Homegrown travel hacks

Australian Traveller Australian Traveller
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Deciding to skip the long-haul flight this year and stay close to home? We get it; holiday planning can be hard work, but it doesn’t have to be. Travel experts, Expedia have all the tips and tricks to make your next at-home Aussie adventure effortless and unforgettable.

Get in early

It sounds simple, and it is. Don’t fall into the trap of booking everything at the last minute. Australian accommodation fills fast, especially in summer when everyone and their Cavoodle heads to the beach. Go online early to have your pick of hotels, holiday rentals and resorts, and try to bundle your booking. On the Expedia app , you can unlock extra savings just by booking a flight and hotel together. And don’t forget to keep your eye open for freebies; breakfast, spa credits, kids’ clubs – you can find all sorts of free add-ons if you know where to look.

Go mobile

These days, all you need to make your holiday hassle free is your mobile phone – and we’re not just referring to easy GPS navigation and a great camera. Now, you can actually research and book your holiday on a mobile app. The Expedia app , for example, is free and comes with mobile-exclusive deals, and the option to earn double Expedia Rewards points towards your next trip. You can also manage your itinerary and quickly access all your trip details – including check-in times, airport gate changes and even baggage carousel numbers.

Brisbane, QLD
The opening of a few hip hotels has upped Brisbane’s appeal as a city break destination.

Be flexible

Byron Bay might be on the brain for your next holiday and for good reason; it’s beautiful. But it’s also busy and, depending on the time of year, expensive. Instead, look to nearby spots like Lennox Head, where you’ve got the equally beautiful, but quieter, Seven Mile Beach and calm Lake Ainsworth to keep you occupied. The same principle applies to when you travel. Avoid the traditional Friday night or Saturday morning departure to skip the crowds and hiked up travel prices, and consider a Thursday night departure, which could come with a hefty saving. If you have to stick to school holidays, try to skip town a few days early to beat the rush. Or, if you’re flying with little ones, avoid the school holidays altogether for a better chance of securing a bassinette on board.

Find your home away from home

Settling in somewhere bigger than a standard hotel room is a big drawcard for families or groups of friends heading to one spot for longer than a few days. Whether you need a two-bedroom apartment or a five-bedroom house, you can find accommodation of all shapes and sizes on a range of travel apps, including the Expedia app . You’ll find a lot of these options are self catered, too, which can help cut down your food costs significantly – a big win if you’re trying to save a few dollars. Expedia’s top tip: book a grocery delivery for the day you arrive. Most supermarkets will let you order online, so get enough for a few simple meals and arrange to have it delivered at the same time you arrive.

Kingscliff, Tweed Coast, QLD
Kingscliff is the new hotspot for travellers seeking a beachside break with a Byron Bay vibe.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

Expedia’s trending destinations

The Whitsundays, QLD: A bona fide slice of Australian paradise, The Whitsundays is a must-visit at least once. Choose from a range of accommodation options and price points, including Daydream Island Resort, which has just reopened after an extensive makeover.

 

Kingscliff, NSW: Located only 40 minutes south of the Gold Coast, Kingscliff is emerging as a new hotspot for travellers seeking a beachside break with a Byron Bay vibe.

 

Lorne, Vic: A seaside town set on the picturesque waters of Louttit Bay on the Great Ocean Road, demand to Lorne is up around 15% year-on-year. Visit soon before it catches the eye of even more Aussies.

Lorne, Victoria
Visit Lorne soon before it catches the eye of even more Aussies.

Brisbane, QLD: The opening of a few hip hotels has upped Brisbane’s appeal as a city break destination. Check out The Calile Hotel and well-known eateries like Three Blue Ducks.

 

Mollymook, NSW: With beautiful beaches within a 10-minute drive of rolling countryside, and a range of accommodation options from holiday rentals to Bannister’s by the Sea, Mollymook on the NSW South Coast is perfect for a family holiday or a long weekend.

 

Visit Expedia : everything you need to go.

Australian Traveller

Australian Traveller

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The perfect mid-week reset an hour from Melbourne

    Kellie Floyd Kellie Floyd
    Continue
    Winding down in the Yarra Valley, where ‘work from home’ becomes ‘work from wine country’.

    Steam from my morning coffee curls gently into the cool valley air, mist-veiled vineyards stretch out in neat rows below me. Magpies warble from trees, and the morning’s quiet carries the soft bleating of lambs from a nearby paddock. Midweek in the Yarra Valley has its own rhythm. It’s slower, quieter, with more empty tables at cafes and cellar doors, and walking trails I can claim all to myself. It’s as if the entire region takes a deep breath once the weekend crowd leaves.

    walking trails in the Yarra Valley
    You’ll find walking trails are less crowded during the week. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    I haven’t come here for a holiday, but to do a little work somewhere other than my home office, where I spend too much time hunched over my desk. Deadlines still loom, meetings still happen, but with flexible work evolving from ‘work from home’ to ‘work from anywhere’, I’m swapping the view of my front yard to the vineyards.

    A quiet afternoon at Yarra Valley Dairy

    holding a glass of wine at Yarra Valley Dairy
    Wine time at Yarra Valley Dairy, where you can enjoy a toastie or bagel in the cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    With the Yarra Valley just over an hour from the CBD, many Melburnians could drive here in their lunch break. I arrive late in the afternoon and am delighted to discover the Yarra Valley Dairy still open. On weekends, I’ve seen queues spilling out the door, but today there’s only one other couple inside. There’s no need to rush to secure a table; instead I browse the little store, shelves stacked with chutneys, spices, artisan biscuits and gorgeous crockery that would look right at home in my kitchen. It’s hard not to buy the lot.

    a cheese tasting plate atYarra Valley Dairy
    A cheese tasting plate at Yarra Valley Dairy.

