Last Updated on August 19, 2020 by Red Nomad OZ
Wondering how you’re EVER going to see as much of Australia as I have? Trust me, travelling OZ is SO worth it! And if you need reasons to do it other than the stunning natural attractions, amazing Aussie experiences and fabulous holiday destinations, take a look at these 25 science-backed health benefits of travel HERE.
Here’s HOW to get your Aussie travels under way so you can see Australia AND start reaping those health benefits RIGHT NOW!
You CAN see a LOT of Australia by using the simple 3-step program I showed you in Part 1 (Right HERE if you missed it) whenever you have a week (or two) to spare – in ANY month of the year.
Here’s what to do with that free week (or two)
- Choose a region you haven’t been to yet.
- Escape with some cheap flights, beg/borrow (but don’t steal) a camper, jump in the car, or let someone else do the driving and take a tour.
- GO! Then next time you’ve got a week (or two) off, do it all again.
Yep, that’s how it’s done. And Part One gave you some travel teasers for if your week (or two) off fell during January to June. Now here’s a whole new set of travel teasers for July to December!
You’re welcome!
July: The RED Kimberley
#13 Broome, Western Australia
Broome’s vivid red and startling blue colour palette is the perfect antidote to a dreary southern-Aussie winter. Factor in a clutch of tropical attractions like semi-deserted beaches, fresh tropical produce (across a varied multicultural menu) and killer sunsets, and it’s hard to beat as the perfect July destination. The dinosaur footprints, brewery and world’s oldest operating picture gardens with a super-cool scenic loo are just a bonus!
#14 Kununurra, Western Australia
If you like wilder, redder rocks, then the east Kimberley’s Kununurra delivers with red rock domes in Kununurra’s Mirima National Park; the Sleeping Buddha of Lily Lagoon – and a whole mountain range buried under the mega-ultra-massive Lake Argyle, 10 times bigger than Sydney Harbour and full of crocodiles. This dam above the Ord River scheme also delivers a whole range of fresh produce – just perfect for siesta time in the hottest part of the day!
There’s a whole lot more to see and do in the Kimberley outside of Broome and Kununurra – read MORE about the Kimberley HERE!
August: Outback
#15 Shark Bay, Western Australia
Outback? On the COAST? You betcha! Shark Bay is where the outback meets the sea with a wild and weathered coastline enclosing warm waters filled with an exciting array of wildlife: think sharks, dugongs, stingrays – and dolphins! The whole bay is a diverse World Heritage area: think Hamelin Pool Stromatolites – oldest known living organisms; Steep Point – westernmost point of mainland OZ; Dirk Hartog Island National Park; and the oldest recorded site of European contact!
#16 Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
Go straight to the top of Opal Mining Town weird and wonderful and check out the fantastically quirky Lightning Ridge, Black Opal capital of the WORLD! If the allure of the Chambers of the Black Hand or the world’s only black opal mining cactus farmers don’t do it for you, then fossick yourself a gem (or ‘find’ a piece of opal in one of the many shops), check out the awesome Outback Art or soak away that stress in a HOT artesian bath!
MORE about Lightning Ridge and other Australia’s Opal Mining HOT Spots HERE
September: Rocks
#17 Tenterfield, New South Wales
Climbing Bald Rock, Australia’s largest Granite Monolith is just one reason Tenterfield makes a great base for exploring New England, the Northern Rivers and Granite Belt Region, just across the border in Queensland. It’s not just about the stunning National Park and self-drive tour scenery – explore local villages, visit cellar doors and local producers, and discover historic sites – it’s home of Peter Allen, the Boy from OZ. And don’t miss Tenterfield’s famous Federation Pie – it’s quite possibly the best downunder!
