In co-operation with Gumtree
Top 10 Australia! We haven't visited Australia yet, but you can dream! We've done our research and found ten places we'd really like to experience in this great country. Australia offers everything from wild and exciting nature to both modern and ancient culture. What would be your 'Top 10 Australia'?
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Top 10 Australia - experience with a motorhome?
Australia is a huge country and seeing everything you want to see is a challenge. We've listed places around the country that we're curious about, but many of them are in the south-eastern corner, which makes it a little more feasible to do in a limited amount of time.
One way to travel around here would be to rent a motorhome or other camping vehicle. Another option is to buy a second-hand motorhome on the spot from, for example. Gumtree, which is a site where you can buy and sell second-hand items.
Travelling by motorhome is a great way to travel when you want to see and experience the landscape around you. We travelled around the New Zealand by motorhome many years ago, which was an amazing experience! To do the same in Australia would be a dream come true. Here is our "Top 10 Australia" list!
1. Sydney and Bondi Beach
Sydney is Australia's largest city and home to over 4 million people. When in Sydney, you should of course visit the famous Opera House. Other places to visit are The Rocks, where the first settlers settled, and Darling Harbour where you can take various boat trips. One of the best things about Sydney is its coastal location. Sydney has many beaches, the most famous being the central Bondi Beach, which has been featured in a number of TV series.
2. Jenolan Caves
Just over six miles west of Sydney is Jenolan Caves, one of the world's most fascinating cave formations. The caves are located in the Greater Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guided tours are organised to explore the caves and underground rivers.
3. Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road runs along the south coast of Victoria, in the south-east of Australia. This coastal road, which is 300 kilometres long, is famously beautiful. Along the way you'll pass fishing villages and small towns, rainforests, national parks and beaches. You may also be lucky enough to spot kangaroos or koalas, and in the right season there are plenty of whales in the sea.
4) Tasmania
Tasmania is an island and state in Australia located south of Melbourne, about 240 kilometres from the mainland. The capital of the island is Hobart, and I've been dreaming about that city ever since a friend went to study here many years ago!
Tasmania is also home to Freycinet National Park, where you'll find beautiful scenery, large rock formations and stunning viewpoints. You can also head to Wineglass Bay, a beach known for its chalky white sand and turquoise waters, named after the bay's wine glass shape...
5. Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is an island off Adelaide in South Australia. Apparently there are so many animals here that some people call it a zoo without fences. If you go here, you can see kangaroos, koalas, wallabies and porcupines. On the beach in Seal Bay, you can also see the endangered Australian sea lions. As well as being full of wildlife, the island has beautiful scenery with cliffs, bays and green vegetation.
6. Barossa Valley
Just over an hour's drive from Adelaide, the Barossa Valley is a famous wine region with more than 150 wineries, and you can tour farms and restaurants for good wine and food.
7. Ayers Rock
If there's one image of Australia that you've carried with you since you were a kid, it's the image of Ayers Rock, or Uluru as it's also known. This rock formation is located in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, about 450 kilometres by car from Alice Springs. This place, located in the real outback in the centre of Australia, has great spiritual significance for the Aborigines.
8. Kakadu National Park
Kakadu is Australia's largest national park and is located three hours east of Darwin, in the Northern Territory. Aboriginal people have lived here for more than 50,000 years and ancient cave paintings can still be seen in many places. The national park is also renowned for its natural beauty and unique wildlife.
9th Fraser Island
Located north of Brisbane in eastern Australia, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. This is a very special place with 40 freshwater lakes and a wealth of animal and bird life. You can drive around the beaches by four-wheel drive car - either on your own or on a guided tour.
10. Great Barrier Reef
If you are travelling to Australia, you must visit the Great Barrier Reef! This famous reef is 340,000 square kilometres in size and stretches 2000 kilometres along the Queensland coast. Underwater life is filled with corals and fish of all colours, which can be experienced by diving or snorkelling, or perhaps from a glass-bottom boat.
Anette says:
We travelled the Great Ocean Road last year. It was amazingly beautiful.
27 March 2018 - 7:54
Helena says:
Oh, cool! That road looks incredibly beautiful in pictures!!!
27 March 2018 - 8:05
Mr Nils-Åke Hansson says:
We followed grandchildren as they drove all around Australia
27 March 2018 - 8:13
Helena says:
Lovely journey to follow! 🙂
27 March 2018 - 18:27
Alexandra says:
So Australia? Definitely my favourite country! Of these I have visited 1,3,7,8,9 and 10.
