Australia rewards a first visit with big icons close to big cities: the sails of the Sydney Opera House, cliff-top beach walks, the sandstone Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains, coral and rainforest off Cairns, and Melbourne's art-filled laneways. Most first trips start on the east coast. Sydney to Melbourne is a short 1.5-hour flight, and Sydney to Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, takes about three hours.
This page starts with our ranked picks for a first trip, best first, each with a practical tip on timing and booking. Below them you will find every sight we cover in Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns, city by city, with opening notes and checked entry fees where we have them, and then answers to common questions.
The 17 best things to do in Australia
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- 1SydneyBook ahead
Go inside the sails of the Sydney Opera House
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House took shape from 1959 and opened in 1973. Today it is World Heritage listed and one of the world's busiest performing arts centers, with over 2,000 shows a year. It stands on Bennelong Point, known as Tubowgule to the Gadigal people, the traditional custodians. The one-hour guided tour runs daily in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin, and covers up to 2.5 km with around 300 stairs and no lift; a step-free Mobility Access Tour runs daily too. Walk around the forecourt for the Harbour Bridge framed behind it. Circular Quay, a few minutes away, has trains, buses and ferries.
Tip: Book your tour in advance, check in at the Welcome Centre on the lower concourse, and come back at night for a show if you can.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Sydney Opera House (official); Sydney Opera House; Sydney Opera House (official); Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); Sydney Opera House (official)Opera House Tour, adult, booked ahead: A$50 (about $35) · Opera House Tour, adult, on the day: A$55 (about $38) · Book a guided tourLast verified
- 2Cairns
Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef at Green Island
Green Island is a 6,000-year-old coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, 27 km off Cairns and about 45 minutes away by fast catamaran. Of the reef's 300 coral cays it is the only one with a rainforest, and the whole island is a national park. Its traditional name is Wunyami, sea country of the Guru-Gulu Gungganji and Yidinji peoples; James Cook named it in 1770 after the Endeavour's astronomer, Charles Green. Snorkel from the lifeguard-patrolled beach, where turtles feed on the seagrass, ride a glass-bottom boat (the island introduced the first one in 1937), then follow the island's interpretive boardwalk. Boats leave Cairns in the morning and return in the afternoon, giving you up to 7 hours on the island.
Tip: Wear a full-body lycra suit in the water, since marine stingers can be present in tropical waters seasonally, and aim for May to October, when visibility is at its best.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Great Adventures (Green Island operator, official); Great Adventures; Great Adventures (Green Island operator, official); Great Adventures (Green Island operator, official); Tourism Australia (australia.com)Great Adventures return ferry only, adult: A$112 (about $78) · Eco Adventure with snorkel or glass-bottom boat, adult: A$127 (about $88) · Book a return ferryLast verified
- 3Sydney
Walk the Bondi to Coogee coastal path
One of Sydney's most iconic walks runs 6 km along sandstone cliffs and takes two to three hours one way, longer if you swim on the way. Start at Bondi Beach, a National Surfing Reserve, pass the Bondi Icebergs ocean pool, then look for Aboriginal rock carvings at Marks Park before dropping to Tamarama and Bronte. The path skirts the heritage-listed Waverley Cemetery, where poet Henry Lawson is buried, then reaches sheltered Clovelly, Gordons Bay and finally Coogee with its ocean pools. In winter, watch for humpback whales offshore. The track has some steep stairs and doesn't suit prams or wheelchairs. Buses link both Bondi and Coogee with Bondi Junction.
Tip: Start early to beat the heat and the crowds, take the bus rather than a car since parking is limited, and only swim at patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags.
Search tours on KlookSources: Destination NSW; Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); Tourism Australia (australia.com)Free to walk - 4Sydney
Walk across or climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge has linked the city and the North Shore since 1932, and locals call it the Coathanger. It is the largest steel arch bridge on the planet, and walking across it on the pedestrian path takes about 30 minutes, with the Opera House and the city skyline beside you. For the full view, a guided BridgeClimb takes you up one side of the steel arch to the summit for a 360-degree look over the city, harbour and coast, with climbs at different times of day, including sunrise and twilight. BridgeClimb starts at 3 Cumberland Street in The Rocks, about a 10-minute walk from Circular Quay station. Allow several hours for a climb.
