The ultimate packing guide to Australia

I thought packing for Australia would be easy, but it turned out to be a little more challenging than my usual packing list for any other vacation.

I spent 3 weeks in Australia during the summer, with 1 week exclusively in Sydney, NSW (check out my recommended itinerary here).

This guide covers what to pack for a trip to Australia, packing tips and tricks, and some tips for long-haul flights.

We all have different packing styles and needs. I tend to pack lightly: I brought a carry-on and a backpack for my 3-week trip. I considered the following:

• What types of activities I'd be doing: I knew I'd be walking and swimming a fair amount.
• I wasn't just on vacation: Since I had to work remotely for part of the time, so I needed to bring my laptop (and two sets of headphones, because I'm extra and have specific noise-cancelling needs)
• I booked accommodations that offered laundry: Two out of the three places I stayed at had laundry. That was a relief!

One fun surprise was that it turned out to be rainy and gloomy for a long weekend. It wasn't too bad, but I wished I had brought along an extra pair of comfy pants.

The ultimate packing List

My day-job is in project management, so I love to put checklists together! Packing is no exception, as this helps me to make sure I’m not leaving anything behind.

There’s nothing worse than realizing you forgot something after you’ve arrived at your destination (or at the airport)! Here’s my suggested list based on my 3-week trip for summertime:

Tops

• Tank tops x 5-6
• T-shirts x 3
• Black dress that can be dressed up or down x 1-2
• Lightweight wind-breaker jacket (bonus points if it can be compacted into a pouch!) x 1
• Light shirt/beachwear x 1

Bottoms

• Jean shorts x 2
• Runner shorts x 1-2
• Beach shorts x 1
• Leggings x 1
• Light comfy pants x 1
• Underwear x 100 :) this is the one thing I'll pack extra, you never know

Miscellaneous

• Swimsuits x 3
• Sunglasses x 1
• Microfiber towel x 1
• Cap/hat x 2
• PJs x 1
• Runner shoes x 1
• Flip flops (aka thongs) x 1
• Small backpack/day bag x 1
• Camera
• Snorkel set (believe it or not, I brought mine)
• Phone charger

Toiletries

I usually don’t bring any shower gel or soap, as it’s provided on every hotel/Airbnb. I finally bought myself some miniature tubes so that I can refill some of my favourite products for every trip, which made my life much easier:

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Leave-in conditioner
• Body lotion
• Make-up wipes
• Toothpaste & toothbrush
• Roll-on perfume (you can find miniatures and roll-on versions at Sephora)
• SPF: I brought a miniature for my face and bought big versions at the supermarket once I arrived. Do NOT forget to apply and re-apply your sunscreen in Down Under!
• Deodorant

Documents

• Passport
• Visa (if you need one)
• Driver's license
• Copies of your reservations (flights/hotels)

Packing tips

• I used to have travel packing cubes, which were good at organizing but didn’t help much with saving space. Now, I’m using laundry mesh bags which helps to keep my volumes at a minimum!
• I also like to keep the checklist up to date while I'm packing, since it helps me to keep track of what I've already put into the luggage.
• Roll clothes to save space.

Long-haul flight tips

I take at least one international long-haul flight per year, so these are the main tips I've gathered through experience:

• Bring along an empty water bottle and fill it up after going through Security. This makes a huge difference in long flights, since you can have your water available anytime rather than waiting for the flight attendants to bring some water every few hours.
• Get yourself some noise-cancelling headphones. It makes a huge difference!
• Bring snacks. My favorite is peanut M&Ms :)
• Get an outlet adapter before you leave
• Have lipbalm handy
• Compression socks
• Sleeping mask

Tip: If you are taking other plane trips inside Australia, specially with Jetstar: be VERY attentive to their weight limit. I had never seen an airline imposing such strict weight limits on carry-on before, and I was "lucky" to be randomly chosen to get my carry-on and backpack weighed just before boarding the plane. I had to pay $200.

And there you have it. These are my top packing tips for your Australian trip. I hope this helped, let me know what you think in the comments below!