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25-day tour of Australia: East Coast, Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef

25/04/2017 by Celi

Nemo upolo reef

Would you like to know what was the route through Australia that we did in the summer of 2015?

Discover with me Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef in 25 days.

And if you want to have everything ready, take a look at the basic guide with the essential documents you will need to visit the Australian continent.

The Australia PDF Guide

Do you want a PDF with all the articles about Australia published in this blog?

Save it on your tablet or phone and consult it when and where when, where and how you want, while you organize and travel your own route along Australia's east coast.

Interested? Then click here and buy it for only 1.95€.

Is this route through Australia for you?

To avoid wasting your time, I want to make it clear that this route through eastern Australia is ideal for you if:

  • You are passionate about snorkeling and/or scuba diving. This is essential. A large part of the route is dedicated to explore the wonderful Australian Great Barrier Reef. If you do not enjoy these activities, look for another route. You may want to take a look at the guide to discover the essentials of Sydney in two days.
  • You want to see koalas and kangaroos in the wild. I am against locking up animals and taking them out of their natural habitat for such a selfish reason as we want to watch them whenever we feel like it. What is the point of watching a real animal in front of you if it is depressed, bored, crestfallen and, even worse, behaving completely different from how it does in the wild? If you can't travel and enjoy them in the wild, wouldn't it be better to watch them in nature documentaries? Do you know BBC's Planet Earth? Check them out, they're worth it.
  • You have a minimum acceptable budget to make a tour in Australia. The country and especially the water activities I propose are very expensive. It is true that you can always lower the price of the trip if you opt for super cheap accommodations, such as camping or hostels with shared rooms. Although I always look for the cheapest option to travel, we are already 'old' to share so much of our personal space and intimacy.
  • You have two to three weeks to complete it. If you don't have that much time, it may be worth sacrificing some of the destinations in order to enjoy the rest at your leisure.

What do you say, are you interested? Well, here we go!

Our route along the Australian east coast

Cairns

The choice of Cairns as the city of entry to the country was imposed by work reasons. But,

What a great success!

We discovered the Great Barrier Reef, an unforgettable experience. In addition, we got to see our first marsupials: wallabies, tree kangaroos, possums...

Here is a brief summary: although, if you want to know the details of everything we did and, above all, with whom we did it, take a look at the entry dedicated to Cairns.

Cairns lagoon

Practical information

  • One way flight. It consisted of 2 stopovers and lasted about 30 hours in total.
    • Genoa-Paris, 1.5 hours flight, Airfrance.
    • Paris-Tokyo, 12 hours flight, Airfrance.
    • Tokyo-Cairns, 7 hours flight, Jetstar.
  • Why Cairns? It is an ideal base camp for water excursions to the Great Barrier Reef and is in close proximity to the world's oldest rainforest, the Daintree Rainforest. Daintree Rainforest.
  • Length of stay. We stayed 7 nights for work reasons. However, depending on how many excursions you want to do, 3 to 5 nights in this area will be enough.
  • Cost.
    • Excursions: 275€ (Wait-a-While) + 197€ (ReefDay) + 137€ (CDC) (304,5€/person).
    • Transportation: 20€ (cab, 10€/person).
    • Lodging: 372€ (26,6€/person/day).

Itinerary

We arrived late, so the first thing to do was to go to sleep (or try to).

  • Day 1: The first day: The first contact. We bought an Optus SIM card with 1.5 GB of data for $30 for a month, stocked up on groceries at the supermarket, walked around town, met the bats, took a swim in the lagoon and watched Inside Out at the movie theater in the mall.
  • 2nd day: Excursion to the Great Barrier Reef with Reef Day Tripper.
  • 3rd, 4th and 5th day: Lots of work, little fun.
  • 6th day: Bath in the lagoon in the morning, Wait a While excursion in the afternoon/evening.
  • 7th day: Excursion to the Great Barrier Reef with CDC.
  • 8th day: Departure by bus to the next stage of the route: Magnetic Island.
Moore reef cairns

Pros and cons

What I liked most about Cairns

  1. Diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Without a doubt, the most spectacular reefs of my life.
  2. The variety of Asian food at a good price, I loved it!

