This is part three in our series on the best places in Australia for vacation homes. Here on the Budget Trucks Blog, we often highlight cities to move to but now we are featuring the best cities to have a vacation home in. If you are planning on a vacation home, you likely want to find some place to relax, have fun, or an adventure away from all of the hustle and bustle of city life. In part one of our vacation home series we featured the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Mackay on the coast of Queensland, Port Douglas in the Tropical Far North of Queensland, and Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne, Victoria. In part two, we took you to possible vacation home destinations: Margaret River Region in Western Australia, Bruny Island in Tasmania, Shark Bay in Western Australia, and the Australian Alps. Here are four more places where you might choose to make your vacation home: Surfer’s Paradise, Kangaroo Island, Byron Bay, and Ningaloo Reef.
Surfers Paradise
Photo Credit: SurfersParadise.com
Photo Credit: SurfersParadise.com
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Photo Credit: SurfersParadise.com
Surfer’s Paradise is located just north of Gold Coast on the Queensland coast. It’s a well-known beach town that is about an hour drive south of Brisbane. While Gold Coast is the amusement park capital of Australia, Surfer’s Paradise is known for its beaches by day and a very popular nightlife which gives the town a great blend of vacation activities if you choose to have a holiday home here. As you can see, Surfer’s Paradise has high rises lining the beaches, so many condo or apartment type vacation homes are available including the Q1 Tower, which is the southern hemisphere’s tallest residential skyscraper.
Hiring a Moving Truck to Get to Surfers Paradise
Gold Coast Truck Rental Map Photo Credit: BudgetTrucks.com.au
Whether you are moving your vacation home belongings to your Surfers Paradise home or just want to hire a vehicle to get around while on holiday, you can hire a truck at Budget Truck’s Gold Coast location. Click on the links to get the best truck rental rates in Queensland. Our friendly and knowledgeable agents will help you find the right truck, van, or vehicle for your needs. While you are near Surfers Paradise and even Brisbane, you can also check out these other travel ideas from our Travel Tips Blog:
Family Getaways in Australia including Gold Coast
Surfer’s Paradise
Kid Friendly Tourist Destinations on the Gold Coast
Best Scenic Drives in Australia: The Rainforest Way
5 Day Trips from Brisbane
Things to Do in Brisbane
Free Things to do in Brisbane
Something for Everyone in the South Bank of Brisbane
The Rainforest Way
Pacific Coast Road Trip Sydney to Brisbane
Take a Trip to the Queensland Outback: Carnarvon National Park
Great Barrier Reef National Park
Top 5 Great Barrier Reef Port Cities and 5 Great Barrier Reef Destinations
Excursions for Your Great Barrier Reef Holiday
Great Barrier Reef Island Getaways
Beautiful and Diverse National Parks of Queensland
A Chocoholic’s Guide to Brisbane
Brisbane Island Escapes in Moreton Bay
Kangaroo Island
The Kangaroos of Kangaroo Island Photo Credit: By Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble – CC BY 2.0 (Wikipedia)
Admiral’s Arch Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Cape Willoughby Lighthouse Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Remarkable Rocks in Flinders Chase National Park Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By timparkinson – http://www.flickr.com/photos/timparkinson/104101897/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3411524
Kangaroo Island is a great place for a vacation home because there are such a variety of things to do while on the island. It’s Australia’s third largest island, with a mix of coastline, beaches, rugged and rocky terrain, as well as protected national park land. Things to do on Kangaroo Island include animal spotting, beach and watersports, boating, four wheel driving, and enjoying the delicious food and wine grown and freshly prepared on the island. Besides all of the marine life in the waters surrounding the island, on land you will find the island’s namesake kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koalas, bird, pelicans, penguins, seals, and sea lions. When you aren’t relaxing on the beach, you can explore the lighthouses, Flinders Chase National Park, Kelly Hill Caves and Conservation Park, Seal Bay Conservation Park, or climb the Remarkable Rocks.