27 March 2018 - 8:46
Helena says:
Wow! Wonderful! 🙂 Let's see if we also come to Australia at some point ðŸ™'
27 March 2018 - 18:28
Helena says:
I can tick off 1, 3, 9 and 10, plus a lot of other lovely places of course, there is so much worth visiting Down under.
27 March 2018 - 9:59
Helena says:
Wonderful! Yes, it is a huge country with great nature, so I can imagine that there is a lot to see!!!
27 March 2018 - 18:42
Anna says:
One day we will go to Australia. My husband has been there before and wants very much to return. I have resisted 🙂 But maybe it will be in the future, I'm starting to soften 🙂 .
27 March 2018 - 10:06
Helena says:
It's just a bit far away ... but seems very exciting and interesting! 🙂
27 March 2018 - 18:42
Ama de casa says:
I think you forgot the main attraction... Bergmark Street in the small town of Goldburn in New South Wales. Named after my grandfather's brother who emigrated in the 1920s. Bergmark was my maiden name.
I don't know what he did that got that little street in that little town named after him, but I felt pretty proud when we walked down that street last summer:
https://amacasa.wordpress.com/2017/09/04/vanster-vanster-vanster/
Yes, it is. It's on the list. Or maybe not... 😉 😀.
27 March 2018 - 10:09
Helena says:
Haha, I wonder how I missed including this on the list...? 😉
27 March 2018 - 18:43
Jörgen A says:
First time I comment on the blog. "Hung" here for a long time and read lots of interesting and funny articles. Thanks for a great job! 🙂
How nice that you write about Australia and travelling around in a motorhome. It is something that is very close to our hearts. We have travelled about 1500 miles in different rounds in a motorhome down there (next year we are going again). But then in Western Australia which I of course then have to strike a blow for, haha. Very different from the east coast but very nice to travel around in. At times it makes Norrland look really densely populated. But that's part of the charm I think.
Should I recommend some travel destinations in Western Australia, except Perth, which in itself is a very nice "small" city, it will be:
- Kalbarri, with its national park.
- Monkey Mia, where you can get very close to wild dolphins.
- Ningaloo Reef which is absolutely amazing to snorkel/dive in. Also directly accessible from the beach,
- South-west corner, Albany up to Margaret River. Great scenery and great wine. What more could you ask for?
There are lots more but for those who are curious, you can start looking at these anyway. We have chosen to rent a motorhome, mostly to avoid paperwork and possible workshop costs. We have rented from Around Australia Motorhomes, now called https://www.letsgomotorhomes.com.au
It has worked smoothly and the prices are relatively humane. We have mainly compared with the Britz/Maui/Kea group and Apollo. The advantage of renting in Australia is that you are not locked into a full week and that free miles are almost always included. It is also a little cheaper than at home, at least with LetsGo. But of course it depends on what requirements you have for the car. For my part, bodels-AC is a must when it gets around 35 degrees even at night in some places. Deductible insurance similar to Sweden is usually not included, however. You can opt out but then you have to deposit a few thousand dollars instead. Incidentally, you should ALWAYS avoid Wicked, even if the prices may look attractive. They are notorious for renting out "wrecks" and they also often have really degrading motifs on their vehicles.
I am more than happy to answer questions if anyone asks anything about motorhome life "Down Under" 🙂 Finally, some links to pictures:
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/101477460007284177231/album/AF1QipNJbsPlLiKM4YLF_l4kSqlyvEICIc6CUwDvOTWW/AF1QipMS-YTbIx7J9BevGj9h037YoM9sbh_lLgsddXbf
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/101477460007284177231/album/AF1QipNJbsPlLiKM4YLF_l4kSqlyvEICIc6CUwDvOTWW/AF1QipOfNUEyMt3BeYjyNkfQ4gLicQZ6NhG41pE_ZiAY
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/101477460007284177231/album/AF1QipNJbsPlLiKM4YLF_l4kSqlyvEICIc6CUwDvOTWW/AF1QipNG-P5O3LWuRbNMZ4Bxt-QfSO_7kV-Pti1JN7Ch
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/101477460007284177231/album/AF1QipNJbsPlLiKM4YLF_l4kSqlyvEICIc6CUwDvOTWW/AF1QipPK0HpO13c_YcGjHICGUvIQwgI0ipZINyYRJQ4_
27 March 2018 - 13:44
Ruth in Virginia says:
Was fortunate enough to be able to holiday in Australia and NZ in 1982, when the
we lived in Indonesia. Sydney is a lovely city. We took a full day
sighseeing by bus and boat. We also travelled around on commuter
the boats, which stop at many pleasant suburbs. Water reigns
Sydney. 🙂
After N.Z. we came back to Austr. and flew to Tasmania. Wishes,
wish we had more time. Hobart, a fun city with steep
slopes.
