Australia For 30 Days – Travel Itinerary For 1 Month In Australia

Grand month-long getaway to Australia: A 30-day itinerary

Your are the luckiest of people! You have enough time and moolah to spend on a grand 30-day Australian adventure. So, how do you spend that month-long vacation? By focusing all your attention, your curiosity, your ability to be awed, and your openness to experience everything that Australia can give you.

You have just enough time to go on one wild ride through the cities and coasts, the hills and highways, the flora and fauna exhibits of Australia. For one whole month, you will be traveling from the southwestern part of Australia, to the southern towns along the Indian Ocean, to major cities of South Victoria and New South Wales, then off to the island of Tasmania, and up along Australia’s eastern coast.

This itinerary has suggestions for trips that you can take by yourself, mixed in with suggestions for tours that are better done with an organized tour. Make sure that you book the organized tours before you arrive in Australia, so you won’t have to waste time idling in cities when you find that organized tours are not available for certain days. Also, this will save you the hassle of organizing trips when you could have used the time simply to enjoy them. In the same way, reserve all your travel arrangements plus your hotel accommodations for all cities and towns where you’re scheduled to stay in advance.

DAY 1 – Arrival in Perth

The first city to greet you upon arrival in Australia is Perth City, the most prominent city in all of Western Australia. You can launch a thousand and one different tours from this city to see the diverse treasures of Western Australia —outback adventure, the Australian great desert, mining towns, old train trails, and ocean adventures.

For this, your first day in Australia, ease into your vacation by exploring the city of Perth. Some places to visit: King’s Park, Perth Mint, Perth Zoo, and Swan Bells Belltower. Also enjoy the Swan River either by biking and hiking along its banks or by cruising and/or parasailing on it.

Get your shopping groove on, too, with a quick trip to King Street and Harbour Town, then drop by any of the city’s local restaurants, cafes and bars.

DAY 2 – Southwestern Australia Coast Tour: Perth to Fitzgerald River

On your second day in your Australian holiday, you will start on your first and longest road trip during your month-long stay in the country. This will take you from Perth in Western Australia to Adelaide in South Victoria. For this tour, it will be best for you to join an organized tour so you don’t have to worry about the travel arrangements and hotel accommodations.

The first day is a trip from the city to Darling Ranges, which is the site of the Chidlow National Park, Kalamunda National Park, Kelmscott National Park, and Wugong National Park. After those, check out

the Fitzgerald River National Park—a huge tract of unspoiled natural beauty which boasts of a huge number of flora that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Enjoy its landscapes, beaches, and plains. Also check out the Spongelite Cliffs, which are made up of soft rocks with sea sponge fossils.

DAY 3 – Southwestern Australia Coast Tour: Fitzgerald River to Cape Le Grand

From the National Park, you will head on straight to Cape Le Grand National Park, near Esperance. The park is home to some very stunning scenery which would look totally gorgeous on any photo. There are various things to see here, from clean beaches, to natural freshwater pools, and rugged outcropping of rocks.

This is one of the very few places in the world where a colony of kangaroos often sunbathe, to the delight of tourists who frequent the area. Aside from admiring the kangaroos, you can also go bush walking, camping, fishing, or swimming. If you get anywhere near the Frenchman’s Peak or Mount Le Grand, you may want to try rock-climbing for an extra adrenaline rush. Your accommodation here will most probably be a campsite, or somewhere just as rugged, so be prepared.

DAY 4 – Southwestern Australia Coast Tour: Cape Le Grand to Newman Rocks

Today, you can have a bit leisurely time about camp or in your hotel room or by the beach. You might also want to join some of the kangaroos in their sunbathing pleasure. This area boasts of white sand so you might want to enjoy lounging around on the beach for that.

In the afternoon, your tour will take you through the Eyre Highway, and then to Newman Rocks where you will set up camp again.

DAY 5 – Southwestern Australia Coast Tour: Newman Rocks to Koonalda

Your next day on this road trip will be take you through the plains of Nullarbor—meaning “no trees.” This desert plain is a big solid slab of limestone—the largest in the world, in fact. It is famous for its underground cave and lake system.

You will visit the Koonalda Homestead Ruins and the Koonalda Cave, only 50 miles away from the Indian Ocean. The cave is believed to have been used by aborigines, and their art and decorations can still be found to this day within.

