Top 5 warm Aussie destinations to escape Melbourne’s cruel winter

GET away from Melbourne’s cold winter by travelling to the sunnier states of Australia. Yulia Sotnikova has her five destinations that students should retreat to during the winter break. 

Melbourne’s winter is always pretty miserable but fortunately, what the cold does offer is a chance to explore the brighter cities and states of Australia.

Once you’ve completed all those assignments and knocked back your exams, treat yourself to a sunny escape by getting away to these warmer cities during Melbourne’s winter. Best of all, these locations are ideal for those who just want a quick retreat without wishing to spend thousands — the joys of flying domestic!

Wyndham, Western Australia

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Wyndham, Western Australia’s most northerly town, is just a four hour flight away from Melbourne where it can reach as hot as 37 degrees.

There are a few interesting things to see in Wyndham such as the Five Rivers Lookout, which overlooks the Durack, King, Pentecost, Forrest and Ord Rivers and vast mud flats.

If you’d rather not explore nature, the areas around Wyndham Three Mile and Wydnam Port offer small-town charms like the Boab Prison Tree, an old baobab tree, which years ago was used as a temporary lockup by the local police.

Broome, Western Australia

Photo: Gary Hayes via Flickr

Exotic Broome is the second warmest city in Australia today. Broome is a bit more touristic which means there’s definitely plenty of options for visitors.

These include riding a camel on Cable Beach, going pearl shopping in Broome’s Chinatown, discovering the dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point, and finishing it all off with a beer at Broome’s Matso’s Brewery.

Darwin, Northern Territory

Photo: Jurriaan Persyn via Flickr

Much of Darwin’s action happens along its waterfront where its packed with cafes and shops.

Litchfield National Park and George Brown Botanic Gardens are definitely worth having a look at also and going on a cruise would be a good idea too. If you intend to leave in July, the Beer Can Regatta will take place on July 17 while the Darwin Festival will take place throughout most of August.

If you’re interested in Australian history, at East Point Military Museum, you can walk through the bunker where the Top End defence strategy was planned and see footage of the bombing that brought World War II to Australia.

Townsville, Queensland

Photo: Neo Wu via Flickr

Townsville is the largest city in North Queensland with more than 320 days of sunshine each year.

Townsville is a major gateway for the central region offering sights like the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics and the Queensland Outback.

You can also visit the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium Reef HQ, the Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville Botanic Gardens, Paluma Range National Park and much more. And there is, of course, scuba diving and fishing in Townsville to check out as well!

Cairns, Queensland

Photo: Chris Habegger via Flickr

Cairns is another gateway along the Great Barrier Reef located approximately 350 kilometers north of Townsville. While you can explore the Great Barrier Reef, there’s plenty to see and do too.

You can also explore Australia’s largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on foot, do some white-water rafting or try tubing.