Australia

Day 1: Flight to Sydney departs (we left at 6pm)

Day 2: Flight continued

  • BTW we had never taken such a long flight! We had a layover in LAX and then direct to Sydney. My recommendations: eat a good meal before boarding, bring something to aid in sleep (dramamine, nyquil, etc.), wear something with a hood to cover your eyes and bring plenty of layers so you don’t get cold.

Day 3: Arrive in Sydney (we landed at 6:30am)

  • Explore Circular Quays area by foot. Recommended must sees:
    • Bridge
    • Opera House
    • Botanical Gardens
  • We then headed to Bondi Iceberg Pools (we took the local bus), followed by dinner at the Bondi Icebergs Club.

STAY: West Hotel Sydney, Curio Collection by Hilton

Day 4: Blue Mountains Day Trip

  • We took the train from Sydney Central Station to Katoomba Station to visit Blue Mountains National Park (make sure you pre-load your Opal transit card with enough $ for the RT – you can do this at pretty much any convenience store).
  • We took the Blue Mountains Hop On/Hop Off Explorer Bus when we arrived at Katoomba Station and stopped throughout the park for a number of hikes. I recommend the following can’t-miss stops:
    • Blue Mountain Chocolate Company
    • Echo Point (for lunch)
    • Three Sisters hike

STAY: West Hotel Sydney, Curio Collection by Hilton

Day 5: Sydney > Whitsunday (PPP) (our flight landed at 1pm)

  • We pre-booked transportation to our apartment via Heart of Reef Shuttles.
  • You need to check in at least 24 hours prior to any catamaran tours. This was our first stop after getting settled!
  • The city of Airlie Beach is very walkable – we grabbed some food to go, hung out by the grass and public pool and just enjoyed the day.

STAY: Sunlit Waters Studio Apartments (Amazinggg and I strongly recommend for the hospitality, cuddly dogs, infinity pool and spacious apartments. Note: many people stayed at Base Backpackers Hostel which was convenient and had a decent restaurant – however the reviews I heard weren’t great in terms of sleeping accommodations.)

Day 6: Whitsunday Tour: Powerplay

  • We chose this tour to visit the Whitsunday Islands National Park because we wanted a mix of adventure and fun. It includes paddle boards, snorkeling gear and stops around the islands including the famous Whitehaven Beach. We were fortunate that the boat wasn’t full so everyone had decent sleeping accommodations. Food was incredible! If you’re looking for a MAJOR party boat – it was clear the Clipper has that reputation. For our purposes, we would definitely choose Powerplay again.

Day 7: Whitsunday Tour: Powerplay

Day 8: Whitsunday > Melbourne

  • Our tour returned at 11am which gave us the perfect amount of time to grab lunch and take our pre-booked bus transfer back to the airport.
  • Our flight left at 3pm and landed at 9:30pm.

STAY: Friend’s house

Day 9: Melbourne

  • We really just explored all day (the main mall, Chinatown, etc) and ended our day in St. Kilda to see the colony of penguins.
  • The Myki public transit card will be your best friend, but there is a certain grid of the city where the tram is totally free to ride if you don’t feel the need to see the greater city limits.

STAY: Friend’s house

Day 10:  Great Ocean Road Tour

  • We did the Great Ocean Road tour with pickup @ Windsor Hotel @ 7am
    • I specifically chose this because I wanted to do the rainforest walk and I was also desperate to see Koalas, aside from the 12 Apostles! This did not disappoint, but be warned – it is a LONG day. I recommend bringing headphones and snacks for the bus ride.

STAY: Friend’s house

Day 10: Day trip to Mornington Peninsula

  • We picked up a one-day rental car from Hertz at the Melbourne airport.
  • There are many wineries in the area and you can make an amazing day of it! We did the following:
    • Quealy Winemakers
    • Rare Hare (recommend having lunch here!)
    • Yabby Lake
  • Peninsula Hot Springs – We made a reservation for 4:30pm with the intent of being in and settled just in time for sunset. This was a perfect way to end our stay in Victoria.

STAY: Friend’s house

Day 11: Melbourne > Darwin

  • We had an early morning flight and landed at 1:30pm where we picked up a rental car from Darwin airport.
  • Drive to Kadaku National Park- we made the following two stops on the way to our lodge:
    • Bowali Visitor Center
    • Ubirr – try to get here for sunset

STAY: Kakadu Lodge (This is a great mix between camping and hotel, there are shared bathrooms but private rooms. The common space is SO fun with a giant pool and live music at the restaurant each night).

Day 12: Jim Jim Falls Tour

  • This was a one-day tour into the depths of Kakadu National Park, it requires heavy duty 4WD which is why we had to book with an outside company. The water was cold but we nearly had the whole area to ourselves – it was a special day!

STAY: Kakadu Lodge

Day 13: Kakadu > Litchfield

  • We did the Sunrise Yellow Water Cruise (departs at 6:45am, includes breakfast), it was every bit as good as the reviews says. We drove ourselves to the departure point which I would recommend to get good seats. Also, the buffet breakfast after is WELL worth it.
  • We then drove to Litchfield National Park and made the following stops:
    • Termite Mounds
    • Wangi Falls (swimming)
    • Buley Rockhole (swimming)
  • Drive to Darwin

STAY: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Darwin

Day 14: Darwin > Sydney

  • We mostly relaxed before our flight, hanging at the hotel pool & grabbing lunch in the city.
  • Our flight left at 3pm, landing at 7:30pm.

STAY: Hilton Sydney

Day 15: Flight home