We spent just over a month touring the East Coast of Australia, starting in the north by Cape Tribulation and ending in Melbourne. We spent time in Cairns, Hervey Bay, Airlie Beach, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, and the greater Melbourne area with stops in the Yarra Valley, Phillip Island, and the Great Ocean Road. We got to see so much and yet there are still so many areas of Australia to still explore.
Queensland
Daintree Rainforest
The Daintree Rainforest is said to be one of the oldest rainforests in the world. It is part of the Wet Tropics region and hosts a large array of plants and wildlife. The humidity on the day we visited made the air feel actually wet as we moved through the suspended walkway above the rainforest floor. We expected a rainforest to be lush with plants and wildlife draping over each other. We expected it to be wet and full of rivers and other water features. We didn’t however, expect to have the possibility of seeing a seemingly prehistoric bird that can stand over 5 ½ feet tall prancing through the rainforest. Cassowaries can only be seen in the Daintree Rainforest and surrounding area and signs are all over the roads cautioning drivers to keep an eye out so as not to run over one of these endangered birds. Here is a depiction.
We, unfortunately, didn’t have the opportunity to see a cassowary during our time in the Daintree Rainforest. They are quite shy and keep to themselves most of the time. But, we enjoyed the visit just the same and we had a lot of fun trying to spot one.
Driving the roads through the forest is like driving through an etched-out web of vines. The canopy above shades the road and makes you feel like you are part of the forest. We took a walk in a reserve that had boardwalks to enjoy experiencing the surroundings. You can hear the crystal clear waters trickle through the valleys and gullies. You can see the many types of trees that cover the forest bed. There is a wooden tower you can climb to see the trees that grow tall enough to bask in the sun above. The view from the top shows just how thick the canopy is and how fierce the competition is for sun amongst the plant life.
The Daintree Forest is unique because it bumps right up to the Great Barrier Reef at Cape Tribulation. The rainforest vegetation grows right up to the coast of the Atlantic and creates a picturesque view of nature’s life on land and sea. It’s one of the only places in the world where two UNESCO sites meet.
Great Barrier Reef
There are few more notable or famous natural wonders on earth than the Great Barrier Reef. It is massive in area mass and is the home to more species of coral, plant, and animal life across 133,000 square miles. It is also one the best indicators of climate change due to the fragility of coral and the ecosystem the coral is the base of. We were lucky enough to be able to snorkel on the Reef in two different locations as we traveled along the eastern coast of Australia. Here’s a visual of the size of the reef:
Credit: By NeoGeneric – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61105156
We took our first trip out to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns, Australia. We took a tour on a catamaran which took about 2 hours to get out to our first snorkel site. We snorkeled along the reef and got to see some of the most beautiful marine life we had ever seen. We saw a sea turtle right off the boat lying along the ocean’s white-sand-covered floor.
The multitudes of different colored and sized fish are everywhere you look. The coral is the center of the activity almost like a mall with shops and service storefronts. There is even a fish that sets up a literal carwash-like service to clean their much bigger co-inhabitants of the Reef. Parrot fish eat off the coral and expel the coral to create sand to cover the ocean floor below. Small, colorful fish dip in and out of the coral’s safety.
The coral itself has quite a muted color to them. You can definitely tell that the many types of coral have different hues and shapes, of course. But, because of the lack of light as you look down into the salt water, the colors are more pastel in appearance. The coral you see in movies (notably Finding Nemo or Finding Dory) or in aquariums is more vibrant due to the lighting provided. So, if you have a really nice camera with a flash that can go under the water you can see the true vibrancy of the coral.
Our next experience of seeing the Great Barrier Reef was from Airlie Beach. As we made our way down the coast of Australia, the weather got a bit chillier. I mean, it is still pretty hot, but a welcome change in temperature as we heard that Cairns was hitting high-90s (F) after we left. The trip we took out to the Reef was combined with some other sites that I will talk about later. But, to give you an idea of our transportation, check this out.
The part of the Reef we saw from here was right off some of the islands which collectively are called the Whitsundays. We parked the boat in little coves or areas of the sea that were smoother than others. Our guide spent the first stop putting food in the water to see the thousands of fish come to the surface as we snorkeled along. Some of the fish we were seeing were almost 4 feet long!
As we swam along the top of the surface of the sea, the fish were literally less than arm’s length away from us. I found myself having to carefully turn myself in the water to make sure I wasn’t hitting any of the fish. The experience was rewarding and I found myself almost pinching myself. I kept turning around and around in the water to see all the details of the scales and vivid colors of the swimming sea creatures.
