Whether you breeze out of the city in an open-top sports car, tackle a week-long trip into the outback, ride a camel, join an air safari, do a stretch by transcontinental rail, or take your hiking boots and trek through spectacular rainforests, past lakes, and along vast white beaches, Australia can set you off on the journey of a lifetime.

The end result is always the same: superb food and wine and some unforgettable experiences along the way.

I found paradise
by Lena Jorgensen

I went to Australia with no knowledge and no expectations of what I would experience. What I found was much more than i coudl ever have hoped for. Simply the best of everything.. The best weather, The best beer, The best BBQ, the kindest and caring people with the best attitude to life. I experienced the greatest adventures with people I did not know but that I later found would become my very best friends in years to follow. My dream is to go back to the place where I left my heart.... Australia is my paradise. 'Blow-ins'
by Roger Rowe

Our Australian experience took us from the Great Ocean Drive via the Grampians to Cape Tribulation, and via Caloundra and the Black Hills to Sydney. The scenery was unforgettable, the food and ambience cosmopolitan, the travelling made easy. We saw everything in the wild from Koalas to Cassaworries (sic) but we know the thing called a kangeroo is a myth only to be seen on road signs. About as abundant as the missing rabbits! However the holiday was crowned when after asking the way I was told, 'don't know mate I'm a blow-in just like your self'. Absolutely Fabulous! Nestle Phils. Sharkforce Invade Australia
by Danilo alzate

It was a great, awesome and one of a kind experience visiting Australia. The best of all the places that I've visited. It was an experience worth reminiscing. People are very friendly and easy to deal with. The food is excellent, it blends with the international taste amongst nations. If given a chance to revisit and explore more of the beauty of other places in Australia, I will certainly enjoy each moment. Wilsons Promontory
by karen stinton

Wilsons Promontory, the most southerly tip of mainland Australia, an area of superb natural wilderness. This national park area includes diverse wildlife, interior forests, offshore islands and beautiful broad sweeping beaches, each with its own unique character. Imagine emerging from a climb over a rocky headland to discover what could be your own perfect deserted beach. Whiskey bay and squeaky beach, what delightfully colourful place names for two such superb locations. Squeaky beach does indeed squeak when you walk on the dry, golden sand. the particles are pure quartz and rub together to make this appealing musical sound. Was Whiskey bay the location for some furtive smuggling operation in the early days? If so, then it is an especially beautiful location for whiskey smuggling. The whole of this region has a subtle beauty, but also a strong feeling of untouched remoteness. Visitors can camp amongst nature and appreciate the amazing and diverse wildlife at first hand. Wombat watching by torchlight, feeding rosellas and kookaburras by hand, the possible sighting of the rare and exquisite lyre-bird. All of these add to the magical experience that is Wilsons Prom! My years in Aussie
by Diane McGuinness

I lived in Australia from 1965-1968 and travelled extensively from West Australia to Northern Queensland and would love an opportunity to take my new husband to visit places I once knew. OUT WEST
by DAVID heale

TRAVEL FROM PERTH TO ESPERANCE STOPPING AT A COUNTRY TOWN ON THE WAY. MUST SEE WARDEN BEACH AND LUCKY BEACH. THEN DRIVE UP TO KALGOORLIE MUST SEE, PROSPECT FOR GOLD. Wonderful Australia.
by Mary & Barry Faulkner

All of our holiday was a great experience & we have booked to go again in Feb 2008. Its a great great country, we love all of it & the folk also are all great . We never had one bad experience while staying there. Thanks to all the Aussies xxxxxxxxxxxx The Millennium Trip
by Martin Makinson

I took my family on the trip of a lifetime. We experienced the Great Barrier Reef and the rainforest. We visited Sydney and climbed the harbour bridge, saw the opera house and sailed across the harbour. Melbourne was our next port of call and we saw fairy penguins on Phillip Island and toured the area. Ayers Rock resort was a high point with the "candle lit dinner". We finished with relatives in Western Australia staying in the Americas Cup apartments in Fremantle before heading south to the wineries around Margaret River. What memories!!! The Indian Pacific
by Rosemary Godfrey