27 March 2018 - 15:07
Helena says:
Exciting! Yes, that's the thing about having enough time ... always difficult. Glad you visited Hobart too! 🙂
27 March 2018 - 18:44
Åke Hammarbäck says:
A wonderful experience was to come to the Coast again in around Brisbane after almost 2 months in the desert, lots of animals, green and humid.
Diving on the Barrier Reef comes pretty high on the list but the 5 weeks we spent climbing Mt Arapalies outside Adelaide was really Australia for me. ?
Greetings from wintry Hemsedal.
27 March 2018 - 15:44
Helena says:
Two months in the desert!? It sounds exciting 🙂 Have fun in Hemsedal!!!
27 March 2018 - 18:45
BP says:
What beautiful pictures of the different places in Australia. One city I would love to visit is Melbourne. I have seen pictures from there on a blog, and that city seems to be in the same class as Sydney. The world-famous Ayers Rock has been seen so many times. The "landscape" around there is said to be quite dangerous, I understand from a friend who has been there, as it is teeming with scorpions and snakes.
27 March 2018 - 19:02
Helena says:
Scorpions and snakes are among the less pleasant ingredients in Australia... 😉.
28 March 2018 - 12:22
Jörgen A says:
First time I comment on the blog. "Hung" here for a long time and read lots of interesting and funny articles. Thanks for a great job! 🙂
How nice that you write about Australia and travelling around in a motorhome. It is something that is very close to our hearts. We have covered about 1500 miles in different rounds in a motorhome down there but then in Western Australia which I of course then have to strike a blow for, haha. Very different from the east coast but very nice to travel around in. At times it makes Norrland look really densely populated.
We have chosen to rent a motorhome ourselves, mostly to avoid paperwork and possible workshop costs. I am more than happy to answer questions if anyone asks anything about motorhome life "Down Under" 🙂 .
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/101477460007284177231/album/AF1QipNJbsPlLiKM4YLF_l4kSqlyvEICIc6CUwDvOTWW/AF1QipMS-YTbIx7J9BevGj9h037YoM9sbh_lLgsddXbf
27 March 2018 - 19:53
Helena says:
Nice that you comment and thanks for nice words about our blog Jörgen! Thanks also for the link ... lovely pictures! Cool trips you made!
28 March 2018 - 12:25
Göran says:
Hi Jörgen A!
Am in the beginning of planning for trip to Australia 2021 autumn tentatively. We are 3 a younger couple with a connection to Australia and I middle-aged man.
We want to do a road trip with a motorhome for about 1 month.
Would like to ask based on your experience with different rental companies and understand that you have settled on Around Australian Motorhomes.
Can you tell us a bit more about what we should know about renting a motorhome?
* cost? * what forms/levels of insurance should you have? * what to consider in terms of size and equipment? * the layout of the route - start and end point? * what is a good reasonable route for a motorhome with attractions along the way with various elements of "water-underwater (snorkelling/ diving), beautiful unique places and nature experiences..."? * Information on pitches/camping?
We are not city people but places that have something special are certainly worth visiting along the way.
Gratefully
Göran
20 February 2020 - 20:36
Marina says:
Of those places, I can "only" tick off Sydney, but it was really a nice city. Then I have also been to Margret River and the surrounding area which was a fantastic area. Playing golf with kangaroos all over the course was definitely a special experience 😉.
Saw that you ended up on a full page in our local newspaper - a bit unexpected but great fun!
28 March 2018 - 7:09
Helena says:
Golf with kangaroos on the course sounded fun! 🙂 Which is your local newspaper? Have heard that we ended up in NWT, is that it?
28 March 2018 - 12:26
Marina says:
Yep! It is.
28 March 2018 - 17:06
Kerrod says:
Great Barrier Reef is amazing! We did this trip with a motorhome company called Crusin Motorhomes https://www.cruisinmotorhomes.com.au and it was the best trip we've done in Australia. We loved that Australia likes to make attractions of big things as well like the big banana, big pineapple was very cool
12 April 2018 - 2:24
Dove Barra says:
Our friends just returned from Australia last month. They went to Uluru and Coober Pedy, Kings Canyon. Their pictures look amazing - now we are thinking about going later this year (around November-December). Does anybody think it will be too hot during these dates for this area?
We are looking at some websites for a Britz or Apollo motorhome and we came accross this one: https://www.comparecampervanhire.com/ - it looks cheaper than booking direct, but I'm not sure about the company. Has anybody booked with them before?
Greetings from Singapore!
31 January 2019 - 5:25