Well, this is going to be a big post!
I arrived in Australia six weeks ago on a one-way ticket from Canada and have spent my time down under squeezing as much of out this country as possible while backpacking all the way around it.
Plenty of people have explored Australia and many of them told me six weeks was far too rushed to see the whole country. True - and one day I want to come back and see much more, but I think I managed an awful lot of wonderful things on this life-changing trip. I've laid out my entire backpacking itinerary below to inspire you for your own Australian adventure!
During these last six weeks backpacking around Australia, I've:
- taken nine coaches, 12 ferries and nine flights, plus hundreds of buses, trams, shuttles and trains
- stayed in 17 hostels
- gone hiking, biking, swimming, snorkeling and even tried both sand-boarding and surfing for the first time
- spotted koalas, parrots, kangaroos, lizards, pelicans, cockatoos, quokkas, wild goats, sting rays, crabs, crocodiles, dolphins, dingoes, eagles, coral, puffer fish, wild horses, sheep, manta rays, turtles, snakes and wallabies
- and discovered more about this country than I ever knew before.
Before you go, check out my guide on how I plan all my travels including researching, booking, preparing and everything in between.
Heading to Australia? Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Australia (including its three external territories) can be found in my Ultimate Australia Map!
This is a digital map featuring hundreds of my favourite:
- restaurants and cafés
- campgrounds and accommodations
- shops
- photo spots
- museums and galleries
- beaches and lakes
- places to see animals
- bridges and viewpoints
- hikes
- snorkeling spots
- AND SO MUCH MORE!
Each pin includes the exact location (plus the ability to open it directly in Google Maps), lots of photos for inspiration, detailed information to help you visit the spot plus a link to my relevant blog post to read lots more about it.
Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Australia. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. There are more than 250 Aboriginal languages.
→ Learn more about the language of the Aboriginal Australians.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Different parts of the country are best visited at different times of year depending on the weather; each of my individual posts has my recommendation included.
Length of stay: I spent six weeks backpacking around Australia. One day, I hope to come back and spend a year driving around the whole country, but this was an awesome introduction to all the major highlights of the country!
I started in Sydney, one of the biggest cities in the country and the perfect place to arrive in Australia.
LENGTH OF STAY: six nights
ARRIVE: fly into Sydney International Airport and catch the AirportLink train into the city.
GET AROUND: purchase an Opal Card at the airport to use on all trains, buses and ferries around Sydney. I spent approximately AUD$40 during the week on public transport.
STAY: I cannot say enough good things about the Wake Up! Hostel right across the street from Central Station.
DO: walk around the city to see the Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanical Gardens, Harbour Bridge, Sydney Observatory and the State Library. Spend a day on the beach at Bondi and then do the Coastal Walk to Coogee. Tackle the hike from Manly to Spit, one of the most beautiful walks I've done. Watch the fireworks on Saturday at Darling Harbour.
DAY TRIPS: head out to the Blue Mountains to spot waterfalls and viewpoints. Go hiking in Royal National Park.
→ Check out my detailed guide about how to spend a week in Sydney!
Bondi Icebergs
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Manly to Spit walk
Then I carried on to Canberra, the capital city of Australia.
LENGTH OF STAY: one night
ARRIVE: take a Murray's coach from Sydney Central Station to Jolimont Centre in Canberra.
GET AROUND: at the time of writing, a bus ride was AUD $5 for a single trip (including a 90-minute transfer) or AUD $9.60 for a day pass.
STAY: the hostel I stayed at no longer exists (YHA Canberra) and there is only one other hostel, Little Drifter, which looks like a fantastic choice.
DO: walk around the city to see all the free national institutions. The Capital Exhibition, the Library, the Gallery, the Museum and the International Flag Display and Old Parliament House all show important and interesting Australian history. Hike up Mount Ainslie to view Canberra from above.
National Library at Lake Burley Griffin
Mount Ainslie Lookout
Then it was on to Melbourne, the biggest city in Australia and the capital of Victoria.
LENGTH OF STAY: four nights
ARRIVE: fly from Canberra to Melbourne for approximately an hour and ten minutes. Take the SkyBus from the airport to Southern Cross Station.