Whilst visiting family in Australia, my husband and I travelled on the Indian Pacific train from Perth to Sydney. What a marvellous experience! We were able to enjoy the amazing scenery (no we were never bored!) from the comfort of our sleeper carriage, dine on the best of Aussie cuisine ,which was always accompanied by great Aussie wines, and we had the added bonus of meeting some really interesting,friendly fellow travellers. All this combined with the excellent service made for a great trip. Now of course we would love to have the opportunity to return to this wonderful country. Puffing Billy
by Oz Lover

Fabulous day out in the Dandenongs. Catch the train from Flinders Street station (Melbourne) the train takes about 40 minutes then you switch trains onto Puffing Billy a steam train that takes you up into the hills - stunning scenery, a great day out! The Indian Pacific
by Matthew Lowe

Over three days across from Sydney to Perth (or vce a versa) the Indian Pacific provides the experience of a lifetime. Highlights include the staggering Blue Mountains, the emptiness of the Nullarbor Plain (the longest stretch of straight railway in the world) and the Gold rich Kalgoorlie. To see real Australia this journey is an absolute must. road exploration
by Alan [kiwi] Maltby-Wells

Motored from Sydney to Whitsunday Island.

What a great journey. Lots of red dust everywhere. Watch out for the snakes while relieving yourself in the bush. Watch out for the cattle trains- huge trucks with six or more trailers coming at you in a cloud of red dust.The Great Barrier Reef - a wonderful diving experience. Also the great food halls of the Sydney towers- and of course the ferry harbour cruises and Opera House. Well worth the trip to Kings Cross and the pokies (fruit machines). A dream filled holiday!!
by Pauline Davies

We had a wonderful holiday, climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge which was awesome! Went to the late Steve Irwins zoo and wow what mighty crocs!! Went to the Great Barrier Reef fantastic. Met an old school mate who emigrated 1975 and I'd not seen for over thirty years and that was a real tear jerker, so much want to do it all again. All the way!
by George Yallop

Paid £50 for 28 year old Riley car in 1958. Left England Aug 1960 with £130,drove to Ceylon.Shipped to Fremantle. Drove across Nullarbor, Xmas day in the middle of it! Worked across Australia on fruit picking etc. Great experience. Lived & worked in Berri for 6 months. Sailed from Sydney to USA drove across route "66". Sailed from Montreal back home Xmas 1962.www.yallop.net Alone in the Park
by James Bliss

As a result of time of year and a bit a drought, we found ourselves essentially alone in New England National Park

The park has grand canyons (green) with rainforests we enjoyed walking through--again--alone. What an experience! Take your Time
by Leonard Finch

Spent a month travelling down from Cairns to Brisbane by Greyhound Bus,saw lots of the Country which is great way to experience OZ. Train journey from Melbourne to Adelaide was another way we enjoyed seeing things
Flying between places was the boring part Northstar Cruise
by jain castiau

There is a fantastic cruise by Northstar Cruises that goes from Fremantle up to Exmouth every spring. We went on the second one, the first one Steve Irwin went on. The ship is small, the staff knowledgeable and high ratio to clients, food is to die for. We are hoping to take a trip in May 2009 from Darwin to Broome - their over the top trip. This one comes with a helicopter so you can fly up the various inlets. Unforgettable Xmas
by Margaret Jones

We had been threatening to go to Australia for years - the perfect opportunity came whilst our son was back-packing around the world for 8 months and we arranged to met in Brisbane for Xmas! We travelled with our daughter and her partner - we had the perfect Aussie BBQ on Xmas day. We travelling down to Sydney (after meeting up with my husband's friend for 2 days who had emigrated there on the £10 package!) for New Years Eve. Australia blew our minds - the sights, smells, colours. The stars in sky at night on Fraser Island, the wildlife-from the Kookaburras to Koalas and kangaroos, the semi-tropical rainforest, all such vivid pictures in my mind that I carry with me every day.

