Australia, Down Under, Aussieland, or whatever you want to call it, has always been a dream for me. I was 12 when I first saw a documentary about Australia: surfing, barbeque and great wine. Doesn`t sound too bad, does it? A country so so far away, but at the same time, culture wise, so close to ours. Since that moment, travelling to the continent on the other side of the world has always been a goal for me. Not surprisingly, the moment I decided that my next trip was going to be to Australia, I was thrilled with excitement! Trust me, I was counting days until my trip finally started in December 2018.
Pre-Departure Information
Currency
In Australia, although it was part of the Commonwealth, pound sterling is not the official currency. In fact, the Australian currency is called the Australian Dollar and one is worth roughly £0.55. But don’t rush to change your money at the airport, as there are numerous options to do so in the country itself and, at most of the places, you can pay with your credit card which facilitates the entire process of paying anyway.
Weather
It is not really possible to say that the weather in Australia is hot and dry in general. Its huge size results in some parts of Australia being located close to the equator, others being in the middle of the country, and again different ones like Adelaide in the South that have to deal with comparably cold weather during wintertime. While describing my trip, I will include the weather at the locations I have been to in order to give you a better impression of each place.
Flight
Probably the mostly stated argument not going to Australia is the flight. Not only is it quite expensive, but it also takes about 24 hours as you have to stopover at least once. Luckily, due to the increased reach of planes, there is a first direct flight from London to Perth, from where you can easily fly to Sydney. Otherwise, a large number of airlines such as Qantas, Emirates, Qatar Airways, etc. offer flights via their hub to Down Under. Let’s just hope that after Covid-19 things won’t get more complicated. Regardless of the airline, if you are in the decision-making process, just go there! It is worth every second in this beautiful country.
Currency
In Australia, although it was part of the Commonwealth, pound sterling is not the official currency. In fact, the Australian currency is called the Australian Dollar and one is worth roughly £0.55. But don’t rush to change your money at the airport, as there are numerous options to do so in the country itself and, at most of the places, you can pay with your credit card which facilitates the entire process of paying anyway.
Weather
It is not really possible to say that the weather in Australia is hot and dry in general. Its huge size results in some parts of Australia being located close to the equator, others being in the middle of the country, and again different ones like Adelaide in the South that have to deal with comparably cold weather during wintertime. While describing my trip, I will include the weather at the locations I have been to in order to give you a better impression of each place.
Flight
Probably the mostly stated argument not going to Australia is the flight. Not only is it quite expensive, but it also takes about 24 hours as you have to stopover at least once. Luckily, due to the increased reach of planes, there is a first direct flight from London to Perth, from where you can easily fly to Sydney. Otherwise, a large number of airlines such as Qantas, Emirates, Qatar Airways, etc. offer flights via their hub to Down Under. Let’s just hope that after Covid-19 things won’t get more complicated. Regardless of the airline, if you are in the decision-making process, just go there! It is worth every second in this beautiful country.
Areas I visited
Australia can be split into its seven states, of which I visited four. I started in New South Wales where Sydney is located. I will tell you about my evacuation on Kangaroo Island which is in South Australia followed by adventures in the Northern Territory (Ayers Rock). In the end, I spent some time snorkelling at the Great Barrier reef which is in the northeast of Australia and more precisely in Queensland. Overall, each state differs a lot by nature, weather, and atmosphere.
Language
It won`t be anything new to you but the official language in Australia is English. Some of you might say that the accent or/and dialect of Australians differs so much from normal English that, in the end, it is not English anymore. So, I decided to write down some of the most typical words from Down Under which could get useful for you during your trip:
UK – AUS
Hi – G`day
Food – tucker
Idiot – drongo
pissed – drunk
kangaroo – roo
Food
I wouldn`t say that Australia is famous for any specific food but the quality, in general, is excellent and to be honest, that is exactly what we remarked while traveling there. Amazing barbeque, great seafood but also some really new compositions which surprised me a lot but in a positive way. What you should definitely try if you like seafood is the mixed seafood platter! It blew me away completely.
Australia can be split into its seven states, of which I visited four. I started in New South Wales where Sydney is located. I will tell you about my evacuation on Kangaroo Island which is in South Australia followed by adventures in the Northern Territory (Ayers Rock). In the end, I spent some time snorkelling at the Great Barrier reef which is in the northeast of Australia and more precisely in Queensland. Overall, each state differs a lot by nature, weather, and atmosphere.
