Australia

Australia is a continent in itself and it would take a full year to explore the all the highlights. The country's east coast is one of the world's great backpacker trails and a great place to spend your first time in the country. It is a 2,500km trail starting with the tropical rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef in the far north down through surf towns, island beaches and big harbor cities. It's expensive and vast, but the payoff is enormous: reef, rainforest, white-silica beaches and an incredible social scene at nearly every stop.

I'll cover my two month long trip down the country's east coast, north to south down the coast: Cairns, Airlie Beach (the Whitsundays), Noosa, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Sydney, with a final trip south to Melbourne. If you don't have as much time and just want to cover the highlights, I'd recommend spending at least 2 weeks covering Cairns (Tropical North), Airlie Beach (the Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef) and Sydney.

• Getting around — distances in Australia are vast unlike anywhere else that I've been, expect long 8 - 12 hour car rides or short flights between destinations. Budget enough time in each location and full travel days in between cities
• The route — the classic east-coast route is Cairns → Airlie Beach (Whitsundays) → K'Gari (Fraser Island) → Brisbane → Gold Coast → Byron Bay → Sydney → Melbourne. Many people also do this same route in reverse if you want to fly into Melbourne first
• Greyhound Bus Pass — the backpacker default is the Greyhound East Coast Whimit Pass. This is a hop-on/hop-off bus pass connects every major stop along the East Coast. You have unlimited travel along the East Coast for 7, 15, 21 or 30 days. You'll have the flexibility of booking last minute, skipping the long distances drives and taking overnight legs save time
• During summer months (December to February), you'll have to book at least a few days in advance since the popular route on buses often book out. Unlike the Greyhound in the U.S., the buses are clean and mostly full of backpackers
• Flights — for the longer trips and to save time, flights are best way to get between cities, budget carriers like Jetstar and Virgin are the best options
• Campervan / Car — hugely popular for the flexibility, especially if you're chasing beaches and national parks off the bus route
• Money — the official currency is the Australian dollar (AUD). It's a genuinely expensive country. Food, drinks, accommodation and tours add up fast
• Food & coffee — Australian food is diverse and multicultural (the Asian food was especially good). The highlights for me were the Aussie pies! You'll find these everywhere and they are cheap, filling and delicious. Australians also take their coffee seriously so you'll find some world-class brews in every city
• The Backpacker Crowd — the backpacker crows in hostels are filled with Europeans on their working-holiday visa. Be prepared to hangout with 90% British people! There are also a lot of other European backpackers like the Irish, Germans and Dutch. It makes for a great, easy social scene almost everywhere

Cairns was one of my favorite cities in Australia. It is located in the Tropical North of Queensland and the usual starting point for the coast. It is a good base to visit the Great Barrier Reef, the ancient Daintree Rainforest (the world's oldest forest) and some incredible waterfalls. It's close to the equator so expect hot and humid weather.

Remember the saying: everything in Australia wants to kill you! You can't swim at most beaches in tropical Queensland because of saltwater crocodiles and from November to April there are box jellyfish in the water so you'll need a stinger suit in the open ocean up north.

