The Honeymoon Testers Blog

Denise & Mark's Travel Blog

Where are Denise and Mark today? 

The Central Coast, Australia!

Greyhound Roadtrip from Brisbane to Sydney!

Want to see Australia? A great way to leisurely travel the country on a budget, meeting new friends and fellow travellers along the way is to go by bus. It's a huge country with so much to see and the world-famous Greyhound buses can help your travel dreams come true.

To help you experience as much of Australia as possible, Greyhound Australia offers two types of passes; an Oz-Flexi Travel Pass where you can set your own itinerary by the kilometre or a 3, 5, 7, 10, 20 or 30 consecutive day pass; or an Oz-Choice Travel with popular pre-set routes between more than 1,100 destinations.

Greyhound runs 365 days a year, and it's really a hassle free way to travel on clean and comfortable buses. Even if you're travelling by yourself, it's easy to make friends along the way. 

We wanted to travel from Brisbane to Sydney, but we weren't in a rush and I wanted to show Mark some of the lovely sights of Australia before we went home to cold London. There are so many cool places to visit on the way down, so we decided on a hop-on hop-off tour with no particular itinerary.

The East Coast of Australia has so much to see! Gorgeous beaches, weird and quirky giant concrete landmarks and theme parks galore. Here's where I recommend you check out:

The Gold Coast / Surfer's Paradise: The name says it all. Sunshine, surf and lots of great bars and restaurants. There are some great theme parks here - Movie World, Sea World and Wet n Wild. It's a beautiful holiday destination and it's only one hour from Brisbane.

Byron Bay: The backpackers paradise. You can get off the bus with no accommodation sorted and you'll be greeted with friendly reps who'll drive you to local hostels. We got a double room with a private bathroom for $80/night but if you're willing to share, it's even cheaper. Byron is a relaxed, cute and alternative town with an unbelievable beach and a really lovely vibe. It's a great gateway for travel and a brilliant way to meet other travellers.

Coffs Harbour: Surfing lessons, tandem sky-diving, white water rafting and boat tours - Coffs Harbour is an adventurous town. You also have to visit the Big Banana, a celebration of one of Australia's most famous exports - bananas! 

Forster: A gorgeous little town with beautiful beaches. One of the most memorable things to do in Forster is to do a dolphin boat tour, or just walk along the Forster-Tuncurry bridge and you might be lucky to spot one in the harbour.

Newcastle: Close to the Hunter Valley wine region, stop by for a wine and gourmet food tour, or just chill out at the beach. Take in a soccer game to watch the Newcastle Jets, tickets are unbelievably cheap around $5.

The Central Coast: My home town! Get off at Tuggerah station, then a bus to the Entrance. The surfing is brilliant at Shelly Beach or you can go out fishing on Tuggerah Lake. It's not a traditional back-packing location, but it's perfect for families who want to stay in a self contained cabin at one of the tourist parks, or to couch surf with some friendly locals.

Sydney: Well, Sydney is so famous you probably don't need any recommendations! Climb the Harbour Bridge for an unforgettable view of the world's most beautiful sights - the Sydney Oprah House. Sydney has great night life, gorgeous food and so much to do and see. It's great for all budgets and you'll never want to go home!

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Travelling by Greyhound is also a great eco option to travel around this vast land Down Under. Travelling by coach uses 8 times less CO2 emissions than by plane, and for every full Greyhound coach, there are 16 fewer cars on the road!

A HUGE thank you to Greyhound Australia for a fantastic trip down the Coast. We had a blast and we can't wait to do it again and try and different part of Australia. 

To book your Greyhound adventure, visit Greyhound Australia.

 

Kuranda and Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park

Our day trip to Kuranda and Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park was a fantastic day out and a very fitting end to the last official day of our Honeymoon Testers assignment!

We had a pick up from the Sea Temple in Palm Cove to the picuresque Freshwater railway station for a train trip through the region's most beautiful scenery, past huge waterfalls and spectacular trees.

The trainline was opened in 1891, after removing 2.3 million metres of earth, creating 15 tunnels and 75 kilometres of track, by immigrants without modern equipment and with simple hand tools. It's a feat of engineering and human determination. 

Our stop was to the beautiful and leafy town of Kuranda, home to quirky and original markets, art galleries, bush walks and animal parks such as the Australian Venom Zoo, BatReach, BirdWorld, the Butterfly Sanctuary, Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve and the Koala Gardens. We had 1.5 hours to explore the town and get some yummy juice and macadamia brownies!

