The 12 best winter escapes in Australia: from beaches to mountains

Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
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Hike through a forest doused in fresh powdery snow, visit a towering waterfall only accessible on foot in the dry, and idle on a 22-kilometre-long beach in temperatures close to 30°C with these winter escapes.

To many, both at home and abroad, Australia conjures images of infinite summer; of a sun-scorched interior and a balmy, pristine coastline fringed by primeval rainforest. While both are deservedly hallmarks, there is, of course, plenty more to this continent than the heat (or beaches) with which it’s become synonymous. From snowy mountainscapes to deserted island beaches, and arid bushland freckled with swimming holes only accessible in the dry, these winter escapes will have you second-guessing which is the best season to head off on a jaunt.

Discover the beaches

In spite of winter’s cool breath, Australia’s beaches still beckon – if you know where to look. And with next to no jellies, fewer crowds, and some comfortably warm weather up north, dare we say that winter may actually be the better season to throw on your swimmers and make for the coast?

1. Hyams Beach, NSW

This lengthy, bone-white stretch of sand needs little introduction. Come summer, it can be tough to carve out a small parcel of beach to call your own, let alone snare a car park. But in winter, this beach is almost unrecognisable thanks to the dearth of holidaymakers. We propose rocking up early with a coffee in hand and a breakfast picnic, to idle in the serenity and listen to the sound of the sleepy waves lapping inches from your toes.

Aerial shot of someone walking on Hyams Beach in NSW
In winter you’ll have Hyams Beach (almost) to yourself. (Image: Filippo Rivetti)

2. Whitehaven Beach, QLD

The Whitsundays is not an area shy of impressive littoral landscapes, but Whitehaven Beach is arguably the jewel in the region’s crown. A dreamy seven-kilometre long slice of coastline, marbled with chalky sandbars and neon turquoise waters, it’s understandably busy year-round. Visit between June and November, however, and you can avoid peak stinger season as well as the sticky heat and frequent showers that occur in summer in Tropical North Queensland. Not only that, but the average water temperature in winter is still a highly agreeable 22.4°C.

Drone shot of Whitehaven Beach in th Whitsundays in Queensland
Whitehaven Beach in the winter means you’ll avoid peak stinger season. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland and Mark Fitz)

3. Cable Beach, Broome, WA

Winter, but not as Southern Australians know it: Broome averages highs of around 29°C in June, July and August, making it the perfect spot for a winter sun getaway. And visiting between May and October also means you’ll avoid the jellies and the tropical downpours.

Time your visit right, and you can even witness the natural phenomenon ‘Staircase to the Moon’, which occurs between March and October when a full moon rises over the exposed tidal flats of Roebuck Bay.

Staircase to the Moon in Broome, Western Australia
Time your visit to see the Staircase to the Moon. (Image: Charlotte and James Maddock)

4. Almonta Beach, SA

South Australia’s Almonta Beach, located within the Coffin Bay National Park, is as pristine as they come. Despite being accessible by 2WD, and just a short walk through sand dunes, you’ll often find this coastal paradise nigh on deserted; that is, save for the pods of dolphins that routinely patrol the waters and the mobs of kangaroos that bound along the beach’s perimeter.

Moreover, you’re only a short drive from another of the state’s most famed crescents of sand: Coffin Bay. The trump card here, however, is not the sea’s hue, or the softness of the sand, but rather the world-class oyster farms. And come winter, you can enjoy Pacific and Angasi oysters plucked and shucked fresh from the water you’re standing in when they’re at their absolute prime (anywhere from April to early December).

Woman standing on Almonta Beach in South Australia
Almonta Beach is as pristine as they come. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission and Elise Cook)

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

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Visit the snow-capped mountains

Australia’s snow-capped mountains mightn’t be as well-known as those that grace neighbouring NZ, but that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of dramatic winter beauty to be found right here under our noses. There’s a surprising amount of choice too: pick from 16 ski resorts across New South Wales, Victoria, and Tassie, each with its own unique features.

5. Thredbo, NSW

Home to Australia’s longest ski runs, highest restaurant and highest ‘lifted’ point (where you can even ring a community bell to mark your arrival) Thredbo has some superlative features. The NSW town is also among the country’s most bustling and picturesque, taking its cues from Europe’s mountain resorts, with plenty of apres options on offer.

Yet families will find Thredbo equally accommodating: watch on as your little ones learn to snowplough at the local ski school, demolish a deluxe house hot chocolate on the sun-licked deck at Merritts Mountain House, splash around in the resort’s leisure centre pool, and watch on as fireworks dance across the sky during the weekly winter display.

Driving in Thredbo with the snow covered mountains around.
Thredbo takes its cues from Europe’s mountain resorts. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Perisher, NSW

A behemoth, Perisher is not just the largest ski resort in Australia, but the biggest in the entire Southern Hemisphere. There are more than 1,245 skiable hectares to tackle here, (which, by the way, is more than double the area offered by its closest competitor, Thredbo) with a web of 110 trails spinning down from the top of the eponymous mountain. And if, miraculously, it feels as though you’ve exhausted every last run then take to the toboggan park, or go snow tubing instead.

