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Australian Traveller 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards terms and conditions

Credit: C J Maddock

Australian Traveller Australian Traveller
Terms and conditions of entry for the Australian Traveller 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.

In addition to the general terms and conditions of entry for Australian Traveller Media competitions and giveaways, these are the terms and conditions for each of the prizes in the Australian Traveller 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.

By entering, I agree to have my personal information shared with Australian Traveller Media. By opting in, I consent to receiving marketing communications from and having my name, email and phone number shared with and handled by the prize suppliers in accordance with their respective privacy policies.

You only need to enter the giveaway once.

Swim with manta rays on a 5-night Coral Coast escape for 2, worth up to $4500

Bookings via Carnarvon Visitor Centre, subject to availability. Minimum 30 days advance booking required.

Prize not transferable or redeemable for cash. Travel within the specified period only. Subject to availability. Blackout dates apply. The weather may impact tours. Travel insurance not included. Additional costs at the winner’s expense unless stated.

Blackout dates: School holidays, public holidays, and major event periods, including WA Tourism Conference dates (25–27 May 2026), and other peak periods as advised.

A 2-night stay at The Westin Brisbane, worth $4259

The prize is valid for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of issue. Any unused portion of the prize will be forfeited after the expiry date.

Valid dates: August 2026-August 2027

The stay must be completed within the stated validity period and is subject to availability at the time of booking.

Advance reservations are required and must be made directly with the hotel, quoting the prize details.

Blackout dates may apply, including but not limited to public holidays, special events, and peak periods.

The offer must fall within the valid dates and is only redeemable within the designated stay window.

Any additional costs, including but not limited to taxes, incidental charges, meals, and upgrades, are the responsibility of the guest. Taxes are additional where applicable.

The prize is non-transferable, non-exchangeable, and cannot be redeemed for cash or other services.

The hotel reserves the right to amend or withdraw the offer at any time without prior notice.

Other restrictions may apply.

A 3-night escape to the InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef, worth $4000

The winner will be provided with a gift voucher detailing the inclusions.

Subject to availability. The voucher must be redeemed within one year of receiving.

Blackout dates apply, including the festive period, school holidays, public holidays and Resort buyouts.

Flights are not included in this prize.

This certificate is non-transferable or redeemable for cash.

An overnight luxury beachfront stay at The Langham, Gold Coast, worth $1500

The offer is subject to availability and within the valid dates.

Standard cancellation policy applies, and all incidentals are to be covered by guests on departure.

Valid for 12 months from the date of issuance.

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

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A night at The Langham, Melbourne for 2, worth $1353

Vouchers are non-refundable, non-transferable, non-discountable, and cannot be exchanged for cash.

Vouchers must be presented to redeem.

Vouchers cannot be partially redeemed; any unused balance will not be refunded or credited.

All vouchers cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions or special events.

Accommodation voucher reservations shall be made through the hotel reservation office directly; redemption is subject to room availability, blackout dates may apply and may not be used on special dates and public holidays.

In case of disputes, The Langham, Melbourne reserves the right to make the final decision.

Terms and conditions are subject to change.

Valid for 12 months from the date of issuance.

Savour a foodie getaway to Geelong, worth $1298

Not transferable or redeemable for cash.

No public holidays or 21 Dec 2026 – 10 January 2027.

An off-grid cabin stay and sauna session in Denmark, worth over $1200

Minimum 2-night booking

Valid for Denmark location only

Cannot be exchanged for cash

Cannot be used during WA Public Holiday long weekends

Travel between August 2026 – July 2028

A $1000 Accor gift card to use on your next getaway

The gift card is redeemable across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji participating hotels for a validity period of 36 months. Bookings are subject to availability.

2 nights of calm, coastal glamping in Gippsland worth $800

Prize is for two (2) nights’ accommodation for two (2) adults at The Inverloch Glamping Co, Inverloch, Victoria.

Prize is subject to availability and must be booked in advance.

Blackout dates may apply, including peak periods, public holidays and school holidays.

Prize must be redeemed within 12 months from the date of issue.

Accommodation type (bell tent, safari tent, cabin or dome) will be determined by the provider, subject to availability.

Prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and not redeemable for cash.

Travel to and from Inverloch, meals, and any additional expenses are not included.

