I had the opportunity to travel to Australia in May 2023 with other Travel Advisors to get an intense look at a small part of Australia. Specifically, the Brisbane area and the Whitsundsays. On this page I'll highlight some of that trip.
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Here is are some of the hotels I had the priveledge of staying in while on my trip to Australia. They were all gorgeous places, each with their own unique personality. For more pictures or information on these hotels, please contact me.
This was a very nice place located in a historic building in the centre of Brisbane. It is a heritage-listed and artfully restored building close to Queen Street Mall and Queen's Wharf. I had a beautiful and spacious room with a kitchen.
This is a perfect spot for your Airlie Beach Holiday. With modern, beachside inspired apartments and luxury penthouses and spacious balconies the views over the Port of Airlie and the Coral Sea. There is a pool onsite, kitchens in the rooms as well as laundry facilities. It is about a 10min walk into Airlie Beach and perfect jumping off point to explore the Whitsunday Islands.
Peppers Broadbeach is one of the luxurious new breed of Gold Coast resorts. It is located in the heart of Broadbeach, just 25 mins from the Gold Coast Airport and a short walk to the beach. We stayed in a beautiful 2 bedroom suite with sweeping views and a wrap around balcony. It also had in-room laundry facilities and a full kitchen.
O'Reilly's has welcomed visitors for over 98 years and is located in the rainforest about a 2hr drive outside of Brisbane. Birding, waterfalls, ziplines and hiking as well as a Tree Top Walk which was the first of it's kind. With multiple choices for accommodations, this place has it from camping to villas. We stayed in a 2-bedroom villa.
This hotel is located in Fortitude Valley, a suburb of Brisbane, close to bars, restaurants and shops. This is a boutique hotel with tons of character and charm and has amazing amenities with a rooftop pool, sauna free min-bar, a Nespresso machine and a free Loot Bag full of snacks. The rooms are spacious and comfortable.
Definitely a highlight of the trip was staying out on the Great Barrier Reef for a night. This is a permanently moored pontoon, located 39 nautical miles from shore. You can swim, snorkel, dive and explore this amazing place. We had our own private "pod" on deck but there are 2 reef suites on board as well. Food was spectacular and so was the reef. This is MUST if travelling to Australia!
Here are some of the Activities we did on our whirlwind tour.
Eco Safaris Queensland is a tour company that took us to Skywalk, Curtis Falls and up to O'Reilly's. You can customize your tours with them and were a great operation.
Nestled within a 30-acre privately owned rainforest, adjacent to the crystal-clear rock pools of Cedar Creek on Mount Tamborine, lies a truly enchanting spot. Here, you can indulge in various activities: birdwatching, walking through the tree tops, and exploring their Eco Gallery. Before setting off on a leisurely rainforest stroll, visit the charming café for a soothing cup of tea or coffee. This hidden gem provides a perfect opportunity to pause, inhale the fresh air, and rejuvenate as you journey out of Brisbane.
Tangalooma Island Resort, located just a 75-minute catamaran cruise from Brisbane on Moreton Island, is an ideal family holiday destination for those seeking adventure and nature-based experiences. Here, you can ride a quad bike on the beach, toboggan down the dunes, take a scenic helicopter ride over the island, participate in their nightly wild dolphin experience (available for overnight guests only), embark on whale-watching cruises, explore wrecks during a snorkel tour or even venture on a desert safari tour.
The resort offers on-site restaurants and hotel rooms equipped with kitchens and barbecues, allowing you to prepare your own meals. If you’re in the Brisbane area, Tangalooma Island Resort is a must-visit!
We stopped for a small hike down to Curtis Falls located within Tambourine National Park in the Gold Coast Hinterland. It is about a 45-minute drive from the Gold Coast and was featured in the movie "Ticket to Paradise". It is a beautiful walk through the rainforest down to falls. We even did went back at night to try to find some glow worms. It was pretty cold the night we went so we didn't see too many.
