Rediscover your own backyard with Tourism Australia’s ultimate domestic travel bucket list.
As we race towards the end of the year, we’re all turning out attention to the summer break. Just like everything in 2020, summer this year is going to be a little different to usual. As we stay local and explore our own turf, it’s time to get creative and book a fun-filled domestic holiday.
Need some inspiration? You’ve come to the right place. The crew from Tourism Australia has created the ultimate domestic travel bucket list, revealing 101 ways to holiday in Australia this year. From exploring stunning natural sights to shucking oysters straight from the ocean, here are our top picks for where to eat, drink and play in Australia for your next domestic holiday.
EAT
- Fill your esky on a recovery road trip: show your support for Australia’s recovery effort for the summer bushfires. Hit the road and plan a driving tour of local regional cities impacted by the bushfires and come back with a swag of delicious local goodies.
- Shuck oysters straight from the ocean: Wade out into the waters for a hands-on shucking lesson and the taste of fresh Pacific and native Angasi oysters straight from the clear, rippling waters of South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania.
- Find Australia’s ‘best pie’: The humble meat pie is an Aussie treasure. From major cities to outback country towns, local bakeries can be found in almost every neighbourhood across Australia selling everything from the classic beef pie to more modern varieties.
DRINK
- Try a tipple at one of Australia’s emerging distilleries: With crisp fresh air and water, you can get a taste of some of Australia’s best spirits in the burgeoning distillery industry. Join a tour and taste the full range of gin, whisky and vodka as well as unreleased bottles.
- Find a speakeasy: Across Australia there are basement spaces and old shops that have been turned into hard-to-find speakeasies. Find secret bars behind hidden doors where clever bartenders serve up an array of cocktails with creative twists.
- Enjoy a cold beer: The craft beer scene in Australia has been growing steadily in recent years, and as breweries perfect their craft it’s no wonder we’re seeing a rise in unique offerings pop up all over the country.
PLAY
- Spot a sleeping koala: to guarantee a glimpse, head to one of the many wildlife parks across Australia that allow you to get up close with koalas as they rest in their habitats. To see them in the wild, Australian Wildlife Journeys and Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours offer one-day and multi-day trips in Gippsland and along the Great Ocean Road, with guaranteed sightings of koalas.
- Go off-road with a 4WD safari: Think road trips are all the same? With untamed beaches, giant sand dunes and freshwater lakes, 4WD tours offer a chance to journey into some of Australia’s most remote and challenging landscapes.
- Soar the skies in a hot air balloon: Did you know Canberra is the only city in the world where you will find yourself drifting over a nation’s Parliament House? For the best views of Canberra, and many other places across Australia, a hot air balloon tour allows you to experience uninterrupted birds-eye views of many showstopping destinations.
To explore Destination NSW’s full list of 101 ways to holiday in Australia, click here.