Language
It won`t be anything new to you but the official language in Australia is English. Some of you might say that the accent or/and dialect of Australians differs so much from normal English that, in the end, it is not English anymore. So, I decided to write down some of the most typical words from Down Under which could get useful for you during your trip:
UK – AUS
Hi – G`day
Food – tucker
Idiot – drongo
pissed – drunk
kangaroo – roo
Food
I wouldn`t say that Australia is famous for any specific food but the quality, in general, is excellent and to be honest, that is exactly what we remarked while traveling there. Amazing barbeque, great seafood but also some really new compositions which surprised me a lot but in a positive way. What you should definitely try if you like seafood is the mixed seafood platter! It blew me away completely.
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Must-See Places
Sydney
After about 24 hours in the plane and airports, we were drained and extremely tired when we arrived in Australia shortly after midnight. We took a taxi to our hotel which had a stunning view of the Sydney Opera. This may sound weird but, although it was quite late and we just arrived in a country which is famous for its culinary, we decided to go McDonald`s to get a small burger. Surprisingly, this was by far the best McDonald`s burger we had eaten in our lives. So, if it is late, do not hesitate to go there.
Due to the jetlag of 9 hours, we woke up at 5 am in the next morning. Normally, I would have been annoyed by waking up so early, but I decided to for a run which turned out to be a fantastic idea. I don`t think there is a better place to go running than in Sydney. Watching the sunrise over the opera, green parks with thousands of cockatoos, and the typical fresh ocean air. We spent the entire day walking through the city and I have to admit that this city is one of the few ones I could like living in. But the highlight or maybe for some people the nightmare waited for us in the afternoon. A harbour bridge walk. Personally, I am afraid of height wherefore I did not really have the feeling of anticipation. Nevertheless, once we started “climbing“ the bridge I didn`t regret it for a second. The view from the top makes you speechless! Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take anything with you on top of the bridge, so I couldn`t take any pictures but it is definitely worth doing. I would suggest doing the sunset tour to have the best view and in addition, a moderate temperature. If you like surfing, Bondi Beach which is approximately 20 minutes away, is the place to go! Hundreds of surfers are there every day to enjoy the waves and sun. In the evening of the next day, we went to the rocks, a really cool area located in the historical part of the harbour. Besides some bars and stores, it is known for its great restaurant. Cut Bar & Grill is one of them and the one we opted going to. The food was delicious but the best dish was the Tomahawk Steak. Probably one of the best ones I had ever eaten! Already the next day, we had to get up early to catch our flight to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.
If you do not mind spending more on your accommodation, I would suggest staying the Park Hyatt because of the view and location. From every balcony, you have the view of the Sydney Opera. In addition, from the swimming pool on the rooftop, you have an impressive view of the Harbour Bridge. Otherwise, the Sydney Harbour Bed & Breakfast offers a cosy room directly located in the rocks (around 70€ per night).
Sydney
After about 24 hours in the plane and airports, we were drained and extremely tired when we arrived in Australia shortly after midnight. We took a taxi to our hotel which had a stunning view of the Sydney Opera. This may sound weird but, although it was quite late and we just arrived in a country which is famous for its culinary, we decided to go McDonald`s to get a small burger. Surprisingly, this was by far the best McDonald`s burger we had eaten in our lives. So, if it is late, do not hesitate to go there.
Due to the jetlag of 9 hours, we woke up at 5 am in the next morning. Normally, I would have been annoyed by waking up so early, but I decided to for a run which turned out to be a fantastic idea. I don`t think there is a better place to go running than in Sydney. Watching the sunrise over the opera, green parks with thousands of cockatoos, and the typical fresh ocean air. We spent the entire day walking through the city and I have to admit that this city is one of the few ones I could like living in. But the highlight or maybe for some people the nightmare waited for us in the afternoon. A harbour bridge walk. Personally, I am afraid of height wherefore I did not really have the feeling of anticipation. Nevertheless, once we started “climbing“ the bridge I didn`t regret it for a second. The view from the top makes you speechless! Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take anything with you on top of the bridge, so I couldn`t take any pictures but it is definitely worth doing. I would suggest doing the sunset tour to have the best view and in addition, a moderate temperature. If you like surfing, Bondi Beach which is approximately 20 minutes away, is the place to go! Hundreds of surfers are there every day to enjoy the waves and sun. In the evening of the next day, we went to the rocks, a really cool area located in the historical part of the harbour. Besides some bars and stores, it is known for its great restaurant. Cut Bar & Grill is one of them and the one we opted going to. The food was delicious but the best dish was the Tomahawk Steak. Probably one of the best ones I had ever eaten! Already the next day, we had to get up early to catch our flight to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia.
