8 once-in-a-lifetime getaways in Australia to add to your bucket list

From ultimate escapes in tropical paradises and luxury expedition cruises to helicopter wine odysseys and decadent dinners, these OTT adventures by land, sea and air need to be on your wish list.

1. Stay in Queensland’s Luxury Lodges of Australia

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Turquoise, terracotta and emerald are the three bands of colour that define the distinct landscapes that backdrop the three Luxury Lodges of Australia in Tropical North Queensland. Stitch them together and it becomes a bold needlework. Bounce from Lizard Island, with its white sand hemmed in by turquoise seas, to Silky Oaks Lodge, which is enveloped in the tropical greenery of the Daintree, to Mt Mulligan Lodge in the outback, which is dominated by the russet-red hues of the ancient monolith.

Lizard Island is blessed with pristine white sand and turquoise waters. (Image: Elise Hassey)

2. Cruise the Kimberley, WA

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

A cruise to the Kimberley is on most Australians’ bucket lists for a multitude of reasons. True North has small ships purpose-built for navigating the region’s shallow bays and river systems, offering unparalleled access to that Kimberley magic. Or join a Silversea cruise onboard Silver Cloud from Broome or Darwin to make this vast stretch of wild and remote coastline more accessible: see everything from saltwater crocodiles and humpback whales to ancient Indigenous rock art and soaring limestone cliffs carved by the mighty Fitzroy River over millennia.

Explore the Kimberley onboard True North. (Image: True North)

Passing through the narrows on Talbot Bay at Sunrise with the Silver Cloud. (Image: Kris Markovska)

3. The Big Lap of Australia

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

It’s time to leave your life as a corporate schlub behind and head out on the road to do the Big Lap of Australia. While you might have pressed pause on this popular pilgrimage while working your way up the career ladder, the bitumen still beckons for a golden gap year. Cash in your long service leave and hit the road in your RV to make your own discoveries during this indulgent, oh-so-Aussie rite of passage.

Hit the road in your RV to the Great Australian Bight. (Image: Getty Images/Philip Thurston)

4. Sail to Antarctica from Hobart, Tas

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

While most Antarctic expedition cruises depart from Ushuaia in Argentina, the southernmost city on Earth, it’s possible to sail from Australian shores, too. Hobart is a launch pad for exploring remote East Antarctica with Scenic Cruises. Departing January 2026, its 24-day itinerary, Antarctica’s Ross Sea: Majestic Ice & Wildlife, cruises from the Tassie capital to New Zealand onboard Scenic Eclipse II.

Aurora Expeditions’ 24-day Mawson’s Antarctica sets sail in December 2025 onboard Douglas Mawson, stopping at Tasmania’s subantarctic Macquarie Island and crossing the Arctic Circle. Or flip the script with the 31-day half-circumnavigation of the Antarctic onboard Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot, sailing January 2026 from Ushuaia all the way back home to Hobart.

Adelie penguins in Cape Adare. (Image: Myeongho SEO/Shutterstock)

5. A heli-tour of SA’s best wine regions

Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

You’ve probably visited several wineries, possibly even in South Australia, but you’ve never been on a wine trip like this. Watch the ground below give way as the roar of propellers signals the start of a heli-tour between three wine regions and three female-owned and/or operated wineries on an Ascend Wine Odyssey: Oliver’s Taranga in McLaren Vale, Golding Wines in the Adelaide Hills and Kimbolton Wines in Langhorne Creek. At each stop, there’s a different experience – from a tasting amid the vines to a long lunch to cheese pairings. Plus, there’s a chance to compare how the different geography of each region gives a unique flavour to its wines. This is wine tasting at its most luxurious.

A wine tasting offers a glimpse into the region’s unique flavours.

6. Dinner with the founder of Mona, Tas

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Accept your rich benefactor’s offer to drop $50K on Dinner with David Walsh, founder of Mona in Hobart. The experience, dreamt up by Cultural Attractions of Australia, includes a private jet from the mainland, a two-night stay in Mona’s luxury pavilions and lavish degustation dinner with David at onsite eatery, The Source. The price tag includes a private museum and winery tour, lunch at Faro Bar + Restaurant and access to art experiences.

Meet MONA Founder, David Walsh. (Image: MONA and Remi Chauvin)

7. Circumnavigate Australia

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Circumnavigation cruises around Australia operate between September and April each year. Think of the voyages as a highlights reel of the country as the ships hug the curves of the coastline. Itineraries tend to include capital cities from Sydney to Brisbane and Perth to Melbourne, as well as regional ports like Hobart, Port Lincoln and Cairns. You’ll need some time on your hands to circle our vast coastline with Princess Cruises, Viking, Holland American Line and Silversea.

Relax at the Otium Spa onboard Silversea. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

8. Hire Makepeace Island, Qld

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Book a stay at Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island home.

Live out your most debauched White Lotus fantasies when you book a stay at Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island home on the Noosa River. The private sanctuary, surrounded by a tangle of tropical gardens, sleeps up to 22 guests and includes a tennis court, gym, media room, pool and 15-person heated spa, as well as dedicated staff. Inclusions range from guided nature walks to river fishing, kayaking, kids’ cooking classes and a sunset river cruise.

The magnificent heart-shaped Makepeace Island was reopened in 2024. (Image: Jesse Lindemann)