Thank you Australia, we love you! Indian Pacific Railway
by raymond palmer

In 2005 we travelled across Aus from Perth to Sydney, three days on a train ,views, company the very best staff ,the food was first rate to the best international standard. We didnt want to come home. great 4 week tour
by Norman Palmer

What a great country, it's alive and vibrant, with wonderful people. Just wish we were younger, would want to live there. Heritage trail
by Judy Whitehead

Because my father was among the group settlement scheme in 1920s in W. Aus we tried to find land that was allocated to his family. What a wonderful trip round the Margaret river area we had. We met old timers who were happy to talk of those HARD days and found my Grandfathers name in the Augusta Museum. We gained a lot of understanding and admiration for those friendly early settlers. Want to go back. Tasmania
by Dini Zwerver

Tasmania is the forgotten island, it's so beatiful and so friendly! Great atmosphere, and good food and wines !
I'm going again in January.... Around Melbourne
by Hedley Watts

We had driven from Batemans Bay to Melbourne and the first morning caught a tram to see round the city. We were greeted by a guide asking us where we were from and where we wanted to go. He was very friendly gave us lots of tips and told us where to get off the tram for our first visit. In the afternoon we went to Melbourne Cricket Ground and having just missed a tour went for lunch. By the time we had finished (the restaurant was next to a very interesting cricket legend museum) the last tour was just starting! We were taken round in a very small group (it was now late in the day) and at the end Bill our guide asked us where we were going. When we told him we intended to walk to a hotel famed for its view of the river he told us to wait where we were and he fetched his car and drove us there! Typical of wonderful Aussie hospitality we encountered. From our base in Rosebud we were driven by our hotel lobby clerk to the Mornington Peninsular for a local food and drink weekend where we tasted the hottest "dip" ever which took ages to rinse out but it helped to make it a really wonderful visit! Crossing the Nullarbor
by John Peatling

In company with my son we drove a 1972 V8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray roadster from Melbourne to Perth (well, almost!). It was an eventful journey and its story can be read in www.peatling.net click on "cars" and then "nullarbor" Great Ocean Road
by Janet Norris

In order to avoid the bulk of the traffic we travelled to Warrnambool by train from Melbourne and drove back to Geelong from there where we got the train back to Melbourne. We stayed 1 night in Warrnambool and I in Apollo Bay. Wonderful scenery. Don't miss it. Finding his roots
by Linda Harmer

Me and and my husband travelled to Australia in March 2006. My husband was born in Albany Western Australia after his parents moved to there from the UK. They had to return to the UK when my husband was 2 as his mother had to have a lung removed due to TB. So we paid a visit to Albany to find the hospital where he was born, and the house that his father built. Luckily the people who now live in the house were in and allowed us to look around, it was really rewarding for my husband. We also travelled to Perth, Ayers Rock and Sydney where we did the bridge climb, which was an achievement for me as I am not too keen on heights and I had a knee replacement a few months previous to our holiday. We are planning to go again to Australia in 2008 and see more spectacular sights. I can say it was a wonderful experience. Underground Coober Pedy
by Jonathan Powell-Wiffen

in 1968 I hitch-hiked around Australia and often slept under the stars. However, in Coober Pedy, it was so hot that the Catholic priest let me sleep in the underground church, which used to be an old opal mine. Very cool! Driving across
by Graham Shortell

Drove across Oz from Rockhampton to Perth last year. A great experience (requiring a really good 4wd vehicle with a/c). Plenty of "interesting " roads - loads of really nice people. Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb
by Frank Batchelor

The must do if you go to Sydney. Very professional set-up, very safe; and what a view when you are at the top. When you come back down, walk up the street to The Australian, order a Caesar salad and a pint of real ale. Heaven aussie aussie aussie oy oy oy!
by vicky perrygrove

From snorkelling in the GREAT Barrier Reef, exploring the Daintree Rainforest (Port Douglas) holding cuddly koalas at lone pine koala sanctuary (Brisbane) the most amazing experience was feeding the wild cockatoos in Sydneys botanical gardens whilst the harbour bridge and the opera house is in the background! Australia is simply another world, with the best of everything! Living the dream
by Roger Fitzgibbon

Back in 1982/83 I lived in Sydney. It was the best year of my life. In my final month, me and two friends took a Land Cruiser jeep up the East coast until we reached Cape Tribulation. Camping on the long empty beaches of Queensland, in areas you could only get to by 4 wheel drive vehicles, is an experience I will never forget. I still look at the photos and hope to go back next year. 25 years later, I remember it as if it was yesterday. A fantastic country with fantastic people. Don't really know why I ever came home!!! Kalgoorlie visit
by George Colman

