Wild Kiwi Australia: Plan Your Next Getaway with Road Trip Tours!

Australia is the kind of ‘wild’ destination that has it all: from vast desert spaces in ‘the Outback’, to rich marine life in the Great Barrier Reef. Let’s not also forget its unique wildlife, colorful urban cities, exciting outdoor activities, and stunning rainforests — seriously, I could go on and on about Australia’s beauty! (Wild Kiwi Australia).

So if you’re like me who is looking for an unforgettable adventure this year, you should seriously consider putting Australia high up on your list.

…But if I may suggest, why not explore the East Coast first and join a road trip tour with Wild Kiwi to make the most of this getaway? After all, I had an amazing time with them when I was in New Zealand; so when I heard that they have established tours to Australia, I was so stoked!

RELATED READ: Ultimate New Zealand Road Trip Itinerary for 1st-Time Visitors (North & South Island)

About Wild Kiwi Australia

Wild Kiwi is under ‘Navigate Travel‘ — a reputable tour company that is committed to offering high-quality holidays in places all over the world. This kind of strong dedication has led them to being market leaders in their field for over 10 years now, and this is further evidenced by the number of successful brands that they have.

Wild Kiwi is actually the newest in their portfolio but it has already become a HUGE hit in New Zealand (and more recently, in Australia) through its curated road trip circuits that are packed with memorable and unique travel experiences!

Why I Love Wild Kiwi

The fact that I had a swell time with them when I was traveling in New Zealand is the topmost reason why, but if I had to break it down into a list, here’s why…

• I was traveling in style: If there is a business class on airplanes, Wild Kiwi has a road trip version for that. Besides, all of their vehicles are luxury tour types that are of the highest quality! For starters, it features reclining leather seats for full comfort, enough leg room for stretching out, USB ports to keep my electronics charged, sweet stereos for incredible music, and wide panoramic windows to admire the epic Australia views. Not to mention…
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• There’s always unlimited WiFi: Which totally kept me on top of my social media game. Sure enough, you won’t just be riding in a “bus” with Wild Kiwi Australia, but rather in a premium cruiser that’s perfect for a road trip adventure in the 21st century!
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• They have an amazing range of accommodation: When it’s finally time to bunk down for the night, I stayed in the best accommodation places possible in New Zealand — so for sure, you’ll get the whole package in Australia as well. Plus, even if some places will be hostels, you’ll be ensured that the number of guests per room will be low in order to keep it more personal. (But from my experience, not a lot of us spent so much time in the rooms since most of us were busy enjoying the stunning night sky or checking out the local nightlife!).
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• We always had LOCAL expert guides: After all, what better way to explore a destination than to be with expert “local” guides, right? What I mean is that with Wild Kiwi, they really make it a point to not just hire drivers because they rather get people who are passionate and fun in what they do so that every guest on board will have the experience of a lifetime!
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• Tours are done in small groups of 18 to 35 year olds: All of the road trip circuits available are limited to small sizes of up to 16 people only in order to make the whole adventure compact and manageable. Besides, we all know how chaotic and horrible it could be to be with such a big bustling group — hence, with Wild Kiwi, you will surely have none of that and you’ll even likely have a new ‘squad’ made up of like-minded people in no time. (FYI: These trips are great for solo travelers too! It’s a great way to meet new buddies!)
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• They have different circuits to choose from: Wild Kiwi only brings the best of the best, that’s why they have hunted out all the epic spots and experiences both in New Zealand and in Australia. Read here to see New Zealand’s different routes, but for Australia, continue reading on below…

Australia Road Trip Tours

Wild Kiwi offers the following two (2) ultimate road trip tours in Australia!

What are the basic inclusions in ALL of these Australia tours? An expert local guide + driver, transportation, accommodation, all breakfasts (sometimes some of the other meals), visits Australia’s best spots, select activities, and a surf camp experience.

^{DISCLAIMER: All prices stated below may change. To be sure, always check Wild Kiwi’s website.}

» 14-Day Absolute Aussie

This is the ULTIMATE East Coast Adventure that you will ever have! With more days set for exploring this area, you can get to enjoy more of these road trip highlights:

• Taste delicious Hunter Valley wines.
• Make footprints in the almost untouched beaches of Fraser Island.
• Set foot in the tropical Northern rainforests surrounding Cairns.
• Snorkel or dive into the natural wonder of the Great Barrier Reef.
• (Already included in the 6-day road trip route above…)
  • Discover the World Heritage-listed National Park, The Blue Mountains.
  • Tour Port Macquarie’s Koala Hospital to meet Australia’s native furry friends.
  • Roam the chilled town and surfer hotspot, Byron Bay.
  • Stay at an Australian-owned surf camp at Spot X.

Detailed itinerary: See details here.
Cost: Starts from $2,299 AUD per person for this 14-day road trip that starts in Sydney and ends in Cairns. This cost already includes the following…
Inclusions:

• Expert local guide/driver
• Road transportation
• Unlimited WiFi
• Accommodations for 13 nights
  • Including 2 nights of Whitsundays sailing
• Surf camp stay, lessons and meals
• Daily continental breakfast
• Some other meals
• Guided tour at Koala Hospital
• Exploration of the hit spots in the East Coast
• Guided train journey between Noosa and Cairns
• 1-day guided Fraser island adventure

Extras: There is a list of optional/additional activities that you can choose from all throughout the itinerary — from jet boating to sky diving or hot air balloon rides. These can cost between $10 to $300 AUD and I recommend setting a budget for these extra activities as they will be your biggest expense while traveling in Australia. Anyhow, regardless of what you’ll do, you’ll have the best time of your life!

