Making Memories in Australia

26th June 2017: If you haven't been inspired by Australia yet, take a trip to Australia with Carla, Australia Specialist at our Gloucester branch, as she shares some of the amazing memories she created during her six week Australia trip 10 years ago. From camping under the stars to snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, see how Carla's adventure inspired her and discover how choosing the right holiday can help you create life-long memories.

Darwin

Our adventure started in Darwin which we picked as a base to explore the Northern Territory and Queensland.

We arrived on a perfect summers day with not a cloud in the sky, the temperature was perfect - sunny, with a cool breeze blowing over us. Our trip began with a stay at the Rydges Plaza Darwin, we picked this hotel due to location and price. The location of the hotel was excellent and had most essential things on your doorstep and, in Darwin, we hoped to get a real taste of outback life; we were not disappointed!

Mindil Market

Whilst here, we explored many attractions including the Mindil Market, a beautiful market which takes place at sunset. There’s so much to see and do here; entertainers along the streets, amazing food, beautiful clothes and to top it off, you can watch the sun go down over the adjacent beach; perfect for photos. The market had a very relaxed vibe and had lots of stalls selling handicrafts and international cuisine right by the beach.

Darwin Harbour and the Aboriginal art gallery were two of the most interesting places I visited here, you’re submerged in the history of Darwin and how it became the place it is today.

Litchfield National Park

Litchfield National Park was next on our list and wow, such a beautiful place; I’d highly recommend visiting here. Boasting stunning scenery and spectacular waterfalls, we were able to swim at Wangi Falls, two waterfalls close together which are connected at the bottom by a collection of water. This was such an amazing and relaxing experience as we took in the lush scenery around us.

Alice Springs

The next part of our adventure took us to Alice Springs, where we decided to take a different approach to our trip and stay at a local youth hostel to get a taste of the backpacking life. This was completely out of our comfort zone, I had never stayed in a hostel before but was keen to tick it off my list. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was, there were communal areas, people from a wide range of cultures including a Japanese couple that we go on with well.

Even 10 years ago they were already much more tech savvy than us! The couple had a little box which translated English into Japanese and we spent the night sharing stories and bonding over our mutual love for chocolate and wine. While not for everyone, staying in a hostel opened my eyes to a completely different way of travelling I had never experienced before and, while I’d definitely do it again, I wouldn’t stay in a top bunk!

Watarrka National Park

We couldn’t wait to explore the amazing Kings Canyon within the Watarrka National Park. The spectacular views we saw on that day have stuck with me ever since. The 3.5 hour walk takes you around its impressive red rock formations, which are amazing within themselves, but there’s so much more here, caves and waterfalls are just some of the hidden gems you’ll find along this walk.

Something which sticks out for me here was when a small crocodile ran out across the path in front of us. I started to panic, not knowing which way to look. I shrieked to my brother, who had been travelling in Aus for a while by this time, and assured me a crocodile running in front of us was the equivalent to a cat running across the street back home. Whether or not he was right, he definitely put my mind at ease! Views from every angle of this national park were simply breath taking. If you do this walk, please take lots of water as it can get very hot, especially during peak sunshine hours.

Uluru - Ayers Rock

If that wasn’t enough, I was completely unaware at just how taken aback I would be at our next location, Uluru. During my time at this magical place, we were fortunate enough be there at both sunset and sunrise; such an amazing experience. During our time here we stayed at a camp at the base of the rock and slept in a ‘swag bag’, a waterproof bag which you put over your sleeping bag and has a flap to cover your face to keep you warm and safe while you’re sleeping.

We were told that the local shepherds use them to camp away from their base. On this night, we stayed up roasting marshmallows over a roaring campfire and drinking beer with our fellow camp mates. It was amazing.

Whilst here, we also got the opportunity to walk around the base of this magnificent natural wonder and explore its fascinating Aboriginal centre. If you get the opportunity to do this on your trip, do it!

Devils Marbles

We also visited Devils Marbles or ‘Karlu Karlu’ as it’s known by the Aboriginals. The site on which the marbles stand is classed as a sacred as no one can explain why they are there or how long they have been there for. Some believe them to be a part of a religious worship site, while others believe aliens planted them, whatever the reason, these two balls of rock are fascinating.

Kakadu National Park

The next national park on the list was the Kakadu National Park which had just so much to offer. We started with an off road tour around the red rocks, a great way to see the park as it’s just so huge! Part of our tour included a visit to the Jim Jim falls, a spectacular waterfall between 140-200m high depending on where you’re measuring. This waterfall is truly amazing. To reach the waterfall we took a short walk at the base of the waterfalls and once you get there, you can jump into the surrounding pool and swim around. Swim close enough and you can feel the force of the waterfall above you. On a hot day this is a lovely place to cool down and take a tranquil swim.

