Australia: Wildlife and Beaches

map of trip

Table of Contents

  • 24 days (plus 2 on Oahu)
  • 2026 Winter/Spring (back in North America, summer locally)

This was our second trip to Australia. The first time we were here we went to New Zealand afterward. This time we went to New Zealand first. On our first trip to Australia we focused on the cities. This time we spent more time in natural areas and at the beach. We really wanted to do more overland travel this time but it takes so much time to get from one place to another (especially when they’re smaller, more out of the way places) that we ended up flying to get around. 

Food & Beverage $34 per day*

Average per person per day. We got breakfast from bakeries and supermarkets and usually ate one meal out per day.

Lodging $102-235 per night*

Average per night. Downtown Melbourne was our most expensive stay, Echuca our cheapest.

Transportation $1022 per person*

Most of this was flights between locations, plus the odd local transport fare. We took enough Jetstar flights that signing up for Club Jetstar paid for itself.

Entertainment $635 per person*

We did three day tours that accounted for most of this: the Penguin Parade in Melbourne, the Beauty Spots tour on K'gari/Fraser Island, and our trip to Whitsunday Island.

* Costs in US dollars at time of trip

Days 1-5: Cradle Mountain and Launceston

The Plan: Our primary destination is Cradle Mountain but we need to fly into Launceston and get a bus from there. We’ll do nearby walks the day we arrive and the day we leave Cradle Mountain, going further afield the days in between. We hope to see some of Launceston the day we get back from Cradle Mountain. We saw a lot of the Hobart area on our first trip. 

The Reality: It went pretty much as planned though we did our one long walk the day we arrived at Cradle Mountain. We didn’t end up seeing much of Launceston. 

  • Fly from Queenstown, NZ to Launceston
  • Bus from Launceston to Cradle Mountain
  • Walking near Cradle Mountain
  • Bus from Cradle Mountain to Launceston

Days 6-7: Melbourne

The Plan: We added a night in Melbourne so we can do the Phillip Island tour and see the little penguins. We missed that the last time we were here. 

The Reality: Our Philip Island tour nicely filled our one full day here. 

  • Fly from Launceston to Melbourne
  • Phillip Island Tour

Days 8-11: Echuca

The Plan: I remember the Australian miniseries All the Rivers Run from 1984 and have since then wanted to see the area and the paddle steamers. Finally! We couldn’t fit this in on our first trip.

The Reality: We got to see and experience the paddle steamers and enjoyed the small town atmosphere. Unless you’re really into paddle steamers you can probably skip Echuca. We ended up spending our last night in Melbourne in order to catch an early flight. 

  • Train from Melbourne to Echuca
  • Paddle steamer cruise
  • Local walks and sights
  • Train back to Melbourne for one night near the airport before an early flight

Days 12-17: K'gari and Hervey Bay

The Plan: K’gari, also known as Fraser Island, is the world’s largest sand island. It sounds fascinating and a good place to unplug for a few days. We’ll spend one night on the mainland in Hervey Bay before catching a ferry the next day. 

The Reality: K’gari was quite relaxing and worth the effort to get there. Don’t expect relaxing beach time, though, due to dingoes. 

  • Train to Melbourne, fly to Hervey Bay
  • Ferry to K’gari
  • Island tour
  • Nearby walking trails
  • Beach and pool

Days 18-21: Airlie Beach and Brisbane

The Plan: I really want to see Whitsunday Island (and Whitehaven Beach) and Airlie Bay sounds like the place to do it from. We can’t get from K’gari to Airlie Beach in a single day so we’ll spend a night in transit in Brisbane. On our first trip we went to Cairns and went snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, so we’ll skip that this time. 

The Reality: Whitsunday Island is beautiful and we had a relaxing walk along the shore at Airlie Beach.

  • Fly from Hervey Bay to Brisbane
  • Fly from Brisbane to Airlie Beach
  • Whitehaven Beach tour
  • Airlie Beach and coastal walk

Days 22-24: Manly Beach

The Plan: On our first trip we spent a few nights in Sydney but missed some things because of bad weather and illness. (And forgetting about losing a day to the International Date Line.) Manly Beach should be central enough and more relaxed than central Sydney. 

The Reality: Manly Beach was relaxing and yet only a 20 minute ferry from downtown Sydney. We were happy to spend our last couple of days strolling the shore and exploring the market. 

  • Fly to Sydney, metro shuttle and ferry to Manly Beach
  • Spit to Manly walk Walk to Shelly Beach
  • Bondi to Coogee clifftop walk

Days 25-26: Waikiki Beach

The Plan: We’ll do a quick stopover on Oahu to break up the long flight. Maybe splurge on a beachfront hotel? (Probably not.)

The Reality: We did not splurge on a beachfront hotel but we did love the hotel we found a few minutes walk from the beach.

  • Fly from Sydney to Honolulu
  • Waikiki Beach

Go to the New Zealand part of the trip

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