» 6-Day East Coast Voyager

Starting in either Brisbane or Sydney, this is the perfect week-long road trip tour of Australia’s East Coast. There will certainly be a lot of unforgettable things that you will be doing and below are just some of the itinerary highlights:

• Discover the World Heritage-listed National Park, The Blue Mountains.
• Tour Port Macquarie’s Koala Hospital to meet Australia’s native furry friends.
• Roam the chilled town and surfer hotspot, Byron Bay.
• Stay at an Australian-owned surf camp at Spot X.

Detailed itinerary: See details here.
Cost: Starts from $1,199 AUD per person for this 6-day road trip that starts from either Brisbane or Sydney. This cost already includes the following…
Inclusions:

• Expert local guide/driver
• Road transportation
• Unlimited WiFi
• Accommodations for 6 nights
• Surf camp stay, lessons and meals
• Daily continental breakfast
• Some other meals
• Guided tour at Koala Hospital
• Exploration of the hit spots in the East Coast

Extras: There is a list of optional/additional activities that you can choose from all throughout the itinerary — from kayaking to sky diving. These can cost between $10 to $260 AUD and I recommend setting a budget for these extra activities as they will be your biggest expense while traveling in Australia. Anyhow, regardless of what you’ll do, you’ll have the best time of your life!

Australia Travel Guide

IMPORTANT: Much like New Zealand, Australia has VERY strict quarantine laws for animal and vegetable derived products (any food, wooden products, seeds, etc) due to the relatively unspoiled Australian biosphere that they want to maintain. To ensure this is followed, they scan your baggage and even have dogs examine them. If you’re ever in doubt, ask for clarification — otherwise, you will be charged with a hefty fine of around $220 or more.

» Best Time to Visit

Technically, there is NEVER a bad time to go to Australia; yet of course, weather can vary a lot in some places since this destination is undeniably huge and it will depend on your preference and budget. But as an overview, below are Australia’s seasons:

High season usually happens in the winter given that April to September typically have a more pleasant weather — this is also the best time to visit the Grand Barrier Reef and the Red Centre. On the other hand, October to March is the low season since it’s just too hot or too wet. Yet again, costs are lower so some people brave the heat. The way I see it, if you want the middle ground without too much of a crowd and without shelling out too much money, it will be around September and/or October.

If I may add a tip, avoid Australia on Boxing Day (December 26 until the end of January) because this is when the Aussies take their summer vacations.

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» Getting in to Australia

My go-to platform for grabbing the best flight deals is Skyscanner since it scans all the possible airlines that fly to and from your destination. I can even set up alerts so that it notifies me when the prices suddenly drop or rise.

Most travelers arrive in Sydney, the largest city, at Sydney Airport (SYD) which is located 8km south of the city center. Airport Link offers a fast and convenient way to reach the city and suburbs, with trains running approximately every 10 minutes and at a cost of around $14 AUD. Other options are taxi (about $50AUD), shuttle and bus.

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» Visa for Australia

As of 2015, Australia has no intention to provide visa-free access for any country, except for some who are given visitor visa exemptions to. You can check this list of countries to see if you need tourist visas to enter Australia or not. For more information, you can visit the Australia embassy that’s near you.

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» Where to Stay (Australia Accommodations)

Since Wild Kiwi mainly has Brisbane, Cairns and Sydney as starting and end points for their road trip journeys, below are the top accommodations that I recommend. (FYI: It is highly recommended that you take a minimum of 1 pre and post accommodation with your Wild Kiwi road trip journey to allot some time of relaxation before and after your flights.)

BRISBANE
Budget: City Backpackers HQ (or see HostelWorld for complete list of Auckland hostels)
Mid-Range: Meriton Suites Herschel Street or AirBnB (sign up through this link to get $40 free)
Luxury: Sofitel Brisbane Central

CAIRNS
Budget: Gilligan’s Backpacker Hotel & Resort (or see HostelWorld for complete list of Christchurch hostels)
Mid-Range: Cairns Plaza Hotel or AirBnB (sign up through this link to get $40 free)
Luxury: Shangri-La Hotel The Marina Cairns

SYDNEY
Budget: Wake Up! Sydney Central (or see HostelWorld for complete list of Christchurch hostels)
Mid-Range: Cambridge Hotel Sydney or AirBnB (sign up through this link to get $40 free)
Luxury: Shangri-La Hotel Sydney

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» Australian Currency

Australia’s currency is called Australian Dollar (AUD).
Rate exchange: USD $1 = AUD $1.40~ = Php 50~ (As of January 2019)

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» Cost of Travel in Australia

To give you an idea, you should expect to travel in Australia with an average daily cost of about AUD $70~ per person on a budget, or at least $190~ if you want to experience more comfort on activities, tours, hotels, and more. (Values below show low budget to medium budget ranges).

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» Safety in Australia

Australia is one of the safest countries in the world with very low crime rates — however, this is NO excuse to get too complacent. ‘Little crime’ does not mean ‘no crime’, so stay vigilant and be “street smart” by using your common sense at all times.

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» Language in Australia

Australia actually has no official languages but English has been the de facto national language with ‘Australian English’ as a major variety. That being said, it would not be a struggle for you to travel throughout the country as long as you can speak English. (The next most common spoken languages are Mandarin, Arabic, cantonese, Vietnamese and Italian).

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Overall

For an amazing destination like Australia, a road trip with Wild Kiwi will be a decision that you will never regret!