How to Enjoy Your Long Australian Vacation to the Fullest
How to Enjoy Your Long Australian Vacation to the Fullest
Let’s face it- Australia is a big place with many things to see, so going on a weekend road trip just doesn’t cut it. You will get half way there just to turn around and go back. What you really want to do is take a longer vacation and actually experience every part of the continent. But taking a lot of vacation days and going on a longer trip can be a gamble if not planned well. So here are some tips to follow if you want to make sure your trip is well worth the time. This is how to enjoy your long Australian vacation to the fullest.
Plan ahead
There are two stages of planning. They are equally important, but they are complete opposites. The first one is planning details. You want to plan out how you will be travelling, where you will be staying, how you are going to finance it, who will be taking care of your pets and so many other things. You should make a list of the places you want to see and people you want to visit. On the other hand, you should keep your trip as flexible and spontaneous as possible. If you have every minute of the vacation planned out, you will miss out on so many wonderful things that you couldn’t even imagine. So make sure to leave a few open spots for doing “something local”.
Don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path
Yes, there is a good reason why every famous landmark is famous, and they are all definitely worth seeing. But, they should never be the only thing you see. There are so many things hidden where you’d least expect them to be, just waiting to be discovered, and you will want to make sure you don’t regret not seeing all of them. Don’t always trust the online recommendations. Ask the locals what their favourite places are, for the things you want to experience. Eat at small restaurants, go to the parks, sit on a bench in the town square and try to soak up the atmosphere from more than a tourist perspective. Living like a local in a different town is sometimes the only way to really get to know the place.
Leave all your home worries – at home!
The last thing you want to do on a flight to the other side of the country is think: “Did I leave my oven on?” To avoid this thought or any other similar one, make a checklist of all the things you need to do before you leave the house. This includes having your pets and plants taken care of, finding someone who will check your home regularly to make sure everything is okay, and of course, checking if the oven is off. Make sure that somebody close to your home has the keys, in case of any unpredictable events. Another smart thing to do is to get some sort of travel insurance so that no matter what happens, someone’s got your back. And if anything does happen, we live in a world where we can pay rent online, and watch over our homes from afar via cameras and surveillance systems. It is now easier than ever to leave your home safe and sound, so make sure you prepare well in order to travel carefree.
Armed with this advice, you are one step closer to achieving the dreamy cross-country vacation. Going away for more than a couple of days can now be a stress-free event, without any “I wish I did that differently” or similar regretful thoughts. Go, have fun and experience your country to the fullest!