There’s still time to book an Easter getaway. These last-minute stays are still available, but not for long!
As autumn starts to kick in, the Easter break is our last chance to catch the tail-end of warmer weather before the mercury plummets. And in combination with Anzac Day, this period is the golden ticket to leave-hacking your way to a longer break. So, it makes sense that many of us are setting our OOO and heading to the great outdoors for the holidays: camping, hiking, and making the most of the pleasant temperature.
Parkbooker is a booking platform that helps travellers find, compare and book Holiday Parks around Australia. They’ve analysed the best caravan parks, cabins and campsites to find those still available to book over the Easter break. According to their data, there are still pockets of availability across the country, but spots are disappearing fast.
Haven’t booked anything yet but dreaming of getting away this Easter? Listen up, because there are still great getaways to lock in now.
The Daintree, Qld
Australia is full of UNESCO-listed gems, and you can knock off two of them at once this Easter break. There are still glamping tents, campsites or cabins at Daintree Beach Resort , located between the ancient Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. April is smack-bang in the middle of turtle-hatching season, the perfect reason to head up north and witness one of nature’s miracles.
See the ancient Daintree Rainforest. (Image: TEQ)
Seaside Villages, Tas
Tassie’s big-ticket attractions may be booked out, but the good news is that it’s a perfect opportunity to discover some of the Apple Isle’s hidden gems. For instance, Stanley in the state’s Northwest is home to The Nut – an ancient volcanic formation that towers above the historic seaside town. There is still camping and cabin availability at BIG4 Stanley , right on Tallows Beach.
Stanley is a quaint town in Tasmania’s north that’s home to an ancient volcanic formation. (Image: Getty/THP Creative)
Over on the east coast, BIG 4 St Helens is a quaint coastal town from which to explore the world-famous Bay of Fires, known for its distinctive landscape of granite boulders and bright orange lichen. The area is also home to fantastic hiking and biking trails for an active holiday away.
Rugged orange-hued rocks meet the pristine shores. (Image: Will Wardle Media)
South Ballina, NSW
In the wake of Cyclone Alfred, holiday cancellations swept across Northern NSW and southern Queensland. But the region is open to tourists, and your visit can help recovery operations while you enjoy a restorative break. There is campsite availability at Ballina Beach Nature Resort , the perfect wellness retreat with meditation spaces and walking trails to an outdoor fitness circuit.
Visiting towns affected by Cyclone Alfred that are open for tourists is a great way to support recovery in the region. (Image: Getty/Turnervisual)
Mission Beach, Qld
Combining Reef, Rainforest and Relaxation, Mission Beach in Queensland’s Tropical North is the perfect destination to chase the sun before the mercury begins to plummet. Hideaway Holiday Village , located opposite the beach, still has campsites left. It’s a family-friendly destination and a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Dunk Island, a 15-minute ferry ride away, is abundant with places for snorkelling among the coral reefs.
Mission Beach is tucked away on the Cassowary Coast. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)
Agnes Water Hinterland, Qld
Agnes Water is a coastal town at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. There are still spots available at 1770 Eco Camp , a camp set among 24 acres of tropical bushland with freshwater dams and modern amenities. Unplug from the busyness of daily life and snap up one of the remaining campsites. Spend your Easter break surrounded by Native gums, palms and wildlife – including kangaroos, echidnas, and kookaburras.
Go kayaking across the pristine waters of Agnes Water. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)
Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
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.
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
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 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 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 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.
Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels
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
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
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.