While we did a whole host of amazing things here like cruising through its wetlands, my absolute highlight of this trip was seeing the original Aboriginal artwork on the surrounding rock formations. For me, this park is worth a visit on this factor alone, let alone the fact it is home to so much more beautiful locations.

Cairns

En route to Cairns, we visited many more natural wonders including a two hour river cruise at Katherine Gorge, and a couple of well-earned ‘chill’ days at The Lakes Resort, Cairns.

Cairns itself was very easy to get around with or without a car and is home to plenty of beautiful beaches; many of which are accessible by local bus. Beaches themselves were very clean and tidy and well worth a visit, especially Trinity Beach as it wasn’t too over crowded.

Great Barrier Reef

From here we snorkelled at the Great Barrier Reef and had the luxury of swimming amongst the glorious tropical fish and turtles. Before you start, you’re told not to touch the coral as it can be sharp and you can cut yourself, which leads me onto my next memory. I got into the water and was swimming around, taking in the beautiful sights of the fish and the reef when I could feel something behind me.

I turned around to find a giant turtle right behind me! Top tip, don’t do the following… I panicked and started swimming as fast as I could away from the giant turtle only to get me knee caught in a wedge of coral. Embarrassingly I had to be rescued by the instructor and had to seek medical help for my now cut up knee! Needless to say I had to wear a pretty heavy bandage for the next few days.

Airlie Beach

Next on the agenda was Airlie Beach; gateway to the barrier reef. A pretty place, surrounded by lush sands, a brilliant swimming lagoon and a few shops and restaurants.

Kerunda Rainforest

The Kerunda Rainforest known as the ‘village in the rainforest’ was a brilliant day out. The trip consisted of a train journey up to the main part of the rainforest by cable car. I have a story about that too, but won’t go into it today… Kerunda had a lovely tranquil-like setting to it and you could buy local handicrafts and sample its wonderful cuisine. My favourite memory from my time here was visiting the koala garden where I held a koala for the very first time. I’m not very good with animals, but I couldn’t wait to meet a koala! When I met him, he was super soft, placid and oh so cute. I couldn’t get over how cute he was. I melted. Definitely one of the best moments on this trip.

Road Trip!

After our wonderful stay in Cairns it was time to explore amazing Australia even further, so we hired a car (which was so easy to do especially as they also drive on the left hand side which makes car hire a dream for UK passengers) and took a gentle four day drive down to Brisbane stopping at various points of interest on the way including Townsville, Mission Beach, Rockhampton and Harvey Bay.

Brisbane

Once in Brisbane we stayed in the Rydges Plaza Brisbane which was only a few minutes from the beach and walking distance of Brisbane Town Centre. Here we found the city to be most relaxing and enjoyable. The restaurant options here were great, we were spoilt for choice. Points of interest here include the botanical gardens, which had a lovely park and the south bank.

Brisbane Zoo

My highlight however, was Brisbane Zoo which was absolutely fantastic. We managed to get up close and personal with kangaroos and more koala bears! And, surprisingly the zoo also had a great restaurant, with an amazing breakfast. Still, I can’t get over the breakfast I had here; American pancakes loaded with strawberries, kiwi fruit, banana, whipped cream and caramel syrup. Definitely the hearty breakfast I needed to keep me going for the day, it was huge!

The animals here were so well cared for and looked after, it was so refreshing to see. We also got a glimpse of toddler Bindi Irwin whilst we were watching the crocodile show. She was so cute as she sat in the audience waiting for her moment to shine, her part later on in the show was with a giant turtle – adorable.

Final Thoughts

While we did so many amazing things on this trip my personal highlights were the ‘red center’ from Darwin down. I highly recommend all of the national parks as they’re so different to what you see in other parts of the world, including home. Whether you want to hike, river cruise or camp out in the stars, you can do it here and make your trip such an unforgettable experience.

My itinerary included so many different aspects, from five star hotels, sleeping at a campsite hiking, swimming, relaxing and everything in between which is why the memories of this trip are still so vivid today. I’d highly recommend a trip to Australia especially for those who are a little more adventurous as it can offer you just so many amazing adventures which are sure to make memories which, like mine, will last a lifetime!

If you'd like to find out more about how you can take your very own amazing trip to Australia please don't hesitate to call me for a friendly chat or pop in branch where I'll be more than happy to help.

Carla Mekins, Travel Specialist