Australia is a popular destination for tourists year round. Depending on your own unique taste for adventure, there are times of the year when you may want to visit that are preferable to others due to factors such as weather and climate. If you plan to make an excursion across the entire landmass, climate can change as you tour Australia.
A quick lesson in geography, Australia is only about 8% smaller in land mass when compared to continental USA. So with these large distances between North & South you’ll experience significant differences in temperature. The further north you travel, the hotter & more tropical it gets (closer to the equator). So you have a plethora of very different environments, activities & landscapes to explore any time of year – hot harsh deserts to cool lush rainforests. The sheer size & amazing diversity of Australia makes it perfect for all vacationers any time of year.
A little less than half of the continent of Australia (roughly, 40 percent) is a tropical zone, including tourist destinations, the Northern territory, and the northwest region. The tropical climate is something to prepare for as you make plans to tour Australia. It consists of wet seasons (December through February) and dry seasons, which are summer and winter, accordingly. Travelling through Australia’s harsh outback (Far North Queensland & Top End Northern Territory) during the wet season is not recommended, so be mindful of these dates if these remote regions are on your wish-list.
The rest of the continent resides in a temperate zone that consists of four seasons, although it should be remembered by Americans that they are opposite to our own, i.e. winter is from June to August, summer from December to February, and so on. The differences between the seasons are rather mild, which makes the temperate zone an excellent place to go when you tour Australia any time of the year.
The season in Australia are:
Spring: September – November (lovely)
Summer: December – February (hot)
Autumn: March – May (lovely)
Winter: June – August (cool, but not really cold)
Here’s some important Tips to remember when planning your Australian Vacation Dates:
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*Avoid the masses during Public Holidays, School Holidays and Summer break. These busy times are not only crowded but more expensive due to higher demand. Chose your Australian vacation dates carefully: Australia’s Public & School Holidays.
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Be mindful of the Airline Pricing Seasonality Structure, if your vacation dates are flexible chose dates where travel will be cheaper: Airfare Pricing Tips
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If travelling through Australia’s remote & harsh outback (i.e. Far North Queensland & Top End Northern Territory) is on your wishlist, chose travel dates to avoid the wet season:
Wet Season: November – May (Most rainfall occurs in January, February & March.)
Dry Season: June – October
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Planning a beach holiday? Then remember the ‘Wet season’ is also ‘stinger season’- little marine critters and jellyfish that sting. They generally don’t affect the Great Barrier Reef, but occur mainly around the river & creek outlets on beaches north of, and around, Bundaberg in northern Queensland. They are easy to avoid, but cause discomfort if you are stung. If you are planning a beach vacation in that tropical region, check to make sure your beach resort is not affected by stingers. Or if it is, be prepared to wear a stinger suit which is like a ‘sun suit’ – a long leg, long sleeve, one piece swimsuit typically made from fine lycra (or similar).
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Temperatures – The coldest it gets in Australia’s most visited tourist destinations is around 32F (freezing) in places like Uluru or Canberra during cold winter nights in July/August. There are not any snowbound cities in Australia. The hottest (dry heat) is about 100F at Uluru in the peak of summer in December/January. And with 100% humidity it can reach about 90F in Cairns and Darwin during those same months.
File Note: We don’t target the backpacker market for our vacations. Instead our vacations are prebuilt, prebooked & set-in-stone – cannot be changed on-the-fly. Our clients tend to be professionals &/or small business owners who don’t have the time to plan their trip, but are happy to pay extra for us to plan, co-ordinate and book everything for them. Majority of our trips are booked with 4 star accommodation with options to upgrade to 5 star luxury – tending more towards the high end traveller.
Sydney offers opportunities all through the summer, as well as numerous open air events that generally do not cost anything. As a major city, Sydney provides a variety of cultural attractions, such as the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Sydney Opera House, The Rocks market for souvenirs, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and more. Transportation in Sydney is easy via the monorail system, which can help you to explore all the intricacies of city culture and life that Sydney has to offer – whether you are interested in seeing the animals at the Taronga Park Zoo or enjoying a relaxing day of play at the beach suburb of Manley. Other major cities of the south are also great places to mark down on any tour of Australia during the summer.
For winter months, many people enjoy skiing in the state of New South Wales when the air is mildly cool, crisp, and refreshing. During summer months go where Reef meets Rainforest, say Cairns or Port Douglas in Queensland reveals large granite rocks and other animal life that provides the ecosystem and backdrop for Aboriginal culture. Many visitors come to the park year round to watch the wildlife, identify and watch birds, camp and fish, and enjoy the natural environment.
