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Best adventure tours and holidays in Australia

Simon Calder’s Travel

One of the world’s most diverse destinations, Australia has everything from beaming winter sun and a rich aboriginal culture to an otherworldly natural pedigree in its aquatic treasures and the expansive Outback.

Also known for the prolific golden beaches that line each coast, Australia hosts a legion of epic bucket list toppers.

Try diving and cycling alongside luxury fly-and-flop holidays that are punctuated with surf and turf and swirls of shiraz for the authentic Antipodean experience.

From understated Ningaloo to the thrilling delights – and heights – of Sydney’s urban suburbs, Australia definitely makes for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

To give intrepid travellers a proper taste of Oz, here are some of the country’s highlights and how to tick them off your bucket list.

Read more: The best Australia holidays to do in your lifetime, from the Kimberley to Kangaroo Island

Reach new depths on Ningaloo Reef

Swap the popular Great Barrier Reef for its quiet and crystalline west-coast sister

Swap the popular Great Barrier Reef for its quiet and crystalline west-coast sister (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Though the famed Great Barrier Reef may be on the top of your scuba spot wishlist, switching speed to its quiet and crystalline sister Ningaloo, off the northwest coast, enables you to experience the iridescent Indian Ocean for a deep dive into Australia’s marine life. The protected Unesco World Heritage site promises a lively underwater world including sightings of the “big three”: whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales swimming in the palette of blues below the surface.

How to do it

Dive Ningaloo features a seven-night luxury liveaboard diving trip to the world-class reef from A$5,900 (£3,099) including as many as 25 dives below the azure surface, ensuite cabins, all dive equipment, sizzling barbeque meals and ice cold drinks. The vessel departs from Exmouth Marina and turtles, humpback whales and schools of tropical fish are practically guaranteed on the west coast diving holiday.

Read more: The best deals for a luxury Australia holiday

Soar over Airlie Beach on a tandem skydive

Freefall from 15,000ft above sea level on a tandem ride over Airlie Beach’s marine playground

Freefall from 15,000ft above sea level on a tandem ride over Airlie Beach’s marine playground (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Take to new heights with a freefall from 15,000ft over Airlie Beach’s marine playground of blues and whites to chip a chunk off your…

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