DAY 6 – Southwestern Australia Coast Tour: Newman Rocks to Koonalda

Explore the rest of the Nullarbor Plains today, and head on over to the Nullarbor Cliffs for a truly magnificent sight and some equally awesome photos. You might also want to see the wombat-camel-kangaroo sign amid this desert. If you are lucky and it is in season (from June to October), you might see the migration of  Southern Right Whales.

Then there’s a long drive through the Nullarbor Plains, across the dingo fence (which was built in the 1880s to keep pest animals from getting too near human communities), then on to the Yalata Aboriginal  lands. Do a bit of sightseeing at Ceduna and Murphy’s Haystack then rest for the night at Coodlie Park.

DAY 7 – Southwestern Australia Coast Tour: Coodlie Park Farm Adventure

For today, there will be not be much travel to be done. Instead, you will have a chance to experience the Coodlie Park Farm Retreat to the fullest. Located on the Eyre Peninsula, the park is a sprawling property sitting between Mt. Camel Beach and the Talia Caves.

Here you can choose from a variety of activities, including boating followed by viewing and/or swimming with dolphins and Australian sea lions or bush camping. In the evenings, you can go for a moonlit walk by the beach or go on a night expedition to find nocturnal animals like kangaroos, emus and wombats.

This is a day made for just lounging about so if you want to just rest—you’ve had quite a long journey, after all—you may also do so.

DAY 8 – Southwestern Australia Coast Tour: Coodlie Park to Port Lincoln

Early this morning, you can go surfing at Coodlie Park, if the waves are big enough. If not, you can just swim and sunbathe. Afterward, it’s back on the road for you.

Your first stop after leaving the farm is a quite famous roadside establishment: the Colton Nakery. And then sweat out some of the calories you ate with a trek down the 291 steps of Locks Well, which will bring you to one of the best fishing spots in this part of Australia. At the end of the day, you will be able to see koalas and then lay your head down at Mikkira Station of Port Lincoln.

DAY 9 – Southwestern Australia Coast Tour: Port Lincoln

Today, you’ll be able to amp your tour’s excitement factor with a dip in the ocean by Port Lincoln and swimming with great white sharks (you’ll be inside a cage, of course, just for safety).  You will then visit the Whalers Way Conservation Park where you can learn more about the sharks. After swimming with the sharks, you can swim with tunas at Port Lincoln (in a cage, again), and watch them up close.

DAY 10 – Southwestern Australia Coast Tour: Port Lincoln to Adelaide

Today, you are on the last leg of your great journey down south of the country. From Port Lincoln, you will first drop by Whyalla,  then, you will see Port Augusta. Afterward, go to Wadlatta Cultural Center, from where you will travel to the Southern Flinders Range for a bush walk to close off this part of your adventure.

You have had a few grand but grueling days on the road, and today you have reached your second major destination city: Adelaide. Since you have just got off a one-of-a-kind road trip, you will relish this chance to spend the rest of the day for rest and relaxation, so just head straight to your hotel to freshen up, ring the hotel for good ole Australian Meat Pie for a simple dinner, before turning in for the night.

DAY 11 – Adelaide City Tour

You have a free day today. You can try to just rest for the day or if you’re not much for just lounging about, you can try exploring your host city for the rest of the day. Refresh yourself in your hotel, then visit some of Adelaide’s famous attractions, such as Parliament House, St. Peter’s Cathedral, Trinity Church, and Victoria Square. Take in the city’s Glenelg, Jetty Road and River Torrens—old centers of the city’s power.

Breathe the spirit of the city by strolling and shopping through Gouger Street and O’Connell Street, the boulevard along King William Street, the Central Market, China Town, North Adelaide and the Terraces. Try some of the local cafes and restaurants in any of these places, and do not forget to check out the famous chocolates at Haigh’s if it’s not a Sunday.

If you’re feeling up for for it, you can spend the afternoon at Montefiore Hill and its Colonel Light’s Lookout, from where you can see the entire city from coast to hill.

DAY 12 – Kangaroo Island Tour

Now, that you’ve had a bit of rest, shift your travel gears up a bit and head to Kangaroo Island, where you can catch a glimpse of some of Australia’s exotic fauna. To enjoy this day with the least amount of hassle and planning effort on your part, just join an organized tour. The tour company should be able to take care of all your travel needs, tour guide, and lunch stops.

Tours from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island and back usually start at 6AM and ends at about 7PM. You can also choose your travel options: fly/fly, fly/cruise, cruise/fly, or cruise/cruise. Whatever way you get there and return to Adelaide, be ready to shoot photos of some echidna, koalas, New Zealand fur seals and sea lions.

