There are so many great places you can get away for a few days in Australia, with an incredible array of boutique and unique accommodation options.
Sometimes 3 or 4 days away is all you need to refresh and recharge!
1. Barossa Valley, South Australia. Recognised as a food and wine mecca, this is the perfect location for a long weekend getaway. Quaint village-style towns are peppered with stone buildings and historic churches. A visit to Maggie Beer’s Farm is a must-do. This is a great region to grab a bike and go exploring with a variety of bike tracks available.
2. Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Take a 1.5hr drive from Adelaide and jump on the 45min. ferry and you’ve arrived at this amazing national park. Count the koalas (there’s over 13,000 of them), visit the sea lions at Bales Beach or just relax with a locally produced wine paired with Kangaroo Island cheese and oysters. If budget is no object, stay at the Southern Ocean Lodge.
3. Great Ocean Road, Victoria. We couldn’t leave out the Great Ocean Road – it is after all Victoria’s premier tourist destination. Don’t miss the Loch Ard Gorge and Two Mile Bay. Best time to visit is from late spring to early autumn.
4. Freycinet, Tasmania. There’s so much more to Freycinet than just the famous (and beautiful) Wineglass Bay. Visit wetlands, bush, and do the circuit to Hazards Beach. Saffire Freycinet is the place to stay.
5. Daylesford, Victoria. Don’t miss the Wombat State Forest, the great galleries and art studios, the waterfalls and walking trails. The area is also famous for its therapeutic mineral springs, with plenty of Spa retreats offering a chilled-out weekend. It’s only a 1.5 hour drive out of Melbourne.
6. Byron Bay, New South Wales. Not just beautiful beaches, cool dining scene and trendy resorts. Visit the 1000 year old Aboriginal site at The Pass Midden. Whale migration is May to October, which is a particularly popular time to visit.
7. Broken Hill, New South Wales. For a getaway with an arty twist, Broken Hill is an unexpected destination. There’s more than 28 galleries here, and the Pro Hart Gallery features some of the artist’s iconic work. If you head to the Mundi Mundi Plains Lookout, you can see the curvature of the earth across the bare, flat landscape.
8. Darwin, Northern Territory. A great destination to spend a weekend sampling delicious Asian influenced food, visiting the Mindil Beach Sunset Market, and heading off for a day trip to the beautiful Litchfield National Park. And if you haven’t experienced it, the Jumping Crocodile tour on the Mary River is great fun.
9. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Rediscover our nation’s capital with a raft of new boutique hotels, fabulous dining and excellent galleries and museums. Stay at the incredible Jamala Wildlife Lodge where you can share your bedroom with a sun bear, giraffe, lion, cheetah or tiger.
10. Whitsundays, Queensland. There’s a great range of resorts and islands to choose from in the Whitsundays, but why not try something different and rent a yacht. Explore the area at leisure, sampling the best the region has to offer. Many charters depart from Airlie Beach, which has a great boardwalk to watch the sun set into the ocean.
11. Hunter Valley, New South Wales. Enjoy a weekend of winery hopping with some of the best Semillon in the country. You’ll need a car, so drive the 2hrs from Sydney. The region is home to many acclaimed restaurants and producers of gourmet local produce. There are more cellar doors here than any other region in Australia.
12. Broome, Western Australia. For those on the East Coast, it’s a long way for a long weekend, but well worth the effort. There’s a choice of top class resorts, plenty of galleries, cafes and breweries and there’s a thriving festival scene. To top it off the world-famous Cable Beach is simply stunning.
Explore our Australian short break packages here.