If you do not mind spending more on your accommodation, I would suggest staying the Park Hyatt because of the view and location. From every balcony, you have the view of the Sydney Opera. In addition, from the swimming pool on the rooftop, you have an impressive view of the Harbour Bridge. Otherwise, the Sydney Harbour Bed & Breakfast offers a cosy room directly located in the rocks (around 70€ per night).
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Kangaroo Island
Australia…heat and a lot of sun, that`s what we expected of the entire trip. Therefore, it was a bit shocking when we arrived in South Australia and the strong wind gave a cold welcome. From there, we took a car to Cape Jervis (around 2 hours) whereof we took a ferry to Kangaroo Island. Before going there, we didn`t know a lot about this island which, obviously, was famous for its kangaroos. Even the main town of the island was pretty small and it took us further 1.5 hours to get to the Southern Ocean Lodge, our hotel. Normally, I wouldn`t include the hotel`s name already in this part but because of the events which followed it is necessary. My entire family was stunned at the moment the big doors opened and we got to see the ocean behind the large glass windows. Personally, I was completely overwhelmed not only by the sea but also the hotel in general. During our lounge, we recognized a smoke column a few miles away on the island. At the beginning, the guests and also our hotel stuff were not scared but slowly as it became bigger everyone got slightly nervous. Suddenly, the hotel manager entered the dining area and asked us to come with him as we needed to get evacuated. In the car, we were told that if winds would have changed, the fire could have reached the hotel in 10 minutes. Our driver brought us back to the harbour and on the way, we could see all the firefighters and firefighting planes. We were all shocked and extremely disappointed as we thought that our journey on Kangaroo Island would have been over already. Apart from the sad situation of moving to another hotel, I have to acknowledge that the hotel staff handled the situation very well as they cared for us all the time. Luckily, the next morning, the hotel manager announced that the fire is under control and we could go back. Hence, I was tremendously shocked when I got the email that the Southern Ocean Lodge burned down due to the large bush fires this year. On the way, we stopped at the Koala Sanctuary where a dream of my life became reality. Holding a koala in my hands! Personally, the best moment of the entire trip. He ate some eucalyptus while being on my arm and for real, it felt like holding a teddy bear. I will never forget this moment. Also, if this on your bucket list, be careful as holding a koala is not legal in every part of Australia. Unfortunately, we only had one more day to discover the island before we had to go back to the mainland. The morning of the last day on the island started with a nice breakfast before we made our way to the Admirals Arch. It was truly beautiful to see all the rough see behind the huge arch. But the thing that struck me the most was a small seal sitting in the “mouth” of the arch (I included a picture of it below). The second sight of our day trip is called Remarkable Rocks. Well, I don`t think I have to explain what it is as the name is quite self-explanatory haha. Nevertheless, it was a really cool spot as well. In the late afternoon, we concluded our day with a walk through an area where you can normally see numerous koalas. I was a little concerned about this fact but luckily, I didn`t get disappointed. Koalas all over the trees. There was a mother with her Joey (name of small koalas) who climbed a tree 2 meters away from our group. To enjoy the sunset, we were brought to a field with several kangaroos and some cold beers waiting for us. Overall, I would have never expected this island to be so special, so unique, and so capturing!
As already mentioned, we stayed at the Southern Ocean Lodge which, unfortunately, won`t be possible in the near future. Therefore, if you like it luxurious, I would stay at the Sea Dragon Lodge & Villas. Having a lower budget, you should stay at the Pelican Lagoon Cabin. Believe me, you will never get tired of the view over the ocean (approx. 100€ per night).