MORE about Tenterfield HERE and MORE about Bald Rock HERE
#18 Flinders Ranges, South Australia
This ancient landscape in the remote South Australian outback is the original time-tunnel where the exposed layers of Brachina Gorge take you back – WAAAAAY back – through millenia of earth’s pre-history . But it’s not just a geologist’s paradise, it’s an adult adventureland of rugged ranges with 4WD tracks to historic mine sites, mountain climbing, hiking, mountain biking and cycling; horse and camel riding; and self-drive tours to some of the best scenery in OZ
MORE about the Flinders Ranges HERE
Like Rocks? Australia is the right place to be! Check out more of Australia’s rocky HOT Spots!
MORE about Australia’s other Rock Stars HERE
October: Wildflowers
#19 Kalbarri, Western Australia
The floral equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel, Kalbarri’s flower strewn landscape makes spotting a LOT of Western Australia’s 12,000 wildflower species almost TOO easy. And when the flower hunt is over, you’re spoilt for choice with other natural attractions like the ancient gorges of Kalbarri National Park, the eroded islands and valleys of the Murchison River, and the dramatic sandstone cliffs along a sensational coastline.
#20 Grampians, Victoria
Wildflower season in Victoria’s Grampians also makes flower spotting a sure thing. Combine your floral frenzy – over 1000 species – with exploring the rugged grandeur of the ranges – think hikes, mountain climbing, cycling, scenic flights – then indulge in one (or more!) of the region’s foodie HOT spots!
MORE about Grampians Wildflowers HERE
November:
#21 Great Ocean Road, Victoria
Even if you don’t have time to road-trip the coast between Torquay, just south of Melbourne and Nelson near the South Australian border, just 400 km away, make time to see the highlights. Like what? Well … pig out on the foodie trail; take in the stunning sculpted coastline; detour into the rainforests of the Otway Ranges; hang out on the beach; go lighthouse spotting; visit a village. Actually, just do the whole thing – it can be done in as little as 3 days!
MORE about the Great Ocean Road HERE
#22 Whitsundays, QLD
A stunning coastline lined with beaches; a tropical blue ocean studded with 74 stunning tropical islands all adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef.
Private beaches, National Parks, historic sites, snorkelling, scuba diving, sailing and fishing to die for.
Yes, the Whitsundays sounds WAY too good to be true – but it really IS this cool!
MORE about the Whitsundays HERE
December:
#23 Fleurieu Peninsula, SA
Catch the Cockle Train – Australia’s oldest public railway; cruise the Lower Lakes and Coorong to the Murray Mouth – end of Australia’s longest river system; climb South Aussie icon The Bluff; and visit one (or more!) of the 100 or so cellar doors just an hour south of Adelaide on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Oh – and there’s a couple of public amenities blocks that made it into Lonely Planet’s book of world’s best scenic loos too!
MORE about the Fleurieu Peninsula HERE
#24 Sydney, New South Wales
Yes, Sydney’s biggest attractions are SUCH a cliché! But that doesn’t mean they’re not worth visiting! SO … cruise the harbour, climb the bridge, see something at the Opera House, visit Taronga Park zoo, wander the Botanic Gardens, catch the ferry to Manly, check out Darling Harbour, go shopping, visit museums and galleries, then find somewhere cool to eat. See? I told you it’d be fun!
Well, that’s how to get started on seeing OZ! Of course you can visit all these regions at other times of the year – the monthly guides are just suggestions. And when you’re done with these I bet you’ll find that there’s a whole lot more on your Aussie travel bucket list.
That’s why I’m still travelling Australia 😀
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I only managed to visit Australia for 2 weeks and only saw Melbourne and Sydney but your photos make me want to go back and see these places. I never knew there was so much variety to see in Australia. I really want to do the Great Ocean Road next time as it looks stunning. I need to start saving now and book that trip.
There is so much diversity in Australia, as you would expect from a landmass similar in size to the US and Europe, Clare! I’m glad I’ve inspired you 😀
Great list!! That is some really intense list of places in Australia. I resonate more with the summer months as I love the places you have mentioned and I love the fact that how ideal the places sound with the seasons. I am yet to travel to Australia and would love to try out the places you have mentioned.
