Our favourite Aussie Adventures and experiences

We are all passionate about Australia at Australian Sky, none more so than our Programme Director, Chris who has travelled all over this vast country. Here are his top tips for some of the exciting things to experience when you book your Aussie holiday with us soon.

At Australian Sky we are not afraid to challenge the norm, our unparalleled knowledge will tease you to visit places you may not have thought or heard of.  Our sole aim is to book you your perfect Australian holiday. For many that means getting the balance right between doing, seeing and travel time. The last thing you want is to zoom past a million amazing sights and experiences. To that end we urge you to stay in fewer places, stay for longer and immerse yourself in the area you are in. You will have an infinitely more enjoyable and fulfilling travel experience.

Water based activities

Our last article talked about all of our favourite beaches and islands, there are so many and they are all a very welcome break from the adventuring you will be doing as part of your Aussie holiday. Take time off, select your beach and relax. We can even book you some great simple but amazing location lodges on some of Australia’s great beaches. Try Imeson Cottage in Byron Bay. What a find. Choose the correct season to head north to the Great Barrier Reef (ideally May-October) where a day trip to the reef has surely to be everyone's travel desires list, even better head out on one of our 2-7 night small ship cruises.

We love the ‘learn to surf’ spots that are all over Australia, with surfing schools in almost every town, great fun and whilst difficult to master you will all be surfing quickly. This is a great family activity with a private instructor looking after you.

Swimming with Whale sharks is true travellers privilege and there is no better place in earth to do this than at Ningaloo Reef on Australia's’ north west coast. Stay at Sal Salis for a real dunes luxury treat.

Sailing in the waters of the Whitsundays, boat trips or kayaking over Whitehaven beach or Lady Stradbroke Island are all brilliant things to do and thoroughly recommended. Jumping from the sand dunes on Fraser Island into the astonishingly clear freshwater lake of Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island is a highlight of anyone lucky to visit this UNESCO Protected area. And if you like walking along then shores then the finest beach stroll would be in Tasmania and the bay of Fires walk. It is so pretty and we work closely with a great family run business that organises this famous walk without you having to lug all your baggage.

Cultural

For us, the history of the Aborigines plays an integral part on any trip to Australia. This ancient culture is steeped in spiritual beliefs with many traditions still carried through the generations. Where you can, get a local guide which will bring many places of note, to life, nowhere more special than Uluru and the red centre iconic sights. We really like the atmospheric evening sunset dinner, the Sounds of Silence near Uluru. Popular for sure but still well worth taking part in. If you have time and budget our very favourite experience is in the Aboriginal Protected area of Arnhem Land, in the far central North. Wow, this is unique and a very humbling experience.

Wine

The red, white and pink wines of Australia are everywhere. We love the Hunter Valley as it is so easy to get to from Sydney. The perfect end to any holiday would be 2 nights in the Barossa Valley, home to some of the world’s most famous labels. The Penfold Estate has a really interesting video to watch that brings it all to life. But visit the smaller wineries too, Bethany Wines is great and the smaller producers give a much warmer welcome. If you are visiting the West Coast, we love the Margaret River wine region, why not stay in a vineyard and sample to many wines on offer.

Famous drives

There are some very very nice scenic drives in Australia, most notably the drive from Sydney to Melbourne along the coast with loads of places to stop off, with beaches, oyster farms, mountains to climb and some of the best hiking in the country. The Great Ocean Road en route from Melbourne to Adelaide is also world renowned. We have to be honest and say it is somewhat overrated and underwhelming. Far better head out in a 4x4 and try one of the many incredible off tarmac drives, the Gibb River Road (May-Sept) being our favourite. For an alternative trip in the red centre drive the Mereenie Loop from Alice Springs to Uluru through the McDonnell Mountain ranges, this is a little gem of an experience.

*please note, if driving in remote areas, you must register your intent locally so we know where you are.

Our top must see sights

One of the world's great landscapes is but a stone’s throw away from Sydney, the utterly stunning Blue Mountains. You should all visit this incredible area without doubt. It is beautiful and up there on our most favourite sights of Australia.

Kayaking in the gorges of Nitmiluk National Park or taking a boat trip in the croc infested waters of Kakadu are also top of our list, a 3 -4 night canoe safari is even better, camping on dry river beds at night.

The ancient rainforests of Cape Tribulation offer a different perspective on Australia’s far North and the lucky few will have the time to 4x4 follow the leader tour from Port Douglas all the way to Cape York for a spectacular adventure like no other.

The beaches in and around Jervis Bay defy belief with the remote beaches of Esperance and Cape le Grand National Park coming a very close second.
Sydney is by far the most interesting city and the only one that doesn’t rely on its coffee for a reputation. Spend time here, taking the sights in and adventure near for a classic 10 day holiday. Beaches, mountains and wildlife are all within 3 hours. An extraordinary city location.

No Australia trip would be complete without seeing Uluru and the other two iconic sights of kata Tjuta and Kings canyon on the red centre. We love this part of Australia.

The truth is, Australia is completely blessed with so many amazing natural phenomena, so many interesting things to see and do and for most of us, with so little time to experience them all. Let us help you choose the best things that suit you most in the timeframe that you have. You are in for treat for sure.