Ajeeth Ramanan works as a Reservations Manager at Intrepid DMC in New Delhi, our local ground operator in India<\/a>. He recently spent a week in Australia<\/a>, travelling on Intrepid\u2019s seven-day Sydney to Brisbane Northbound tour<\/a>. This is what he had to say about his adventures in the Great Southern Land.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re going to Australia and you only have a week of holidays up your sleeve, you should do Intrepid\u2019s Sydney to Brisbane Northbound trip<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Why? Because it showcases some seriously beautiful scenery, you\u2019ll meet some of the wildlife that call Australia home and you\u2019ll learn from the traditional custodians of the land.<\/p>\n Here are seven reasons to add this trip to your Down Under diary.<\/p>\n Photo by Rae Martens<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sydney and Brisbane<\/a> are the second and third largest cities in Australia<\/a> respectively. They\u2019re both easily accessible with large airports and international flight routes.<\/p>\n With its iconic Opera House, Harbour Bridge and beaches dotted along the coast, there\u2019s no denying that Sydney is one of Australia\u2019s most beautiful cities. Enjoy the sea breeze and bustling beach scenes on the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk, stroll along the Darling Harbour or check out the city\u2019s stellar dining scene.<\/p>\n Another great way to experience Sydney is with a First Nations Cultural experience. From learning about native plants and their traditional uses with an Indigenous guide to tasting local bush tucker, these experiences will help you get a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.<\/p>\n Related: 5 amazing First Nations experiences in Sydney<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Brisbane, on the other hand, is more compact and offers a balance between the hustle and bustle of a big city and laid-back Queensland charm. One of the most popular areas of the city is South Bank, which boasts a man-made beach, a vibrant dining scene and many bars where you can sit down and enjoy Queensland\u2019s warm weather. You can also walk over to Queens Street for some lip-smacking grub and then take a long walk over the Story Bridge and along the river until you hit the Wheel of Brisbane, a 60-metre-high Ferris wheel.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a beach for everyone<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This trip covers a lot in just seven days, so there are some early starts. But it\u2019s worth getting up early, as there are some places where you\u2019ll need that extra time to take in the natural beauty, especially along the coast. The tour heads along the coastal road between Newcastle and Brisbane except for a small detour near Dorrigo, so you\u2019ll have your pick of beaches in northern New South Wales<\/a>. From white pristine sand to rocky cliffs and water that\u2019s a bit rough, there\u2019s a beach for everyone. In my opinion, the best one is Port Macquarie\u2019s town beach.<\/p>\n Explore our full range of adventures in Australia<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Rae Martens<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We saw a lot of wildlife on the trip, including kangaroos, wombats and those sleepy little teddy bears that aren\u2019t actually<\/em> bears, koalas. Fact: koalas are named after an indigenous word that means \u2018doesn\u2019t drink water\u2019. They eat and sleep most of the day, so that makes them my spirit animal. We visited the world\u2019s only koala hospital, which is run completely by volunteers. It\u2019s so good to see people coming from across the globe to help these animals.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t miss the opportunity to go kayaking in Byron Bay<\/a>. Seeing dolphins swimming up to the surface was an out-of-the-world experience.<\/p>\n Meeting the Gumbanyggir people<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The First Nations peoples of Australia have an ancient and continuing connection to the land and waters. We learned about the lifestyle of some of the First Nations peoples along the East Coast<\/a>, including the Gumbanyggir people. We took part in an indigenous experience in Valla Beach which included storytelling about life long before European settlers arrived. It was an emotional experience, but also very enlightening.<\/p>\n Related: 5 First Nations travel experiences in Brisbane<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n I was shocked to find out that within 250 metres of my surroundings, there was more than enough life sustenance, from food to medicine to fuel. It\u2019s mind-boggling to imagine the quantum of resources in the entire continent.<\/p>\n Related: <\/strong>How travelling in Australia taught me how small we really are<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Loving Australia!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There was a particularly decadent day on the tour \u2013 in the Hunter Valley \u2013 where you sample chocolate, cheese and wine and visit a distillery all on the same day. Most of the breakfasts you\u2019ll have are in local cafes, which is a delicious way to start your day. Don\u2019t be surprised if you put on a few pounds! The barbecue dinner in Byron Bay, which is a part of a farm-to-plate experience, was one of the most divine meals of the whole trip.<\/p>\n Related: 5 of Australia\u2019s best First Nations bush food experiences<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Pelicans in Tuncurry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nestled between Sydney and Brisbane is a multitude of small towns, each one competing to be the most attractive. There\u2019s the wee town of Maclean, with its Scottish Gaelic signboards and bagpiping music, and Bellingen, which has more writers than anywhere else in Australia. Then there\u2019s the riverside town of Forster and its twin Tuncurry, where pelicans wait patiently for morsels of fish while fishermen gut their catch of the day. Each town along the coast has a completely different vibe. Word to the wise: when you\u2019re in Maclean, try the fish and chips. You can thank me later.<\/p>\n The pub in Dorrigo is a great example of what the accommodation on this trip is like. It\u2019s very Australian with a rustic charm; maybe have a pint of pilsner and a game of pool while you\u2019re there. All the other hotels are comfortable, well maintained and centrally located, so you can walk off the chicken parma you had for dinner<\/p>\n My fellow travellers<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Our leader made the trip much more fun. Covering about 1000 kilometres (621 miles) in seven days can be a bit tiring, but not once was I bored. The leaders are ambassadors of the #beintrepid motto. When you\u2019re called \u2018mate\u2019 and made fun of (light-heartedly, of course!), you know you\u2019ve made friends for life. Thanks, Jason, for introducing me to Coopers Beer and just being the best \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n When I\u2019m next in Australia, I\u2019d like to travel further up the coast on Intrepid\u2019s Brisbane to Cairns Adventure<\/a>.<\/p>\n Explore Australia\u2019s beautiful east coast on Intrepid\u2019s 7-day Sydney to Brisbane Adventure. <\/a>Or check out the rest of Intrepid\u2019s Australia <\/a>trips.<\/p>\n As an Australian-owned business, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to their Elders past, present and future.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ajeeth Ramanan works as a Reservations Manager at Intrepid DMC in New Delhi, our local ground operator in India. He recently spent a week in Australia, travelling on Intrepid\u2019s seven-day Sydney to Brisbane Northbound tour. This is what he had to say about his adventures in the Great Southern Land. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to Australia […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":264868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11760],"tags":[40201,11509,5971,15732,7545],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-264867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure","tag-australias","tag-coast","tag-east","tag-explore","tag-reasons"],"yoast_head":"\n1. Explore some of Australia\u2019s biggest cities<\/h2>\n
![\"Swimming](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Intrepid-Travel-Adventure-Tours-Australia-Australia_Sydney_day-02_03.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. Experience the pristine beauty of the East Coast<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IMG_20190419_083622-e1582082001511.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. Meet native wildlife<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Koala_Port-Macquarie-e1582155809245.jpg\")
<\/p>\n4. Learn from the traditional custodians of the land<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IMG_20190416_115627-e1582081931123.jpg\")
<\/p>\n5. Enjoy the food that makes you go G\u2019day<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IMG_20190415_112308-e1582081864749.jpg\")
<\/p>\n6. Visit quirky towns<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IMG_20190415_110421-e1582081543148.jpg\")
<\/p>\n7. Experience Australia through a local\u2019s eyes<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IMG_20190415_101638-e1582081832294.jpg\")
<\/p>\n