The six best special occasion destinations in Australia

What better way to celebrate a milestone with your partner in life, a landmark birthday, a wedding or a special occasion with the whole family, than to travel to the destination of a lifetime.

Whether a romantic getaway for two, or an event that calls for you to bring the whole family together, Australia has all kinds of special occasion destinations. Here are six of the best.

Hamilton Island, Qld

Let’s go over your checklist for a special-occasion destination. Does it include a location of unsurpassed beauty with shimmering waters and silken sands? Great. What about a range of lovely accommodation options to suit couples through to a multi-generational brood? Good.

Does your list dictate access to one of Australia’s greatest natural treasures? Incredible wildlife experiences? Plentiful activities and dining options? Alright, we’ve heard enough. We present your ultimate escape: Hamilton Island .

Hamilton Island Heart Reef — An aerial view of Hamilton Island’s famous Heart Reef.

There are few places that feel more special than this idyllic Great Barrier Reef island. Lapped by inviting topaz waters and criss-crossed with nature-laden bushwalks, Hamilton Island is a rightful dream destination. Whether you arrive with just yourself and your romantic lead or the entire family cast for a destination wedding , an event on Hamilton Island finds a true sense of occasion.

From the luxury enchantment of qualia to the boutique and beachfront Beach Club resort, Hamilton Island has your honeymoon or anniversary covered. With a range of holiday apartments and houses perfect for large groups and travelling families also available, you can go big or keep your tropical escape laidback and sandy-toed.

Beach House Villa qualia — qualia’s Beach House is worthy of a special occasion.

However you choose to celebrate, you can be assured the memory of slipping into clear waters, snorkelling with tropical sea life, and roaming white-sand beaches will remain with you long after your milestone event has passed.

Margaret River, WA

As Perth’s southern playground, the Margaret River region is the consummate host, effortlessly entertaining every type of celebratory holidaymaker – from newlyweds to families and groups of friends.

Whether you come to experience the uncluttered beaches with their surf nirvana breaks and clear waves, the soul-enriching coastal walks, like the Cape to Cape Track, or the world-class restaurants and wineries, this western gem certainly has the goods to make it a special-occasion destination.

Luxury destinations — Voyager Estate in the Margaret River region.

Margaret River is a region, a town and a river all at once, and comprises six main towns, each with their own personality and flavour. You can easily get around to visit each over the course of a weekend, but it pays to look into which will suit your event best.

Busselton is great for families: creative Dunsborough sits on the beautiful Geographe Bay and is perfect for nature-focussed stays; while the vine-covered hills around Margaret River cater well to romantic interludes and good-time groups.

Bay of Fires, Tas

Is there anyone Tasmania doesn’t cater to? Our endlessly popular southern island is so accommodating to all comers it’s difficult to single out one location as specific special-occasion territory. But twist our arm and we’ll lead you to the dramatic beauty of the Bay of Fires. That near-unfathomable combination of marine-blue sea with brilliant-orange lichen clinging to coastal boulders elevates this area to bucket-list-worthy.

The 50-kilometre stretch on Tassie’s east coast is just under a four-hour drive from Hobart and winds from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point. Indeed, the area’s attractions are largely nature-based, so you’ll need to gather here with like-minded companions to truly revel in all this destination has to offer.

The four-day Wukalina Walk comes with an incredible, ready-made special-occasion itinerary. Aboriginal owned and operated, the walk gives a meaningful insight into the Palawa culture of the region.

As you pass through this ancient coast listening to stories of the first inhabitants, you’ll be deeply enchanted by its windswept beauty – an experience sure to leave a lasting imprint and strengthen bonds between your party.

Byron Bay, NSW

If you’ve never attended a wedding in Byron Bay, you’re probably in the minority. This northern New South Wales town is a certified special-occasion destination. And with good reason. Despite its luxe, linen-swathed influencer culture and its high Hemsworth-per-capita quota, this coastal enclave is still a relaxed haven unfairly blessed with sheltered, pandanus-edged beaches.

It’s not just the beach that beckons travellers looking to celebrate milestones and marriages, the lush hinterland also serves as a drawcard. Here you’ll find a proliferation of tucked-away accommodation and pretty villages, such as Newrybar, Bangalow and Federal, each with cottage-y shops and worthy restaurants, such as the much-loved Harvest and The Farm.

In town, dining is also a strong point. Produce-rich Byron has always attracted chefs and you’ll find plenty of excellent, city-sleek diners in town, alongside boutiques peddling a particular beach-tousled style.

Of course, despite its more recent affluence, there are still the original Earth-Mother undertones that keep this hotspot true to itself, so gather your nearest and dearest and set yourself up by the beach at sunset to experience why this town is so endearing.

Uluru, NT

The beating heart of our nation, Uluru is a destination that is intrinsically special to all Australians. But why not add another layer of ‘special’ to the experience by sharing it with loved ones?

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is home to that most famous of ancient rocks, Uluru, and the rock formation of Kata Tjuta (which means ‘many heads’ in the local, indigenous Anangu language). Rising out of the red earth, these natural beauties are both otherworldly and entirely mesmerising.

Luxury Destinations - Uluru — Enjoy Champagne and canapes at Tali Wiru as you watch the sunset over Uluru.

You can experience this incredible part of the country by walking the base of Uluru, watching the sun dip and rise over the formations in a blaze of orange and, for a particularly romantic activity, gazing at the twinkly beauty of the unpolluted dark sky above.

It’s impossible to leave Uluru without gaining a deeper appreciation for the outback and this country, and is undoubtedly a location that will imbue any occasion with more than a little magic.

Flinders Ranges, SA

Sure, South Australia is a magnet for oenophiles on weekend breaks with its many wine regions, but if you’ve never pushed past the vines to discover the state’s accessible outback, you’re missing out.

A five-hour drive from Adelaide or a short Rex flight from the city to Port Augusta will deposit you in the martian-like landscape of the Flinders Ranges. This unique and soul-brightening place is made all the more special by sharing it with your favourite people.

Flinders Ranges, South Australia — The epic, martian-like landscapes of Flinders Ranges are a different kind of luxury experience.

Depending on whom you’re travelling with, you can go as gently or as adventurously as you see fit. There are plenty of 4WD tours, walks and cultural experiences on offer, from the couple-friendly and luxe The Arkaba Walk by Wild Bush Luxury, where you can recover from the day’s hike in glamped-up tents, to the more brood-accommodating Wilpena Pound Resort in the Ikara Flinders Ranges National Park.

If budget allows, don’t miss out on a scenic flight that lays out the rich beauty of the South Australian outback below – it’s an extraordinary way to put an exclamation mark on the end of your special occasion.

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield , embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House .

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Australia’s 6 best special occasion destinations