GET AROUND: trams in inner Melbourne are free, but to head out of the free zone, you'll need to purchase a myki card for trains and buses.
STAY: there are loads of options in this backpacker-friendly city; Flinder's Backpackers has a great central location and daily free breakfast.
DO: spend a day walking around visiting the art alleyways, the National Gallery of Victoria and the beautiful Shrine of Remembrance.
DAY TRIPS: join a tour to do one of the best roadtrips in the country, the Great Ocean Road. Head south to see the bright boxes at Brighton Beach.
→ Check out my detailed guide about how to spend a week in Melbourne!
Hosier Lane
Great Ocean Road
Brighton Bathing Boxes
From there, I flew down to Launceston, one of the two main cities on the island state of Tasmania.
LENGTH OF STAY: two nights
ARRIVE: fly from Melbourne to Launceston. From Launceston Airport, an airport shuttle can drop you off in the city for AUD $15 each way.
GET AROUND: public transport isn't great, so you'll need a car to see most things on Tasmania. If you don't have your own wheels, I suggest picking a few things you want to see and booking a guided tour.
STAY: I stayed at Launceston Backpackers, a cute hostel offering affordable accommodation just a 15-minute walk from the city.
DO: spend a day exploring Launceston, stopping to grab a sweet treat at Charlie's Dessert House before heading off to hike through Cataract Gorge. Go for a stroll through City Park and, if you're there on a Sunday, enjoy the live music.
DAY TRIPS: take a tour to some of Tasmania's more famous spots such as the Bay of Fires and Bridestowe Lavender Estate. Got a week to spare? Hike the famous Overland Track on Cradle Mountain.
→ Check out my detailed guide about how to spend a weekend in Launceston!
Cataract Gorge
Bridestowe Lavender Estate
Bay of Fires
Then it was time to cross the country to Western Australia to visit Perth, the most isolated city in the world.
LENGTH OF STAY: six nights
ARRIVE: fly into Perth International Airport. Bus 380 goes into the city and AUD $4.80 will get you a two-hour pass.
GET AROUND: within Perth, I recommend walking as everything is quite close together. If you want to go to Cottesloe Beach, the Fremantle Line train takes about 20 minutes with a day pass costing AUD $12.80.
STAY: Perth has plenty of budget accommodation to choose from so pick something that's close to things you want to see!
DO: spend a day exploring the city visiting Yagan Square, Elizabeth Quay and the beautiful King's Park. Head down to Cottesloe Beach to relax in the sand.
DAY TRIPS: take the ferry to Penguin Island to meet penguins and go bird-watching in Shoalwater Islands Marine Park. Spend the day biking around Rottnest Island visiting beautiful beaches and spotting adorable quokkas.
→ Check out my detailed guide about how to spend a week in Perth!
King's Park
Cottesloe Beach
Rottnest Island
From Perth, I joined a guided tour of the west coast all the way up to the northern corner of Exmouth.
LENGTH OF STAY: seven nights
ARRIVE: I was picked up and dropped off in Perth. Some tours are one-way only, ending either in Exmouth or further north in Broome.
GET AROUND: there's a reason Western Australia is called the roadtrip state! If you don't have your own wheels, head to the Western Australia Visitor Centre and book a tour that takes you past the most beautiful sights on the west coast up to Exmouth and back. I booked a seven-night tour with Red Earth Safaris.
STAY: your tour will arrange all your accommodations for you!
DO: see koalas in Yanchep National Park, try sand-boarding in Lancelin, explore Cervantes, watch sunset at the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park, feed rescued kangaroos at Greenough, feel small at the Kalbarri cliffs, wade through Pink Lake, hike the gorges of Kalbarri, float in salty water at Shell Beach, spot dolphins from the beach at Monkey Mia, see stromatolites (the oldest creatures on the planet), spend the night under the stars at Warroora Farm, go snorkeling on the Ningaloo Reef and take in the panoramic view of the most western point of Australia in Cape Range National Park. Sound convincing? It was fantastic.
→ Check out my detailed guide about roadtripping the west coast of Australia from Perth to Exmouth!
Ningaloo Reef
Greenough Wildlife Park
Kalbarri
Then it's time to visit the red centre and the heart of Australia.
