6 Travel Books To Lift Your Spirits
April 23, 2020
In the age of closed borders and social distancing, it's time to rediscover travel books! Explore th...
Read More
Yet Australians who have travelled extensively invariably return with an even greater love for our vast and beautiful land. It isn’t until you look from a distance that you see the whole picture. On a more practical level, there are some very cost-effective international holiday packages that Australia can’t beat. But there are many other types of holiday that we do better than anywhere in the world at very reasonable prices.
So if you’re stressing over airfares, passports, visas, vaccinations and travel insurance, take a deep breath and read these 4 reasons to reconsider Australia as your next holiday destination.
Thanks to an influx of nationalities and skills from around the world, Australia is rapidly becoming lauded for its exquisite and varied cuisine, coffee and wine.
Food is extraordinarily varied in our capital cities, with clear influences from Asia, Africa and Europe, often cleverly evolved into delicious fusion cuisine. If you need your coffee, Melbourne is well known for its cafe culture, and Perth has some of the cutest cafes for sitting outdoors and watching the world go by, Parisian style.
The wines of Australia are also right up there when it comes to comparison with other wine producing countries. Many of our wines are highly respected, winning international awards and top reviews. Even our boutique breweries are getting plenty of attention. Not only that, but our winery / brewery regions make fabulous holiday destinations. Margaret River, for example, easily rivals the France for its rolling countryside, delicious food and undulating coastline.
Australia simply can’t be beaten for vast and varied natural wilderness areas. We so often live in our little urban bubbles and forget there’s a whole world of stunning landscapes and adventure right in our back yard.
To name just a few wilderness holiday destinations in Australia, consider the wild and rugged Kimberley region, virtually the whole of Tasmania, tropical Daintree Rainforest, pretty Kangaroo Island, iconic Kakadu National Park and breathtaking Kosciuszko National Park. There remain some uncharted areas of the Kimberley, which makes this a true wilderness region, best explored on an adventure boat cruise or a holiday package at El Questro Wilderness Park.
Half of Tasmania is taken up with wilderness parks and reserves, with some beautiful walk trails and gorgeous little B&Bs around the coast. Serious fishing enthusiasts should go there for a fly fishing adventure.
The Daintree is a World Heritage listed rainforest, which has been likened to Jurassic Park for its lush, primeval vegetation. It also runs right down to the beach at on Cape Tribulation, giving you the best of both natural worlds.
Kangaroo Island is basically a great big nature reserve, famous for its sea lions and koalas. There are some lovely holiday homes and retreats here - ideal for a truly relaxed, messing-about sort of holiday.
Kakadu - made famous by Crocodile Dundee - is indeed a haven for crocs. It’s also incredibly biodiverse and presents a fascinating look at Aboriginal history and culture.
Kosciuszko, within the Snowy Mountains, is home to our popular ski holiday destinations, Perisher and Thredbo. At other times of year, it’s a wonderful place for camping, hiking, mountain biking and exploring caves.
Yes, we do go on about our unbeatable beaches, but with good reason. Not only do we have hundreds of them, but they’re complemented by crystal blue ocean, fringing coral reefs, and weather that enables us to enjoy them. Most are also unbelievably quiet! You can often look for miles along stretches of sand and see hardly a soul - something that Europeans find hard to fathom.
Cable Beach in WA has to get a mention for its firey sunsets and camel treks, but look also to the south of the state, east of Esperance, for the most delightful, quiet, icing-sugar-soft beaches. Check out Hellfire Bay, Twilight Beach and Lucky Bay.
Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas, QLD, isn’t just long - it’s bordered by tropical forest, providing the benefit of shady palm trees, and is a great spot for families to stay, play and swim.
Hyams Beach, on Jervis Bay in NSW, is quite breathtaking, with its whiter-than-white sand and calm, clear water, ideal for snorkelling, swimming and paddle boarding. There are some lovely holiday homes around here.
On Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays is the extraordinary, unspoilt Whitehaven Beach, accessible only by boat, seaplane or helicopter. The Whitsundays are a gem that Australians need to visit at least once.
Finally, a shout out for Australia’s excellent surf beaches around the coast, notably Margaret River, Bells Beach and Noosa. Not quite Hawaii, but pretty good nonetheless.
