As a visitor we want to experience something unique, something special or something different than our routine lives. Most of all we want to enjoy ourselves, have fun finding out things. For locals there are places that answer all those holiday questions and you do not need to take an international flight to find these places. Here are few holiday destinations where Australians go to relax, indulge and enjoy their holiday break.
8 favourite destinations
It doesn’t seem a good idea to visit a town in the middle of all those fabulous national parks?
Armidale has an ace up its sleeve with four National Parks within one hour drive. New England National Park, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, Cathedral Rock National Park and Guy Fawkes River National Park. The town is appealing to the eye. Autumn brings the picture postcard rural town a glorious display of deciduous leaf golds and the crackle, snap and crunch of autumn foliage as you walk the tracks. The heritage buildings provide a sense of tradition that continues to be lived in and adapted to contemporary use. The buildings are not just museum pieces but part of the living heritage of Armidale. Armidale is entrancing.
Check out our travel guide >> Armidale what to see and do
Isn’t Ballarat more interesting with Sovereign Hill and all those other things to do?
Ballarat has the fabulous Sovereign Hill with its stagecoaches, 19th century main street and gold panning. Yet Bendigo has a gold mine, with a tour that is definitely ‘real’, a vintage talking tram and a personality that is Bendigo. Bendigo is authentic, it is heritage Victorian goldfields and is a place that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Bendigo is not better than Ballarat. The two towns offer different experiences.
What’s so interesting about Fraser Island?
Fraser Island is a giant sand castle. Made by nature for us to enjoy. It is a favourite of PacificJane’s editor. Fraser has been visited three times and counting. Why go back when there are so many interesting places yet to see? You return because the island is entirely made of sand, no rocks, with natural vegetation providing fertile ground for tree growth. The Island has trees, lakes, water, all part of the sand landscape of Fraser.
And then there are dingoes, the wild dogs of Australia. The dingo. Endangered and often misunderstood the dingo is worthy of his/her own Island kingdom where s/he is the top predator.
And have we mentioned yet, Fraser Island is drop dead glorious.
Check out our travel guide >> Fraser Island what to see and do
Australia’s got lots of outback, what’s so special about the Flinders Ranges?
If you have time for only one outback experience make it the Flinders Ranges. I think Flinders Ranges is extraordinary in its remoteness. Then there is the sheer age of the place. As a consequence my imagination runs overtime thinking of myself standing in a place that is 800 million years old.
The outback is remote and getting there takes time and effort. Flinders Ranges are the oldest, largest mountain range in Australia stretching for over 430kms. In fact Wilpena Pound is a natural amphitheatre and a focus for visitor experiences
Check out our travel guide >> Flinders Ranges what to see and do
Hobart isn’t it a bit boring, nothing much happens there?
Hobart is personal with an intimate vibrancy that speaks of people who personally know their neighbours. Hobart is not separate from its glorious backdrop of mountains, valleys, rivers and beaches rather it flows into the hinterland seamlessly. There is a connection between settlement and the land which is often lost in the large urban cities of Australia. Hobart buries itself into your journey experiences as a favourite place to return to. And you will not go hungry. Hobart is foodie heaven with the larder being picked at Hobart’s doorstep.
What makes Port Douglas a favourite tropical getaway?
We all need a tropical getaway with a decent market or two, wildlife that scare the living daylights out of us, crocodiles up close and personal and crystal clear water with a coral reef that is Australia’s marine heritage. Port Douglas is the answer to our wish to escape. A tropical piece of Australia, in our backyard is hospitality Queensland style. Let’s find out what is so special about Port Douglas.
Port Douglas is photogenic. A delightful village, sandwiched between the tropical rainforest of the Daintree and the coral sea makes for numerous insta photo moments.
Check out our travel guide >> Port Douglas what to see and do
Have you ever been to Port Lincoln? An underrated foodie destination … pop on your bucket list now.
A small town that is a must do destination for foodie visitors. Port Lincoln has a population of less than 15,000 yet it is home to the country’s largest commercial fishing fleet. Tuna is shipped directly from Port Lincoln to Asian markets where it is highly sought after. Boston Bay is three times the size of Sydney Harbour providing deep water access for the commercial fleets.
Check out our travel guide >> Port Lincoln what to see and do
Island time with a picture perfect quokka, and the place is drop dead glorious.
Quokkas are ready made for your instagram photo moment. I am inviting you to meet the quokka. A quirky character on par with the cheeky Kea parrot of New Zealand. Both are cheeky opportunists yet have their wild side. The Kea is known to destroy car tyres and the quokka to bite the hand that fed them. Cheeky locals who try to borrow your picnic lunch for a snack.
Check out our travel guide >> Rottnest Island what to see and do
The journey is worth it
