Guides.
Practical tips, itineraries and local know-how for Queensland and Tasmania.
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Port Arthur & Tasman Peninsula
Port Arthur Historic Site: What to Know Before You Go
- History
- Port Arthur
- Tasman Peninsula
- Overseas Explorers
- Planning Guide
- Day Trip
- Hobart
- Tasmania
- Heritage
Australia's most intact convict settlement sits on the Tasman Peninsula, 90 minutes from Hobart. Your ticket covers an audio guide, harbour cruise and guided talks across 30 plus buildings and ruins. Here is how long to stay, what is included and how to make the most of Port Arthur.
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Cairns City
Everything you need to know before visiting the Great Barrier Reef for the first time!
- First Time
- Great Barrier Reef
- Overseas Explorers
- Planning Guide
- Diving
- Queensland
- Snorkelling
- Port Douglas
- Cairns
- Queensland Guides
Seeing the Great Barrier Reef for the first time is easier than most people expect. Boats leave from Cairns and Port Douglas, with outer reef sites around 60 to 90 minutes away. Here is everything to know before your first visit, from choosing a tour to what to expect on the day.
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Cradle Mountains
Hobart to Cradle Mountain Day Trip: Full Guide
- Overseas Explorers
- Planning Guide
- Cradle Mountain
- Day Trip
- Hobart
- Wildlife
- Road Trip
- Dove Lake
- Tasmania
- Itineraries
A Hobart to Cradle Mountain day trip is possible, but it is a big one, with around four hours of driving each way. Guided tours leave at 6am and give you up to 4.5 hours in the park. Here is how driving and guided tours compare, and how to make the most of your time there.
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Bruny Island
Bruny Island Day Trip: What to Do in 1 Day!
- Overseas Explorers
- Planning Guide
- Bruny Island
- Day Trip
- Food and Wine
- Hobart
- Pennicott
- Wildlife
- Tasmania
- Food and Culture
- Itineraries
- Tasmania Guides
A 20 minute ferry, the Neck Lookout, fresh oysters, a wilderness cruise past sea cliffs and fur seals, local cheese and chocolate, then white wallabies at dusk. Here is how to pack the very best of Bruny Island into one day trip from Hobart, with timing that actually works.
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Cairns City
Getting Around Cairns Without a Car: Full Guide
- First Time
- Great Barrier Reef
- Public Transport
- Transport
- Overseas Explorers
- Planning Guide
- Queensland
- Kuranda
- Cairns
- Daintree Rainforest
- Queensland Guides
The Great Barrier Reef, Green Island, Fitzroy Island and Kuranda are all easy to reach without a car, and guided tours handle the Daintree and the Tablelands from your hotel. Here is how to get around Cairns without driving, and when a car actually makes sense.
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Cairns City
Great Barrier Reef Tour Comparison: Outer vs Inner vs Island
- Great Barrier Reef
- Overseas Explorers
- Comparison
- Planning Guide
- Diving
- Queensland
- Reef Tours
- Snorkelling
- Port Douglas
- Cairns
- Queensland Guides
Outer reef tours travel 60 to 90 minutes offshore for clearer water and richer marine life. Inner reef and island trips make for an easier, more relaxed day out. Here is how Great Barrier Reef tours compare on visibility, time and cost, so you can pick the right one.
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Tasmania
Tasmania Without a Car: Can You Do It? Honest Guide
- First Time
- Guided Tours
- Public Transport
- Transport
- Overseas Explorers
- Planning Guide
- Cradle Mountain
- Freycinet
- Hobart
- Tasmania
- Itineraries
Yes, you can see Tasmania without a car. Hobart is walkable, Launceston is manageable, and buses, shuttles and guided tours reach Cradle Mountain, the East Coast and the Bay of Fires. Here is how to do it, and the honest trade offs around timetables and flexibility.
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Tasmania
7 Days in Tasmania: The realistic itinerary that works!
- Wineglass Bay
- First Time
- Overseas Explorers
- Bay of Fires
- Cradle Mountain
- Freycinet
- Hobart
- Multi Day
- Road Trip
- Tasmania
- Itineraries
- Tasmania Guides
Hobart, Freycinet and Cradle Mountain are the three anchors of a first Tasmania trip, and fitting in the Bay of Fires and Bruny Island means something has to give. Here is a realistic seven day Tasmania itinerary that actually works, with the East Coast first and Cradle Mountain second.
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Port Douglas
Port Douglas vs Cairns – Which one should you base yourself in for the best trip?
- Far North Queensland
- Great Barrier Reef
- Overseas Explorers
- Planning Guide
- Queensland
- Decision Guide
- Port Douglas
- Cairns
- Daintree Rainforest
Cairns has the international airport, the widest choice of tours and no real beach. Port Douglas is a small coastal town an hour north with a proper beach and a slower pace. Here is how to choose the right base for your Far North Queensland trip, based on how you like to travel.
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Cairns City
How Many Days in Cairns? 3, 5 or 7, here’s the honest answer for First Timers
- Far North Queensland
- First Time
- Great Barrier Reef
- Overseas Explorers
- Planning Guide
- Queensland
- Atherton Tablelands
- Cairns
- Daintree Rainforest
- Itineraries
Most first timers need three to seven days in Cairns to cover the reef, the Daintree and the Atherton Tablelands, and five is the sweet spot. Here is how many days to spend in Cairns, with an honest take on what you can fit into three, five or seven days.
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