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

Travel Journalist

08 May 2023

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.

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.

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.

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).

Almonta Beach is as pristine as they come. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission and Elise Cook)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mount Hotham promises visitors incredible panoramic views.

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 A n angu people know the season from late May to July as ‘Wari’ .

An Ulu r u 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).

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.

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.

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

Chloe Cann is a freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. 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 slightly different for her these days.

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Getaway Cash travel credits represent and measure the VALUE you receive as a member. For example, they pay for the time we put into planning, booking, and organizing your holidays as well as documentation and administration, arranging travel insurance and so on. Normally, if you organize a trip through a traditional travel agency you would pay a 20 to 40% premium for their services.

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When we plan a holiday for you, we work out how much GCash travel credits can be applied towards the total price, including any travel services involved. The amount you pay is reduced accordingly by deducting travel credits from your membership account.

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Full retail value (including professional agency services): $3,900 Less Getaway Cash travel credits: $975 Amount you pay: $2,925

Maximum GCash usage: Up to 40% of full retail value. The average is around 25%.

"Full retail value" (aka. "normal retail price") is the price of either (a) a competing travel quote or (b) what we estimate you would pay for your customised travel plan through another travel company offering similar inclusions and services, or (c) the non-member price of a pre-packaged itinerary. The amount of Getaway Cash that can be used is entirely at our discretion. Standard price and full retail value comparisons are with similar packages offered elsewhere or what we estimate would be payable by a non-member for the same or similar package and may include a value we define for specialty travel agency services .

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Accommodation

We often receive requests to price accommodation at a member's preferred or selected hotel or resort.

We have access to member rates at thousands of properties world-wide. However, we do not have access to member rates at every property in Australia or the rest of the world.

Therefore it is essential that you are flexible in regard to the property if you want us to submit a proposal. If you are not flexible, and we do not have access to member rates at your specific property, we will not be able to use GCash credits towards the booking price and we will not supply pricing.

On the other hand, if you are flexible, we will usually be able to find a great value property that will suit you.

Getaway Cash travel credits are applied towards the price on the same basis that is used for travel packages.

Terms & Conditions

The following terms and conditions apply to the use of Getaway Cash discount travel credits (also called "GCash") and are subject to change without notice. By purchasing or agreeing to proceed with a travel or accommodation package, making a travel and/or accommodation enquiry or booking with Travel Directions Pty Ltd ("Australian Escapes") and/or engaging the services of Australian Escapes in any other way you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions as well as our standard booking conditions and any reasonable amendments.

PURPOSE OF GCASH

The Getaway Cash (GCash) travel credits system is a method of obtaining and measuring the value of travel services and savings offered by Australian Escapes.

GCash credits may only be used for the purposes we describe in member information and cannot be redeemed for cash, goods or services except as we specify. You can use your GCash credits towards the following types of travel:

The following booking types do not qualify:

• Activities, car hire, cruise and tour excursions except where part of a larger package.

* It is important to understand that we have access to member rates at hundreds of properties in Australia and thousands world-wide. But we do not have access to member rates at every property. See "Can I find a resort/hotel and you will discount it with GCash" in the Website FAQ's... .

GCash may be used towards accommodation and travel up to a limit set by us on a case-by-case basis according to the normal retail price of the package. Each time you make a booking we use GCash travel credits from your account towards your holiday. The amount used is based on the amount of retail margin in the package. Getaway Cash cannot be used to get a free holiday.

FULL RETAIL VALUE

"Full retail value", also referred to as "normal retail price", is the price of either (a) a competing travel quote or (b) the retail price we estimate that you would pay for your customised travel plan through another travel company offering the same level of service, or (c) the non-member price of a pre-packaged itinerary. The amount of Getaway Cash that can be used is entirely at our discretion.

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(Applies to Platinum membership and above.) You must remain a member of Australian Escapes Holiday & Club (Travel Directions Pty Ltd) to accumulate interest credits on the balance of your Getaway Cash account and to be entitled to other benefits offered to members. "Interest" is paid in the form of Getaway Cash travel credits and is calculated at 10% of the remaining Value Guarantee balance. A maximum of 2,000 interest credits can be earned.

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Note: By requesting a price-beat you are under no obligation to place a booking with us or proceed with the final travel package as the case may be. A non-refundable deposit is required in the case of a tour/travel package price-beat (see below).

The following terms and conditions apply to travel plans and accommodation quotes requested from and supplied by Travel Directions Pty. Ltd. trading as Global Escapes Travel, Australian Escapes Holiday & Travel Club (Australian Escapes) and Kiwi Escapes (the company) and are subject to change without notice. These conditions are to be read in conjunction with our standard booking conditions and conditions applicable to Australian Escapes Holiday & Travel Club membership as defined in website FAQs.

1. ACCOMMODATION-ONLY

There are two main scenarios:

(1) You request a price-beat on a specific property. Our objective is to provide at least 15% more total value or a price that is 15% lower than a competitor quote supplied to us for the same accommodation property, on the same conditions and with the same inclusions, provided we have access to be able to book the accommodation through our normal supplier channels.

