Get Away with Dre: Pretty Australian Towns
Thinking about a road trip around Australia? Or maybe you’re thinking of going on a day trip somewhere? Here are some pretty towns you must visit in Australia.
Image from visitbright.com.au
Bright, VIC
This town is oh-so-pretty in Autumn! And it’s famous for it because the Bright Autumn Festival which happens annually from the end of April to early May has people flocking to Bright. Who wouldn’t rock up when the whole town turns yellow, red, copper and gold?
Not only is it super pretty, but it’s charming and it has character. It’s not like other towns where you have one 1 main street, it has a few which forces you to venture and explore with each local store offering something different.
The food on offer is also different and delicious (think Melbourne-style contemporary dining). There’s plenty fresh produce on offer because Bright is surrounded by farmland, and you’re in wine country as well.
Bright is also a great place for all my outdoorsy people! There’s bushwalking, fishing, cycling, mountain biking (home to the famous Mystic MTB Park), paragliding, caving and abseiling. In Winter it brings the snow people and becomes a base for snowboarders, skiers and the dog sledding racers for Mt Buffalo, Falls Creek and Hotham.
Image from visitvictoria.com
Beechworth, VIC
This is a small but pretty town, and the best-preserved 19th Century gold mining town in Australia. They’ve kept the buildings to the same style, material and colour palette.
The original courthouse still stands and remains the same with original furniture. Beechworth is world renown because of Ned Kelly, and you can stand in the same cell he was in before he was taken to Melbourne Gaol to be hung.
The Old Beechworth Gaol has been maintained with ghost tours running throughout the year. Across from the jail is St Andrews Uniting Church which was built in 1857 in the Gothic Revival design. It actually cost 2500 pounds to build back then.
Beechworth is also known for its microbreweries (Bridge Road Brewery is pretty nice), Beechworth Honey, Beechworth Bakery and the Beechworth MTB park.
Image: booking.com
Noosa, QLD
Noosa is a holiday escape. A manicured, pretty town and it’s good weather adds to the appeal of the place. It’s a flat town with no high rises which keeps unified and neat. The locals have made sure it stays that way, pushing back and protesting against overdevelopment.
Despite it’s push against overdevelopment, it’s become a cosmopolitan town with one strip full of restaurants, designer stores, pubs and clubs with the beach running alongside it – good ol’ Hastings St.
Noosa NP is also a short walk east on Hastings St, perfect for a walk or a run in nature through giving you the scenery of the Noosa Headland and views of Laguna Bay, Noosa North shore and the Cooloola Sand Patch.
For more nature, you can travel to and explore the Noosa Everglades, a natural region of flooded grasslands and a beautiful sanctuary you can explore via kayak. It’s World Heritage Listed because there’s only 2 Everglades in the world (Florida & Noosa).
Image: portdouglastravel.com
Port Douglas, QLD
Gold was found in the river system nearby in 1877 which helped with Port Douglas’ boom, but it was wealthy businessman and Australia’s biggest criminal Christopher Skase that built the world-class Sheraton Mirage resort on Four Mile Beach that put Port Douglas on the map.
This beach resort town has great restaurants, bars, nightlife and activities for the kids. You can charter trips to the reef from here instead of Cairns, and travel a short while to the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre to explore the Daintree rainforest.
Broome, WA
Red dirt, white sand and blue sea, Broome is where the outback meets the sea. Just outside Broome you can check out the new Wildlife Wilderness Park and Refuge Centre where you can watch them feed crocodiles, and crocodile breeding and endangered animal regeneration also takes place here.
A bit south at Gantheaume Point, at Cable Beach you can see dinosaur footprints from the Cretaceous period (130 million years ago) preserved in the rock, roughly 30 metres out to sea at low tide.
Image from: Visitvictoria.com
Healesville, VIC
If you’re planning on doing a Yarra Valley trip in Victoria, you should do a stop at Healesville. We came across this place by accident, and glad we did. The drive between Narbethong and Healesville – the Black Spur – is fantastic! Like driving through a tropical forest, famous and iconic for its tall Mountain Ash trees and fern gullies. You can stop at the picnic areas at the base of the spur, Fernshaw and Dom Dom, to take in the area.
Healesville is also popular for its native wildlife sanctuary, outdoor walks and its selection of food. Great cafes, restaurants and a selection of wineries and breweries (a majority dog friendly with dog friendly winery tours available).