What I liked least about Cairns

It is a city with a very basic architecture, eminently focused on tourism.

Want all the details? Then don't miss the article dedicated to Cairns:

A window to the Great Barrier Reef.

Magnetic Island

The second stop on our route through Australia was Magnetic Island. Although it is immersed in the Great Barrier Reef, its proximity to the east coast of the continent prevents the richness of its reef from being as exuberant as the one we had seen on our excursions from Cairns. However, the magnetism we felt for this island resided in another type of fauna... do you want to know what I mean? Then take a look at the entry on Magnetic Island.

Horseshoe bay Lagun_Magnetic Island

Practical information

  • Transportation. We took a Greyhound bus from Cairns to Townsville early in the morning (6 hour drive). Once in Townsville, we took the Sealink ferry to the island (25 minute ride).
  • Why Magnetic Island. It is one of only three places in Australia where it is easy to see koalas in the wildon your own, without the need for guides, powerful binoculars or keeping these poor animals locked in cages.
  • Length of stay. We spent two nights there. If you just want to meet koalas, it is enough. But the island lends itself to spend more time, especially if you want to do other trekking routes or enjoy its beaches.
  • Cost.
    • Accommodation: 133€ (33€/person/day).
    • Transportation: 77€(bus) + 44€(ferry) + 10€(city) (65,5€/person).
    • Meals: 72€ (18€/person/day).

Itinerary

  • Day 8: Arrival by ferry to Magnetic Island from Townsville. We are picked up by the owner of the Airbnb, located in Picnic Bay. We go up to watch the sunset from Hawkings Point and take a walk along the beach.
  • 9th day: We take the bus to the beginning of the trail calledThe Fortswhere we saw up to 8 different koalas, three of them babies. The route culminated with spectacular views of the island. On the way back, we had a swim in Arthur Bay and a sunset walk in Horseshoe Bay, before returning to the lodge.
  • Day 10: Departure by ferry to Townsville to take a new bus to the third stage of the route through Australia: Whitsunday Island.
Mum and baby koala_Magnetic Island

Pros and cons

What I liked most about Magnetic Island:

The possibility of seeing koalas in the wild, along a simple walk.

What I liked least about Magnetic Island:

Compared to what I had seen in Cairns, the reef next to the island.

Do you want to repeat our steps? Take a look at the article dedicated to Magnetic Island:

Magnetic Island: the best way to see koalas in the wild.

Whitsunday Island

The third stop on our route through Australia was Airlie Beach, the closest coastal town to the Whitsunday Islands and the wonderful Whitehaven Beach. This immense white sand beach is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Do you want to know it? Find here everything you need to know about the Whitsunday Islands.

Hill Inlet close up

Practical information

  • Transportation. We took a Greyhound bus from Townsville to Airlie Beach (almost 4 hours travel time). Once at the destination, we took a cab to our Airbnb.
  • Why Whitsunday Island and Airlie Beach. The star beach of these islands, Whitehaven Beach, is on the list of the most spectacular and visited beaches in the world. How could we miss it passing so close? Airlie Beach is simply the closest economic base camp to the archipelago.
  • Length of stay. Two nights are enough to discover the Whitsundays from Airlie Beach, unless you prefer to camp on Whitehaven Beach itself.
  • Cost.
    • Lodging: 87€ (22€/person/day).
    • Excursion: 214€ (107€/person).
    • Transportation: 67€(bus) + 8€ (cab) (37,5€ /person). 
    • Meals: €67.2 (€16.8/person/day).

Itinerary

  • Day 10: Arrival to Airlie Beach by bus and transfer to the Airbnb by cab. Walk around Airlie Beach.
  • 11th day: Northern lights excursion with Ocean Rafting to the Whitsundays and Whitehaven Beach.
  • Day 12: Departure to Proserpine airport to begin the fourth stage of our route through Australia: Lady Elliot Island.
Whitehaven beach panoramic

Pros and cons

What I liked most about Whitsunday Islands:

The views of Whitehaven Beach from Hill Inlet and sinking my feet into the white sand - what a treat!

