Day Trips in Australia

One of the main joys of Australia is being able to discover all the natural wonders that lie beyond the city walls. There are rainforests, national parks, gorges, valleys and outback all a ways off to take a peek at, not to mention smaller towns, that require a visit, but maybe not a long stay. That’s when a day trip in Australia is in order.

When to Consider a Day Trip in Australia

Day trips occur when you leave a base location, say a major city like Sydney, to visit a nearby location and return to the base location before the end of the day. There are several circumstances in which you would want to pursue a day trip:

• The destination doesn’t have any accommodation. This could occur when visiting remote beaches, very small towns or villages, and just places that would otherwise have no draw to spending the evening. A good example would be a day trip to Silverton, where there is no accommodation, from Broken Hill, where there is plentiful accommodation.
• The accommodation at said location is pricey or booked up. If there’s something in the location that you want to visit or see, like a museum or a scenic outlook, but the accommodation near the area is just too pricey, then head back to your base city and stay there instead.
• There is just not enough to see to warrant an overnight stay. If you think you’ll be wondering around aimlessly in the location for half the day after seeing what you came for, then make it a day trip. No point in spending time, on a holiday no less, in a place with nothing to fill the itinerary.
• You have to continue on your travels early the next day and the base city is closer or more convenient. Sometimes, it is just better to make the trip back to the base city the same day rather than have to cover more land in the early morning when you’re groggy from lack of sleep.

How to Take a Day Trip in Australia

Taking a day trip and making the plans for it all depends on the destination. With some destinations, you might be able to easily catch a bus or train, while others will require hiring transportation of your own or even signing up with a tour company. If I, for example, wanted to hang out at Sydney’s Royal National Park, I can take public transport (the ferry) but then I would have to hike around from place to place if I wanted to see a fair bit of the park (but it would be difficult). The better option would be to rent a car or join a great RNP tour that will take you to all the best places.

Day Trips from Popular Australian Cities

I’ve been compiling lists of day trip options from the most popular cities in Australia, so if you need some day trip ideas, you can easily get one or two (or 6) from each of the posts below!

• Day Trips from Sydney Options include visiting the Blue Mountains, the Royal National Park and Hunter Valley.
• Day Trips from Melbourne Options include the Dandenong Ranges, Yarra Valley and Hanging Rock.
• Day Trips from Cairns Options include the Great Barrier Reef, Kuranda and the Atherton Tablelands.
• Day Trips from Perth Options include the Swan Valley, Fremantle and Rottnest Island.
• Day Trips from Darwin Options include Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park and Tiwi Islands.
• Day Trips from Brisbane Options include Tamborine Mountain, Moreton Bay and Gold Coast.

For more itinerary assistance and inspiration, have a look at the Australian Itinerary Ideas page.

Photo credit – Western Australia aerial shot.