The Best Bits of Australia and New Zealand
Karen Eeuwens
Australia and New Zealand are two of the world’s most popular travel destinations, attracting backpackers from all across the globe. With their laid-back cultures, ease of travel and low cost of living, these countries are ideal for anyone travelling independently or on a budget.
Whether you plan to work abroad or simply travel and enjoy the sights, Australia and New Zealand offer endless opportunities, fascinating indigenous cultures, and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Here are some of the best!
Stunning beaches…
Australia is famous for its beach culture, which is hardly surprising as nearly all Australians live by the coast. In Sydney, one of the best places to meet fellow travellers is Bondi Beach which, though touristy, is definitely worth a visit. The streets behind the beach are lined with surf shops and backpacker hostels, giving the area a cheerful holiday vibe. On Christmas Day, this is the place to be – as the sun beams down, you will find yourself surrounded by Santa hats and Christmas trees galore!
Alternatively, if you want to escape the crowds and experience nature at its best, you should head to the Royal National Park, which is just a short drive from Sydney. Here you can relax in a secluded cove, lie back on fine yellow sands, and feel a million miles away from the stresses of city life.
Anyone travelling to the West Coast of Australia should make a stop in Broome and visit the famous Cable Beach. Here you can view spectacular sunsets over the ocean, enjoy a tropical palm-fringed coast and take a camel ride along its golden sands, providing a truly unforgettable experience.
The best beaches, by far, though, are situated along the coastline of Fraser Island, which is just off the East Coast of Australia. The island’s picture-postcard white sands and crystal clear turquoise waters are almost too good to be true. This is the place to feel at peace with the world, and amazed by its natural beauty. To make the experience even more memorable, you can drive a 4-wheel drive along one of the pristine beaches, with not one other tourist in sight.
Adventure activities…
If you enjoy adventure sports, a trip to New Zealand is a must. No backpacker should be allowed to leave its shores until they have had a go at bungee-jumping, skydiving, zorbing, or all three! One popular skydiving location is Lake Wanaka, at the base of the Southern Alps. When you get over the shock of being pushed out of a plane, you will find yourself surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery, including sapphire blue lakes, crooked glaciers and New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mount Cook. When you reach the ground, you’re guaranteed to want to go back for more!
If bungee-jumping is more your thing, you should head to Queenstown and get ready to launch yourself off New Zealand’s highest bungee. There’s no point in doing things by halves so take a deep breath, close your eyes, and scream at the top of your lungs as you plunge 134 metres in 8 seconds – that’s enough to get anybody’s heart racing!
If you want to try something a bit more obscure, why not try your hand at zorbing. This bizarre adventure sport involves climbing inside a giant beach ball and hurtling down a hill, while bouncing around inside. If that doesn’t sound adventurous enough, you can always add water, to make the ride even more slippery! The ball is transparent so, if you’re not too busy clinging on for dear life, you can enjoy the countryside as you go!
National festivals…
After all that adventure, you might be in need of some downtime. If you like to party, you should try to coincide your trip with some of Australia and New Zealand’s most interesting festivals. One of the most famous is Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, which takes place in March every year. This is the time and place to let go of your inhibitions and party wildly, as people of all genders, sexualities and dispositions take to the streets in an extravagant celebration of gay rights. Be prepared for some outrageous sights (think leather, nudity and men in high heels) and a lot of drinking afterwards!
Another, even more unusual, celebration is the Mardi Grass Festival in Nimbin, Australia. This small, free-thinking, free-spirited town comes alive in May, with its annual celebration of Cannabis culture. Here, you can watch hemp jelly wrestling, party until dawn, and take part in a parade, in which a massive joint is carried through the street by crowds of hippies. Just a few words of warning: watch out for the chocolate brownies!
The biggest music festival in Australia and New Zealand is Big Day Out, which spends one day at six different locations, including Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. The outdoor festival attracts big names and is a must-see for lovers of live music. It takes place in the middle of summer, so arm yourself with plenty of sun block and dance to your heart’s content!
Unique hostels…
The hostels in Australia are some of the best in the world and, in the most popular travel destinations, adorn nearly every street corner. Your choice of hostel can make or break your travel experience, so it’s essential to find one with the right location and character. One must-visit for any independent traveller is the Arts Factory Lodge in Byron Bay. Here you can truly experience the town’s hippy culture, by camping in a tepee, or sleeping in a broken-down double-decker bus! The hostel was created in the 1970s by a group of artists and hippies, later becoming a rock-and-roll venue in the 1980s. Much of this original spirit still remains – these days the hostel attracts peace-loving travellers from all over the world. You can spend your days relaxing in hammocks, or surfing along Byron Bay’s stunning coastline. And, while you’re there, why not take up yoga classes or learn to play the didgeridoo?
Another essential stopover is Cool Bananas Backpackers Lodge, which is situated in a small village known as the Town of 1770, the site of Captain Cook’s second landing. This friendly and popular hostel has a large campfire area where you can share stories of your travels with backpackers from all over the world and talk long into the night. The nearby beach is littered with tiny shells and almost always deserted – it’s ideal for a paddle or a long invigorating walk. This tiny town is the perfect place to chill out and has its own unique character, unlike many of the more touristy destinations on Australia’s East Coast. Stay for two days or two weeks – you won’t be disappointed and will probably make friends for life!
Natural wonders…
One of the main draws of Australia and New Zealand is the abundance of natural wonders, which attract travellers and tourists from far and wide. Anyone travelling in Australia should make an effort to visit the ‘Red Centre’, where sights such as Ayers Rock, King’s Canyon and The Olgas make the long trip worthwhile. Ayers Rock, also known as Uluru (its Aboriginal name), is the world’s second-largest monolith, and is considered one of the great wonders of the world. It is situated in the Northern Territory, in the heart of Australia’s outback. The Aborigines believe the rock to be sacred, and inhabited by a range of ancestral beings. It is certainly a mystical sight to behold, especially as the rock face gradually changes colour from dawn to dusk. While Uluru should not be missed, it is also worth visiting other nearby tourist attractions such as King’s Canyon and The Olgas. Here, you can hike through amazing rock formations, camp under a clear night sky, and feel the strength of the desert sun as it beams down onto the red dust of the outback floor.
New Zealand also boasts its fair share of natural wonders. One must-see destination is Rotorua, a region of geysers, crater lakes and geothermal fields. Located on a volcanic plateau on the country’s North Island, Rotorua hisses with geothermal activity, with steam bursting from crevices in the ground, and towering volcanoes – now dormant – looming overhead. The town has found fame as a spa resort, offering mud wraps, body massages and natural hot mineral pools. If action is more your thing, why not take the New Zealand Riverjet Thermal Safari, which takes you on an adventurous power-boat ride through some amazing sights, such as boiling mud, pre-European Maori battle sites and untouched native bush.
If you prefer exploring under water, make sure you visit the Great Barrier Reef, just off Australia’s East Coast. This famous natural wonder is the world’s largest coral reef eco-system and the only living thing visible from space. The reef is scattered with idyllic islands, from where you can take diving and snorkelling trips and come face to face with some of the fascinating marine-life the area is famous for. You might spot dolphins, green turtles, or even a shark!
As you can see, Australia and New Zealand are the perfect destinations to try your hand at backpacking, embark on new adventure and meet like-minded travellers from all over the world. Whether it’s a two-month trip up Australia’s East Coast or a gap year working in New Zealand, stay adventurous and open-minded and you’re guaranteed to have the trip of a lifetime!
