I have some time off from University and would love to travel to Australia and I am not quit sure how much time I should plan to take off. I know that Australia is BIG and I will not even see half of it in one go but I just would like to the see as much as possible. I saw some trips that are like 30 days or longer - what would you guys recommend?
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You definitely need time. 30 days minimum for sure just because there’s so much to see and do. Doing the east coast is a great way to see all the beaches, must-see cities and the whitsundays and Fraser island the list goes on!
I would just decide what do you want to see most? Are you a beachy nature person, more cities and urban exploration? That will help narrow down what to focus on where. Also.. if you have time add in the Outback and Uluru because it’s truly nothing like you’ve seen anywhere.
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Hi Eva!
To travel through Australia, 30 days is fine. You should keep in mind that it has big cities from which I would recommend you to spend 3 days and visit natural places and beaches.
Remember that it’s a big country and you have many distances between one place and another.
I would recommend you to tour the east side of the country first, starting from the south in Melbourne and from there go up north until you reach the great coral barrier.
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I would say it depends on what you want to do and see. If you are more of a city person, you can do the State capitals in a span of 2 weeks. If you also want to see wildlife and go to places like Uluru, then you may need more time. I would also add that if you want to cover more distance in less time, then definitely fly, but also consider using the train for an amazing outback experience as well!
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I have travelled Australia extensively, including driving through the center twice, and driving around (nearly) the whole country (which took 4 months alone!)
So it really depends on what you want to see, what your budget is, how you want to travel and how long your Uni break is - maybe even a working visa could work if they are an option where you are from!
The popular East coast route (Sydney to Cairns) you could get away with in 3 weeks at a push. And an absolute must is K’gari (Fraser Island), but if you have the time to explore and spend a bit more time - take it! You won’t regret it. The cities are nice for a couple of days, but plan mainly for beaches, wildlife and landscapes - the further from the beaten track you are, the more varied it gets.
What made you want to go to Aus in the first place? Is it the beaches? Maybe go to WhitSundays and find a tour that include that? Is it the stunning landscapes at Uluru? Then find a our that include that - then you can narrow down your options and see what the average duration is.
Time wise, imo:
- 3 weeks - absolute minimum you should spend there
- 30 days - is a good amount of time to see a few places and get a feel for the east coast
- If you want to see ‘more’ that the east coast and head west coats, the center (or to my fav spot Northern Territory), I would look at 5-6 weeks min with flights
- If you spend a whole year there you still won’t see it all, so there is no ‘maximum’ amount!
Let us know what you decide!
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As much as possible is the short answer. We spent 6 months there are still never got to Western Australia.
We bought an old station wagon with some camping gear thrown in off a backpacker that had bought it off another backpacker, and then sold it on to another backpacker for exactly what we paid for it. Took a couple of weeks to sort out but it was cost effective travel and accommodation rolled into one, especially sharing fuel costs with other backpackers we met in hostels.
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