City Directory
- Adelaide
- Agnes Water
- Airlie Beach
- Albany
- Alice Springs
- Apollo Bay
- Ayr
- Bega
- Bellingen
- Bendigo
- Blairgowrie
- Blue Mountains
- Bright
- Brisbane
- Broome
- Bunbury
- Bundaberg
- Byron Bay
- Cairns
- Canberra
- Cape Tribulation
- Clare
- Clarencetown
- Cockatoo Valley
- Coffs Harbour
- Coober Pedy
- Cooktown
- Coolangatta
- Cooma
- Coral Bay
- Crescent Heads
- Daintree
- Darwin
- Deloraine
- Denmark
- Faulconbridge
- Fremantle
- Glen Innes
- Gold Coast
- Gosford
- Grampians
- Hervey Bay
- Hidden Valley
- Hobart
- Kalbarri
- Kangaroo Island
- Katherine
- Kununurra
- Launceston
- Maffra
- Magnetic Island
- Margaret River
- Maroochydore
- McLaren Vale
- Melbourne
- Merimbula
- Mildura
- Mission Beach
- Monkey Mia
- Mooloolaba
- Mount Gambier
- Narooma
- Newcastle
- Nimbin
- Noosa
- Pacific Palms
- Perth
- Peterborough
- Phillip Island
- Port Campbell
- Port Douglas
- Port Macquarie
- Port Stephens
- Princetown
- Rainbow Beach
- Richmond
- Robe
- Rockhampton
- Russell Island
- Sunshine Coast
- Surfers Paradise
- Swansea
- Sydney
- Tennant Creek
- The Tea Gardens
- Thredbo
- Townsville
- Tumut
- Venus Bay
- Wollongong
Backpacking Australia
Australia is a county of stunning natural beauty, from the warm azures of an unending coastline to the sunscorched red earth of the desert interior.
Two salient attributes, size and diversity, make for amazing backpacker journeys and unique, memorable experiences – the sheer scale of the land demands a much more considered travel approach than most other countries. But you couldn’t choose a destination with more favourable year-round weather.
The vastness of Australia (a modest 7.69 million square kms) makes flying by far the most appropriate mode of transport when you don’t have a lot of time but lots to see.
Melbourne backpackers will love the thriving music and arts scene, renowned restaurants and neverending festivals. Melbourne hostels are perfectly exemplified by a great little cluster of hostels in the inner city suburb of St Kilda, including Base Backpackers, Cooee on St Kilda, and Coffee Palace Backpackers.
If you’re heading west from Melbourne to explore South and Western Australia, and you’ve got the time to travel by road, the Great Ocean Road is an spectacular coastal drive along Victoria’s scenic south west coast. Stretching from Torquay (a mere 97kms southwest of Melbourne) to Warrnambool, this scenic coastland drive provides great views of Bass Strait and dramatic rock formations including Loch Ard Gorge, the Grotto, London Arch and the famous Twelve Apostles. Backpackers can hire a campervan and take their time honing their photography skills.
Sydney hostels are just the ticket for discovering the aussie ‘must-dos’ of the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the sublime Bondi Beach. Sydney backpackers based in the central city will love hanging out in Circular Quay and Darling Harbour – a fancy slap-up restaurant meal is compulsory at least once!
Brisbane backpackers will enjoy exploring great restaurants along Brisbane River and, later in the night, the pumping clubs and pubs of Fortitude Valley (‘the Valley’). Brisbane Hostels take pride if offering quality, comfortable budget accommodation.
Just one hours drive south of Brisbane is the Gold Coast, a tourist haven for quintessential Aussie beach holidays. Gold Coast hostels are perfectly located in the centre of the action, Surfers Paradise. There is plenty of pub crawls and partying to be had for Gold Coast backpackers, and some of the world’s most perfect beaches to recover on the next morning. Or maybe you’d like to recooperate a little further down the coast at Byron Bay in New South Wales. Just an hour south of the Gold Coast, Byron Bay backpackers are legendary for helping travellers to kick back and relax surrounded by picturesque beaches and bushland.
In Queensland’s far north you enter a world of dense tropical rainforests and pristine unspoilt coastlines. Airlie Beach backpackers will find their hostel serves as the perfect base to explore such Whitsunday Island wonders as Hamilton Island and Daydream Island. Snorkelling, sailing and diving are a must – the Great Barrier Reef truly is a marine wonder of the world.
Further north, Cairns and Port Douglas hostels provide great budget stays, but if you really want to experience the iconic Australian attraction you’ll have to head to the Northern Territory and visit the ‘red centre’. Alice Springs
backpackers will never forget their magical Ayers Rock Uluru experience.
Ask any Oz Backpackers (past or present) and they will have fantastic stories about their time in Australia. Backpacking Australia is an amazing experience. It is the perfect way to see what the country has to offer, at a pace to suit you.
The nightlife in Australia is exciting and diverse, with everything from live jazz clubs to all-night-raves. As expected the bigger cities and towns have more options, but even the more remote places will often have many choices for a great night out.
Each Australian city and town has its own unique ‘vibe’ and personality that make it special. Sydney backpackers can expect all the excitement that this capital city has to offer, while Byron Bay backpackers (and Cairns backpackers) can enjoy some restful relaxation on the beach.
Gold Coast backpackers will enjoy the amazing beaches as well, but they can also take advantage of the theme-parks and other attractions in the area. From Dreamworld, to White Water World, to wildlife reserves, there is something new for Brisbane backpackers to see everyday!
With amazing shopping during the day, and an exciting night culture, Melbourne backpackers will easily fall in love with this city’s stylish atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Perth backpackers should see the botanic gardens. Located on Mt Eliza, just out of the city center it boasts breathtaking views of the city.
Adelaide backpackers should check out the Central Market. It is vibrant and colourful with amazing smells to tastes to tempt you.
If you get a chance to visit Ayers Rock, take it! Make sure you do your research into cost etc before you get there.
Australia has numerous hostels throughout the country, including ‘Base Backpackers’. Whether you want to be right in the center of all the action, or stay somewhere a little more remote, there will be accommodation to suit you.