Adelaide’s brightest celebration, Illuminate Adelaide, is back and ready to illuminate the Kaurna Country with the most creative light installations showcasing art, light, music and technology. Get ready to watch theatres, music halls and the streets of Adelaide erupt with various interactive light shows that will excite Adelaideans and visitors alike throughout July.
From elaborate fire shows, unique flora and fauna experiences, state-of-the-art puppetry shows and interactive play experiences for children, to Adelaide’s most illuminated city-wide centrepiece, Illuminate Adelaide is a winter staple that dares you to rekindle a sense of wonder from your younger years.
Discover what’s new in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef
The winter months bring new adventures and luxurious stays for travellers vacationing in tropical North Queensland.
For travellers who love the water, the First Nations-led jetski adventure is coming to the region thanks to Cape York Jetski Tours, offering a captivating journey through the region’s culture and history. If that’s too extreme, you can also explore sandy beaches, snorkel the coral reefs, hike beautiful trails, and discover hidden caves with the Get Dunked! Tour on Dunk Island.
For travellers who love to stay in, two new luxurious upgrades have landed in the region. To experience a new walk-in wine room, stay at The Reef House Adults Retreat and enjoy a kid-free getaway. Or be one of the first guests to stay at the reopened Daintree Wilderness Lodge and relax with a serene stay in the rainforest.
Snorkel below the surface at Great Barrier Reef. Photo / Tourism & Events Queensland
Dine 100 metres above the Brisbane River
Opening in August 2024, Brisbane’s multibillion-dollar Queen’s Wharf is about to twinkle with The Star’s unique blend of leisure, dining, all-round entertainment and spectacular event spaces.
Enjoy dishes from the country’s top chefs, starting with celebrity chef Luke Nguyen’s Asian street food at Fat Noodle and Chef Alex Yu’s exquisite sashimi at Sokyo Brisbane. With Cucina Regina’s royal Italian cuisine, Black Hide Steak and Seafood by Gambaro, a lively Sports Bar, and the chic Cherry cocktail bar, there’s something for everyone to indulge in.
Dine at The Star in Brisbane's Queen's Wharf in August 2024. Photo / Brit in Brisbane
Experience a luxurious stay in nature
Situated at the heart of the serene Spicers Creek in central New South Wales, Budgalong Lodge offers an exclusive off-grid safari-style retreat surrounded by the untouched beauty of the Australian countryside. The luxurious accommodation provides two exquisitely designed tented camps that blend comfort with nature for up to eight guests.
The stay guarantees a unique wilderness escape, filled with breathtaking views, calming bushwalks, quiet bird watching, and warm fire pits under the stars.
Book a night's stay at Budgalong Lodge in Spicers Creek and experience a luxury wildlife escape. Photo / 123rf
Attend Australia’s biggest celebration of spring
Celebrating its 37th year with the theme Art in Bloom, Floriade is returning to Canberra’s Commonwealth Park for a month-long event between September 14 and October 13. To celebrate the start of spring, Canberra will be blanketed by more than a million blooms and 300,000 bulbs in community flower beds, transforming the capital into a colourful and sweetly fragrant destination.
Being Australia’s biggest flower festival and the largest flower festival in the Southern Hemisphere, the majestic floral display is not to be missed. This year’s programme includes delicious food and beverage markets, live entertainment, cultural celebrations, workshops, and Floriade’s famous after-dark extravaganza, the NightFest illumination from October 3 to 6.
The event is free for all. To find out more, visit the Floriade floriadeaustralia.com
