If you’ve ever wondered what the best time to visit Australia is and you’re currently trying to plan a trip, you’ve undoubtedly heard varying opinions on the matter. We’ve gone and done our homework on the Land Down Under and provided a brief overview of what the weather is like during different seasons, what festivals you can look forward to, as well as some tips and tricks on how to enjoy your time the most. Strap in and enjoy!
Why visit Australia
Whether you’re talking about world-class wines, magically tropical beaches, dune bugs in the desert, weird and wonderful wildlife, or want the best cup of coffee in the world, the excellence that is Australia is bound to deliver. You could spend a lifetime meandering through different parts of the vast country and still miss out on plenty it has to offer unsuspecting visitors. This is particularly true if you’re in search of adventure. It’s a challenge to find somewhere on the planet more fitting than the Land Down Under.
A World of Adventure
The options for adventure are endless in Australia and cater to all types of explorers. If you’re an ocean lover, you don’t want to miss out on visiting the Great Barrier Reef and experiencing all the weird and wonderful things there, including getting to swim with whales, sharks, and 100-year-old turtles, discovering thousands of coral species, or getting out before droves of box jellyfish flood the scene between November and March. It’s worth noting that jellyfish season can be incredibly painful and sometimes fatal.
Thrill-seekers can head out any time of the year and experience some of the most incredible high-flying, low-diving, fast-driving things to do in the country. Make your way to Tamborine during any time of the year and take a ride in a tank that served in the Vietnam war, or head on over to Western Australia and join up with Tree Adventure to zipline through a pine forest. During the spring or summer months, you can spend time water rafting in a World Heritage Rainforest, south of Cairns along the Tully River’s most famous rapids, the Theatre Rapid. The list is endless.
Australian Festivals
Splendour is widely considered to be one of the biggest and best music festivals in Australia that happens every year in July. Make your way to Byron Bay during this time if you’re a music lover and want to experience world-renowned musicians doing their thing.
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival happens every year in March and April and brings in loads of some of the world’s biggest names in the industry to a wide range of venues across the city. Not only is this an insatiable time for comedy, but equally as insatiable for your belly with the local venues being supported by the local restaurants serving up some of the most delicious culinary delights Melbourne has to offer, and believe it they have a lot!
The Dreaming Festival happens in June every year and is held in a small town called Woodford, about 90 minutes from Brisbane. Over three days, the town celebrates the indigenous culture through music, dancing, and cooking events that’ll leave you mesmerised and teary-eyed. The story-telling from indigenous groups that happens throughout the festival is absolutely not to be missed and sure to leave you enthralled and speechless.
Vivid Sydney is an annual celebration that takes place every year in Sydney and transforms the city over 23 days through creativity, technology, and innovation. You’ll be treated to a Vivid light show that illuminates the city and its surrounding landscape with vibrant 3D projections and glowing light art that shines on and gives new meaning to the city’s architecture and a variety of other spaces.
You can’t mention festivals in Australia without mentioning Australia Day, which is considered to be the country’s National Festival. On this day, the whole of Australia celebrates the day the shores of Australia were reached by the first fleet back on January 26, 1788. Locals and visitors alike celebrate the day with fireworks, family barbecues, plenty of beer, and never-ending partying. Most of the celebrations happen around Circular Quay, Sydney Opera House, and Harbour Bridge, but you’ll find a celebration wherever you are in the country.
Seasons determine the best time to visit Australia
In Australia, like most other places in the world, the seasons are grouped into four different periods with roughly three months per season.
Spring starts around September and runs through to the end of November. Summer begins in December and runs until the end of February. Autumn starts in March and ends in May, while Winter is usually from June until August.
This is confusing for a lot of people who visit Australia because the northern half of the country and the tropics don’t seem to follow the same course. These areas differ wildly and nailing down specific seasons is impossible. However, if you’re in the southern half of the country, you can expect very hot and dry summers, winters that hover around 20°C, and mild springs and autumns.
Best time to visit Australia’s Coast
Australia is HUGE, so when we talk about the best time to visit the coast or head to the waters, it’ll differ from place to place. Some areas will be best during the hot summer months, while others will be unbearable during the same time. It all depends on where you end up.
The Coral Coast
The Coral Coast is just north of Perth, with thousands of kilometres of outback desert, laid-back coastal towns and white sandy beaches stretching on for miles. You’ll find some of the world’s largest coral reefs fringing along this coast. Coral spawning happens between March and May, and at the same time leading up to July, you’ll have a chance to swim with or at least see Whale Sharks in the region. Humpback Whales and Manta Rays make their way to the Coral Coast between June and November, while Turtles nest on the shores and later hatch between November and March. So, basically the best thing to do is to spend a year at the Coral Coast!
Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast stretches from Caloundra, a coastal city near Brisbane, to the far north where you’ll find the Great Sandy National Park. It’s teeming with beautiful little villages nestled along the coastal sands like Maroochydore and Noosa. For year-round travel, Noosa is better suited because it receives less rain than the villages in the north and there’s no concern about jellyfish because they don’t come to the region. April to November is usually the best time of year when it’s cloudless and hot, but the temperatures tend to stay around 30°C throughout the year.
Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is another year-round destination but the summer months of December to February can get incredibly warm and uncomfortable with sporadic tropical weather. It also tends to be the time of year when everybody flocks there so it’s likely to be crowded. There’s a large consensus that April to May is often the best time to go because it’s a bit of a shoulder period when it comes to tourism and the weather is pleasant with very little rainfall. There also aren’t any school or college holidays and very few tourists
Things to keep in mind when visiting Australia
Regardless of when you decide to go, there are a few things worth keeping in mind for your trip.
Get familiar with cultural differences – do a little bit of research on how things are done in the part of Australia you’re going to and remember to be respectful, ensuring you don’t offend anyone while there.
Get the right mode of transport – many travellers choose to stick with air travel but this can be limiting, especially when visiting smaller towns and cities or moving along the coast. Consider hiring a car in specific areas to explore more and experience more, often for less than what air travel would be.
Pack appropriately – the weather in Australia can be volatile, especially during the spring time. Consider packing different types of clothing to make sure you’re covered. And, pack according to the places you’re going to visit.
Stick to the shoulder seasons – spring and autumn tend to be the least touristy time to be in Australia and the weather is usually lovely.