Also allow yourself to be filled with awe as you gaze at the island’s scenery, including the Admirals Arch, the Flinders Chase National Park, and the Remarkable Rocks Formation. Lunch can usually be had in one of the country-style establishments and restaurants operatin in the island.

DAY 12 – Overnight Wine Tasting Trip at Barossa Valley

For the next two days, you will live the intoxicating lifestyle of the people of Barossa Valley, home of some of Australia’s lush vineyards and wine villages. You can choose to join an organized trip or just go visit the warm people of this wine country on your own. Whatever option you choose to take, try to start your journey early, at around 8AM, so you’ll have enough time to enjoy the valley—you really don’t want to be hurrying back and forth while nursing a bottle of strong wine.

Catch a bus or coach to Barossa Valley. Quickly lodge your overnight bags in one of the bed-and-breakfast-plus-beer places that are everywhere here. Or better yet, if you can find yourself a convenient room at a mansion in a wine estate, do—that’s lots of history, a warm community, opportunity for learning, good food and fine wine rolled into one night.

Once you have settled your things, get quickly out and start imbibing: get into a restaurant, a pub, or an old-fashioned winery and order a sampling of wine. In most establishments, you can also ask for a food-and-wine pairing set for a complete gustatory treat. In the afternoon, tour  the villages on Adelaide Hills and take a gander at the German-flavored Hahndorf area.

In the evening, dine with your hosts and other guests for a merry good time. Make sure you try Barossa Valley’s world-famous vintages—Shiraz and red wines. There’s nothing better than to feel the connection between the ground you walk on and the fruit of the vine that you are enjoying.

DAY 13 – Overnight Wine Tasting Trip at Barossa Valley

Continue feeling like the man or woman of the manor, and take a stroll among the grape vines in a wine estate (if you are lodged in one) or in any vineyards that are open to visitors. If the management allows it, you may be able to try your hand at harvesting or weeding or tending the grapes. Indulge your curiosity and ask if you can be taken to see how the wines are made and stored—if you’re lucky, the managers may even let you take a sip of their wines in storage. This is also the best time to learn about the wine industry, so politely inquire about the subject. Most managers and guides will be more than happy to answer questions from visitors.

In the afternoon, return to Adelaide. Be off to bed early, so you will be bright and shiny for the road trip that you’ll be taking starting tomorrow along one of the most scenic Australian roads.

DAY 14 – Great Ocean Road Tour: Adelaide to Grampians

Gear up for three days of continuous travel and prepare yourself to feel dazzled by Mother Nature’s beauty as you pass through Australia’s southern coast from Adelaide in South Victoria to Melbourne in New South Wales. You can choose to rent a car and go on this road trip by yourself. However, this trip is better done with an organized tour so that you can focus all your energies and attention to enjoying the sights and sounds of the road, and also so you can rest and sleep during travel instead of driving.

Today, the itinerary goes from Adelaide to the Adelaide Hills (and its attractive villages in Hahndorf and Stirling) until you get to the Limestone Coast of southern Australia. Some of the must-see places on this trip is the Naracoorte Fauna (a World Heritage site), Mega Fauna, and Victoria Fossils Cave.

The things that you can do during stops includes cave exploration, horseback riding, a stroll by the beach, and a swim in the Indian Ocean. A hearty Australian barbecue is also in order during this leg of the trip. In the evening, you can go for a guided tour and hunt for nocturnal Australian animals, including the wombat.

DAY 15 – Great Ocean Road Tour: Grampians to Warrnambool

Today, you will see the beauty of the Grampians National Park and enjoy a vigorous few hours of hiking and biking on trails winding through its lush forests while keeping your camera ready to shoot emus, kangaroos and koalas.

After the Grampians, feast your senses (yes—your senses: your sight for the vista, your ears for the sounds of nature, and your nose for the fresh smell of trees, clean water and clear air) on the MacKenzie Falls, one of the country’s most magnificent waterfalls). Also keep your eyes peeled for the Reeds Lookout and The Balconies. See the Brambuck Aboriginal Cultural Center for some info about the original settlers in Australia before you head on to Warrnambool.

DAY 16 – Great Ocean Road Tour: Warrnambool to Melbourne

On your third day of the Great Ocean Road Tour, get ready to see some of Mother Nature’s most amazing works of art, created through centuries of tidal movement, strong winds and the process of erosion.

