As the first chills of winter are beginning to bite our toes, it’s getting difficult for the average folk to leave their beds early in the morning. For kids, winter is synonymous with snowboarding, snowball fights, sledging and Christmas, for adults it’s the perfect time to hibernate. If the thought of hitting a snow-clad peak in the dead of winter leaves you cold, why don’t you fly to Australia? Just follow the sun and explore the top 5 winter-blues busting destinations of Australia.

Why Australia?

The island of Australia, due to its unique climate, offers both cold and warm weather activities for different age groups. Australians experience cold and dry winters in the months of June, July and August.

According to the BBC weather reports, the average temperature of Australia is 46-55 degrees Fahrenheit, during winters. Thus, the mild weather prevailing in the continent makes room for a plethora of wintertime activities.

Top 5 Tourist Attractions

Whitsundays, Queensland

Whitsundays is a group of tropical islands stretching from Bowen to Laguna, over viewing the Great Barrier Reef. Tourists can explore the entire region on a luxury yacht. Book a vessel and let the wild winds inflate your sails. Kick back and relax on the chalky sands of Whitehaven Beach. Snorkel the reef and islands, witness the scenic flight of migratory birds over the islands or simply bask in the heat of winter sun.

Byron Bay, New South Wales

Byron Bay is the hotspot of senior travellers. Here, you can rediscover your inner Zen with spa, mud-baths, Reiki, meditation and yoga. What’ more? You can sign up for surfing lessons, spy humpback whales as they drift towards the northern horizon, kayak with dolphins in a hot-water pool or simply walk around Cape Byron.

Darwin, Northern Territory

While the southern part of the continent experiences chilly winter winds, Darwin enjoys a bright, sunny weather, warm temperatures and cloudless skies. Want to fall in love with Australian lifestyle? Go ahead and survey the Mindil Beach Sunset markets. Browse through 200 stalls and enjoy scrumptious tropical cuisine.

Uluru, Northern Territory

Uluru, in Northern territory is famous for the Lulur-Kata Tujatu National Park, where tourists enjoy camelback riding. Move through the red sand dunes of Uluru and witness breathtaking panorama at the sunset. Dine alfresco under the stars on a rooftop restaurant, enjoy the Sounds of Silence and unfold the mysteries of Anangu Culture.

Broome, Western Australia

A 22km-long camel ride at the sunset tempts vacationers into visiting Cable Beach in Broome. It’s a perfect holiday destination for musicians, artists, families, celebrities, youngsters and backpackers who wish to break from the hectic city life. Watch your favourite movie at the Sun Picture Theatre or dig into the glorious past of Australia at Pearl Luggers.

Things To Do

Tourists enjoy hiking, biking and horseback riding in winters because winter days are quiet, sunny and clear. Just put on your woollen jackets and walk around the park, all the while enjoying the stunning scenery.

Head to the Alpine region of Victoria or visit the lofty, snow-clad peaks in New South Wales. Participate in snowboarding, skiing and mountain climbing activities. If you’ve time, you can visit the Perisher Ski Resort with your family.

Both Perth and Melbourne host international film festival in the honour of Australian Cinema. Visit these cities to get a glimpse of famous celebrities.

If you’re bored of your boring lifestyle, simply catch a flight from UK and land in Australia. Get more information on UK flight arrivals from local tourism companies and book your flights accordingly!

As a gateway to major attractions like the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree National Park, the city of Cairns is easily one of the most visited destinations in all of Australia. While Cairns is home to a number of wonderful things to do, see and explore, many visitors are eager to get out of the city for a few days and see a different side of Queensland. One of the most popular adventures is a road trip to the nearby town of Malanda. Since Malanda is just 90 minutes away from Cairns, it is simple to rent a car from Europcar Australia and begin this scenic journey on your own terms and according to your own schedule. Tours are available for this road trip, but setting out on your own gives you a lot more freedom, and it also allows you to enjoy getting behind the wheel on a truly scenic road. Here are the top five things to do in Malanda and the surrounding region.

Image courtesy of robstephaustralia/flickr.com

1. Malanda Falls

There is no question that the top attraction in the area, and truly the big reason for making this journey by car, is for the opportunity to see the beautiful Malanda Falls. The word Malanda itself was once an Aboriginal word for waterfalls, and the town today is known almost exclusively for the breathtaking collection of waterfalls in the area. The best way to see the falls is to stop in at the Malanda Falls Visitor Centre. They can give you a map and help you decide on the perfect trail to see as much wildlife as possible on the way to the falls themselves. If you are in a rush, you can actually drive almost directly above the top of the waterfalls, which gives you a spectacular view of the water crashing down below. If you want to relax and you have more time to enjoy the area, try swimming below some of the falls with the locals.

2. Millaa Millaa Waterfalls Circuit

Just 20 minutes south of Malanda is another collection of amazing waterfalls known as the Millaa Millaa Waterfalls Circuit. These three falls are all within walking distance of one another, but there is also a paved road to drive between the three if you are in a hurry. If the waterfalls look familiar to you, it might be because you have seen them before featured in advertisements or films. The Millaa Millaa Waterfalls can be found in the Peter Andre video called Mysterious Girl, and it is also featured in the Timotei Hair Swoosh advertisement that you have undoubtedly seen before.

3. Lake Tinaroo

Although this man-made lake is just a few miles north of Malanda, the drive along the winding roads can take about 30 minutes. However, the journey itself is a beautiful one, and the time will pass quickly as you admire the view from your car window. Once you arrive at Lake Tinaroo, you will want to enjoy all of the outdoor recreation opportunities in the area. Fishing, hiking, swimming and even waterskiing are popular pastimes that you can enjoy on the lake.

