{"id":5647,"date":"2018-06-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-06-24T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/?p=5647"},"modified":"2020-04-02T05:35:32","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T19:35:32","slug":"see-australia-while-young","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/australia\/see-australia-while-young\/","title":{"rendered":"18 reasons why you should see Australia while you\u2019re young"},"content":{"rendered":"

Travel around Australia<\/a> is often ruled by grey nomads. You\u2019ve seen them: the older generation in their caravans, living a nomadic existence as they work their way around our Great Southern Land, with both time and money on their side.<\/p>\n

But what if I told you Australia was actually a young person\u2019s game? What if you\u2019re missing all the amazing opportunities that come with domestic travel because you\u2019re sitting on a 17-hour plane ride to explore exotic locations further afield?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t waste any more time passing on your own fascinating homeland. Here are 18 great reasons to travel Australia while you\u2019re young.<\/p>\n

1. It\u2019s not as expensive as you think<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a common belief that overseas holidays are cheaper than Australian ones. You take a $1,000 flight to Thailand so you can spend $50 per day over seven days for a $1,350 holiday. But what if you took your flight budget and put it toward a domestic trip? There are so many great hotel deals and airfares<\/a> out there, so getting from A to B is cheaper than ever. Just the other day, I got a fare from Melbourne to Perth for $220 return! Sticking to my $1350 budget, that still leaves me $160 per day for a week\u2019s holiday. And Australia has some of the cheapest sushi in the world, so you\u2019re set for meals. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

2. The best things here are free<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Australia\u2019s most beautiful attractions are free. You don\u2019t have to pay a cent for a drive on the Great Ocean Road, a swim in the crystal blue waters in the Whitsundays, a hike on Tasmania\u2019s Overland Track, a walk down Melbourne\u2019s graffiti alleys, or for pictures in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge \u2013 they\u2019re all free (which means they\u2019re kind to young wallets).<\/p>\n

Free adventures in the Tassie wilderness<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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3. The plane rides are shorter<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In case you haven\u2019t noticed, Australia is pretty far from, well, most places. So why not spend more time on the beach or marvelling at stunning natural wonders instead of cooped up in an aircraft jetting across a dizzying number of time zones?<\/p>\n

4. We now have more direct flights<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Connections are no fun. Why waste hours in long layovers? Many bucket-list destinations (for example, Uluru, Kakadu, and Ningaloo Reef) are more accessible than you think \u2013 thanks to direct flights. In fact, you can now tick many of them off on long weekends, so you don\u2019t even need to use any annual leave. No need to wait until you\u2019re retired.<\/p>\n

5. You may find the love of your life<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sure, you\u2019re never too old to fall in love, but let\u2019s face it: when you\u2019re young, you\u2019re usually looking a little harder and mingling a lot more. Falling in love overseas is filled with complications that make life hard. Fall in love in Australia and you could find The One in no time.<\/p>\n

6. You won\u2019t have to finance an entire family<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve already established that some aspects of Australian travel can be more expensive than in overseas destinations. But if you do it while you\u2019re young, you only have to pay for you \u2013 not your partner or the four kids that could come along after you\u2019ve fallen in love (see No.5 above).<\/p>\n

7. You have the energy to make the most of it<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some of Australia\u2019s best attractions are physically challenging natural wonders, so fully enjoying them can require some stamina and fitness. Like taking a 7km hike around the base of Uluru at sunrise<\/a>. Or sandboarding down the Lancelin sand dunes, near the Pinnacles in WA<\/a>. Or even snorkelling the world\u2019s best reef, the Great Barrier Reef<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Surfing in Perth without a wave in sight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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8. You\u2019ll have more nerve<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As we get older, our propensity for hair-raising adventures tends to diminish. Which is a shame, because you don\u2019t want to miss Australia\u2019s most essential adrenaline-packed experiences. Think abseiling the Kangaroo Point Cliffs<\/a> in Brisbane, bungy jumping in Cairns<\/a>, or tandem skydiving over some of the world\u2019s best beaches, like Airlie Beach, Whitsundays<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Prefer to stay on land? Wander through the tropical rainforests in Cairns instead<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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9. You can enjoy all of it<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While you\u2019re young, you can make the most of bucket-list destinations like the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru. You can go on an adrenaline-fueled adventure in Cairns, rough it in the Great Aussie Bush, or go mingle at an all-exclusive beach-side resort. And then at the end of the day, you can head out and enjoy the nightlife too.<\/p>\n

