Australian Capital Territory
Canberra
Canberra is Australia’s planned capital — compact, walkable and full of national galleries, free museums and an unexpectedly social backpacker scene.
Destinations
Find your next epic backpacker destination
Embark on an epic backpacking adventure through Australia, from the skylines of Sydney to the vibrant laneways of Melbourne, Australia's cities are a treasure trove for backpackers.
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
New South Wales
Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains offer epic sandstone escarpments, dense eucalyptus valleys and an easy two‑hour train from Sydney; perfect for cheap hiking, hostel stays and day trips
New South Wales
Byron Bay
Compact surf town with a loud backpacker scene centred on Jonson Street — beaches, day walks and easy coach links to the NSW north coast.
New South Wales
Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley is NSW's closest major wine region to Sydney, with dozens of cellar doors, local shuttles and easy day-trip options for budget travellers.
New South Wales
Sydney
Sydney pairs a working harbour with surf beaches and a buzzing hostel scene; excellent public transport (Opal) makes city, Bondi and Manly quick and cheap to reach.
Northern Territory
Northern Territory
Alice Springs
Alice Springs is the Red Centre service town and launch pad for desert trips — compact, walkable and the place to sort tours, gear and groceries before heading into the o
Northern Territory
Darwin
Darwin is the Top End capital — a compact tropical city that’s the real gateway to Kakadu, Litchfield and Arnhem Land for short, cheap adventures.
Northern Territory
Kakadu
Kakadu is a vast Top End national park famed for ancient Aboriginal rock art, floodplain ecosystems, big crocs and properly remote camping opportunities.
Northern Territory
Katherine
Katherine is the practical base for Nitmiluk Gorge adventures — compact town with train and bus links, cheap hostels and easy access to river cruises, canoeing and hikes.
Northern Territory
Uluru
Uluru is the huge sandstone monolith in Australia's Red Centre; access via Yulara with a national park pass, best seen at sunrise or sunset viewing areas.
Queensland
Queensland
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach is the backpacker launchpad to the Whitsundays — short walk to the marina, heaps of tour operators, and easy airport shuttles from Proserpine.
Queensland
Brisbane
Brisbane is a walkable, river-first city with cheap ferries, solid hostel scene and easy day trips to islands and the coasts.
Queensland
Cairns & the Tropical North
Cairns is the practical base for Great Barrier Reef trips, rainforest day tours and laid-back CBD hostels with easy transport links.
Queensland
Gold Coast
Gold Coast is Australia’s beach-city mash-up: long surf beaches, high‑rise strips and easy public transport — ideal for short surf-and-party stops or longer seasonal work
Queensland
K'gari (Fraser Island)
K'gari (Fraser Island) is the world’s largest sand island — drive-on beaches, freshwater perched lakes and rainforest tracks that demand a tide-aware plan.
Queensland
Noosa & Sunshine Coast
Noosa pairs cliff-top National Park walks with a beachside town (Hastings Street and Main Beach), easy public buses and affordable hostels around Noosaville.
Queensland
Port Douglas
Port Douglas is a compact tropical town known for extremely quick access to the Great Barrier Reef and nearby rainforest, with hostels clustered along Macrossan Street.
South Australia
South Australia
Adelaide
Compact, cheap and annoyingly close to world-class wineries and beaches — Adelaide is a small city that makes big day trips easy for backpackers.
South Australia
Kangaroo Island
Rugged coast, easy wildlife viewing and sparse public transport: Kangaroo Island demands a pre-booked ferry or flight and a vehicle to get the most out of it.
Tasmania
Tasmania
Bruny Island
Coastal hikes, wild beaches and local produce define Bruny Island — a short ferry hop from Kettering ideal for 2–3 day backpacker trips.
Tasmania
Hobart
Hobart is a compact port city where rugged Tasmanian wilderness meets an active arts and food scene, with easy walking, cheap supermarkets and quick access to MONA.
Tasmania
Launceston
Launceston is a compact Tasmanian city with Cataract Gorge within walking distance, handy buses, cheap supermarkets and a strong hostel scene for short stays.
Tasmania
Port Arthur
Port Arthur is Tasmania's convict-era ruin complex on the Tasman Peninsula — easy day trips from Hobart, strong history vibes and practical options for budget travellers.
Victoria
Victoria
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is a road-trip ribbon of surf towns, rainforest and limestone stacks from Torquay to the 12 Apostles—ideal for short runs, camping and hostel hopping
Victoria
Melbourne
Melbourne lives in its laneways: coffee, street art, cheap eats and a tram network that makes getting around easy for backpackers.
Victoria
Mornington Peninsula
Coastal playground an hour from Melbourne with surf, wineries, hot springs and easy public transport — ideal for quick escapes and weekend hops.
Victoria
Phillip Island
Phillip Island is a short Victorian island best known for the nightly little penguin parade, surf beaches and a compact backpacker hub in Cowes.
Western Australia
Western Australia
Broome
Broome is a small pearling town on WA’s north coast known for long tidal beaches, sunset camel rides and a chilled backpacker scene centred on Chinatown and Town Beach.
Western Australia
Exmouth
Exmouth is the gateway to Ningaloo Reef — shore-access snorkelling, whale-shark season and Cape Range National Park make it a marine-megafauna hub.
Western Australia
Fremantle
Compact port city 30 minutes by train from Perth, Fremantle is known for its 19th-century streets, busy markets, café strip and easy walking access to beaches.
Western Australia
Margaret River
Margaret River is a compact south-west WA hub where reliable surf, limestone caves and cellar doors sit a short drive from town — great for a 2–3 day backpacker stop.
Western Australia
Perth
Perth is WA’s sunlit capital — compact, easy to walk and well‑connected by Transperth with quick day trips to Rottnest, Fremantle and the Swan Valley.
Western Australia
Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island: car-free beaches, photogenic quokkas and a bike-first culture—perfect for short, active backpacker trips from Perth or Fremantle.