Australia Things to Do

Twelve years have passed since the last visit of the British & Irish Lions to Australia, and 2013 is shaping up to be the follow-up to top all previous rugby meetups of this kind. This year will see 9 official games between the British & Irish Lions and the mix of Australian Super Rugby teams with expected attendance of nearly 400,000 people.

Sun-seekers and sun worshippers tend to migrate to the Australian state of Queensland which fittingly possesses the slogan of The Sunshine State. Known for an overall sunnier and warmer climate than the southern states of New South Wales and Victoria, people visiting Queensland provides for a very large portion of the economy as tourism is the leading service industry.

If you’re visiting Australia between March and September and have an interest in sports, you may want to consider taking in an Australian Football match.

Before preparing for a trip to Australia, an item at the top of your packing list should probably read “extra cash”. As a country with 3 major cities in the top 20 most expensive in the world, according to Australia’s BusinessDay, travel has a way of simply cutting a couple of holes in your pockets. In order to travel, one must do so wisely, being sure to think about the budget along the way. Here are some budgeting tips for Australia – a land that simply doesn’t know the meaning of the word.

Possessing over 41,000 miles of coastline, there is no shortage of beaches in the country of Australia. In fact, there are over 10,000 different beaches to choose from, including popular (and always crowded) ones like Bondi and secluded (and unpatrolled) beauties found on Magnetic Island. Beaches tend to drive tourists to the land Down Under, especially when trying to escape the harsh winters found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Combined with the romantic depiction of said lifestyle thanks to the 2008 movie Australia, the Australian Outback is almost synonymous with cattle ranches, as well as a tourism destination for some of the more adventurous travelers down under.

Australia is blessed with some beautiful natural surrounds – the kind that make you get out into nature, and away from all the things that remind you of the normal daily grind. While you are able to make your Australia travels any theme you prefer – adventure, foodie, historical – it really has a knack for providing for one theme in particular: relaxing!

This post originally appeared on Viator’s travel blog as the Top 25 Things to Do in Australia and New Zealand as part of our annual Viator Travel Awards.

 Each year we check out traveler reviews, data from the millions of people who check out Viator.com during the year, and information on which tours in the region travelers book most often and select the best things to do in the region. From the list, here are some of the top things to do in Australia! 

To Queenslanders, summer means the beginning of the ‘wet’. Starting in December and finishing at the end of February, the wet season brings increased heat, humidity, rainfall and the occasional thunderstorm.

While Australia‘s long stretches of golden coastline are still popular for tourists at this time (especially on the drier southern beaches), it is Queensland’s marine life that is really thriving, making this the best time to witness some incredible natural phenomena that take place both in the water and on the beach.

Surfing has been synonymous with Australian culture since the late 60s and no matter what the weather or season you’ll see surfers bobbing on the water all around Australia’s coast. But late summer is when the country’s surfing action really heats up and everyone, from first-timers and grommets (young surfers) to old-timers and professionals, grabs a board and hits the waves.