Australia
A mythical southern land to which young hopefuls fled in search of the gold fields. Today the gold rush is over and people come instead for guaranteed sun, sea and surf.

Queensland
The states main airport is in Cairns, a colonial town at the top of Australia's east coast. Until recently this was just a small fishing town but nowadays is known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. The best way to experience one of Mother Nature's most spectacular sights is by scuba diving. Unless you want to spend 3 of a 5day beginner's course studying in a classroom try and gain an open water qualification before you go. This allows you to spend three days on the reef just diving for roughly the same price (£135 3days/2nights all-inclusive).
If the idea of plunging to the bottom of the sea does not appeal to you there are other options such as a cruise on the glass bottomed boats touring the reef which allow you to snorkel at various points along the way. Viewing the reef from the air is unforgettable but comes at a price with 1/2hr helicopter flights costing up to £80.
North of cairns is Cape Tribulation which contains the rain forests and tropical climate. This is a fair distance from Cairns and unless you are desperate to visit it, your best bet is to travel down the coast to Airlie beach. This is a popular tourist destination as it is the main access point to sailing on the 80+ islands that constitute the Whitsunday's. The main package is a 3 day 2 night live aboard experience on a luxury 80ft yacht. £100 gets you food, bed, snorkelling and fishing equipment.
Most travel agents operate a package deal which combines both sailing on the Whitsunday's with the 4x4 adventure on Fraser Island. Whilst you may be alarmed at the £180 bill, it will save you money in the long run. Fraser Island is the worlds largest sand island a ½ hr ferry trip from Hervey Bay. Generally there are around 10 people to a 4x4 who then travel round the island for 3 days sleeping in tents and self-catering. Strictly speaking drivers have to be over 21 but if you just tell them you are and don't have your license on you, you can easily get away with it.
Surfer's Paradise lies on the border with New South Wales and is essentially a collection of hotels. Having travelled down the relatively sparse East Coast the energy of the place will come as a shock. It is comparable to Miami and could in fact be anywhere, spend a night here and move on.

New South Wales
The first place you are most likely to encounter is Byron Bay. Forget Surfer's Paradise, this is the place to do your surfing and is where you will find Australians spending their holidays. It is very busy so be warned book accommodation at least a week in advance. On the headland is a lighthouse which marks Australia's most easterly point, take a walk here for sun rise/set. Byron bay offers a host of activities such as sailing, diving, surfing, body boarding, mountain-biking and hiking up into a volcano crater. If however you just want to lounge around it offers several beaches stretching for miles into the distance.
Sydney has rapidly been gaining a reputation for being one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities. Together with the sheer beauty of the city and surrounding area this will make it one of your highlights in Australia. Things to do in the city itself include the Harbour bridge walk (£35), a tour of the opera house, an aerial view of the city from the AMP tower (£4) and shopping in one of the many malls.
The city is surrounded by some idyllic locations all of which are easily accessible. The two main beaches are Bondi beach and Manly beach. Bondi beach is arguably the world's most famous beach but is over crowded. Manly beach is equally good and the ferry trip to it takes you right out past the opera house (£6return). Having been up watching the Olympics in the early hours of the morning a tour of the stadium and surroundings may appeal to you. A must for all travellers is a trip to the Blue Mountains a 2 hour bus trip away. You can experience the beauty and tranquillity walking on the valley floor, on a scenic sky rail or on the near vertical ride on the train. The day trip costs about £17 with the train ride an additional £2.

Transport
There are three main bus companies that move backpackers along the East Coast. Time separates them into two groups. Oz Experience describes itself as adventure travel company and it will show you a lot more of real Australia taking you to places you wouldn't otherwise have gone such as stops at crocodile farms, cattle ranches etc. It is specifically for young people and at the end of the day there is usually a party of some description. However, as it does take you off the beaten track it does take longer and to make it worth your while you need to be spending at least 6 weeks on the coast to avoid having to travel too much. A Cairns-Sydney/ vice versa is about £150. The other operators are Mccafetery's and Greyhound. These two offer quick a to b buses which tend to travel over night and can result in problems finding accommodation when you arrive.

Advice
Jellyfish are about near the beaches in Queensland in the summer months so swimming is restricted to a stinger net the size of half a football pitch.
-Rich