What I liked least about Whitsunday Islands:

The Airbnb accommodation we chose in Airlie Beach.

If you feel like visiting this unique archipelago in the world, learn everything you need to know about how to get there and enjoy it in the following entry:

Whitsunday Island and Whitehaven Beach, welcome to paradise.

Lady Elliot Island

The fourth stage of our route through Australia was Lady Elliot Island, a small island at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef surrounded by reefs and protected marine life. A paradise for scuba diving and snorkeling lovers. Do you want to know why this is, today, my favorite place in the world? Well, take a look at the article dedicated to Lady Elliot Island and you will understand.

Lady Elliot Island from the air

Practical information

  • Transportation. We traveled from Proserpine to Bundaberg by plane, transferring in Brisbane, with a combined Jetstar and Quantas flight. We spent the night in Bundaberg-Bargara, to take the light aircraft to Lady Elliot Island the next morning.
  • Why Lady Elliot Island. An eco resort isolated from the world, a small island paradise in the middle of the Australian barrier reef , everything you could wish for from the reef just a step away from the shore, dives in the underwater world when you want and as much as you want, without having to suffer hours of navigation in crowded boats... what more can you ask for?
  • Length of stay. We spent seven nights at Lady Elliot Island, taking advantage of their pay 5/sleep 7 offer, and I have to say it was the best decision of the whole trip. If I had to recommend a minimum number of nights, I would say three; although I would take seven again.
  • Cost.
    • Transportation: 14€ (cab) + 303€ (flights) (158,5€ /person).
    • Accommodation: 42€ (Bargara) (21€/person).
    • Package 7×5 Lady Elliot Island: 1542€ (110€/person/day).
    • Extra meal: 138€ (9€/person/day).
    • Extra water activities: 250€ (125€/person).
Clownfish - Lady Elliot IslandJPG

Itinerary

  • Day 12: Arrival in Bundaberg by plane. We are picked up by the owners of the Airbnb "Resort Living 5* at Kellys Beach. This accommodation is 100% recommendable, the attention received by Alan was magnificent and the place is charming. We took a walk along the beach and had dinner at Bargara.
  • Day 13: Flight to Lady Elliot Island and welcome to paradise . A small plane picked us up at Bundaberg airport. Aerial views of the island, welcome and first contact with a Reef Walkguidedand an unforgettable sunset. After dinner, we lay under the stars to contemplate the Milky Way as we had never seen it before.
  • 14th day: Morning lagoon inspection and afternoon snorkeling session with turtles, sharks, rays, manta rays, manta rays, millions of fish, coral of all kinds and whales jumping in the distance. Sunset, dinner and presentation on octopus.
  • 15th day: Free snorkeling excursion in the morning with whales, dolphins, manta rays and turtles. Some more lagoon and snorkeling in the afternoon. Sunset, dinner and to lie under the stars.
  • 16th day: Bird Watching, black tip sharks in the shark pool, more snorkeling, turtle talk, diving in the lagoon and Night Walk after dinner... I was scared! But it was fun.
  • 17th day: Refreshing diving session in the hotel pool in the morningand spectacular dive at noon, followed by another free snorkeling session because you can never have enough! After dinner, a little via lactea and off to sleep, we had earned it.
  • 18th day: Behind the scenes tour, snorkeling and more snorkeling. We discovered the sunken boat and saw the eagle rays for the first time. We enjoyed the sunset from underwater and lay under the stars after dinner.
  • 19th day: Morning free dive and snorkeling safari excursion snorkel safari in the afternoon. It was a fantastic afternoon, with schools of angelfish, turtles, reef sharks and eagle rays. We finished with the sunset.
  • Day 20: We woke up very early for our last dive session before breakfast and... we succeeded! Sharks, mantas, rays, eagles, love turtles and even a procession of squid. We packed up satisfied and took the morning plane to Bundaberg.
Sunset Mosaic - Lady Elliot Island

Pros and cons

What I liked most about Lady Elliot Island:

Having the Great Barrier Reef just a stone's throw from the beach and being able to dive into it whenever I wanted.

