Deciding to take a honeymoon or romantic vacation in Australia is like selecting the U.S. as your destination: It sounds like a great idea -- but it's such a big country, where do you start? Few countries can boast as many different landscapes as Australia, and even fewer offer honeymoon couples as much unoccupied open space. Australia is often called a "last frontier" country, so if you're seeking a pioneer-style getaway, you can find plenty of places to pitch a tent and enjoy an undisturbed swim or cast a line from a deserted beach.
With it amazing wildlife and natural wonders, Australia is a truly unique place to honeymoon. Isolation from the rest of the world has enabled many weird and wonderful Australian animal species to survive _ including such creatures as the platypus, kangaroo, koala, echidna, wombat, numbat, wallaby, emu, and Tasmanian devil.
WHERE THE ACTION IS
The east coast of Australia is the focal point of the country's activities. It's here that the majority of Australians live, either in small country and coastal towns or in large cosmopolitan cities, and it's here most honeymoon couples visit.
The east coast is also famous for endless miles of coastline that are the source of Australia's beach lifestyle. For truly unique ocean adventures, try snorkeling with the massive, gentle whale sharks (off the west coast) or scuba diving on the largest coral reef in the world off the east coast. Love the beach for a honeymoon? From tropical coral-sand beaches that feel like talc between the toes to honeyed crescents of gold; from rugged headlands to secluded bays; from tiny inlets to beaches that stretch uninterrupted for a hundred miles, you've got your choice.
Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay south of Sydney, Australia has the whitest sand on earth; Queensland's Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world ringed by wide white beaches, monstrous towering sand dunes and populated with great stands of ancient trees. Then there's Ninety Mile Beach at Lakes Entrance east of Melbourne; the Hawaii-sized surf of the Margaret River Shipwreck Coast in the south-west, and friendly encounters with sun loving sea lions on South Australia's Kangaroo Island will make honeymoon couples swoon for another species.
Sydney's city beaches are among Australia's most famous. The shores hold surf beaches, secret harbor beaches, dramatic cliff headlands, and sleepy bays, all within Australia's largest city. Bondi, Australia's most famous beach, is a mecca for locals and international tourists alike, and minutes from Sydney. Expect to find skimpily clad surfers, lifeguards, and topless bathers. Dozens of restaurants add to the Parade and help make this Australia's most colorful and cosmopolitan beach.
SIGHT-SEE SYDNEY
As a city, Sydney began more than 200 years ago as a settlement for British convicts. Today it's a dynamic, thriving city of more than 3 million people, and the country's largest. The view of the harbor is dominated by the magnificent Opera House, and the waters are filled with ferries and boats of all shapes and sizes.
Whether you focus on Sydney or elsewhere in Australia for your honeymoon, you'll find a choice of suitable accommodations throughout the country. There are plenty of five-star hotels to select from, such as Melbourne's Sheraton Southgate and Grand Hyatt hotels, and the ANA, Park Hyatt, Sheraton On The Park and Observatory hotels in Sydney.
Somewhat less expensive, Accor Asia Pacific, with its four-star Novotel and three-star Ibis brands, and Southern Pacific Hotels, which operates three-star Travelodges and four- and four-and-a-half-star Parkroyals, have dozens of mid-priced hotels for honeymoon couples on a budget. If you want more of a resort experience, consider the Sheraton Mirage resorts in Port Douglas and the Gold Coast, north Queensland's Silky Oaks and Kingfisher Bay resorts, the Marriott Surfers Paradise Resort and the Freycinet and Cradle Mountain lodges in Tasmania.
The multi-purpose Ayers Rock Resort in the Red Centre, the Pajinka Wilderness Resort at Cape York, Treetops Resort in Port Douglas and small resorts in the winery districts of South Australia and New South Wales all offer the visitor quintessentially Australian experiences by focusing on Australian themes in architecture and interior design.
Other accommodation options include B&Bs, farm stays, where guests get to experience the day-to-day activities of a working farm; country pubs, usually older-style hotels with warm hospitality; and camping grounds and caravan parks.
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURES
Adventures come naturally to honeymoon couples in Australia as no other country has more scenic variety.
Choose from vast Outback plains, snow-capped mountains, wild rivers, forest-clad hills, plunging waterfalls, the scenic and massive Big Volcano national park in New South Wales, miles of coastline, exotic tropical islands, the world's largest coral reef, rolling surf, 800 bird species, unique wildlife, and rock art that's 25,000 years old. Activities you can participate in include bungee jumping, camel trekking, canoeing, rafting, hot-air ballooning, motorcyle touring, and theme-park visits.