Getting to and Around on Kangaroo Island
Adelaide Truck Hire Map Photo Credit: BudgetTrucks.com.au
Kangaroo Island is just off the coast of South Australia near the capital of the state, Adelaide. You can hire a truck at Budget Truck’s Adelaide location so that you can get around locally when you are not on the island. There is a ferry that can take your vehicle over to the island too, which makes moving your things to your vacation home. While in South Australia, you might want to travel around and take in any of the following places we previously covered on our Budget Travel Tips Blog:
Hop on Over to Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island Food Safari
The Beautiful City of Adelaide, South Australia
Things to Do in Adelaide, South Australia
Take a Cool Drive through the Adelaide Hills
Strangest Places to Visit in South Australia
Coober Pedy, South Australia
Best Places in Australia to Dive with Sharks
The Arkaba Walk
Tasting Australia Culinary Festival in Adelaide South Australia
Byron Bay
Byron Bay Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By Travis.Thurston – Photo, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25418908
Byron Bay Lighthouse Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1698921
Byron Bay’s Tallow Beach view from the lighthouse Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Wategos Beach Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Byron Bay is an excellent choice for a vacation home because you can enjoy holiday activities here year round. Byron Bay is Australia’s most easterly point on the mainland, so the sunrises here are epic all the time. From May through November is whale watching season and you can spot whales right from the coast or on fun whale watching cruises. Byron Bay’s beaches are spectacular places to relax, have fun, or just enjoy the sun, sand, and the ocean. Be sure to check out both Main Beach and the sheltered Wategos Beach. If walking trails and coastal lookouts are your thing, then you won’t be disappointed with the sweeping views available in Byron Bay. Walks and scenic lookouts can be found on the Cape Byron walking track, Cape Byron Marine Park, and Minyon Falls Lookout.
Hiring a Truck in Byron Bay
Byron Bay Car Rental Map Photo Credit: BudgetTrucks.com.au
Byron Bay is located on the northern coast of New South Wales not too far from the border to Queensland. That makes this destination a convenient vacation home for many different residents of both New South Wales and Queensland. Closest to Byron Bay, you can hire a vehicle at the Ballina Airport, rent a truck in Ballina, or you can hire a vehicle at Lismore or the Lismore Airport. Here are some other things to do while on holiday near Byron Bay:
Best Places to Get Married in NSW and Victoria
Whale Watching
The Legendary Pacific Coast Scenic Drive
Quirky Places to Stay in NSW
Swim, Surf, and Shop in the Seaside Village of Lennox Head
The Waterfall Way
Washpool National Park
Best Scenic Drives in Australia: The Rainforest Way
6 Australian Summer Holiday Road Trip Ideas
Ningaloo Reef
Swimming with Whale Sharks Photo Credit: AustraliasCoralCoast.com
Swimming with Sea a Turtle Photo Credit: AustraliasCoralCoast.com
Ningaloo Reef Beach Photo Credit: salsalis.com.au
Cape Range National Park Photo Credit: Parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au
Ningaloo Reef is located just off the coast of Exmouth on the northwest tip of Western Australia. This place is very popular between March and June because it is one of the only places in the world where you can swim with whale sharks. Some might argue it is the best place to swim with the gentle giants. A vacation home in Exmouth will make it easier to regularly do the type of thing that most only dream about. Ningaloo Reef is, of course, gorgeous year round. It is a World Heritage Site, and even when the whale sharks aren’t migrating through, you can encounter a wide variety of marine life including 500 different species of fish, 300 types of corals, and 600 species of molluscs; plus loggerhead, green, and hawksbill turtles. During other times of the year, you might witness dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, and humpback whales. There is so much diversity here and new species are being discovered all the time. The waters here are so clear and it can accommodate SCUBA divers as well as snorkelers. Some parts of the reef are shallow and less than one kilometre from the shore. While spending time on holiday here, you can also visit Cape Range National Park.
Hiring a Car in Western Australia
Exmouth Truck Rental Map Photo Credit: BudgetTrucks.com.au
Exmouth is in the northern section of Western Australia. Whether you are in need of a moving truck, or just a 4WD vehicle to get around and traverse the rugged landscape, we can help you at Budget Trucks Exmouth. You can also rent a truck, ute, van, or 4WD vehicle at the Exmouth Airport Budget Trucks location. Be sure to let your car rental agent know your travel plans so that they can recommend the best car for your needs. Here are some other nearby holiday ideas from our Budget Travel Tips Blog:
Shark Bay
Kalbarri National Park
Broome Western Australia
Swimming Experience of a Lifetime at Ningaloo Reef
Coral Coast Road Trip
Glamping in Western Australia
Karijini National Park