2 weeks in australia from sydney to cairns

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 MY FAVORITE gold coast SPOTS

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Bondi Iceburgs Club

Pay $7 to swim or jump in any of the free pools on the walk to Cogee.

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Queensland Art Gallery

The QAGOMA was a great way to learn about the history of the Aboriginal Australians.

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Whitehaven Beach

The highlight of my time in Australia! The water is crystal clear and you can spot stingrays from the top.

syndey

Sydney was our first stop in Australia – we spent 4 days exploring the massive city and stayed in a cute airbnb in Darling Harbour.

Can’t miss:

  • Bondi to Cogee Beach Walk

  • Featherdale Park & Blue Mountains hiking – 3 Sisters and Wentworth Falls trails

  • Royal Botanical Garden

  • Fish Markets

  • Fortune of War

  • Mrs. Macquarie’s Point for sunrise

Food:

  • Ground of Alexandria for brunch

  • Speedos Cafe in Bondi

  • Australian Heritage Hotel (emu/kangaroo pizza)

Stay: We stayed in a lovely airbnb in Darling Harbour.

brisbane

Brisbane was my favorite city in Australia! It was beautiful and the people were friendly and I would have easily stayed there forever.

Can’t miss:

  • Quagoma

  • Eye of Brisbane

  • Streets Beach

  • Botanical Garden

Eat:

  • Nodo Donuts

  • Buffalo Bar

Stay: We stayed at the Royal on the Park – next to the Botanic Gardens and water taxi.

noosa + Fraiser island

Next on our trip, we made our way to the surf town of Noosa where we went koala spotting in Noosa State Park and took a day trip out to Lake McKenzie on Fraiser Island. Both spots had crystal clear water and tons of wildlife.

Can’t miss:

  • Noosa State Park

  • Fraiser Island day

Eat:

Stay: We stayed at Verano Resort Noosa.

Mission beach + cairns

On our way up to Cairns we made a quick detour to spend a night at Mission Beach – a quiet beach town halfway between Noosa and Cairns. We got to see a few fund attractions like the Curtain Fig tree and Mila Mila Falls and then finally made it to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.

Can’t Miss:

  • Curtain Fig Tree Park

  • Mila Mila Falls

  • Great Barrier Reef

Eat:

Stay: We stayed at Castaways Resort in Mission Beach and Riley Crystalbrook in Cairns.

airlie beach

Airlie Beach was one my favorite part of the trip as it’s the gateway to the incredible Whitehaven Beach. We spent a sunny day and a half here exploring the small town and snorkeling out on the islands – where we spotted some turtles, dolphins and beautiful fish.

Can’t Miss:

  • Millenial Path

  • Whitehaven beach – we took Redcat Cruises for a full day of snorkeling, adventures and food. Highly recommend!

Eat:

Stay: We stayed at the Mantra Club Croc – very nice with a great restaurant and pool.