Don’t Go Small, Go Australia with Goway

The world is open again and you have a choice when planning your first vacation after the pandemic: go on a modest vacation somewhere close by or go on that big vacation you’ve always been dreaming about. We know which one we’d choose and which destination we’d visit for a big adventure: Australia.

Australia has it all: gorgeous natural landscapes, exciting cities, rich cultural history, and some of the best food and drink in the world. Now that the country is one again open to international travellers, it’s time to head to the land downunder and experience all it has to offer. Take several weeks, slow down your pace, and spend time out of doors and away from airports and transit stations to really drink in the pleasures of travel.

Australian tour providers have used the pandemic to refine the travel experience and ensure the highest quality of their travel experiences across the country. We’ve done the same at Goway, increasing the number of first-class accommodations, small-group touring, and unique travel experiences across Australia.

You’ve earned a big vacation over the past two years so what are you waiting for? Other people are going to explore Australia, so why not be at the front of the pack and see it before everyone else does?

Maybe you want to know more about what you can do in Australia. No worries, we’ve got you. The following is a refresher on all that Australia has to offer.

Australia Has Big Nature

The past two years have made a lot of us itch to get back to nature. There are few better places to get back to nature than Australia, which is one of the world’s largest countries and home to a diverse assortment of natural environments. There are world-famous showstoppers like the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, which is located off the coast of Queensland, and the world’s largest monolith, Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock and a sacred icon of the Anangu people located in the Red Centre of the Northern Territory. 

But in Australia, you’re not limited to natural adventures you’ll find on postcards or Instagram posts. You can go beyond and explore a big natural world with striking rocks, red sands, verdants forests, and unbelievable coastal views across the nation. Hike the backwoods parks of the island of Tasmania, enjoying coastal views and a unique microclimate with milder temperatures and more precipitation. Head into the Pinnacles Desert of Western Australia to see a landscape that looks like it belongs on another planet, or drive the breathtaking coastal roads of Victoria, culminating with the Great Ocean Road, where the sandstone pillars of the Twelve Apostles stand as beautiful sentinels in the surf. In Australia, nature is bigger than you can imagine.

Australia Has Big Culture

If you’re not made for long walks on hiking trails and evenings spent under the stars without a building in sight, don’t worry. You can stick to the cities and cultural centres of Australia and find so much to experience. Sydney and Melbourne are two of our favourite cities on the planet. Sydney is blessed with the magnificent harbour with the landmarks of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, but the city rewards those looking for both quiet park escapes and raucous nightlife. Melbourne is the trendier of the two and consistently ranks near the top of the world’s most livable cities. You need only explore the laneways and arcades around Federation Square, where boutique cafes, restaurants, and bars reinvent how to use public space, to understand the appeal. 

But don’t sleep on the other cities either. Brisbane is the fastest growing city in the country and gets more sunshine than almost any city on the planet. It’s a place to discover trendy new restaurants and cultural attractions after days spent surfing at the beach havens nearby. Perth is located at the western edge of Australia, but it’s a city with an enviable cafe culture, beautiful beaches, and access to magical Rottnest Island, the only home to quokkas, the world’s friendliest critters. 

And outside the cities, you can get in touch with over 20,000 years of Indigenous history. The Aboriginal peoples of Australia boast some of the world’s oldest civilizations, so whether you’re exploring rock art sites in Kakadu National Park, touring Uluru in the company of one of the keepers of the land, or getting in touch with Indigenous artistic traditions in Darwin, you’ll come away from your experience with a newfound appreciation for the land and humanity’s connection to it.

Australia Has Big Flavour

What’s a trip without a bit of food and drink? Not much of a trip! But you don’t have to worry about a lack of flavour on a trip to Australia. The cities have cutting-edge restaurants incorporating the best practices and flavours in global cuisine, while more modest spots along the coast or in the interior rely on local ingredients and ingenious traditions passed down over generations. 

The wine is also marvellous. Australia has some of the world’s most celebrated wine regions. No matter what part of the country you’re in, you’ll find a nearby wine region where you can spend days milling about vineyards and sampling exquisite vintages: the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, the Barossa Valley in South Australia, the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, the Margaret River in Western Australia—the list goes on. If you’re not for wine but love coffee, you’re in luck as Australians have a passion for coffee and you’ll find innovations and fresh brews across the nation. And pro tip: you’re not technically required to stick to flat whites, but once you try flat whites in Australia, you may be hooked.

Australia Has Big Adventure

If you like to feel your heart pumping in your chest when you’re travelling, Australia is made for you. By water, land, and air, it’s a great place to get your dose of adventure and experience the fun and excitement of life on the road. If you’re sticking close to Sydney or Brisbane, you can hit up the famous surf beaches and experience some of the world’s best breaks. Head inland into the sands of the Outback and trade a surfboard for a dune buggy to ride across the dunes of the Red Centre and feel the wind on your face. 

Head north to Kakadu or northeast to Kuranda and pick up a paddle to white-water raft along the raging rivers and see the stunning natural environments of the country’s great national parks. On the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, you can scuba dive and snorkel beneath the waves and enjoy everything from parasailing to jet skiing above the waters. And if you really have a taste for adventure, book some skydiving or bungee jumping at some of the nation’s highest peaks or flattest expanses of plain. There’s no shortage of adventure opportunities in Australia, so if you want to feel alive again, you’ve come to the right place.

It’s time to slow down, take advantage of the open road and really delve into the wonders of travel. There’s no better place to go big than Australia, where you can spend weeks exploring the highlights of its natural landscape, cultural environments, and celebrated food and drink.

It’s a big world out there and you can finally explore more of it with Goway. Get in touch with a Destination Specialist to start planning an Australian vacation today.

This article is written in partnership with Tourism Australia.