I flew from Perth to Kalgoorlie to see one of the worlds largest opencast gold mines with the worlds largest diggers working in the mine, amazing! Afterwards we visited the famous mining town of Kalgoorlie which is steeped in mining history, I also saw Aboriginal villages & attended a display of traditional Aboriginal dancing & feasting -not on the main tourist trail, but well worth the time out. Holiday of a Lifetime
by Sandy MacDonald

At 53 years of age Australia gave me the opportunity for some of the greatest experiences of my life. First time surfing and in the Pacific Ocean. First time scuba diving and of the greatest diving area in the world, the Great Barrier Reef. First time parachute jump and from 14,000 ft over the coast of Australia. I had many more wonderful experiences. Climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge, toured the Opera House, Wine Tour, (hic) and experienced Australia Day. Many more but can't fit into a 100 words. A country to live your dreams. Coffee Break!
by SYDNEY WELLS

Driving from Alice Springs to Adelaide we stopped for coffee at Coober Pedy, decided we had enough fuel to get to our motel - WRONG - always fill up with fuel - we did not run out, but the car took 65 litres - only because we cut our speed and turned off the air conditioning! Campervan Oz Rules
by Susie Ellis

I spent 3 months travelling around South, Central, Northern and Western Australia in a campervan. It was the most amazing, beautiful, awe-inspiring, challenging experience I have ever had. The people are welcoming, the country is both hauntingly beautiful and cosmopolitan. What a place - everyone should go. SURPRISE
by CHRISTINE THOMPSON

We travelled to Australia for my 50th birthday visiting Queensland and Adelaide area,seeing old friends.Had a wonderful week on Magnetic Island. Sitting having a drink ,someone sat next to me,turned to find a close friend had flown from Germany to Townsville and arrived for my birthday. I had no idea and burst into tears! We all took a stretch 4 track drive for a sunset beach picnic,magic. 100 days- 1000 adventures
by Chris Little

Through the outback of Australia as novice campers (golden oldies!) we experienced the underground hospital at Mount Isa, girls riding bulls bareback at a rodeo, reef swimming in the Ningaloo reef and watched a bower bird tempt it's mate with pull can rings- what else? in Litchfield NP. Sheer magic Backpacking
by Nick 'Fluke' Duke

I spent an entire year travelling Australia, in 1992. My best experiences were swimming with sharks up on the Great Barrier Reef, attending the World Cup Final at the MCG (90,000 crowd), Aussie Rules football, visiting 'Ramsey Street', and the Sydney Beaches. Also climbing Uluru and trekking through the Queensland jungle. City Living, the Sea and the Red Centre
by Vipul Sheth

All of these were part of my trip to Oz. Enjoying the parties and culture that is Sydney with the Night Clubs and Opera House, to Snorkelling in the Whitsundays to watching sunrise and sunset at Uluru ....Wish I was there again ... five weeks of joy by K Pattinson.
by Keith Pattinson

We drove from Perth past Margaret River to The Valley Of The Giants a Tree Top Walk,600mts long. We rode The Indian Pacific across the Nullarbor Plain. We visited Adelaide. We climbed The Sydney Harbour Bridge.We snorkeled on The Great Barrier Reef. We went outback in North Queensland to Hidden Valley where we saw a Duckbilled Platypus. We went to Melbourne and watched our daughter compete in the Commonwealth Games. We loved every minute of our holiday in OZ. As the lady said WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU! PS Favourite bbq Moreton Bay Bugs. Arriving in Sydney on the Indian Pacific
by Jill Hall

After 3 nights on a seat on the train, dawn came early and all the scenery was in black and white, then to see a Cityrail station sign in the middle of nowhere. Gradually the colours appeared and the City rail signs got more frequent - then the suburbs of Sydney, and then Central Station mid morning! A super way to arrive in Sydney Trip of a lifetime
by Kieren Brigatti

Spent 4 weeks travelling from Sydney up to Cairns via the Gold/Sunshine coast. Fantastic!! Beautiful scenery, friendly people. Cairns is a great city - 30 mins north, south, east of west you will find the outback, rainforest, beaches and city. Sydney - a great city, clean, easy to navigate, great views, lovely restaurants. Recommend going in Sept./Oct to go whale watching. Must visit Australia Zoo and Lone Pine Koala sanctuary, amongst others and take a trip on the Kuranda scenic railway. Awesome country. Great Ocean Rod
by Thelma Scott

