It’s officially summer on Saturday. To celebrate the start of our favourite season of the year, we’ve picked our top thirty activities for summer all across the country. Whether your ideal day is watching a spot of test cricket or viewing an art installation in a city laneway, we’ve got an activity to suit you.
What’s on your summer bucket list?
This yacht race from Sydney to Hobart is a summer staple. While not many of us will ever get to participate, watching the crews as they battle their way through often wild seas is always a thrill.
2. Boxing Day Test Cricket, Victoria
Watching test cricket on Boxing Day is a tradition for many families, whether you’re watching it at the MCG or on television. Australia is playing Sri Lanka this year, and sitting down to watch two of the best teams in the world face off can be (if Australia is winning) a relaxing way to spend the day after Christmas.
3. Tour Down Under, South Australia
Professional cycling took a bit of a battering in 2012. Here’s hoping the Santos Tour Down Under gets 2013 off to a better start. This race through Adelaide and the surrounding areas sees some of the biggest names in cycling racing around some truly picturesque country.
4. Sydney Festival, New South Wales
The Sydney Festival takes over Australia’s biggest city for three weeks over January. Take your pick from music, theatre, talks and art events – the best thing is that some events are free.
5. Australia Day, everywhere
Whether it’s having a barbecue on the beach or attending a music festival, Australia Day is treated as a giant party by most of the country.
6. MONA FOMA, Tasmania
MONA FOMA is a music festival held at the fantastic MONA gallery in Hobart. Headliners this year include PJ Harvey and the Dresden Dolls.
7. Turtle nesting at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
Every year over summer, three of the world’s seven marine turtle species come ashore to nest on the islands and beaches of the Ningaloo Reef. You can watch this incredible spectacle, or if you want to become more involved you can volunteer.
8. Camping on Whitehaven Beach, Queensland
Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays is one of the prettiest beaches in Queensland, and the best part about the beach is that you can camp right behind it. The only way to get there is by boat, and camping spots are limited, so it will feel like your own island paradise.
9. Tropfest, New South Wales
Having a picnic in the Domain while watching short films by some of the best filmmakers in the country is a Sydney summer tradition.
10. Walk the Great Ocean Walk, Victoria
There’s more to Victoria’s spectacular south coast than the Twelve Apostles. Trek the Great Ocean Walk to experience the Otway’s stunning scenery, as well as the history of the shipwreck coast.
11. Hang out with sunbaking kangaroos on Lucky Bay, Western Australia
Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park has a reputation for the whitest sand in Australia and you’ll be sharing this sand with sunbaking kangaroos. Go for a swim or just hang out on the beach and enjoy the view over Recherche Archipelago.
12. Learn how to paddle board at Noosa, Queensland
Paddleboarding, a sport where you stand up on a surfboard and paddle through the water, is perfect for those of us who aren’t quite adventurous enough for surfing.
13. Take a gourmet tour of Margaret River, Western Australia
Margaret River is famous for its high-quality wines, making cellar-door touring a real treat. Other local gourmet products also make great accompaniments to a drop of white or red.
14. Bay fishing at Hervey Bay, Queensland
Along with Fraser Island, Hervey Bay offers some of the best fishing in Queensland. Cast your lures off Urangan Pier in Hervey Bay to fish for queenfish, mackerel, trevally and tuna.
15. Outdoors cinemas, everywhere
In summer, we tend to take most activities outside, including movie-going. You’ll find a wide selection of outdoor cinemas across the country, from the rooftop cinemas in Melbourne and Sydney, to the Sun Cinemas in Broome.
16. Eating fish and chips at Watsons Bay, New South Wales
Watsons Bay and fish and chips go hand in hand. A short ferry ride from Circular Quay, this delightful enclave is a mecca for fish-and-chips aficionados. After you’ve had your fishy fill, why not take a walk up nearby South Head for a spectacular view over Sydney?
17. Have gelato at Gelato Messina in Sydney, New South Wales
Gelato Messina has a reputation for producing the best gelato in Australia. Why not taste-test it for yourself? They have shops in Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and at Star Casino.
18. Test out the water slides at Wet n’ Wild, Queensland
Summer in Queensland is hot hot hot. If the beach doesn’t cool you down enough, the variety of rides and pools at Wet n’Wild on the Gold Coast should do the job.
19. Bushwalk in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, Tasmania
There is no car access to the Walls of Jerusalem National Park, so you really can feel alone with nature here. This alpine area is best visited in summer, when you’ll have more chance of warm conditions, although Tasmania’s changeable weather means you can expect snow at any time.
20. Ashcombe Maze, Victoria
Get lost in this fantastic maze on the Mornington Peninsula. Choose between a hedge maze or a circular rose maze. Once you’ve conquered the mazes at Ashcombe, take a break for scones and some lavender tea in their cafe before heading over to the nearby Enchanted Maze for your next challenge.
21. Picnic at Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens, South Australia
Only 20 minutes drive from Adelaide, Mount Lofty is a stunning display of plants and trees, a burst of colour hidden in the Adelaide Hills. It’s the perfect place for a picnic, although the gardens are shut on days of high fire danger.
22. Picnic at Hanging Rock, Victoria
Don’t worry – no one has actually gone missing while picnicking at Hanging Rock. Hanging Rock is in the Macedon Ranges, just over an hour from Melbourne. Take your own picnic and explore this ancient volcano.
23. Barnbougle Dunes, Tasmania
One of the best golf courses in Australia, you’ll be teeing off surrounded by stunning views of the east coast of Tasmania that just might distract you from your game.
24. Climb a karri tree, Western Australia
In the south-west of Western Australia, you’ll find ancient and majestic karri forests that scale the heights. And you can scale them too, with access to three mammoth karri trees that used to be fire lookouts. There’s no climbing equipment or safety nets – just steel bars buried into the trunk of each tree. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but the view is well worth the climb.
25. Winery tours in Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Sure, you could go on a tour to the Clare Valley, or visit Maggie Beer in the Barossa Valley, but we think the Adelaide Hills have a charm of their own. And they are only a short drive from Adelaide.
26. Have a beer at Matso’s Brewery in Broome, Western Australia
If you’re out and about in Broome in summer, you’re going to need a cool drink. Matso’s Brewery has a reputation for producing some of the best beer in Western Australia. Try their refreshing mango beer or their ginger beer, which would give Bundaberg ginger beer a run for its money.
27. Camp on Cockatoo Island, New South Wales
Cockatoo Island, in the middle of Sydney Harbour, has a fascinating history as a prison for Sydney’s worst convicts, a naval base and as a girls’ reformatory. Now it produces much happier memories, as it plays host to a range of events, including the Sydney Biennale, and a popular summer bar.
You can camp overnight on the island, and choose from luxury tents or bring your own gear and just hire the site.
28. Swim in the wave lagoon in Darwin, Northern Territory
If you’re in Darwin over summer, you’re going be looking for a refreshing dip. Unfortunately, the sea in Darwin is not safe for swimming. But those ingenious Territorians have solved this problem by building a wave lagoon right on the harbour.
29. See the waterfalls of Litchfield National Park surge in summer, Northern Territory
Visit Litchfield National Park in summer to watch waterfalls all over the park surge into spectacular water displays. Most of the park remains open over summer, although 4WD paths are closed.
30. The Taste Festival, Tasmania
Running for a week over Christmas and into the new year on Hobart’s waterfront, the Taste Festival is a great way to taste the amazing produce of the Apple Isle.
