DISTANCES AND STAGES
280 km – Melbourne – Great Ocean Road – 12 Apostles – Port Campbell
1100 km – Port Campbell – Sydney
3.15 h flight – Sydney – Brisbane – Mackay
150 km – Mackay – Airlie Beach
80 km – Airlie Beach – Conway Beach – Airlie Beach
500 km – Airlie Beach – Yeppoon
420 km – Yeppoon – Hervey Bay
120 km – Hervey Bay – Gympie
65 km – Gympie – Noosa
218 km – Noosa – Surfers Paradise
94km – Surfers Paradise – Byron Bay
175 km – Byron Bay – Brisbane Airport
Our map
https://aleroundtheworld.com/australiamap
TRANSPORTS & TOURS
International flight
From Venice to Melbourne via Dubai and via Kuala Lumpur: two stopovers.
From Brisbane to Venice via Dubai, a 15-hour non stop flight to the Emirates from Australia by Airbus 380.
Domestic flights
Sydney – Brisbane – Mackay
Car rentals
Melbourne (Footscray) – Great Ocean Road – Sydney (Alexandria)
Mackay Airport – Airlie Beach – Byron Bay – Brisbane Airport
Fraser Island Tour
2 Day 1 Night 4WD Explorer Tour Fraser Free.
Withsundays and Great Barrier Reef Tour
Panorama Tour to fly over the reef by a seaplane leaving from Airlie Beach with two landings: Whitehaven and nearby the Reef. With a small boat we approached the barrier to snorkel. We flew over The Heart shaped reef atoll. All this was such an experience!
STAY
Melbourne
www.mercurenorthmelbourne.com.au/
Port Campbell
Bondi Beach – Sydney
http://thevillagehostels.com.au/hostel/bondi-beach
Airlie Beach
Yeppoon
Hervey Bay
Fraser Island
Gimpye
https://it-it.facebook.com/TheRoyalHotelGympie/
Byron Bay
https://wakeup.com.au/byronbay/
AUSTRALIA THROUGH OUR EYES
What is Australia?
It is a country where humans feel so small compared to the impressive nature all around made of wonderful flowers, trees and where incredible wildlife of kookaburra, parrots, kangaroos, Emu, box -jellyfish, sharks, rays, crocs, koalas live in different environments like deserts, mountains, beaches, islands and reef.
From this hemisphere the Southern Cross can be seen, the same Cross which guided sailors and explorers back in the days.
You can spend a summer Christmas here and see beautiful oceans where often swimming is not allowed, you can find vinegar on the beach against jellyfish stings and be astonished by the power of the ocean.
At the same time, it is also a country of modern cities like Sydney and like the beautiful Melbourne with its Bohemian Brunswick Street, which we enjoyed so much.
Everything is massive and wild over here, trucks and trains are much longer than ours, 4WD cars are ready to drive dirty roads and go for a desert self-drive.
It is a place where we met people from all over and where, in the first place, locals love to travel around and discover their amazing country.
Great Ocean Road
It is well known to be one of the most beautiful costal roads in the world with stunning sceneries all the way down to the ocean; this route will not disappoint you. The small towns you drive past are just heaven for surfers, for fishing and for those laid-back people living down here. Near Port Campbell, driving from Melbourne, one of the Australian icons will appear soon off the coast in front of you, giant rocks, sea stacks: the so-called 12 Apostles.
At sunset or at sunrise is the best time to admire such beauty.
https://www.australia.com/en/places/melbourne-and-surrounds/guide-to-the-great-ocean-road.html
www.visitgreatoceanroad.org.au/big-nature/12-apostles/
Sydney
The harbour is definitely one of the best bays in the world with the Opera House, we absolutely love its architecture, and with the ‘Hanger’, the famous bridge. Fancy a drink? Enjoy the Rocks and behind the theatre, you can walk relaxing yourself in the beautiful Botanic Gardens.
Great Barrier Reef – Whitsunday Islands
Next stop were the Whitsunday Islands on a breath-taking and white soft sandy beach called guess what? Whitehaven.
In the second part of the trip is the Great Barrier Reef to let us speechless. We flew over here by a seaplane looking down at beautiful shades of reef colours, spotting sharks, rays and a heart- shaped reef atoll. Some of us got tears in their eyes right in front of such nature.
http://www.greatbarrierreef.org/islands/whitsunday-islands/
Airlie Beach
Gateway to Whitsundays. We enjoyed the hostel in the forest where we found a stick insect for the first time in life.
We are in the tropics here! Airlie Beach, the Capricorn and Gold Coast, heaven for surfers, divers and beach lovers; palm trees everywhere and the sun shines. Temperature reached here 46° Celsius.
www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/regions/airlie-beach
Capricorn Coast
Yeppoon
The drive was too long down to Hervey Bay, so we stopped halfway here, in this quiet town, where 160.000 bats live and soar at sunset, definitely not something you can see every day.
You can also visit a natural reserve where crocs live near here.
Conway Beach
Massive desert beach full of crab-made sand balls which sometimes can be proper masterpieces on the beach when the tide is out. All made by sand bubblers crabs.
Fraser Island
We had been bumping on a 4WD bus for 48 hours in the largest sandy beach in the world; only 4WD are allowed to drive here. After walking in the rain forest our bus drove us along a 75-Mile Beach. This was absolutely our wild Australia.
Our Tour, there you go:
- Inskip Point Ferry
- Central Station / Wanggoolba Creek
- Lake McKenzie
- 75-Mile Beach
- Eurong Beach Resort
- Eli Creek
- Maheno Shipwreck
- Pinnacle Coloured Sands
- Inskip Point Ferry
https://www.visitfrasercoast.com/Destinations/Fraser-Island
Sunshine Coast – Gold Coast
Noosa and Surfers Paradise
Amazing surfer destinations right by the ocean full of good vibes, youths looking for fun, for parties or just relaxing on the beach, shopping, dining out or drinking, skyscrapers right on the beach, something different from the rest huge desert Australia.
The Coast here reflects the proper Australian way of life which means take it easy and enjoy life, like those people we saw surf paddling home.
https://www.visitnoosa.com.au/
http://www.surfersparadise.com/
www.destinationgoldcoast.com/places-to-see/surfers-paradise
Byron Bay
It is a surfer and yoga destination, completely different from the rest of Australia, totally relaxed and laid back, just chill out with a drink on the beach looking at the ocean. Everybody comes here, boys and girls walking barefoot with wetsuits on, go surfing, families, hippies and street artists.
Splendour in the Grass is a music festival with an interesting line-up taking place every year here.
Cheer up, slow down and chill out, this is Byron Bay.
Surf classes, Byron Bay
Two couples travelling together, friends before and after the trip. The trip to this amazing country, where we met such nice people, made these friends being closer to each other.
Gigi, Chiara, Ale, Gale
(December / January 2013 – 2014)