“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.”
– Hans Christian Andersen
When looking to embark on an unforgettable adventure, nobody wants to settle for cookie-cutter package tourism.
Did you know that people view more than 27 different sites before booking a trip? It’s because we’re all looking for a unique travel experience; we are no longer easily satisfied with mass tourism, homogenized experiences.
Our future is not in sedentary travel – we want to strike the perfect balance between in-the-know support and assistance, independence, and personalization.
Thus, when you travel around the globe to get all the way to the Land Down Under and you might get tempted to opt for some gorgeous beachside hotels in Australia, you don’t want to be limited by the typical package trip model.
Nevertheless, as jotting down the itinerary of your own can be quite a challenge, we’re here to give you a couple of ideas on how you can meet the Australian continent without becoming just a drop in the ocean of hypnotized tourists.
TIPS FOR A TRULY AUTHENTIC AUSTRALIA TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
1. Bespoke city experience
Yes, a cliché, but one cannot travel across the world and not walk the streets of a culture-rich Sydney; sparkling Harbour and radiating architectural wonder, the Opera House are not to be missed out on.
But how can you perceive the city from a local’s perspective? In the Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney’s colonial township.
And what about the great capital of Victoria?
Melbourne is widely known for the Shrine of Remembrance, the landmark which rises from the ground as the lasting tribute for the country’s fallen soldiers and other servicemen who sacrificed their lives during the First and the Second WW. Standing in the presence of the shrine, you’ll experience a uniquely solemn atmosphere.
To visit other popular city skylights, you can take the free City Circle Tram service, taking you to Melbourne Aquarium, Federation Square, Immigration Museum, Old Melbourne Gaol, and many more.
We recommend finishing the tour at the highest viewing platform in the entire southern hemisphere; take the 88-floor high, 360-degree panoramic view of the city at the Eureka Skydeck.
Does the life of a Melbournian seem appealing?
Then why not live in it to enjoy the city and some of the popular Melbournian beaches for a few days? With boutique accommodation being pricey and a bit too “touristy”, a foreigner can always opt for a house sitting in Melbourne – you get to live completely free of charge and experience Australian life every day.
Who knows – maybe you decide to find a place of your own and never leave again.
Oh, and for the end, to introduce you to a hidden gem – Dandenong Ranges, lush rainforests, featuring a maze of walking tracks and many nearby small towns known for their quaint shops.
The place is only 30 minutes away from the Aussie capital and offers a variety of activities and spectacular sceneries; waterfalls, Mountain Ash forests, historical areas, and picnic grounds.
For the ultimate Australian experience, we suggest driving from Sydney to Melbourne.
2. Land before time
To really get to know a country, you have to familiarize yourself with its history. Fortunately, it’s still possible to see Australia the way it was when the first men set foot on this sunburnt country.
A visit to Arkaba, a private wildlife conservancy in the south of the continent, owing to the local’s effort, the place managed to heal and return to the original landscape.
By taking a 4-day walk, you’ll be provided with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see some of the rare endemic species, and a yellow-footed rock-wallaby itself. As the place is regenerating, these little critters are hopping back to their ecologically unique environment, and are taking the experiential travel to a higher level.
3. Ocean Depths
Dare to immerse yourself in a rich underwater world, swim despite the cold ocean waves, surrounded by the only living structure visible from space – the Great Barrier Reef.
However, for a truly unique swimming experience, travel far west to the Ningaloo Reef. Facing the open Indian waters, you will get the chance to get close to whale sharks, turtles, dolphins, and manta rays, and you will surely encounter giant humpback whales.
Feeling butterflies in your stomach? Don’t, as these 12-meter long gentle giants are not to be afraid of, and there’s always a professional Aussie snorkeler by your side.
To travel is to live.
Take a globe, close your eyes, and travel wherever your index finger takes you; meet new people, connect with the country’s history and culture.
# # #
What do you think about experiential travel?
Would you like a truly authentic Australian travel experience?
Are you ready to meet some new Aussie friends, to connect with the nature, history, and culture of the Australian continent?