Every month is warm somewhere in Australia, Daniel – the northern areas only have two seasons, hot/wet and hot/dry! And in the southern hemisphere summer, it’s warm (read: hot!) pretty much everywhere!
Australia is super high on my bucket list and reading this simply makes me wanna pack my bags and go! And I mean I LOVE spotting wildflowers so Kalbarri is definitely a place I need to hit up. Grampians sounds beautiful too and I’m a huge foodie as well. Feels like this guide is catered just for me hahaa.
Haha, then my work is done, Jas! There’s a lot to see and do down here – make sure you leave yourself plenty of time!
Australia is my big dream, especially driving along the Great Ocean Road! I really like this way of breaking up the destinations by month, t’s super useful. Broome looks incredible and I would love to hike among wildflowers in Grampians!
Australia is a BIG dream, Val – so much to see and do, so make sure you have a LOOOOOONG time to do it!
Ha! I was eagerly looking forward for this post after reading your last post on Jan-Jun!
I think Shark Bay is my most favourite in this whole list! The ruggedness of the beach and that its filled with sharks, stingrays and dolphins would be something I’d adore!
Opal mining town? That’s intriguing and impressive. Wouldn’t miss that too!
The formations of Kalbarri National Park looks so impressive!
Daydream island at Whitsundays looks like a dream! So pristine & beautiful.
Well chosen – Shark Bay is an amazing place, Bhushavali! There is so much variety to be found around Australia – it’s so worth considering a LONG visit 😀
Australia is one of the best treasures of the world. The outdoors and natural beauty is simply stunning. Have not been blessed enough to visit Australia yet, but hope to get there sooner than later. Really low the way you have broken down the destinations based on the months. It would be really useful for the first time traveler to Australia.
I couldn’t agree more, Voyager! Hope you make it down here one day – the month by month guide is just some ideas of the best times to see some of the main attractions. You can actually visit them anytime, but you need to be aware of factors such as weather, crowds, seasonal closures and getting from one place to another.
The colour of Broome beach brings me the memory of Rotorua in New Zealand. The nature makes such a nice colour theme. Is it quite cold in July in Australia?
It is cold in the southern areas and high country during July, Mijia. The northern areas are either hot and wet, or hot and dry so if you are looking for heat during July, then head north!
Great list of destinations to visit during the ‘cooler’ months and by the looks of the photos (if they were taken that time of year), it’s still a good time to do a road trip and not get hit by the heat too much. I take it the northern areas of Australia are the hottest during this months if someone still wants the heat. Am I right? I am the sort of the person who likes between hot and cold, spring and fall, to explore but like you said, all these destinations can be done at anytime of the year.
There’s always somewhere hot to go at anytime in Australia, Danik – and the northern ‘top end’ has just two seasons: hot and dry; or hot and wet, so take your pick!
Broome, what a beautiful place! Looked a lot like a place from Mexico that keeps trending in Instagram!
This guide is detailed and really helpful. indeed, you need more than a tailor made limited time to experience the whole island nation in all her enormity! It pains my heart to see the Bush-fire. I sincerely hope Australia moves past the catastrophe and tourism brings in much needed help and support.
Broome is a totally instagrammable place, Madhurima! It’s such a big country it would take a lot of travel to see it all. The bushfires are devastating, but there is still a lot to see that’s not affected.
So great to see so many reasons to plan a very long trip to Australia. I am not sure what month would draw me more to visit. Although I would want the warmer months. The remote outback looks quite stunning. A great way to get away from it all. Wildflower season would definitely be a colourful time to visit. I can see why you are still travelling in Australia.
Every month is a warm month somewhere in Australia, Linda! And a very long trip is the only way to go 😀 Hope you get to see it all one day!
