You know by now that at RatPack we like to do things a little bit different and that includes our RatPackers too! Holly will be sharing her top tips including:
- Where to find the best wildlife in Aussie
- How to get to these lesser known spots
- The exact secrets to finding each spot
- Her own personal tips on how to make the experience epic!
RatPacker Holly hit up the east coast and got well off the beaten track and saw all the sweet spots including some that you might not have heard of before…..check out her blog below!
Click images to see more.
Secret spots to check out
St Kilda penguins, Melbourne
Who have thought hey!? Penguins in Oz…Well, if you look carefully enough and tread lightly, you may be lucky enough to spot St Kilda’s colony of little penguins. You’ll find them at the end of St Kilda breakwater every night, at the end of St Kilda Pier, just past the kiosk. Make sure you get there about 30 minutes after sunset to be sure to get a spot.
TOP TIP: Look below you, under the wooden slats of the pier; they’re real shy, so a load of them hide under here.
Whiting Beach, Sydney
If you board the ferry from Sydney to Taronga Zoo, but head left at the wharf instead of going towards the zoo, you’ll come across the beginning of a headland walk. Walk for about 10 minutes along the path and you’ll discover Whiting Beach; a secluded spot with immense views of the Sydney skyline.
TOP TIP: Bring a camera, the views are not to be missed!
Palm Beach, Sydney
Ok, so not so ‘secret’, just more so that it’s not bothered with as it is quite a distance away from Sydney. But, it is worth the journey…believe me! The lighthouse walk is epic and when you [finally] reach the top, the 360 views are insane! The suburb is essentially a double beach; what more could you want! One side is pretty choppy whereas, the other is completely still and perfect for a little swim around. Also, if you are lucky enough to be there at any point between May and August, make sure to look out to sea for a spot of whale watching.
TOP TIP: Reward yourself after the lighthouse walk with a bite to eat at The Boathouse.
Fairy Bower Sea Pool, Manly
Arguably one of the coolest spots along the East Coast (my absolute fave to say the least). Situated about three quarters of the way along Marine Parade (to the right of Manly Beach), it is a glistening, inviting, picturesque pool of dreams. Its warm too, which beats the freezing cold water at Shelly Beach! Opt for this little sliver of paradise if you want to get away from Manly’s crashing waves on Main Beach. You can swim between the two though, if you fancy a change in scenery!
Wategos Beach, Byron Bay
Take a pit stop from the sweaty Cape Byron Lighthouse walk and cool off in the sheltered, sandy beach. It’s peaceful, not too crowded and sheltered, so the water is lukewarm and the perfect spot for paddle boarding, wave diving, swimming or simply taking a moment to float and soak up the sun. Now get back up, dry off and keep on going strong towards the lighthouse, you can do it!
TOP TIP: Look out for Byron’s pod of dolphins that like to frequent this area. AND make sure you cruise in and see the RatPack crew >>> Byron Bay is their home!
Tallebudgera Creek, Burleigh Heads
First things first, weave yourself along the Burleigh Heads headland walk, it’s great and extremely picturesque. By the way, Burleigh Heads is about a half hour drive away from Surfers Paradise. Anyway, on to the good bit…Tallebudgera Creek; the glistening, light blue lagoon positioned at the end of the headland walk. Take a whole day here to wind down, relax and take in the incredible scenery; you’ve got the National Park on one side and the creek to the other…perfection.
TOP TIP: Bring a snorkel – there are schools of teeny, shiny fish everywhere.
Wallaby watching at Geoffrey Bay, Magnetic Island
Here’s another one to add to your Maggie Island itinerary. At dusk, when the weather begins to cool down a little, head on down to Geoffrey Bay (it is just to the right of where the ferry drops you off, so a perfect activity to end the day with).
Here, you’ll come across the island’s huge population of rock wallabies…it’s amazing! They’re super cute, extremely friendly and will keep you entertained for hours. Be sure to keep very quiet and make minimal movement, then they should come right up to you.
TOP TIP: Pack a banana, they love them!
Lake Echam, Cairns
Second to the Great Barrier Reef, this was one of the highlights of my time spend in Cairns. It is simply just a huge lake, but it’s so much fun! It was formed by a volcanic crater, so the water is naturally really warm and super clear. There are numerous pontoons around to jump in from and swim between. It is a pretty cool, unique location surrounded by the Atherton Table rainforest.
TOP TIP: Look out for tree kangaroos.
About the Author: Sammy
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I had a call with Ryan who was super nice, knowledgable and made me feel really at ease with making my decision. He asked me all about what I want to do and achieve on my trip, although I didn’t really want to pack too much in… nor gave much detail on what I want to do, he gave options and ideas for me to look into. He used his own experience as an example which was really helpful to hear and made me feel like I’m right at home with RatPack, I knew then I was making the right choice by talking to him. He answered any questions I had, even if they seemed like silly questions to ask. The booking process is really easy and straight forward, they do all the hard parts for you. Once Ryan talked me through my options, I made my selection and all I had to do was enter my card details for the deposit and I was done! Thanks to Ryan’s detailed and calm approach I knew I was booking with the right company/team. I can’t wait for the next step!!
George has been amazing. He put together the costings for our trip, and then I changed the dates completely and he redid everything and said it wasn’t a problem. I felt that he worked hard to get me the best deal, advised me which pickup town was the best deal, when was the best time to travel, and how I could save money by adding a day to our trip (yes, it was cheaper to go for 21 days than go for 20!). George sent through mountains of advice on travel destinations, camping sites etc. I would definitely recommend RatPack Travel and George.
The Ratpack team and specifically Ryan f were great for booking our dream New Zealand campervan trip. Ryan worked hard over several days trying to find the best possible deals for us and the communication was great with updates regularly. He was able to get us 2 vans that out did any other quotes that we received and we are really looking forward to our trip with Ratpack being by our side. Thanks a lot Ryan F!
Lovely people, more than helpful.
I am so stoked with the service I received from Ryan at RatPack Travel. He was so proactive and on the ball to help me with all my questions and variations. He gave me several options and gave me other things to look at to make sure I had all that I needed. Ryan did all the legwork in following up the availability of the type of van I wanted. If you are wanting to go on a Campervan holiday no matter how long or short, I would recommend RatPack Travel! They will be you support in every step of the process, in the lead up and while on the road. Thanks Ryan! You're a legend! They are a one stop shop when it comes to sourcing campervans and motorhomes from different providers! I nearly forgot to say - he got me a great deal on a newer model. ;)
Thijs and Gemma were just so lovely to communicate with and explained everything so well. Booked us our campervan seamlessly, and with a great deal too 😊 10/10 service from them both!! Couldn’t recommend more! 😊
Ben was super helpful, easy to deal with and always got back to all my questions nice and quickly, with all the campervan options out there we really didn’t know what one to go with but Ben did all the searching for us and made the whole process really simple.
Amazing and outstanding customer service, Ryan exceeded all expectations, he and his team found the perfect deal for us, if you are looking for renting a campervan in NZ or Oz, don’t look for more! Go straight to them and you’ll see you are in the best hands! 🙌
Greg was superb! We told him what we wanted in a camper van. Even with less than two weeks notice, he didn’t disappoint. We loved our camper van and it was perfect for the two of us!