Tip: If heights aren't for you, the Pylon Lookout gives you harbour views from the bridge without the climb.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official) - 5Blue Mountains (from Sydney)
See the Three Sisters from Echo Point
The Three Sisters are three weathered sandstone peaks rising from the cliffs of the Jamison Valley, shaped by erosion over thousands of years. They stand on the land of the Gundungurra and Darug peoples, who tell different versions of their story, and the site is a declared Aboriginal Place inside the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Echo Point lookout in Katoomba gives the classic view, with Mount Solitary and the Ruined Castle beyond. From here, take the short Three Sisters walk, or follow the Prince Henry Cliff walk along the edge to Leura Cascades. Express trains from Sydney's Central Station reach Katoomba in about two hours, and buses run on to the lookouts.
Tip: Stay into the evening for the Katoomba Falls Reserve night-lit walk, a 1.5 km trail where you can see the Three Sisters lit up after dark.
Search tours on KlookSources: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service; Destination NSW (Visit NSW, official)Free to visit - 6CairnsBook ahead
Ride the Kuranda Scenic Railway into the rainforest
First opened to passengers in 1891, the Kuranda Scenic Railway climbs 327 m over 37 km from Cairns to the village of Kuranda, crossing 55 bridges and passing through 15 tunnels. Nearly 1,500 workers cut the line through the Barron Gorge from 1886, and the trip passes Stoney Creek Falls and stops above Barron Falls in the Wet Tropics World Heritage rainforest. Trains run twice daily, arriving in Kuranda before lunch. Browse the Original Rainforest Market, started by local artists in 1978, then ride back on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, gliding above the canopy to Smithfield, about 15 minutes' drive from Cairns, with stops at Barron Falls and Red Peak, where rangers lead boardwalk tours.
Tip: Take the train up and Skyrail down (or the reverse), arrive at the station at least 30 minutes before departure, and come between December and March to see Barron Falls at full flow.
Sources: Kuranda Scenic Railway (Queensland Rail, official); Kuranda Scenic Railway; Kuranda Scenic Railway (Queensland Rail, official); Skyrail Rainforest Cableway (official); Tourism Australia (australia.com); Kuranda Original Rainforest Market (official)Heritage Class one way, adult: A$58 (about $40) · Book a seatLast verified
- 7Melbourne
Hunt for street art in Melbourne's laneways
Melbourne's center hides a web of narrow lanes and Victorian arcades full of cafes, bars, small shops and street art. Hosier Lane is the most famous, an ever-changing canvas of murals, paste-ups and hidden sculptures; look up for Adnate's portrait of an Indigenous boy gazing toward the river. Across from Flinders Street Station, Degraves Street and Centre Place are the places for brunch among the murals. Then step into the Block Arcade, with its 1893 glass canopy and mosaic floor, and the Royal Arcade of 1870, Australia's oldest, where Gaunt's clock is flanked by the giant figures Gog and Magog. The city's own laneways walk covers about 2.4 km in around 2 hours.
Tip: Follow the city's self-guided laneways walk from Degraves Street, and end with a drink on Hardware Lane, known for live music and alfresco dining.
Sources: City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne); City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne); City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne)Free to walk - 8Great Ocean Road (from Melbourne)
Drive the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles
The Great Ocean Road runs 242 km from Torquay, about 1 hour 17 minutes' drive from central Melbourne, along the coast of western Victoria. More than 3,000 returned servicemen built it between 1919 and 1932, and it is dedicated to those who served in the First World War; a Memorial Arch at Eastern View marks the gateway. Between Lorne and Kennett River the road was cut from the cliffs with hand tools and explosives. The big sight is the Twelve Apostles, limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean in Port Campbell National Park that change color with the light. Loch Ard Gorge is minutes away, and the Gibson Steps lead down to the base of the cliffs.
