10 dreamy summer holidays you can go on in winter

Switch falling mercury for idyllic warm weather with our favourite year-round sunny escapes.

Step away from the knitwear – summer isn’t done with you yet. While the chill has certainly set in across Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and South Australia, three adventure-charged states remain flooded with sunshine. From Queensland’s dazzling coastline and the Northern Territory’s notoriously rich tapestry to Western Australia’s ancient desert and countless capers in between, an endless summer rolls right through the thick of winter. Let’s look at the highlights to get those short shorts back in rotation.

1. Sunshine Coast, Qld

Kondalilla National Park walk — Stroll through Kondalilla National Park. (Image: Visit Sunshine Coast)

The name doesn’t lie. The Sunshine Coast boasts 300-odd rain-free days every year, and winter’s reprieve from summer’s humidity means comfortable exploration from the bush to the beach.

Tourist magnet Noosa is an easy choice, full of trendy boutiques and chic bars, but there’s also hinterland high jinks like national park walks to be had at Mapleton, Maleny and Montville. Meanwhile, acclaimed bush tucker cruises and water sports run rife most days in Mooloolaba, and Caloundra is a serious up-and-comer with great beachside eateries.

2. Broome, WA

Willie Cruises, Broome, camels on Cable Beach at sunset — Visit Cable Beach during golden hour. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Can you believe Broome maintains temps in the low 30s while the rest of us crank up our heaters? Winter brings dry season to the sand dune haven, which means little chance of rain and plenty of opportunity to look for dinosaur fossils by the shore.

If you’re a first timer, you’ve got to do Cable Beach, the star of Broome’s beautiful beach bounty and renowned for its technicolour sunsets over infinite soft waves – best gawked at on the back of a camel. There’s also the literal illumination of the Staircase to the Moon, a natural phenomenon that only occurs two or three days each month from March to October, meaning now is your only chance to catch it.

3. Darwin, NT

people at Mintil Beach sunset markets — Wander the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets. (Image: Helen Orr/Tourism NT)

Another golden dry season opportunity lies in the otherwise sticky Darwin, a family-friendly action playground renowned for its laidback lifestyle and profound Indigenous roots. Stroll the Darwin Waterfront, in the heart of the city’s CBD, to dip your toes into the manmade, palm-fringed Wave Lagoon, before seizing the chance to wander the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, which only run from April to October.

Your other obligatory to-do while in town? Embarking on one of Darwin’s best-loved tours to take you to incredible traditional rock art, national parks littered with waterfalls, croc-infested waters and more.

4. The Daintree Rainforest, Qld

Mossman River — The Daintree Rainforest thrives in winter. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Believed to be more than 180 million years old, the Daintree Rainforest thrives in winter as the temperature drops and humidity dissipates. The world’s oldest living rainforest offers otherworldly adventure, just under a two-hour journey from Cairns if you’re road tripping.

There, you’ll take in the almighty Daintree River, where more of those snappy reptiles bask in the beauty of it all. Walking along the forest floor should sit high on your hit list, as should a visit to Cape Tribulation, where the Great Barrier Reef beckons and further nature trails routinely drop jaws.

5. Kununurra, WA

Kununurra's landscape — Kununurra’s landscape is characterised by its rugged features. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Haven’t tackled Western Australia’s astonishing outback yet? Kununurra is the perfect place to venture in while keeping a foot in village life. Additionally, the dry season provides easy drifting conditions for a tranquil cruise of Lake Argyle, which is so massive that it equates to 19 Sydney Harbours.

Kununurra accommodation goes from basic to luxe, while staggering waterfalls, dramatic colossal rock formations and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park are all within reach. The town itself rocks in winter when the Kununurra Markets come to life and a drive-in cinema enchants annually.

6. Katherine, NT

nitmiluk gorge — Nitmiluk Gorge is a stunning place to visit. (Image: Lachlan Gardiner/Tourism NT)

While Darwin’s potent buzz offers sure-fire winter rejuvenation, the Northern Territory’s Katherine is where to go to spread your wings. The undeniable star of the show is Nitmiluk Gorge, also known as Katherine Gorge, which provides 12 kilometres of staggering rocky cliffs synonymous with this corner of the country.

