8 unforgettable cultural getaways to have around Australia

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Everything from opera in the outback to the continuum of ancient cultural traditions in the Top End takes centre stage  as  in-depth ways to appreciate a destination.

1. Camping with Custodians, WA

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Western Australia’s Camping with Custodians is a first for Australia. The program invites travellers to stay at one of the state’s Aboriginal-owned and operated campgrounds, such as Lombadina on the Dampier Peninsula, Imintji on the Gibb River Road and Peedamulla in the Pilbara, to meet the Traditional Custodians and learn about their culture and land. Fees paid support employment, training and generating income, creating a positive impact for both camper and community.

the Lombadina on the Dampier Peninsula
Stay on Lombadina on the Dampier Peninsula. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

2. Garma Festival, NT

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Garma is a four-day event hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation to share traditional Yolŋu knowledge systems and address and improve social equity for Aboriginal people. The annual festival in north-east Arnhem Land is the country’s largest Indigenous gathering, showcasing art, song, dance, film and storytelling. Garma attracts thousands of political and business leaders from across the globe who are invited to the remote Gulkula ceremonial site, about 40 kilometres from Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula. See also Cape York’s Laura Quinkan Dance Festival, slated next for June 2026, and the Katherine region’s Barunga Festival for more culturally significant First Nations gatherings.

dancers the Barunga Festival, NT
Immerse yourself in Aboriginal culture with a broader community at Barunga Festival. (Image: Tourism NT/Alana Holmberg)

3. Festival of Outback Opera, Qld

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Opera Queensland has impressed its image into the red dirt of the outback. The Festival of Outback Opera, which runs annually during May, is about singing and scenery on a grand scale: gather under the stars at Australian Age of Dinosaurs in Winton for Dark Sky Serenade. Or linger in Longreach to see singers like Kate Miller-Heidke or soprano Sumi Jo lead Singing in the Night at Camden Park Station. Up the ante on the experience further with a stay at Rangelands Outback Camp.

The Festival of Outback Opera
The Festival of Outback Opera is held every May in Winton and Longreach. (Image: Glenn Hunt Photo)

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4. Illumina, K’gari, Qld

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

The sky is a liquid violet as luminous lilies bobbing on the silvery surface of Lake McKenzie/Boorangoora help to illustrate its magnificence. Illumina by Canadian-born artist Bruce Ramus uses lighting, lasers and audio-visual projections to incorporate and celebrate the natural environment on Queensland’s K’gari. The light and sound show, Return to Sky, invites guests of Kingfisher Bay Resort to immerse themselves in the island’s landscapes.

the Illumina Light Show, K’gari
See K’gari in a new light. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

5. Adelaide’s festivals, SA

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

March is arguably the most exciting month on Adelaide’s calendar, with three huge events – Adelaide Fringe, WOMADelaide and Adelaide Festival – creating an absolute buzz on the streets. Some locals call it ‘Mad March’, when some 6000-plus artists descend on the city, from comedians and musicians to street performers. No matter which day you visit, or which way you look, you’re sure to find music, arts and entertainment. Or set your sights on Illuminate Adelaide, a winter festival of art, light, music and tech.

the WOMADelaide festival
WOMADelaide is one of six WOMAD festivals. (Image: Saige Prime)

6. Townsville’s art scene, Qld

Travelling with: Taylah Darnell

The temperature in Townsville isn’t the only thing that’s hot – the North Queensland capital of cool will have you wiping your brow thanks to its diverse culinary scene, incredible outdoor offerings and luxurious five-star waterfront hotel, Ardo. But the city’s relatively under-the-radar arts community and communal creative spaces are also raising the mercury. Whether it’s a rare exhibition at Perc Tucker Regional Art Gallery, a showcase of local work at Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts or a hands-on pottery workshop at the North QLD Potters Association, Townsville’s creativity flows as freely as a sea breeze in summer.

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7. Big Red Bash, Qld

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

The tiny outback town of Birdsville in south-west Queensland has become renowned for its historic pub and annual Birdsville Races. But each year, the numbers in the town also swell for the annual Big Red Bash, an all-ages music festival held in the Simpson Desert. The epic event is on pause for 2025 but is expected to come back bigger and better in 2026. Festival-goers camp under the starry sky and enjoy performances by Aussie music legends. If you can’t wait until 2026, fill your cup at NSW’s Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash in August, at which Missy Higgins, Hoodoo Gurus, Birds of Tokyo and The Cat Empire will perform.

artists performing at the Big Red Bash festival
Catch iconic Australian artists at the three-day extravaganza. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/Hayley Williamson Photography)

8. Bendigo Art Gallery, Vic

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

A $54-million expansion of Bendigo Art Gallery is set to lure even more art lovers to the regional Victorian city, which has built its brand around arts, culture and events. Bendigo’s place in Australia’s art scene has also been bolstered by the exclusive exhibition Frida Kahlo: In her own image (until 13 July). Fans of the revolutionary Mexican artist are making a beeline for Bendigo to see the pop-up exhibition featuring some of the artist’s most treasured belongings.

the Frida Kahlo: In her own image exhibition, Bendigo Art Gallery
See Frida Kahlo: In her own image exhibition.

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Taking the route less travelled along the Great Ocean Road

    Megan Arkinstall Megan Arkinstall
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    The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns. 

    It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach, the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.  

    Bells Beach
    Bells Beach is known for its epic surf break and is at the start of the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet 

    Split Point Lighthouse
    The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road. Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.  

    Split point lookout
    The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.  

    This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities. 

    Lorne to Birregurra 

    Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park, which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.  

    Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.  

    From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.  

    Erskine Falls
    Erskine Falls is one of many falls within a day trip of Lorne. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae, helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.  

    Brae restaurant
    Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Apollo Bay to The Otways 

    Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.  

    A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.  

    Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles 

    Twelve Apostles
    One of the famous Twelve Apostles, limestone sea stacks that rise from the Southern Ocean. (Image: Ben Savage)

    The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.    

    It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.  

    The Grotto
    The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

    Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.  

    Port Campbell to Timboon 

    Timboon Fine Ice Cream
    Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)

    Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream, Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.  

    Warrnambool to Port Fairy 

    Warrnambool building
    A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)

    In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.  

    Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.  

    The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.    

    A traveller’s checklist 

    Staying there

    Oak & Anchor
    The Oak & Anchor in Port Fairy.

    The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River. Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit. 

    The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip. 

    Eating there

    The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.  

    Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.