Australia’s extraordinary landscapes and wildlife make it a destination that nearly everyone dreams of visiting. It’s also one of the easiest countries to travel around, especially for backpackers—once you make the long journey to get there, of course! What felt strange to me was being able to explore tropical rainforests and remote wilderness, then return to a modern city and shopping mall the next day. I was accustomed to visiting rainforests in developing countries, so experiencing that combination was completely new to me.
What I wanted to see most on my first trip to Australia was the Great Barrier Reef and the tropical rainforests of northeastern Queensland. I started in Sydney, which I found to be one of the most beautiful and colorful cities in Oceania. Unfortunately, I was so focused on getting north that I mistakenly spent only a few days there. In 2011, I returned to Australia to explore Darwin and the Northern Territory, where I discovered enormous crocodiles, remote national parks, and a completely different side of the country. There’s still an enormous amount of Australia I’d like to explore, especially Tasmania.
Explore Darwin →
Isolated along Australia’s northern coast, Darwin is a long way from the country’s other major cities and can be an expensive place to reach. For those who make the journey, Darwin offers fascinating World War II history, enormous saltwater crocodiles, a beautiful but potentially dangerous coastline, and access to some of Australia’s wildest and most remote landscapes. I enjoyed exploring this small tropical city far more than I expected.
Explore Litchfield National Park →
After seeing crocodile warnings throughout the Northern Territory, I was eager to find somewhere I could actually swim. Litchfield National Park offered beautiful waterfalls, clear freshwater swimming holes, enormous termite mounds, and plenty of wildlife, including wallabies and native birds. Driving through the surrounding countryside was just as memorable, with tiny Outback towns, World War II historical sites, and even a bizarre story about a supposedly escaped circus lion. The park was one of the highlights of my time in northern Australia.
Explore Sydney →
Australia’s largest city, Sydney has almost everything you could want from a major travel destination. Its spectacular harbor, famous landmarks, beautiful beaches, nightlife, museums, restaurants, and entertainment make it one of the most appealing cities I’ve visited in Oceania. I was particularly impressed by how colorful and beautiful the city was. Unfortunately, I was so eager to reach the tropical north that I gave Sydney only a few days on my first trip. It’s one of the places in Australia I’d especially like to revisit and explore properly.
Explore Cairns →
Surrounded by tropical rainforest and located near the Great Barrier Reef, hot and humid Cairns is one of Australia’s best bases for outdoor adventure. The reef is accessible by boat for snorkeling and scuba diving, while the surrounding region offers rainforest hiking, camping, whitewater rafting, hot-air ballooning, and countless other activities. The combination of tropical wilderness, remarkable marine life, and modern amenities was unlike anything I had experienced before. Cairns was exactly the kind of Australia I had traveled halfway around the world to discover.