Tip: Drive on the left, stop only in signed parking areas, and allow plenty of time, since sections of the road are very winding.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Heritage Council Victoria (Victorian Heritage Database); Visit Great Ocean Road (official regional tourism); Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (Victorian Government); Tourism Australia (australia.com) - 9Sydney
Take the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly
Sydney's ferries are public transport, and the Manly ferry is the most scenic ride of all. From Circular Quay, beside the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, the trip takes about 30 minutes across the harbour, past the Heads, where Sydney Harbour meets the open ocean, and into Manly Wharf. From there, cross The Corso, Manly's pedestrian shopping street, to Manly Beach for a swim or to watch the surfers, then walk on to Shelly Beach, a quiet cove at the southern end. You can pay on board the network by tapping a contactless card or phone, at the same fares as an Opal card.
Tip: Tap on and off with the same contactless card or device for every trip, so you are charged the right fare.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); Transport for NSW (transportnsw.info) - 10Sydney
Stroll the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair
Right next to the Opera House, the Royal Botanic Garden wraps 30 hectares around the harbour's edge. Dating back to 1816, it is the oldest botanic garden in Australia, with groves of native trees, rose gardens, lawns made for picnics and waterfront paths. Follow the foreshore out to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a sandstone seat carved by convicts in 1810 for Elizabeth, wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, with one of the best views in the city back over the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Guided walks include the Aboriginal Harbour Heritage Tour, on the Gadigal people's connection to this land and its plants. The garden opens daily.
Tip: Come early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the light is best for photos and the paths are quieter.
Search tours on KlookSources: Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official)Free to visit - 11Sydney
Wander the cobbled lanes of The Rocks
The Rocks is known as the birthplace of modern Sydney: when European settlers arrived in 1788, convicts first set up house and shop here, on land the Gadigal people had lived on for thousands of years. Today its cobbled streets and narrow lanes hold markets, museums and galleries. The Rocks Discovery Museum, in a restored 1850s sandstone warehouse, covers the story from before settlement to now, and the Museum of Contemporary Art looks over Circular Quay. Some of the town's oldest pubs are here, including the Fortune of War from 1828 and the Lord Nelson from 1831. It is a short walk north along George Street from the city center.
Tip: Come Friday to Sunday, when The Rocks Markets fill the streets with local makers and food stalls, and join a guided walking tour for the convict stories.
Sources: Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); The Rocks precinct website; Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official)Free to walk - 12Melbourne
Graze your way through Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market officially opened on 20 March 1878 and still spreads over two city blocks, with more than 600 small businesses selling Australian fruit and vegetables, gourmet food, clothing and souvenirs. It is on the National Heritage List as a rare surviving 19th-century city produce market, and the city calls it the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere. Pick up local cheeses in the Dairy Hall, grab a coffee and a pastry, and browse the specialty stalls of local art, homewares and jewelry, which open from 9 AM on market days. It sits on Queen Street in the heart of the city.
Tip: The market trades Tuesday and Thursday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays, so plan around that and come early for the best produce.
Sources: Queen Victoria Market (official); City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne)Closed Mondays and Wednesdays - 13Blue Mountains (from Sydney)Book ahead
Ride the world's steepest railway at Scenic World
Scenic World sits on the sandstone cliffs above the Jamison Valley in Katoomba. Its Scenic Railway was built for mining in the 1880s and opened to tourists in 1945, and it holds the Guinness record as the steepest passenger railway in the world, dropping into the rainforest at 52 degrees. The Skyway, Australia's first cable car when it opened in 1958, crosses between cliff tops 270 m above the forest, with a glass floor and views of Katoomba Falls and the Three Sisters. Ride the Cableway back up after walking the Scenic Walkway, 2.4 km of raised boardwalks through the World Heritage rainforest. The rides run in all weather.
Tip: Allow two to three hours for all three rides and the boardwalks, and remember last rides leave the top station 20 minutes before closing.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Scenic World (official); Scenic World (official); Scenic World (official); Scenic World (official)Unlimited Discovery Pass, adult from: A$64 (about $44) · Book a day pass onlineLast verified
- 14Melbourne
Watch little penguins come home at St Kilda Pier
As night falls over Port Phillip Bay (Naarrm), a colony of little penguins swims home to burrows among the rocks of the St Kilda breakwater, minutes from the city. A guided viewing platform sits at the end of St Kilda Pier, about 450 m out, where guides share stories about the birds. The first session starts around 30 minutes after sunset, as the penguins come ashore; a later one, around 90 minutes after sunset, shows the colony settling in. The rebuilt pier, opened in December 2024, has a fully accessible walkway. Trams 12, 16 and 96 stop nearby. For the bigger show, Phillip Island, 90 minutes' drive from Melbourne, has the world's largest little penguin colony.
