Cheap flights to Australia

Peak season:As the Australian continent spans such a huge area, the peak tourist season on one side of the country is different from that on the other. The hot, summer months of December through to February are ideal along the southern and eastern coastlines, with clear, blue skies and lots of festivals in full swing. Many locals are on their annual vacation during this period and both accommodation and flights get booked out well in advance.

The tropical north experiences its peak tourist season from June through to August, when many North Americans and Europeans are on their annual summer holidays. This coincides with the region’s “dry” season when rain is scarce and there are no

jellyfish in the water. This is also an ideal time for scuba diving and snorkeling along

the Great Barrier Reef, with visibility at its clearest.

The cool winter months are also a popular time throughout Central Australia and Uluru, and while daytime temperatures are mild, they can plummet at night.

Off season: In the south of the country, the off season is throughout the cold winter, when drizzly skies prevail and temperatures drop considerably. While you will get the best hotel and flight deals during this time, the milder spring or autumn months are a good alternative.

In the north of the country the “wet” season from November through to May sees heavy daily downpours and occasional cyclones, as well as jellyfish that make swimming at some beaches impossible.

Australia Travel Guide

Cheap flights to Australia take about a day and will deliver passengers to a truly different country. The land Down Under is red hot and surrounded by golden beaches and clear waters. Lush rainforests, lagoons, snow-topped mountains, desert and lush vineyards share the landscape with easygoing, friendly Australians and Aboriginal Australians, custodians of the world’s oldest living culture.

The cities are wonderful – Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra the major ones, all bustling and lively with plenty to see and do and eat and drink.

Sharing the country too is a stunning collection of wildlife – goannas, galas, quolls, drongos, pademelon, echidnas as well as the more familiar kangaroos and koala bears.

Travelers stepping off their plane will be able to do things here they’re unable to do anywhere else in the world. These include standing where the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef, watching the Southern and Indian Oceans collide, camping by a billabong, learning the ropes at a jackaroo school, or visiting the world’s only numerical town – 1770, named for the year Cook landed on Australian shores.

Norfolk Island is closer to New Zealand and New Caledonia than it is to Sydney, but it’s one of Australia’s external territories, with a large degree of self-governance and its own language. Travelers taking cheap flights to Norfolk Island will receive a warm welcome from the islanders. Tourism is of great importance to this island.

It wasn’t always so. The island has a history that stretches back to penal settlement days – a fact that has been recognized by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations. Eleven Australian Convict Sites including Kingston and Arthurs Vale were inscribed by the UN as World Heritage sites in 2010. Norfolk Island is also home to descendants of the rebellious Bounty crew and their Tahitian partners.

Norfolk Island’s lush landscape and deep blue waters are made for adventurers. Norfolk Island National Park covers about 10 per cent of the island and includes two smaller islands south of NI – Nepean Island and Phillip Island. There are several hiking trails through the park, some through Norfolk pine and rainforest, and a Botanic Gardens.

Surfing, scuba diving, golf (there’s a nine-hole golf course in Kingston), horse-riding and fishing are other activities. To provide fuel for these activities, there is a wonderful selection of restaurants that serve the bounty of the island.

How to get around Australia

Most of Australia’s major airports have shuttle bus services that operate into the city center, either dropping guests directly at hotels or designated meeting points. Their schedule normally coincides with all incoming flights and are a cheap and reliable option.

Both Sydney and Brisbane airports also have trains that service multiple stations within the city and its outskirts. This is a great option to avoid traffic delays, particularly if you arriving or departing during peak “rush” hours.

The most expensive, but convenient, way to get from Australia’s airports into the city centers is with a metered taxi. This is a fast and reliable option that will deliver you straight to your door.

Tips for Your Stay in Australia

Norfolk Island doesn’t levy Australian Government taxes and duties and is a great shopping destination. Burnt Pine is the place to find the leading shops. It’s much cheaper than the mainland.

The Norfolk Island Museum complex in Kingston is worth a visit. The exhibits tell the story of the convict settlements and the Bounty.

Fletcher’s Mutiny Cyclorama on Queen Elizabeth Avenue is fascinating. It’s a 360-degree panoramic painting, a series of scenes telling the story of the descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian partners. Walking around this massive painting is a unique experience. It’s open seven days (Monday to Saturday 9am–5pm, Sunday 10am–3pm, and entry is via the Gallery Guava).

There is a great selection of tours to take around Norfolk Island such as a Convict Settlement Tour, which takes in the historic Georgian settlement of Kingston Walk, the cemetery and Quality Row, ruins of the New Gaol, Pier Store, Boat Shed and Crank Mill. There’s also a Night as a Convict Dinner, which is highly rated by lots of visitors. Guests dress as a convict (supplied by the tour operator) and join the Commandant for an evening of feasting, singing and dancing.

Sydney’s historic sewers have become one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. They were built by British settlers and convicts around 1788 and are some of the oldest surviving remnants of Australia’s early European settlement. Try to get a place on a tour about the same time as you book cheap flights to Australia. More than 4,000 people apply for tickets but authorities can take just 180 people at a time.

To get a bird’s eye view of Sydney, climb the Harbour Bridge. Guided tours take about three-and-a-half hours. From the top there are views of the mountains, Bondi Beach and the famous Sydney landmarks such as the Opera House, port and downtown.

Much of Australia’s Gold and Sunshine coasts are given over to apartment blocks and theme parks, but 1770 (named to commemorate the year Captain James Cook landed) remains a tropical paradise. The town is in central Queensland, along the Capricorn Coast. Fly from Brisbane to Bundaberg and drive from there. It’s a 90-minute drive or so from Bundaberg.

Start your morning in Melbourne at the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere, the Queen Victoria Market.

To get the pulse of Australia’s Aboriginal people, vacation for a few days with a traditional community in the Northern Territory. Gunya Titjikala is a venture between the Titjikala aboriginal community and Gunya Tourism, and provides accommodations in “five-star tents” beside the community, located aprox.75 miles south of Alice Springs. Guests will learn about aboriginal culture and survival knowledge during the day and feast on “bush tucker” meals at night.

Finding Flights from Australia

The major airlines within Australia are Virgin Australia, Qantas and Jetstar, and if Australia’s your starting point, or if you’re looking for flights to get from one part of this huge continent to another, these are the airlines to start with.