Are the updates from your friends’ holiday pictures making you and your phone jealous? Don’t be jealous, get even and take a trip to one of these status update ready islands.
Magnetic Island
World Heritage listed Magnetic Island is one of Queensland’s hidden gems, situated within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and is a bit of a party island. Anyone looking to escape their boss will find all they could possibly want, with 23 beaches, countless snorkeling trails, adventure sports and activities, restaurants and bars. It’s also home to the largest koala colony in Queensland.
Stradbroke Island
Thousands of Queenslanders flock to “Straddie” every year to escape from the city and swap concrete roads for beautiful blond sand beaches and spectacular cliff walks. The island’s lush blue waters, home to coral reef systems, dolphins, mantarays and whales, lure snorkelers and scuba divers from all around the world.
Whitsunday Islands
Located in the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsunday’s Islands are a group of 74 tropical islands encircling the clear blue waters of Queensland. A relaxing sailing trip from Airlie Beach will lead to a tropical paradise that is abundant with marine life and white sandy beaches which are often ranked best in the world. Squeal!
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is a nature lover’s dream. Thanks to the islands isolated location off the mainland of South Australia the native bush and furry inhabitants have thrived. With one-third of the island declared National Park there are untouched beaches and it’s the quintessential location for penguins, koalas and you guessed it, kangaroos. This is also the place to go if you have ever dreamed of swimming with seals.
Tasmania
Famed monuments, including prisons built during Australia’s early convict history, old growth forests and the famed Tasmanian devil make this island unique. Did you know that you can also see the Northern Lights here on a clear night? Pretty amazing.
If you like the arts, arguably the best museum in the Sothern Hemisphere is also located here at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart. There is an art instillation that recreates the human digestion system. At 2pm sharp every day the machine does a poop.
Fiji
This island nation needs no introduction – famous as a honeymoon destination it actually has a huge backpacking scene. Travelers from around the world voyage to discover and indulge in ‘Bula Time’, which basically means doing ‘sweet nothing’ in tropical paradise. The 300+ island nation offers ecotourism from snorkeling, canoeing and drinking coconuts. Fiji me!
Phillip Island
This little island is located just 140km southeast of Melbourne and visited annually by 3.5 million people, many of whom come to see the Little Penguins at the Penguin Parade http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Island_Nature_Park. This is one of the few places in the world where these cute fellas can be seen in nature. In addition the island offers pelican feeding, a chocolate factory and a little surf.
Stuart Island NZ
A special mention to the North and South Islands of New Zealand - known worldwide for its distinctive landscape made even more famous by the Lord of The Rings trilogy. New Zealand has been ranked as the world’s best in almost everything at least once; you should probably check it out
www.yha.co.nz.
