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Festivals in Australia
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Sun, space and a supply of beer make festivals in Australia go with a bang!
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Festivals in Australia - Big Day Out - January/February - Auckland, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth Rock, electronic and local acts play on seven or eight stages. Past acts include Nirvana, who played at the first festival in 1992, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Metallica and the Beastie Boys.
Festivals in Australia - Adelaide Festival of Arts - March - Adelaide You can buy tickets to see opera, theatre, dance and music events but there's also a selection of free events, including the impressive Northern Lights - a light projection show on some of the city's buildings. |
Festivals in Australia - WOMADelaide - March - Adelaide WOMADelaide, which promotes music and dance from across the world, takes place in Botanic Park.
Festivals in Australia - Moomba Waterfest - March - Melbourne Water and non-water events, in the form of parades, floats, bands, fairground rides, a waterskiing competition and the Birdman Rally, when colourfully dressed characters launch themselves into the air then into the Yarra River…A sight to behold and to photograph!
Festivals in Australia - Melbourne International Comedy Festival - March/April - Melbourne One of the biggest in the world, Melbourne's comedy festival attracts more than 400,000 people to see local and international comedians. Prices are reasonable, too. |
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Festivals in Australia - Camel Cup - July (12 July 2008) - Blatherskite Park, Alice Springs At first glance, you might think you've had one too many XXXXs but no, those grumpy looking creatures you usually see trailing across the desert can run.
Festivals in Australia - Beer Can Regetta - July (13 July 2008) - Darwin The rules are simple - drink, then build! The regatta's main event is a race of boats, which, according to the rules, must “appear to be made substantially from drink cans”. (Excellent practice for any sculptures you might drunkenly decide to create while at uni!)
On the beach, there's the Henley on Mindil, where competitors race along the beach carrying their can boat, a hole-in-one competition (where the hole is a bucket, on a dingy, in the sea), a sandcastle competition and a thong throwing contest. The flip-flop kind, not the underwear kind.
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Festivals in Australia - Birdsville Races - first weekend in September - Birdsville, Queensland A hotter, dustier and possibly drunker version of Ascot, the Birdsville Races take place in the tiny, middle of nowhere town called Birdsville but still manage to attract tons of people. Many of them fly in to watch horse racing, including the illustrious Birdsville Cup, camel races and fairground attractions in the evening. Oh yeah, and to drink…!
Festivals in Australia - Melbourne Cup - first Tuesday in November - Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne A spectacular day at the races, the Melbourne Cup is a chance to dress up, win prizes for costumes, have a little flutter and maybe indulge in a cocktail or three. |
Festivals in Australia - Stompen Ground Festival - September/October - Broome, Western Australia A celebration of aboriginal art and culture, including storytelling.
Why not plan your gap trip to incorporate an Australian festival or two? Take a look at our Australia programmes below to see what e can offer!
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Everything you need to help you start earning Australian dollars. You’ll get access to a job centre with hundreds of jobs suitable for working travellers, advice on tax and setting up a bank account, plus temporary accommodation.
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Earn some money, help out others and experience three very beautiful countries. Get everything you need to find work in Oz and NZ and discover the real Thailand through volunteer placements, trips – and time on the beach! |
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Beach BBQs, wine tasting, water sports, the zoo and more are all worked into a seven-day stay in Sydney with like-minded travellers. Perfect before or after Aussie Work Down Under or as a short but unforgettable holiday.
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The best of both worlds in Oz. Relax and enjoy activities with other travellers before making use of job centre access and all the advice you need to find a paid job Down Under. |
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A real hands-on experience on board a yacht. Learn or improve your sailing skills on land before living as part of a crew as you cruise around the Whitsunday Islands, with opportunities to snorkel and swim, too. |
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Perfect for first-time travellers, this package includes advice and practical help with everything from visas to airport transfer, accommodation to finding a job. Stay and work in Sydney or explore the country with newfound friends.
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A choice of bus routes, a choice of activities and the freedom to hop on and off whenever you want. Get to know fellow travellers along the way and take advice from the buses’ clued-up drivers.
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Sign up to the academy in Sydney and receive training from former internationals, plus the chance to play for local teams. Other activities are included and, because of the programme’s timing, you’ll experience Sydney’s famous New Year celebrations. |
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A ten-week course in Australia’s Byron Bay that allows total beginners to achieve internationally recognised diving qualifications. Among the bay’s many attractions are leopard sharks, manta rays and turtles.
