Backpacking through Australia has almost become a rite of passage for young (and the not-so-young) travellers, with hundreds of thousands taking that giant leap to the other side of the world, to start their working holiday adventure!
Now, although the ‘working’ part is important (otherwise how would you pay for all your crazy experiences), we prefer to dwell on the holiday and adventure side of things! Although Australia is known around the world for its laid-back lifestyle and chilled out ‘no-worries’ approach to everything, it’s not all about relaxing on a beach. If you’re hoping to tick a few of those ‘once in a lifetime’ adrenaline experiences off your bucket list, well, you couldn’t have picked a more perfect place to do so!
Queensland
We will start at the top and work our way down…literally. There’s not much that will give you a buzz as big as the one you get by chucking yourself out of a plane, 14000 feet in the air! Australia is one of the best destinations in the world to skydive – with Mission Beach in Queensland being a favourite spot for many a traveller. Mission Beach is a tropical paradise … As you float down towards the beach, you’re surrounded by beautiful rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef, views don’t get much more spectacular than this!
Sticking with Queensland – why not try a bungee jump? You can try a variety of bungee styles: fancy jumping backwards? Done. Jumping with a buddy? Done! On a BMX? Sure, why not?! There are lots of different ways to throw yourself off a 164ft high bridge and watch the ground as it rushes towards you … We dare you to keep your eyes open!
Still want more? Fly through the rainforest canopy at speeds of up to 120kms/hr with up to three people tied in for the ride as part of The Minjin Rainforest Swing. You control the release so you’ll have to take a deep breath before you pull the cord, because you’ll hit your top speed within 3 seconds!
Western Australia
Head to the West Coast for the amazing experience of snorkelling with the largest fish in the world – the Whale Shark. On average, these friendly giants are 9.7m long and weigh 9 tonnes. Sharing the water with something this large is truly a phenomenal experience!
South Australia
If you like your shark with a little more bite however, Port Lincoln in South Australia offers Australia’s only Great White Shark cage dive. Tour companies can spot up to eight sharks a day and if you don’t feel brave enough to jump in the cage, you can watch from the safety of the boat.
Northern Territory
It is estimated that there are over 100 000 wild crocodiles in the Northern Territory and Darwin is the best place to head for the chance to see these dinosaurs in their natural habitat. If you’d like to get a little bit closer, the Cage of Death at Crocosaurus Cove is the place for you.
Frankly, the name is as terrifying as the experience! You are placed into a perspex box and dropped into a tank with a crocodile over 5m long. It swims around you, eyeing you up as you pray that the glass is as strong as you’ve been told!
With all this and more waiting for you in Australia, what are you waiting for? Of course, if you’d rather just relax on a beach that’s fine too …
All of the Ultimate Travel crew have done at least one of these activities and so can personally vouch for them as being awesome! Give them a shout if you want to hear more about what they did!