The holiday season is just around the corner and if you don’t have plans yet, why not head on down to Australia for some sun, sea, sand and a whole lot more? Usually, the first thing that comes to mind when Australia is mentioned, is Sydney. Heck, some of us even think that Sydney is the capital city of Australia! But I assure you, there is more to Australia than just Sydney alone.

Okay, if you have never been to Australia before, then one of the must-do is to obviously get acquainted with their wildlife! I’ve been to a few zoos and animal sanctuaries in Australia and I must say, the best must definitely be Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Gold Coast, Queensland. This sanctuary, which is basically two separated land lots connected by an underground tunnel (how cool!) is home to all sorts of animals ranging from the popular kangaroos to the sanctuary’s super-sized saltwater crocodile (if you think the crocs in Malaysia are huge, wait until you see this one!). You can choose to visit it during their normal operation hours but I strongly recommend the Wildnight Adventure package, which as indicated by the name, allows you to see the animals and their antics at night. Additionally, the Wildnight package gives you the chance to get closer to the animals: feed the kangaroos, possums and sugar gliders, hold a baby crocodile, have an owl rest on your arm and cuddle the koalas. The package also includes an interesting interactive session where you get to experience the Aboriginal culture and taste wild berries and nuts that are uncommon to us but are a part of the Aborigines’ diet.

Picture courtesy of Lea Spykerman

Let’s move to the north of Queensland to a tourist spot in Cairns that blew my mind away: Paronella Park. This 13-acre park filled with beautiful flora, waterfalls and a historical structure is a little heaven on earth. When I say historical, I do not mean that this structure, also known as ‘The Spanish Castle’, was once home to some king or whatnot. The castle and park has an intriguing history of love, natural disaster, death and hope that will mesmerise you (to fully take in the history, you must know how to use your imagination). In order to learn about the full history of the park, free guided tours are available to all visitors and during these tours, the entire story about this park and its owners will be revealed to you bit by bit as you venture around the park. But if the history is not enough to interest you, the beautiful landscape will. Unlike typical castles that we see on TV, the Spanish Castle is divided into many parts: the main foyer, a ballroom, gardens, and so forth. Using one of the many waterfalls in the park as a central theme, all these structure, which are positioned in different parts of the park, either have a view or lead to the main waterfall. I only had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours in this park and it is NOT enough. This park has so many interesting things to offer and that includes a tunnel of love, a bamboo garden, and a lane with beautiful tall trees lined in straight lines on both sides (very popular as a wedding aisle!).

Picture courtesy of Lea Spykerman

Another must-do in Australia is to visit Ayer’s Rock in the Northern Territory. Honestly, when my friends invited me to Ayer’s Rock, otherwise known as Uluru, I was not really interested. To me, it was just a huge rock sitting in a desert. Plus, it was in the middle of nowhere and no modern-day civilization equals to no fun! When I first touched down at the place, I was dumbfounded by the vastness and emptiness of the land. It was just sand, scrubs and occasional buildings! But as few hours went by, and when I finally came face to face with the Rock, I was amazed at its size and beauty (especially during sunrise and sunset!). I then had the chance to go on a tour around the Rock and as I got close to it, I realised that the shape was not all that plain. There were interesting shapes, holes, curves and bumps here and there that mean nothing at first but with the help of a tour guide, I learnt that every part of the Rock plays a significant role in the construction of the Aborigines’ dreamtime stories. You would definitely walk away with a deeper appreciation for the Aboriginal culture.

Picture courtesy of Lea Spykerman

Located in the same national park as Ayer’s Rock is another interesting rock formation called Kata Tjuta. Unlike the Rock, which is basically a supersized illustration of the dreamtime stories, Kata Tjuta is interesting because of the tiring yet very exciting hike that you can partake in. Given a choice of a not-so-extreme walk and an extreme walk (you must have enough stamina for this!), the extreme walk brings you up and down rocky slopes, with a rather scary descending of a steep rock. But everything is worthwhile when your hike finally brings you to the Valley of The Winds, situated somewhere in between Kata Tjuta. As you stand atop rocks and look afar into the beautiful valley, you will lose yourself in the beauty for at least a few seconds. It looks like something out of a photo book or a movie! It is so breath-taking that you might even think that it’s unreal! Think the beautiful view in Lord of the Rings, only replace the lushness with the rusty-redness of the rocks with a little hint of greenness from the bushes.

Picture courtesy of Lea Spykerman

Let us head back down in Down Under to the Great Ocean Road located in the state of Victoria. With amazing attractions such as the 12 Apostles and the London Bridge under its name, the Great Ocean Road is probably as popular as Sydney’s Opera House. As you drive down the road, you feel petrified because of the narrowness of the road, and because there is no barrier to hold your car in case it makes a wrong move and plunges into the crushing waves below. However, the fear will be overwhelmed by the various beautiful shades of blue of the ocean. If you are lucky, you can even spot whales in the distance! Additionally, I urge you to visit all the stone attractions along the Great Ocean Road such as the 12 Apostles and whatnot because already, out of the 12, only 8 is left. Plus, the London Bridge, which was originally assumed would not crumble until many years later, only has half of it left. Who knows when these beautiful attractions would finally fall to the pressure of the thundering waves below and come crashing down?

So pack your bags and start planning for that Australian holiday! If you have been to the places mentioned, or will be going soon, give me a holler to let me know how it went. Until then, g’day mate!

P.S – People in Australia do not really say g’day mate. It’s an old stereotype!

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