Guests must comply with all booking terms, conditions of stay and property rules set by The Inverloch Glamping Co.

Any additional costs incurred during the stay (e.g. upgrades, extras, damages) are the responsibility of the winner.

Valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

Nat valid for Victorian long weekends (including Labour Day, King’s Birthday, AFL Grand Final, Melbourne Cup), 20 December – 31 January (summer peak period) or the Easter long weekend (dates vary annually).

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

1 night in a harbour view room at The Langham, Sydney, worth $800

Subject to availability at the time of booking, blackout dates apply.

Valid for 12 months from the date of issuance.

1 night in a water view room at Pier One Sydney Harbour, worth $750

The prize will be issued as a digital voucher. To redeem, the winner must contact the hotel reservations team to book their stay, subject to availability. The voucher must be quoted at the time of booking and presented at check-in.

Valid for travel for 12 months from the date of issue.

Not valid 30–31 December and during special event periods. Additional blackout dates may apply.

An overnight escape at The Anchorage Port Stephens, worth $699

The winner will be presented with a physical voucher.

Voucher will be valid for three years once received.

Valid for mid-week stays (Sunday-Thursday), excludes public holidays and NSW school holidays.

A weekend getaway for 2 at voco Kirkton Park Hunter Valley, worth $675

Must book at least 7 days prior to arrival. Weekday bookings are also permitted. Not available on Public Holidays or Special Event dates. may apply.

Voucher valid for stays until 31st December 2027.

Blackout dates include public holidays and Hotel Special Event Dates. All stay dates are subject to availability.

A Hawkesbury Valley weekend getaway for 2, worth $625

Must book at least 7 days prior to arrival. Weekday bookings are also permitted. Not available on Public Holidays or Special Event dates. may apply.

Voucher valid for stays until 31st December 2027.

Blackout dates include public holidays and Hotel Special Event Dates. All stay dates are subject to availability.

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Explore historic wine towns and sculpture trails on a 3-day self-guided Murray River cruise

    Ricky French Ricky French
    Continue
    Slow down and find your rhythm on a Murray River journey through time and place. 

    Trust is a funny thing. It seems not that long ago that my mother was insisting on pouring the milk into my cereal bowl, because she didn’t trust me not to slosh it over the table, and yet here I am on the Murray River at Mildura in far north-west Victoria, being handed the keys to a very new and very expensive luxury houseboat. 

    After a crash course in how not to crash, I’m at the wheel of the good ship Elevate – pride of the All Seasons fleet – guiding her upstream past red-ochre cliffs as pelicans glide above the rippled river and kookaburras call from reedy banks. There’s a brief moment of breath-holding while I negotiate a hairpin turn around a jagged reef of skeletal, submerged gum trees, before a cheer rings out and calm descends as the timeless river unfurls in front of us.    

    Murray River
    The Murray River winding through Yarrawonga. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

    Setting sail from Mildura 

    Murray River birds
    Home to a large number of bird species, including pelicans. (Image: The Precint Studios)

    A journey along the Murray River is never less than magical, and launching from Mildura makes perfect sense. Up here the river is wide and largely empty, giving novice skippers like myself the confidence to nudge the 60-tonne houseboat up to the riverbank where we tie up for the night, without fear of shattering the glass elevator (the boat is fully wheelchair accessible) or spilling our Champagne.  

    My friends and I spend three days on the water, swimming and fishing, sitting around campfires onshore at night, and basking in air so warm you’d swear you were in the tropics. The simplicity of river life reveals an interesting dichotomy: we feel disconnected from the world but at the same time connected to Country, privileged to be part of something so ancient and special.  

    Stop one: Echuca  

    19th-century paddlesteamers
    A historic 19th-century paddlesteamer cruises along the Murray River. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    The six-hour drive from Melbourne to Mildura (or four hours and 20 minutes from Adelaide) is more than worth it, but you don’t have to travel that far to find fun on the river. Once Australia’s largest inland port, Echuca is the closest point on the Murray to Melbourne (two hours 45 minutes), and you’ll still find a plethora of paddlesteamers tethered to the historic timber wharf, a throwback to the thriving river trade days of the 19th century. The PS Adelaide, built in 1866 and the oldest wooden-hulled paddlesteamer operating in the world, departs daily for one-hour cruises, while a brand-new paddlesteamer, the PS Australian Star, is launching luxury seven-night voyages in December through APT Touring.  