Australia…heat and a lot of sun, that`s what we expected of the entire trip. Therefore, it was a bit shocking when we arrived in South Australia and the strong wind gave a cold welcome. From there, we took a car to Cape Jervis (around 2 hours) whereof we took a ferry to Kangaroo Island. Before going there, we didn`t know a lot about this island which, obviously, was famous for its kangaroos. Even the main town of the island was pretty small and it took us further 1.5 hours to get to the Southern Ocean Lodge, our hotel. Normally, I wouldn`t include the hotel`s name already in this part but because of the events which followed it is necessary. My entire family was stunned at the moment the big doors opened and we got to see the ocean behind the large glass windows. Personally, I was completely overwhelmed not only by the sea but also the hotel in general. During our lounge, we recognized a smoke column a few miles away on the island. At the beginning, the guests and also our hotel stuff were not scared but slowly as it became bigger everyone got slightly nervous. Suddenly, the hotel manager entered the dining area and asked us to come with him as we needed to get evacuated. In the car, we were told that if winds would have changed, the fire could have reached the hotel in 10 minutes. Our driver brought us back to the harbour and on the way, we could see all the firefighters and firefighting planes. We were all shocked and extremely disappointed as we thought that our journey on Kangaroo Island would have been over already. Apart from the sad situation of moving to another hotel, I have to acknowledge that the hotel staff handled the situation very well as they cared for us all the time. Luckily, the next morning, the hotel manager announced that the fire is under control and we could go back. Hence, I was tremendously shocked when I got the email that the Southern Ocean Lodge burned down due to the large bush fires this year. On the way, we stopped at the Koala Sanctuary where a dream of my life became reality. Holding a koala in my hands! Personally, the best moment of the entire trip. He ate some eucalyptus while being on my arm and for real, it felt like holding a teddy bear. I will never forget this moment. Also, if this on your bucket list, be careful as holding a koala is not legal in every part of Australia. Unfortunately, we only had one more day to discover the island before we had to go back to the mainland. The morning of the last day on the island started with a nice breakfast before we made our way to the Admirals Arch. It was truly beautiful to see all the rough see behind the huge arch. But the thing that struck me the most was a small seal sitting in the “mouth” of the arch (I included a picture of it below). The second sight of our day trip is called Remarkable Rocks. Well, I don`t think I have to explain what it is as the name is quite self-explanatory haha. Nevertheless, it was a really cool spot as well. In the late afternoon, we concluded our day with a walk through an area where you can normally see numerous koalas. I was a little concerned about this fact but luckily, I didn`t get disappointed. Koalas all over the trees. There was a mother with her Joey (name of small koalas) who climbed a tree 2 meters away from our group. To enjoy the sunset, we were brought to a field with several kangaroos and some cold beers waiting for us. Overall, I would have never expected this island to be so special, so unique, and so capturing!
As already mentioned, we stayed at the Southern Ocean Lodge which, unfortunately, won`t be possible in the near future. Therefore, if you like it luxurious, I would stay at the Sea Dragon Lodge & Villas. Having a lower budget, you should stay at the Pelican Lagoon Cabin. Believe me, you will never get tired of the view over the ocean (approx. 100€ per night).
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The Ghan
While planning the trip, I was thinking a lot about `what`s the best way of travelling through the country´ and stumbled over the Ghan. A train which connects Adelaide in the south with Darwin in the North. The historic train was the perfect way to get to Ayers Rock, our next destination. But be careful, you should plan enough time to get to the train station early because it takes a while to find the entrance to the parking lot. Settled down, it was not only pretty comfortable but it also felt as we had travelled back in time. Everything looked like out of a different century! It was explicitly enjoyable to finally see the landscape out of the train after all the excursions on Kangaroo Island. We went to bed early as we were told to get up at 4:30 in the morning to be able to see the sunrise at the entrance of the desert. And it was worth it! I tried to take some good pictures, but the true colours were even brighter and intense than on the ones I included below. At about noon we arrived at Alice Springs, where we left the train to take a car to the Ayers Rock.
Accommodation wise, there is not a lot to say this time. Depending on the money you want to spend on this night, you can either book the Silver, Gold, or Platinum Club.
While planning the trip, I was thinking a lot about `what`s the best way of travelling through the country´ and stumbled over the Ghan. A train which connects Adelaide in the south with Darwin in the North. The historic train was the perfect way to get to Ayers Rock, our next destination. But be careful, you should plan enough time to get to the train station early because it takes a while to find the entrance to the parking lot. Settled down, it was not only pretty comfortable but it also felt as we had travelled back in time. Everything looked like out of a different century! It was explicitly enjoyable to finally see the landscape out of the train after all the excursions on Kangaroo Island. We went to bed early as we were told to get up at 4:30 in the morning to be able to see the sunrise at the entrance of the desert. And it was worth it! I tried to take some good pictures, but the true colours were even brighter and intense than on the ones I included below. At about noon we arrived at Alice Springs, where we left the train to take a car to the Ayers Rock.
Accommodation wise, there is not a lot to say this time. Depending on the money you want to spend on this night, you can either book the Silver, Gold, or Platinum Club.
