8 once-in-a-lifetime getaways in Australia to add to your bucket list

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From ultimate escapes in tropical paradises and luxury expedition cruises to helicopter wine odysseys and decadent dinners, these OTT adventures by land, sea and air need to be on your wish list.

1. Stay in Queensland’s Luxury Lodges of Australia

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Turquoise, terracotta and emerald are the three bands of colour that define the distinct landscapes that backdrop the three Luxury Lodges of Australia in Tropical North Queensland. Stitch them together and it becomes a bold needlework. Bounce from Lizard Island , with its white sand hemmed in by turquoise seas, to Silky Oaks Lodge , which is enveloped in the tropical greenery of the Daintree, to Mt Mulligan Lodge in the outback, which is dominated by the russet-red hues of the ancient monolith.

the white sand beach on Lizard Island
Lizard Island is blessed with pristine white sand and turquoise waters. (Image: Elise Hassey)

2. Cruise the Kimberley, WA

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

A cruise to the Kimberley is on most Australians’ bucket lists for a multitude of reasons. True North has small ships purpose-built for navigating the region’s shallow bays and river systems, offering unparalleled access to that Kimberley magic. Or join a Silversea cruise onboard Silver Cloud from Broome or Darwin to make this vast stretch of wild and remote coastline more accessible: see everything from saltwater crocodiles and humpback whales to ancient Indigenous rock art and soaring limestone cliffs carved by the mighty Fitzroy River over millennia.

Kimberley falls on a True North cruise
Explore the Kimberley onboard True North. (Image: True North)
a Silversea cruise onboard Silver Cloud
Passing through the narrows on Talbot Bay at Sunrise with the Silver Cloud. (Image: Kris Markovska)

3. The Big Lap of Australia

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

It’s time to leave your life as a corporate schlub behind and head out on the road to do the Big Lap of Australia. While you might have pressed pause on this popular pilgrimage while working your way up the career ladder, the bitumen still beckons for a golden gap year. Cash in your long service leave and hit the road in your RV to make your own discoveries during this indulgent, oh-so-Aussie rite of passage.

an RV at the Great Australian Bight
Hit the road in your RV to the Great Australian Bight. (Image: Getty Images/Philip Thurston)

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4. Sail to Antarctica from Hobart, Tas

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

While most Antarctic expedition cruises depart from Ushuaia in Argentina, the southernmost city on Earth, it’s possible to sail from Australian shores, too. Hobart is a launch pad for exploring remote East Antarctica with Scenic Cruises. Departing January 2026, its 24-day itinerary, Antarctica’s Ross Sea: Majestic Ice & Wildlife, cruises from the Tassie capital to New Zealand onboard Scenic Eclipse II.

Aurora Expeditions’ 24-day Mawson’s Antarctica sets sail in December 2025 onboard Douglas Mawson, stopping at Tasmania’s subantarctic Macquarie Island and crossing the Arctic Circle. Or flip the script with the 31-day half-circumnavigation of the Antarctic onboard Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot, sailing January 2026 from Ushuaia all the way back home to Hobart.

Adelie penguins in Cape Adare
Adelie penguins in Cape Adare. (Image: Myeongho SEO/Shutterstock)

5. A heli-tour of SA’s best wine regions

Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

You’ve probably visited several wineries, possibly even in South Australia, but you’ve never been on a wine trip like this. Watch the ground below give way as the roar of propellers signals the start of a heli-tour between three wine regions and three female-owned and/or operated wineries on an Ascend Wine Odyssey : Oliver’s Taranga in McLaren Vale, Golding Wines in the Adelaide Hills and Kimbolton Wines in Langhorne Creek. At each stop, there’s a different experience – from a tasting amid the vines to a long lunch to cheese pairings. Plus, there’s a chance to compare how the different geography of each region gives a unique flavour to its wines. This is wine tasting at its most luxurious.

wine tasting on an Ascend Wine Odyssey tour
A wine tasting offers a glimpse into the region’s unique flavours.

6. Dinner with the founder of Mona, Tas

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Accept your rich benefactor’s offer to drop $50K on Dinner with David Walsh , founder of Mona in Hobart. The experience, dreamt up by Cultural Attractions of Australia, includes a private jet from the mainland, a two-night stay in Mona’s luxury pavilions and lavish degustation dinner with David at onsite eatery, The Source. The price tag includes a private museum and winery tour, lunch at Faro Bar + Restaurant and access to art experiences.

MONA Founder, David Walsh
Meet MONA Founder, David Walsh. (Image: MONA and Remi Chauvin)

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7. Circumnavigate Australia

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Circumnavigation cruises around Australia operate between September and April each year. Think of the voyages as a highlights reel of the country as the ships hug the curves of the coastline. Itineraries tend to include capital cities from Sydney to Brisbane and Perth to Melbourne, as well as regional ports like Hobart, Port Lincoln and Cairns. You’ll need some time on your hands to circle our vast coastline with Princess Cruises , Viking , Holland American Line and Silversea .

a woman at the sauna, Silversea
Relax at the Otium Spa onboard Silversea. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

8. Hire Makepeace Island, Qld

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

the interior of Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island home
Book a stay at Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island home.

Live out your most debauched White Lotus fantasies when you book a stay at Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island home on the Noosa River. The private sanctuary, surrounded by a tangle of tropical gardens, sleeps up to 22 guests and includes a tennis court, gym, media room, pool and 15-person heated spa, as well as dedicated staff. Inclusions range from guided nature walks to river fishing, kayaking, kids’ cooking classes and a sunset river cruise.

an aerial view of Makepeace Island
The magnificent heart-shaped Makepeace Island was reopened in 2024. (Image: Jesse Lindemann)
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Exploding supernovas & gold fever: discover the past at this outback Qld town

    Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
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    Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

    While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

    Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

    Getting there

    car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland
    Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

    You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

    Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

    Best accommodation in Clermont

    Theresa CreekDam in clermont
    Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

    Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

    To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

    Things to do in Clermont

    three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting
    Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

    One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

    Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

    The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

    Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland
    See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

    Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

    Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

    Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

    meal at Commercial Hotel
    Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

    Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

    Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

    For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

    Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

    Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.