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Now came a very exciting part! The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is an amazing experience gliding high above Australia’s World Heritage listed tropical rainforest in specially constructed gondola cabins. 

It took about 7 years to get permission to build the Skyrail in the rainforest and only one year to build it. To completely protect the ground, it was constructed from the air by helicopter! 

There are several stops along the way for photo-ops, including the Red Peak and Barron Falls lookouts and the state-of-the-art Rainforest Interpretation information centre. It's truly a wondrous experience, not scary at all and one of the most unique views in the world!

The final stop was next to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park for a full experience day of indigenous Australian culture, where you are guided through demonstrations and shows in a seamless trip throughout the whole park to touch, taste, smell and experience everything.

You can learn from a Tjapukai warrior how traditional tools and weapons, as well as bush medicine were used 40,000 years ago by the Aboriginal people. Be entertained in the outdoor theatre by the beautiful river, featuring a live performance celebrating traditional Tjapukai corroborees and song and souvenir photographs afterwards with the dancers.

 

We tried out the boomerang demonstration, which was hilarious as everyone had to hide out in a netted tent together as newbies find it hard to control where their boomerang goes! My first attempt was pathetic but my second was pretty good. Mark however, was a natural as well as being a perfect shot in the spear demonstration, he actually hit the kangaroo dummy right between the eyes!

We finished the afternoon with a live multi-media show in the Creation theatre, which was a spectacular mix of live dancers and 3D technology and then a rousing didgeridoo demonstration. There's also a beautiful gift shop, so you can take home your own authentic piece of Aboriginal artwork or a didgeridoo.

It was one of the best experience centres I've been to, everything is top-class and absolutely fascinating. It's probably one of the best organised places I've seen as well. It really annoys me when places aren't well designed, but Tjapukai is just beautifully managed, which makes for a relaxed and informative visit.

We were also lucky to have a wedding ceremony by the river with the dancers in order to set our new Guinness World Record for Most Married Couple! It was a fantastic and moving end to our Honeymoon Tester's assignment and a perfect way to set a new record! (I'm going to do a full post on this soon)

Thank you to Down Under Tours for the fantastic all-inclusive Kuranda and Tjapukai day trip. We were staying at the nearby Sea Temple, see review here, who looked after us very well. Thanks also to Tourism Queensland for organising the great itinerary of our time in Port Douglas.

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Tropical North Queensland is a magical place for either a destination wedding or honeymoon. It will be an unforgettable experience. Runaway Bride and Groom can help you organise everything from the flight to every detail of the wedding. Find out more.

The Honeymoon Testers Recommend

Down Under Tours: We enjoyed the full inclusive Kuranda tour (you can do any of these separately) which cost AU$203-219 each and included; hostess escort, hotel pick-up and return, Kuranda Scenic Rail to Kuranda, free time, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, buffet lunch at Tjapukai Restaurant, entry to Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, which includes indigenous guiding, all theatres, the famous Tjapukai Dancers, boomerang/spear throwing and bush medicine demonstrations. Find out more.

Stay: Sea Temple and Spa

Rainforest: Daintree Tours with Down Under Tours

Snorkelling: Quicksilver Cruises Low Isles Tour

See native animals: Wildlife Habitat

Evening Cruise: Sailaway Port Douglas

 

Palm Cove and the Sea Temple Resort and Spa, Port Douglas

Palm Cove, Port Douglas is a gorgeous wedding destination in Queensland and recently voted Australia's Cleanest Beach! It's a really cute little town, full of upmarket restaurants, casual cafes, art galleries and quaint boutiques.

Palm Cove's location means beautiful tropical weather all year round with a beautiful palm tree lined beach. It's the perfect base to visit the Great Barrier Reef, Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rainforest.

We stayed at the nearby Sea Temple, a beautiful 5-star resort and spa, which is known for it's exclusive and private resort-style apartments, Mii Spa Day Spa and direct access to the beautiful 4-Mile beach.

The jewel of the resort is the spectacular crystal clear 3,000 square metre lagoon in the middle, providing relaxing shallow areas and beautiful sun-worshipping corners. 

Quicksilver Cruises: Sun, Turtles and Sharks At The Low Isles, Great Barrier Reef

The Low Isles are part of a 200 hectare coral platform in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef and consist of two islands, one purely of mangroves which is uninhabited and the other which is home to a lighthouse, observation centre and many forms of wildlife. 

We visited the Low Isles as part of a day trip with Quicksilver Cruises and it's one of the biggest highlights of our Honeymoon Testers gig so far.