With it amazing wildlife and natural wonders, Australia is a truly unique place to honeymoon. Isolation from the rest of the world has enabled many weird and wonderful Australian animal species to survive _ including such creatures as the platypus, kangaroo, koala, echidna, wombat, numbat, wallaby, emu, and Tasmanian devil.
WHERE THE ACTION IS
The east coast of Australia is the focal point of the country's activities. It's here that the majority of Australians live, either in small country and coastal towns or in large cosmopolitan cities, and it's here most honeymoon couples visit.
The east coast is also famous for endless miles of coastline that are the source of Australia's beach lifestyle. For truly unique ocean adventures, try snorkeling with the massive, gentle whale sharks (off the west coast) or scuba diving on the largest coral reef in the world off the east coast. Love the beach for a honeymoon? From tropical coral-sand beaches that feel like talc between the toes to honeyed crescents of gold; from rugged headlands to secluded bays; from tiny inlets to beaches that stretch uninterrupted for a hundred miles, you've got your choice.
Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay south of Sydney, Australia has the whitest sand on earth; Queensland's Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world ringed by wide white beaches, monstrous towering sand dunes and populated with great stands of ancient trees. Then there's Ninety Mile Beach at Lakes Entrance east of Melbourne; the Hawaii-sized surf of the Margaret River Shipwreck Coast in the south-west, and friendly encounters with sun loving sea lions on South Australia's Kangaroo Island will make honeymoon couples swoon for another species.
Sydney's city beaches are among Australia's most famous. The shores hold surf beaches, secret harbor beaches, dramatic cliff headlands, and sleepy bays, all within Australia's largest city. Bondi, Australia's most famous beach, is a mecca for locals and international tourists alike, and minutes from Sydney. Expect to find skimpily clad surfers, lifeguards, and topless bathers. Dozens of restaurants add to the Parade and help make this Australia's most colorful and cosmopolitan beach.
SIGHT-SEE SYDNEY
As a city, Sydney began more than 200 years ago as a settlement for British convicts. Today it's a dynamic, thriving city of more than 3 million people, and the country's largest. The view of the harbor is dominated by the magnificent Opera House, and the waters are filled with ferries and boats of all shapes and sizes.
Whether you focus on Sydney or elsewhere in Australia for your honeymoon, you'll find a choice of suitable accommodations throughout the country. There are plenty of five-star hotels to select from, such as Melbourne's Sheraton Southgate and Grand Hyatt hotels, and the ANA, Park Hyatt, Sheraton On The Park and Observatory hotels in Sydney.
Somewhat less expensive, Accor Asia Pacific, with its four-star Novotel and three-star Ibis brands, and Southern Pacific Hotels, which operates three-star Travelodges and four- and four-and-a-half-star Parkroyals, have dozens of mid-priced hotels for honeymoon couples on a budget. If you want more of a resort experience, consider the Sheraton Mirage resorts in Port Douglas and the Gold Coast, north Queensland's Silky Oaks and Kingfisher Bay resorts, the Marriott Surfers Paradise Resort and the Freycinet and Cradle Mountain lodges in Tasmania.
The multi-purpose Ayers Rock Resort in the Red Centre, the Pajinka Wilderness Resort at Cape York, Treetops Resort in Port Douglas and small resorts in the winery districts of South Australia and New South Wales all offer the visitor quintessentially Australian experiences by focusing on Australian themes in architecture and interior design.
Other accommodation options include B&Bs, farm stays, where guests get to experience the day-to-day activities of a working farm; country pubs, usually older-style hotels with warm hospitality; and camping grounds and caravan parks.
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURES
Adventures come naturally to honeymoon couples in Australia as no other country has more scenic variety.
Choose from vast Outback plains, snow-capped mountains, wild rivers, forest-clad hills, plunging waterfalls, the scenic and massive Big Volcano national park in New South Wales, miles of coastline, exotic tropical islands, the world's largest coral reef, rolling surf, 800 bird species, unique wildlife, and rock art that's 25,000 years old. Activities you can participate in include bungee jumping, camel trekking, canoeing, rafting, hot-air ballooning, motorcyle touring, and theme-park visits.