LENGTH OF STAY: three nights
ARRIVE: fly to Ayers Rock Airport from where a free AATKings resort shuttle drives past all seven accommodations in Yulara, the town next to the national park.
GET AROUND: a free commuter bus drives the 20-minute loop around Yulara between 5:30am and 12:30am including stopping at Town Square with little shops and a supermarket. Getting to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park requires day pass for the hop-on, hop-off bus.
STAY: the only hostel near the national park is the Outback Pioneer Lodge in Yulara. The hostel is big and clean, although there are no lockers. There are six other types of accommodations to choose from in Yulara depending on your budget and style.
DO: visit the Cultural Centre to learn about the Aboriginal history. Watch sunrise over Kata Tjuta before doing the Valley of the Winds hike. Watch sunrise over Uluru, then do the 10km base walk around the rock. Watch the sunset every night.
→ Check out my detailed guide to visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park!
Sunrise over Uluru
Kata Tjuta
Uluru
From there, it's back to the east coast to visit Queensland's capital.
LENGTH OF STAY: four nights
ARRIVE: fly direct to Brisbane. From the airport, the Brisbane Airtrain will take you into the city for AUD $19 each way.
GET AROUND: the best way to get around Brisbane is to walk. When you want to cross the river, take the free City Hopper ferry.
STAY: I stayed at the Breeze Lodge near Kangaroo Point. The WiFi was great, there were lockers and plugs in each room and it was clean.
DO: take in the view of Brisbane City from Kangaroo Point before wandering the beautiful South Bank and taking a dip at Streets Beach. Explore Roma Street Parkland. Head out of downtown to Mount Coot-tha for great views over the city.
DAY TRIPS: head over to North Stradbroke Island for the day where you can catch the bus to Point Lookout to do the North Gorge Walk along stunning beaches with the chance to spot manta rays and turtles in the waves!
Kangaroo Point
North Stradbroke Island
From Brisbane, we go a little bit down the coast.
LENGTH OF STAY: four nights
ARRIVE: take the Greyhound from Brisbane Coach Terminal to Byron Bay, a journey of just under four hours. From the Greyhound Terminal you can either catch a shuttle or walk to your accommodation in Byron Bay.
GET AROUND: the best way to get around Byron Bay is to walk. A bike will get you a bit further afield to places like Broken Head.
STAY: after my great experience at their sister hostel in Sydney, I decided to book into Wake Up! Byron Bay. It's down the beach a bit so nice and quiet and still within bus distance (or a long walk along the beach) to town. It's by far one of the best hostels I've ever stayed at with big rooms, lockers, strong WiFi, a welcoming atmosphere and free bikes and surfboards to borrow!
DO: spend a day at Broken Head Nature Reserve and walk the Three Sisters Track. Go surfing. Walk the stunning Cape Byron Track along Wategos Beach, the Pass, Byron Lighthouse and Tallows Beach.
DAY TRIPS: head out to Newrybar in the hinterland to rummage through delightful shops and dine on exquisite local produce.
Byron Beach
The Pass
Cape Byron Lighthouse
We finish our trip on the iconic Gold Coast.
LENGTH OF STAY: two nights
ARRIVE: take the Greyhound from Byron Bay to the neighbourhood of the Gold Coast you are staying in: Southport, Surfer's Paradise, Broadbeach, Currumbin or Coolangatta.
GET AROUND: buses run frequently all along the Gold Coast but walking is also a wonderful way to explore.
STAY: I checked into the YHA in Coolangatta right on the beach with a swimming pool and a free shuttle into the city.
DO: visit Burleigh Head National Park. Walk along the beaches of the Gold Coast Oceanway. Explore Surfer's Paradise. Visit Snapper Rocks to see all the surfers.
→ Check out my detailed guide to spending a weekend on the Gold Coast!
Miami Beach
Snapper Rocks
Due to bad weather and flooding, I was unable to finish my original plan which included going up the Whitsundays and on to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef. Instead, I flew on to New Zealand...
I returned to Australia in 2025 to spend a year driving "the lap", visiting every corner of the country, so be sure to check out all the more recent Australia posts for even more inspiration for your trip down under!
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
