PERTH, Western Australia

This is of course the “closest” big city to us and a delightful one. 

 Araluen

SYDNEY, New South Wales

Soak up Sydney’s gorgeous harbour, seductive outdoor lifestyle and great natural beauty. Kayak under the Sydney Harbour Bridge or wave at the Opera House as you ride a ferry across the harbour to Manly. Learn to surf at Bondi Beach or swim in the calm waters of Coogee. Lose yourself in the cobblestone cul-de-sacs of The Rocks or in the markets, boutiques, cafes and pubs of Paddington. As well as a world-famous harbour and more than 70 sparkling beaches, Sydney offers fabulous food, festivals and 24-7 fun.  

Best times to go:
Sydney is a year-round destination, with warm summers and cool winters.Play golf on Bonnie Doon, St Michaels, the Coast or the Lakes

Bonnie Doon

MELBOURNE, Victoria

Melbourne is a maze of hidden laneways, opulent bars, exclusive restaurants and off-the-beaten-track boutiques. Here you can soak up culture, hit the sporting grounds, taste the dynamic food and wine scene, dance til dawn or wander the parks and leafy boulevards.  Visit Federation Square, the city’s landmark cultural space, and enjoy a sunset beer on the St Kilda promenade. Shop till you drop on funky Brunswick Street or upmarket Chapel Street. Wander Southbank’s cafes, bistros and bars and get a world tour of cuisines in Carlton, Richmond and Fitzroy. Take an Aboriginal Heritage Walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens and cheer with a capacity crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Best times to go:
Melbourne is a year-round destination, though winter from June to August can get cold

Play Royal Melbourne, Victoria, Albert Park and many more.

 

Victoria Golf Course 

GOLD COAST, Queensland

Tackle the huge waves off Broadbeach, snorkel through a shipwreck off Main Beach or walk golden sand fringed by high rises in Surfers Paradise. Get your thrills on virtual reality rides at Dreamworld, swim with dolphins at Sea World and watch movies being made at Warner Bros Movie World.  Explore the waterfalls, rainforest, lookouts and scenic bushwalks of the lush Gold Coast hinterland. Shop til you drop in art and craft markets, huge airy malls and high-end boutiques. Then get into the Gold Cost’s glitz, glamour and fun at its bars, nightclubs and events.

 

Best times to go:
All year round - the Gold Coast has warm summers and mild winters with an average of 300 days of sunshine a year.

Play golf on Hope Island, Lakelands, the Colonial, Glades and many more

 

Hope Island

DARWIN, Northern Territory

Soak up Darwin’s balmy weather and the melting pot of food and cultures in the city’s many outdoor festivals and markets. Then explore the region’s dramatic history – from World War II air raids to Cyclone Tracey – in the museums and galleries. Sail Darwin harbour at sunset, cruise next to crocodiles and bushwalk through monsoon forest. Swim in the crystal-clear waterholes of Litchfield National Park and visit the colourful communities of the Tiwi Islands. This vibrant, tropical capital has a youthful energy you’ll find hard to resist.

  Best times to go:
During the dry season (May – October) when humidity is less intense and Darwin’s outdoor festivals are held.

Play golf on Darwin Golf Club

 

GREAT BARRIER REEF, off the coast of Queensland

You can swim, snorkel, dive and sail the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, a living masterpiece so big it can be seen from outer space.
It stretches more than 2,000 kilometres along the Queensland coast, from the mainland towns of Port Douglas to Bundaberg. Hop between the pristine, palm-fringed islands on top, then explore the rainbow-coloured coral islands and marine life below.

  Best time to go:
With long, warm and sunny days in all seasons, the Great Barrier Reef is an ideal holiday destination all year round. The tropical wet season lasts from November to March. During this time box jellyfish prohibit swimming in the ocean.

THE RED CENTRE

 (Alice Springs, Uluru-KataTjuta National Park, Kings Canyon and

Watarrka National Park, Finke Gorge and MacDonnell Ranges)

You probably know about the red monolith in Australia’s Red Centre.
You may know it’s sacred to the Aboriginal people here, and that it turns some spectacular colours at sunrise and sunset. You might not know that you can experience it through Aboriginal eyes, or that there are many other sacred and breathtaking sites here in Australia’s vast centre.  Uluru’s cousin Kata Tjuta is just 40 kilometres away and you’ll find the awe-inspiring Kings Canyon not far from Alice Springs. You might not realise that this landscape has green vegetation and lush waterholes as well as dusty red roads and huge slabs of rock.  And what you won’t really understand until you get here is the magic, majesty, silence and splendid isolation of Australia’s Red Centre.

 

Best time to go:
Between May and September.

 

TASMANIA

Experience the ancient and epic beauty of Tasmania’s 17 national parks.
Many of these are part of the World Heritage-listed wilderness that makes up 20 per cent of the island. Climb over the Hazard Ranges and lose your breath at postcard-perfect Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. See your face in Dove Lake and trek the Overland Track in Cradle-Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Bushwalk through Gondwanan rainforest and discover the 18th century French garden of Recherche Bay in South West National Park. Take in Russell Falls, towering swamp gums and ski fields in Mount Field National Park. Cruise the silent Gordon River and whitewater raft down the Franklin in Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. However you weave through Tasmania’s natural wonders, we can bet you won’t want to leave.

  Best time to go:
Between December and March when the weather is milder.