If we do not have access to member rates that property we will offer an alternative that is of the same or higher standard, as per our hotel rating system and that meets the stated requirements, subject to availability, and subject to the following:

• Any price supplied is an estimate only and is subject to our standard booking conditions .
• The price beat and inclusion details will be confirmed in a travel plan.

(2) We propose a property with member pricing: If the "you pay" price we submit is already discounted using GCash travel credits and the lowest available price at the time it was submitted, it does not qualify. Otherwise our objective is to provide at least 15% more total value or a price that is 15% lower than a competitor quote supplied to us for the same accommodation property, on the same conditions and with the same inclusions.

A price-beat will be deemed successful and this guarantee is therefore met when the applicable objective is achieved.

2. TRAVEL & TOUR PACKAGES

Inclusions in travel and tour packages assembled by competitor travel agents, tour companies, wholesalers, online travel promoters will all be different in some way. Packages will typically vary by inclusions, validity, suppliers, component type, standard, terms and conditions, travel date, etc ("package components").

Our objective in this type of price-beat situation is to assemble a package containing similar and/or higher value package components to that which you present to us. We guarantee to offer at least 15% more total value (through added value) or a price that is 15% lower than the competitor quote ("successful price-beat") subject to the following:

• Any package components that are exclusive to specific suppliers to which we do not have access will not be included.
• Alternative supplier products of a substantially similar type and standard may be included.
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• The price-beat may be based on alternative travel and departure dates.
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• Added value may be treated as a price deduction for the purposes of the price-beat.
• Any price supplied is an estimate only.

A price-beat will be deemed successful and this guarantee is therefore met when the above objective is achieved.

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The price-beat must be requested before you place a booking with any other travel agent, online booking agent or property direct in relation to the subject accommodation or package.

A price-beat may be requested by providing clear, written evidence of the competitor quote as well as your requirements to an employee of the company who performs a reservations or travel consultant role ("company contact") as follows:

• Your exact booking requirements including travel/booking date range(s), number and age of travellers and special requirements if any.
• The price-beat request and any subsequent travel plan and/or booking is subject to our standard booking conditions .

A competitor quote presented under this guarantee must be genuine (not contrived) and must be a final, fixed price, backed by verifiable evidence. A competitor quote that we determine is not genuine or final is excluded. The requested date range(s) for travel/tour commencement as well as for individual package components must be realistic and flexible.

5. TRAVEL/TOUR PACKAGE DEPOSIT GUARANTEE

This condition applies to travel/tour packages only. We require up to $900 deposit per person (amount depending on package complexity) as a guarantee that you will proceed with the travel plan after we are successful with the price/value beat. This requirement exists because of the amount of travel consultant time required to price according to a competitor quote.

• The deposit amount will be deducted from the price if you proceed.
• The deposit amount will be refunded in the event that the proposed travel dates are not within the requested date range(s).
• Subject to 5.2, if you do not proceed, the deposit amount will be forfeited.

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Your Australian Escapes Holiday & Travel Club membership must be Gold level or above and active and paid up at the time of requesting the price beat.

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New travel show let’s you ‘try before you buy’.

Escape To spotlights beloved local and global destinations with a twist: you can book the exact itinerary shown on-screen.

Planning a trip in 2023 can seem fraught with obstacles. With soaring airfares and tours booking out well in advance, it can feel like the stakes are higher than ever. Escape To , a new series from the editors of travel publication Escape aims to make the planning and booking process hitch-free with a simple underlying concept: try before you buy.

Launching on Sunday 12 February, the eight-part series will take audiences on a world tour to the most spectacular destinations with a twist: viewers will have the chance to book the exact same trip and itineraries they’re watching unfold on the show.

“The real benefit for viewers is that they’ll be able to experience a full itinerary in a ‘try-before-you-buy’ format, with each episode providing the option to book that exact holiday experience,” says Escape editor-in-chief and series host Kerrie McCallum.

The show is co-hosted by comedian Merrick Watts with appearances by two intrepid tour guides, TV personality Tyson Mayr and comedian Lizzy Hoo.

Episode one takes place in the French Riviera, visiting Italy’s Elba Island , famous for being Napoleon’s place of exile, and soaking up the sun in Portofino where pastel villas and glistening waters make for the perfect backdrop.

Tips on how to find each location’s best-kept secret along with ways to make the most of your accommodation are dotted throughout the 25 minute-long episodes. Interviews with notable locals and guides come together with transportive visuals and dialogue between the panel of travel experts, with an added lightness derived from the casts’ laid-back approach and Watt’s comedic timing.

“Australians are prioritising travel and are ready to be inspired to start holidaying again – whether that’s around the corner, around the country or around the world,” says McCallum.

The series will see the experts leave no stone unturned over the course of their adventures, which spans Provence , the Kimberley, Perth, Singapore and Fiji.

The eight-part Escape To series will stream on Escape’s website from 12 February, 2023. New episodes will be released on Sundays.

Imogen Reid

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