• Fitzroy Island (Day Trip) — take a 45-minute catamaran to the gorgeous Fitzroy island, covered in jungle and embedded right in the Great Barrier Reef. Walk 1km from the port through the jungle to Nudey Beach. It is rated as one of Australia's best beaches with has crystal water and lots of coral-boulders (fun fact: it's actually the cover photo for this website too!). I had it all to myself which was absolutely incredible and a great place to eat lunch while you watch the waves crash. Expect to spend the full day at Fitzroy Island before taking the ferry back to Cairns
• There is also a the steep 2.4mi or 4km hike to the peak where you'll have a full 360° view of the island and surrounding reef. Here is the link to the AllTrails route
• Daintree Rainforest & Cape Tribulation (Day Trip) — take a day tour into the oldest rainforest on earth dating back 180 million years. The first stop is the Daintree River crocodile cruise through the mangroves where you'll see fresh water crocodiles and spitting archer fish. The tour then goes on to where the forest meets the reef at Cape Tribulation and you do a short a rainforest walk among prehistoric fan palms and a Mossman Gorge stop. Finally, we stopped at an Aboriginal culture center and watched an Aboriginal smoke ceremony. Here was the tour that I booked with active tropics explorer
• Reef Scenic flight — a highlight of Cairns is absolutely the a flight in a small propeller plane over over the Great Barrier Reef. The total flight takes 30–45 minutes and you'll fly over some gorgeous coral cays and Green Island. It is a bit expensive, but genuinely one of the best things to do in Cairns. Book ahead here
• Great Barrier Reef snorkeling day tour — one of the main reasons to visit Australia was to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. Boats run daily out to the outer reef for snorkeling or diving among coral and turtles. I would recommend waiting to snorkel if you do the Whitsundays cruise (you'll have 3 days of snorkeling). However, Cairns is a perfect good place to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
• Cairns Esplanade Lagoon — you can't swim near the shore in Cairns due to the salt-water crocs and box jellyfish. There is free public swimming lagoon right on the waterfront, a great place to relax and have an easy day
• Walk the Esplanade — if you have extra time, Cairns has a gorgeous esplanade that you can walk or run down. The marshes are right by here so you might be able to spot some unique wildlife
• Cairns Night Market — one of Australia's largest night markets with street food stalls and lots of little vendors selling souvenirs. A fun place to visit for an hour at night, but not a must while in Cairns

• The Roti Shack — a small low-key Caribbean place that served one of the most incredible wraps I've ever had. Highly recommend
• Perrotta's at the Gallery — an upscale café on the esplanade. The brunch here is great
• 3 Black Bears Pizza — a solid late-night option for pizza

• Gilligan's — a hostel with a club inside and the main place for backpackers to gather in Cairns. I ended up staying there too which I'll talk about in the Where to Stay section
• Salt House — a fancy restaurant that turns into an outdoor bar at night. One of the best places to go in the city and they have great discounts on hospitality night

• Gilligan's — a hostel with a club inside that has an infamous reputation in Australia. I ended up staying here and it was the main backpacker nightlife hub in Cairns. There is a pool and outdoor area. It was a great place to meet people in party, but be warned that it is pretty loud at night if you want to sleep

Airlie Beach is a small, lively resort town and the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands just offshore: 74 islands ringed by the reef and home to what might be the most beautiful beach on the planet. The town itself is tiny and only worth spending one-night-before and one-night-after the sailing trip.

• Whitsundays Sailing Trip (2–3 nights) — this was the highlight of the entire east coast. You live aboard a small sailboat with 20–30 other people. You sail off around the Whitsunday Islands, stopping in random spots to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef (fish, parrotfish, turtles) and swim off the boat. At night, dozens of reef sharks circle the boat making for a magical experience. There are many boats boats that all run similar routes, but make sure to book one that stops at Whitehaven Beach
• I booked a 2 night experience (link here) on a boat called the spankme (it's a sailing joke). I met some amazing people and the experience was incredible, but the bunks and food on board were not the greatest. Expect to pay ~$350 to $400 for a 2 night sail
• Whitehaven Beach — the most incredible beach I've seen in the world. Only reachable only by boat, Whitehaven Beach beach is a 7km beach made up of pure silica sand so fine it squeaks. From the Hill Inlet lookout above it, the white sand swirls through turquoise water making for an iconic view. On our overnight tour, we were the first people there at 7am
• Reef Scenic Flight — the Whitsundays version of the scenic flight is reportedly even better than the one in Cairns because you fly over both Heart Reef and Whitehaven Beach. Expect it to cost ~$200
• Airlie Beach Lagoon — the free waterfront swimming lagoon in town. A good place to relax for an afternoon
• Boathaven Beach — a quiet secluded beach right outside of town where you can swim in protected areas in the ocean

• The Boat House (Boaty's) — a restaurant that serves great burgers and brunch
• Paddy's Shenanigans Irish Bar — for the night after your sail, you'll likely end up here with your newfound sailing buddies. It is a classic Irish bar that makes for a fun night

• Nomads Airlie Beach — a no-frills hostel that has a pool and huge courtyard to hangout at. RV and campervans are also allowed here. They offer luggage storage which is useful for items you don't want to bring on the sail

K'gari is the world's largest sand island, reached by vehicle ferry from Rainbow Beach (a small, quiet town between the larger town of Noosa and the island). There are no sealed roads on the island: it's all soft sand tracks, and a stretch of open beach doubles as the main highway.

