Holiday to Australia: What should first time visitors do?

There are so many options for a holiday to Australia that the hard part for first time visitors can be narrowing the options down. The secret is to pick one or two bases, such as Sydney and Darwin.

Rule one: Stop thinking of Australia as a country, and start thinking of it as a continent. Instead of submitting yourself to constant transit purgatory, trying to ‘do’ Oz in a fortnight, pick two or three hubs.

Best time to visit Australia

Time of year will decide which they are, although undeniably gorgeous Sydney is practically obligatory year round. Between May and early November, however, it’s the tropical dry season. So go north to Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef and rainforest, or the Northern Territory for the outback.

Between October and May, stick to the southern states while they’re at their warmest. Melbourne wins on cool and culture, with laneways tours, barefoot bowling, street art and grazing at the likes of Prahran Market.

Meanwhile, Adelaide offers heritage buildings, swimming with dolphins from Glenelg Marina and climbing the Adelaide Oval roof.

But Adelaide’s real charm is what’s nearby. Take the ferry to Kangaroo Island for wildlife and chill out on the Fleurieu Peninsula beaches such as Normanville and Carrickalinga. Alternatively, plump for the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale wineries, and take in the stark outback majesty of the Flinders Ranges.

Holiday in Australia: Excursions from Sydney

Assuming the October or May sweet spot, allocate a week to Sydney and surrounds. This should involve with an overnight stop in at least one of the Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley and Port Stephens.

The Blue Mountains offers scenery, nature, hiking and gardens. Highlights include the Scenic Railway and Three Sisters walk in Katoomba, and the Jenolan Caves. The Hunter Valley is primarily is primarily about wine-tasting, but there are also Hunter Valley ballooning and horse-riding tours. And the top things to do in Port Stephens are camel-riding tours on Birubi Beach, plus dolphin-watching cruises and 4WD sand dune tours.

Day trips to all three are generally a rushed disappointment, so give whichever you choose the overnight stop.

Staying in Sydney

In Sydney itself there are some tremendous beaches. Bondi Beach offer the people watching, Maroubra the surfing, Parsley Bay the family-friendly calm water and Bilgola the hidden secret cachet.

But unless planning lots of sunbathing time, don’t stay by the beach. It’s a public transport nuisance to get to the city centre small bars and cultural attractions or Sydney Harbour.

Other hubs for a holiday in Australia: Darwin

Other hubs require at least four days too, but if pressured for time and can only do one, pick Darwin in the Northern Territory. It has a sticky outback-meets-Asia feel. But it’s also the gateway to the giant termite mounds of Litchfield National Park and the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. Kakadu offers crocodile-spotting cruises on Yellow Water, 50,000-year-old Aboriginal rock art at Anbangbang and dramatic, rugged escarpment scenery with plunging waterfalls such as Jim Jim Falls.

Holiday in Australia: flights and visas

Unless you take the direct Qantas flight from London Heathrow to Perth, all flights from the UK to Australia require stopping somewhere on the way. This means scores of options, and shopping around for sale fares is fruitful.

It’s about 24 hours minimum to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, and 19 to Perth. Perth and Western Australia tend to be a better bet for second time visitors to Australia, however.

Of the myriad options, Etihad, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific offer flights from regional UK airports as well as Heathrow. Domestic flights are generally with Qantas, Virgin Australia or Jetstar. Unless planning some VERY long drives, you’ll need them.

Apply for the Electronic Travel Authority subclass 651 – effectively a visa – via immi.gov.au in advance. It’s annoying essential, but free.