Guide To Australia For Non-Surfers

I have dreamed to explore this diverse continent for a while now, but wasn’t sure if there will be enough adventures for a person like me. And by that I mean a person who suck at every possible sport, can’t swim if his life depends on it and definitely can’t surf. Because as you know Australia is famous for its long stretches of white-sand beaches and attracts surfers from all over the world.

Before I share some of the interesting things non surfers can do in Australia, let’s all take a moment of gratitude for all the great things that come from and can be found in the country such as:

• The Koalas
• The Kangaroos
• Clear sky filled with stars
• Shirtless Surfers that appear as if they have come out of a shampoo advertisement
• Endless Beaches
• Pristine Nature

Australia Zoo

I remember when I was young I used to watch a lot of documentaries with my family and I was dreaming of becoming a veterinarian working at the Australia Zoo. So there wasn’t a question about visiting when we drove by the big sign on the highway. Even the admission rate of $59 per person didn’t manage to change my mind. I was going to visit the Australia Zoo and I was going to steal pet a kangaroo and that was it!

Overall this is among the best zoo’s I have visited. I am sorry Australia Zoo, but Singapore Zoo is still my number one. Don’t get me wrong, the big animal enclosures and great layout and design of the place left a feeling of freedom and excitement in us, but we were somehow expecting more.

The highlights of the trip were the kangaroos, which you can pet freely as they are used to human presence, the sleepy koalas and the visit to the Wildlife Hospital.

The heart of Killarney Glen

I think I stayed with the coolest airbnb host in all Gold Coast! And she knew what she was talking about. So just like a pro, I got this super cool insight advice to visit the famous Killarney Waterfall, shaped as a heart.

Armed with my mobile internet and the name of the place I was going, I head off to Narang. It took us few hours to find the right way to the waterfall, but finally we stood in front of a not so glamorous gate.

There was a notice on the side of the parking, that there have been cases of cars that were broken into, but this wasn’t going to stop me from hiking to the waterfall. After all the most valuable thing I had in the car, was a pair of slippers and a Kit Kat.

The road to the waterfall is quite steep, but all the sweat and blisters were worth it.

Sleep Under The Stars

Not that my airbnb accommodations weren’t nice and comfortable, but I wanted to experience the great Australian outback and deep night sky that almost makes you feel you are outer space.

On the way  to Sydney I just stopped the car in the middle of nowhere (away from the main road) and turned off the headlights. The sky above me was breathtaking. There wasn’t even the slightest trace of air pollution or light noise and I could clearly see the Milky way and the millions of stars.

Myth busted: it’s not all Photoshop.

Drive All The Way To Sydney

It will take you around a day to drive to Sydney from Gold Coast, but if you have the time, do it. Flying can be cheaper and more convenient, but it will deprive you from views like this:

The famous drive from Gold Coast to Sydney offers amazing panoramic views, endless beaches and great opportunity to explore smaller towns. The only downside is that it takes almost a day to reach and you have to drive through the night as well. And let me tell you Australia has the best highways I have seen, but (there always is one but) the speed limits are quite big and as an added bonus there are like billion trucks that share the road with you. And when I say trucks ,I mean TRUCKS.  So if you are not an experienced driver it may be a little tricky.

Explore the Sydney Opera House

A visit to Australia is not a visit to Australia unless you go and check the Sydney Opera House. You don’t need to like opera or to have any knowledge in the classical music to be able to appreciate the beauty of this iconic building.

There are organized tours of the Sydney Opera House for the interested, but if you re not willing to spend some extra money on them, relax in one of the near by cafes with a delicious piece of pie.

While in the area you will get a bonus walk across one of the oldest bridges that has a great panoramic view of the Sydney Opera House. Sydney Harbour Bridge has been recognized as an international historic civil engineering landmark and is one of the interesting and free things you can explore.

See there is no room for worries, if you re not an experienced surfer. There will always be something interesting in Australia for you to explore or do. And after all, if all other options fail, you can always sit and enjoy the view of shirtless surfers on the beach. Count me in!