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Uluru
Ayers Rock or Uluru, as the Aborigines call the red mountain in the middle of Australia has originally been a place to pray for the natives. Therefore, there are still some parts of the mountain where no one is allowed to take pictures. The biggest change to Kangaroo Island was not the change in colours from yellow to red but the temperature. Believe it or not, temperatures of over 45° C cause the tourism office to prohibit tours after 2 pm as it would result in a high risk for tourists. We also didn`t climb the mountain as our tour guide explained to us that for Aborigines, Uluru is holy wherefore climbing it would violate their belief. In the afternoon, with approximately 40°C (It was barely possible to breathe haha). We visited a place where Aborigines were still living in. Some of them painted pictures which we liked a lot, so we ended up buying one and took it back home. Besides all the big sights, Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta which we visited on the next day, there is one sight which is visible everywhere on our Earth but in a special way in the middle of the desert. Stars! Never had I seen as many stars as there. We had day bed outside whereof we enjoyed watching them for hours with a cold cocktail in our hands. The next morning, we visited Kata Tjuta which was impressive but personally, I liked Ayers Rock better. I thought with Mount Olga (Australian name of Kata Tuta), we would have seen everything, but we got a huge surprise in the evening. Bruce Munro, a British artist had installed thousands of lights in the desert to create the field of lights. Unbelievable! That’s the only word that comes to my mind when thinking back to this place.
A luxurious retreat with a perfect view of the Uluru and a nice swimming pool is Longitude 131. It is a famous hotel where, apparently, some of the biggest movie stars have stayed there as well. Unfortunately, staying directly at the Ayers Rock is not cheap, wherefore I would suggest to stay in Alice Springs and coming to this Uluru area by car for a day.
Ayers Rock or Uluru, as the Aborigines call the red mountain in the middle of Australia has originally been a place to pray for the natives. Therefore, there are still some parts of the mountain where no one is allowed to take pictures. The biggest change to Kangaroo Island was not the change in colours from yellow to red but the temperature. Believe it or not, temperatures of over 45° C cause the tourism office to prohibit tours after 2 pm as it would result in a high risk for tourists. We also didn`t climb the mountain as our tour guide explained to us that for Aborigines, Uluru is holy wherefore climbing it would violate their belief. In the afternoon, with approximately 40°C (It was barely possible to breathe haha). We visited a place where Aborigines were still living in. Some of them painted pictures which we liked a lot, so we ended up buying one and took it back home. Besides all the big sights, Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta which we visited on the next day, there is one sight which is visible everywhere on our Earth but in a special way in the middle of the desert. Stars! Never had I seen as many stars as there. We had day bed outside whereof we enjoyed watching them for hours with a cold cocktail in our hands. The next morning, we visited Kata Tjuta which was impressive but personally, I liked Ayers Rock better. I thought with Mount Olga (Australian name of Kata Tuta), we would have seen everything, but we got a huge surprise in the evening. Bruce Munro, a British artist had installed thousands of lights in the desert to create the field of lights. Unbelievable! That’s the only word that comes to my mind when thinking back to this place.
A luxurious retreat with a perfect view of the Uluru and a nice swimming pool is Longitude 131. It is a famous hotel where, apparently, some of the biggest movie stars have stayed there as well. Unfortunately, staying directly at the Ayers Rock is not cheap, wherefore I would suggest to stay in Alice Springs and coming to this Uluru area by car for a day.
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Jungle
After the desert, we flew to Cairns, the city in front of the Great Barrier Reef. But before going there, we drove north to the Daintree Rainforest which is the largest rainforest of the entire continent. Already on the way, we read warnings about a rainstorm coming to this area in the evening. Our hotel was really cute because it was next to a small creek and all the rooms and the restaurants were built like treehouses. It was the perfect retreat for the next two days. A small hammock on the balcony offered an excellent opportunity to relax and enjoy the rainfall while staying dry. Therefore, the storm was not really causing any troubles for us, luckily. In the evening, we had some delicious Australian wine from the Barossa Valley, a great area for vineyards north of Adelaide. When the storm had passed us on the next day, we took a canoe to explore the creek. It was amazing. So peaceful! The way back to the hotel was a bit more time consuming as we had to paddle against the stream. Nevertheless, it was a great experience I wouldn`t want to miss.
We stayed in a hotel which was close to the southern end of the rainforest called Silky Oaks Lodge which was absolutely stunning. This utterly isolated hotel is great if you want to relax a bit for 2 or 3 days.
