Best Time to Visit Australia: 4 Things to Know

In the next few days, South-East Queensland is about to be hit by a Category-2 Cyclone.

One thing I always heard before actually going to Australia was, you have to be aware of the weather in different times of the year. I didn’t actually realise how much it could affect your travel plans.

I think that, because in the UK and Europe, we aren’t really affected too badly by weather, you just assume weather won't really be an issue. We have seasons that affect work opportunities, prices, and events, yeah, but the worst we get - especially in Scotland - is snow days, where you can’t drive your car because it’s too snowy. But that’s kind of it.

Whereas in Australia, you get so many more. You get cyclones, floods, bushfires - dangerous things. Things that can actually be a threat to people.

And because of the weather, especially in the last few months - peak summer in the Sunshine Coast - you hear a lot about travel plans getting cancelled. Festivals, activities, tours, just gone, because of the weather. The majority of things in Australia are outdoors or in nature, and they are weather-dependent.

When me and my girlfriend came down the East Coast, we did it in October, which is one of the perfect times. So, yeah, I think timing your trip to Australia actually makes a massive difference. It can end in disappointment if you don’t time it right.

As of right now, the reason I - let’s say - was inspired to write this, is because we’ve got a cyclone coming towards the Sunshine Coast. People are panicking, restaurants and cafes are closing, things like that. It’s very strange, but I’m kind of looking forward to it in a way. I’ve never really been exposed to, you know, drastic weather, dangerous weather. We’re prepared, but I don’t think we’ll need to be overly prepared. We’ll see.

Here is some information that might be useful for knowing the best time to visit Australia, but only for the states of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia.

QUEENSLAND (QLD)

Weather

• Queensland is more tropical, subtropical.

• The best time to visit is the dry season - May to October.

• The wet season is November to April. That’s what we’re in now. Heavy rains, unbearable humidity - especially a couple of months ago - and cyclones.

• The cyclones usually happen more up north, closer to Cairns or Townsville. We were told it’s a rare thing to happen here, but it’s not unprecedented.

• The weather also makes a difference for things like going in the ocean - Box jellyfish or the Irukandji can be deadly.

Work Opportunities

• Peak hiring season in hostels, bars, and restaurants is during the dry season (May-October) in areas like Cairns, the Whitsundays, and the Gold Coast.

• Great Barrier Reef tours, diving instructors, skydiving companies, and rainforest tours are busiest in the dry season.

• Then there’s farm work - banana farms, mango farms - which can be year-round.

Prices

• Peak prices are actually in winter as people from New South Wales and Victoria come up to escape the cold. So, prices go up.

• But in the wet season, hostels are cheaper.

• I found that the Christmas period on the Sunshine Coast was extremely busy with Australian tourists.

• Let's just say that the Christmas period in most places have soaring prices.

Events and festivals

• The Cairns Festival - a celebration of art, culture and the lifestyle of tropical North Queensland.

• Sporting events run throughout the year: triathlons, marathons, Hyrox events - that sort of thing.

VICTORIA (VIC) Best to visit Australiatime

Weather

• Melbourne’s weather is all over the place. Four seasons in one day is a thing.

• The best times to visit are autumn (March-May) and spring (September-November).

• Summer is good too - hot, but not humid. Perfect weather.

• The Great Ocean Road is iconic, but you don’t want terrible weather for it.

Work Opportunities

• Melbourne is massive on hospitality. Bars, restaurants, cafes - they’re huge on coffee.

• Hospitality peaks in summer but is busy year-round.

• There’s also vineyard work and ski jobs in the Victorian Alps from June to August.

Prices

• Melbourne is slightly more affordable than Sydney.

• It’s cheaper in winter when it’s gloomy, but summer prices go up because of all the festivals.

• Food and drink in Melbourne can be pricey compared to other cities, especially in popular areas like Fitzroy or Southbank.

Events and festivals

• Probably the biggest sporting event in Australia - the Australian Open.

• The Melbourne Cup - Horse racing - in November.

• Music festivals vary from October to April.

  
  

NEW SOUTH WALES (NSW)

Weather

• While Sydney is in a warm temperate climate, you can find a range of climates throughout NSW - from hot dry Summers, to Alpine winters in the Snowy Mountains.

• Weather-wise, Sydney is best in spring (September-November) and autumn (March-May).

• Summer is great too - hot, but crowded.

• NSW can go through intense thunderstorms and even flooding in parts.

  
  

Work Opportunities

• Hospitality in Sydney peaks in the summer.

• Sydney is the place to be for Christmas and New Year’s.

• There’s also work in the Blue Mountains in autumn and spring.

• And, of course, farm work - grape farms, cherry farms.

Prices

• For prices, Sydney is extremely overpriced. If you think London is bad, Sydney will match it - if not top it.

• More regional areas like the Blue Mountains and Byron Bay can be cheaper in winter but still see steady prices due to year-round tourism.

Events and festivals

• New Year’s Eve in Sydney. Iconic.

• Vivid Sydney - a festival of light, where immersive light installations and projections are showcased.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA (WA)

Weather

• Perth is best in spring (September-November) and autumn (March-May).

• Up north, the dry season is May to October.

• Summer (December-February) is brutal - apparently not ideal for travel.

Work Opportunities

• Perth has consistent hospitality jobs.

• The one thing I know Perth for is FIFO jobs - mining work. They’re competitive, and the best way to get in is to know someone in FIFO. Like Fight Club or something.

• There’s also farm work - grapes and citrus farms.

Prices

• The north of WA is expensive year-round. Maybe because of limited accommodation

• Perth is relatively affordable compared to Sydney and Melbourne, but flights from the East Coast can be expensive.

• Car hire and fuel can be significantly more expensive in remote areas due to fewer suppliers.

Events and festivals

• Perth Festival (Feb-March) - arts and culture.

• Whale shark season (March-July).

• Perth Fringe Festival (Jan-Feb) - similar to the Edinburgh Fringe, a huge arts and comedy festival with street performers and live shows.

Final Thoughts

It doesn't really matter what time of year you go to Australia, but knowing what to expect helps.

Like, if you travelled the East Coast from January to March and didn’t realise it was wet season, you’d be in for a surprise. I’ve seen videos of people stuck on Fraser Island (K’gari) because of cancellations. A lot of travellers do the East Coast on a tight schedule, so cancellations would be frustrating. The Whitsundays, too - so easy for trips to be cancelled. Even if they’re not, bad weather would change the experience massively.

I’m not saying don’t go at certain times, just - be aware.

If it were me, and I had three weeks to do the East Coast, and a cyclone hit, cancelling all my plans? It would be so frustrating.

Plan around the weather. Figure out where you want to go, and when. Obviously, peak seasons mean higher prices, but there are perfect little sweet spots.

If I had to pick one month to visit Australia, I’d say September. It’s spring, things are picking up, more tourists but not too many, no wet season. Good balance.

That’s just my take.