Some of the sights to see are the 12 Apostles, The London Arch (which used to be the London Bridge before part of it broke down), the Lord Ard Gorge, and the Bay of Martyrs. When you get to Apollo Bay, have a sumptuous lunch, then explore the surrounding forests and beach, where you might find some koalas and rosella parrots. A few kilometers before you enter Melbourne, you can see the Great Ocean Road Monument. If your schedule permits, take some photos with it—a memento from the time you crossed one of Australia’s most beloved stretch of road.

When you get to Melbourne itself, head on over to your hotel, freshen up a bit, then have an early dinner. You have had a long travel and you need to rest before embarking on a new adventure tomorrow.

DAY 17 – The Prom Tour

For your next trip, dancing is not required but definitely allowed if the great beauty you will see shall inspire it. Today, you will see Wilsons Promontory—known around these parts as The Prom.

By July 2011, The Prom’s main entrance will be reopened to the public after the assessment and restoration works that had been done in response to the devastation that this area suffered when New South Wales was flooded in March 2011.

By then, you can already hike and bike through winding trails on Mt. Bishop, Mount Oberon, Pillar Point and Vereket Outlook. Go to Tidal River and bask in its magnificence, and then head on over to the “singing sands” in Squeaky Beach.

If you’d prefer somewhere with less people than the main area, get to The Prom’s North area, where you can again get up close and personal with kangaroos and emus as well as take photos of exotic flora dotting the rainforest.

At the end of the day, get back to Melbourne, have dinner and a few (or a lot of) drinks, then head back to your hotel.

DAY 18 – Penguin Parade Night Viewing

For today, you can just catch some more rest or maybe try recuperating from a night spent painting the town red. Use the day to just heave a restful sigh and do whatever pleases you. Have a massage if you feel like you need it. Or, if you’re really not much for staying in, you can just explore Melbourne some more, maybe shop around a bit.

In the afternoon, prepare for another tour to see the little penguins at Philips Island, where they create a huge spectacle for tourists every dusk as they waddle up from the beach to their nesting grounds in what is dubbed as the Penguin Parade.

For this outing, you must have have secured a viewing pass in advance. There are very limited slots for tourists during the night viewing so you have to make sure that you have a prior booking. Be at the Philips Island one hour before the viewing schedule, which is around 8PM, although be sure to check with the island management for the exact time of the parade during your visit.

While watching the little penguins and learning about them through the island guides, you can also enjoy dinner with the other guests before you head back to Melbourne and to your hotel.

DAY 19 – Melbourne City Tour

Today, learn more about the city’s history by exploring some of the city’s historical and cultural sites, such as the Eureka Skydeck, the Immigration Museum, the Melbourne Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Old Melbourne Gaol.

You can also have a look at a collection of Australia’s national treasure at the Melbourne Zoo, the Royal Botanic Gardens of Melbourne, and the Werribee Open Range Zoo. Also visit the city’s collections of museums and art centers. Take a cruise around Williamson. Shop around in malls and markets, then take in some of the city’s nightlife scene.

DAY 20 – Tasmania Trip: Hobart to Freycinet

Today, head on over to Tasmania, a land that many exotic species of animals and plants call home.

Because it is cut off from other land masses, the flora and fauna in the island has evolved into some truly bizarre and unique creatures.

Your best bet to enjoying this trip to the fullest is to join another organized tour: less hassle and headache for you, and more time to truly get into the experience, too. Let the professionals deal with all the nitty-gritty of this trip.

Choose a tour which will take you to visit the island’s east coast. For today, you have to get to Hobart, then visit the vineyards in Coal Valley. You can also go to the village of Richmond, which will make you feel transported to a time a couple of centuries ago with its well-preserved Georgian design. Afterward, head on over to Freycinet National Park, where you can stay the night.

DAY 21 – Tasmania Trip: Wineglass Bay

On your second day in Tasmania, explore Wineglass Bay. With a tour guide and some other tourists, you can ride a horse then hike to the beach to go across to a peninsula where you can get your lunch of local Australian cuisine. After this, just enjoy the rest of the day by swimming and sunbathing.

DAY 22 – Tasmania Trip: Freycinet to Launceston

Spend the third day mingling with the dolphins via a cruise launched from Freycinet or expend a bit more energy by paddling a sea kayak all along the coast. See a variety of birds, scale rugged crags, drop by an oyster farm. Continue to Launceston, and spend the night there.

DAY 23 – Sydney City Tour

After your Tasmania trip, fly back to mainland Australia, but instead of returning to Melbourne, just go straight to Sydney, one of the most modern of the country’s cities and also one which boasts of great multiculturalism.