The second spot on the snorkel tour was coral-focused. The tide was low enough for the coral to almost reach out of the water. The height of the coral is truly astounding. So much life in the coral and so many different species of fish. I even had an experience of going into what I can only describe as a cavern in the coral wall. It felt like I was on the Discovery channel and peeking around the coral to see a whole city of diverse coral. It was peaceful and gave me a chance to see just how many different types of coral there are.
Whitsunday Island & Whitehaven Beach
On our second reef tour, we had the opportunity to stop on and explore Whitsunday Island. This island is famous because it is the home of Whitehaven Beach.
This is probably one of the most unique beaches I have ever been to. As you can see in the pictures and the name, the sand is very white. There is a reason for that. The sand is mostly made of silica. The cool (literally) characteristic of silica is that it doesn’t hold heat like a lot of other sand you see on sandy beaches around the world. So, you can dig your toes into nice cool sand as you soak in the hot sun from above. Whitehaven Beach has a really shallow grade into the ocean, so you can walk a while in without getting your knees wet.
We were able to take in some sun on Whitehaven beach and get a feel for the intense heat of Australia. I’m not kidding either. The sun is hotter in Australia: thirty minutes in this sun without applying sunscreen and you will burn. We found ourselves not spending as much time on the beaches in Australia because the sun was so hot and in northern Queensland, the risk of jellyfish or even crocs in the water just didn’t make it too appealing. But, sitting in the shallow water of Whitehaven Beach was really enjoyable and helped with the heat in the sky.
K’Gari (Fraser) Island
The largest sand island in the world is off the Eastern coast of Australia. K’Gari Island is really quite large and features a bunch of different ecosystems. The island has over 100 lakes and supports a rainforest along with a woodland forest and sand dunes. There is so much to see and it made for a great day trip from mainland Australia.
In addition to the unique ecosystems, the island has one fascinating experience that was really fun to see. K’Gari Island actually has a beach highway. You drive along the sand beach dodging the wave drifts as they spray up from the ocean. It is like an actual highway with speed limit signs but missing designated lanes. Vehicles driving by use their turn signals to signify which side they are going to drive past you on. It was fascinating to be part of.
Since the island is just a huge pile of sand, driving inland can be challenging. That’s why you see nothing but 4-wheel-drive vehicles on the island. The roads are informally one-laned and you really have to punch it to make it up hills or into some parking areas. Luckily, we were part of a tour that had a 4-wheel-drive bus taking us around.
The lakes on the island of K’Gari are freshwater and the sandy ground makes for a great beach experience. We went to Lake Mackenzie and took a dip in the wonderfully chilly water. It was a glorious feeling as the heat blasted down in the middle of the day. We didn’t have to worry about crocs or jellyfish in the water but we did have to keep an eye out for dingos.
Dingos are a type of wild dog and they can be pretty aggressive around food and tend to try to steal stuff. There are fences around the beaches in some areas and around designated picnic areas to keep the dingos out. We didn’t have the opportunity to see one but saw a lot of signage about what to do if or when you are approached by one on K’Gari.
The Forests
K’Gari Island was logged for a long time. The trees that grow in this sandy soil are very straight and make for good building logs. It was a large business that led to rail being laid on the island to transport the wood from inland to the coast. Many of those railroads are now driving roads on the island. Logging ended in 1991 and the island was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list shortly after in 1992. The wooded forest is now flourishing with massively tall canopies.
As we drove on the sandy cut-out roads of the wooded forest, things changed abruptly. The sunlight dims, the canopy gets thicker, and the forest floor more covered and lush. The transition between the wooded forest and the rainforest is crazy noticeable.
With sand comes a natural water filter effect. The lakes and brooks on the island have some of the clearest water I have ever seen. We were able to walk along a boarded walkway that sliced through the rainforest where a stream lay below. I kid you not, you cannot hear the water run. The water is so clear and the sand so fine that the water seems to walk over the rainforest floor.
Pro Tip: Getting to K’Gari Island requires some knowledge of the workings of transportation to and on the island. We had a great experience doing the following tour on GetYourGuide. It was a great way to learn about the history of the island and what you see while on it. Here is the K’Gari Island Tour.
Bundaberg Distillery
We stayed in Hervey Bay for a few days. This is one of the closest places to be able to get to K’Gari (Fraser) Island. We had a blast doing that, but we noticed that we were close to a distillery that is known for its rum in Australia: Bundaberg.
