Sunset Beach, Perth, Western Australia
Wine, beaches or rugged terrain? Your honeymoon doesn’t have to take place overseas for you to enjoy an exotic, luxurious good time.
The natural diversity of Australia offers a range of choices for honeymooners who’d rather spend their special holiday doing something, rather than wasting time getting there on an airplane.
Read on for some tips on where to go, what to do, and how to spend, for a romantic, memorable honeymoon in Australia.
Get Adventurous at Kakadu National Park
If you and your beau love getting outdoors and are planning on taking your honeymoon in the dry months of May to October, Kakadu National Park is nothing short of spectacular. Lest you be worried about roughing it on your honeymoon, you’ll be happy to note that Kakadu National Park has options for luxury accommodation as well.
While you can visit the park any time of year, many of the most beautiful tracks are impassable due to flooding during the monsoon months. If you visit when it’s dry, you’ll be able to take advantage of ranger-guided tours and catch glimpses of a greater variety of wildlife, which also take cover when the weather is foul.
On the UNESCO World Heritage list for its grandeur, size and cultural significance to the Aboriginal traditional owners of the Kakadu, the national park is one of the Northern Territory’s top tourist attractions.
Taste Luxury in the Barrosa Valley
Wine and dine with your new husband or wife in the Barrosa Valley, one of Australia’s top wine regions. The valley’s hotels and restaurants are ideal for long evenings of soulful conversation. Then, spend playful afternoons exploring farmer’s markets or contemplating at museums and historical sites. And, since it’s only 60 kilometers from Adelaide, you can check out that city too if you choose.
Explore the Kimberley
Base yourself in the beach paradise of Broome and explore the wilds of the Kimberley with your new spouse. One of Western Australia’s best getaways, the Kimberley offers a variety of activities for newlyweds. Whether you want to relax on Cable Beach in Broome — to calm down from an over-the-top wedding perhaps? — or try out adventure sports to test your limits as a couple, you can find both here.
Lose Yourselves in Melbourne
If small country towns and national parks make you yawn, enjoy an urban honeymoon with a trip to Melbourne, Australia’s cultural heart. Sink into the anonymity of city life and enjoy going to shows, catching up over lengthy afternoons in city coffee shops, and browsing quirky markets. Documenting your honeymoon will be fun and easy, because there’s so much to take pictures of in the city. Snap photos on city trams and seek out Victorian architecture for the best backdrops. Melbourne will let you celebrate your new union in style.
Seek Thredbos Thrills
Crave an Alpine retreat for your honeymoon? Save some cash for your next holiday by visiting Thredbo instead. In the winter, you can learn to ski or snowboard in the morning and spend cozy evenings bundled up in the lodge warming each others toes. In summer, the mountains’ fresh air will invigorate you as you go on guided walks and talk about the future.
Head South to Cradle Mountain
One of Australia’s most romantic destinations for honeymooners, Cradle Mountain can be your cradle of love. This getaway in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area serves as a pristine backdrop to your finalized nuptials. Horseback riding and quad big are fine in the spring and fall, while indoor pursuits are best in the winter.
Check In to a Spa With Your Spouse
And, if a destination honeymoon doesn’t seem like the right answer for you and your special someone, let the professionals at a spa pamper you silly for a few hours. Massages, facials, and dietary treatments will emphasize the fresh start you’re making in life with your new spouse. All of Australia’s large cities boast spas with excellent reviews; call around to some in the city nearest you to work out a honeymoon package. Some even have couples’ rooms for just this purpose.
About the Author
Lee Drake is a blogger who is planning to marry his girlfriend of three years in New Zealand this summer. After the ceremony, they’re planning a romantic trip to Cradle Mountain.
Photo Credit: 123RF
I would LOVE to go to Australia for our honeymoon 🙂
Me too, Michelle. Although it would have to be my second honeymoon.
I almost went to Australia 20 years ago. My cousins had invited me but I went to California to visit another cousin and I had 3 weeks vacation so I could easily go down under.
Australia is a gorgeous country, I loved Kakadu and the Blue Mountains particularly. You have to spend at least 2 weeks there to make it worth though.
My aunts and cousins live in Australia and want us to come visit. I’m sure once we head back to the UK we will stick around for a couple of days then jet off to enjoy a few weeks of travelling the world.
We got married in Perth this past May. It is a beautiful place for sure, but very expensive. Everything is at least twice as much there as in the USA. Consequently, we honeymooned in Bali because it was much cheaper!
We took our honeymoon in Australia in 1998. Spent $6,000, which I thought I would never do. (my wife is from overseas and guests at our wedding gave us money, which paid for the wedding and honeymoon!)
We went to Sydney, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock (definitely worth it), and Cairns/Great Barrier Reef. On a second trip in 2001, we went to Perth, took the train across the country to Adelaide, Melbourne, and Tasmania.
One place we went near Adelaide was Kangaroo Island. The wildlife and scenery there was one of the best highlights of all our time in Australia.
I hear the country is a lot more expensive than before…it’s worth it to me.