Visitors flock to Wynyard for the town's annual tulip festival, now in its 30th year. Photo / Tourism Tasmania, Lauren Bath
Visitors flock to Wynyard for the town's annual tulip festival, now in its 30th year. Photo / Tourism Tasmania, Lauren Bath
If you're headed across the Ditch this spring, stop by these towns for stunning seasonal sights, writes Jessica Wynne Lockhart
Across the southern hemisphere, the scent of spring is in the air. It's also one of the best times of year to visit Australia: The weather is still cool, the days are a bit longer, most popular holiday destinations aren't yet crowded. And, most importantly, everything is coming into bloom. Here are eight of Australia's most beautiful towns to visit this spring season.
Blackheath, New South Wales In the Blue Mountains, busy little Katoomba tends to get all the glory. But if you stay on the train for two more stops, you'll wind up in Blackheath, one of the Mountains' most underrated and prettiest villages. Every year in November, it plays host to the month-long Rhododendron Festival, one of the longest continually running events of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
During the main festival weekend (November 5 and 6), spectators can listen to jazz in the pub, cheer on woodchoppers and indulge in scones and tea. In addition to rhododendrons, you'll see waratahs and azaleas in bloom at the Campbell Rhododendron Garden.
Halls Gap, Victoria Halls Gap is the main hub within Grampians National Park (Gariwerd), which is renowned for its waterfalls, including the stunning MacKenzie Falls. However, many of the Grampians' waterfalls only flow during the spring months—but that's not the only reason to time your visit accordingly.
The traditional landowners, the Djab Wurrung and Jardwardjali people, call this time of year "Petyan" or "wildflower season." If you're hiking parts of the new Grampians Peak Trail, this is when you'll see the bush burst alive with colour, as the region is home to more than one-third of Victoria's native flora.
Willunga, South Australia You don't have to go far from Adelaide's city centre to be immersed in spectacular spring scenery, with the Barossa and McLaren Vale wine regions just a short drive away. But South Australia has far more to offer than just vineyards — just 47km south of the city, you'll find the historic town of Willunga.
Every Saturday, the town comes alive with day trippers who throng to its farmers' market, which was named the best in the country in 2021. You may also be lucky enough to catch the last of the almond trees in bloom. As if that isn't enough reason to visit, from October 21 to 23, Willunga will host the Fleurieu Folk Festival.
Wynyard, Tasmania Situated on the northwest coast of Tasmania, the beautiful town of Wynyard is best known for Table Cape, a 180-metre-high plateau with a 19th-century lighthouse atop it. In the springtime, the now-extinct volcano is awash in colour as fields of tulips start to bloom.
Tasmania's Table Cape Tulip Farm comes alive in spring. Photo / Tourism Tasmania & Scott Sporleder, Matador
This year, the town is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Wynyard Tulip Festival, with live music, vendors and a fireworks display on October 8. The festival is just part of the month-long Spring Loaded festivities, which include visitor access to the Table Cape Tulip Farm (entrance is $15), lighthouse tours, a guided wild food garden walk, and live entertainment.
Ravensthorpe, Western Australia Western Australia is renowned for its wildflowers, which reappear in June and last until November. With more than 12,000 species — 60 per cent of which can't be found anywhere else on Earth — it's said to be the largest collection in the world.
The classic Aussie outback town of Ravensthorpe — about 500km from Perth — hosts the largest wildflower show in the world every September. Now in its 40th year, it includes guided wildflower walks, 4WD tagalongs, bus tours and talks with native bee experts.
Grafton, New South Wales While not native to Australia, there's no question that purple jacarandas transform the towns and cities across Australia's east coast, marking the official arrival of spring. Nowhere does this ring truer than in Grafton.
Historic Grafton in NSW is attractive year-round, but it's especially stunning when the jacaranda trees are in bloom. Photo / Destination NSW
Located in the Northern Rivers region, its mix of contemporary and Victorian-era architecture makes it a pretty visit year-round — but it comes alive in the spring when its 1,700 jacaranda trees come into bloom. At the annual Jacaranda Festival (October 28 to November 6, 2022), the trees are illuminated at night, making them just that much more enchanting.
Toowoomba, Queensland If you drive 90 minutes west of Brisbane, you'll arrive in the cathedral city of Toowoomba, known for its preserved Victorian-era architecture and gardens, including the heritage-listed Queen's Park and Botanic Gardens. So, it only makes sense that it's also the site of one of Queensland's most iconic springtime festivals: the 10-day Carnival of Flowers, which attracts up to 300,000 visitors every year.
Yes, people come here for the blooms, but they also come for the food. Timed to coincide with the flower carnival, the Festival of Food and Wine (September 9 to 11) is an opportunity to sample the best of South East Queensland's produce.
Toowoomba's Carnival of Flowers attracts up to 300,000 visitors each year. Photo / Tourism and Events Queensland
Canberra, ACT Canberra might not be a town by definition — it is Australia's capital city, after all — but we'd be remiss if we didn't include it on this list. During the months of September and October, the area is blanketed in over a million blooms, as it celebrates the largest flower festival in the southern hemisphere. Taking place from September 17 until October 16, Floriade includes horticulture workshops, market stalls and live entertainment and illuminated flowerbeds at night.
Mallacoota, Victoria A popular seaside holiday destination in East Gippsland, this coastal town is surrounded by the scenic wilderness of Croajingolong National Park and plentiful beaches and inlets to discover. Springtime marks the welcome back of tourists — but this year, it also signals the return of the Wild Harvest Seafood Festival.
This year's three-day festival will take place November 11 to 13, and showcases the seafood that's made Mallacoota famous. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to taste sea urchin and whelks (a type of abalone), alongside oysters and mussels paired with local beer and wine.
