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Australia Travel Tips

Australia is one of the biggest travel destinations in the world. It’s a major destination on the world backpacker trail but, no matter what your travel style is, chances are visiting the country is a priority of yours. The country is filled with many things to. It has natural beauty in the form of Uluru, the outback, rainforests, and the Great Barrier Reef. Sydney’s harbor bridge and Opera House are iconic man made beauty and Melbourne’s café culture is amazing to relax in. Throw in beautiful beaches, tropical jungles, wine, and great surfing and it is no wonder why Australia is so popular.

Travel to Australia is not cheap- it is an expensive country to visit. From milk at the store to food to activities, everything here is highly priced ($8 dollars for a beer!). There are a few ways to save money here but if you are visiting Australia, you should be prepared to budget a lot.

Typical Costs in Australia

• Accommodation: Hostels in Australia cost between $22 AUD and $36 AUD for a dorm room. In the major cities on the east coast, they are on the higher end. Up in Queensland and in Western Australia, they are on the lower end. Private rooms begin around $65 AUD.
• Food: Cooking your food in Australia is the best way to save money. A week’s worth of food is between $50 to 75 AUD depending on what you buy. McDonalds costs $8 AUD and restaurant meals begin at $15 AUD. A fancy restaurant meal plus wine will run you around $40 AUD.
• Transportation: Australia is a big country and getting around can be expensive. Due to heavy competition, it’s cheap to travel via bus up the east coast. A ticket from Melbourne to Cairns is $500 AUD. Limited competition on the West coast means it’s usually cheaper to fly than take a bus. Generally though, flying is expensive because Qantas and Virgin are the only real big airlines that service the country.  Another option is to go with backpacker buses like Easyriders or OZ Experience.
• Activities: Most tours and activities in Australia cost between $100-250 AUD. They usually last around 1 full day. Multi-day tours will be on the higher end of the spectrum.

Money Saving Tips for Australia

• Get Vodafone. While their service might not be as extensive as Telstra or Optus, they offer better rates and plans. When you pay $30 dollars, you get $150 worth of credit. Moreover, unlike Telstra, you get 10 MB of internet per day whereas Telstra simply takes out money from your minutes.
• Drink Goon (Box Wine). Goon is infamous around the hostel trail. This cheap box of wine is a great way to drink, get drunk, and save a lot of money. 4 liters typically costs $14 AUD. Drink some of this before you go out to save on spending money at the bar (where it is about $7 AUD per drink).
• Cook. Eating out in Australia is not cheap. The best way to reduce your costs is to cook as many meals as possible. Typically, it costs about $60 AUD per week to cook all your own meals.
• Car Share. Australia is a big country that can be expensive to get around in. If you are traveling with friends, the cheapest way to get around is to often buy a car or campervan and split the costs.
• Book tours as a package. Australia has a lot of activities to do that can eat into any budget. Booking a lot together through a hostel or company like Tribal Tours will get you a discount and save you hundreds of dollars.
• Get Free internet. Libraries and McDonalds have free wi-fi.
• Clean for your room. Many hostels offer travelers the chance to work for their accommodation. In exchange for a few hours a day of cleaning, you get a bed. Commitments vary but most hostels ask you stay at least a week.

Top Things to See in Australia

• Visit Uluru. Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) is one of the biggest and best attractions in the country. Make sure you are there for both sunset and sunrise. You can hike up the rock if the weather conditions are right but know that it is looked down upon by the Aboriginals if you as the rock is sacred to them.
• Dive the Great Barrier Reef. Find Nemo in the Great Barrier Reef. There’s a ton of marine life here and beautiful coral. Behind Uluru, it’s probably the biggest attraction in Australia. Even if you don’t dive, you can still take a boat out to the reef and snorkel.
• Explore Fraser Island. The world’s largest sand island is a popular place to do some camping, swim in lakes, hike, and avoid dingoes.
• Sail the Whitsundays. A popular activity among backpacker and budget travelers, the 3 day, 2 night sailing trips are a great place to see some of the most beautiful islands in the world and make new friends doing so.
• Hike the Daintree. The world’s oldest rainforest (yes, older than the Amazon) offers great hiking, dense jungle, beautiful mountains, waterfalls and cliffs. Make sure you spend a few days hiking around and get out of touristy Cairns.
• Explore Sydney. Australia’s largest city has a range of activities to do. Climb the Sydney Harbor bridge, surf in Bondi Beach, party in King’s Cross, sail across the harbor, visit the opera house, and hang out in Darling Harbor. Sydney is an exciting big city that still has a laid back, beach attitude.
• Chill out in Melbourne Australia’s “cool” city, Melbourne is much more relaxed than Sydney. There’s more cafes, restaurants, and fewer clubs. Melbourne is where you relax by the river, have some great food, and see amazing life music. It has a well deserved reputation has Australia’s hip city.
• Have a Sunday session in Perth. Perth is Australia’s west coast capital and is often overlooked by most travelers. However, its a great city with fabulous beaches and a great place to have a “Sunday session (an Aussie tradition of drinking on Sunday afternoons.)
• Explore the Outback. No trip to Australia is complete with a trip to the outback to see crocodiles, valleys, lakes, and the red desert. Find your own Crocodile Dundee.
• Surf in the Gold Coast. Australia is famous for its surfing. One of the best places to learn to surf is on the Gold Coast right outside of Brisbane. You’ll find great waves, a wide beach, and lots of lesson. If you don’t like the Gold Cost, there is always Noosa, Byron Bay, Bondi Beach- well, you get the idea.
• Take a Wine Tour. Australia is famous for its wine. Whether you go down to Margret River, Hunter Valley or the Barossa Valley, you will have a lot of chances to taste Aussie wine from the source. Whether you go by organized tour or make up your own, visiting wine country is a great thing to do.
• The Ningaloo Reef. The Great Barrier Reef gets all the hype but the Ningaloo reef on the west coast is even better. There’s less people out there, it’s less developed, there are more fish, and you can even swim with whale sharks. In my opinion, it is a far better choose.
• Tasmania. This is a very off the beaten track destination. Despite everyone knowing its name, hardly anyone ever makes it down here. Tasmania has amazing hikes, beautiful bays, small towns, and excellent people. If you have the time, take visit down here. You can take a ferry from Melbourne.

Destinations Guides for Australia