As a welcome piece of motivation (or distraction!) from exam stress, let’s move past that to the celebrations: holi-holiday time! We will be focusing on the Aussie road trip, a super popular alternative to jet-setting where you can grab some stubbies, fill your eskys and just your drive off into the sunset with your mates in toe. And where better than right on your doorstep? There’s so much to experience, see and do around Australia so why would you think of going anywhere else. And just to make it easier, you can bag yourself a $500 visa gift card when you buy any new Peugeot - new wheels and a bit of dosh for the trip. What’s not to love?! Here’s just a few right beauts to get the travel bug imagination going!
The Great Ocean Road, VIC
This is perhaps the most famous of the Aussie road trips and for good reason. 250km of stunning coastline offers fantastic photo opportunities and breathtaking scenery. The main show on this trip is the 12 Apostles, a collection of limestone stacks rising from the sea off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park which creates a seriously dramatic spectacle. Try heading there at sunset for an absolutely gorgeous landscape.Brissy > Cairns, QLD
If you’re looking for iconic natural beauty then this is the trip for you. Admittedly it is a long old slog and is also very popular with backpackers. At 1,683km long staying along the way is a must, however this stretch of coastline does offer some wonders. Heading out of Brisbane you hit the Sunshine Coast home to Noosa, home to a gorgeous bay and fantastic paddleboarding opportunities along the river mangroves. Further up the coast is the Bundaberg region, where between November and May in Mon Repos Conservation Park you may be lucky enough to witness thousands of baby turtles hatching and making a break for it towards the ocean. Definitely a must! It also helps that it’s the birthplace of Bundaberg rum so always an opportunity to stock up along the way ;) The next major destination on the coast up to Cairns is, of course, the Whitsundays. With crystal clear waters and white beaches, it’s a great place to stop off, chill out and reboot for the rest of the journey and Airlie Beach is the best place to do so. It’s got a very relaxed, beach, backpacker vibe - perfect for hanging out, having a few and staying up ‘till the sun comes up. Airlie Beach to Cairns is a 7hr journey, but there are places to stop off and rest up, including Townsville and Mission Beach. It’s when you hit Cairns that the fun begins. This is home to spectacular waterfalls, rainforest mountain treks and two Aussie icons: the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, two World Heritage sites and absolute beauties - while meandering in the rainforest keep your eyes peeled for the elusive cassowary.Perth to Monkey Mia, WA
Looking West this trip of Perth to Broome offers something completely different to the previous two. Think oceans and desert, hiking and chilling. This one has it all. Starting out from Perth it’s best heading straight to the Nambung National Park and get hiking to the glorious Pinnacles which, because being made of limestone, glow brightly in the sun. Following this pattern of insanely breathtaking natural formations, the next stop can be Kalbarri National Park, home to rugged inland river gorges, the Meanarra Hill Lookout and the Z-Bend Lookout where you can see spectacular views across the gorge and beyond. This really showcases the true Aussie outback! Moving north you come to the final stop on this trip: Shark Bay and the Monkey Mia resort. As the Shark Bay are is made up of two bays, you’ll have to navigate round to the second one to reach Monkey Mia. Once there though it is so worth it - white sandy beaches contrasting with dusty copper sand dunes and a dazzling blue Indian Ocean is made all the better by the awesome wild dolphin experience the area is so well known for. Just as an FYI there’s a $10 adult day permit to enter the reserve but once you see those views you’ll care sweet FA.
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