What to Pack for Australia if You're Traveling Carry-On Only
As a travel destination, Australia has a wide variety of things to do—and climates. Between fine dining in cool, seaside Sydney and laid-back snorkel trips in tropical Queensland, how do you pack for a trip to Australia in just one carry on bag?
When I traveled to Australia one April/May — fall in the southern hemisphere — I had the same question as I stared into my closet, faced with the task of packing for a two week trip to Sydney and Queensland filled with a mix of urban and outdoor activities. Although I traveled with just a carry on, my minimalist packing list included everything I needed for a two-week trip to Australia in April/May.
To help you figure out what to bring for your own trip, scroll on for my packing list for Australia in the fall and gear recommendations for a 1-2 week-long trip down under.
Trip Overview
For this trip, I was packing for:
Trip Length: 2 weeks
Season: April & Maty
Itinerary: Sydney, Cairns, Daintree Rainforest, and The Great Barrier Reef
2-week packing list for Australia
What to Pack for Australia in April and May
As a minimalist, I always pack carry on only (except when I’m traveling with my bike ) and Australia was no exception. It was especially important for this trip since I’d be flying within Australia via budget airlines, TigerAir, who had even tighter luggage restrictions than my transpacific flight with United.
Since choosing the right bag is the most important step to packing light — we tend to fill the space we have, so to pack less, give yourself less — I started there.
Luggage: 22L Osprey Talon & 34L Tortuga Setout
For this trip, I packed my 22L Osprey Talon and a tote bag by Baggu (my go-to for affordable but well-made travel totes). I chose my Osprey over my Tortuga since we planned on hiking and I wanted my luggage to double as a trail backpack.
Jon, however, traveled with the 34L Tortuga Setout (it’s 26L but expands to 34L), which is overall better suited for travel thanks its organizational features and clamshell opening.
Clothing: women’s packing list for Australia
I pack by the rule that you don’t have to bring more clothes for two weeks of travel than you would for one week. So, even though we were gone for two weeks, I still tried to keep my clothing packing list as close to my usual 10-items-or-less (plus PJs) travel capsule wardrobe. I ended up with 12 items and in the end only used 11.
1 lightweight windbreaker by Columbia.
1 sweater by Oak & Fort.
1 jumpsuit by ADAY, one of the best brands for women’s travel clothes.
1 dress
2 t-shirts
2 tank tops
1 long-sleeve shirt
1 pair of jeans by Sezane, my favorite French girl brand.
1 pair of leggings again, by ADAY
1 mini skirt by Gap.
PJ shorts and tank. Shorts are actually Alo yoga shorts.
6 pairs of underwear. I brought a mix of underwear I wanted to toss and ExOfficio undies, which are great for travel. They’re quick-dry, so I can easily hand wash them in my morning shower and wear them again the next day.
1 sports bra
1 regular bra
2 pairs of socks (I mostly wore shoes that don’t need socks)
1 bathing suit
Shoes and accessories
Choosing the right shoes and accessories for Australia was less about trip length, and more about the weather and activities. I wanted a mix of shoes that could stand up to both urban and outdoor adventures, moderate to warm weather, and a potential rain.
In Queensland, we took a small boat out to the Great Barrier Reef with Coral Sea Dreaming where we weren’t even allowed to wear shoes on the boat.
Sneakers by Nike for running and hiking.
Note: Since taking this trip, I’ve become obsessed with Tropicfeel’s sneakers for travel. They’re lightweight, breathable, comfortable, and even drain out water if you take them swimming or through a waterfall. If I had owned them when I was packing for this trip, I’d absolutely have brought them.
Slip ons by TOMS for around town.
Slip on sandals by Soludos for going out in Sydney and Queensland beaches.
Small black purse from Anthropologie.
Toiletries: Keep them Travel-Sized
Since two weeks of travel does not = bring the full shampoo bottle (especially when staying at hotels that provide some essentials) I kept my toiletry bag travel-sized and compact.
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Shampoo and conditioner, in reusable GoToob bottles.
Soap, Dr. Bronners, also in a reusable GoToob bottle.
Sunscreen. There are several good reef safe sunscreens out there.
Bug spray, I took Ben’s 3.4oz bottle on this trip but have since switched to Kinfield, an organic bug spray that actually works.
Makeup, just eyeliner and lipstick.
Deodorant
Razor
Hair ties
Tweezers
Basic first aid, band-aids, ibuprofen, and Benadryl.
Comb
Menstrual cup. Specifically, a Diva Cup, which I love. It’s more compact than pads or tampons for travel, reusable, eco-friendly, leak-proof, and ensures I’m never caught in a “oh fuck I forgot tampons” situation.
Electronics and other travel accessories
With electronics and other odds and ends, I mostly stuck to items I always pack, with the exception of a few. For example, I typically only bring my laptop if I have work to do, which I did. I also don’t always pack an umbrella or travel towel, but wanted to be prepared for rain in the forecast and hanging out on a boat in the GBR, so these items made it in as well.
Phone and charger. My iPhone is unlocked for international SIM cards.
Camera and charger. Jon and I use a Sony RX1, which is compact yet still high quality.
Laptop and charger. Still rocking the 11” Macbook Air.
Small external battery
Converter, for Australia you need a type I charger. I used the one by Flight 001, which comes in a 5-in-1 set for all regions.
Wallet. Lately, the Folio Mini by Bellroy (an Australian brand, actually!) has been my go-to. It’s about the size of a credit card, zips closed, and even has a space to hold a SIM card if you need to swap yours.
Book. I always try to bring a book that teaches me about, or keeps me present in, my destination. For Australia, it was The Reef by Iain McCalman.
Notebook and pen, Moleskine and Muji.
Mini umbrella, by Japanese brand, HUS.
Travel towel, the medium version of REI’s quick dry towel.
In-Flight Essentials: Leave Room for Little Luxuries
For a flight — especially one as long as the 14-hour haul from San Francisco to Sydney — I always bring these items, and keep them handy for in-flight access to make flying economy just a little less terrible. Most of the small items I packed in a medium-sized pouch, which I could easily put in my seat back pocket.
Passport. As long as I have this and my credit card, all will be fine.
Eye mask by Muji. Honestly, it’s just OK. Comment below if you have recs for a better one.
Headphones. I use my iPhone headphones with the jack adaptor, so I can plug into in-flight entertainment.
Tylenol PM. Eye mask + ambient music + Tylenol PM = my secret to sleeping on planes.
Thermos by Zojirushi
Hand sanitizer by EO.
Blanket scarf by Travel Tube Blankets on Etsy. I bought this just before our Australia trip and was super excited to test it out for the first time. Initial thoughts: A+
Airplane socks, merino wool all the way. For long flights, I prefer something with a light compression as well, such as those by Comrad.
Clean towelettes. I normally pack Alba’s 10-pack of wet wipes, but went for the generic Whole Foods brand this time.
Did this packing list work?
Even though I didn’t pack much, I never felt like I was missing something during our two weeks in Queensland and Sydney. However, I would have made a few changes to the clothes I brought. First, I could have left out one tank, since I never wore it. Second, I would have packed some brighter or more colorful clothes. Sydney fashion is full of fun patterns and bold colors — the opposite of my monochromatic San Francisco style.
This post was originally published in 2019 and most recently updated on September 23, 2023 to include current information.