    The town is also a hot food and wine destination. St Anne’s Winery at the historic Port of Echuca precinct has an incredibly photogenic cellar door, set inside an old carriage builders’ workshop on the wharf and filled with huge, 3000-litre port barrels. The Mill, meanwhile, is a cosy winter spot to sample regional produce as an open fire warms the red-brick walls of this former flour mill.  

    Stop two: Barmah National Park 

    Barmah National Park
    Camping riverside in Barmah National Park, listed as a Ramsar site for its significant wetland values. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

    Just half-an-hour upstream, Barmah National Park is flourishing, its river red gum landscape (the largest in the world) rebounding magnificently after the recent removal of more than 700 feral horses. The internationally significant Ramsar-listed wetland sits in the heart of Yorta Yorta Country, with Traditional Owners managing the environment in close partnership with Parks Victoria. Walkways weave through the forest, crossing creeks lined with rare or threatened plants, passing remnants of Yorta Yorta oven mounds and numerous scar trees, where the bark was removed to build canoes, containers or shields.  

    The Dharnya Centre (open weekdays until 3pm) is the cultural hub for the Yorta Yorta. Visitors can learn about the ecological significance of the Barmah Lakes on a 90-minute river cruise, led by a First Nations guide, or take a one-hour, guided cultural walking tour along the Yamyabuc Trail.  

    Stop three: Cobram 

    Yarrawonga MulwalaGolf Club Resort
    Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Continue east to Cobram to find the southern hemisphere’s largest inland beach. Swarming with sun-seekers in summer, the white sand of Thompson’s Beach is shaded by majestic river red gums and dotted with hundreds of beach umbrellas, as beachgoers launch all manner of water craft and set up stumps for beach cricket. But the beach is at its most captivating at sunset, when the crowds thin out, the glassy river mirrors the purple sky, and the canopies of the gum trees glow fiery orange. 

    The region is also home to some fine resorts and indulgent retreats. Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort has two riverside championship golf courses, luxury apartments and self-contained villas. While not strictly on the Murray, the historic wine town of Rutherglen is rife with boutique (and unique) accommodation, including an exquisitely renovated red-brick tower in a French provincial-style castle at Mount Ophir Estate. Fans of fortified wines can unravel the mystery of Rutherglen’s ‘Muscat Mile’, meeting the vignerons and master-blenders whose artistry has put the town on the global map for this rich and complex wine style.  

    Stop four: Albury-Wodonga 

    First Nations YindyamarraSculpture Walk
    First Nations Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk is part of the Wagirra Trail. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

    Follow the river far enough upstream and you’ll arrive at the twin border cities of Albury-Wodonga. The Hume Highway thunders through, but serenity can be found along the five-kilometre Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk – part of the Wagirra Trail that meanders through river wetlands just west of Albury in Wiradjuri country. Fifteen sculptures by local First Nations artists line the trail, conveying stories of reconciliation, enduring connection to culture, local Milawa lore and traditional practices. It feels a long way from Mildura, and it is, but the pelicans and kookaburras remind us that it’s the same river, the great conduit that connects our country. 

    A traveller’s checklist  

    Staying there

    New Mildura motel Kar-rama
    New Mildura motel Kar-rama. (Image: Iain Bond Photo)

    Kar-Rama is a brand-new boutique, retro-styled motel in Mildura, with a butterfly-shaped pool and a tropical, Palm Springs vibe. Echuca Holiday Homes has a range of high-end accommodation options, both on the riverfront and in town. 

    Playing there

    BruceMunro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura
    Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura. (Image: Imogen Eveson)

    Artist Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights installation, comprising more than 12,000 illuminated ‘fireflies’, is currently lighting up Mildura’s Lock Island in the middle of the Murray. Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) is a hub for contemporary art, with a rotating roster of exhibitions, and is a major outlet for young and First Nations artists. 

    Eating there

    Mildura’s diverse demographic means it’s a fantastic place to eat. Andy’s Kitchen is a local favourite, serving up delicious pan-Asian dishes and creative cocktails in a Balinese-style garden setting. Call in to Spoons Riverside in Swan Hill to enjoy locally sourced, seasonal produce in a tranquil setting overlooking the river.