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All the fun of Sydney followed by all the fun of the East Coast! A hop on, hop off bus takes you from Sydney to Cairns, where you can take part in one of several conservation projects. |
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Hop on and off the famous Greyhound buses and see as much of Australia as you want. A range of passes mean you can travel by destination, by the kilometre or by the day. |
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Take one of three activity-packed tours across Oz with a group of enthusiastic travellers. Experience the East Coast, the outback or Western Australia, mingle with the natives and see places you wouldn’t see with a bus pass.
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Gain an in depth knowledge of koalas and other native species by helping with feeding, monitoring and more. Free time can be spent in nearby Brisbane or getting to know the animals better. |
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An unforgettable journey into the western wilderness – an area that many travellers miss. Camp under the stars, go whale-watching, try out sand sports and get a feel for the real Australia. |
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Save £90 when you book this programme in July! Experience the great outdoors by learning the skills to work on an Australian outback farm. You’ll earn money doing anything from cattle mustering to fruit picking, making it an enjoyable way of funding more travelling.
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Gain a basic diving qualification that allows you to dive all over the world. The course combines theory, dives and a three-day trip around the Great Barrier Reef. Look out for turtles, coral, tropical fish and more! |
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A blockbuster of a trip that brings together a week of fun activities in Sydney, five days of surfing lessons around Byron Bay and a bus pass so you can create your own route to Cairns. |
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A never-to-be forgotten cruise on a tall ship around the Great Barrier Reef, with the chance to snorkel, swim and discover the area. Learn the basics of sailing or just relax and soak up the sun. |
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Hands-on involvement with conservation projects that will give you in depth insight into Australia’s fauna. Help out with fun days and present pythons, lizards and other animals to the public. |
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Learn more than you thought possible about Australia’s wildlife. Your tasks might include feeding and caring for the animals, maintaining the sanctuary and helping out with animal shows and night walks. |
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Riders of all abilities are taught to farm the Australian way with lessons in Jackaroo and Jillaroo. Learn about cattle mustering, horse shoeing and lassoing before sitting down to a camp fire at night.
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A flexible programme for people wanting to help protect Australia’s amazing flora and fauna. You can choose from ten locations and stay for as little as two weeks – and you get to experience the Great Outdoors, Aussie-style. |
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Take a trip down Ramsay Street, have a few beers with the Neighbours and see the Great Ocean Road. Explore the best bits of Melbourne and its surrounding area and make some great friends! |
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Perfect your swing on Australia’s Gold Coast, where you’ll be taught by professionally accredited instructors on top courses, in unBritish weather! Golfers of any standard are welcome and there are ample opportunities to try other outdoor sports. |
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Travel the east coast of Australia, learning to ride the waves and living the surfing lifestyle – that means barbies, beach parties and seeing a whole lot of wildlife. A highlight of any gap year! |
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Travel through the USA, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand and India during an unforgettable gap year. Fit in volunteer placements, excursions, paid work opportunities, cultural activities and loads more – but also have time to do your own thing. |
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Experience our most popular programmes across three continents. Volunteer in Africa, work, travel and learn to surf in Australia, explore New Zealand and Fiji, and then go coast to coast across America.
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Improve your tennis stroke on Australia’s Gold Coast. Learn at an academy that pays great attention to detail, and focuses on everything from developing your own style, anticipating opponents’ moves and mental preparation. Perfect for tennis enthusiasts! |
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Travel from Darwin to Adelaide to Sydney and finish in Cairns. Hike in national parks, enjoy spectacular sunsets, see some native wildlife, do a week of activities in Sydney, try your hand at surfing – plus lots more! |
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Combine paid work, volunteering and travelling into one fantastic gap year. Everything from flights to job offers is included – that means less hassle, and more chances to get the best out of Africa, Australia and Thailand! |
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See the best of these two amazing countries with flights, a job-finding service, Aussie and Kiwi bus passes, a surfing school session and working holiday visas. All the help you need and all the independence you want. |
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Spend up to 12 months in one of our favourite destinations. You’ll get a year-long bus pass, a conservation placement, help with finding paid work, time at a jackaroo school, surfing lessons and more! |
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