Across the Red Continent: A Backpacker’s Route from Reefs to Red Desert

Land in Perth and let the light set the tone. Kings Park lifts the city and the Swan River into one clean frame at sunrise, then Cottesloe Beach finishes the day with a horizon that melts into orange. Wander Fremantle for coffee, markets, and walls that beg to be photographed, then book your ferry to Rottnest. The island feels made for a first reel. Ride a bike along turquoise coves, meet a quokka with patience and space, and shoot The Basin or Pinky Beach when the water turns glassy. If you film, record a few minutes of shoreline sound, it will carry your edits later.

Point the map north up the Coral Coast and give yourself time. Ningaloo puts you in the water with manta rays and whale sharks when in season. Book with responsible operators, keep your distance, and capture gentle movement rather than chase it. Kalbarri turns the color dial to deep red. Walk out to Nature’s Window in the early morning, frame the arch, and let the gorge sit in the middle of your shot. Shell Beach looks like snow until your feet crunch through it. Keep compositions simple, a single line of shoreline and the curve of the bay is often enough.

Push on to Broome when the country starts to feel endless. Cable Beach delivers camels in silhouette against a setting sun and water that keeps color long after dark. If budget or time keeps you closer to Perth, trade distance for depth and take a short outback loop. Rent a campervan, learn the basics of free and paid sites, and give yourself one night under a Milky Way that will spoil you for city skies. For night photos in Western Australia, carry a tripod, set a high ISO, and wait for your eyes to adjust. Cold air and silence become part of the memory.

Cross the continent in your own rhythm and trace the classic East Coast. Sydney rewards early alarms. Walk from Bondi toward Coogee at sunrise, then circle the harbor by ferry and shoot the Opera House and Bridge from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair when the water turns silver. At night, practice long exposures at Darling Harbour and carry a small cloth to wipe sea spray from your lens. Drift up to Byron Bay where the lighthouse greets the first light on the mainland and the town runs on surf and music. Film short sequences of street performers and sunrise paddlers, then keep the camera away for a while and just be part of it.

Sail the Whitsundays when the tide and sun align. Whitehaven Beach is every shade of blue in one place and Hill Inlet paints patterns that look unreal from the lookout. Book a boat that leaves early, pack a dry bag, and protect your batteries from heat. Continue to Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree. Choose operators who respect the reef, float rather than kick, and use slow motion underwater to turn movement into rhythm. In the rainforest, watch for condensation, cover your gear between shots, and let the sound of insects and water become your soundtrack.

Cut back south through South Australia when your timeline allows it. Kangaroo Island gives you wildlife without the crowds. Work with long lenses and keep distance from sea lions and roos. Remarkable Rocks sits above an ocean that changes mood by the hour. Wait for clouds to move and shoot again, the rock shapes reveal themselves differently every few minutes. The Flinders Ranges will give you sunrise shadows that fold and unfold across ridges. Hike with water and a hat, set a simple goal for each day, and leave room to be surprised.

Angle for Victoria and reset in Melbourne. Hosier Lane is a living canvas that changes with every visit, which means you never really shoot the same wall twice. Walk St Kilda at golden hour, find the pier, and let reflections and silhouettes do the heavy lifting. When you are ready for road again, follow the Great Ocean Road. The Twelve Apostles deserve two visits, one in the soft dawn and one when the last light turns the stacks to fire. Slide down to Loch Ard Gorge to escape the wind and frame the cliffs with sea foam at your feet. Keep your schedule loose, this coast is better when you let weather tell you what to do.

Finish in Tasmania if you can. Cradle Mountain gives you alpine air that tastes clean, and lakes that mirror sky when the wind rests. Freycinet lifts you above Wineglass Bay, which means your best shot begins with a hike. Pack light, carry water, and give yourself time on the lookout to wait for boats and shadows to complete the frame.

Travel across Australia is easier than it looks if you build good habits. Mix hostel beds with camper nights to stretch your budget. Book key experiences ahead of time, for example Rottnest ferries, Ningaloo swims, Whitsundays boats, and popular coastal camps. Check park alerts and weather every night and never underestimate heat or distance. Drive slower than you think you need to and refuel early in the outback. Keep a simple kit that does the job. A mirrorless or DSLR, a wide lens for landscapes, a mid lens for people and wildlife, a tripod for night and time lapses, and an action camera for water. If you fly a drone, learn local rules and no-fly zones, ask when unsure, and remember that great stories do not rely on one angle.

For photos and film, plan light first and locations second. Aim for sunrise on icons, blue hour in cities, and midday in deserts and high country where hard light carves texture. Collect ambient sounds that match each place. Waves at Cottesloe, wind in gum trees, birds on the Daintree boardwalk, engine hum inside a ferry crossing. Small layers make edits feel alive.

The best part is how the route keeps raising the stakes. One morning you stand on pink shells that crunch like frost, the next you float above coral gardens, then you are watching camels draw lines across an orange beach, then city lights pull you into a harbor that looks like a stage set. By the time you reach the Apostles or the mountains of Tasmania, you will already be planning the next loop.

If you want the simplest version to follow, start in Perth, ride out to Rottnest, move north for Ningaloo and Kalbarri, drop back to Perth, fly across to Sydney, drift north to Byron, sail the Whitsundays, snorkel the reef near Cairns, swing south to Kangaroo Island and the Flinders, cut east to Melbourne, drive the Great Ocean Road, and if you have days left, hop to Tasmania. Keep mornings early, bags light, and plans flexible. Australia will do the rest.