Book a 2 to 3 day 4WD tour with camping to fully experience the island. The island is very untouched and be prepared to drive on soft sand and be surrounded by Dingos at night!

• Rainbow Beach — a very sleepy town that is mainly a stopover the night before the K'gari island tour starts
• Carlo Sand Blow — massive sand dunes located a short walk away from town. The path goes through a residential neighborhood and then the forest. You'll walk out onto vast sand dunes. It was an amazing place to watch the sun set
• Rainbow Beach Lookout — the best viewpoint in town over the main beach and popular surf spot
• Rainbow Beach Surf Life Saving Club — a lifeguard club that doubles as a restaurant and bar with an amazing view
• 4WD Tag-Along Camping Tour — the best way to see the island and many backpacker's favorite experience while in Australia. A couple of companies run these 2 to 3 day trips: you travel in a small convoy of 4WDs with about 8 people per vehicle, taking turns driving as you follow the guide's lead vehicle across the sand. On the first day, you cross from Rainbow Beach to K'gari on the vehicle ferry and camp on the island each night. Here's roughly how a 3-day trip breaks down:
  • Day 1 — cross on the ferry and drop down onto 75 Mile Beach, the sand "highway" that runs the length of the island (small planes occasionally land on it)
  • Drive north up the beach and stop at Eli Creek, a shallow, crystal-clear freshwater creek running right off the beach. Grab a pool float or tube and drift down it, then walk back and do it again
  • Stop by the S.S. Maheno shipwreck on the side of the highway. The boat was stranded here in 1935 from a cyclone. At low tide, you can walk right up to it since there are no guardrails
  • Carry on to the northern end for the Champagne Pools, natural rock pools at the ocean's edge that fizz as the waves break over them and the only spot on the island where it's actually safe to swim in the sea. We then set up camp for the night, ringed by an electric dingo fence
  • Day 2 — head inland on the soft sand tracks to Lake McKenzie, a perched freshwater lake with blindingly white silica sand and clear, deep-blue water. It's the best swimming spot on the island and well worth the bumpy drive in. Spend the day around the lakes and rainforest before a second night at camp
  • Day 3 — a final stretch of beach driving and any last stops before catching the ferry back to Rainbow Beach. Watch for wild dingoes trotting along the shoreline the whole trip, and carry a stick if you walk around camp after dark

• Freedom Hostels Rainbow Beach — a no-frills hostel located in Rainbow Beach. I ended up meeting other backpackers also on my tour the night before

Noosa is the polished, upscale end of the Sunshine Coast. a small beach town of boutiques and good restaurants along Hastings Street that reminded me of Newport Beach in California, wrapped around a genuinely beautiful national park headland.

Noosa is a relaxed, pretty and very walkable area, but it is very small. You can see the highlights in as little as a day, but I'd recommend 2–3 days especially if you plan to surf.

• Noosa National Park Coastal Walk — the best thing to do in Noosa is a ~3-hour loop along the headland from the main beach out to Sunshine Beach, hugging the cliffs the whole way (alltrails link). Highlights along the path include:
  • Boiling Pot Lookout & Dolphin Point — clifftop lookouts over the surf breaks. Far from the main beach, watch for advanced surfers surfing massive waves below. You can also spot dolphins and whales from the cliff-side so bring binoculars if you have them
  • Hell's Gates — dramatic jagged rock formations where the deep-blue tides crash in. The most striking stretch of the walk and a great place to stop for lunch and watch the waves crash
  • Fairy Pools — clear tidal rock pools you can sit in as the waves crash around them. It is a fun place for a quick swim, but gets very crowded since the pools are very small
  • Alexandria Bay — a long, wild, mostly empty beach on the far side of the headland, before the path climbs to Sunshine Beach. It is unofficially a nudist beach and I found out by surprise
  • Sunshine Beach — the walk culminates when you reach a hill overlooking the Sunshine Beach. There is an incredible view here and the long sandy Sunshine Beach stretches for miles
• Hastings Street & Main Beach — the fancy shopping-and-dining strip opening right onto the main beach, which is packed with learner surfers even on a weekday. This is a very nice area to walk around, do some shopping or grab a bite. It is a popular summer vacation spot for wealthy Australians
• Noosa Spit — a quiet protected park at the point where the Noosa River meets the sea. There is a small forest here and it is good for a stroll. It is the gateway to the Noosa Everglades upriver where you can do watersports or a kayaking tour
• Surfing in Noosa — perhaps the town's biggest draw. The sheltered point breaks inside Noosa National Park offer some of Australia's longest, most forgiving waves, making them perfect for beginners, long boarders, and anyone looking for a relaxed surf.