What I liked least about Lady Elliot Island:

... Have to go from there.

If there is any place I want to go back to, it is, without a doubt, Lady Elliot Island. Find out about all its wonders in this article:

The Great Barrier Reef at Lady Elliot Island: you won't want to get out of the water. 

Newcastle

The fifth leg of our Australian tour had a personal character. It had been two years since we had met an Australian couple on our trip through Indonesia. They live in Newcastle, a few hours from Sydney, where we wanted to end our adventure. So it all clicked.

Parrots cairns

Practical information

  • Transportation. We traveled from Bundaberg to Newcastle by air, transferring in Brisbane, on a combined Jetstar and Quantas flight.
  • Why Newcastle. Personally, we wanted to visit friends and meet their little girl who had just been born a month earlier. However, the area is beautiful, full of vineyards and long beaches for surfing.
  • Length of stay. Originally, we planned to spend 3 nights, but the flights played a trick on us. I'll tell you more about it later.
  • Cost.
    • Transportation: 336€ (flights) (168€ /person).
    • Accommodation: 0€ (we were welcomed).
    • Meals: 52€ (13€/person/day).

Itinerary

  • 20th day: Problems at Bundaberg airport. Our first flight to Brisbane was cancelled due to an engine problem, and the next flight did not arrive in time to catch the connection to Newcastle. The company (Quantas), accommodated us in a hotel for the night in Brisbane with $50 for meals (dinner/breakfast), and provided us with a ticket on the first flight to Newcastle for the next morning.
  • Day 21: Our lovely friends picked us up at the airport and took us directly to Shoal Bay to spend the day on the beach and SUP (stand-up paddle). This is a beautiful bay where, they told us later, sharks come to breed their offspring. And they didn't tell me until I got out of the water... how funny!
  • 22nd day: Walk through Newcastle and its beach dotted with surfers.
  • Day 23: On our way to Sydney, we took a short detour to the vicinity of a psychiatric home. Don't think wrong! No one needed treatment. What happens is that, in the surrounding gardens, grey kangaroos roam free, accustomed to people's visits and caresses. After delighting ourselves with them, we continued on our way to Sydney, where we spent the afternoon.
Mom and baby kangaroo

Pros and cons

What I liked most about Newcastle:

To meet up with some good friends and, above all, to meet their little Little Chicken.

What I liked least about Newcastle:

Arriving a day late due to air delays.

Sydney

The sixth and last stop on our route through Australia was Sydney, a city I had been wanting to visit for years. And, although our visit was a quick one, I must say that it exceeded my expectations. If you want to discover the essentials of Sydney in two days, don't miss the article I recently wrote about it.

Views of the opera house and financial district from the boat to Manly.

Practical information

  • Transportation. We travel by car from Newcastle.
  • Why Sydney. It's an iconic city, with spectacular architecture and exotic birds everywhere. Given the opportunity, who would miss it?
  • Length of stay. We spent two nights there. This is the minimum time necessary to see the essential points of the city. But Sydney lends itself to longer visits, so if you have time, make the most of it.
  • Cost.
    • Transportation: 19€ (ferry) + 37,5€ (airport cab) (28€/person).
    • Accommodation: 180€ (45€/person/day).
    • Meals: 136€ (34€/person/day).
    • Opera House Tour: 43€ (21,5€/person).
  • Return flight. It consisted of 2 stopovers and lasted about 31 hours in total:
    • Sydney-Kuala Lumpur, 9-hour flight, Malaysia Airlines.
    • Kuala Lumpur - Paris, 13 hours flight, Airfrance.
    • Paris-Genoa, 1.5 hours flight, Airfrance.

