Outback and beyond: Places to visit in Australia

MANILA, Philippines — Government agency Tourism Australia said that the Philippines is a growing market in Australia based on post-pandemic aviation arrivals.

Sharing data from Oxford Economics, Tourism Australia told Philstar.com at the recent International Media Marketplace in Singapore hosted by TravMedia last October 24 that the Philippines is indeed a standout market, likely because of travelers wanting to visit family and friends living in the country.

Tourism Australia confirmed that large Filipino communities can be found in three major cities — Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide — and scattered ones are in smaller towns, indicating opportunities for Filipino tourists to venture around Australia when visiting loved ones.

Philstar.com has compiled a list of interesting and unconventional travel ideas in Australia outside of the previously mentioned cities, save for one.

Representatives for tourism marketing leader Visit Victoria told Philstar.com that there was a large Philippine market visiting the state pre-pandemic, likely because of the Filipino community in Melbourne.

Post-pandemic, the Philippine market is still emerging (though Vietnam is catching up) at a better pace compared to countries like India and Singapore.

Melbourne is a popular city because of its numerous food markets. Self-titled “Coffee Capital of Australia,” most coffee shops in Melbourne use beans from Brazil and Ethiopia. These shops, however, roast their own beans, giving their coffee offerings a distinct flavor.

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Elsewhere in Victoria are the equally popular Puffing Billy ride, the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road, the Tesselaar Tulip Festival held in September in October, and trips to the Grampians National Park for nature lovers.

Driving to see the Twelve Apostles often takes a daytrip from Melbourne, as do visits to the wineries of Yarra Valley and the Penguin Parades on Phillip Island.

Numerous vineyards and natural hot springs can be found on the Mornington Peninsula.

A lot of Filipinos may not be entirely aware of places to go to in Western Australia, except for Perth, given