Post by Emma Lawson, the blog guest
Emma Lawson is an Aussie lifestyle blogger and an avid traveler. In her spare time, she likes to do research, and write articles to create awareness regarding a healthy lifestyle. She is happily married and a proud mum to two boys.
Twitter @EmmahLawson
If you’re young or feel young and prefer backpacking traveling style, we recommend reading “The Ultimate Australia Backpacking Guide” to gain some valuable insights into visa details, traveling around Australia, backpacker’s accommodations, reasons to visit Australia, backpacking routes in Australia, where to go in Australia and backpacker’s travel average costs.
Since traveling around the Land Down Under may require carrying a lot of gear around, we suggest you opt for the best Travel Backpack. Some travel backpacks have the same features as traditional luggage, including roller wheels or a carry strap. In short, you get the best of both worlds!
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Australia is beautiful! Love the pics 🙂 How long a trip to Australia should be, would 2 weeks be enough?
Hi Medha,
I’m glad you loved the article. I think 2 weeks is a good start for any country. Bare in mind that AU is as large as Europe itself, maybe even larger. So , I would suggest you to spend those 2 weeks only to discover its western part. Then you can decide about your future visits.
Completely agree that nobody is happy to settle for trips that everyone else has done nowadays! We’re moving to Australia in September so hopefully we can explore it as locals and see the hidden parts we wouldn’t see on a normal trip!
This just made me more excited about my trip to Australia this August. Would you say Australia is an expensive country?
Nice, I’ve always wanted to visit Melbourne, so this has a few good tips – and for other parts of the continent, too. Someday!
Nice piece about Australia. My husband and I have never been one for cookie cutter trips and try to see the hidden gems or do the local experience as opposed to the touristy things. Australia is definitely on our list of places to experience.
Hey Emma! I’m an Aussie travel blogger and you’ve got this pretty spot on! The Shrine of Remembrance is one of my favourites too and believe it or not my Dad DOES have kangaroos around his retirement village. He knows where to find them depending on the time of day. I’m heading back in November and this post made me appreciate what I’m coming back to!
Australia is such an amazing country. I’ve been to Sydney and I really did enjoy the Rocks. I was also in Melbourne and saw the Gaol. But I would like to get more into nature the next time I am in Australia. So I’d definitely like an authentic travel experience.
So much to see and do in Australia!! Arkaba definitely sounds like somewhere I’d love to go!! And the barrier reef of course! Well, I’d love to see and do everything on this list really! 😉
Australia has a great vibe..its varied, cosmopolitan, balances urban with nature extremely well and has a great climate. All the points that you mention make for a truly Australian experience.
I had no idea people view more than 27 different sites before booking a trip! I’m dying to visit Ningaloo – have heard nothing but great things. I spent 3 years living in Melbourne but don’t feel like I’ve scratched the surface of what’s on offer!
Great to see some people still know how to do Australia in an authentic way! The last point about going in the oceans is especially important to do asap as all the reefs are dying 🙁
I have wanted to visit Arkaba ever since I had read somewhere that “Arkaba is the mini version of old wild free Australia” and your post just made my resolution more strong by just mentioning the place. I am scared of the reef but surely want to visit Melbourne if not the other cities of Australia 😀 Great tips btw.
You’ve got some great alternatives to the trodden path here, thank-you!
Australia is wonderful, beautiful and so are your pictures. These clear blue water beaches are awesome and I will love to see those Kangaroos around. Experiencing all this in Australia will surely make it an authentic experience.
Great post, and I absolutely love your pictures! We have been planning to visit Australia for a while, but got discouraged by the long flight. We will definitely have to hop on that plane at some point, this is too beautiful to pass
We’d love to visit Arkaba one day, it seems like a an amazing place! Thanks for bringing it up. 🙂 We’ve been dreaming of going to Australia since a long time, mostly because of the diving sites, but it’s just so far from central Europe… well, maybe one day! 🙂
I am in love with all the pictures! I first started loving Australia when I saw the land through Masterchef Australia! Ever since its been a dream and your pictures really have added fuel to the fire!!
I really wish I could visit Australia. It always looks spectacular. Your photos are amazing.
