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

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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.

the white sand beach on Lizard Island
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.

Kimberley falls on a True North cruise
Explore the Kimberley onboard True North. (Image: True North)
a Silversea cruise onboard Silver Cloud
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.

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

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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
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.

wine tasting on an Ascend Wine Odyssey tour
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.

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

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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.

a woman at the sauna, Silversea
Relax at the Otium Spa onboard Silversea. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

8. Hire Makepeace Island, Qld

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

the interior of Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island home
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.

an aerial view of Makepeace Island
The magnificent heart-shaped Makepeace Island was reopened in 2024. (Image: Jesse Lindemann)
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
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    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington, like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours. While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.