• Hastings Street — the town's restaurants and cafés cluster here. Wander along the strip until you find a good restaurant to stop at

• Bounce Noosa — a beautiful, clean hostel with a pool, bar and very comfortable bunks. The only downside is that Bounce is located out in Noosaville which is far away from the center of town in Hastings Street (closer to the beach and the national park)

Brisbane is Queensland's relaxed river-city capital: more of a transit and logistics hub than a headline destination. It is famously and ironically called "Bris-vegas" by Aussies due to how boring it is. However, a pleasant couple of days built around its riverfront cultural precinct and the best place to hug a koala!

• South Bank Parklands — a massive riverfront park across from downtown Brisbane, with Streets Beach a manmade city beach and lagoon, a riverside walk and the Nepal Peace Pagoda, a carved wooden pagoda from the 1988 World Expo
• Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) — a large, free contemporary-art museum right on South Bank with a great collection of Modern Art
• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary — a short trip from the city where you can actually hold a koala and hand-feed kangaroos. It was a unforgettable experience in Australia and amazing to be so up close and personal with these animals. I bought some lovely photos holding a Koala and the proceeds go to funding wildlife rescue missions
• Australia Zoo — Steve Irwin's famous zoo, about an hour north toward the Sunshine Coast. It is considered one of the best zoos in Australia. Fun fact: the Irwin family is basically Australia's royal family. His kids are mini-celebrities
• Story Bridge & Kangaroo Point Cliffs — walk or climb the landmark bridge and wander the riverside cliffs opposite the city for the classic Brisbane skyline view. You can also hop across the river on the free CityHopper ferry
• Wildlands Brisbane — if you happen to be in Brisbane during New Years, I highly recommend going to Wildlands Brisbane. They have some amazing world-class acts and it was a great way to experience the Australian festival scene. I went in 2023 and I saw Rufus du Sol, Peggy Gou and Dimension.

• The South Bank and West End areas have the best cafés and restaurants
• Roamer Brisbane Bar & Cafe — a trendy café right below the Selina hostel. The coffee and breakfast options here are great
• AJ's Noodle House — a good casual Vietnamese dinner spot
• New Season Thai — a modern Thai restaurant in the city center. the ground basil chicken is excellent and genuinely spicy
• Felons Brewing Co — the most famous and popular brewery in Brisbane located right along the river

• Roamer Brisbane — formerly a Selina hostel location, it is a polished, upscale hostel with very comfortable beds. They have a festival-style wristband check-in and it is a short walk from South Bank, the river and the free CityHopper ferry. There were almost no other backpackers here when I was there so I had it all to myself
• Summer House Backpackers Brisbane — I stayed here around New Years and all other hostels were booked out. It was a bit messy when I was there (possibly just my dormmates), but I generally wouldn't recommend it due to location and cleanliness

The Gold Coast is Australia's answer to Miami: a wall of high-rises behind an endless run of surf beaches. The city is brash and touristy at its center, but with genuinely lovely headlands and beaches. I would recommend spending 2 days here to explore.

• Surfers Paradise — this is the neon main strip with lots of surf shops and bars with a broad beach backed by skyscrapers. This is a popular spot for young Aussies to go on spring break so it is a bit of a younger crowd
• SkyPoint Observation Deck — the observation deck near the top of the Q1 Tower, one of the tallest towers in the southern hemisphere. Go up to the top of this building for a sweeping view of the entirety of the Gold Coast
• Burleigh Heads — the best stretch of the Gold Coast: a wide white-sand beach with the Surfers skyline framed in the distance. Grab a bike (you can rent an e-bike with the lime app) from Surfers Paradise and cruise along the beach front path to Burleigh Heads
• The beachfront Burleigh Pavilion is one of the best places to grab a drink and a meal. There is a gorgeous view from inside of the long coastline and towers.
• The short Burleigh Head National Park headland walk is also worth it. There is a lookout over both sides of the point
• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary — a popular wildlife park to visit south of Burleigh. It is a good stop for koalas, kangaroos and the lorikeet feeding if you haven't done that elsewhere in Australia