    I order a coffee and a small cheese platter, though the dairy has a full menu, and choose a wooden table with bentwood chairs by a wide window. The space feels part farm shed, part cosy café: corrugated iron ceiling, walls painted in muted tones and rustic furniture.

    Outside, cows meander toward milking sheds. If pressed for time, there’s the option of quick cheese tastings – four samples for five dollars in five minutes – but today, I’m in no rush. I sip slowly, watching a grey sky settle over the paddock. Less than an hour ago I was hunched over my home-office desk, and now my racing mind has slowed to match the valley’s pace.

    Checking in for vineyard views at Balgownie Estate

    Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate
    Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate has views across the vines.

    As my car rolls to a stop at Balgownie Estate , I’m quietly excited, and curious to see if my plan to work and play comes off. I’ve chosen a suite with a spacious living area and a separate bedroom so I can keep work away from a good night’s sleep. I could have booked a cosy cottage, complete with open fireplace, a comfy couch and a kettle for endless cups of tea, but as I am still here to get some work done, I opt for a place that takes care of everything. Dinner is served in Restaurant 1309, as is breakfast.

    oysters at Restaurant 1309, Balgownie Estate
    Oysters pair perfectly with a crisp white at Restaurant 1309.

    On my first evening, instead of the usual walk about my neighbourhood, I stroll through the estate at an unhurried pace. There’s no need to rush – someone else is preparing my dinner after all. The walking trails offer beautiful sunsets, and it seems mobs of kangaroos enjoy the view, too. Many appear, grazing lazily on the hillside.

    I wake to the call of birds and, after breakfast, with the mist still lingering over the vineyards, I watch two hot-air balloons silently drift above clouds. Perched on a hill, Balgownie Estate sits above the mist, leaving the valley below veiled white.

    kangaroos in Yarra Valley
    Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels

    the Yarra Valley vineyards
    Swap your home office for a view of the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria/Cormac Hanrahan)

    Perhaps because the Yarra Valley is relatively close to where I live, I’ve never considered exploring the area any way other than by car or on foot. And with a fear of heights, a hot-air balloon is firmly off the table. But when I discover I can hop on two wheels from the estate and cycle into Yarra Glen, I quickly realise it’s the perfect way to step away from my laptop and experience a different side of the region.

    COG Bike offers pedal-assist e-bikes, and while the bike trail and paths into town aren’t particularly hilly, having an extra bit of ‘oomph’ means I can soak up the surroundings. Those lambs I heard calling early in the morning? I now find them at the paddock fence, sniffing my hands, perhaps hoping for food. Cows idle nearby, and at a fork in the bike path I turn left toward town.

    It’s still morning, and the perfect time for a coffee break at The Vallie Store. If it were the afternoon, I’d likely turn right, in the direction of four wineries with cellar doors. The ride is about 15 kilometres return, but don’t let that put you off. Staying off the highway, the route takes you along quiet backroads where you catch glimpses of local life – farmers on tractors, weathered sheds, rows of vines and the kind of peaceful countryside you don’t see from the main road.

    A detour to the Dandenong Ranges

    legs hanging over the sides of the train, Puffing Billy Railway
    The iconic Puffing Billy runs every day except Christmas Day.

    The beauty of basing myself in the Yarra Valley is how close everything feels. In barely half an hour I’m in the Dandenong Ranges, swapping vineyards for towering mountain ash and fern-filled gullies. The small villages of Olinda and Sassafras burst with cosy teahouses, antique stores and boutiques selling clothing and handmade body care items.

    I’m drawn to RJ Hamer Arboretum – Latin for ‘a place for trees’. Having grown up among tall trees, I’ve always taken comfort in their presence, so this visit feels like a return of sorts. A stroll along the trails offers a choice: wide open views across patchwork paddocks below, or shaded paths that lead you deeper into the quiet hush of the peaceful forest.

    The following day, I settle into a quiet corner on the balcony of Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis and soon hear Puffing Billy’s whistle and steady chuff as the steam train climbs towards town. Puffing Billy is one of Australia’s most beloved steam trains, running through the Dandenong Ranges on a narrow-gauge track. It’s famous for its open carriages where passengers can sit with their legs hanging over the sides as the train chugs through the forest. This is the perfect spot to wave to those on the train.

    After my midweek break, I find my inbox still full and my to-do list not in the least shrunken, just shifted from one task to another. But I return to my home office feeling lighter, clearer and with a smug satisfaction I’d stolen back a little time for myself. A midweek wind-down made all the difference.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    Balgownie Estate offers everything from cellar door tastings to spa treatments and fine dining – all without leaving the property.

    Playing there

    the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley
    Visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Wander through Alowyn Gardens, including a stunning wisteria tunnel, then explore the collection of contemporary artworks at TarraWarra Museum of Art . Cycle the Yarra Valley with COG Bike to visit local wineries and cellar doors.

    Eating and drinking there

    Olinda Tea House offers an Asian-inspired high tea. Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis has classic pub fare, while the iconic Yering Station offers wine tastings and a restaurant with seasonal dishes.

    seasonal dishes at the restaurant inside Yering Station
    The restaurant at Yering Station showcases the best produce of the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)