One last, great big reason to holiday in Australia is the easy and relatively clean, safe environment that we’re blessed with. For families and seniors in particular, these aspects of our country make holidaying at home very appealing. Compared to exotic international destinations, it’s much easier to holiday at home with peace of mind.
Whether you’re looking ahead to the next school holidays, planning a family holiday, or just wanting to explore your home country a little more deeply, get in touch your local ATAS travel agent. They can help you narrow down the options, organise transport and find the perfect place to stay.
Are you ready to plan a holiday in Australia? Find your local ATAS accredited travel agent here and ask them to find the best options and travel itinerary for you.
22 Pentlowe Ave
LOWER TEMPLESTOWE , VIC
Level 24, 3 International Towers
300 Barangaroo Avenue
SYDNEY , NSW
Shop 2098, Westfield Kotara
Cnr Park & Northcott Ave
KOTARA , NSW
Kiosk - K11, Lakeside Joondalup S/C
420 Joondalup Drive
JOONDALUP , WA
Shop 9B Thirroul Plaza
282-298 Lawrence Hargrave Drive
THIRROUL , NSW
1st Floor
4-6 Howitt Street
SOUTH YARRA , VIC
107/232 Robina Town Centre Drive
ROBINA , QLD
Shop 1021B, Indooroopilly S/C
322 Moggill Road
INDOOROOPILLY , QLD
Shop G39, Quadrangle Building
University of NSW
KENSINGTON , NSW
109b Conyngham Street
FREWVILLE , SA
Suite 3, Level 27 Governor Macquarie Tower
SYDNEY , NSW
Shop 2067A, Westfield Knox S/C
425 Burwood Highway
WANTIRNA SOUTH , VIC
Shop 1051, Westfield Doncaster
619 Doncaster Road
DONCASTER , VIC
Shop T48 Pacific Werribee
Corner Derrimut and Heaths Roads
WERRIBEE , VIC
Shop G17A, Broadway Shopping Centre
1 Bay Street
BROADWAY , NSW
4/115 Grand Boulevard
JOONDALUP , WA
St Georges Basin Country Club
11 Paradise Beach Road
SANCTUARY POINT , NSW
22 Kenthurst Rd
ROUND CORNER , NSW
Shop C029, Northland Shopping Centre
2-50 Murray Road
EAST PRESTON , VIC
1st Floor, 333 Clarendon Street
SOUTH MELBOURNE , VIC
Shop 2036a, Westfield Marion
297 Diagonal Rd
OAKLANDS PARK , SA
Shop F06, Carindale Shopping Centre
1151 Creek Road
CARINDALE , QLD
Shop 1111a, Level 1 Highpoint S.C.
Rosamond Road
MARIBYRNONG , VIC
Level 4, 53 Queen Street
MELBOURNE , VIC
Level 1
259-263 Collins Street
MELBOURNE , VIC
208/33 Lexington Drive
BELLA VISTA , NSW
Shop B06, Ground Level
The Canberra Centre
CIVIC , ACT
Shop 9 Salamander Shopping Centre
SALAMANDER BAY , NSW
Shop T207, Garden City S/C
125 Riseley Street
BOORAGOON , WA
Level 6, 277 Elizabeth Street
SYDNEY , NSW
Bay 5 Work Inc
6 Middlemiss Street
LAVENDER BAY , NSW
Eastland Shopping Centre
171-175 Maroondah Highway
RINGWOOD , VIC
Suite 808, Level 8
343 LIttle Collins Street
Melbourne , VIC
Shop 438, Macquarie Centre
Cnr Hering & Waterloo Roads
NORTH RYDE , NSW
Shop 5, Community Centre
West Creek Rd, Griffith University
NATHAN , QLD
Shop 1428, Warringah Mall
Condamine St & Old Pittwater Rd
BROOKVALE , NSW
Shop T04, Student Hub
Flinders University
BEDFORD PARK , SA
Level 1, Union Building
Monash University
CAULFIELD EAST , VIC
Level 8, 309 Pitt Street
SYDNEY , NSW
Level 1, 35 Grafton Street
BONDI JUNCTION , NSW
154-14 Student Centre 154, University Avenue
Australian National University
ACTON , ACT
Suite 11.11, 401 Docklands Drive
DOCKLANDS , VIC
Shop GD146, Sunshine Plaza S/C
Horton Parade
MAROOCHYDORE , QLD
Amenities Blding, Murdoch Uni
South Street
MURDOCH , WA
Shop 4a Two Rocks Shopping Centre
10 Enterprise Avenue
TWO ROCKS , WA
Shop B323, Chadstone S.C.
