Kakadu National Park is found in the Northern Territory of Australia, and is roughly the same size as Israel, or half the size of Switzerland!

The name Kakadu comes from the mispronunciation of ‘Gagudju’ which is the name of an Aboriginal language spoken in the northern part of the Park. So here you will not only find some of the most stunning landscapes in the country, but also an array of Indigenous Australian culture dating back tens of thousands of years!

Explore monsoon forests, floodplains, native bush, crocodile infested rivers, sandstone valleys, waterfalls and lush rock pools (for cooling off in!). Kakadu is accessed through the city of Darwin, and you definitely need a four wheel drive and a sense of adventure!

I was lucky enough to experience Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks with Adventure Tours Australia, on their 3 day 4WD tour. I highly recommend taking a guided tour of the area, as much of the park is inacessible at certain times of the year and you really need a local’s advice!

The dry season is the best time to visit this natural wonder, but check with your local Backpackers World Travel consultant to see which parts of the park are open when you want to go!

If you’re ever in Melbourne, then I highly recommend you take a trip down to the world famous Great Ocean Road! It’s one of the best coastal drives you’ll ever experience, filled with breathtaking views, an abundance of native wildlife, stunning rock formations, and awesome surf beaches!

I was lucky enough to experience Adventure Tours Australia 3 day trip from Adelaide to Melbourne. We started off hiking in the Grampians National Park, where the trek up to the Pinnacles was tough, but worth it! Then we headed into Victoria, and to the Otway National Park, which is ancient lush rainforest. I recommend doing the ‘Otway Treetop Walk’ where you walk out on suspended walkways and bridges over the top of the tree canopies. Amazing!

Then it was time to head down to the coast, for the Great Ocean Road. I chose to take a helicopter flight over the most famous landscapes - the 12 Apostles. WOW.

But be warned, the weather down in this part of Australia can be temperamental, so take plenty of warm clothes and a wind/rainproof jacket. And of course your camera! Your photos of the 12 Apostles will be brilliant - its impossible to take a bad photo of these stunning rock formations.

So if your heading down to this part of Australia, its easy to take in all these sights - there are day tours from Melbourne, 3 day tours like the one I experienced, and Adventure Tours Australia are also starting a 2 day tour for those short on time!

Contact Backpackers World Travel for more information or advice!

Cheers, Bree

Sydney is the largest city in Australia and a great place to live and work in, or just visit for a few days. There’s heaps of stuff to do, so why not check out some of my suggestions:
BONDI is the world famous beach where it’s cool to just to be ’seen’! Get down to the beach early to avoid the crowds, or take a walk around the headlands for stunning views.

To get some local advice or book any of these fantastic tours, visit the Base Travel store at Kent Street, or any of the Backpackers World Travel Stores, located throughout Sydney city, Coogee and Bondi Beaches.

Hi, it’s Bree here! I spent a weekend down in Melbourne recently and found there is so much to do in this great city! Melbourne is known as the ‘cultural capital’ of Australia, with an abundance of great shopping, food, wine, galleries and more! If you’re looking for some things to do, here are my top suggestions:

Shopping! Girls and guys will love the shops in Melbourne - I would recommend checking out Bourke and Chapel Streets, or head down to the cool suburb of St Kilda for all the latest funky designs.

The world famous Great Ocean Road is one of the most spectacular coastal drives, featuring Bells Beach and the Twelve Apostles. See it as an easy day trip, or take your time with a three-day tour, either as a round-trip or taking you on to Adelaide.

Mt Buller snowfields are an easy day trip from Melbourne during the winter, so take the chance to have a play in the snow or try to ski or snowboard.

For wine lover’s make sure you take a trip to the Yarra Valley for a divine gourmet experience with the local wine products.

Phillip Island will suit animal and nature lovers with its abundance of koalas and kangaroos, and in the evening you can view the little penguin’s as they waddle ashore for the night.

Everybody needs good ‘Neighbours’ – Australia’s famous soap opera is filmed in a real Melbourne suburb so join a local tour for your chance to see some real filming!

The Grampians National Park is another easy day trip from the city, where you can hike and experience Aboriginal culture as well as seeing plenty of native flora and fauna.

For the best accommodation in Melbourne, make sure you get yourself a bed at the BASE Hostel, located in St Kilda. They have various styles of rooms, from standard dorms to private doubles – even a girl’s only level – ‘The Sanctuary’ - for a bit more comfort!

To get some more local advice or book any of these fantastic tours, visit the travel store at the Base Hostel, or at any of the Backpackers World Travel Stores, located throughout Melbourne city.

Hey travellers!

It’s winter time in Australia, which means it’s cold in the South, but its actually the perfect time to head to the OUTBACK!

Up in Kakadu National Park it’s the dry season which means the major waterfalls are open and the weather is nice (not too hot!). In the Red Centre its much cooler so its very comfortable to be outdoors in the sunshine, doing the walks around some of our amazing sights like Uluru and Kings Canyon.

Red Centre Tours start from $295 for 3 days or why not try a package for $529 - 3 days Red Centre + 2 days Alice Springs to Adelaide + 2 nights Alice Springs. 

So come into a Backpackers World Travel store to get yourself travelling whilst the weather is at it’s best!

Bree

This trip was amazing and it exceeded all my expectations. I had always wanted to go to Western Australia but somehow always managed to put it off. Being an Aussie I guess it is easy to keep saying “I can do that later” I finally put that thought out of my mind and booked it before I made any more excuses…and it was totally worth it!Not many travellers get to experience the West Coast because they run out of time or funds on the East Coast, which is a shame because they’re missing out! Western Australia is still relatively unspoilt and you can drive for miles without seeing another car! It is so refreshing to go somewhere that has lots to offer but isn’t crammed with people.

I did 2 tours with Planet Perth which were the 3 day South West and 10 day Perth to Broome and they were both fantastic. Jim, our tour guide from Perth to Broome was a typical Aussie bushman that knew so much about his country and taught us so many interesting things. He knew how to make everyone laugh with his constant brainteasers and jokes which helps on our long bus trips.

Although the whole trip was incredible, the highlights of the tour that stuck out to me were Karijini National Park, with its breathtaking views, excellent hiking and awesome swimming gorges. Ningaloo Reef was amazing and it’s not as crowded as the Great Barrier Reef plus I was so lucky to swim with the Whalesharks…that’s a once in a lifetime experience! The dolphins at Monkey Mia were so beautiful and we even got to swim with them, which is a rare opportunity.

To anyone thinking about Western Australia (or not), I definitely recommend it and now is the best time to go if you want to swim with the whale sharks (April – June).