After the desert, we flew to Cairns, the city in front of the Great Barrier Reef. But before going there, we drove north to the Daintree Rainforest which is the largest rainforest of the entire continent. Already on the way, we read warnings about a rainstorm coming to this area in the evening. Our hotel was really cute because it was next to a small creek and all the rooms and the restaurants were built like treehouses. It was the perfect retreat for the next two days. A small hammock on the balcony offered an excellent opportunity to relax and enjoy the rainfall while staying dry. Therefore, the storm was not really causing any troubles for us, luckily. In the evening, we had some delicious Australian wine from the Barossa Valley, a great area for vineyards north of Adelaide. When the storm had passed us on the next day, we took a canoe to explore the creek. It was amazing. So peaceful! The way back to the hotel was a bit more time consuming as we had to paddle against the stream. Nevertheless, it was a great experience I wouldn`t want to miss.
We stayed in a hotel which was close to the southern end of the rainforest called Silky Oaks Lodge which was absolutely stunning. This utterly isolated hotel is great if you want to relax a bit for 2 or 3 days.
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Great Barrier Reef
We were told that due to the bad weather the last days, a transfer to our hotel with the boat (our hotel was on a small island close to Mission Beach) would be difficult. So we were a little worried about the transfer. Right before we arrived at the beach where a boat should wait for us, we got a call with an unbelievable surprise. Instead of the boat, they organised a helicopter transfer for us! It was great, although it was just a 5-10 min flight, the view of the Great Barrier Reef was stunning. The island is called Bedarra Island. The island itself was beautiful with a nice beach owned by the hotel. My brother and I just went to the sea to take a swim after lunch, when we saw three little sharks directly at the beach. It was soooo cool! They were small but curious, so they came quite close (I included a picture underneath). Besides the sharks, there was another animal which was everywhere on the island. A special kind of lizard which was literally everywhere, even on the outdoor coaches of the hotel. On the next day, we took a small boat to explore the other island which were about 1 hour away. Apart from the usual stuff, we also took some snacks and lunch to eat on the islands with us. Believe me, it was a great day staying on an island completely alone with my family. In the evening, we came back exhausted and sunburned haha. Even on this small island, the food was absolutely delicious. Personally, the highlight for me were fish tacos. On the day before we went back home, we planned another highlight of our trip: the Great Barrier Reef. I had been to other famous reefs already and I read a lot about coral bleaching. But it couldn`t have been any better. The weather was perfect and the reef itself was so colourful, I would have never expected that! A turtle just passed me while I was snorkelling which was pretty cool! A fantastic last day of our trip to Australia.
A hotel which I would recommend 100% is the Bedarra Island Resort. There couldn’t be a better place to visit the Great Barrier Reef. But there are as well multiple options to stay at with a lower budget. The Base Backpacker on Magnetic Island is a wonderful place for about 80€ per night.
We were told that due to the bad weather the last days, a transfer to our hotel with the boat (our hotel was on a small island close to Mission Beach) would be difficult. So we were a little worried about the transfer. Right before we arrived at the beach where a boat should wait for us, we got a call with an unbelievable surprise. Instead of the boat, they organised a helicopter transfer for us! It was great, although it was just a 5-10 min flight, the view of the Great Barrier Reef was stunning. The island is called Bedarra Island. The island itself was beautiful with a nice beach owned by the hotel. My brother and I just went to the sea to take a swim after lunch, when we saw three little sharks directly at the beach. It was soooo cool! They were small but curious, so they came quite close (I included a picture underneath). Besides the sharks, there was another animal which was everywhere on the island. A special kind of lizard which was literally everywhere, even on the outdoor coaches of the hotel. On the next day, we took a small boat to explore the other island which were about 1 hour away. Apart from the usual stuff, we also took some snacks and lunch to eat on the islands with us. Believe me, it was a great day staying on an island completely alone with my family. In the evening, we came back exhausted and sunburned haha. Even on this small island, the food was absolutely delicious. Personally, the highlight for me were fish tacos. On the day before we went back home, we planned another highlight of our trip: the Great Barrier Reef. I had been to other famous reefs already and I read a lot about coral bleaching. But it couldn`t have been any better. The weather was perfect and the reef itself was so colourful, I would have never expected that! A turtle just passed me while I was snorkelling which was pretty cool! A fantastic last day of our trip to Australia.
A hotel which I would recommend 100% is the Bedarra Island Resort. There couldn’t be a better place to visit the Great Barrier Reef. But there are as well multiple options to stay at with a lower budget. The Base Backpacker on Magnetic Island is a wonderful place for about 80€ per night.
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