• Burleigh Pavilion — right on the sand at Burleigh Heads, with big windows opening onto the beach and a beautiful view of the Surfers skyline. It was one of the best beachfront meals on the coast
• Greek on Soul — a nice Greek restaurant on the Surfer's Paradise promenade
• Fishbowl — a solid poke bowl spot in Surfer's Paradise, good for a healthy lunch between beach days

• The backpacker hostels are mostly located in Surfers Paradise near the strip and the beach. Surfers Paradise is a bit rowdy, but the best place to stay as most activities will be walking distance from your accommodation
• Budds In Surfers — a really fun hostel located just 100 meters from the beach and walking distance from downtown Surfers Paradise. It was very relaxing by the pool during the day and a fun social vibe at night. The staff had their annual party while I was there so there was a pool party

Byron Bay is the laid-back, slightly hippie heart of the coast. It is a surf-and-wellness town that's alternative in spirit, but clean, pretty and family-friendly in practice. It sits at the most easterly point of mainland Australia, which makes for a spectacular sunrise walk.

I would recommend 2 to 3 days in Byron Bay. It is a relaxing place where you could spend a whole week if you like surfing and yoga. It was a welcome change after the intensity of Surfers Paradise.

• The Downtown — Byron Bay has a very cute downtown with lots of little shops and restaurants. It was fun area to walk around in
• Beaches— the town of Byron Bay lies directly on the Main Beach. This is where most of the town gathers. The beach stretches for miles so it is a good place for beach side walk
• The Pass is the famous longboard surf break
• Wategos Beach is the pretty, sheltered cove beneath the lighthouse
• If you happen to be in Byron Bay during Christmas (like I was), the beach fills up with people in Santa Hats and red swim suits. Have morning swim or a picnic here and enjoy the warm Australian Christmas
• Cape Byron Lighthouse walk — one of the best walks in Byron Bay. It is the coastal track up to the lighthouse and the Most Easterly Point of Australiamarker. Do it for sunrise (on a clear morning) and watch for dolphins in the bay below and migrating whales if you're lucky
• Kayak with Dolphins — a popular guided tour into the bay. Byron is one of the best spots to see dolphins up close. You can book a tour here
• Byron Bay Markets — the monthly market (plus a weekly farmers' market) is the town in a nutshell with crafts, food trucks, live music and vintage clothing
• Bangalow — an artsy village east of Byron Bay if you want to dive deeper into the Byron alternative scene. It is also home to the Bangalow Markets which are a bigger, quieter version of the Byron ones

• Byron Hot Bread Bakery — a good, cheap bakery for breakfast. They have an amazing a sausage roll and a meat pie for a snack on the way to the beach on the way to the beach
• Bay Leaf Cafe — a hip, popular brunch spot in town. The cold brew and an egg-and-greens toast were a great choice
• The Northern — the most popular spot in town and a really fun piano bar. Get in line early as the place fills up. One of the best nights out in Byron

• Wake Up! Byron Bay — a brand new hostel with amazing facilities and a great social atmosphere. It is located a bit far out of town so either walk along the beach or take the free shuttle into town
• The Surf House — if you're looking for a more central location that is walkable from downtown, I would recommend The Surf House. My friends stayed here and had a great experience. Unsurprisingly, most of the crowd here is focused on surfing

Sydney is the perfect finale to Australia's east coast: a city where iconic landmarks, golden beaches, and one of the world's most beautiful harbors all sit within easy reach of one another. Spend your days walking the spectacular coastline, surfing at Bondi, cruising the harbor, and exploring neighborhoods that make it easy to see why Sydney consistently ranks among the world's most livable cities.

I would recommend spending 4 to 5 days to fully soak in the city beyond just the Opera House. After spending a week in Sydney, I considered even moving here, but that's a different story...

