Luxury adventures Australia by superyacht

With its tropical rainforests, magnificent sea life, vibrant culture and great food, Australia has it all – and a superyacht makes the perfect platform from which to launch your exploration.

Australia is a bucket list desti­nation for world travellers. With over 34,000 kilometres of rugged coastline to explore, exquisite places to drink and dine, and the kaleidoscopic marine life of the world beneath the ocean, this island continent offers unforgettable experiences that you can’t find anywhere else on Earth.

The east coast of the country is the most well-known, and most visitors head straight from the Pacific towards Sydney before cruising north to island hop and deep dive into the warmer oceans of the UNESCO World Heritage protec­ted, Great Barrier Reef zone. While there they visit the Daintree Rainforest, one of the oldest forests in the world.

Sydney
Sail into Sydney Harbour for breathtaking views of the city skyline from your deck and see for yourself why millions flock to see the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sydney offers a range of exclusive opportunities for travellers. Dine on caviar and lobster at Icebergs at Bondi with a view of the famous beach, or eat wagyu beef at Aria with the Harbour Bridge in your eyeline. For a refined Sydney experience, head to the leafy streets of Paddington and Ursula’s, where a dish like Wollemi duck breast with figs and apple balsamic is a work of art on a plate.

Sydney-based brokers Peter Redford and Eugenio Cannarsa, of Fraser Yachts, say their city has something for every traveller and every age. “If you are into exercising, the coastal track from Bondi to Manly is one that everybody loves.” For an extraordinary, unique experience, try a behind-the-scenes tour of the Opera House. Explore the backstage areas with a personal guide, then attend a private recital. Finish with rooftop drinks at Crown Towers or the Aster Bar at the Inter­Continental Sydney. Wine enthusiasts can hire a Tesla and drive to the vineyards of the Hunter Valley, and those who prefer a bird’s-eye view can book a fly-and-dine experience with Sydney Seaplanes, which includes an exclusive meal at Jonah’s restaurant, perched atop the cliff overlooking Whale Beach. If there’s time, visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, where walking tracks wind through eucalyptus ranges to stunning lookouts, like the Three Sisters, a sacred place for local Indigenous people.

Fly Within the Country
From Sydney, you can fly anywhere on the east side of the country within about three hours, while your crew sails on up the coast. Visit Australia’s only island state, Tasmania, and go to MONA, the extraordinary modern art gallery in Hobart, or the magical Tarkine Forest in the northwest. Why not spend a weekend in Melbourne, the cultural capital, for a concert, more fine dining and sensational shopping? Or you can cross into the Red Centre for a look at Australia’s biggest monolith, Uluru, and Bruce Munro’s art installation, The Field of Lights.

Queensland – Gold Coast
Queensland is where the truly special experien­ces are if snorkelling, diving, surfing and deep sea fishing are on your agenda. Check out the iconic surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra Beach before dining on fresh seafood or refined local fare at ‘hatted’ restaurant, Kost (a chef’s hat from the Australian Good Food Guide is the local equivalent of a Michelin star) or the La Luna Dining & Beach Club on the Southport Marina. The Gold Coast also has glitz and glamour with high-end shopping, casinos and nightclubs.

The Whitsundays
For those seeking tranquillity, the Whitsundays Islands are glorious. You can spend weeks diving, swimming and relaxing in this region. What Australia has that you can’t find anywhere else, is space and solitude. At sunset, you can stroll along a white sandy beach so idyllic you feel like you’re a magazine model, and have it all to yourself. Some favourites are Whitehaven, consistently voted one of the best beaches in the world, Betty’s Beach and Cateran Bay. Helicopter tours of this region are easy to arrange and will have you gasping at the beauty below you.

The Great Barrier Reef is Australia’s underwater playground and art gallery. It’s been a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site since 1981, because of the significance of its 2,300 kilometres of reefs. With more than 400 different types of coral to discover, and 1,500 species of brilliantly coloured fish, snorkelling and diving here is a dream. You also encounter sea turtles, manta rays and migrating humpback whales as you swim through the pristine water.

Cairns and Port Douglas
North of the Great Barrier Reef, Far North Queensland is where the forest meets the sea and no trip to the region would be complete without an exploration of the ancient Daintree Rainforest, the oldest surviving, continuous rainforest in the world. You can see more than 920 species of trees amongst the canopy of the forest and you will marvel at how the ferns, vines and eucalypts live in symbiotic harmony. The rainforest is full of wildlife, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. Look out for crocodiles, cassowaries and giant golden orb spiders. Bird lovers might spot honeyeaters, pied monarchs, a lesser sooty owl or Victoria’s riflebird in the branches of the trees.

Take a tour with an Indigenous guide to gain a true understanding of how people have lived in this remarkable tropical environment for more than 60,000 years. Closer to Cairns, Mossman Gorge has a tourist centre where visitors can learn about the area and hike the trails, swim
in the natural pools and bask in the mighty forest.

For next time
For your next trip, think about visiting the Kimberley region over on the Indian Ocean coast. Here you’ll find ancient Indigenous rock art, waterfalls, freshwater swimming holes and people and wildlife that will fascinate and charm you. In the Kimberley, don’t miss the Horizontal Falls that Sir David Attenborough once described as one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. If you prefer cooler climes, head south to Tasmania after Christmas, in time to see who wins the famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

In Australia you will constantly be making discoveries, above and below the surface. From the vibrant flow of energy in the major cities to the tranquil underwater world of the reefs, for the discerning traveller, Australia offers a voyage of luxury, intrigue and enchantment.

Text by Danielle Norton
All photos used in this article are from Tourism Australia