Satellite Island, Tasmania © Adam Gibson
Australia’s must-do experiences for 2022
With its wide-open spaces and memory-making destinations, Australia is the perfect place to visit this year.
Travel may look a little bit different, but some things haven’t changed – like Australia’s awe-inspiring landscapes, unique wildlife and opportunities to reconnect with loved ones. It’s time to roam beyond the beaten path and enjoy the good things in life.
Here are seven Australian experiences not to be missed in 2022.
Reconnect with loved ones at Lady Musgrave
Lady Musgrave Island, Queensland © James Vodicka
Where: Lady Musgrave Island
Lady Musgrave, located on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, is a picture-perfect island of lagoons, coral, palm trees and white sand. It’s not just the beautiful scenery that makes this a great place to make new memories with your loved ones; you can snorkel the reef, swim with turtles and rays, go bird watching or even be a marine biologist for a day. Plus, with programs like Junior Reef Keeper, this is an island for kids and adults alike.
How to experience it: Book your stay at Lady Musgrave HQ. Choose from glamping beds on the deck or liveaboard bunkbeds in the underwater observatory, and enjoy the range of activities including glass-bottom boat trips and guided island walks.
Escape the crowds in the Kimberley
Zebedee Springs, El Questro Wilderness, Western Australia © Tourism Western Australia
Where: The Kimberley
The Kimberley region – located in Western Australia’s sparsely populated north – is home to nature that has to be seen to be believed. There’s no better place for nature-lovers to immerse themselves completely in wilderness. Rugged ranges, towering cliffs and gushing waterfalls are just the start. You’ll have to venture on foot to really explore the area’s hidden gems, like narrow gorges and water holes.
How to experience it: Embark on a helicopter and hiking adventure with Walk Into Luxury. Your group will be the only one on this six-day private journey. You’ll marvel at some of the Kimberley’s most jaw-droppingly beautiful sites, and see pounding waterfalls from both the ground and the sky.
Read more about the Kimberley
Trek through the rugged Grampians
Mount Sturgeon, Grampians, Victoria © Robert Blackburn
Where: Grampians National Park
The Grampians are a hiker's delight, home to sheer cliff faces, sandstone peaks and gushing waterfalls. The Grampians Peaks Trail, which opened in November of 2021, is a hike of epic proportions. The 160-kilometre (100-mile) track takes in some of the park's highlights including Redman Bluff and Mount William, as well as diverse flora and fauna.
How to experience it: The entire trail takes 13 days, but you can enjoy a section of the trail in style with Grampians Peaks Walking Co. Choose between northern, central or southern expeditions, and customise your hike with accommodation ranging from camping to eco-lodges.
Read more about the Grampians
Hop aboard sustainability in style
The Ghan, Marla, South Australia © Journey Beyond
Where: Australia’s outback
In Australia, sustainability and style go hand-in-hand. You’ll find luxurious experiences that also have a positive impact on the planet, like breathtaking railway journeys. Travelling by train lets you gaze out of the window as wildflower fields turn into vast expanses of red earth – all in a sustainable manner. Plus, off-train experiences allow you to experience regional towns and natural attractions along the way, like the guided walk through the burnt orange cliffs of Simpsons Gap.
How to experience it: An iconic Aussie experience, The Ghan is a rail journey through the wonders of the vast outback in South Australia and the Northern Territory. You’ll ride in romantic train style complete with delicious meals and comfortable cabins.
Read more about The Ghan
Dine and stay beachside in New South Wales
Paper Daisy at Halcyon House, Cabarita Beach, New South Wales © Kara Haynes
Where: Cabarita Beach
There’s perhaps no better way to wake up than listening to ocean waves crash against a sandy beach – and the days only get better from there in New South Wales’ beautiful beach towns. These once-lazy hideaways have attracted top chef talent, so you can stroll right from a morning surf to a stunning lunch on the coast. Cabarita Beach, a 40-minute drive from the Gold Coast, is the perfect place for a weekend of food, wine and sunshine.
How to experience it: Stay at Halcyon House, an award-winning beachside hotel where you can sip cocktails by the pool and spoil yourself at Halcyon Spa. Sit down at onsite restaurant Paper Daisy for dishes so fresh and refined you’ll want the meal the last forever.
Enjoy your very own island in Tasmania
The Boathouse, Satellite Island, Tasmania © Adam Gibson
Where: Satellite Island
If you’re ready for some solitude, what better place than a private island? Tasmania is well-known for its epic nature, and the islands just off the mainland are no different. With a private island experience, you’re guaranteed to find some much needed silence.
How to experience it: On Satellite Island in Tasmania’s south, time seems to stand still. Book your stay and enjoy the natural surrounds – where sea cliffs drop off into the ocean and pebbly beaches are just steps away. With hiking, fishing and diving on offer, you can do as much (or as little) here as you like.
Broaden your mind in Arnhem Land
Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris, Mount Borradaile, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
Where: Arnhem Land
In Arnhem Land – a vast area of wetlands and savanna woodlands in the Northern Territory – there are lessons to be learned everywhere you look. From the clever crocodiles to the smallest insects and even the starry skies, they all have knowledge to teach us. A trip to this beautiful region is sure to change hearts and minds.
How to experience it: A stay with Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris will have you experiencing Arnhem Land with the people who know it best. The eco-lodge isn’t just a place to stay; it also gives you access to a pocket of Arnhem Land where you can view ancient rock art, explore billabongs and wetlands and bushtucker tours.
Read more about Arnhem Land
Read next
Top 20 things to do in Australia
Explore Melbourne by water
Yarra River, Melbourne, Victoria © Visit Victoria / Melbourne Convention Bureau
Where: Melbourne
Victoria’s capital city of Melbourne is always bustling with excitement. Sought-after restaurants, thrilling art exhibitions and popular sporting matches are just a few of the things that draw people to Melbourne. But take a step – or rather, boat – away from the action to see Melbourne from a whole new perspective. A trip down the winding Yarra River offers city views with a side of total relaxation.
How to experience it: Yarra River Cruises offers cruises of all kinds. Book a skippered cruise, where a professional skipper will whisk your group away for a private boat ride down the river. Add a picnic hamper for a fresh plattered lunch. It’s the ideal afternoon with family and friends.
Read more about Melbourne
Relax with a new range of wellness in Canberra
Adytum Spa, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory © Lean Timms
Where: Canberra
There’s more to Australia’s capital than its history and culture scene. In Canberra, you’ll find ample opportunity to foster your physical and mental wellbeing. Whether it’s a mindful bike ride around the beautiful Lake Burley Griffin or a collection of therapeutic rituals from high-end spa Adytum, Canberra is a place to recentre and revitalise.
How to experience it: Book one of Adytum’s Spa Journeys, like the Journey to Harmony or Journey to Reconnection, which includes guided meditations and massages. Or visit the bathhouse, where you’ll find a hot rock sauna and Japanese Oak mineral bath (maximum two people).
Read more about Canberra