Before this trip, I have to admit that I was terrified of the water. It all comes back to a time as a teenager when I almost got eaten by a pack of sharks (except they were dolphins and I didn't realise), so understandably it's taken me a while to feel comfortable in the water without waiting for a fin to appear beside me.

Exploring Tropical Port Douglas: Koalas, Crocodiles, Boat Cruises and a Pool Wedding!

Port Douglas is one of most gorgeous places in the world, in fact, it's even been voted third on 100 Best Towns in Australia! The relaxed vibe, proximity to World Heritage sites like the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, and wonderful clean beaches, it's a perfect place for an Australian holiday or honeymoon.

We spent two days in beautiful Port Douglas and you won't believe what we squeezed in to our holiday - kangaroos, crocodiles, a fancy yacht trip, and you guessed it - a wedding!

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Shipwrecked on Deserted Paradise Beach

The Thala Beach Lodge combines a stunning rainforest setting with views over a pristine white beach and tropical ocean bay. Our first destination in North Tropical Queensland was this charming resort located between Cairns and Port Douglas.

The private and and natural setting of the Thala Beach Lodge is a favourite for celebrities including Richard Branson, Natalie Umbruglia and now the Honeymoon Testers (haha!).

Thala is passionate about preserving their environment and is a pioneer in the sustainable tourism movement having attained the highest eco certification possible. The whole place is designed with nature in mind. The public areas around the restaurant and bar are all open air and blend seamlessly with the surroundings. The individual bungalows are nestled in the middle of trees and are virtually hidden away with only the sounds of birds and the ocean to disturb you.

Hayman Island: An Intimate and Secluded Island Getaway

Hayman Island is a romantic and secluded place, part of the Whitsundays in beautiful tropical North Queensland.

It's one of Australia's most popular honeymoon and destination wedding locations and is renowned throughout the world as a place of pristine beauty and luxurious excellence.

Guests come back again and again to experience the legendary Hayman hospitality. During our stay, a couple from New Zealand renewed their vows to celebrate 58 years of marriage. They have been coming to Hayman for more than 20 years and felt like they were surrounded by family and friends because everyone knows and loves them.

The Great Barrier Reef with Cruise Whitsundays

The Great Barrier Reef. One of the most famous World Heritage sites and the pride of Australia. The reef itself stretches an unbelievable 2300 kms from near Fraser Island to the very tippy-top of Australia. It's actually not one reef, but a series of thousands of interconnecting reefs.

It's home to thousands of unique fish and other marine life, including sharks and turtles and magnificent coral, giant clams and other sea life.

I've never made it to this unbelievable place until now. It's absolutely stunning and thanks to Cruise Whitsundays, we spent a day out at Knuckle Bay reef for a day of snorkelling, filming in Queensland's largest and most spectacular underwater viewing chamber and trying out the giant waterslide straight into the ocean.

Of course, we couldn't resist getting married by Skipper Phil and then celebrating by jumping down the slide. 

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Daydream Island - What An Incredible Experience

Seriously what an amazing name for a holiday destination - Daydream Island! Set within the famous Whitsunday Islands on the North Eastern coast of Queensland, it's one of Australia's most popular holiday destinations, especially since it's got a tropical climate most of the year round.

The island is just 30 minutes by ferry or a short helicopter ride from Abel Point Marina or the Great Barrier Reef Airport (Hamilton Island).

The island itself is just 1 kilometre in length and 300-400 metres wide (at the widest point), covered by coconut trees and is surrounded by the most incredible blue water imaginable. Island living at its best, everyone on Daydream is dedicated to creating a fantastic holiday for you.

As soon as we checked in, we were greeted by native kangaroos just chilling out on the beach, and some friendly cockatoos who stopped by our verandah to say hello. Our room overlooked the sea and every morning we woke up to the incredible sunrise. You can't help but feel happy as soon as you land, the blue sky and water is just breathtaking.

Style and Sophistication at The Sukhothai Hotel, Bangkok

The Sukhothai Hotel in Bangkok is a shining jewel amongst the city's 5-star hotels. With contemporary Thai and classically elegant design, it's an oasis from the bustling streets and designed with relaxation and privacy in mind.

As I enthused in our 24 Hours in Bangkok post, we were very impressed by the lovely suites at the Sukhothai, including the most incredible chocolate truffles on arrival and a pillow menu for guests to choose exactly the type and firmness of the pillow they'd prefer. It's touches like this that give the Sukhothai it's deserved international reputation for excellence and personalised service.