Places in Australia
Melbourne | Sydney | Whitsundays
The Olgas in Australia, Northern Territory.
Average costs
Stay – Australia is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Therefore one doesn’t need to be shocked to see the expensive prices of accommodation. The bigger cities are, in general, the most expensive. For shared rooms in a hostel you pay about 35 AUD. In euro’s that would be about 25 and in dollars that would be about 30. If you value your privacy, budget hotels start at 75 AUD for two persons. More luxurious hotels start at 125 to 150 AUD.
Smaller cities are a lot cheaper. But keep in mind that distances are quite big in Australia and that tourist hot spots are more expensive anyway.
Eat – Food is no difference. In a cheap restaurant you’ll pay about 18 AUD (13,5 USD / 12 EUR) for one meal. A good restaurant will cost you more than 80 A$. If you can (or want to) cook yourself, you’ll pay about 12 to 20 AUD a day for both lunch and dinner.
Transport – Australia is huge in size. Because of that, big distances sometimes need to be driven. To go from one big city to another, the plane is your best option. For a flight you can expect to pay between 50 and 200 AUD. The public transportation in Australian cities is excellent. Almost everywhere there are metros and busses available. But these also are quite expensive. Taxi’s are incredibly expensive and thus not recommended. Bus- or metro tickets cost between 2,5 and 6 AUD for a single.
The Great Barrier Reef.
Saving money
Greyhound buses – You don’t want to book expensive flights? Or you want to see more of the country side? Then choose for a greyhound bus to move yourself around. You can pay per city, but a Hop On Hop Off pass is usually cheaper. With these passes you can hop on and hop off as many times as you want, as long as you travel in one direction. Tickets start at 375 AUD (280 USD / 260 EUR).
For flights you can count on 120 AUD (90 USD / 80 EUR) + extra money for transport to get to the inner city.
Cook yourself – Australia is one of those countries that you must have seen, but that can make you bankrupt if you don’t watch out. A big cost in Aussie is food. Cooking yourself can save you half of your budget!
Goon – Alcohol in Australia is super expensive. A cheap and good solution to these exaggerated prices is to buy goon. This basically is Australian cheap wine in a box Four liters (a bit more than a gallon) costs about 15 AUD. (11 USD, 10 EUR). In comparison: One bear from 25 Cl already costs 10 AUD. (7,5 USD, 7 EUR)
Book tours – It might sound weird, but tours that are organised are much cheaper than when you plan them yourselves. Especially when you’re travelling alone. This has to do everything with the competition within cities and the group discounts they can give if multiple people take the same tour. In every city there are lots of tours to do.
Couch surfing – Free and very cheap accommodation is accessible through couch surfing. For a small fee or some help you can stay with locals. Double pleasure! Because you will save money, but at the same time also will meet the local culture.
Work – Nowhere in the world it is so easy to get a working visa as in Australia. If you plan to go to Aussie for a longer time, you can easily start working on farms, in restaurants or bars. In exchange you get a nice income, food and a welcome accommodation.
Australia is a surfers paradise!
Do’s
Citytrips – Besides the beautiful nature in Australia there also are some iconic cities. De capital (Canberra) isn’t that special. But Sydney and Melbourne definitely surprised me! Around these major cities there are some beautiful national parks and other sights.
National Parks – In Australia there are much more national parks than in the United States. For everyone who is crazy about nature; Australia is a perfect place to go!
The most national parks have a very big variation of nature and wildlife. There are parks that feature deserts, tropical rainforests, mountains, caves and even oceans. The most famous parks (and definitely must do’s!) are the Grampians, Daintree, The Great Barrier Reef, Whitsundays, Kakadu and Uluru.
Great Barrief Reef – The Great Barrier Reef becomes smaller and smaller every year. For that reason you have to go to the Barrier Reef if you have that opportunity. Snorkelling and/or diving in this beautiful under water world will never leave your mind again!
Great Ocean Road – From Melbourne there is a lot to do and see. One of those things you can see is the Great Ocean Road. The winding roads aren’t too ideal for people who get car sick easily, but the views are beautiful. Definitely go see the Twelve Apostles and the London Bridge.
Explore the beaches – Wherever you go in Australia, if you go to a coastal city: go enjoy the beaches. Throughout Australia there are so many different kind of beaches. Every single one is unique and definitely worth exploring. Top beaches are Whitehaven beach, Bondi and Coogee beach and Byron Bay.
Learn more about the Aboriginals – The Australian people like to make jokes about it, but the Aboriginal culture is very interesting. If you have the opportunity, definitely arrange a trip to or with the Aboriginals. You’ll definitely want to learn more about this interesting community.
Eat kangaroo – “But it’s such a cute little animal?!” But isn’t a cow or piglet cute too? There are a lot more kangaroos in Australia than actual people. But most of all… The meat of a kangaroo is delicious. I’m not exaggerating: I thought it was the best meat I’ve ever had. Try it on an Aussie barbie (BBQ) and enjoy! Walabi, emu, camel and crocodile are definitely worth trying too.
Eucalyptus forest in Australia.
Don’ts
Get close with WILDlife – Dingo’s, koalas, kangaroos, emus, wombats, … The local fauna looks cute, but did you know that most of them can actually kill or hurt you very badly? In wildlife parks the animals are used to human contact, but the uncaged animals are a little less friendly…
Diving without proper suits – The most deadly animal in the world swims around the warm coasts of Australia. And no, I’m not talking about sharks. The box jellyfish has a deadly venom that makes you hallucinate and eventually die if you are touched by it for a long period of time. These jellyfish only swim in warm waters, like at the Great Barrier Reef. If you are wearing a proper suit, nothing can really happen to you.
Too long in Sydney – Sydney might be one of the better cities in Australia, you can visit it quite fast. The city isn’t that big and around the city there is a lot less to do in comparison with for example Melbourne.
Exotic beach in Australia.