4. Mount Hypipamee Crater

It will be another 30 minute drive to get from Malanda to the Mount Hypipamee Crater, which is commonly known to residents as simply The Crater. This amazing crater in the Tablelands was only discovered in the late 19th century when explorers nearly fell into the chasm, which measures in at over 180 feet wide and almost 300 feet deep. Visitors can hike around the edge of the crater, and you can also explore the surrounding Mount Hypipamee National Park and its impressive rainforest.

5. Curtain Fig Tree

Nature lovers will definitely appreciate the sheer size of this incredible tree, which is located between Yungaburra and Malanda. The aerial roots of the tree are on display, and you can walk along the wooden boardwalk next to the tree to get a closeup view of this enormous natural landmark in the Tablelands.

Since the Malanda Falls as well as the rest of these incredible attractions are just a short drive from the city of Cairns, it is the perfect option for an extension of your holiday. Spend a day touring the Tablelands, or make a full weekend of waterfall-hopping throughout the region.

Where are the Yasawa Islands?

Awesome Adventures

The Yasawa Islands are located some 100kms off the main island of Fiji, Viti Levu. This descriptive guest post is by Richard Carrick. Richard has visited Fiji many times over the years but still finds excuses to go back to this amazing place. He is now working for South Sea Cruises who operates Island Resort Transfers to the Mamanuca Island resorts plus a range of award winning Day Cruises, and Awesome Adventures Fiji who provides a range of island hopping packages in the Yasawas.

Many visitors to Fiji opt to stay on the mainland and laze around the hotel pool and unfortunately miss out on a lot of what this beautiful Pacific nation has to offer. On our first day in Fiji we headed straight for Denarau Marina and boarded the Yasawa Flyer. As the name suggests, the vessel services the Yasawa group of islands consisting of 20 ancient volcanic islands. It is jaw-dropping to sit back and take in the view as we pass these gigantic islands surrounded by stunning white beaches and lagoons of coral that make you want to jump overboard and start exploring.

Upon arriving at our destination for the night at Tavewa Island, one of the northern most islands, and were greeted on shore by every member of the resort with a genuine Fijian smile, a cool drink and the welcoming Bula song. After exploring the island we are served a traditional Fijian meal and spend the evening dancing, laughing and making new friends. By the time it comes for bed, the weather is still warm enough to make the many hammocks lining the beach almost tempting. This really is a five star location.

Yasawa Islands

The next morning we were all looking forward to our adventure out to the Sawailau caves. Just a short speed-boat ride further out into the remote islands and we are faced with great lime stone walls that leave us in awe. On goes the swimming gear and in we go. It was amazing to see how deep the water is inside these caves. For a little more excitement there is an underwater swim through tunnel where you surface on the other side in complete darkness and are shown around by the guide with his torch.

Our journey then took us back down the chain of islands to Naviti Island and our next resort where all their produce is grown locally in what they call “Iteni” meaning “The Garden of Eden”. We were lucky enough to be invited by the staff to be included in their Kava ceremony and enjoyed the evening by the beach under the stars talking and drinking Kava. After a good nights sleep it was time to meet the local sea life. Just a short walk from the shore into the sea you are greeted by some of the most amazing coral and fish you will ever see when snorkelling. The visibility is crystal clear and there is no shortage of new life to experience.

It was time to board the Yasawa Flyer again and head down to Waya LaiLai Island where we were again greeted by the locals singing the Bula song (which never gets old) and soon heading out on the water again to feed the sharks. The local guide seems to have no fear as he dives off the speeding boat with his spear and disappears, not to be seen again until he lets us know he has found the sharks. Sitting on the bottom of the ocean floor with no scuba gear on, he holds onto the small reef shark like it’s a pet while he hand feeds it with the fish he’d caught with his spear. During the evening, the local villagers preformed their traditional dance and we turned in for the night knowing we had an early start.

Snorkelling

We woke the next morning about an hour before sunrise to commence our hike up the great peak of Waya LaiLai in time to watch the sun rise from the east starting the new day. The views from up here were unlike anything else, looking out over the vast Yasawa Islands. We had now finished our time in the Yasawas, but had one last stop before finishing our trip.

The Mamanuca Islands tend to be a little smaller in size then the Yasawas but still offer plenty to see and picturesque beaches to match anything else on the planet. Lying to the west of Nadi they are a lot closer to the mainland and are a more popular destination for tourists with some of the larger resorts located here.

The highlight of the Mamanucas was the day sailing trip on board “Seaspray”. Leaving from Mana, Seaspray sets sail and we soon arrive at one of the islands where we were treated with the opportunity to visit a typical island village and see what life is like living on a tropical island. We then soon set sail again and made it across to Modriki Island which is one of the few remaining uninhabited islands and location of Tom Hanks’ film Castaway. As the sun was starting to come down, it was soon time to bring a close to our Fiji adventure.

As we cruise back to Denarau with a cool drink in our hand, watching the islands behind us, we chat about the fun times we’ve had over the last few days and know we won’t soon forget our adventure into the real Fiji.

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of the Yasawa Islands

One Great Reason to Visit the Yasawa Islands

One great reason to visit the Yasawa Islands is for the remoteness, warm sun and pristine waters. A terrific recipe for relaxation.

Awesome Adventures in Fiji

For More Information

• Wikipedia

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