Whether
you’re seeking sun or avoiding sharks, follow this guide to plan a dream trip
to the land down under.
AUSTRALIA IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST COUNTRIES, SO WHEN TO GO DEPENDS
ENTIRELY ON WHERE YOU’RE GOING. FROM THE WORLD-FAMOUS GREAT BARRIER REEF, TO THE VINEYARDS SCATTERED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, TO SYDNEY’S SPRAWLING
BEACHES, AUSTRALIA HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELER.
Here's the
best time of year to see all of Australia's greatest sights and
attractions.
The Best
Months to Visit Australia
When You'll
Get the Best Weather
Seasons in Australia are opposite to those in
the Northern Hemisphere, with summer from December through February, and winter
from June through August. The exact type of weather you'll
experience depends largely on the region.
Darwin, in
the Northern Territory, sees temperatures in the high seventies during the
winter and can have no rainfall at all, but summers are extremely hot, with
serious downpours.
In southern
Australia, like Adelaide and Melbourne, summer temperatures often hover in
the low seventies, and winters are cool. Pack a few sweaters as well as a
pieces for warmer weather, no matter the time of year.
The Best
Times to Visit the East Coast
Australia’s East Coast is usually considered
the stretch from Cairns, in the north, to Melbourne, in the south, and is the
most convenient area to get to from the United States. It’s also incredibly
vast — travelers could easily spend more than 40 hours driving top to
bottom, with no traffic and no stops, so the weather and scenery vary.
The Best
Times to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
Up north, the Great Barrier Reef tends to be
warm year-round, and in the summer temperatures can rise to nearly 90 degrees,
with plenty of tropical rain. Here, wet season comes in the summer and spring,
which slows the stream of tourists. While this may not be the ideal time to
visit Australia's famous reefs for weather, it's preferable for travelers
interested in avoiding crowds.
The Best
Times to Visit the Gold Coast
About an hour’s drive from Brisbane is the
Gold Coast, and it's known for having beautiful weather most of the year. (A
particularly popular Gold Coast beach destination is Surfers
Paradise.) More than 500 miles south of the Gold Coast is Sydney, a
cultural center famous for beautiful beaches including Coogee, Manly, and
Bondi. Temperatures in the winter are slightly chilly, with some rain. If a
beach holiday is on your agenda, summer is perfect, as temperatures are warm.
But if you prefer a more active vacation, spring and autumn are ideal.
The Best
Times to Visit Australia’s Beaches
From Sydney’s Bondi Beach, with
its iconic pool set just above the sea, to the bright, white sand and turquoise
waters of the Whitsundays Islands, Australian beaches are hard to beat. The
best way to decide which to visit? Follow the weather.
It’s
important to note that just because there’s a beach doesn’t mean you can go
swimming. Some places have saltwater crocodiles, box jellyfish, or other creepy
ocean critters. Pay attention to signage and ask locals if you have any doubts.
Still, don’t
let a fear of sharks factor into your plans. Rodd Stapley, Shark Expert for
Taronga Zoo, told Travel + Leisure the safest season to avoid
sharks can vary each year due to changes in the environment. But these risks
are small. Taronga Conservation Society Australia has studied shark attack
patterns and — over the last 50 years — there’s been fewer than one
unprovoked attack annually, an average. To minimize risks, Stapley recommends
swimming in ocean pools or netted beaches, and between lifeguard flags.
A bigger risk
to swimmers and even waders at Australian beaches are riptides, which are
common here. Learn the signs, including dark water and fewer waves breaking.
Only swim between the flags on lifeguarded beaches, and if you do get caught in
a rip, swim parallel to the shoreline to get out of it.
The Best
Months to Visit Australia's Wine Country
From Hunter
Valley, in New South Wales, to Swan Valley, slightly north of Perth, there are
more than 60 wine regions scattered across the country. It’s easy to find good
wine no matter the time of year, but if you’re trying to make Pinots and
Sauvignons the main event, many regions hold wine festivals. Late autumn is a
popular time for harvest festivals, so plan to visit in April, May, or early
June.
The Worst
Times to Visit Australia
Generally,
it’s best to avoid the south’s chilly winters and the far north’s hot, wet
summers.
But crowds
are also a consideration. Students get a break from mid-December until late
January (or even early February), which means packed beaches and more expensive
domestic airfare. Australia is a popular backpacker destination, so tourist
favorites tend to be busy anyway, but book your trip in late spring or early
autumn to strike a balance between great weather and manageable crowds.
The Cheapest
Times to Visit Australia
It has to be
said: there’s no truly cheap time to visit the Antipodes. December and January
tend to be most expensive, likely due to holiday travel and the prime summer
weather. According to data from Skyscanner, the cheapest months to travel to
Sydney from New York City and Los Angeles are March and June,
respectively. New York City to Melbourne is cheapest in February, while flights
from Los Angeles to Melbourne are less expensive August. (Looking at hotel room
rates provided by Booking.com, Melbourne is also cheap in January.)
If you have
flexibility on timing, plan well in advance to find the best deals. If you have
less flexibility on schedule but more on destination, try searching a few
cities internally and looking at local budget airlines, like Jetstar, to get
around once you’re in Australia.
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