Travel Guide: Australia

Australia’s Big 5: Luxury Australian Experiences for Discerning Travelers

Our guests come to us with their dreams of diving the turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef, exploring the red expanses of the outback, fine dining beside the white shells of Sydney Opera House, and much more. Alongside exploring their bucket-list items, our guests request that their time in Australia is well-spent, their travels are authentic, and their adventures are exclusive. 

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We inspire our guests by unveiling our hand-selected collection of premier retreats, private tours, and executive travel options. We guide, we suggest, and we surprise by stitching the practicalities of their dream holiday into a perfectly tailored journey that exceeds their highest expectations. 

For first-time travelers to Australia, we endeavour to have them experience what we call Australia’s Big 5:

1. Sydney
2. Wildlife & Nature
3. Outback
4. Great Barrier Reef
5. Aboriginal Art & Culture 

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Listed in this document are ways in which these highlights can be included in a luxury Australian itinerary.

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Sydney

Australia’s oldest and largest city, Sydney ranks alongside Vancouver, Cape Town, and Rio as one of the world’s most stunning oceanside metropolises. Its laidback outdoor lifestyle, friendly locals, and stunning natural beauty make an outstandingly easy and pleasant city to visit. There is a wide-ranging cultural life, dynamic food scene and vibrant cityscape of outstanding contemporary and colonial architecture to discover, all within easy reach of the city centre.

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• Rest within one of the city’s stunning five-star hotels offering premium service and overlooking the city’s icons and skyline at the Park Hyatt Sydney, The Langham, and Crown Towers Sydney.
• Enjoy behind-the-scenes access to internationally recognised icons: climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge and admire the skyline from a 360° angle, and go behind the scenes of the Sydney Opera House on a private hosted tour.
• Sail the Harbour waters from the deck of an indulgent super yacht, complete with canapés and premium Australian beverages.
• Take a surf lesson on the whitesand shores of Bondi Beach and soak up the sunkissed Australian beach lifestyle.
• Discover the secrets and hidden gems of the city with an expert local via private walking or biking tours—whether your interests are the arts, food, or the outdoors.

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Wildlife & Nature

Australia boasts a rich and diverse selection of wildlife with some of the most bizarre animals on the planet found amongst our land, waters, and skies. Marsupials dominate the landscape like no other destination on earth, a plethora of colourful birdlife chorus across the continent, whales conduct their annual migration along major coastlines, and fascinating flora sprouts across several different climate zones, ranging from tropical rainforest to a pleasantly dry Mediterranean environment. 

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• Experience the best of the best at eco-luxury accommodation nestled within remarkable landscapes: discover eco-retreats hidden amongst scrub at One Kangaroo Island, and luxury lodges close to stunning remote National Parks at Saffire Freycinet and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley
• Go nose-to-nose with wildlife as they’re meant to be experienced—in the wild waters off the Eyre Peninsula, in the charming bushland of Kangaroo Island, and remote National Parks of Tasmania
• Wander through landscapes with expert guides who know the areas intimately and can reveal the secrets of each region’s distinctive flora and fauna
• Give back to the environment and local communities by getting involved with conservation efforts with expert local scientists
• Take the longer off-road path and walk, hike, and explore lesser-explored landscapes while delivering a low ecological impact on the environment

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Outback

Remote, vast, and beautiful—Australia’s Outback is a loosely defined area of Australia’s interior which encompasses several climates and dramatic landscapes. Frequently, getting there is half the adventure. These unique destinations are best showcased by the expert guides and local hosts who love the landscape and will leave you with a different perspective on both life and land. 

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• Rest within former sheep grazing land turned private conservation area in the ancient Flinders Ranges and discover pastoral lifestyle amongst dramatic landscapes at Arkaba Station
• Settle into one of the Top End’s sprawling outback stations (ranches) and get hands-on with the crew by learning real Aussie bushcraft at Bullo River Station and Finniss River Lodge
• Indulge in a luxury lodge nestled within dramatic and breathtaking surrounds, overlooking Uluru (Ayers Rock) at Longitude 131° or across 69,000 acres of heritage listed Queensland outback at Mount Mulligan Lodge
• Discover the country’s most remote coastlines bordering rugged wilderness interiors while resting in rustic yet chic ecocamps in the northern Kimberley and along the coral coastline at Ningaloo Reef
• Traverse the centre of the country from toe to tip on one of the world’s most renowned rail journeys, The Ghan Expedition

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Great Barrier Reef

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, and a living structure so big it can be seen from space – the Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s most enduring icons located off the coast of Queensland. This natural wonder is made up of over 2,900 individual reef systems and 900 islands, with each distinct area of the reef offering its own natural beauty, unique aquatic life, boutique accommodation, and more.

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• Rest in the Northern Great Barrier Reef in the region’s finest lodges: indulge in five-star luxury at luxury resorts Lizard Island and Orpheus Island
• Frolic upon the beaches of the Whitsundays: rest on Hamilton Island’s best at qualia, or go further afield into adults-only bliss at Elysian Retreat
• Charter a super yacht to access the most remote areas of the reef that people rarely get to visit
• Snorkel and dive amongst the colourful reefs and coral gardens the Great Barrier Reef is known for, admiring the vibrant aquatic life that lives below the water’s surface
• Explore private island hideaways and secret sand cays, and set up your own castaway island fantasy complete with a gourmet picnic

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Aboriginal Art & Culture

The cultures of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are some of the oldest living cultures across the globe. With over 50,000 years of enduring and diverse histories and cultures found across all regions of the country, a journey engaging with the everyday life and traditions of one of Australia’s many Aboriginal cultures is a memorable part of any Australian journey and offers deep, immersive knowledge of these vast lands.

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• Venture into the rugged and vast wilderness of Arnhem Land to discover outstanding rock art and landscapes filled with beauty and enduring pre-colonial knowledge
• Rest at a 100% Jawoyn-owned and operated lodge in the Top End at Cicada Lodge, and explore the lush landscapes of Nitmiluk Gorge and National Park with outstanding guided interpretation
• Marvel at the breathtaking natural monoliths of Australia’s Red Centre with dedicated touring companies and be led through interpretive walking tours within the spiritually significant Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
• Wander through the precipice of the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef with a local Aboriginal Elder who can offer profound interpretation of the flora, fauna, and lands where he grew up 
• Discover contemporary Aboriginal art galleries and learn about the impact of pre-colonial history and how Aboriginal cultures are present in everyday life with specialised tours in Australia’s major cities

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