As mentioned earlier, this location is a haven for birdwatching, ziplining, and hiking. You can even embark on a night hike to witness glow worms by the creek. Some of the bird species found here are exclusive to this part of Australia and have been showcased on Planet Earth. The knowledgeable staff offers early morning birdwatching walks, making it an ideal destination for nature enthusiasts. With so much to explore, I highly recommend staying here for a few days.
Down the mountain from their Rainforest Retreat, O'Reilly's has a vineyard. There is an alpaca farm onsite where you can walk and and hang out with Alpaca's or you can have a picnic by the river and participate in a wine tasting. It is a beautiful spot to have some lunch and drink some local, award winning wines.
We met up with Go Vertical Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) in Budd's Beach which is in the heart of Surfers Paradise. We set out down the calm waterway of the Gold Coast River and Broadwater past houses of the rich and famous. It was a beautiful quite morning on the river where you can spot dolphins while you are out (we didn't this time unfortunately). It can get busy on the weekends with a lot of boat traffic so week-day mornings are the best.
While staying at Reefworld on Hardy Reef, you can head out to snorkel, or SCUBA dive the reef. They have opportunities for certified divers as well as those who have never tried it before. They will take you out on a introductory shallow dive along the reef to give you a taste of the underwater world. They also offer a snorkel safari which is a guided snorkeling trip to point out various sea life. Keep your eyes peeled for sharks, turtles, the giant Queensland grouper and the giant clams to name a few.
Lone Pine is the world's first and largest koala sanctuary, home to over 100 koalas and 70 species of other native Australian Animals. With a daily schedule of shows, presentations, kangaroo feeding and photo-ops, there is something here for everyone. It is just a short ride outside of Brisbane and you can get there by car, bus or river cruise.
We had a 2-hr surfing lesson with Get Wet Surf School on Spit Beach, Gold Coast. The surf school is about a 10 minute drive from Surfers Paradise and they do offer shuttle service from a couple of locations or you can take public transport. We had some on-land practice and instruction with some great instructors before heading down to the beach to test out our newfound knowledge. The waves weren't super big, they were perfect for us beginners and they went over a safety talk before getting in. They took their time with us, and we had a fabulous time trying to catch those waves. We almost had the beach to ourselves and it was a gorgeous sunny day to surf!
Hop onboard River to Bay's high speed vessel to watch Brisbane's skyline with a beverage in hand as you cruise up and down the picturesque river. You can opt to stop at a few breweries on your tour, or you can hop on and use it as a water taxi service to get you to Stradbroke Island or Manly Village.
We stopped at Mary Mae's and Crystalbrook Vincent.
I want to highlight a place we went to for lunch one day as well as a Distillery Tour. Details are below. Both of these places were highlights on a Kiff and Culture Tour. They are a great tour company you can customize and do day trips or multi-day trips.
The third place was not part of our Kiff and Culture Tour but I wanted to highlight it as the food was amazing.
This award winning distillery on the Gold Coast is a family operation honouring a grandfather who loved his whiskey and telling stories. They have a unique spot and a love of crafting spirits and it shows. We had a gin tasting with 3 different gins and 3 different tonic waters to go with it. Each had a story and way to drink. I loved listening to them tell us the story of Granddad Jack and how the place came to be.
Rick Shores is one of Australia's most sought-after places to eat. We participated in their 5-course Asian-Australian seafood banquet lunch. The food was absolutely spectacular and they were able to cater to many different food requests and allergies. The location is right on the water beside Burleigh's famous surf break. I highly recommend this place and would love to go back!
This restaurant is located inside the Ovolo the Valley Hotel in Brisbane. It is a Vegetarian restaurant celebrating the soulful vibe of Tel Aviv with fresh food sourced from the Middle Eastern with hints of the Mediterranean. The food here was spectacular. My favourites were the halloumi donuts, their hummus, fresh baked potato bread and the turkish delight for dessert. I still dream of this food!