Itinerary

  • 23rd day: We arrived in Sydney. We had a pita sitting on the lawn of Bradfield Park, on the opposite bank of the opera house. Afterwards, we crossed the Sydney Bridge and strolled for a while along Circular Quay until we said goodbye to our friends.
  • 24th day: We took the tour inside the Opera House. Opera House and toured the botanical gardens to Mrs Macquaries Point. After the snack, we took the ferry to Manly to enjoy the views from the river. On the way back, we visited the observatory and went up to the Sydney Bridge. From there we watched the roofs of the opera house turn to pastel colors at sunset. And to end our great adventure on a high note, a delicious fish dinner at Fish on the Rocks(link).
  • Day 25: Early in the morning, we went to the harbor to say goodbye to the city. Afterwards, we hailed a cab to take us to the Sydney airport and started our way back home... ohhhh!
Views of the Sydney Bridge at dusk from the Opera House

Pros and cons

What I liked most about Sydney:

  1. The contrast between the skyscrapers of the financial district, the impossible architecture of the Opera House and the natural oases provided by its parks.
  2. Sunsets over the Sydney Opera House.

What I liked least about Sydney:

That they allow monster cruise ships to dock at Circular Quay, spoiling the views of the city's most iconic area.

Do you have only two days to discover the essentials of Sydney? If so, this post will be very useful for you:

2 days and 2 sunsets in Sydney

Complete quotation

  • International flights: 2300€.
  • Transportation and domestic flights: €935
  • Accommodation (including full stay at Lady Elliot): 2356€.
  • Meals (not included in accommodations): 760€.
  • Water activities and other extras: 1116€.

In total, the trip for two cost: 7467€ (3734€ per person).

To this must be added the derisory amount of 100€ per person that the travel insurance with Iati travel insurance with Iati.

  • Budget adjusted to your personal needs.
  • Telephone assistance and guidance from anywhere in the world.
  • It does not require you to pay in advance and, if you need to do so, you will be reimbursed in a jiffy.
  • Hypercompetitive prices... Less than 100€ for a month of tranquility in Australia? If I don't see it, I don't believe it...
  • If you need more reasons to take out your insurance with Iati and travel without worries, here you have it:

A 5% discount on your travel insurance when you sign up through this link.

Our next visit

2 rainbow bee-eater birds_Magnetic Island

There is so much to see! Let's see, my wish list boils down to:

  1. Back to Lady Elliot Island: Yes, top of the list. Without hesitation.
  2. Swim with whale sharks at Nigaloo Reef.
  3. See the stromatolites of the Monkey Mia peninsula.
  4. Whale watching in Hervey Bay.
  5. Drive along the famous Great Ocean Road and visit the twelve apostles.
  6. Contemplate Mount Uluru with my own eyes.
  7. Tour the Blue Montains, in the outskirts of Sydney.
  8. Get from Cairns to Cape Tribulation, and dive the magnificent Agincourt Reef.
  9. Visit Darwin and Kakadu National Park.
  10. Know Frasier Island.

How many months do you think I should spend in Australia to see all this? Do you think I'm leaving anything important out? Surely yes, this continent is huge and full of natural wonders. Well, don't wait any longer, tell me in the comments so I can update the bucket list.

Useful Links

  • Flight offers: Trabber, eDreams and Momondo.
  • Greyhound Bus Company.
  • Sealink Ferry to Magnetic Island.
  • Lady Elliot Island official website .
  • Booking offers.
  • Get 5% off your IATI travel insurance.

Map

Posted in: Travel Tagged as: 2015, Australia, Great Barrier Reef, Great Journeys, Great Travels

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Interactions with readers

Comments

  1. Maria says

    29/09/2019 at 21:59

    Hi, what time of the year did you travel? We want to go in January but we have read that it is not a good time to visit the east coast because of the jellyfish and the rains... Thank you very much!

    • Celi says

      30/09/2019 at 19:45

      Hi Mary. We were there in late August-early September, late winter in Australia, so we didn't have that problem (although the water was colder).

      You may find better areas of Australia to visit at that time if you don't want rain, the south coast for example.

      Because of the jellyfish, I believe there are areas where they run excursions to the barrier reef that are safe or the jellyfish don't come as often, but you'd better talk to the businesses that run those excursions to get more information. They would never put you in danger.

      Best regards and happy travels 🙂

  2. Lorena says

    24/02/2019 at 2:03

    Hello, I love your blog, is super complete information, I want the PDF, I am planning to travel in January 2020, and I need help to finish my tour.
    PDF, I am planning to travel in January 2020, and I need help to finish putting together my route.

