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Spring is arguably the most glorious time to travel around Australia. Sure, summer steals the spotlight for beach getaways, but the three months leading up to it deliver crisp, sunny days made for road-tripping or exploring on foot without melting in the heat.
As the days warm up, you’ll find Aussies lapping up our great outdoors with more coastal hikes, alfresco dining, outdoor cinemas and open-air festivals. Spring is easily our most vibrant season too, with bright-purple jacarandas, fluffy pink cherry blossoms and native wildflowers blanketing our streets and gardens.
If you’re keen to embrace the new season in all its beautiful glory – and beat the summer crowds – we’ve rounded up ten of the most gorgeous places to visit in Australia this spring. Let the good times bloom!
1. Wynyard, TAS
Live out your Keukenhof dreams at North West Tasmania’s Table Cape Tulip Farm – the largest tulip field in the Southern Hemisphere, perched atop a 180-metre extinct volcanic cliff. From September 26 through October, you can wander through a colourful patchwork of blooms overlooking the Bass Strait. It’s got to be one of Australia’s most dramatic coastal photo ops.
2. Flinders Ranges, SA
The Outback is putting on a rare show this spring. Following heavy rainfall earlier this year, Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park is greener than ever, with thousands of vibrant yellow and purple native wildflowers blanketing the lush fields and ancient ranges. Daytime temperatures hover around the mid-20s, making spring the perfect season for bushwalks, long scenic drives, sunset sessions and camping under clear Outback skies.
3. Toowoomba, QLD
With year-round sunshine, there’s never a bad time to visit Queensland’s largest inland city – but spring is easily our favourite. Every September, the iconic Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers takes over, with more than 40 million petals and 80 events set to splash colour across the city’s major parks like confetti.
4. Bowral, NSW
As spring beckons, this storybook NSW Southern Highlands town draws huge crowds for the annual Tulip Time Festival (September 11 to October 5). Corbett Gardens bursts to life with more than 80,000 hand-planted tulips, while Bowral’s manicured gardens, crisp mountain air and cosy cafés make for the most picturesque countryside escape.
5. Yarra Valley, VIC
Spring in the Yarra Valley is all rolling green hills, blossoming orchards and vineyards looking particularly picturesque in the sunshine. Time your visit with CherryHill Orchards’ Blossom Festival (September 18 to October 4), where you can wander through endless rows of flowering cherry blossoms, sip on cherry-based drinks, relax with a retro picnic pack and enjoy family-friendly activities.
6. Clare Valley, SA
One of Australia’s oldest and most accessible wine regions is also one of its most beautiful. During spring, the Clare Valley's famous 33-kilometre Riesling Trail is framed by fluro-yellow canola fields, creating a fairytale backdrop for cycling and wine tasting. Visit in late spring to sample the region’s world-class new vintage Rieslings.
7. Canberra, ACT
Spring in Australia’s capital is all about one thing: Floriade. The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest flower festival is set to transform Commonwealth Park from September 12 to October 11, with 1 million colourful blooms. It’s easily the buzziest time to visit Canberra, with plenty of live music, food stalls, and creative workshops to explore while you’re there.
8. Esperance, WA
Turn your spring getaway into an epic floral road trip along the eight-day Esperance Wildflower Trail. Starting in Perth, this 1,947-kilometre journey takes you through some of Western Australia’s most biodiverse landscapes that flourish with beautiful native wildflowers from September to November. Finish at Cape Le Grand National Park in Esperance, where vibrant blooms meet sparkling white sand beaches and turquoise waters.
9. Cradle Mountain, TAS
Down south, Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain shakes off the sub-alpine winter, leaving snow-dusted peaks framed by alpine blooms, rushing waterfalls powered by spring snowmelt and curious wombats grazing along the boardwalk. The clear, crisp days are a hiker’s dream, while horse riding, kayaking and canyoning reveal a breathtaking new side to the region.
10. Grafton, NSW
If you really, really love jacarandas and don’t mind a bit of a trek to see them at their bloomin' best, Grafton is the spring destination for you. From October 30 to November 8, this quirky Northern Rivers town will host Australia’s longest-running jacaranda festival. You can admire more than 2,000 lilac-flowering trees while enjoying activities like the Jacaranda Ball, Royal Party Crowning, Float Procession and Jacaranda Fun Run.