When it comes to stand-out experiences, few destinations can compete with Australia, which was mixing luxury with immersion in wild landscapes long before it was fashionable. Continued innovation, even over the country’s prolonged lockdown, means it also has plenty of new product to entice clients these days too.
Since Australia’s reopening in 2022, an early rush of visiting friends and relatives demand has given way to leisure travel and, as of April this year, the destination had notched up 78% of its 2019 visitation. Aviation capacity to the end of July was on course to reach 84% of 2019 levels for the same period.
“We know travellers are staying longer and spending more than they did prior to the pandemic. For premium travellers, new experiences such as the Wintjiri Wiru drone experience at Uluru offer exciting new ways to discover our Indigenous cultures,” says Sally Cope, regional general manager, UK and Northern Europe for Tourism Australia.
While the borders were closed, Cope adds that more than 100 new or refurbished properties opened their doors, including Silky Oaks Lodge in Queensland and The Louise in South Australia, which have both undergone complete refurbishments. Elsewhere in the luxury space, Capella opened its first Australian property in Sydney earlier this year and the iconic Southern Ocean Lodge is on track to reopen at the end of 2023.
For agents in search of neatly packaged adventures and exclusive things to suggest, the Tourism Australia-supported Signature Experiences of Australia collectives can help. Luxury Lodges of Australia is already familiar in the UK market but there are seven more such collectives covering wine, Aboriginal culture, wildlife, walking, fishing, golf and the arts, all offering easy ways to add wow factor to itineraries in the country.
1. Starring role
Clients can have a Diva for a Day makeover session or even a fully costumed walk-on role in a performance at the iconic Sydney Opera House (pictured above). These VIP experiences are among many behind-the-scenes packages offered by members of the Cultural Attractions of Australia collective. There are also opportunities to gain insights from an indigenous guide at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, to take a premium access tour of Melbourne Cricket Ground or have a private dinner with the owner of Hobart’s contemporary Mona gallery, culturalattractionsofaustralia.com
2. On the house
Australia’s longest river, the Murray, can be explored on a houseboat safari, linking luxurious accommodation with walking and kayaking. Guests might spot kangaroos, koalas and possums and abundant birdlife, and can also contribute to Citizen Science projects by logging their sightings. The six-bedroom, 12-berth High River houseboat was launched last year and includes an open-top deck with a hot-tub and uses solar power rather than a diesel generator. Fully catered three-day tours from Murray River Trails cost from around £1,210pp (twin-share) departing Renmark, South Australia; further tours of up to six days are available too, murrayrivertrails.com.au
3. Sustainable stays
Many Australian lodges and hotels now have strong commitments to sustainability. Audley has gathered several into a suggested itinerary called Coast, Outback & Reef, the Eco-friendly Way. Starting in Adelaide, it takes in Rawnsley Park Station in the Flinders Ranges, then continues via the Indian Pacific train to Sydney, where a three-day stay in the city is followed by a Blue Mountains stay at the Old Leura Dairy and a coastal jaunt at Byron Bay. In Queensland, clients can enjoy nature experiences at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Guesthouse in Lamington National Park before transferring to “Australia’s most sustainable hotel” on Pumpkin Island, near the Great Barrier Reef. The trip concludes in Brisbane – and the whole thing costs from £8,235pp, audleytravel.com
4. Dancing drones