1341 Dandenong Road
CHADSTONE , VIC
Level 14 275 Alfred Street
NORTH SYDNEY , NSW
Shop 3/59 Semaphore Road
SEMAPHORE , SA
Shop 1195A, Westfield Fountain Gate
352 Princess Highway
NARRE WARREN , VIC
Shop 1 / 6-10
Old Princess Hwy
BEACONSFIELD , VIC
Level 1, Unit 2, 17 Carter Road
BROOKVALE , NSW
1/25 Little Oxford Street
Collingwood
MELBOURNE , VIC
Shop 3030, Westfield Southland SC
1239 Nepean Highway
CHELTENHAM , VIC
The Link Building, Gold Coast Campus
Griffith University, University Drive
SOUTHPORT , QLD
Campus Centre
Shop G24, Campus Centre (Building 10)
Monash University
CLAYTON , VIC
Ground Floor, Union Building
University of Queensland
ST LUCIA , QLD
Shop 7 , 77 Camelia Avenue
EVERTON HILLS , QLD
Building 17, IT Resource Centre
Wollongong Uni, Northfields Dve
WOLLONGONG , NSW
Shop 253, Level 2, Westfield S/T
28 Victor Street
CHATSWOOD , NSW
Shop 1158, Carousel Westfield S/C
1382 Albany Highway
CANNINGTON , WA
Shop M109-111 Carillon City
207 Murray Street
PERTH , WA
Global Travel Specialists- Mobile
GILEAD CAMPBELLTOWN , NSW
803/83 Mount Street
NORTH SYDNEY , NSW
Westfield North Lakes
1245 Anzac Ave & North Lakes Drive
NORTH LAKES , QLD
Shop L01/066 Penrith Westfield
Henry Street
PENRITH , NSW
suite 1 314-322 Darling street
BALMAIN , NSW
18 Fingal Ave
GLENHAVEN , NSW
Shop 190, Westfield Shoppingtown
Cnr Gympie & Hamilton Roads
CHERMSIDE , QLD
Shop 1151/52, Westfield Miranda
600 The Kingsway
MIRANDA , NSW
Thrift Park Shopping Centre
171 Nepean Highway
MENTONE , VIC
Shop 1004, Level 1, Westfield Bondi
Cnr Oxford & Grosvenor Streets
BONDI JUNCTION , NSW
Suite 18, Plaza Chambers
3-15 Dennis Road
SPRINGWOOD , QLD
58 Ferguson Street
WILLIAMSTOWN , VIC
Student Guild
Curtin University of Technology
SOUTH BENTLEY , WA
9/1 Ridgeview Drive
PEREGIAN SPRINGS , QLD
Suite 1 (Rear Entrance)
10-12 Chapel Street
BLACKBURN , VIC
Shop 45, The Strand
Marine Parade
COOLANGATTA , QLD
2,27 Flounder Rd
Ettalong beach
ETTALONG , NSW
Level 4, Union House
Adelaide University
ADELAIDE , SA
Shop 41,
8-34 Gladston Park Drive
GLADSTONE PARK , VIC
Shop 8a
478 The Esplanade
WARNERS BAY , NSW
Shop T350, Errina Fair S/C
620-658 Terrigal Drive
ERINA , NSW
Click on the map to search by state
Looking for tips and advice on what to do before you depart on your holiday?
Read MoreRegister your travel plans with Smartraveller before you depart Australia
READ MOREDue to the unprecedented level of enquiry, as a result of the crisis caused by the global pandemic and Australian government travel ban, most travel agencies are currently experiencing exceptionally large volumes of calls and emails requesting information to cancel, change, rebook and alter bookings.
We ask for your patience and understanding during this time please. Whilst every customer is important, requests must be prioritised based on departure dates.
AFTA review complaints pursuant to the ATAS Code of Conduct. Many of the complaints currently being received by AFTA are ineligible for review as they do not allege a breach of the Code by the agent. In most instances, the following may be ineligible:
To understand the current situation, please see our information page here before proceeding: https://www.atas.com.au/traveller-info/covid19-update
If you have reviewed the information page and believe your complaint to be eligible, please continue to complete the compliant form online. We are working hard to respond as quickly as we can.