Tip: Viewing tickets are limited and released a week at a time, so check the release schedule on the official site, book early and arrive at the time on your ticket.
Search tours on KlookSources: Phillip Island Nature Parks (official); Phillip Island Nature Parks (official)Free to walk - 15MelbourneBook ahead
Tour the MCG, Melbourne's home of sport
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, or the G, was established in 1853, has been the home of Australian football since 1859 and saw the first Test cricket match in 1877. It was the main stadium of the 1956 Olympic Games, and up to 100,000 fans fill it for the AFL Grand Final. A guided MCG Tour takes you behind the scenes and through its history, and the Australian Sports Museum, inside Gate 3, holds more than 3,500 objects across 95+ sports, with an interactive gallery where you can try sports yourself. The ground sits in Yarra Park, about a 10-minute walk from the city center, and Jolimont Station is a five-minute walk from Gate 2.
Tip: Buy tour and museum tickets before you go, since every visitor must pre-purchase, and check the event calendar, as the museum closes on select event days.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: Melbourne Cricket Ground (official); Melbourne Cricket Ground (official); Melbourne Cricket Ground (official)MCG Tour only, adult: A$38 (about $26) · Tour and Australian Sports Museum, adult: A$50 (about $35) · Book a tourLast verified
- 16Melbourne
See the World Heritage Royal Exhibition Building
The Royal Exhibition Building was built in the Carlton Gardens for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition, and it is the oldest surviving great hall of its kind from the era of world fairs. Its dome, a mix of Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Italian Renaissance styles, was inspired by Brunelleschi's cathedral dome in Florence. Australia's first Federal Parliament opened here in 1901, and in 2004 it became the first building in Australia to gain World Heritage listing. It still hosts trade fairs, expos and cultural events, so walk the gardens around it to see the facade, then book a tour to go inside.
Tip: Book a Dome Promenade tour for a look inside and out across the city from the dome.
Search tickets and tours on KlookSources: City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne)Gardens free; interior by tour - 17Melbourne
Pay your respects at the Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine of Remembrance is Victoria's national war memorial, built in 1934 to honor First World War veterans and now remembering all Australians who have served. Inside, the Galleries of Remembrance hold more than 800 artifacts, including an original Gallipoli landing boat, along with personal stories from war and peacekeeping. In the classical Sanctuary, a Ray of Light demonstration runs every half hour, and the balcony looks out over the city and the memorial gardens. Guided tours run hourly, except at 1 PM, and the Shrine opens daily from 10 AM to 5 PM. It stands on Birdwood Avenue.
Tip: Come on a Sunday for the Last Post Service at 4:45 PM, with buglers, bagpipers and the Shrine Guard in historic uniform.
Search tours on KlookSources: City of Melbourne (What's On Melbourne)Free to visit
Every sight, city by city
Cairns Esplanade
A 2.5 km waterfront path of parklands, public art and memorials along Trinity Inlet.Entry: Free to walkCairns Esplanade Lagoon
A free saltwater swimming lagoon on the waterfront, watched by lifeguards all year.Entry: Free; Wednesdays from noonSearch tours on KlookCairns Night Markets
A covered market and food court on the Esplanade, open every day of the year.Entry: Pay as you goEsplanade Dining Precinct
A row of pubs, pizza places, burger bars and rooftop terraces facing the Esplanade Lagoon.Entry: Pay as you goGreen Island beach and reef
A rainforest-covered coral cay 27 km off Cairns, ringed by reef for snorkeling and swimming.Entry: Book a return ferrySearch tickets and tours on KlookGreen Island rainforest walk
Walking paths through the rainforest at the heart of Green Island National Park.Entry: Free to walkSearch tours on KlookKuranda Original Rainforest Market
A daily market in Kuranda village with craft stalls and global and tropical food stalls.Entry: Pay as you goThe Canopy Grill, Green Island
Cafe-style takeaway on Green Island: burgers, fish and chips, salads and ice cream, 10 AM to 3 PM.Entry: Pay as you goAcland Street, St Kilda
St Kilda's eating street near the Esplanade, long known for its cake shops and sweet treats.Entry: Pay as you goBrunswick Street, Fitzroy
Fitzroy's main street of bookshops, bars, cafes and independent stores, with live music nearby.Entry: Free to walkChinatown (Little Bourke Street)
Australia's oldest Chinatown, a strip of dumpling houses, yum cha and arcades on Little Bourke Street.Entry: Pay as you goDegraves Street
A laneway of cafes, boutiques and eateries running north from Flinders Street Station.Entry: Pay as you goFed Square