The city is a melting pot of influences from the sheer number of aborigines and migrant peoples who have chosen to make their homes in this city. It also offers a lot of urban activities, art and cultural centers, and even nature exhibits.

After you land in the airport, just head straight to your hotel for a quick check-in and a bit of washing up. After this, head out to enjoy the city’s sights and sounds. There is no structured activities scheduled for today so you will be free to go at it alone.

A few activities you might want to try out in Sydney: Visiting the Central Business District, souvenir shopping in the city’s many malls and markets, going to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, strolling through Harbour Bridge, just imbibing the Darling Harbour atmosphere or simply enjoying Sydney Olympic Park.

DAY 24 -  Blue Mountains Tour

For this tour, you can go on your own or join an organized tour. Some of the must-see places during a trip to the Blue Mountains are the Bells Line of Road (a World Heritage site), Blackheath, the Featherdale Wildlife Park, Govetts Leap, Mt. Tomah Botanical Gardens, Mt. Victoria, and Richmond Town. You can also try the cable car ride to Katoomba, from where you can visit the Three Sisters formation. After that, head to the Wentworth Falls.

Once you return to Sydney proper in the evening, you can enjoy other activities which you failed to do yesterday, such as cruising around the Circular Quay from which you can get a really good view of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Hit the town tonight, have dinner somewhere nice, then enjoy some drinks in a local club or pub.

DAY 25 – Bondi Beach

If you’re not nursing a terrible hangover and you feel up for some sea, sun and sand, then you can spend the day at the famous Bondi Beach today. Bake in the sun, swim, frolic, or do absolutely nothing but lie there by the beach. This is all about you enjoying the eternal sunshine that Australia is blessed with. There is also a really nice beach path between Bondi and Coogee Beach. The Bondi to Coogee Beach Walk is the perfect way to see the eastern beaches of Sydney.

After a day at the beach, head back to your hotel, and get a spa if you are so inclined, and then snooze.

DAY 26 – Arrival in Alice Springs

Your itinerary today only includes flying from Sydney to Alice Springs, so you can still extend the lounging about that you’ve been doing the past few days. Use this time to explore Sydney, then Alice Springs before and after your flight.

DAY 27  – Kings Canyon and Uluru/Ayers Rock Tour

For this day, you will take a day tour from Alice Springs to the heart of the Aboriginal People’s ancestral lands, and to one of their holiest sites.

This day will be mostly a hike, so be prepared by bringing lots of water and wearing your sturdiest shoes. You will be taken to Kings Canyon where you will pit yourself against the rugged terrain while you trudge through limestone paths. Be sure to stop by the Amphitheater, the Garden of Eden, and the Lost City of the Lush.

Afterward, continue your trip by going to Uluru/Ayers Rock, considered a very sacred place by the aborigines. Take in the amazing sight of this giant monolith and walk around it. Next, see the Olgas red domes, then get back to your Sydney hotel at the end of the day.

DAY 28 – Arrival at Cairns City

Be up early today and catch your flight to Cairns, the gateway city to the Great Barrier Reef. Check into your hotel, and consider this another free day. If you need more rest from traveling, just stay in your hotel and be pampered by excellent service there.

If you’re raring to explore, though, here are some activities you may want to try while you’re in Cairns: shopping, bungee jumping, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, skydiving activities and wagering in the city’s casinos. Do not be out too late, though. You need to be up bright and energetic for tomorrow’s activities.

DAY 29 – Great Barrier Reef Tour

Let one of the Earth’s most amazing sights of dazzling biodiversity be one of the last memories you store away from your Australian adventure. Experience the breathtaking beauty of the Great Barrier Reef—the biggest reef in the world.

Today, head on over to the wharf, and just jump on one of the tour boats which can take you out for a day in the reef. Keep your eyes peeled for the colorful biodiversity that you will see in the reef while you are snorkeling or scuba diving. Other than that, just enjoy swimming and taking in the beauty all about you. Try to see if the boat can take you to just outside the reef, too, for more variety of sea life.

After that, head back to the harbor, get cleaned up, have dinner. Have on last crazy night out as a way to end your Australian adventure.

DAY 30 – DEPARTURE FROM AUSTRALIA

Nothing to do now but collect your things, secure your memories and pack your souvenirs. Today, you end your 30-day vacation, but hopefully you’ve gained beautiful experiences that you would remember a lifetime.