The ultimate trip to Australia

Sydneysiders are known for their outdoor lifestyle, and there’s no better place to soak up the local vibe than the world-famous Bondi Beach. Grab a coffee and sit on the sand, or have breakfast at a seaside café.

Join fitness-conscious locals and follow the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. This spectacular clifftop trail winds from the southern end of Bondi Beach to neighbouring Tamarama and Bronte beaches.

Swim a few laps (or snap a few photos) of the iconic Bondi Icebergs pool, which takes pride of place at the southern end of the beach. Afterwards, head to the club’s poolside sauna for a rejuvenating steam.

People of all abilities can take a surfing lesson with the passionate instructors at Let’s Go Surfing at Bondi Beach. Choose from a group or private lesson, and you’ll be tackling the famous waves like a local in no time.

Browse the fashion boutiques in the lanes behind Bondi’s beachfront promenade. Then head to the nearby shopping precinct of Paddington for a walking tour with Culture Scouts, where you'll check out the flagship stores of some of Australia’s best-known designers.

Keep dinner traditional with a hearty meal at one of the many pubs you’ll pass walking along Paddington’s pretty tree-lined streets, such as the Lord Dudley Hotel. Here you can have a good yarn (Aussie slang for an informal chat) with some of the regulars.

Wake early to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge for breathtaking views across the city. See the saltwater harbour through the eyes of its Traditional Owners by opting for BridgeClimb’s Burrawa Aboriginal Climb Experience.

Take a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House to hear the fascinating stories of this unique building. Enjoy an inside look into the busy performing arts centre’s various venues and theatres, and perhaps stay for a show.

Meander through The Rocks, a historic quarter that was the site of Sydney’s first European settlement. On weekends, local artisans set up shop at The Rocks Markets, where you can pick up unique souvenirs to take home.

Immerse yourself in Australia’s Aboriginal culture on Dreamtime Southern X’s The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour (Illi Langi). On this fascinating tour, you’ll learn Dreaming stories and visit significant Aboriginal sites.

Lose yourself in Circular Quay’s Museum of Contemporary Art, which features a permanent collection of more than 4,000 Australian artworks, including many works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

Explore local Aboriginal culture through the Traditional Owners’ use of plants, artefacts and bush foods on a fascinating Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour of the harbourside Royal Botanic Garden near the Sydney Opera House.

Catch the ferry from Circular Quay to the beachside suburb of Manly. It’s the perfect place to swim on a sandy surf beach, follow coastal walking paths, browse fashion boutiques or just relax over a meal at a beachside café.

Make the most of your time with a guided luxury tour of Blue Mountains National Park, departing from Sydney and stopping along the way to meet koalas, kangaroos and more at Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park.

Refresh with a snack or a more substantial meal at one of the many cafés on the main street of Katoomba, the largest town in the Blue Mountains, before viewing the awe-inspiring Three Sisters rock formation.

Take an exhilarating ride on the steepest passenger railway on Earth or glide in a glass-bottomed Scenic Skyway cable car 270m (885ft) above an ancient valley at Scenic World near Katoomba.

Join Aboriginal guide Evan Yanna Muru on an Aboriginal Blue Mountains Walkabout tour. He’ll bring you to some of the area’s most sacred sites and share ancient Dreamtime stories, bringing to life the abundant forest.

Explore Leura, a charming village full of quaint cafés, stylish restaurants, antiques shops and boutiques. Browse the compact shopping strip, then explore the magnificent gardens in the area.

Head back to Sydney for an inner-city adventure exploring the city’s speakeasy bar scene. Venture through the city’s alleyways and secret streets to discover the hidden drinking haunts favoured by locals, like the must-visit Stitch Bar.

Get your bearings in Alice Springs by strolling through the pedestrian-only Todd Mall, home to shops, cafés and galleries specialising in Aboriginal art, including Mbantua, which features works by artists from the Utopia region.

Browse jewellery, sculptures and contemporary fibre art made using native grasses by women living in the Central and Western deserts at Tjanpi Desert Weavers – Tjanpi is the Pitjantjatjara word for grass.

Visit Araluen Arts Centre, a leading visual arts institution housing more than 1,000 Aboriginal and non-Indigenous artworks, including works by one of Australia’s most famous Indigenous artists, Albert Namatjira.

Enter another world as you follow trails through plantings of native arid plants and trees at the Olive Pink Botanic Garden, a 20-minute walk from town. Afterwards, have some lunch at the garden’s rustic outdoor eatery.

Meet the resident red ‘roos on a guided sunset tour of The Kangaroo Sanctuary, a 76-hectare (188-acre) sanctuary that cares for orphaned baby joeys as well as full-grown kangaroos. This is a bucket list Aussie experience.

Take advantage of the cool night desert air to explore the multicultural cuisine at bars and restaurants in town and see why Alice Springs has been dubbed an emerging foodie destination.

Join a tour company such as Emu Run to explore some of the Red Centre’s most incredible sites. Choose between one and two-day tours around the iconic rock formation of Uluru, Palm Valley Wilderness Reserve and breathtaking Kings Canyon.

The stunning form of Uluru looks fabulous at any time of day, but it’s especially vibrant at sunrise and sunset. The changing colours of the sky reflect on the earthy tones of the outback for a truly spectacular sight.

Join an Aboriginal-led tour by SEIT Outback Australia to discover the cultural significance of Uluru. Be guided around the base of the rock as you visit waterholes, see ancient rock art and listen to Creation stories of this geological wonder.