The area around the town of Bundaberg is covered with sugarcane farms. It is a big part of the economy in Queensland and “cane train” tracks can be seen along the road all over the coast of Queensland. The trains themselves are pretty small and are meant to move cars of sugar cane from the fields to places like Bundaberg. Not coincidentally Bundaberg Distillery stands right next to a sugar cane mill.
Back in the day a few of the residents of Bundaberg got together to brainstorm how to solve a big problem. Sugarcane is obviously used to make…sugar. The byproduct is molasses. But, with so much sugar being milled, the molasses was literally (not joking) flowing on the streets of Bundaberg. They tried to put the molasses in the river or in other areas away from the town, but this was creating a dangerous situation for the wildlife and conservation of the area. So, someone suggested making rum with the molasses and the rest is history.
Noosa National Park at Noosa Heads
During our time in Sunshine Coast, we visited the Noosa Heads area. Noosa Heads is a popular spot to enjoy the Eastern coastline of Australia. It seems to me that a lot of local people from Brisbane come up to the Noosa Heads area to vacation or spend a weekend day trip. Noosa National Park is a cool spot to walk and see the coastline close up and even swim.
We did a walk through the eucalyptus forest right outside of the town of Noosa Heads just within Noosa National Park. It is a common place to spot koala bears munching on their only fare: eucalyptus. We searched near and far along our walk but were unsuccessful in spotting these unique creatures. But, we did have the opportunity to see a goanna along with amazing coastal views.
Sydney
Sydney is truly an international city. It has so much going on. Cuisines from all over the world can be found here. People from all over the world can be found wandering the streets. The city lies alongside nature including a ton of ocean coastline. You can get a little bit of everything in Sydney.
East Coastway Walk and Bondi Beach
The iconic Bondi Beach is on the shores of the Atlantic in Sydney. We decided to make it a destination with an even more enjoyable journey. We took the East Coastway Walk up from the more southern Coogee Beach. The walkway goes up and down the bluffs along the beaches on the coast. The foliage of flowers and bushes makes for a beautiful walk. The curves in the walkway going in and around the bluffs make for some great backdrops that please the eye. The waves crashed in as we welcomed the breezy air cutting through the sun’s heat.
Sydney Harbour
One of the coolest features of Sydney is the beautiful harbour and the views you can enjoy from the water. We took a harbour cruise which allowed us to see the internationally known Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. The activity on the water is chaotic this time of year and there is a lot to see as you cruise along. Regattas were ongoing while we were on the water and people were kayaking and taking their small boats on the choppy harbour waters. It is well worth the time to see the sights from a boat.
Thanksgiving in Australia
Since we usually spend Thanksgiving around family, we decided to have a special date to celebrate it as our small family of two. There is a lot to choose from in Sydney so we spent some time looking and finally settled on Arthur.
The place is small; it sits on a corner lot in the quaint neighborhood of Surry Hills. This was a cozy restaurant that felt inviting as the chefs were preparing the meals in an open kitchen and mostly along an open countertop island. We booked the chef’s experience where each of the prix fixe menu dishes is brought to us by the chef and explained. And, I have to say, these were some of the most beautiful and delicious dishes or bites I’ve ever had. We went the extra mile and took them up on their offering of an Australian wine pairing with each course. Eating here with my favorite person who I am most thankful for made for the best Thanksgiving date.
Melbourne
We hopped a jet plane southwest to chillier-than-normal Melbourne from Sydney. This year Melbourne has seen a lot of rain and some cooler weather. This was just fine with us since we had been plenty warm up the east coast. We even had to pull out a sweatshirt at some points during our visit.
Melbourne is considered the art & culture capital of Australia. The vibe and street flow are much different than in Sydney. People tend to dress up more as they hit up hip bars and clubs. The buzz of traffic even includes some car honking which we hadn’t seen much of in Sydney or other places in Australia.
Meeting on the Other Side of the World
This was a long-awaited trip to Melbourne. One of Britta’s best friends from high school in Wisconsin, Rachel, lives right outside of Melbourne. She married Erik, an Australian native after meeting him when Rachel was studying abroad in Australia during college. They have two wonderful boys who are three and five years old with a third on the way. We had a chance to spend some really fun time together to catch up. It was really to spend time with old friends even while completely on the other side of the world.
Phillip Island & the Penguin Parade
Phillip Island, which sits just a bridge crossing off of the Australian mainland southeast of Melbourne, is home to the Little Penguin. As the name eludes, they are “little” penguins. They stand only about 35 cm high and have a blue tint to them.
Credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Eudyptula_minor_Bruny_1.jpg
Phillip Island is a perfect safe haven for bird life of all shapes and sizes. This is because they have no foxes at all. Without these predators, the island has thousands of birds. But, most notable and rare are the Little Penguins.
Adult Little Penguins spend their day out to sea. They fish all day to feed themselves and eventually feed their chicks. Since we visited the island in late November, the penguins’ chicks were safely stowed away at home on the island in their little ground nests. The parents come home right after sundown creating what is commonly called a “penguin parade”. Thousands of these Little Penguins emerge from the Southern Ocean with full bellies and full mouths of food for their young. They come out of the water to an audience of onlookers wanting to see these little waddlers come up to their nests. These little creatures are protected by the nature reserve and its rangers on the island. Flash photography or any photography of any kind is prohibited to protect the penguins. They are very sensitive to light so this is a necessary step to make sure they get home safely.
It is astounding to me that this little animal goes out multiple miles into the ocean each day and can find its little hole of a home on Phillip Island without fail. I mean, I know how to drive home from a good distance if I have landmarks and/or roads that are familiar. But, the Little Penguin goes out into what seems like an abyss and still finds its way back and lands on the exact right spot on the shore. It is quite a sight.
Great Ocean Road
After flying into Melbourne, we quickly hit the road in a rental to hit up the Great Ocean Road. The road follows the road along the southern coast of Australia just west of Melbourne. We stayed at various places along the coast and took in the sights of natural beauty where the Australian continent touches the lesser-known Southern Ocean.
Credit: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0d/fd/96/0dfd96989ed40ee44d3ee7d181d12eca.jpg
Along the Road
One of the most unexpected things about Australia I experienced was how beautiful the trees are. I grew up in the woods. I’ve been around all kinds of trees in my life whether they are tropical or coniferous or something in between. But, the trees in Australia are just so majestic. Some of them are golden in color and others are a purple-white hue like the eucalyptus. The height and sprawling branches along with their co-habitant vines make for an eye-soothing experience while driving. It’s no wonder why Australian roadways have so many signs about fighting off sleep while driving: the trees and natural beauty along the road can literally lull you to sleep.
We took the Great Ocean Road right through to the picturesque rock formations that warrant a visit: The Twelve Apostles. They are a group of twelve reddish-tan rock formations poking out of the sea as you peer out from the high bluffs above or sandy shores below. It reminded me a lot of Portugal’s Algarve region along its southern coast.
In addition to the apostles, there are these artfully intricate tall rock formations right off the bluff’s edge more to the west. They look like they were almost chiseled in place at different points in time. As you can see, the top of these formations looks very different from the other parts below.
A Rare Sighting
We were just driving and meandering along one day and all of a sudden we saw something strange. Usually, when you see something on the side of the road, you have an idea of what it may be. When we saw this creature, the closest animal I could think of was a porcupine. This was not a porcupine.
Meet the echidna. This animal has quills like a porcupine, a pouch like a kangaroo, a beak like a bird, and it even lays eggs like a reptile. The craziest part is that it actually is categorized as a mammal. The echidna is on a short list of only two mammals that lay eggs (the other being the platypus). They lay one egg and use their pouch to keep the egg warm until it hatches in the pouch. Then the little echidna baby (called a puggle) stays in the pouch for about 45-55 days. I found this to be just fascinating!
Koala Bears!
We had almost given up hope. One of the top things we think about when we think of Australia is kangaroos (which we saw a lot of by the way) and koala bears. We had been up and down the coast and hadn’t seen a single koala bear. Well, our day came! We saw this cute little bear hanging above the Great Ocean Road.
We saw a couple more koalas on the same road which really gave us that koala fix. But, we got to see one even closer later that day. We spotted this koala as we were doing an evening drive.
Takeaways
Australia surprised me. I knew it would be cool, but didn’t know how cool it would be. It is a massive continent with so much to offer. We found ourselves being quite comfortable because of how good the infrastructure is. There is always a ton of road construction, but we are used to that from living in the States. The food, the kind people, and the natural wonders made for a great month of exploring. From the Great Barrier Reef to the Great Ocean Road, we saw so much we hadn’t seen before and got a chance to take the time to enjoy each spot.
Recap
Next Up!
- Thailand
Read About Where Else We’ve Been
- New Zealand: A Little Bit of Everything
- Vietnam: North to South
- Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia: New Year’s 2023
- Thailand: Temples, Food, and So Much More
- Australia: The East Coast of Natural Wonders
