Australia to shine with the arrival of the Water Lantern Festival

Rachael ThompsonBy Rachael Thompson
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UPDATE: The Water Lantern Festival has cancelled this event, and promises refunds to ticket-holders.

If you’ve seen the movie Tangled, you’ll be familiar with the whimsical scene in which Rapunzel releases floating lanterns into the sky, symbolising her deep hope and dream of seeing the lights up close. The Water Lantern Festival might just be the next best thing with participants having the opportunity to release lanterns into the water, carrying their hopes, dreams, or personal messages. 

Rivers will glow in a visually stunning display. (Image: Water Lantern Festival)

Inspired by traditional lantern festivals in China, Vietnam, and Thailand, The Water Lantern Festival aims to help people create lasting memories with their loved ones in a peaceful, visually stunning setting. Upon arrival, participants will receive a lantern and a marker or pen to personalise and decorate it. The lanterns will then be lit and released across a body of water, allowing everyone to symbolically let go of their wishes, thoughts, or reflections. The striking sight that follows is a sea of lanterns floating gracefully in the dark, creating a mesmerising and peaceful atmosphere. This family-friendly event will also include activities, food trucks, music and giveaways. 

Water Lantern Festival Australia
Participants can symbolically let go of their wishes, thoughts, or reflections. (Image: Water Lantern Festival)

Each adult ticket provides entry into the festival area and comes with a floating lantern, commemorative drawstring bag, LED light, marker, conversation cards, playing cards, and wristband. The lanterns are made from sustainable materials, with a rice paper cover and a wooden lantern base, LED lights are recycled where possible, and event organisers have ensured no waste will be left behind in the water.

The Water Lantern Festival will make its tour around Australia from March:

Sydney: March 8th, 9th

Newcastle: April 26th

Adelaide: May 2nd

Gold Coast: May 10th

Brisbane: May 24th, 25th

Melbourne: May 30th, 31st, June 1st

For ticket info, head to waterlanternfestival.com

Rachael Thompson
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and a self-proclaimed cheese and Chablis connoisseur. In her role, she creates and manages online content that remains relevant and valuable over time. With a background in publishing and e-commerce in both interior design and travel, Rachael is dedicated to curating engaging content that informs and inspires. She began her career at Belle magazine, then went on to become Senior Content Producer at Homes to Love focusing on Australian House & Garden and Belle, followed by Editor at Bed Threads. Her work has also appeared in Qantas Travel Insider. When she's not writing, editing, or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars, and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list are Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and Lord Howe Island.
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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie FloydBy Kellie Floyd
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    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.