Posted in Australia on January 17, 2012

Whether you have lived in Australia your whole life or you are just here for a visit, when deciding where to go on your holiday it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the options. If you want to get away from the cities and explore, these 4 spots are a great way to get started and are all well worth the visit.

Inverell – Known as the ‘Sapphire City’, this incredible place in North Western New South Wales is one of the most resource rich places in the world. Inverell boasts being the source of three quarters of the world’s sapphires as well as containing huge amounts of diamonds, topaz, zircons and garnets. Inverell accommodation options cater for everyone from the budget traveler to the five star tourist and the locals will be more than happy to have a beer with you at any of the local pubs. Try you luck and do a little prospecting of your own while you are here. You never know, you just might strike it rich!

The Great Ocean Road – Far from an unknown place, the Great Ocean Road is worth every bit of the hype surrounding it. It’s well worth getting in on one of the Great Ocean Road Tours and just kick back and take in the breathtaking scenery. You’ll appreciate not having to do the driving as the roads are narrow and often crowded, and you’ll be able to catch every second of the view without having to keep your eyes on the road. Apart from the natural beauty, the small towns along the way are another highlight, Port Campbell and Wye River especially worth a visit.

Mount Remarkable National Park – Less than two hours north of Adelaide, this is one of Australia’s best kept secrets. Part of the great Flinders Ranges, this part boasts some of the most spectacular hiking and incredible wildlife in South Australia. One of the highlights in the park is definitely the Hidden Gorge hike and no matter where you go in the park, you will see kangaroos, emus, a myriad of bird life and some often very large reptiles such as ancient looking goannas. Visit in the spring to see all the new baby emus and kangaroos as well as some truly amazing wild flowers.

The Tasman Peninsula – Along with playing a role as a natural prison in the brutal early Australian penal colony, this area is some of the most spectacular and rugged coastline on the entire East Coast of Australia. If you enjoy hiking, this is your place. A good way to thoroughly explore the peninsula is to do the 3 day hike from Eaglehawk Neck to Fortescue Bay. Almost the entire length of the hike you skirt sheer cliffs and have regular view of long stretches of the coast. Be careful if you are doing this hike in the summer as it also has a very large population of tiger snakes, one of Australia’s most deadly snakes.

Australia really is an almost unbelievably beautiful place. It’s all worth a visit, though if you want a guaranteed winner, any of these spots will surely deliver.