The best place to visit in Australia, and why?

We have been asked numerous times what is the best place to visit in Australia, and why? We haven’t seen Tasmania or Alice springs yet but we have spent time in every other state. 

It’s impossible to name one single place in Australia! From pools to oceans and mountains to caves every place (in its own right) is amazing! So we are going to tell you about our favourite places in categories. 

And typical us, but we don’t agree… so to sum it up we have created a little list below about where and why our favourite places are. 

Favourite Coastal Town

For Kate: Yeppoon, Queensland

Why: Yeppoon has a beautiful small coastal village feel to you, it kind of reminded me of home. The high street is lined with independent coffee shops and boutiques. It felt like we have stepped 20 years back in time, with a modern edge. The locals were friendly and kind, and the town wasn’t surrounded by tourists. (I know I’m a tourist myself, but there’s nothing worse than overpriced excursions or selfie sticks waving in the air)

The best thing to do: Yeppoon had an investment and I’m sure it won’t be long before tourists do start flooding in, but you must visit the new lagoon. Charles and I spent a few hours at the lagoon, before heading off to grab a coffee in a nearby cafe. 

For Charles: Newcastle, New South Wales

Why: We were pleasantly surprised by the city of Newcastle. We spent a few days here, in a nearby free camp and we couldn’t keep away. The working class, industrial feel felt normal and like our old home in England apart from the weather. The beaches were full of surfers and kite surfers, we just found ourselves sitting on a bench watching the world go by. Also… Best Fish and Chips in Newcastle! 

Newcastle was even considered as a place we would like to call home. 

The best thing to do: The walk to the lighthouse was beautiful, with the harbour one side and the beach to the other.

Favourite Hike

For Kate: Glass House Mountains, Queensland 

Why: This is a tough one for me, we have hiked many of places in Australia, down gorges and up mountains but I’m pretty sure my favourite hike was at the Glass House Mountains. We visited Mount Ngungun and Mount Beerwah on a Saturday at 9 am, so it was pretty busy, but there was a good energy about hiking with families and runners alike.

The hike was hard and long. Return trip of four hours, but it was so worth it. The views were incredible and we finished off the morning with a coffee at a local cafe down the road. (This seems to be a recurring theme) 

A favourite hike for Charles: Daintree National Park, North Queensland

Why: The rainforest is an incredible place to spend a few hours walking around, especially if you wanted to spot a famous cassowary. The hikes are small and are very level, but my favourite hike would be Dubuji Boardwalk. The walk takes you through swinging vines and HUGE trees.

Favourite Beach

For Kate: Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia 

Why: Crystal blue warm shallow waters rippling on the white soft sand… what’s not to love? Turquoise Bay is considered one of the best places to snorkel in Australia, and I believe it’s the best. The coral was vibrant and alive, the fish and sea life filled the reef and the best part… there were only a few people around. 

The reef is only a few metres off the shore, so you only need your snorkel set to get going. No excursions or boats needed. The water current is strong at TB, so it is advised you walk up the beach for ten minutes before getting in the water. You simply just let the current drift you across the reefs, allowing for minimal swimming. Perfect. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t take any photos here, we were so lost in the moment, and wanted to spend all our time floating around the reefs, following reef sharks and stingrays. 

For Charles: Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia

Why: Cable Beach has the best sunsets. Hands down. Especially if you manage to time your trip there with ‘The Staircase To The Moon’, this is a natural wonder. The tide at Cable Beach is huge, so when the full moon is rising, the sand flaps creates ‘stairs’ in which the moon creeps up, creating a visual reference to a real set of stairs

Also, it’s worth mentioning, not far from Cable Beach, there are real dinosaur footprints. REAL. Again can only be seen when the tide is at its lowest once a month, but worth a look. 

(I know most people would expect to see Bondi beach on this list, but unfortunately, I don’t think made the top five)

Favourite National Park 

For Kate: Karijini National Park, Western Australia 

Why: This is a tough one but I’m pretty sure a highlight in my whole Australian travel. We loved it here, we had an incredible lady to advise us on all the best hikes in Karijini National Park. Now a true friend from the Visitor Centre, Chiara (& her son, Lochlan). 

The walks are indescribable, you can be walking through knee-height water to squeezing through small gaps in gorges. After a few hours of walking, the natural swimming pool or a natural waterfall at the end is a welcome sight, awful the water is FREEZING. 

For Charles: Whitsundays National Park 

Why: Although it’s not the typical national park you would expect, the beaches and the wildlife are insane. Most of us know its an Instagram hotspot, but to experience the Whitsundays in its true beauty, we would recommend spending at least 3-4 days on a boat sailing between all the islands. There’s definitely more to see than Whitehaven Beach. 

Favourite International City 

I think we might both agree on this one… Brisbane! 

Charles and I visited Brisbane, Gold Coast and Airlie Beach with our three best friends from London, England. We had the best time, we experienced so much together from Schoolies in the Gold Coast to Wet n Wild, and stayed in the most incredible Airbnb in Brisbane, (fitted with a ten-person hot tub and a heated swimming pool overlooking the city) to a really awful comedy night. We truly fell involve with the CBD and the nightlife. 

To summarise, it seems that the majority of our favourite places fall into Western Australia, and for me, I would agree that WA was my favourite state, from Esperance to Broome, the variation is huge. We did spend over five months in WA, out of the total nine months, which isn’t truly fair to the other states, so maybe I’m a little biased.

– See here for where exactly we spent our time-

Charles would argue that Queensland is more diverse, from rainforests to beaches.

Have we missed your favourite place? Let us know below!