When is the best time to visit Australia?

From its stunning golden beaches to its steamy rainforests, to its rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and unique fauna and flora, Australia has a memorable holiday in store for all types of visitors.

Visiting such a large country - with three time zones and eight different climate zones - requires a certain degree of planning. While city breaks, road trips and winery visits can be enjoyed year-round, the region's different weather patterns make highlights like hiking around the iconic Uluru monolith or snorkelling along with the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef, are best enjoyed during certain months. No matter what you want to experience during your trip to Australia, we've got you covered.

The best time to visit Australia with ideal weather

Each month offers the opportunity to experience a specific region of Australia at its best. If hitting the beach is your priority, choose the warmer months of September to April in New South Wales and southeast Queensland, and November to March in the southern states, including southern Western Australia. Summer is also wildfire season, so be aware of local alerts during your visit.

While the southern states typically have four seasons, northern Australia (covering the higher elevations of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland) has only two: wet (October to May) and dry (June to September). Since road access is often compromised during the wet season, the dry period is usually the best time to visit the region, especially on a road trip. The wet season also corresponds with that of cyclones and sea stingers, although tourism to the Great Barrier Reef and the rainforest in the Cairns region operates all year round, weather permitting. Swimming is still possible during stinger season, with lycra stinger suits supplied by marine activity operators.

If you want to have an adventure in the Australian outback, the coldest months, May to August, are the most comfortable. For outdoor adventures in the island state of Tasmania, whose climate is cooler than the mainland, the warmer months of October to March are ideal. If you're packing your skis, snowfields in New South Wales and Victoria are usually open from June to early September.

The best time to go hiking in Australia

Australia's national parks and wilderness areas are packed with hundreds of spectacular hiking trails, many of which are best explored at certain times of the year. As the summer months can be unbearably hot in Australia's Red Centre, hiking in places like Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is most comfortable and safest between April and September.

The opposite can be said for Tasmania, where hiking is most popular during the warmer months, although hikers should be prepared for all seasons (including snow) year-round. Hiking in the lush Gondwana rainforests of Queensland and New South Wales is typically most comfortable in the drier winter months (particularly June to October), while the best time to hike the famous Cape to Cape Track is In Western Australia it is spring (specifically September and October, when wildflowers bloom) and autumn (March to May).

The best time to surf in Australia

Like many other surf destinations around the world, the best months for surfing in Australia don't always coincide with the best months for swimming. If you're learning to surf, there's usually no bad time to take lessons in Australia, although you'll feel more comfortable spending hours in the water during the Australian summer months, especially in Victoria and southern Western Australia. Offshore winds combined with more consistent swells during the Australian winter months typically offer the best conditions across the country, although there are some exceptions. Storms can generate large waves at any time of the year.

The best time to see wildlife in Australia

One of the best things about visiting the east and west coasts of Australia between May and November is the opportunity to spot migrating whales, which move up and down each coast during these months. The best time to book a whale watching tour is usually in August and September, when humpbacks are usually most active. If you've always wanted to see an orca on the hunt, aim to be in Bremer Bay, Western Australia, between January and April.

The best time to see terrestrial fauna depends more on the time of day than the time of year; Dusk and dawn are usually the best times to spot native animals such as kangaroos and wombats. Australian birds (which can often be seen in cities), from lorikeets to cockatoos and the iconic kookaburra, often sing loudest when they come to roost. After snoozing all day in the eucalyptus trees, koalas are also more active at night, making them easier to observe.

In spring (from September to November) hatchlings of all kinds abound throughout the country. And while sea turtles can be seen in Australian waters all year round, time your visit to Queensland between November and January to see the turtles come ashore to nest by the thousands, and their hatchlings hatch from January to April.

The cheapest time to visit Australia

Flying to Australia is often one of the biggest financial hurdles, but if you're willing to opt for a stopover in New Zealand, China, Singapore or another regional hub, you can find some good deals. Airlines such as Jetstar (Qantas' low-cost airline) and Virgin Australia often advertise great domestic deals, and accommodation prices can drop significantly in the low and rest seasons, which differ from region to region. Southern city breaks are usually cheaper in winter, when there is still plenty to see, especially Vivid Sydney, during which iconic buildings light up.

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▷ Conclusion: Go out, travel and live your life to the fullest.

This year, treat yourself to a break from the ordinary and seek an adventure abroad. You'll come back refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to bore all your friends with travel stories.

Any time of year is a good time to travel. Discover the best places to travel by month:

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

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