This week’s topic on Traveler’s Night In, a “tweet-up” for travelers, was Australia. Ten questions were asked, tagged #TNI, and afterwards I was ready to book another trip to the land down under! (Yes, insert cheese-y line here) There were several trends that kept coming up today, and I think @LandLopers summed it up perfectly, “I’ve learned koalas are cute, there are more Hugh Jackman fans than I realized & Bloomin Onions aren’t from Oz”! Man, a bloomin’ onion sounds delicious!
Here are the questions:
Q1. What is the allure of Australia?
- @IntoxAbroad The unique flora and fauna resulting from thousands of years of isolation.
- @coreyann Koalas, wombats and my friend @dianadownunder 🙂 Oh, I hear it’s pretty too
- @LFroment How do you fit that into 140 characters?! land, people, atmosphere, natural wonders, ocean and outback…
- @happy06295Aside from the accent, which some people seem to have lost, just the absolute great disposition of the people living there!
- @annb04: The beaches, the surf and the DANGER! Lots of chance for risk and firsts
Q2. Tips for exploring the Great Barrier Reef?
- @theexplorateur Seriously good camera and don’t rush it at all!
- @alexisartichoke Take a boat out for snorkling or scuba but bring dramamine bc the seas get rough
- @candicewalsh Don’t die.
- @BridalTravelGuy Shark repellent
- @banffrocks: Even if it’s halloween, do NOT wear a seal costume while snorkeling.
Q3. Best place to catch a glimpse of a kangaroo or koala?
- @kelleyferro: I stopped at a roadside croc/kanagaroo farm btw Cairns & Sydney… I liked the ‘roos more than the koalas
- @jcreaturetravel I saw kangaroos in the Blue Mountains, not that far from Sydney.
- @Vagabond3Live Kangaroo Island, for sure. Bob was in a field surrounded by kangaroos. petting them
- @whereisyvette Also great spot is the koala reserve on Phillip Island. Bonus of seeing the Little Penguins as well!
- @Only398 Murramarang Nature Preserve 3 hours south of Sydney (wild kangaroos), Koala Park Sanctuar
Q4. Favorite outback adventure in Australia?
- @purplekat99 road trip from Adelaide to Alice Springs (via Uluru & Kings Cyn, of course!)
- @wheresandrew Kings Creek Station, Northern Territory! I was mustering brumbies there last week, cooking on a fire & sleeping in a swag!
- @allaboutmexico romantic evenings with a bloke with a great accent
- @KickTheGrind I did the Olgas want in the rain. The Waterfalls off those as well as Uluru were breathtaking
- @SheilaBeal is a lot like A3 – favorite Outback adventure was hiking around the Kata Tjutas followed by watching the sun set on the rocks.
- @GDARCYRYAN: Favorite outback adventure in Australia? — working as a jackaroo in Dingo, QLD
Q5. Craziest encounter in Australia? Details?
- @annb04 Minus my roommates vicious screams at cockroaches… prob the time I woke up with 80 bug bits after sleeping on the beach
- @FacingTheStreet: A5 being taken on a penguin tour of St. Kilda’s breakwater by three septuagenarians in Speedos. #tni #natgeo
- @KickTheGrind: Slept by a campfire in the Outback & woke up at 3am spooning 2 dogs. Thank god for sleeping bags
- @lfnand: When my party boat crashed into another party boat (NYE, Syd Harbour) and no-one batted an eye lid
- @kymri: Met a guy at a bar once. He asked if I had any Aussie in me. I said no, he said “Would you like some?
Q6. Aussie you’d most like to travel with?
- @hugointhecity I know he’s from New Zealand, but perhaps the Geico Gekko would be a good guide
- @jetsetfarryn .. and ok, Russell Crowe
- @theaussienomad: you all want to travel with me!!!!! cmon admit it
- @lisajanPA Hugh Jackman works for me
- @Janelle_IT_Blog: cate blanchett. We’d drink wine and gossip and I’d go to her theater.
Q7. Place to go for amazing pictures in Australia? Share one!
- @mobilelawyer Great Ocean Road doesn’t suck. http://twitpic.com/3pqjjn
- @dougfressh: There is no place that isn’t picture worthy… Shot over 2m photos on my trip http://yfrog.com/h2fa2bj
- @CharlieEBaillie The Busy Bondi Beach on New Years Day http://yfrog.com/h49tolj
- @mannysamaniego: Sunset at Uluru with a rainbow. It’s a shame my camera is sh*tty. http://yfrog.com/h47ejpj
- @GetPackedTravel 12 Apostles along Great Ocean Road, holding my amber sunglasses over camera lens http://twitpic.com/3pqklz
Q8. Best ways to cut costs while traveling in Australia? #TNI #natgeo
- @friedman_rachel: Make an Australian friend and sleep on her couch for three months.
- @solangefrancois Check out local pubs for special deals on meals
- @alexisartichoke Go offseason and book accomodations late when ppl r trying to get bodies into their rms. Stay in a condo so u can cook n relax
- @wheresandrew Hostels are NOT always cheaper than motels, work legally along the way, eat bush tucker.
Q9. City/Region in Australia you most want to visit?
- @travelpology Great Barrier Reef before it’s gone!
- @HotelHostess South Australia’s wine regions!
- @donnadeau Perth & all west coast next time
- @kgoingglobal Need to go back to Sydney, would love to visit the rainforest and have friends in Brisbane & Perth to visit!
- @AndrewOverseas The Whitsundays are always amazing! As is Noosa and Fraser Island
- @ShanAbd: The land of Never Never. Northern Territory, where the earth is red and for the stories aboriginal elders have to tell.
Q10. One thing @wheresandrew shouldn’t miss while down under?
- @thecitizeNY shopping for a new Aussie hat and pair of shades
- @BeachmereInn Cable Beach, Broome
- @mina_travelive: What!? You mean he missed something?!
- @mannysamaniego Get acquainted with eating TimTams, sometimes mistaken for Australia’s national cookie.
- @smqdc Play some Aussie rules football in Aus.
Miss #TNI this week? Join in with your answers to the questions in the comments below and make sure to join us next Thursday from 3:30 pm EST- 5:00 pm EST for all the fun!
Thanks to the ZipSetGo girls for organizing a conversation with travelers from all over the world!
photos by @dougFressh @mobilelawyer @mayainoz @annajura @qunospotter @friedman_rachel
*All photos have prior approval, credited and linked. If you would prefer for your tweet not to be included, just let us know!
