Welcome to the incredible country of Australia!
We were lucky enough to live and travel here for over 8 weeks, exploring Melbourne, the Outback, and road-tripping the entire East Coast from Sydney to Cairns.
Having this much time meant we could slow travel properly, dive deeper into each destination and uncover a few hidden gems along the way.
From buzzing cities, ancient Aboriginal culture, insane wildlife, red desert landscapes, lush rainforest, endless golden beaches AND the Great Barrier Reef – Australia really does have it all.
Below, we’ve refined the exact 2 month itinerary we followed, sharing all the key experiences to help you plan an unforgettable trip:
A 2 Month Itinerary for Backpacking East Coast Australia:
Stop 1: Melbourne
(5 to 6 days)
Stop 2: The Outback & Alice Springs
(3 to 4 days)
Stop 3: Sydney
(7 days)
Stop 4: Byron Bay
(3 to 4 days)
Stop 5: Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast
(3 to 4 days)
Stop 6: Brisbane & Moreton Island
(3 to 4 days)
Stop 7: Noosa Heads & Noosaville
(3 days)
Stop 8: Fraser Island & Hervey Bay
(3 to 4 days)
Stop 9: Whitsunday Islands & Airlie Beach
(3 to 4 days)
Stop 10: Magnetic Island
(4 days)
Stop 11: Cairns & Great Barrier Reef
(7 days)
Australia Facts
Despite its incredulous size, 90% of Australia’s population live on the coast. The majority of the inner land is vast, uninhabitable desert.
Australia is home to one of the seven wonders of the world: The Great Barrier Reef. It is the largest eco-system in the world (it is visible from space!) and made up of over 2,500 individual reefs.
Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano!
Australia is home to the world’s only two mammals that lay eggs: the Platypus and the Echidna! We spotted a wild Echidna on Magnetic Island!
The Aboriginal people have lived here for approx 50,000+ years, however now only make up 1.5% of the entire population.
The Box Jellyfish (found in warmer Queensland waters of the Great Barrier reef) kills more people than sharks, snakes and saltwater crocodiles combined!
80% of the animals here are endemic, and only found in Australia!
Australia’s ‘Dingo Fence’, built to keep dingoes from venturing into sheep grazing land in south-east Australia, is the world’s longest fence – stretching over 3000+ miles!
There is more than 10,000 different beaches across the country! If you visited a new beach everyday, it would take you approximately 29 years!
Australia Top Temperatures:
Hottest Temperature
50.7°c, recorded in January 1960, in a remote town in the Outback.
Lowest Temperature
-8°c, recorded in July 1976, in Yongala, a town near Airlie Beach.
Australia Weather and Seasons
Summer
Australia’s Summer months are between December-February. It brings warm, sun-filled days on the most part. The Outback and North Australia will be almost unbearably hot, for the best and most comfortable weather, head South. It also is jellyfish season on the Great Barrier Reef. On average, the hottest month is January.
Autumn
Australia’s Autumn months are between March-May. Temperatures begin to cool, presenting brilliant autumnal hues of orange and golds. Best weather is mid-East Coast (Byron Bay, Gold Coast or Brisbane).
Winter
Australia’s Winter months are between June-August. North Australia experiences lush warm weather, cooling considerably as you head South. Comfortable weather in the Outback. It is also Humpback whale watching season, see them best at Hervey Bay. On average, the coolest month is July.
Spring
Australia’s Spring months are between September-November. The perfect combination of sunny days, cool nights and beautiful new blooms. It is the last few months of the North’s dry season
Australia’s Wet and Dry Seasons
May – October (Dry Season)
The perfect months to visit North of Australia, including Darwin, Broome, Cairns and the Whitsundays (Airlie Beach). Sunnier days, cool nights and virtually jelly-fish free waters.
December – April (Wet Season)
Despite the warm weather, the Summer also brings the ‘wet season’ for the tropical North of Australia, bringing heavy ‘monsoon’ rainstorms to areas such as Darwin, Broome, Cairns and the Whitsundays (Airlie Beach).
Australia Wildlife
The Kangaroo
Australia’s most well-known animal! There are four types species: red, eastern grey, western grey and antilopine kangaroos. Find out where to have a baby red kangaroo cuddle at Alice Springs.
The Koala
Found in Eucalyptus trees, these fluffy marsupials are native to Australia, sleeping almost 20 hours a day! We spotted them in the wild along the Great Ocean Road in outside of Melbourne and many can be found on Magnetic Island.
The Wombat
These podgy, short-legged ‘teddy bear like’ marsupials grace Australia with three species: the common, northern and southern hairy-nosed wombats. We saw a few at Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney.
The Echidna
These intriguing, slow moving creatures are only one of two living egg-laying mammal species. We spotted a few wild ones on Magnetic Island outside our accommodation!
The Cockatoo
These cheeky (and very noisy!) birds roam freely all across Australia, 14 species to be exact! We spotted sulphur-crested cockatoo on the Great Ocean Road just outside of Melbourne, and Airlie Beach. We spotted a yellow-tailed black cockatoo along the Sydney Bondi – Coogee walk.
The Duck-Billed Platypus
The duck-billed Platypus, a seemingly cute and docile mammal endemic to Australia, has a hidden secret – It is venomous! That’s right, it is one of very few mammals that produces venom, strong enough to kill a small dog or inflict a lot of pain to a human!
Australia Wildlife
The Kookaburra
An Infamous Australian icon, known for its unique and noisy call (that sounds like laughter), spot many of these birds on Magnetic Island.
The Humpback Whale
During April – November, the East Coast of Australia is full of migrating Humpback whales. Don’t miss your opportunity to see them up close and personal at Hervey Bay.
The Dugong
These docile, slow-moving creatures graze on sea grass in the shallow coastal waters, especially on Moreton Island, just outside of Brisbane.
The Sea Turtle
Six species of sea turtle around Australia: Flatback, Green, Hawksbill, Leatherback, Loggerhead and Olive Ridley. We spotted many on Moreton Island and also Green Island (off Cairns coast).
The Dingo
Introduced to Australia approx. 5,000 years ago, the Dingo is a wild, medium-sized canine and Australia’s largest land predator. Spot them roaming freely in The Outback and Fraser Island.
Camels
Yes, you read that right, camels in Australia – Over 1 million wild camels roam the Australian Outback! They were originally introduced to aid with the railway construction. They are of such pure heritage and breed, that Saudi Arabia actually import in camels from Australia!
Australia’s Capital City
CANBERRA
The small city of Canberra was officially made Australia’s Capital in 1913. Sat halfway between Melbourne and Sydney, it was the perfect resolution to Sydney and Melbourne’s disagreements who was the true Capital city.
Fun Fact: In Aborigine, Canberra translates to “woman’s cleavage” – aptly named as the city is cradled between two mountains!