Good to ssee some of Western Australia here Red. We have lots to see over here! We have seen a LOT of it, but I am not quite done yet. Happy travels.
I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of WA, Jill – everywhere we go makes us realise how much we haven’t seen 😀
Yet another lovely guide to visiting Australia, love the way you have literally calendarized it. My favourites here are Kalbarri, Western Australia as well as the Great Ocean Road. Of course the natural treasures of Australia seem never ending and one would need to go back again and again.
I had a few people asking when the best time of year was to visit certain places so I thought a guide like this might help! I’m still exploring Australia’s natural attractions after a LOT of years, Sandy N Vyjay – so you’re probably right with the ‘never-ending’ thing!
Amazing roundup! I’m wondering, are those the perfect months to visit the places you specified? Since you suggested Sydney in December, I would recommend a Harbour Cruise on New Year’s Eve to witness the spectacular pyrotechnics and the incredible lights and lasers at the Sydney Opera House.
Thank you Glen! Of course many of the destinations I’ve suggested can be visited at other times of the year … but if you’re in Sydney on New Year’s Eve, then a NYE Harbour Cruise sounds great – I haven’t experienced this myself, but I bet it would be awesome!!
Red Oz, your photos are as always, stunning. You have managed to work the color red into many of them.
Thank you TFG! It’s a pleasure to show you all the FAAAAAABULOUS and awesome RED bits to be found throughout Australia, haha!
So just wondering, what if I want to cover all these within a span of a month or so. Will the weather be too adverse in say Sydney in July ? Since I live far and I am planning a trip to Australia, but I will have only so much time at hand.
Good question, Neha! It would be possible to visit each destination in a shorter time, but you would probably have to fly a lot as they’re spread all over the country. You would also spend a lot of time in transit. I suggest you choose a few absolute ‘must see’ destinations (here’s some more in Part #1 HERE: https://www.redzaustralia.com/2017/04/see-australia-month-by-month-part-one-january-to-june-travel-teasers/), group the similar locations together then work out how to get from one to the other, so you can see how much time you can spend in each. Winter in Australia is June-August – the southern states are the coldest, but other than the Alpine regions there is no snow, so travelling shouldn’t be a problem. Let me know if you have more questions!
Thank you so much. This will really help me get started with my planning for my Australia trip 🙂 Bookmarked both your posts for reference
Glad I could help, Neha! There’s so much to see and do down here it’s great to have a plan about what you want to see, especially if time is limited. Hope you have a great trip 😀
this is a fabulous round up for travel around Australia from month to month Red. Glad to see you have started with Broome. We did the Gibb River Road in July last year, and would have loved to have gone back again this year as they have had an amazing wet up there.
Happy travels.
Haha, this was the WA half of the year, Jill! I was very conscious of not putting any WA destinations in Part 1, but I sure made up for it here!
The Red Kimberley looks like an amazing tour because of all the different colors you’ll experience. How cool is it to walk along the beaches and spot dinosaur footprints. I’d be dead scared to go to Kununurra though! Crocodiles are frightening!
Being afraid of crocodiles is the only sane thing to be, Gina! But millions of us survive being in a croc-infested country every year – and you can too! Just be croc-aware, follow the warnings and stay safe 😀
I love how you tailored fit this month by month. Australia is really full of nice things to see. For every season or location, you get to something.
It was hard to narrow it down to just two per month, Trisha! Hope you get to see them all for real one day!
I find your month by month guide so helpful. I often want to escape to a place and I have problems choosing the right one. This will definitely come handy.
Glad it’s been useful, Chrysoula! It’s not always easy to choose where to go when there’s so many choices!
I have not been to Australia. This list helps break things down for the first time visitor. Your photos are very enticing.
It’s such a big country, it’s hard to know where to start Sara! I hope you get here one day – then you’ll see it’s even better than the photos!
I like the way that you’ve broken down visiting the different parts of Australia. There’s really is so much to see and do in such a large country.
