
Each major city has its own identity and offers some pretty cool city breaks.
Sydney with its enticing beach lifestyle, iconic buildings and mass tourist hotspots, to Melbourne's relaxed charming European flair and world-renowned sporting culture and venues.
Other hotspot cities include Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast, Cairns, Alice Springs and Hobart.
In Australia over 85% of the population live within 100km of the coastline and spread amongst the coastal towns and cities.
Each major city has its own identity and offers some pretty cool city breaks.
Sydney with its enticing beach lifestyle, iconic buildings and mass tourist hotspots, to Melbourne's relaxed charming European flair and world-renowned sporting culture and venues.
Other hotspot cities include Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast, Cairns, Alice Springs and Hobart.
NATURAL WONDERS
I have been mesmerised over and over with the amount of natural and beautiful wonders I have discovered in Australia, and the amount I still have yet to visit.
From the reef systems of Great Barrier & Ningaloo reef, the sacred site of Uluru & Kata Tjuta, the Pinnacles, Fraser Island, the sandstone beehives of the Bungle Bungle Range, the Stromatolites at Shark Bay, Karijini & Kakadu National Park, Cape Tribulation, The Blue Mountains, The 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road and many more.
All of which are are impressive and special as the last.
WILDLIFE
I have been mesmerised over and over with the amount of natural and beautiful wonders I have discovered in Australia, and the amount I still have yet to visit.
From the reef systems of Great Barrier & Ningaloo reef, the sacred site of Uluru & Kata Tjuta, the Pinnacles, Fraser Island, the sandstone beehives of the Bungle Bungle Range, the Stromatolites at Shark Bay, Karijini & Kakadu National Park, Cape Tribulation, The Blue Mountains, The 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road and many more.
All of which are are impressive and special as the last.
WILDLIFE
Now I can't guarantee that you're going to see a kangaroo, a koala or a Great White (I pray you don't encounter one of these anyway) everyday, but the wildlife in Australia is pretty darn cool. The exotic animals are a big drawn in for many travellers and you can find them in public and private zoos or natural reserves across the country making it easy for the public to learn about the natural inhabitants that populate Australia.
I find the best part about Australia is that its animals can be found well beyond the zoo walls. Kangaroos and wallabies roam wild in most national parks, dingoes are notorious on Fraser Island (I've had encounters with them in Karijini, Uluru and in The Kimberly's). Koalas like to chill out on eucalyptus trees along the road, a prime spot is along the Great Ocean Road along the stretch towards Cape Otway lighthouse). Emu's like to roam the rural areas in the outback, a hotspot to see the famous happy Quokka is on the beautiful Rottnest Island off the coast from Perth.
Other animals you can encounter are Wombats, Echidnas, Tasmania Devils, Whale Sharks, Great White Sharks, Jellyfish, Manta Rays, Sting Rays, Turtles, Dolphins, Seals, Platypus, Saltwater Crocs, Freshwater Crocs
& not to mention all the deadly snakes and spiders!
Now Australia obviously has waaaaaaay more than 10 reasons to visit, but these are the things that drew me to this country and are the reasons that I stayed and that I will continue to stay.
& if the fact that everything in Australia will try to kill you doesn't scare you then book your flights now!
I'm an extremely injury prone person, if I've managed to stay alive the last 12 months, so can you!
Now I hope the next 12 are as fun-filled as the last and I can carry on travelling round and exploring more of this beautiful country!
I find the best part about Australia is that its animals can be found well beyond the zoo walls. Kangaroos and wallabies roam wild in most national parks, dingoes are notorious on Fraser Island (I've had encounters with them in Karijini, Uluru and in The Kimberly's). Koalas like to chill out on eucalyptus trees along the road, a prime spot is along the Great Ocean Road along the stretch towards Cape Otway lighthouse). Emu's like to roam the rural areas in the outback, a hotspot to see the famous happy Quokka is on the beautiful Rottnest Island off the coast from Perth.
Other animals you can encounter are Wombats, Echidnas, Tasmania Devils, Whale Sharks, Great White Sharks, Jellyfish, Manta Rays, Sting Rays, Turtles, Dolphins, Seals, Platypus, Saltwater Crocs, Freshwater Crocs
& not to mention all the deadly snakes and spiders!
Now Australia obviously has waaaaaaay more than 10 reasons to visit, but these are the things that drew me to this country and are the reasons that I stayed and that I will continue to stay.
& if the fact that everything in Australia will try to kill you doesn't scare you then book your flights now!
I'm an extremely injury prone person, if I've managed to stay alive the last 12 months, so can you!
Now I hope the next 12 are as fun-filled as the last and I can carry on travelling round and exploring more of this beautiful country!
Thanks for reading & happy travels
♡ G
Join me on Instagram @gemwills
& follow me on my Australia Adventure! ☀
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