• Sydney Opera House & Sydney Harbour Bridge — the iconic landmarks of Sydney. You can visit the Sydney Opera House itself or head to Mrs Macquarie's Chair for the best spot to photograph the Opera House with the bridge behind it.
• On New Years Eve, Sydney is home to one of the best fireworks shows with fireworks coming out of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
• Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk — this was my favorite activity in Sydney. Start by taking a bus down to Coogee Beach on the southeast coast of the city. You then walk ~8mi or ~13km north along the cliffs, passing Gordons Bay (a secluded cove) and Bronte Beach (the most photogenic, with a tidal pool) before ending at Bondi Beach. The walk is paved and very easy to navigate. Here is the AllTrails link
• Reward yourself with a drink at where the Bondi Icebergs saltwater pool is the classic photo. The whole hike will take roughly 3 to 3.5 hours to complete
• Taronga Zoo — the best zoo in Australia right across the harbor from the Opera House. Take the ferry from Circular Quay. You'll the ride past the Opera House which in itself is worth it alone. You then arrive at the massive Taronga Zoo,divided into sections by origin of species. The Australian section is the highlight: koalas, kangaroos and wallabies in walk-through enclosures, and tiny fairy penguins native to the harbor. If you're interested in the koala encounter, book the well in advance as it fills up quick!
• Manly Beach — a famous beach suburb reached by a scenic harbor ferry. It is a completely different vibe from both the downtown and the more famous Bondi Beach. It is a great half-day with its own beach and oceanfront walk
• The Rocks — a small historic neighborhood located nearby Sydney Opera House.There are cobble stone streets and lots of signs explaining Sydney's early history (with a small free museum of the city's history). Definitely worth a quick stop
• Museum of Sydney — a small, free museum on the site of the first Government House. It covers the founding of the colony and the story of Bennelong, the Aboriginal man taken in by the first governor to bridge the two cultures
• Chinatown Sydney — Sydney is home to the largest Chinatown in Oceania with some very good, authentic food. Every Friday from 4 PM to 11 PM, there is a night market which is a fun place to walk around and try street foods from the stalls
• Blue Mountains day trip — located just 90 minutes from Sydney, you can take a day trip out of the city into the Blue Mountains, known for its eucalyptus-forested canyons and clifftop lookouts. I didn't get to it, but it comes highly recommended from other travelers

• The Fine Food Store (The Rocks) — a good brunch stop while exploring the historic quarter; the croque madame and a cold brew hit the spot
• Gelato Messina (Bondi) — a Sydney institution and worth the stop after the coastal walk
• Manly Wharf (Manly)— grab fish, chips, calamari and crab sticks from the fish market by the wharf and eat it looking back across the harbor before the ferry home

• Mad Monkey Potts Point — this hostel was much more run down than most of the hostels I stayed in. However, there is a good location and it is an easy walk to the CBD, the Opera House and the botanical garden from here

Melbourne feels like Australia's cultural capital. While it lacks Sydney's famous harbor and beaches, it more than makes up for it with hidden laneways, exceptional cafés, world-class restaurants, live sportd, and a thriving arts scene. It's a city best explored without an itinerary, and the perfect base for a trip along the spectacular Great Ocean Road.

For first-timers, I spend 4 to 5 days to explore the city at a comfortable pace. On my travels, Melbourne felt like the place the most similar to my native California. Maybe after you'll be able to decide the age old rivalry for yourself: is Melbourne or Sydney better?

