Just because you’ve moved to beautiful Australia, it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a get-away vacation somewhere new. This article will go over the different spots to take a holiday, along with the average costs you may encounter. The flight times will be calculated from Australia’s largest airport: Sydney.
Tasmania
Tasmania is a state of Australia but is its own island nonetheless. Known for its fine dining, great cheese and chocolate, Tasmania is a great choice for foodies. Not just foodies, beer lovers will also be in with a treat, as Tasmania hosts some of the most loved beer brands such as Boags and Cascade.
Top 5 tourist attractions in Tasmania:
- Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
- Freycinet National Park
- The views from the Mount Wellington summit
- Hobart
- Salamanca Place and Market
Flight time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Flying to Tasmania from Sydney is a short journey. It is also possible to take a ferry over too, with the company Spirit of Tasmania.
Estimated cost per day (AUD): $300 with hotel
Like Sydney, Tasmania isn’t cheap. The above price does include a hotel, which averages around $180 – leaving you $120 AUD for meals, site seeing and getting around. The currency used in Tasmania is the Australian Dollar, which is no surprise seeing as Tasmania is still Australian.
New Zealand
New Zealand needs very little introduction, as it lies besides Australia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country is somewhat divided into north and south, along with a staggering 600 small islands. This is a great place to visit if you’re interested in island hopping, Maori culture and stunning landscapes.
Top 5 tourist attractions in New Zealand:
- Bay of Islands, North Island
- Lake Taupo and Tongariro National Park, North Island
- Rotorua, North Island
- Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, South Island
- Abel Tasman Coast Track, South Island
Flight time: 3 hours
A flight to New Zealand is a more-than-manageable 3 hours or just over. Fortunately, most flights are direct with no connections.
Estimated cost per day (AUD): $230 including hotel
New Zealand is a similar price to Australia – if anything, New Zealand is a little cheaper. With around AUD $130 for an average 1-person hotel or hostel. This leaves you with enough for some entertainment, travel and food. In the off-seasons, the prices can fall even more than this.
The currency used in New Zealand is the New Zealand Dollar, which is currently 1 NZD to 0.94 AUD. The similarity makes in prices keeps vacations here simple. For exchanging to New Zealand Dollars from AUD, TransferWise offer the mid-market rate with a 0.5% transfer fee.
Indonesia
Known for its stunning volcanoes and mountains, Indonesia is a great vacation for nature lovers to seek out some incredible natural wonders. There are also over 17,000 islands, which is mind-blowing, of which 6000 are inhabited.
Top 5 tourist attractions in Indonesia:
- Borobudur
- Gili islands
- Beaches in Bali
- Komodo National Park
- Bromo volcano
Flight time: 6 hours+
Many flights take 8 to 12 hours due to stop-overs, too.
Estimated cost per day (AUD): $60 with hotel
Indonesia is much cheaper than the previous two, as it’s a little further away in terms of economic development. The average 3* hotel is around AUD $20, so you can be sure to spend very little when travelling around (if you want to!). Of course, going to the big cities and staying in more luxurious hotels and restaurants will set you back more, but it will no doubt be the cheapest option so far.
The currency used in Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah.
For exchanging to Indonesia currency from AUD, TransferWise is currently offering the best rate, with WorldRemit a close second.
Fiji
Fiji is known for being the ultimate paradise. With over 300 tropical islands, there are plenty of touristy things to do in Fiji – it’s as if the whole place was designed to be the perfect vacation spot. To top it off, the locals are known to be one of the world’s happiest countries, so that’s a reason in itself to visit.
Top 5 tourist attractions in Fiji:
- Bouma National Heritage Park, Taveuni Island
- Beqa Lagoon, Viti Levu
- Blue Lagoon Cruise: Yasawa Islands
- Sri Siva Subramaniya Temple, Nadi
- Fiji Museum, Viti Levu
Flight time: 5 hours
In just under 5 hours you can arrive at Fiji from Sydney. However, like Indonesia, the majority of flights tend to be connection flights (but direct flights can still be found easily).
Estimated cost per day (AUD): $300 to $400
The average hotel in Fiji is close to $200 per night, although much cheaper options can be found. 2* hostels may set you back around $60 or so, which can certainly mean there’s no reason to rule Fiji out if you have a reasonably small budget. Whatever your accommodation, you’ll be blown away by the scenery and beaches.
The currency used in Fiji is the Fijian Dollar. For exchanging to the Fijian Dollar from AUD, you have a little more difficulty as most remittance companies don’t offer this trade. WorldRemit and OFX are two companies that do, in which you can be sure to get a decent rate and a relatively safe and fast transfer speed.
Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands are a very remote set of volcanic islands in the centre of the Pacific Ocean, roughly between the Philippines and Hawaii. Whilst it’s closely associated with the United States, it gained independence from it in 1979 and is now self-governed. There’s an abundance of beaches, incredible islands and natural wildlife to explore.
Top 5 tourist attractions in Marshall Islands:
- Get a boat, any boat, and explore the incredible coasts. This is home to some of the best sailors.
- Visit Majuro across the lagoon
- Rent snorkels and go diving
- Try spearfishing
- Visit the Majuro Alele Museum, as Marshal Islands were heavily involved in WW2
Flight time: Heavily dependent on the stopovers (often 24 hours)
There are rarely any flights, perhaps only a handful per month. You’re almost guaranteed to make a connection (often 2 stops), meaning your flight will likely be around 24 hours.
Estimated cost per day (AUD): $200
Marshall Islands has an average hotel nightly price of around USD$100. You can live off AUD$50 for food each day quite easily, and there isn’t that much to spend your money on. This is more of a laid-back, sunbathing paradise compared to say, Tasmania, which has lots of things to do.
The currency used in Marshall Islands is US Dollars, so converting currency is extremely easy. Revolut, TransferWise and many others will provide cheap transfers for this conversion.