You’re right, Claudia! Lots of visitors are overwhelmed by all the choices so end up seeing 2 or 3 of the main attractions and missing everything else! Although even that’s better than not visiting at all, haha!
Awesome post! I’m going to study a Master’s Degree in Sydney for a year so I was looking for traveling experiences and this list is so useful! I can’t wait to explore all the sites in Sydney but I’m more exited to visit the Kalbarri (looks like a great place to take millions of pics)
xoxo,
Pilar
You’re in luck, Pilar! LOTS of places downunder are great spots to take millions of photos – I’ve lost count of how many I’ve taken! Enjoy your studies!
I love these roundups! I am moving to China next month, and being that much closer to Australia means that I finally need to visit! Your post just showcases the range of landscapes and activities, and so many interesting destinations. I can’t wait to see it for myself!
How exciting, Drew! Living in China will be full of amazing experiences, I’m sure – so I hope you get to see all the good bits of Australia as well!! Good luck with your new adventure!!
Wow, that’s a full detailed itinerary! Thanks for that!
Thank you Fernanda! I hope it’s useful for you one day!
I haven’t been to Australia yet, but would love to one day. This is a great way of narrowing down the things to do and areas to check out. There’s just so much and it’s all so beautiful!
You got that right, Adelina!! When you realise how big Australia is, there’s no way you’re going to see everything in one triip – unless that trip lasts for a very long time 😀 Hope you get to see it for yourself one day!
A wonderful dairy in future tense. I hope I get time enough to plan out such a wonderful itinerary.
Australia is my dream destination, hope it happens some day.
I hope you get to come here and see it all for yourself one day, Indrani! And there’s a LOT of other places I didn’t put in this itinerary – there really is something for everyone!
Look the enthusiasm about travel. Just start going and keep going until you have seen it all. Australia is so big, you have to break it into bite size pieces and your article does a great job of that. I especially like how you match destinations with the ideal season. Great piece.
Glad you enjoyed it, Jenn and Ed! And you’re right – I often tell people to treat Australia like a continent, not a country – you wouldn’t try to see Africa or Asia in 2 weeks, would you?! And if you think this is a worthwhile article, tell your friends!
You really know your stuff about Australia! We hope to go there next year and cannot wait
Thanks, Natasha! I should know my stuff – I’ve been travelling in OZ for over 25 years – and I still haven’t been everywhere 😀 I’ve got a lot more to show you, so stick around!!
Oh my gosh, I hadn’t heard of Broome. That red against the blue is beautiful! Guess I have to make another trip to Australia, darn 😉
The colours in Broome look a little bit like a child’s drawing, Sherrianne – but weirdly, they seem to work together well. And if you haven’t seen them, all I can say is come on down!!
I love Broome, for its stunning colours and pearl culture. Kununurra is a real surprise package. It’s full of interesting characters and friendly people.
Couldn’t agree more, Christina! The whole Kimberley is one of my all-time favourite Australian regions!
Plenty of sights to see down in Oz … awesome post!
It was really hard narrowing it down to just these few, Tina! There’s a LOT more out there and I hope you get to see it all!
A lake bigger than Sydney Harbor? That’s huge! I’d like to see some of these places, so I’ll come back for a second look later.
You’ll probably like all of them, River! Or maybe I’m just egotistical enough to think I’m really good at picking cool hot spots!
This is so true. Exactly what I do. My goal this year is to get away each school holiday with my kids, so far so good ?.
That’s the only way to go, Charlotte! Fingers crossed you’ll have a lot more of OZ under your belt by the end of the year!
Red, your photography is as terrific as ever. This is a fine post.
Thank you TFG!! One does one’s poor best 😀
We are always doing little trips and seeing new areas. I would love to go around Australia with the kids.
If you can’t be on the road full time, then taking little trips is the next best thing, Anne! Anyway, it’s just getting out there and seeing as much as you can that’s the main thing!