Don’t leave without stepping into the magical Katherine Hot Springs, one of the most luxurious natural spa baths in Australia, which stays utterly toasty at an average of 32 degrees during our coldest months.

7. Cassowary Coast, Qld

Located within great proximity to the Great Barrier Reef lies the Cassowary Coast, the closest mainland point to the reef itself. In winter, high temps linger in the mid-twenties, providing prime conditions to explore far-flung Mission Beach.

Crowd-free snorkelling and diving out to the reef from this heavenly patch of sand is the real winter drawcard, while a trip to Dunk Island (less than 10 kilometres from Mission Beach) will soon invite campers to soak up white sand paradise under a blanket of stars. Its new camping site, due to open in the second half of 2025, will even include glamping tents, an eatery and bar.

8. Kakadu National Park, NT

Kakadu National Park is Australia’s largest national park. (Image: Kakadu Tourism Cooinda Lodge/Tourism NT)

Keen to lose yourself in some of Mother Nature’s most extraordinary craftwork? Kakadu National Park, Australia’s largest national park and a dual-listed UNESCO World Heritage site due to its cultural and natural splendour, offers breathtaking mid-year exploration.

Featuring more than 5000 Indigenous rock art sites (which ranks as one of the highest concentrations on the globe), cascading waterfalls including Jim Jim Falls and Twin Fall Gorge, and epic 4WD terrain, the endlessly overwhelming spot offers a broad sweep of quintessentially Australian things to-do, reconnecting visitors with our spectacular land no matter how it sucks you in.

9. The Pilbara, WA

Pyramid Hill is a significant landmark in WA. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Speaking of our most significant Indigenous geology, the Pilbara in WA is also worthy of serious consideration over winter. The region’s famed wildflowers begin blooming in June, with more than 12,000 species creating hypnotic technicolour flushes, while traditional Aboriginal songlines invite visitors to trail rock art engravings and sacred Indigenous meeting places while taking in striking ancient landscapes.

Port Hedland, one of the Pilbara’s main towns, will also appeal to foodies as Ray’s contemporary dining provides awesome Palm Springs-inspired Instagram fodder.

10. Magnetic Island, Qld

While the Whitsundays’ powder-white beaches typically pull the masses, living the island life is also a breeze just off Townsville.

Catch a ferry from the mainland to discover Magnetic Island, a slice of heaven dotted with scenic national park walks, including Forts Walk which combines Second World War relics and water vistas, whale watching (only applicable during the winter months, so perfect timing), native wildlife encounters and top dining and entertainment, like the beloved Maggie Island Brewery.

Fancy a winter getaway that leans into the cold instead? Explore our list of getaways for every weekend in winter.

The country’s rawest places offer some of its most transformative, restorative experiences.

Australia offers sublime opportunities to disappear into the ancient, untouched wilderness, worlds away from modern stress. Wild Bush Luxury offers a collection of experiences that are a portal into the continent’s wildest, most undiscovered landscapes, from wide floodplains to vast savannas, where the only distractions are birdsong, frog calls, curious wallabies and the daily drama of sunset. With a focus on conservation and Indigenous knowledge, these all-inclusive experiences allow guests to slow down and quiet their minds for intimate encounters with the natural world.

1. Bamurru Plains

safari tent at Bamurru Plains wild bush luxury — Let nature take front row.

In the remote Top End, just outside Kakadu National Park on the fringes of the spectacular Mary River floodplains, you’ll find Bamurru Plains , a peerless Australian safari camp. After a quick air transfer from Darwin to the camp’s private airstrip, you’ll be whisked away via 4WD to a vivid natural wonderland of shimmering floodplains, red earth, herds of peacefully grazing water buffalo and 236 bird species (Bamurru means magpie goose to the Gagadju people).

