10 Places I Regret Skipping When I Travelled In Australia

Lately, I’ve been dreaming of going back to Australia. The laid-back lifestyle, stunning beaches and coffee culture is calling out to me, and I think it’s time for a return trip. When I went backpacking along Australia’s East Coast five years ago, I was extremely not well-travelled and didn’t have a clue how to plan the three month adventure I was about to embark on. Luckily, my travel buddy was a bit more savvy and I let her plan most of the trip. I didn’t even own a smartphone at the time! Oh, to be young again.

Now, I loved every second of our backpacking trip and luckily my travel pal was excellent at figuring out what was worth seeing in each destination, but now that I’m older I’d really like to go back and see some of the places we missed when we bused around East Coast Australia. I mean, there’s no chance of ever covering all of it – while I was researching, I found out it takes around 50 hours of non stop driving to get along the coast from Melbourne and Cairns and there are 8,022 islands in Australia!

Australia’s vastness is overwhelming, and that just makes me want to go back and see more of it. I’m hoping to go back sometime in the next 18 months, so I’ve been researching more of the best places to see on the East Coast of Australia. I’ve partnered with Expedia.com.au to bring you some of my top picks.

10 places I wouldn’t miss this time around in East Coast Australia

Magnetic Island

I’m terrified of diving but fascinated by shipwrecks, and I’d love to see the shipwreck of the SS Yongala, which is one of the top five dive sights in the world. The island also has a forrest filled with butterflies – sounds magical!

Nimbin

I did actually spend some time in Byron Bay when I was 21 but we didn’t get much further than the bars. I wish we’d ventured over to Nimbin, a hippy town with seriously relaxed vibes. There are some cool waterfalls nearby, too.

Great Ocean Road

I can’t believe I never got to see one of the world’s best coastal drives during my first visit to Australia. I’m working on passing my driving test (I know, I know) so I can hire a car when I next go to Australia and see the 12 Apostles.

Gold Coast

That stretch of beach fringed with skyscrapers just looks like a wonderland. Home to Surfer’s Paradise and Burleigh Heads, the Gold Coast definitely won’t be skipped next time I’m down under.

Hunter Valley

This is Australia’s oldest wine region and is just two hours from Sydney. There are more 120 wineries there, which sounds like my idea of heaven. You can even take a hot air balloon ride over the vineyards.

Wilson’s Promontory

50,000 hectares of hiking trails, stunning vistas and beaches – plus one of Australia’s oldest outdoor cinemas. Yes please!

90 Mile Beach

This is one of the longest stretches of beach in the world, and I’m definitely a beach bum. 90 Mile Beach separates Gippsland Lakes from Bass Strait and there’s a cute seaside village called Lakes Entrance there. Apparently it’s a good place for kangaroo spotting!

Moreton Island

I loved Fraser Island  on my first visit to Australia, but next time I’d like to visit Moreton Island, the third largest sand island in the world. You can see humpback whales from Cape Moreton, the site of a 19th-century lighthouse, from June to October.

Bundaberg

Bundy is most famous for the drinks produced there, but I have a friend from there and she inspired me to add it to my Australia itinerary next time. You can see turtles hatching there.

Fitzroy Island

Fitzroy Island is one of the cheapest islands to visit for the day and combines beach with rainforest. It genuinely looks like an oasis.

And the places on Australia’s East Coast I absolutely loved…

I’ve already written about my favourite stops on my East Coast Australia road trip, check that post out!

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Have you travelled on Australia’s east coast? Where were you favourite destinations? Let me know in the comments!

This is a sponsored post but all Australia wanderlust is my own.

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