#8 best destination in the world

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon

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  • The Lagoon on the Cairns Esplanade is separated by a boardwalk from the ocean

Paronella Park

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  • Park opened in 1935 that offers tours

Whitehaven Beach

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  • Beach known for its crystal white silica sands and turquoise colored waters
  • #1 of the top 25 beaches in the world

Lake McKenzie (Fraser Island)

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  • Lake composed of pure, white silica and the water in the lake is also so pure it is unsuitable for many species

Sydney Opera House

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  • Multi-venue performing arts center in Sydney
  • #20 of the top 25 landmarks in the world
  • Opened in 1973
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

SS Ayrfield

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  • Former cargo freighter and current floating forest, the SS Ayrfield is a shipwreck, locked in Homebush Bay
  • Homebush Bay was once a center of industry, unfortunately contaminated with toxic waste and is now a commercial and residential suburb of Sydney after having been refurbished by the economic boom brought on by the 2000 Olympic games
  • Four freighters once used to transport coal, oil, and war supplies, the ships were eventually decommissioned and simply left where they floated.
  • Inside the SS Ayrfield, is a forest of mangrove trees
  • Built in 1911

Newnes Glowworm Tunnel

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  • Disused railway tunnel between Lithgow, New South Wales and Newnes, New South Wales, Australia
  • It is notable for its resident glow-worms, the bioluminescent larvae of Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat

Blue Mountains (New South Wales)

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  • The Blue Mountains Range comprises a range of mountains, and plateau escarpments extending off the Great Dividing Range
  • Since the early 2010s, the region’s biodiversity and infrastructure has been severely affected by massive bushfires of unprecedented size and impact
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

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  • Founded in 1846
  • 897 acres that slope to the river with trees, garden beds, lakes and lawns
  • Dedicated to Australian plants
  • A generally wild site which is significant for biodiversity conservation
  • Visitors can explore native bushland, heathlands, wetlands and woodlands

Gippsland Lakes Bioluminescence

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  • Due to flooding in 2011, Gippsland Lakes experienced blooms of bioluminescent Noctiluca scintillans

The Twelve Apostles (Victoria)

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  • Group of limestone stacks off the store of Victoria
  • Formed by erosion in the harsh and extreme weather conditions of the Southern Ocean
  • Of the original 12, only 8 Apostles are left
  • The 9th Apostle dramatically collapsed in 2005

Freycinet National Park

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  • #18 of the top 25 national parks in the world
  • National park founded in 1916, it is Tasmania’s oldest park
  • Contains part of the rugged Tasmanian coastline and includes the secluded Wineglass Bay
  • Features include red and pink granite formations and a series of jagged granite peaks in a line, called “The Hazards”.
  • The park is also of cultural importance, with many Aboriginal and European sites protected, though deeper investigation into human history within the park still needs to be undertaken
  • Large sections of the park remain undisturbed by humans, including parts of the catchment and the landscape

Adelaide Central Market

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  • Offers a huge range of fresh food including fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood, cheeses, bakery, smallgoods and health foods, along with cafes and eateries
  • Adelaide Central Market remains the food mecca for multicultural cuisine and fresh produce
  • Oldest food retail market in its original location in Australia

Kings Park and Botanic Garden

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  • 44 acre botanic garden with 2,000 species of Western Australian flora on display
  • Home to over half of Australia’s 25,000 plant species

Wave Rock

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  • Natural rock formation shaped like a breaking ocean wave

The Pinnacles (Western Australia)

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  • Limestone formations which came from seashells in an earlier era that was rich with marine life
  • Shells were broken down into sands that were blown inland to form high mobile dunes
  • The way in which the Pinnacles were formed is subject to debate

Turquoise Bay (Exmouth)

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  • Pristine stretch of white sand offering swimming, snorkeling and a scenic viewpoint
  • #6 of the top 25 beaches in the world

Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park

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  • Park with a large sandstone rock formation sacred to the Pitjantjatjara Anangu Aboriginal people of the area
  • Around the formation is an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves, and ancient paintings
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

Costs

Number of Days: 36 days

Best Time To Fly: Sept-Oct

Airline tickets: $3,408

Seattle -> Brisbane (one way) = $1,060
Brisbane -> Cairns (one way) = $82
Brisbane -> Sydney (one way) = $66
Sydney -> Melbourne (one way) = $46
Melbourne -> Hobart (one way) = $52
Hobart -> Adelaide (one way) = $155
Adelaide -> Perth (one way) = $128
Perth -> Exmouth (round trip) = $253
Perth -> Uluru (round trip) = $732
Perth -> Seattle (one way) = $834

Ferry/cruise tickets: $299

Airlie Beach -> Whitehaven Beach (round trip) = $110
Urangan -> Lake McKenzie, Fraser Island (round trip) = $189

Food: $47/day x 36 days = $1,692

Rental car: $3,502

$103/day x 34 days = $3,502

Gas: $163

Entertainment: $199

Airbnb: $137/day x 35 days = $4,795

TOTAL: $14,058