    • Celi says

      25/02/2019 at 10:01 am

      Hello, Lorena. Thank you very much for your words.
      You can get the PDF guide here: https://www.losmundosdeceli.com/guia-de-australia/

      A hug and happy travels 🙂

  3. Maria says

    13/08/2018 at 20:37

    Morning,
    loved your blog, I am planning to travel with my partner to between February and March 2019 as it is late Austrialian summer and not high season. One of the main attractions for us is the barrier reef for both snorkeling (free or excursions) and scuba diving. I have read that it would be jellyfish season and I am wondering if it would be better to change the date or if it is worth buying a wetsuit instead of renting a suit every day although I am not sure what the suits should be like. About changing the date or not because of the jellyfish, I have read that in winter because of the water temperature we should still use neoprene. Can you give me some advice? I understand that it is a complicated question, greetings and thanks for the page 🙂 !

    • Celi says

      14/08/2018 at 9:48

      Hello, Maria
      Thank you very much for your comment. You are right, your question is a difficult one.
      When the water temperature rises, so does the jellyfish population. So you have to deal with one of the 2 things yes or yes. but it's not a problem!

      In jellyfish season I would not buy a wetsuit to take it with me, because this implies carrying a great weight in the suitcase and having to put it wet in it (even more weight) on several occasions. Anyway, in summer (there) for jellyfish instead of a wetsuit they use an anti jellyfish suit (stingersuit) much thinner (not so hot) but covering more areas of the body combined with a hood for the head, gloves, socks ... I found this website that sells them in Spain, although I have no experience with them, the suits seem appropriate. However, this stingersuit will not be suitable for scuba diving.

      If you prefer to buy a wetsuit and carry the weight, remember to add gloves, socks, hood... the whole body protected.

      In winter it is true that you will be much more comfortable swimming with neoprene because of the water temperature.

      We always rented them, and it is true that we probably spent more than it would cost to buy a suit. But, personally, the possibility of leaving it on the boats or in the offices after the excursion and avoiding the hassle of carrying it with us was worth it.

      Anyway, keep an eye on the Lady Elliot Island entry. They told me that there were no jellyfish even in jellyfish season. However, I don't know if they take precautions in summer with stingersuits or not. If you don't speak English very well, I could ask them. Let me know, ok?

      I've only given you a little more information, but I can't make the decision for you. It's hard, I know, I chose the end of winter and rented neoprene.

      My recommendation? Go in summer (because you had already planned it that way), buy a stingersuit to go quietly if you prefer (although there are excursions that offer it for free, you could check this in advance), and when you go diving rent the wetsuit (it is usually included in the diving excursion packages, along with the tanks, vest, mask, etc...).

      A hug.

  4. jose romero says

    15/03/2018 at 17:03

    Hi Celi,
    You went in European summer, right? the weather there (winter) is fine for the barrier area?

    • Celi says

      15/03/2018 at 18:43

      Hi Jose,
      We did go in European summer, specifically between late August and mid-September.
      That time, even if it is winter in Australia, is quite good to visit the barrier. It is true that the sea water is not at its highest temperature, but renting a wetsuit is enough to snorkel for hours. In addition, thanks to these temperatures, you get rid of the jellyfish season!
      And I assure you that you won't lack of sun (maybe too much sun, remember to use sunscreen).
      If you have any questions, I will be happy to help you. Best regards.

  5. Sea says

    10/03/2018 at 11:16

    I'm preparing my trip to Australia and I landed on your blog. I think it's going to be very useful but in addition to everything you tell here... I want the PDF! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experience!

    • Celi says

      10/03/2018 at 11:34

      Great! Thanks to you for your comment, Mar. I love to know that my experience helps you.
      If you want, you can sign up for the newsletter to receive the PDF directly in your email as soon as it is ready 🙂
      Best regards, and happy travels to Australia.

