This December, there is no better way to elevate your year-end getaway than with Australia’s unique experiences and extraordinary stays. Embark on the ultimate vacation – whether it is letting your spirit fly at Australia’s most iconic music festival, unwinding at an outdoor thermal pool, or stargazing at an off-grid tiny home. With something for everyone, Australia is bound to take your year-end itinerary to the next level.
“December is a popular time for international visitors to travel to Australia. With stunning views, relaxing retreats, and endless adventures, Australia is the ideal destination for every traveller to satisfy their wanderlust and end the year with truly memorable experiences. Australia is always ready to receive travellers with an Aussie welcome as warm as our summer days,” said Brent Anderson, Regional General Manager, South & South East Asia (SSEA), Tourism Australia.
Below is a monthly roundup of the latest tourism experiences. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like more information on these or other uniquely Australian experiences!
- Alba Thermal Springs & Spa (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria): An hour’s drive from central Melbourne, find your sanctuary at Alba. Dedicated to respecting the natural environment while offering a luxurious spa experience, Alba is located on a beautifully landscaped 15-hectare property and offers an array of spa services in serene and spacious treatment rooms. Find contemporary bathing experiences with a diverse selection of indoor, open-air, and outdoor thermal pools, and a menu of spa services created to renew, repair, and recalibrate. At its restaurant Thyme, enjoy meals using locally sourced, seasonal produce with a menu designed by award-winning chef Karen Martini.
- Ningaloo Coast Turtle Nesting (Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia): Each year from November to March, female turtles make their way up the beaches off the Ningaloo Coast – one of the world’s major breeding areas for sea turtles. Don’t miss the chance to get up close and personal on a night tour with Jurabi Turtle Centre, and watch the turtles make their long arduous journey up the beaches to lay their eggs, before the hatchlings scramble down to the water’s edge six weeks later. Expand your experience of Ningaloo with a snorkelling tour to discover the marine life wonders that call Ningaloo Reef home.
- ART ROLL (Gold Coast, Queensland): From hidden laneways to hip cafes, seaside staircases, and striking inner-city buildings, the urban landscapes of the Gold Coast has transformed into a city-wide gallery for all to experience. ART ROLL Gold Coast showcases an honour roll of Gold Coast Street art, curated into a free, self-guided tour on wheels. Lace up your roller skates and pump up those bike tyres to follow a map that stretches from the city’s north to the southern end of Coolangatta.
- THE LUME: Monet & Friends Alive (Melbourne/Narrm, Victoria): THE LUME Melbourne invites you on a spellbinding journey through the vibrant world of French Impressionism at Monet & Friends Alive. In a bold symphony of light, colour and sound, animated masterpieces ripple across 3,000 square-metres of gallery space, evoking the sensation of becoming part of the art yourself. Running till 31 January 2023, Monet & Friends will take you on a truly multi-sensory experience designed to invigorate the senses by combining sight, sound, aroma, taste, and touch to transport you back in time to the very heart of this artistic period.
- Yananurala (Sydney/Warrane, New South Wales): Experience an enthralling connection to Country right in the heart of Sydney. The new nine-kilometre curated Yananurala walk from Pirrama (Pyrmont) to Wallamool (Woolloomooloo) covers eleven interpretive markers highlighting historically significant Indigenous Australian people and places. The name Yananurala is derived from Gadigal language translates to ‘walk Country’. Led by Indigenous curator Emily McDaniel, the walk is part of the Eora Journey that brings Aboriginal histories and stories to life through public artworks and installations.
