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.

The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

From the moment you arrive in Mildura , the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura. — Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

Taste Mildura’s produce

It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey . Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed ’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers , a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

Hatted dining & Italian history

Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s . Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel. — Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

Discover a thriving culture scene

The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project . Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery. — Find culture around every corner.

Wonder at ancient landscapes

The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park . Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity. — Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

Meet your home away from home

On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama . A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats . Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura. — Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com .

Australia’s 6 best special occasion destinations