Australia has a way of stretching the imagination: twinkling harbour cities, desert monoliths and reef-fringed coastlines spread across a single, vast country. For many British travellers, the challenge has never been desire but how to fit those iconic stops into one trip without endless planning or overspending.
In reality, it’s far easier than it looks. When you book a multi-city trip to Australia with Qantas, you can unlock discounted Qantas Explorer fares to more than 45 destinations across the country. Qantas passengers can also access Passenger Perks, with discounts on tours and experiences.
That means Sydney, the Red Centre and the Great Barrier Reef can sit comfortably in a single itinerary (as you’re about to find out). What follows are bucket-list experiences that show how varied – and how manageable – a proper Aussie adventure can be.
Sydney
1 Circle the harbour icons
Few city arrivals match Sydney Harbour for instant impact. Board a ferry from Circular Quay heading to Manly or one of Sydney’s many other harbour beaches and glide past the city’s two defining landmarks – the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge – as the harbour’s coves and headlands reveal themselves from the water, along with a view of the glittering skyline behind them.
2 Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
For a higher perspective, BridgeClimb takes thrill-seekers on to the steel arches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for uninterrupted views across the city. Day climbs offer clarity, but the experience hits a high note at twilight as the skyline begins to glow. Either way, it’s one of the world’s great urban viewpoints – and you’ll get 15% off the experience if you book your international flight with Qantas.
3 Walk Coogee to Bondi, then stay for lunch
Sydney’s beach culture is best understood on foot. The coastal path from Coogee to Bondi runs past ocean pools and a string of smaller bays where locals swim before work. At the other end, settle in at a Bondi terrace for a long lunch of Sydney rock oysters and grilled prawns, with a Hunter Valley semillon. The surfers, swimmers and dog walkers make for prime people watching.
4 Escape to the Blue Mountains
An easy day trip – at less than two hours’ drive – and a complete change of pace. Eucalyptus forests, waterfall walks and wide escarpment views feel far removed from the buzz of the harbour. Start early and you can be back in Sydney for dinner, having checked off a Unesco-protected national park from your bucket list on the same day.
The Red Centre
5 Sunrise at Uluru
Few landmarks change character as dramatically as Uluru. Before dawn, the rock shifts from deep violet to rust red, then burns bright orange as the first light reaches the desert plain. Afterwards, walk sections of the six-mile base trail to see caves and ancient rock art sites such as Mutitjulu Waterhole, where First Nations stories remain tied to the landscape.
6 Hike through Kata Tjuta
About 25 miles from Uluru, Kata Tjuta’s domed rock formations feel wilder and less visited. The Valley of the Winds walk threads between steep ochre walls with lookouts over the surrounding desert. Start early to avoid the heat and carry plenty of water: this is one of Australia’s great outback hikes.
7 Dine under desert stars
The Red Centre comes into its own after dark. Outdoor dining experiences such as Sounds of Silence pair native ingredients – barramundi, wattleseed, native herbs – with night skies. With the Milky Way and Southern Cross above you, it’s one of the most memorable ways to end a day in the desert.
8 Exploring Alice Springs
Alice Springs is the main hub of the Red Centre and a useful place to get to understand the wider landscape. First, visit galleries specialising in First Nations art, then check out Todd Mall’s shops for jewellery and crafts. Or head to the Alice Springs Desert Park, where open-air exhibits explain how wildlife survives in the outback.
Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef
9 Snorkel the outer Great Barrier Reef
The reef is best experienced beyond the mainland, where boats from Cairns and Port Douglas reach outer platforms in the sublime water of the Coral Sea. Snorkel above bommies of staghorn coral, parrotfish and blue starfish. Or dive on to drop-offs where green turtles and reef sharks move with the current.
10 Explore an ancient rainforest
North of Cairns is Mossman Gorge, an easy way into Daintree Rainforest (one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world). Boardwalks run beneath fan palms and king ferns, while the Mossman River slips between granite boulders and tea-coloured pools. Try a guided walk with First Nations Kuku Yalanji hosts for a deep dive into bush foods, medicinal plants and the area’s cultural history.
11 Slowing down in Port Douglas
This is the place for a soft landing after days on reef and rainforest drives. In Port Douglas, mornings begin on Four Mile Beach, before Macrossan Street’s seafood restaurants pull you in with just-caught barramundi, mud crab and tiger prawns. Palm Cove, 25 minutes south, moves at an even slower pace. Find an open-air terrace and let the Coral Sea be your company.
12 An island stay
Fitzroy Island is the spot for rainforest walking tracks and fringing reefs that can be reached straight from the sand. Green Island, a bit closer to Cairns, offers calm shallows for snorkelling and glass-bottom boat trips. Stay overnight if you can: when the last catamarans leave, beaches empty out and the island becomes a different place.
Book now at qantas.com or your preferred travel agent.