Accommodations consist of 10 mesh-walled bungalows and two luxe stilted retreats where guests enjoy panoramic, up-close views that invite them into their rightful place in the landscape (and binoculars to see it even better). Being an off-grid experience designed to help guests disconnect, the only distractions are birdsongs, frog calls, curious wallabies, the occasional crocodile sighting and the daily drama of the spectacular golden sunset.

It’s a place where nature’s vastness rises to the level of the spiritual, and Bamurru’s understated, stylish, largely solar-powered lodgings are designed to minimise human impact and let nature take front row. Guests relax in comfort with plush linens, an open bar, communal tables that allow for spontaneous connections and curated dining experiences from the in-house chef using local ingredients and bush-inspired cooking methods.

Bamurru Plains airboat tour — Zoom across the floodplains. (Image: Adam Gibson)

It’s a restorative backdrop for days spent zooming across the mist-covered floodplains in an airboat, birding with expert guides, taking an open-sided safari drive or river cruise through croc country. Spend time at the Hide, a treehouse-like platform that’s perfect for wildlife spotting.

In fact, nature is so powerful here that Bamurru Plains closes entirely during the peak monsoon season (October to April), when the floodplains reclaim the land and life teems unseen beneath the water. Yet Wild Bush Luxury’s ethos continues year-round through its other experiences around Australia – each designed to immerse travellers in a distinct Australian wilderness at its most alive and untouched.

2. Maria Island Walk

woman on a headland of Maria Island Walk — Maria Island Walk offers sweeping coastal scenes.

Off Tasmania’s rugged east coast, the iconic Maria Island Walk is an intimate four-day journey through one of the country’s most hauntingly beautiful and unpopulated national parks, encompassing pristine beaches, convict-era ruins, and wildlife sightings galore. Accessible only by a small ferry, Maria Island feels like a place reclaimed by nature, which is exactly what it is: a penal settlement later used for farms and industry that finally became a national park in 1972.

These days, the island is known as ‘Tasmania’s Noah’s Ark’ and its only human inhabitants are park rangers. It’s a place where wombats amble through grassy meadows, wallabies graze beside empty beaches, dolphins splash in clear water just offshore and Tasmanian devils – successfully reintroduced in 2012 after near-extinction on the mainland – roam free and healthy.

Each day unfolds in an unhurried rhythm: trails through coastal eucalyptus forests or along white-sand bays, plateaus with sweeping ocean views, quiet coves perfect for swimming. Midway through the journey, you’ll explore Darlington, a remarkably preserved 19th-century convict settlement whose ruins tell stories of human ambition at the edge of the known world.

At night, sleep beneath a canopy of stars in eco-wilderness camps – after relaxing with Tasmanian wine and locally-sourced meals, and swapping stories with your fellow trekkers by candlelight.

3. Arkaba

two people standing next to a 4wd in Arkaba — Explore Arkaba on foot or on four wheels.

For a bush immersion with more of an outback flavour, Arkaba offers a completely different type of experience. A former sheep station and historic homestead in South Australia’s striking Flinders Ranges that has been reimagined as a 63,000-acre private wildlife conservancy. It’s now patrolled mainly by kangaroos and emus.

Small-scale tourism (the homestead has just five ensuite guestrooms) helps support rewilding projects, and guests become an essential part of the conservation journey. Days begin with sunrise hikes through ancient sandstone ridges or guided drives into the ranges to spot yellow-footed rock-wallabies. And end with sundowners on a private ridgetop watching the Elder Range glow vibrant shades of gold, crimson and violet as the air cools and time stands still.

Here, you can join conservation activities like tracking native species or learning about Arkaba’s pioneering feral-animal eradication projects, then unwind with chef-prepared dinners served alfresco on the veranda of the homestead, which is both rustic and refined. The highlight? Following Arkaba Walk, a thriving outback wilderness where emus wander and fields of wildflowers grow.

It’s an unforgettable immersion in Australia’s vast inland beauty, a place where the land’s deep and complicated history – and astounding resilience – leave their quiet imprint long after you return home. In a world where genuine awe is rare, Wild Bush Luxury offers a return to what matters most in the untamed beauty of Australia’s wilderness.

Disconnect from the grind and reconnect with nature when you book with at wildbushluxury.com