Chair lift at Blue Cow Perisher in New South Wales
Perisher is the largest ski resort in the entire Southern Hemisphere. (Image: Destination NSW)

7. Falls Creek, Vic

Two aspects set Falls Creek apart from the rest of the competition: its sizable cross-country terrain (more than 64 kilometres of groomed cross-country trails) and its ski village, which is pedestrian-only, meaning that all the accommodation, dining, day spas and on-piste activities are ski-in/ski-out. As dusk falls and lights flicker on, wander around the snowy streets, and duck into one of the cosy bars for a cocktail; come sunrise, be the first to hit the untouched off-piste cross-country trails in the Alpine National Park, and lap up the tranquillity as the first golden light peeps over the mountaintop.

Drone shot of Falls Creek at sunrise
All the Falls Creek accommodation, dining, day spas and on-piste activities are ski-in/ski-out. (Image: Jezzalanko Creative)

8. Mount Hotham, Vic

Laughing in the face of tradition, Mount Hotham village lies at the top of the mountain, promising visitors panoramic views of a landscape blanketed in snow. And many of the local accommodation offerings have capitalised on this feature, offering their guests bedrooms and living spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows: perfect for watching the sun sink over the crumpled mountains before you, a glass or red in hand, and a log fire crackling in the background.

Skiers heading down slopes at Mount Hotham in Victoria
Mount Hotham promises visitors incredible panoramic views.

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Explore the National Parks

Encompassing some of the country’s most iconic sights, and showcasing the diversity that this continent has to offer, Australia’s national parks are a failsafe for rewarding holidays in nature. And while many are year-round destinations, a select few come into their prime when cooler climes fall.

9. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, NT

Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park is a wonder to behold at any time of year. But winter and spring promise tolerable heat (between 20°C and 30°C) and minimal flies, making it easily the best time to visit. Journey here in the early morning and enter an otherworldly landscape, where mists (kulyar-kulyarpa) may have descended, and morning frosts (nyinnga) have taken hold of the hardy local flora. The Anangu people know the season from late May to July as ‘Wari’.

Rain clouds over Uluru
An Uluru winter will bring mists (kulyar-kulyarpa) and morning frosts (nyinnga). (Image: Tourism NT and Tourism Central Australia)

10. Kakadu National Park, NT

The largest national park in Australia, Kakadu covers almost 20,000 square kilometres, making it larger in size than Fiji. It’s said to house the greatest variety of ecosystems on the continent, featuring savanna woodlands, open forest, floodplains, mangroves, tidal mudflats and coastal areas. But many of the park’s most enticing attractions, such as hikes to billabongs and towering waterfalls, guided walks through Kakadu’s Aboriginal rock art galleries, and cooling dips in the park’s croc-free swimming holes, are only accessible in the dry (between May and October).

Yellow Water Cruise Kakadu
Kakadu is more accessible in the dry season. (Image: Tourism NT and Tourism Australia)

11. Dirk Hartog Island National Park, WA

Accessible via a barge that operates solely between March and November, Dirk Hartog is a remote destination awash with dramatic natural beauty that’s an adventurer’s paradise. Think lofty limestone cliffs smashed by untamed ocean swells; crystalline waters teeming with bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales, manta rays, dugongs and turtles; and an arid scrub interior scattered with sand dunes and vivid pink salt lakes.

People snorkelling in Dirk Hartog Island National Park
You can only access Dirk Hartog between March and November. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

12. Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tas

Winter in Tassie? The prospect may alarm some, but the Apple Isle possesses a surprisingly hearty share of wintry attractions. Beyond the obvious (Dark Mofo, Willie Smith’s Mid-Winter Fest, Tasmanian Whisky Week) the island state also offers the chance to spy Aurora Australis (the Southern Lights) fleeting through the steely night skies, and to wander through snow-dusted scenery. And Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park offers an opportunity to do both, as well as dabble in snowshoeing or even tackle the Overland Track. You’ll encounter quiet trails, frozen lakes and mossy forests anointed with frost.

Southern Lights at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania
Spot the Southern Lights at Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. (Image: Pierre Destribats)

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Chloe Cann
Chloe Cann is an award-winning freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. Since honing her skills at City St George's, University of London with a master's degree in journalism, she's been writing almost exclusively about travel for more than a decade, and has worked in-house at newspapers and travel magazines in London, Phnom Penh, Sydney and Melbourne. Through a mixture of work and pleasure, she's been fortunate enough to visit 80 countries to date, though there are many more that she is itching to reach. While the strength of a region's food scene tends to dictate the location of her next trip, she can be equally swayed by the promise of interesting landscapes and offbeat experiences. And with a small person now in tow, travel looks a little different these days, but it remains at the front of her mind.
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The Macedon Ranges is Victoria’s best-kept food and wine secret

    Emily McAuliffe Emily McAuliffe
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    Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

    Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

    But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

    The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

    liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery
    Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

    Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

    Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

    Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat, now one of the largest estates.

    Meet the new generation of local winemakers

    the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor.
    The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate, whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor, who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will, who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

    Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

    farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate
    Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

    the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery
    The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

    Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods. “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

    Come for the wine, stay for the food

    pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford
    Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

    For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

    the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery
    The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

    The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

    dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling
    Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges
    Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield, embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House.

    Eating there

    Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument, which also has a sculpture park.

    Drinking there

    wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges
    A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds.

    the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage
    Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Playing there

    a scenic river in Castlemaine
    Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

    Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens, hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

    purple flowers hanging from a tree
    Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)