  6. Carolina says

    02/03/2018 at 3:43

    Hello Celi
    My name is Carolina and I am traveling to Australia in April. I was reading your posts about Cairns and Whistsunday Island and found them very useful. My intention is to snorkel the barrier reef but also enjoy the beaches. I was thinking about 3 days in Cairns but I don't know if I should add 1 and a half days in Whitsunday Island. Which option do you recommend? Are there any beaches near Cairns to enjoy? Whitsunday Island looks amazing and I don't want to miss it but I don't know if I can make it in time or if I will be too crowded. From there I continue to Sydney.
    Thank you very much!

    • Celi says

      03/03/2018 at 11:30

      Hi Carolina! Thank you for your comment. I'm sorry I haven't answered you until now but it has been impossible for me to connect before.

      You have many options, and all of them are good, so don't worry:
      - In Cairns itself there is no beach, although on a nearby, more familiar island there is: Green Island. There are ferries from Cairns, you can get there without any problem. The only thing is that the snorkeling around the island (from the beach itself!) is not as spectacular as that of the outer barrier reef, which you will see by taking day trips from Cairns. So don't skip this excursion, even if you also visit Green Island.
      - 2 nights and a day in Airlie Beach are enough to do the Ocean Front southern lights excursion, where you will enjoy plenty of beach time at Whitehaven Beach and do some snorkeling as well (the outer barrier reef still wins in beauty).
      - From Airlie Beach/Whitsunday you can also make excursions to the outer barrier reef. The only problem is that it takes longer to get there (it is further from the coast) and the excursion tends to be more expensive than in Cairns.

      So, as you can see, you have all the options! If you have time to spend two nights in Whitsunday, I would do excursions in Cairns (a couple of different ones, to see two areas, would be fine) and then go down to Whitsunday to see Whitehaven Beach. But this depends on your plans. In any case, believe me, you will love it, whatever you see. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

      If you need more help, write again, don't hesitate. Best regards and have a nice trip 🙂 🙂

      • Carolina says

        04/03/2018 at 18:55

        Thank you so much for all the information Celi! I will go to both places as I don't want to miss anything. If I have any doubts I'll get back to you.
        Hugs!

        • Celi says

          04/03/2018 at 19:47

          Perfect, Carolina! I'm sure you're going to love both places. A hug and happy travels 🙂 🙂

  7. Adrian says

    24/01/2018 at 18:55

    We are thinking of going to Australia and we love your trip, I want the PDF!

    • Celi says

      24/01/2018 at 19:00

      Listen to the kitchen, Adrián! I hope to have it ready in a few weeks. newsletter subscribers will be the first to know when I have it available. So, if you want, you can sign up and I'll send you the link shortly. Or, if you prefer, stay tuned to the blog.
      Oh, and thanks a thousand thanks for the comment 🙂 🙂

  8. Sara says

    16/01/2018 at 21:29

    We have been on honeymoon in new zealand and australia. We split the month between the two places and I was left wanting more.
    In Australia we visited Cairns (coral reef), Sydney with a visit to the Blue Montains and Melbourne with a trip along the Ocean Road to the 12 Apostles. Impressive this country!
    Even so.... want the pdf!!!! I would love to enjoy the whole east coast in peace and quiet!!!!

    • Celi says

      17/01/2018 at 18:51

      ¡Hola Sara! ¡Qué maravilla de luna de miel! <3
      En cuanto lo tenga listo, te aviso por email para que puedas descargártelo para tu próximo viaje.
      Un abrazo y gracias por tu comentario. 🙂

  9. manuel moliner says

    10/12/2017 at 19:21

    fantastic fANTASTIC
    I WANT THE PDF

    • Celi says

      10/12/2017 at 22:13

      Listen up, kitchen! Thank you Manuel.

  10. Sergi6 says

    27/04/2017 at 0:50

    Wau!!!! What a great report! Congratulations!

    • Celi says

      27/04/2017 at 7:13

      Hi Sergi, thank you very much for your comment! I'm very glad you liked it. Best regards.

  11. Mari says

    26/04/2017 at 19:53

    I love the pictures, what a great trip you had!

    • Celi says

      26/04/2017 at 20:17

      Thank you, Mari! I won't deny it, it was spectacular. And if you add to that the wonderful photographer I had with me... 🙂 I can't wait to do it again. Thanks for the comment!

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