Packed with honest reviews and inspiring travel stories, Australian Traveller is the most authoritative and trusted guide to travelling this great country. It's no wonder that it's Australia's best-selling travel magazine.
IF YOU’RE ANYTHING like me, you too will be wondering where, exactly, the year has gone. All you know for sure is that it’s been busy. And so with summer almost upon us, the holiday season is beckoning on the horizon like a cool change. A chance to pause, reflect, reset – and to have some fun in the sun while we’re at it. We’ve travelled far and wide to bring summer travel inspiration to this issue. Emily Murphy heads to the far-flung Cocos Keeling Islands, which – with their white-sand beaches, swaying palms and unique culture and history – might just be the ultimate Aussie holiday destination for escaping your everyday (page 118). Celeste Mitchell makes a pilgrimage to Tasmania/Lutruwita to uncover its long-cherished summer shacklife tradition (page 126),…
AUSTRALIA’S BEST COASTAL WALKS With that winter chill finally gone, it’s time to get some fresh air into your lungs, minus the brain freeze. Tie your laces and take a hike along these incredible coastal walking tracks around Australia, and you’ll not only be treated to some stunning sights, but a refreshing dip at the end, too. SUMMER TIPS IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE BEACH Sandy hair? Sunburn? Saltwater in the eyes? For some, the beach is a bit of a nightmare. But the warmer months can still be a lot of fun. From gorgeous waterholes in the Northern Territory to an outdoor cinema in Melbourne/Naarm, here’s how to have a successful sand-free summer. A seasonal guide to fruit picking Strawberries, cherries and peaches. Oh my! Fruit picking is the…
IT’S A HOT SUNDAY afternoon at Coogee Beach in Sydney/Warrane’s east. I’m standing on the elevated timber boardwalk at Wylie’s Baths, a heritage-listed swimming pool, peering down at the constant movement of people below. I’m waiting to photograph a ‘moment’ for my new print collection, Sydney by the Sea ~ East, capturing the way Sydneysiders spend their summers half submerged in various bodies of water both coastal and harbourside. As sunlight dances and sparkles on the water, I notice that directly beneath me all movement has ceased and the pleasure-seekers are now horizontal and completely inert. I love the whimsy of the languid legs, evoking that incredible feeling of relaxation when you get out of the sea – salty, cool, refreshed – and lay down on the warm ground in…
Seal of approval Sea lions are known as the ‘puppy dogs of the sea’ for their inquisitive nature. And swimming with these playful pinnipeds and a pod of bottlenose dolphins is one of SA’s bucket-list wildlife experiences. The relaunched Baird Bay Experience includes a cruise to Jones Island off the Eyre Peninsula, a regionally inspired feast paired with local wines and a restful stay in one of the Baird Bay Seaside Villas. bairdbay.com DAY(AWAY) FOR IT DayAway has launched its exclusive, community-based membership in Australia, bringing a new standard of curated luxury experiences. Whether it’s relaxing in a private poolside cabana at Bannisters Mollymook or indulging in a day of luxury at Spicers Sangoma Retreat with a spa treatment and fine-dining degustation, DayAway elevates everyday escapes into something truly extraordinary.…
COASTAL COOL The razzle-dazzle of Byron Bay feels a long way away at Il Delfino, in Yamba, one of the jewels of the Northern Rivers area of NSW. The new seaside inn was restored by Australian creative Sheree Commerford and will appeal to surfers who can check the swell direction from their stylish suite. Il Delfino sits directly above the Pacific Ocean and, with just four elegant suites and a stand-alone bungalow, has all the feels of an elegant sanctuary. ildelfino.com.au SEA AND BE SEEN Designer George Gorrow and his wife Cisco Tschurtschenthaler are set to open the doors of their 1970s-inspired hotel. And it’s looking groovy, baby. Sea Sea Hotel is classic Crescent Head; more akin to a surf club, but with a design edge. The 25-room boutique lifestyle…
Pillow talk FLASHBACK TO 2019, and the biggest hotel news in the country was the opening of the Ritz-Carlton in Perth/Boorloo, a re-entry into Australia for the luxury brand after 25 years. In the five years since, even a global pandemic couldn’t stop the tide of international hotel brands also making their Aussie debuts, including Hotel Indigo, Ace Hotel, Kimpton and Capella. Handwritten Collection, which launched globally in 2023, has made its mark in Australia with Hotel Morris Sydney, Wonil Hotel Perth and Hotel Woolstore 1888 Sydney. This year, design-led Le Méridien and StandardX, the first Aussie outpost of the Standard Hotel group, opened in Melbourne/Naarm. So too, Lanson Place Parliament Gardens – which saw the Hong Kong brand transform East Melbourne’s historic former Salvation Army Printing Works. In a…
