Uluru glowing in the low sun above a vast desert landscape

Australasia

Australia

Red earth, the stories of one of the world's oldest living cultures, coral reefs and cities by the water — a continent, not just a country.

Photo: Ondrej Machart / Unsplash

Australia is bigger than most people expect: Sydney to Uluru is about three hours by air, and tropical Queensland to cool Tasmania feels like travelling between different worlds. A good journey here begins not with a list but with a choice — desert, reef, wild edges or cities — and how best to link them.

In the Red Centre, Uluru and Kata Tjuta are not only extraordinary rock formations but sacred places for the Anangu, who have lived here for tens of thousands of years. Walking with Anangu guides or spending time at the cultural centre helps you understand why some sites are not to be photographed, and why the climb on Uluru closed in 2019.

On the east coast the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest meet almost at the shoreline, Sydney lives by its harbour and beaches, and in Tasmania and on Kangaroo Island wildlife is often just minutes from where you stay. Most remote of all is the Kimberley in the far north-west, which opens up only in the dry season.

Why go

01
Uluru, Kata Tjuta and the Red Centre
Sunrise as Uluru turns from deep violet to fiery red, the walk around its base and the Valley of the Winds between the domes of Kata Tjuta. Stories shared by Anangu guides help you see this land not as scenery but as a living culture.
02
The Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays
Snorkelling or diving on the outer reef, sailing between the Whitsunday Islands and the swirling sands of Hill Inlet at low tide. From Cairns or Port Douglas the Daintree rainforest, where jungle runs down to the sea, is also within easy reach.
03
Tasmania and the southern islands
Cradle Mountain above Dove Lake, Wineglass Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula and Hobart's art and food scene. On Kangaroo Island in South Australia, sea lions, kangaroos and wind-sculpted granite await.
04
The Kimberley — the far north-west
One of Australia's most remote regions: the beehive domes of Purnululu, gorges with natural swimming holes, Lake Argyle and the Horizontal Falls created by enormous tides. Reached by four-wheel drive, light aircraft or expedition ship.

Ways to travel

Ways to experience it

Ways to travel aren't separate paths — the best journeys often bring several together.

Wildlife & nature
Koalas and kangaroos, sea lions on Kangaroo Island, cassowaries in the Daintree and colourful reef fish — often with a naturalist guide.
Culture & discovery
Walks with Aboriginal guides in the Red Centre and the Kimberley, rock art and stories of a land cared for by its Traditional Owners for millennia.
Tailor-made journeys
Domestic flights, transfers and stays linked so the vast distances never take the joy out of the journey.
Exceptional stays & escapes
Desert camps facing Uluru, rainforest lodges, island retreats on the reef and vineyard stays in Tasmania.
Adventure & active travel
The Gibb River Road in the Kimberley, the Overland Track in Tasmania and diving on the outer reef.
Honeymoons & special journeys
Dinner under desert stars, sailing through the Whitsundays and quiet days at Wineglass Bay.

Australia

Journey inspiration

Illustrative ideas for how a tailor-made journey could look. Not bookable packages: no prices, dates or inclusions are implied.

0112–16 days
Red Centre and reef
A few days in Sydney, Uluru and Kata Tjuta with an Anangu guide, Kings Canyon, then Port Douglas, the Daintree and a day on the reef.
Culture & discovery · Wildlife & nature
Plan something like this
0214–18 days
Southern islands and wildlife
Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Kangaroo Island with its sea lions and kangaroos, then Tasmania's Cradle Mountain, Freycinet and Hobart.
Wildlife & nature · Exceptional stays & escapes
Plan something like this
0310–14 days
The Kimberley in the dry season
Broome and Cable Beach, the Gibb River Road or light-aircraft flights, the domes of Purnululu and Lake Argyle — Australia at its most remote.
Adventure & active travel · Small-group adventures
Plan something like this

Planning your journey

When to go

Australia's weather varies greatly by region. The Red Centre is usually most pleasant in the cooler months, roughly April to September; summer there is very hot. In the tropical north and the Kimberley the dry season generally runs from about May to October, and in the wet season some roads become impassable. Sydney, Tasmania and Kangaroo Island are especially good from spring through autumn (October–April).

How long to allow

For a first visit we suggest at least 14–16 days and two or three regions linked by domestic flights. The Kimberley or Tasmania each deserve a week of their own.

Natural combinations

Australia combines naturally with New Zealand, and Indonesia makes an easy stopover on the way there or back. For a restful ending, Fiji works beautifully.