Time abroad here in Australia is flying by! After a stressful few weeks of midterms, my friends and I took off for a weeklong spring break up the East Coast, then down to Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road in the south for our final weekend. It was a super fun, travel filled week, which inspired me to start looking and planning for more weekend trips before my time here is up!
Over the past two months, I have heard of a number of ideal weekend trips in Australia worth checking out. I have been lucky enough to experience a number of these places, but still have so much more to explore.
All of these destinations are either a short bus or plane ride away from Sydney, anywhere between a 1 to 4 hour journey, and all offer a range of climates, cultures, and experiences. Below are a few of my favorites:
Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley is well known for being one of the most beautiful wine countries not only in New South Wales, but also all of Australia. During the brief two-hour northbound bus ride from Sydney you pass various lakes, rivers, open fields, and rolling valleys. The journey there is worth the trip itself! In addition to the numerous wineries and breweries in the area, there is also a zoo, an alpaca barn, and many scenic nature walks and view-points. Hunter Valley is a perfect weekend escape from the hustle and bustle of city life in Sydney.
Wollongong
Wollongong is a small sea-side town about two hours south of Sydney. My first weekend here in Australia I ventured a bit further south of the city center of Wollongong to Gerroa for Surf Camp. This area of New South Wales is known for their beautiful sprawling beaches, such as Seven Mile Beach where we learned to surf, which is perfect for both new and experienced surfers alike. Wollongong is also well known for their scenic drive, the Grand Pacific Drive, which sprawls along the coast for 140 kilometers. In another trip to Wollongong, my friends and I went skydiving, which I highly recommend (no pun intended). Wollongong is a great destination to do all things adventurous slightly outside of the city, and definitely worth the drive down.
Adelaide
Adelaide is a small town on the southern coast of Australia, in the South Australia territory. The flight is a short hour and a half away and the transportation from the airport to city center is really convenient and cheap. Of the two days I had in the city, my favorite part was our trip to the waterfront, in Glenelg, where there was a beautiful pier, beach, and plenty of cafes, ice cream shops, and restaurants. An ideal itinerary in Adelaide would consist of going to brunch downtown in the city center, checking out the current exhibit at the State Library of South Australia, relaxing with some coffee and pastries in central Victoria Square, then finally heading to Glenelg to catch the sunset on the beach. There isn’t a ton to do in Adelaide, so a quick weekend trip is the perfect way to see the city.
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island, also located in South Australia, is either a short plane ride away from Adelaide or a bus and ferry trip from the city center. My friend and I did a one-day tour of Kangaroo Island, but there is so much to see and plenty to do that we easily could have spent the whole weekend there. I wish we had had more time there! The northern side of the island is known for its wildlife, with seal beaches, koala sanctuaries, and, as you’d expect, an abundant amount of wild kangaroos. The southern side of the island is home to some rough waters and thus beautiful cliff and rock formations. The closest land from the shore of Kangaroo Island is Antarctica, so the wind and waves can be pretty brutal in the winter. What’s really cool about Kangaroo Island is the amount of nature and wildlife that has been preserved there, often called “the zoo without fences”. When traversing the island, you will see wild kangaroos, koalas, snakes, birds, seals, and more. The long, windy dirt roads that take you from the north to the south of the island are surrounded by dense shrubbery and various greens. If you’re looking to see a mix of wildlife, nature, and coastal views, Kangaroo Island is worth the trip.
Melbourne
I was excited to visit Melbourne all semester, as I had heard multiple people equate it to “the Boston of Australia”. Known for its music, culture, art, and food scene, I was really looking forward to exploring this city. Coincidentally, the same weekend we decided to go to Melbourne happened to be the Australian Football League game finals, essentially the Australian version of the Super Bowl. People from all over the country had flown in to catch the action. One of the teams in the finals was from a suburb outside of Melbourne (Richmond), so the excitement was high. The energy in the city was incredible, especially on Saturday when the Richmond team won! On top of this excitement, the delicious cafes, beautiful streets filled with colorful street art, and Victorian style buildings made it a fantastic weekend. The city not only felt a lot like Boston, but was also really reminiscent of many cities I’ve visited in Europe, like Amsterdam, Paris, and Edinburgh. I would have to say it was one of my favorite destinations here so far!
With a little under two months left until my time Down Under is over, I hope to make the most of my last few weekends here and see the most of this beautiful country! Having no classes on Fridays is a huge help to facilitate these three-day weekend trips. By balancing homework on the plane rides there and squeezing in some fun in between, I have loved looking forward to the weekends here, for more reasons than one.
