Travelling through Australia

With barely any intercontinental travel experience, we take on our biggest adventure so far and fly to the other side of the world to discover all the special things Down Under has to offer us. In October and November 2019, we travelled for two months through Australia and New Zealand. After a stopover in Singapore, our journey along the Australian east coast starts in Cairns in early October and will end in Sydney 4 weeks later, after which we continued our journey in New Zealand. Below is an overview of all the destinations we visited during this trip.

We will remember the enjoyable hike to the famous Cape Byron lighthouse and the most easterly point of Australia at the small town of Byron Bay. In Sydney we were able to conclude our tour of Australia, a great metropolis with worldwide icons that we have visited: Harbour Bridge and a tour at the Sydney Opera House.

We have come to know Australia as a very tourist-friendly country. We have noticed that the people here have a strong bond with the ancient nature in which the current inhabitants have only lived for a few centuries until now. Tourism is an important source of income for Australia and the Australians really welcome tourists with open arms. On the east coast people are enthusiastic, open and friendly towards travellers, while at the same time the necessary dose of humour and self-mockery are also not lacking. Tessa had slipped at the second destination on Magnetic Island, which left her wearing a giant white band-aid for the following weeks. Naturally, this attracted a lot of attention, so we have lost count of how often Tessa has been approached by concerned residents about this. The wound thus formed a perfect icebreaker for long spontaneous conversations.

Due to its remote location, special native animals have emerged in Australia that only occur on this island, such as kangaroos, emus, wombats and koalas. These animals have coexisted with the Aborigines, who have inhabited Australia for 60,000 years, but some typical Australian animals have struggled since the arrival of Europeans in the late 18th century. The pets and other animals brought by Europeans cause a lot of damage to the native flora and fauna. In recent years, climate change resulting in forest fires and warmer sea water has also increased the problems for animals such as koalas and marine animals at the Great Barrier Reef.

Nevertheless, the diverse nature of Australia still has a lot to offer. In the north you will find ancient rainforests, in the east you will find the Great Barrier Reef and some charming coastal cities with beautiful beaches, the great ocean road is located at the south coast and the west coast is known for its many national parks, deserts and (quiet) beaches. In the middle is the warm outback where you can drive for hours without meeting people until you reach the famous red Uluru mountain near Alice Springs. This diversity in the landscape makes Australia a special holiday destination that you will simply have to visit more often if you want to experience all the highlights.

With the dry and warm climate, it is not surprising that there are many forest fires in Australia in the summer. Forest fires can cause major problems, especially at the natural areas of the south and east coast. We travelled along the Australian east coast in October 2019 when it was spring season and summer was just around the corner. We spent our last day in Australia in the Blue Mountains, the large national park near Sydney. Here we first noticed the effects of forest fires in the area that created a smoke haze around the Three Sisters (see photo below). A few weeks later (when we were in New Zealand) the wildfires of the Australian east coast hit the international news. The fires had increased enormously in a short time with dramatic consequences for air quality, plants and animals.

Although the fires are not every year as huge and devastating as in 2019, due to climate change the likelihood that the presence and size of forest fires will increase over the years is fairly high. Therefore, it is a good idea to take this into account when planning your trip to Australian destinations at the east coast or south coast. If we had gone to Sydney one or two months later, we would have had a completely different city trip without beautiful views, with dramatic air quality and insanely high temperatures. In short, from November to March forest fires in Australia can have a significant impact on your travel plans.