Really, 27 sites before booking? That is insane! My best friend booked a trip to melbourne for a group of gals from the US in 2 days. They had such a blast that they, plus about 8 more, are doing it again later this year. I will pass your article along to her for guidance. You have some great options listed and I love your photos. 😉
These are all great suggestions! I love authentic experiences!! After reading your post, I’ve started researching flights to Australia. It’s definitely at the top of my bucket list, but it’s out of my budget, unfortunately. It’s time for me to start saving for this trip!
There is so much to see in a continent the size of Australia. So many people do not realize how vast it is and it can truly take months to see all there is. I do like the selections you have chosen to highlight in this post as they are all quintessentially Australian. It certainly is worth the trip to enjoy the experience.
Australia is a beautiful country! I once planned to go, but then the plan didn’t materialize! I really hope to visit the country sometime! Ofcourse its a huge place to see in a few days trip. From your list, Arkaba and Ninglaoo would be my favourite places to experience.
My sister lived in Australia for about 7 years and I used to visit her once a year, as well as having visited on my own several times too, so have done a lot of the typical Aussie things. I love Australia and must go back another time. Love Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane is pretty cool too but I would like to go back to dive the great barrier reef one day.
Ive never been to Australia and I wouldnt know where to start with planning but this is a really great guide covering all aspects. I can well believe that people go on over 27 sites when researching too!
Thanks for sharing! We will be travellling through Australia in a few months time so these tips are perfect for us!
As an Australian, I would add the Great Barrier Reef to this list, cannot leave without a visit to the Reef. Also there is a wonderful Sanctuary on the outskirts of Melbourne called Healesville Sanctuary that is a must if you are able to travel to Victoria. I grew up on National Parks in the Northern Territory so was always off camping on weekends in Kakadu and other national parks. So much to do in our wonderful country. Oh to see it all, you definitely need more than a couple of weeks!
This looks like an awesome itinerary. I went to Australia on my gap year but i did all the typical tourist things – it would be fantastic to have had more of an authentic experience! Maybe next time!
This is so incredible. I love travelling a lot but so bad that I don’t have much time because of work. I used to live in Australia one year. And, it was so lucky to get a trip to Alice Spring. The heat is really a killer but The scenes were so beautiful, especially Ulurulu. Can’t wait to check out these location and spend time with it. Thank you so much for your sharing ?
27 sites? Wow. Had no idea. I consult 1 source; my wife LOL. She decides, I go along. OK she asks me for feedback but I am game to go anywhere save active war zones.
The deep ocean deal really works for me. So much to see in the deep blue sea and Oz has some pristine deep blue seas. We lived in Fiji for a minute so enjoyed similar South Pacific Ocean views – and dips – during our stay there.
Ryan
I lived in Australia awhile back – my favorite part of the country was Melbourne – such a fun and creative city 🙂
I’ve been wanting and planning to visit Australia for so long I don’t even count. This is awesome post and I will pin it for the time my wish actually comes true.
I think I’m above average and look at more than 27 sites before booking a trip. Then during my trip I’ll look at more sites, there’s so much information out there and you can never get enough! I’ve heard how expensive Australia is so house sitting would be a very good option! I’ve pinned this because I have yet to visit Australia and there are a couple of unique ideas in here.
I want to visit Australia and do these awesome outdoor activities. I think Australia is laid back. I like their lifestyle. I have been thinking of being a house sitter in Australia.
Thats a nice list 🙂 I have totally no problem with being a tourist and I am walking a lot on beaten paths, but I like to mix it with some lesser know activities and things to do and you list seems a good approach to Australia. 🙂 I wish I would go there soon 🙂
Ninglaoo reef? Huncback whales? You had me at hello. Added to my bucketlist 😉 Cheers!
I love an idea of experiental traveling. I guess someone needs time to really immerse in local lifestyle. Your tips are appealing to try out. Thanks for sharing!
Australia is a breath-taking country. This really seems like an authentic and unique experience!
Kangaroos are the symbol of Australia.
Great article with bang on tips, and absolutely lovely pictures out here!
Great article! Although you forgot to mention The Outback – that’s a truly authentic Australian experience 😉