Travel in Australia

 As long-term Port Douglas residents turned professional travellers, we know the local accommodation from luxury hotels to private rentals, from resorts, to hostels very well indeed. Readers often ask where to stay, which is the best hotel in Port Douglas, what hostel is most affordable, and what accommodation is best for families? They need recommendations …

Australia offers some amazing bushwalking opportunities and surprisingly, some of the best are within a few hours’ drive of the biggest cities. Sydney and Canberra have plenty of first-class bushwalks and hikes, from day treks to full week and longer hikes. If you can make it to Tasmania, the state is set up for bushwalking. …

Ten million tourists visit Queensland’s Gold Coast every pre-Covid year, handily generating over $2.5 billion for the region. Whether they come for the excellent surfing and amusement parks or the stunning architectural landmarks, the Gold Coast is where holidays would holiday if they could. One of the city’s most popular sections is the suburb known …

Perth is a city on Australia’s West Coast. It’s the capital of Western Australia and stands on the Swan Coastal Plain, the junction of the Swan River and the Indian Ocean. It’s pretty isolated over there but if you get the chance to visit, it’s a beautiful destination. “This World is Beautiful!” That’s a quote …

Australia with kids. What does it have to offer? Is it worth the mammoth flight to take your kids to Australia? If you’re already in Australia, where are the best places to take kids? We talk about some of the epic, unique, and awesome things your kids can experience in Australia. Australian fun things, educational …

Cairns, Australia, is one of the stepping off points for snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, but is there a beach in Cairns?  No, actually, there’s not. There is a pretty esplanade walkway and a narrow strip of sand but mostly Cairns has a busy estuary and salt water crocodiles, big ones. We also have stinger …

Looking for a foodie treat in Cairns or this area of Far North Queensland? I’ve posted about London’s Borough Market before, well this is our local version when we’re at home in Port Douglas. Rusty’s Market Cairns is not to be missed! Rusty’s Market Rusty’s Market is fabulous, every type of fruit and veg you …

I’m no expert on gardening in the tropics, I’ve lived here for 5 years, in tropical Queensland,  I’m a British expat in Australia, I’ve made plenty of gardening mistakes, but I’m starting to see some good results in the tropical food garden. Check out our tomato crop. Until a few years ago I lived in …

The scary scuba diving story is the scariest of my travel horror stories.  If you’re  learning to scuba dive, read this first and avoid my mistake! Is scuba diving scary? Well, yes, it can be, depending on the person, but this experience would scare the whatsit out of most people. Despite this newbie diver story, …

Is snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef on the top of your bucket list?  It’s an experience like no other, a marine adventure that people travel the whole world to experience, an unforgettable day during your time in Australia.  In this post we talk about snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, what it’s like, what …

I’d love to get a long-term volunteer position while we are traveling, but, it’s hard to get into. it’s often a voluntourism scam and it is expensive for the volunteer. For me, I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. Somebody else, with fewer family commitments and more cash will have the privilege of taking …

We just had a couple of days camping in Cooktown. It’s about 3 hours north of Port Douglas in Far North Queensland, Australia. That’s along the beautiful coast road, only suitable for four-wheel drives for most of the way. There is a sealed road further inland, but it takes slightly longer and, arguably, isn’t nearly as …