I’ve wanted to get to Australia since I can remember. I think the first interest was sparked by watching the movie Our Lips are Sealed that the Olsen twins filmed back in 2000. Those girls led the ultimate dream life and made everything look perfect in their movies. So that would mean traveling Australia by yourself up the East coast would be the same, right? Wrong. It was even BETTER.

Australia was the last big hunk of my journey around the world, and after 3 months in Asia and South East Asia, I was ready for some 1st world luxuries. What I forgot would come with that would be a huge spike in my spending money. Friends, Australia is expensive. Yes the USD is stronger than the AUD, but that doesn’t really help in cutting you a break. I promise though, every penny you spend in this awe inspiring country will be worth it. I guarantee you would happily go back and spend it all over again if you could.

I took a pretty backwards route around Australia since I didn’t really have any plans or clue to what I was doing before I booked my around the world ticket. I booked a flight going into Melbourne, and out of Sydney. In the end it worked out and I had a great time. I met people I know I will be friends with for years to come.

I began in Melbourne, spent 5 days with an old friend who showed me the best kind of hospitality (Hello Princes of the Night!). Afterwards I flew to Sydney, and was connected with this lovely couple that hosted me on their spare mattress, saving me a huge hunk of cash. From there I flew up north to Cairns to start my bus journey down the east coast and get full on back into the backpacking mode.

After two weeks of staying in homes, I was back in that hostel life. Staying with friends and staying in hostel really creates a totally different travel experience. Both are equally amazing, but I found myself meeting more people by staying in hostels. After Cairns, I made my way down the coast stopping at Magnetic Island, Rainbow Beach, Fraser Island, Byron Bay, and back to Sydney.

Most people generally begin in Melbourne or Sydney and make their way up the East Coast by taking either the Grey Hound bus service or the Premiere bus service. These companies make it super easy to hop on and hop off at different destinations along the east coast. The amount of time I would suggest to do the east coast in its’ entirety would be 4 weeks or more. This will give you the opportunity to get to all of the good spots.

I absolutely loved this country and cannot wait to go back. If it wasn’t so far away from home, I would move there in a heart beat!

Typical Costs in Australia

Food:

• Restaurants: $15-$40 AUD per person (Save money by cooking as often as you can!)
• Beer: $15 AUD for a six pack (Save money by drinking Goon – 4 liters of boxed wine goodness for the same price!)

Accommodation:

• Hostels: $15-$40 AUD per night
• Budget Hotels: $75-$100 AUD per night
• Camping: $15-$30 AUD per night

Transportation:

• Ubers: Generally the easiest way to get around in larger cities like Sydney. Prices are standard and depend on distance.
• Busses: The more affordable way to get around Sydney (and very easy to work the system!)
• Trains/Trams: In Melbourne, the tram that goes around the center is FREE!

Getting Around Australia

Busses: A great way to travel up/down the East Coast of Australia. A hop on/hop off experience gives you the flexibility to travel for a long period of time with no set dates. You will, however, need to book yourself on the bus time you prefer a day or two in advance to make sure they have space. It’s a great way to save on travel costs – on Premiere a ticket from Cairns to Sydney (or vise versus) cost $390AUD. This includes as many destinations in between (basically the whole east coast!) Check out either of the below for the bus company that suits you best!

Grey Hound: Almost double the price of Premiere buses, but what that price comes with is more times on the schedule, charging stations on the bus, and free wifi.

Premiere: In my opinion, the Premiere bus service was great! They always played movies and it was much cheaper than Grey Hound. It didn’t have wifi or charging stations, but that gives you time to write about your last destination or read a book!

Shared Rides: Australia is huge and could tend to cost you an arm and a leg to get around. Shared rides is a great way to go to save money, especially if you’re traveling with friends. You can buy or rent a used car or camper-van and split the costs. Or, catching a ride with other travelers through sits like Gumtree could be a great alternative! Also make sure to check with your hostel – they may have a message board with car share info!

Flying: Cheaper domestic airlines like Jet Star and Tiger Air will be the quickest way to get you around. Not the cheapest, but not terribly expensive either!