Not to be missed! The long drive
by Denys Williams

Take 6 weeks to slowly drive between Melbourne and Perth. Enjoy the scenery, the friendly people and the seafood washed down with a local bottle of wine. Many Happy Memories
by Terry Baker

We landed in Melbourne where we stayed over night. The next day we spent looking around stopping at the south bank for lunch. What a beautiful city. Late afternoon we started our journey to the Yarra Valley region to spend a few days touring around. It was here that we were introduced to the pastime of grape grazing. We also managed to fit in a trip down the Mornington peninsula to places like Rosebud, Rye and Sorrento. Could this holiday get any better? Unbelievably yes it could. Our next stop was Uluru (Ayers Rock Resort). Two days of wonder, from the spectacle of magical sunsets to the Sound of Silence dinner in the desert. I have never seen so many stars,including the Southern Cross for the first time but hopefully not the last. From here it was on to Sydney and the holiday goes up another gear. Absolutely wonderful. We did a Blue Mountains tour and saw our first kangaroos in the wild. There is so much in Sydney and surrounds that I would need another hundred words to do them any sort of justice. After Sydney we flew to Hamilton Island, it just gets better with each new destination. This stop was purely for a little relaxation and it was perfect. From here it was back to Melbourne and a trip down the Great Ocean Road. What a fantastic way to finish a truly terrific holiday. I can't wait to do it again. Drive Brisbane to Sydney
by Helen Peel

We took 4 days for this memorable drive, experiencing wonderful scenery, staying at great motels, service, food and very welcoming locals. Then staying in Sydney for four days before flying back to the UK. Walhalla
by Jacqueline French

While on a driving tour of South East Oz my husband and I stopped at Eden for a couple of days. The owner of the motel told us about a town called Walhalla in the Southern Highlands and what a discovery. We loved it and will go back next time we travel to Oz. It is a lovely drive from Melbourne with a surprise trip back into the goldrush days without the hype of Ballarat. The pub was our first stop but then we discovered the rest of the town! All available on the www to investigate before you visit. Broome, Gibb River Road, Kakadu etc
by Peter Byford

A few years ago we did a magical trip from Broome in WA along the Gibb River Road in a Toyota Landcruiser. It was a trip full of experiences from Historic Broome with it's museum, old town and pearling stories; our flight into the Bungle Bungles, the fascinating birdlife and aboriginal culture of Kakadu and interesting Darwin. An undoubted highlight was staying at Elizabeth Station en route. We drove along a boulder strewn track to the Station's waterhole, a magical place in the sun where my wife and I could swim and sunbathe in glorious isolation. Let The Train Take The Strain
by Matthew Watts

There can be no better way to see this great country other than travelling on one of the best train rides in the world, the Indian Pacific which spans right across this vast continent from Perth to Sydney. In a few words, breathtaking, awesome, stimulating, relaxing, dynamic, historical, pioneering, wild, consuming, friendly, so do it, what the bloody hell are you waiting for... Bush To Beach By Bike
by Dave Brammer

Cycling north through bushland from Canberra to Sydney for charity was hard going in the oppressive heat. But it was certainly memorable; the wonderful aroma of eucalyptus, the call of the kookaburras and endless beaches separating picturesque townships from the rolling surf of the Tasman Sea. So many memories; Bowral, home of the museum to Don Bradman, Australia's - probably the world's - greatest cricketer; Robertson, film location for Babe the Sheepdog Pig, the Blue Mountains far into the distance. And the unforgettable splendour of historic Sydney Harbour. Magic moments that were certainly worth the blood, sweat, and yes, tears. The Sunlander
by Martin Leach

Cairns to Brisbane - obvious, fly, save time, miss out the boring bits, must be the best option for those with limited time to do Oz. But no - two days on the Sunlander, used by real Aussies. Dinner with an opal mining couple who lived 30ft underground, their children learning from the radio school. Lunch with the missionary from Papau New Guinea who tells us all about the passing countryside. Tantalising glimpses of wildlife, rural Queensland, hidden islands and rainforest - flying may be quick, but this way you make contact with the spirit of the country. Long live the train.