• Downtown Melbourne
• Queen Victoria Market — a huge, historic food market. A great stop for dinner and you can do a loop of the food stalls. I ended up going here multiple days since it was close to where I was staying
• Degraves Street — Melbourne is home to the unique laneway culture with narrow alleys strung with lights and packed with outdoor café tables. Degraves Street is the most impressive example and is located right by the main train station
• Hosier Lane — the famous graffiti alley. It is small and touristy, but worth a quick look on the way to Federation Square
• The Lume — an immersive digital art museum at the convention center. The exhibit I saw was built entirely around Aboriginal art and dance, projected floor-to-ceiling and synced to music. Genuinely impressive, not what I expected going in and definitely worth a stop
• Southbank Promenade — a nice area along the river where you can walk for miles. There is a little strip of restaurants here serving seafood as well
• Melbourne Skydeck (Eureka Tower) — the tallest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere and worth doing if you're curious. However, I found the view less impressive view than Q1 on the Gold Coast since Melbourne's skyline is less distinct from above
• Fitzroy — the hip inner-city neighborhood for a night out: bars, street art and rooftop spots like Naked for Satan, a multi-story bar with a Brooklyn-style rooftop and city views
• Brighton Bathing Boxes — a line of about 100 small, brightly painted beach sheds on a quiet beach an hour out of the city by train. It is an iconic photo stop for Melbourne.
• St Kilda — the great beachside neighborhood for sunset and dinner. It has a large strip of restaurants, shops and you can wander around the beach in this area
• Great Ocean Road (Day Tour) — a popular, full-day tour from the city of Melbourne if you don't want to rent a car. The road follows the Southern Coastline of Australia and has some beautiful scenery including The Twelve Apostles. You can book the tour that I took here
• Kennett River — a short strip of road with a very high koala population. It is relatively easy to see one in the wild if you look very high up in the Eucalyptus trees
• The Twelve Apostles — the iconic sea stacks and the reason most people do this drive. The beach view and the clifftop viewpoint both show different sides of them so make sure you visit them both
• Loch Ard Gorge — a dramatic gorge in the same national park, with a thin orange sea stack called the Razorback and a shipwreck-survivor love story that the tour guides love to tell
• Apollo Bay Bakery — the classic lunch stop on the drive. Get a meat pie or a sausage roll for the road. They are famous for their seafood pies which you won't find elsewhere in Australia
• Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) — one of the largest stadiums in the world and home to the local AFL team. AFL (also known as "Aussie Rules Football") is the most popular sport in Australia and a high-paced, chaotic game that is fun to watch. Depending on the season, you can catch an AFL or Cricket match here. I went to a Cricket match here and it was a great way to spend an evening even if you don't know the rules going in

• Max on Hardware — a great Italian restaurant. I decided to be adventurous and try the Kangaroo. It was prepared as a tender steak lathered in gravy and it reminded me a bit of Kobe beef
• Schmucks Bagels — a good bagel shop; the cream cheese and Vegemite bagel is a very Melbourne thing to order
• Degraves Street cafés — pick any of the laneway spots for a coffee or a casual lunch; the moussaka at Euro Lane Cafe was a good order
• HER — an upscale bar in Melbourne. It has an artsy retro feel to it on the inside and a large outdoor rooftop
• Ponyfish Island — a small bar located near the Southbank Promenade. You can reach it by bridge and the whole bar lies on it's own island in the middle of the river. A fun spot to grab a drink and relax near the water

• Base yourself in the CBD near Queen Victoria Market, an easy tram ride or walk to Federation Square, the river, Fitzroy and the trains out to the farther parts like Brighton and the MCG
• Little Drifter Melbourne — I stayed in this hostel located right next to Queen Victoria Market. It had a large common area and was very social

These notes cover the east-coast run and Melbourne, but Australia is enormous. There are plenty more destinations and I definitely plan to make another lengthy trip to explore:

• Darwin — Australia's tropical northern city and gateway to the Top End, best known for its laid-back atmosphere, spectacular sunsets, and easy access to Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. Visit Crocosaurus Cove and swim with the behemoth saltwater crocodile
• Western Australia — Australia's vast and least-visited state, home to remote beaches, world-class coral reefs, dramatic gorges, and some of the country's most unforgettable road trips
• Perth — Western Australia's isolated capital and one of the most remote major cities in the world, separated from the east coast by a five-hour flight. With pristine beaches, sunny weather, and a relaxed lifestyle, it feels like a completely different side of Australia
• Esperance — famous for impossibly white sand, turquoise water, and Cape Le Grand National Park, where kangaroos regularly lounge on the beach
• Broome — a remote tropical town known for Cable Beach, camel rides at sunset, dinosaur footprints, and the striking red cliffs of the Kimberley coastline
• Uluru & the Outback — the famous Australian Outback where the iconic sandstone monolith rises from the vast desert landscape. It's a completely different Australia from the lush east coast and one of the country's most unforgettable experiences
• Tasmania — Australia's wild island state, renowned for dramatic hiking in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, exceptional fresh seafood, rugged coastlines, and the world-famous MONA museum in Hobart