Sign up for a dot painting experience led by one of the local artists from Maruku Arts, a not-for-profit art and craft corporation owned by the Anangu people, the Traditional Custodians of this beautiful region.

Stare up in awe as more than 1,000 glowing drones take to the evening sky near Uluru to illustrate an ancestral story of the Anangu people during Ayers Rock Resort’s Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner.

Glamp in one of the 15 luxury tents spread out across the Longitude 131° luxury wilderness camp, located in a prime position with uninterrupted views all the way from Uluru to Kata Tjuta.

Rise early to experience the ever-changing palette of Uluru at sunrise with a tour of the acclaimed art installation Field of Light, a glowing expanse of 50,000 spindles of light at the base of Uluru.

Drive west of Uluru to Kata Tjuta, a series of 36 domes covering more than 20 square kilometres (nearly 5,000 acres). Walk among the domes on the easy Walpa Gorge Walk or tackle the four-hour Valley of the Winds Walk.

Enjoy the magical Tali Wiru open-air dining experience at Ayers Rock Resort. The evening includes Champagne and canapés as the sun sets, followed by an intimate four-course dinner infused with native ingredients paired with wines.

Enjoy bush tucker paired with premium Australian wines on the A Night at Field of Light experience in Uluru, which combines Ayers Rock Resort’s Sounds of Silence dinner with a walk through the light installation.

Visit Brisbane’s City Hall to see the fascinating Museum of Brisbane’s boundary-pushing interactive multimedia works. Then take one of the museum’s daily Clock Tower Tours to see the city from a unique perspective.

Enjoy Brisbane’s cultural highlights at the South Bank arts precinct, from the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) and the Queensland Museum to the theatre and concert spaces of Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

Head to the James Street precinct, in the trendy inner-city suburb of Fortitude Valley, to browse the boutiques of Australia’s leading fashion designers. Refuel at one of the upscale cafés and restaurants in the area.

Check out the views of the city and beyond to Moreton Bay from the observation deck of Mount Coot-tha. Then, follow a bushwalking trail downhill or explore the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at the foot of Mount Coot-tha.

Take a river cruise to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the world’s first – and largest – sanctuary for koalas. These lovable creatures share their home with other native animals such as wombats, echidnas, kangaroos and even Tasmanian devils.

Enjoy a long lunch, a sunset drink or a leisurely dinner with river views at Howard Smith Wharves, a dining and entertainment precinct nestled under the steel arches of Brisbane’s Story Bridge.

Indulge in a delicious meal infused with Aboriginal flavours and take a tour of the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art with an Indigenous curator during the First Artists: Exceptional Indigenous Art & Dining experience.

Wander through Rusty's Markets in the Cairns city centre to pick up tropical fruit and bush tucker, local plantation coffee and sweet treats. You’ll find artisan stalls full of handmade jewellery, clothing and crafts.

Take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway from Cairns to the quirky mountain village of Kuranda. Take the cable car over a thick canopy of trees, pausing at stations along the way to walk through lush rainforest.

Learn about the local Aboriginal community’s connection to the Daintree – the world’s oldest rainforest. The Pamagirri Rainforest Walkabout at Kuranda’s Rainforestation Nature Park will take you through the forest and impart knowledge learned in the wilderness.

Take a trip back in time as you return from Kuranda to Cairns on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, which transports you on century-old carriages through the waterfalls and rainforest of rugged Barron Gorge.

Head to the Cairns marina for a wide range of Great Barrier Reef tours, from half-day and full-day sightseeing and snorkelling cruises to more adventurous expeditions for experienced divers.

Sample bush tucker, enjoy traditional dance performances and see a different side to the Great Barrier Reef as Indigenous sea rangers share Creation stories on a Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel cruise.

Join a day tour from Cairns to Green Island to discover an idyllic sand cay of pristine rainforest ringed by untouched beaches. Just a short swim from shore will bring you to gardens of colourful coral reefs.

Take a fast catamaran to Fitzroy Island with Fitzroy Island Adventures for a day of snorkelling from sandy beaches, hiking through rainforest to awe-inspiring lookouts and cruising over coral in a glass-bottomed boat.

Get a bird’s eye view of where two UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest – meet on a scenic helicopter flight complete with inflight commentary.

More experienced divers can join a liveaboard cruise with ProDive Cairns to be guided to a selection of incredible outer reef sites. You’ll explore up to 11 dives over three days, including two unforgettable night dives.

Immerse yourself in the Daintree Rainforest at Daintree National Park’s Mossman Gorge. Follow the trails from Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre for a self-guided walk along the popular Gorge Circuit.

Join a Dreamtime Gorge Walk as an Aboriginal guide from Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre takes you to culturally significant sites and describes the Traditional Owners’ connection to the Daintree Rainforest.

Navigate the gentle Mossman River as it flows through the Daintree Rainforest on a River Drift Snorkelling tour. Keep warm in your wetsuit as you drift with the current on a sled, spotting fish, water dragons and even turtles.

The Daintree is abundant with bush foods if you know where to look. Learn ancient fishing techniques from members of the Kubirri Warra clan of the local Kuku Yalanji people on a Coastal Beach and Mangrove Walk.

Ever tried catching a mud crab? Learn traditional hunting techniques on a half-day or full-day Ngana Julaymba Dungay (We all going Daintree) tour with your Kuku Yalanji guide. You might even get to eat the catch of the day.

Enjoy some downtime in the resort town of Port Douglas north of Cairns, digging your toes into the sand at Four Mile Beach. Take a seat at one of the cafés and restaurants lining the bustling main drag of Macrossan Street.