The city's public square opposite Flinders Street Station, with galleries, a big screen and buskers.Entry: Free to visitFitzroy Gardens
Heritage gardens from 1848 with Cooks' Cottage, a conservatory and elm-lined paths.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookHardware Lane
A breezy laneway in the city center, popular with diners and drinkers in the evening.Entry: Pay as you goHosier Lane
A bluestone laneway covered in street art by local and overseas artists, opposite Fed Square.Entry: Free to walkLygon Street, Carlton
Carlton's Italian precinct, a strip of restaurants, cafes and gelato shops north of the city.Entry: Pay as you goMelbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne's great sports stadium, seen on a 75-minute guided tour from Gate 3.Entry: Book a tourSearch tickets and tours on KlookMelbourne Museum
Natural and social history in Carlton Gardens, home of the racehorse Phar Lap, open 9 AM to 5 PM.Entry: Buy a ticketSearch tickets and tours on KlookNGV International
The National Gallery of Victoria on St Kilda Road, free to enter and open 10 AM to 5 PM.Entry: General entry freeSearch tickets and tours on KlookQueen Victoria Market
Melbourne's big open-air market of produce, deli halls and food stalls, open five days a week.Entry: Closed Mondays and Wednesdays. Closed Mondays and WednesdaysRoyal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Free gardens by the Yarra with lawns and an ornamental lake, open from 7:30 AM daily.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookRoyal Exhibition Building
Australia's first World Heritage listed building, set in Carlton Gardens opposite Melbourne Museum.Entry: Gardens free; interior by tourSearch tickets and tours on KlookShrine of Remembrance
Victoria's war memorial on St Kilda Road, free to enter and open 10 AM to 5 PM daily.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookSt Kilda Beach
Melbourne's best-known city beach, along the foreshore beside the St Kilda Esplanade.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookSt Kilda Pier
The pier at St Kilda on Port Phillip Bay, a favorite seaside walk a few minutes from the 96 tram.Entry: Free to walkSearch tours on KlookState Library Victoria
The state library on Swanston Street, home of the La Trobe Reading Room, open 10 AM to 6 PM daily.Entry: Open 10 AM to 6 PMSearch tickets and tours on KlookArt Gallery of New South Wales
The state's main art gallery in the Domain, free to enter, open until 10 PM on Wednesdays.Entry: General entry freeSearch tickets and tours on KlookBondi Beach
Sydney's best-known surf beach, a National Surfing Reserve and the start of the coastal walk.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookBondi to Coogee Coastal Walk
A 6 km cliff-top path past Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and Gordons Bay, taking 2 to 3 hours.Entry: Free to walkSearch tours on KlookChinatown (Dixon Street)
Haymarket's Chinatown, with noodle bars, food halls and grocers around the Dixon Street mall.Entry: Pay as you goChinese Garden of Friendship
A Chinese garden at Darling Harbour, opened in 1988 for Australia's Bicentenary.Entry: Buy a ticket at the gateSearch tickets and tours on KlookCoogee Beach
A calm family beach sheltered by Wedding Cake Island, with four ocean pools along its edges.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookDarling Square
Haymarket's dining quarter with Steam Mill Lane and the Maker's Dozen food hall, open until 11 PM.Entry: Pay as you goEcho Point Lookout, Katoomba
The main lookout over the Three Sisters and the Jamison Valley, with a visitor center beside it.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookHarry's Cafe de Wheels
A pie and hot dog cart that has served Woolloomooloo, by the naval dockyard, since 1945.Entry: Pay as you goHyde Park Barracks
An 1819 convict barracks by architect Francis Greenway, explored on a self-guided audio tour.Entry: Free; book a time onlineSearch tours on KlookKatoomba town center, Katoomba
The Blue Mountains town center, with cafes, wood-fired pizza and cream teas near the station.Entry: Pay as you goLeura Cascades, Leura
A picnic area by small waterfalls on the edge of the national park, next to the Fern Bower track.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookRoyal Botanic Garden Sydney
Free harborside gardens beside the Opera House, open daily from 7 AM to sunset.Entry: Free to visitSearch tours on KlookScenic World, Katoomba
A steep railway, cableway, skyway and rainforest boardwalks above and inside the Jamison Valley.Entry: Book a day pass onlineSearch tickets and tours on KlookSydney Fish Market
The new Sydney Fish Market in Glebe, with seafood stalls and eateries under one roof, open 7 AM to 10 PM.Entry: Pay as you goSydney Opera House
The harborside performing arts center, seen inside on a guided tour of about 1 hour.Entry: Book a guided tourSearch tickets and tours on KlookThe Rocks
Sydney's oldest precinct of laneways and pubs by the harbor, with markets every Friday to Sunday.Entry: Free to walkQuestions travelers ask
What are the best things to do in Australia for a first trip?
