Many travellers assume that – as is often the case elsewhere in the world – cities are cities, and the countryside is the countryside, and the two never cross over. But this is far from the case in Australia!

Australia is very much an active, outdoors sort of place, and on the very doorstep of the hostels in Sydney and Melbourne – its two biggest backpacking cities – lie a host of adventure travel opportunities.

Sydney

Sydney: the first point of call for backpackers in Australia.Hostels in Sydney make it easy to take part in its most obvious and famous activity: surfing. In addition to the famous beaches of Bondi and Manly, there are some outstanding spots at Newcastle, Nambucca Heads, and, to the south, at Wollongong, amongst numerous others.

Naturally, the seas are also full of marine life. Snorkelling and diving in the waters of Jervis Bay and Byron Bay, allows you to witness the most incredible abundance of sparkling fish.

But in addition to the delights of the ocean, inland, there are also plenty of things to keep even the most hyperactive backpacker busy!

Stretching away from the city, the Royal National Park has countless trails along the cliff tops that beg to be explored, while the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park boasts absolutely spectacular bushwalks.

Melbourne

And it’s very much a case of more of the same in Melbourne. Despite Melbourne’s decidedly urban charms, backpackers invariably find themselves having to tear themselves away from their hostels in Melbourne and hit the road.

Much of the State of Victoria is given over to National Park. Trekking in the Port Campbell National Park is always a popular choice, while serious trekkers can take on the massive South-west Walk, more than 150 miles of beautiful, deserted natural landscapes.

The Grampians is also a great place to go horse riding, while out to the west, Mt Arapiles has some of the most exhilarating climbing in Australia. During the winter months, there’s also some great skiing and snowboarding in ‘the Snowies’ (the Snowy Mountains).

If this all sounds a bit expensive, a good way of funding it (which is also an activity of sorts!) is to do a bit of citrus fruit picking in the Riverland Region, while the countless grape picking opportunities start almost on the edge of Melbourne.

So rich is Australia’s natural bounty that it’s even got enough to share out, to help travellers fund their way around this magnificent country!