Burnie Airport (BWT) is less than a kilometre from the centre of Wynyard so you can just walk into town. Rex flies here from Melbourne.
There are buses to other destinations on the northwest coast, with services between Burnie and Wynyard the most frequent. You may need to make transport connections at Burnie or Devonport for destinations further afield.
Burnie’s small museum has exhibits about depicting Burnie’s history in the 19th century plus a gallery about Tasmania’s surfing culture.
You can get a cheap hearty dinner at many of Rocky’s pubs. The Bush Inn Bar & Grill in the Criterion Hotel is a favourite with locals and visitors alike; they also usually have long happy hours, but the nightlife from there fizzles out, so stop by a bottle shop for beer if you want to make it a long night.
Coaches stop in Busselton en route between Bunbury and Margaret River. Transwa and South West Coach Lines coaches stop on Peel Terrace in Busselton.
With a length of 2km, this is the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. There is good snorkelling off the jetty and also a small museum and an underwater observatory.
Just like Birdworld, but with butterflies. There are regular guided tours that depart every 10–15 minutes.
Because Byron Bay is off the main highway some coaches don’t stop here, but most on the Brisbane–Sydney route do. Most coaches, including Premier Motor Service coaches and smaller bus operators, stop near the information centre on Jonson Street outside the train station, but Greyhound Australia coaches stop outside Shop 2, 84 Jonson Street, Byron Bay (next to Noodle Box).
Brisbane 2 Byron operates a minibus service between Brisbane and Byron Bay. The trip takes two hours and costs $38.
There are several companies offering day trips to Nimbin, these trips range from a simple shuttle bus to tours that stop by at a number of local attractions. Because of competition, there are some good deals available. See the Nimbin section for more information.
Because Byron Bay is off the main highway some coaches don’t stop here, but most on the Brisbane–Sydney route do. Greyhound coaches stop outside Shop 2, 84 Jonson Street, Byron Bay (next to Noodle Box) and most other coaches stop near the information centre on Jonson Street outside the train station.
Byron Bay has excellent beginners waves and it’s a popular spot to learn to surf. One-day lessons with Byron Bay Surf School start at $65 for one-day (1 x 3.5 hour) course, $165 for a three-day (3 x 3.5 hour) course and $235 for a five-day (5 x 3.5 hour) course.
Byron Bay is on the Sydney–Brisbane train line with two daily trains in each direction. The train station is on Jonson Street in the centre of town.
Broome’s main attraction is this pristine 22km long beach. There are several companies including Broome Camel Safaris, Red Sun Camels and Ships of the Desert and that offer camel rides along the beach.
Try Café China in Rydges Plaza for excellent noodle dishes.
For breakfast or lunch, try Cafe Gecko in central Mission Beach for its healthy and surprisingly cheap fare.
Cairns International Airport is about 6km north of the city centre on Captain Cook Highway and handles frequent flights within Australia and is increasingly becoming a popular international gateway with flights from Asia and Papua New Guinea.
Many backpackers either arrive or depart Cairns by air and flights between Cairns and Alice Springs, Darwin and Sydney are often bundled with backpacker bus package deals.
Cairns Dive Centre is one of several companies in Cairns that offer scuba dive courses. These dive courses include several dives on the reef and upon completion give you PADI certification, which is essential for diving on the reef.
Like other dive schools in Cairns, Cairns Dive Centre has several different courses but the open water courses are the most popular; these courses combine theory and pool dives with a couple of dives on the Great Barrier Reef. Open water PADI courses generally run over four to five days, the cheaper courses involve daily trips out to the reef and the more expensive course include accommodation aboard a boat on the reef.
You can still dive without PADI certification, but this will involve doing an introductory dive as part of a day trip to the reef. An introductory dive is a good way to find out whether diving is for you.
The Cairns Museum is a small museum with exhibits on local history including Aboriginal and Chinese artifacts and displays on the impact of the railway and origins of the tourism industry.
This central gallery has exhibitions of works by local artists and it also hosts a programme of temporary exhibits.