Start in Sydney: tour the Opera House, walk or climb the Harbour Bridge, take the ferry to Manly and walk from Bondi to Coogee. Give a day to the Blue Mountains and the Three Sisters. Fly north to Cairns to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef at Green Island and ride the railway to Kuranda. Finish in Melbourne with its laneways, Queen Victoria Market and the MCG, plus a drive along the Great Ocean Road.
Sources: Destination NSW (Sydney.com, official); Tourism Australia (australia.com); Tourism Australia (australia.com); Tourism Australia (australia.com)How many days do you need in Australia?
Tourism Australia suggests planning three or four days in each destination. With a week or less, stick to one or two cities and add a day trip, such as the Blue Mountains from Sydney. Six to 10 days suits one coast; most visitors choose the east, combining Sydney, Melbourne and the reef from Cairns. With two weeks or more you can add Uluru and the Great Ocean Road. Distances between cities are long, so most visitors fly.
Sources: Tourism Australia (australia.com); Destination NSW (Visit NSW, official)When is the best time to go sightseeing in Australia?
Australia's seasons are the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere's. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are among the best times to travel the whole country, with milder weather and cheaper international flights than in summer. December to February is the warm, busy and most expensive season in the south. In Cairns and on the reef, the dry season from May to October brings sunshine and the best underwater visibility, while November to April is hotter and wetter.
Sources: Tourism Australia (australia.com); Tourism Australia (australia.com); Tourism Australia (australia.com)Which Australian attractions should you book ahead?
Book the Sydney Opera House tour in advance, and every MCG tour or Australian Sports Museum visit must be bought before you arrive. Penguin viewing books out: St Kilda's tickets are released each Tuesday for the following week, and the Phillip Island Penguin Parade asks for advance bookings. In the December to February peak, book flights and hotels well ahead too.
Sources: Sydney Opera House; Melbourne Cricket Ground (official); Phillip Island Nature Parks (official); Phillip Island Nature Parks (official); Tourism Australia (australia.com)How do you get around Australia?
Fly between cities: Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Rex serve every state capital, Sydney to Melbourne takes about 1.5 hours and Sydney to Cairns about three. In Sydney, tap a contactless card or phone on trains, buses, ferries and light rail at Opal fares. Melbourne has trams, including a fare-free City Circle line with commentary. For the Great Ocean Road you need a car or a tour, and Australians drive on the left.
Sources: Tourism Australia (australia.com); Tourism Australia (australia.com); Transport for NSW (transportnsw.info); Tourism Australia (australia.com); Visit Great Ocean Road (official regional tourism)Is it safe to swim at Australian beaches?
Generally yes, if you follow the lifesavers' rules. Swim only at patrolled beaches, between the red and yellow flags, and never alone, at night or after drinking. Check the depth before diving in. The sun is strong all year, even on cloudy days, so wear a hat and water-resistant SPF30+ sunscreen and take care between 10 AM and 3 PM. In tropical waters around Cairns, wear a lycra suit to protect against seasonal marine stingers.
Sources: Tourism Australia (australia.com); Great Adventures (Green Island operator, official)