The world is a wondrous place, but when you've traveled long and far enough, you try to find more things to do than your typical museum and walking tours.
While the Aussie East Coast has some excellent city tours and fine museums, it also has a quirky side where you get to experience some pretty offbeat things.
Hang Out With The Cool Kids at Melbourne's Secret Bars
Whether it's a secret handshake among friends or being in on a surprise proposal, everybody loves being part of a good secret. Now imagine being privy to something akin to Narnia for adults.
Have a drink where the cool kids hang out in Melbourne's underground laneway bars.
From secret doors hiding through graffiti-lined streets to a secret passageway behind a bookcase, you're sure to get a kick out of discovering Melbourne's secret bars.
Not sure where to start?
Check out one of our favorites!
Walk through the fridge out back of the Boston Sub, and you'll find yourself transported from a tiny sandwich shop to a cool tiki bar.
You'll love the island feel and creative cocktails. You'll find yourself sipping out of a pineapple, a coconut, and even a fishbowl. Be careful with the fishbowl drink, though (called the Hurricane).
It's made of tropically flavored goodness topped with a deliciously flamed rum center — and is definitely for sharing. If you want to try finishing it up yourself, you ought to space out the drink over a few hours.
Whether you want to brave the Hurricane on your own or share a few tiki drinks with your friends, you're sure to have fun in Jungle Boy's holiday vibes and chill tunes from the local DJs.
Experience Snow in Oz
For a country that goes from pleasantly warm, to blazing hot, to the fiery pits of hell in mere seconds, you'd think that snow would be completely out of the question, right?
You forget, while Australia is subtropical, it's still considered a temperate country.
Switzerland isn't the only country with a breathtaking Alpine region. Head up north to New South Wales and go 150km inland from the coast, when you see tall, beautiful mountain ranges, you know that you're nearing the Australian Alps.
It's a great refuge from the typical heat in the land down under. Start from the Kosciuszko National Park where you can take a scenic bush walk or bike through the lush park and stop by attractions like the Seaman's Hut, Snowy River, and Rawson Pass.
It's a six-hour trek, so you'll find loads of beautiful flora and fauna before even reaching the summit.
If the bush walk gets a little monotonous, remember that the park has loads of snow sports, biking, camping, horse ride, and cave tours to spoil you with.
If you want to get the best of exercise, sight-seeing, and bonding with your family, mates, or colleagues, the Kosciuszko National Park is something to check out.
Be A Human Kite & Enjoy the Views
Australia is a beautiful country with stunning shorelines, twinkling cities, and lush greeneries — but it looks even better from the sky.
If you've already booked a Skydive session, good. It's a great way to get that thrill of being up high and get great views of Straya. But if you've never tried Hang Gliding, it's an entirely different experience.
You don't get that free-falling feel, but you get to glide through the air flying squirrel style and get a bird's eye view of crystalline waters reflecting azure skies surrounded by refreshing greens.
It's always an incredible view from up above and can go from a calming experience as you float like a kite or a thrilling one as you swoop through the sky.
If you want to try it out, the guys at Byron Airwaves Hang Gliding can help you out.
Don't worry; they have experts to make sure that you get the best experience in this unique sport and safety as they take you up on a tandem flight.
They've done it for over 35 years and have no plans of stopping anytime soon. So brace yourself, take a running start, and take the leap so you can soar high over Cape Byron.
Watch Day 1 of a Baby Turtle's Life
One of the most awe-inspiring natural occurrences you will ever experience on the East coast is the turtle hatching at the Bundaberg Region.
Turtles are incredible creatures with a look of ancient grace and quiet strength and embody the ultimate chill vibe that every beach bum has.
The Mon Repos is a special place that shows how to beautifully integrate research, responsible business, education, and tourism.
They'll let you experience this unique phenomenon with them, but also captivate you as they teach the importance of conservation, the roles that these magnificent creatures play, the dangers they're currently experiencing, and what you can do about it.
If you want to make a whole weekend out of this, this area of the Southern Great Barrier Reef is also a great place to go diving, snorkeling, swimming, and so much more.
If you're ever in Australia anywhere from November to mid-March, you have to go to Mon Repos Beach to witness this one of a kind event.
If you want to discover the quirkier, weirder, and wilder side of the Aussie East Coast, you can't just stay in one place. From Victoria to Queensland, to New South Wales, and beyond, you have to keep moving if you want to see them all.
Make your stay one big adventure by turning it into a great road trip. Just be sure that you save up on travel so you can see and do more. Spend less for traveling by driving an affordable car hire. There are loads of them in each state, and they're a heck of a lot cheaper than taking cabs, and a heck more convenient than public transport or Uber.
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This story was brought to you in partnership with Alpha Car Hire.
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Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours.
- Hostelworld for booking hostels.
Izy Berry
Sunday 9th of July 2017
I would love to watch turtles hatch! (Asking the same question as Joyce) when's the best time to go?
joyce
Tuesday 27th of June 2017
When is the best time to visit and witness turtle hatching at Bundaberg Region?
Nitin Khanna
Monday 26th of June 2017
Wow! Amazing ideas to explore the things as much as you want! Thanks.