10. It will boost your confidence<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Overseas travel can be a bit daunting, so why not practice locally? While you\u2019re young, boost your confidence and independence with some domestic travel to prepare yourself for a big international adventure abroad.<\/p>\n

11. Australia is diverse<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many young people travel overseas to experience something new. But why not become an expert on Australia first? Australia\u2019s size makes its geography and ecology incredibly diverse, so you don\u2019t need to go overseas to feel like you\u2019re far away from home. We have snowy mountains, arid deserts, tropical rainforests, and everything in between. Our people are pretty diverse, too: One day you could be having a beer with a local trucker, while the next you could be learning a little about one of Australia\u2019s unique Aboriginal cultures (there are almost 150 languages still in use today!).<\/p>\n

Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), Central Australia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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12. Appreciate what you have at home<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Seeing Australia while you\u2019re young will give you a deeper appreciation for your home and all its beauty. Plus, if you\u2019re a parent, taking the kids along for the ride will help them learn about the country\u2019s history and geography firsthand, giving them an education their mates at school won\u2019t necessarily have access to.<\/p>\n

13. You\u2019ll become a better traveller<\/strong><\/h3>\n

They say the young don\u2019t remember, so why travel with them? If you have a young family, travelling within Australia can open your kids\u2019 minds to other people, places, foods, and cultures, preparing them to become global thinkers. It\u2019s not just the memories that we can easily recall, but all of our experiences which shape us into the people we become. Set your children up for a life of adventure by making them comfortable enough to discover their own homeland.<\/p>\n

Memories in the making right here<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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14. You\u2019ll become an expert<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For the rest of your life, you\u2019ll know all the great places to take friends, family, and overseas relatives. You\u2019ll never be short on things to do and people will look to you as the Aussie expert.<\/p>\n

15. You can be more flexible<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Travelling in Australia while you\u2019re young will let you be more flexible. You might randomly make a spontaneous trip to visit a friend for a long weekend. Or jump on an awesome last-minute deal<\/a> just to discover somewhere you\u2019ve never been. Plus, let\u2019s face it, younger people tend to be more flexible when it comes to more, well, basic accommodation. So now\u2019s the time to book that fun budget hotel or that cheap, small room so you can save a few bucks.<\/p>\n

16. Boost your career<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So many Aussies move from regional towns to cities for work (and sometimes vice-versa). While travelling Australia, you might find your dream job in another city or a small regional town. Yes, the same can be said for overseas travel, but visas and sponsors can be downright difficult. Imagine finding your dream career at home while having the travelling time of your life!<\/p>\n

17. Avoid becoming a clich\u00e9<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you see Australia while you\u2019re young, you can avoid becoming one of those grey nomads when you\u2019re older. Avoid the clich\u00e9 and say, \u201cBeen there, done that.\u201d<\/p>\n

18. Finally, you\u2019re social media savvy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Want to document all your incredible experiences, or just make your overseas friends jealous of your life in beautiful Australia? Get them all flocking to our shores when you inundate social media with pics of you walking through Melbourne\u2019s graffiti-covered lane ways. Or sunsets at the 12 Apostles. Or the Great Aussie Bush and the secret waterfall you stumbled upon.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA child\u2019s mind is not a container to be filled but rather a fire to be kindled.\u201d \u2013 Dorothea Brande Walking the graffiti \ud83c\udfa8 art streets of \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa Melbourne, Australia. Stoking the \ud83d\udd25 fire in my kids. My kids \ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83d\udc67\u200d\ud83d\udc66 have been to 64 countries. But we are loving exploring \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa Australia. It's an incredible country. Have you been? #explorewitherin #gnomads #familytravel #visitmelbourne #familytravelblogger @wanderloud<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Erin \ud83c\udf0fTravel \ud83c\udf66Food \ud83d\udd76\ufe0fLifestyle<\/a> (@explorewitherin) on