Discover a new side to Australasia with these off-the-beaten-track options
The allure of the Antipodes has never been stronger for British travellers. According to Tourism Australia’s latest data, British travellers are staying longer and spending more in Australia than they did pre-pandemic.
In the year to June 2024, UK visitors spent an average of £3,727 per trip – up £1,175 compared with 2019 – while the average length of stay rose from 30 nights to 36.
With clients having more time to explore, pitching some lesserknown yet fascinating destinations in
the Oceania region can help agents reap rich rewards – especially for return visitors who are looking to experience something new. Plus, with more direct Qantas routes from London to Sydney and Melbourne
on the horizon and travellers keen to go beyond the obvious sights, now’s the time to start planning
those big-ticket trips.
Whether it’s a once-in-alifetime voyage through The Lord of the Rings landscapes in New Zealand, a dreamy getaway to the sands of the South Pacific or a cool coastal road trip in Australia, tour operators are offering plenty of epic alternative adventures.
Keen to get going? Here are some superb switch-sells for a southern hemisphere adventure.
Like Australia’s East Coast?
Travelling along Australia’s east coast is one of the country’s most popular first-time routes. Itineraries often include Sydney, Byron Bay (pictured), the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Cairns, the jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef. En route, clients will visit cosmopolitan cities, beachfront towns, rainforests, national parks, wineries, mountains and plenty of secluded coves.
Try Cape York
Many road-trippers in eastern Australia don’t venture farther north than Cairns, but a six-night AAT Kings guided tour of the Cape York Peninsula (pictured) showcases the unmissable wonders that Australia’s northern tip has to offer.
Setting off from Cairns, clients journey north to Cooktown via everything from a cable ferry across the Daintree River to a 4×4 through the rainforest. The next few days see the group visit vast lakes, old mining towns and ancient rock art sites that offer insight into Cape York’s Aboriginal story, including Quinkan Country, where etchings date back 30,000 years.
The tour stops for a night in Bramwell, the country’s northernmost cattle station, where travellers can socialise over cold beers at the campfire and sample rustic Australian cooking.
The penultimate day brings the group to Cape York, where there’s time to swim in the turquoise waters of the Torres Strait.
Book it: AAT Kings’ seven-day Cape York Frontier tour costs from £2,569, based on a May 24, 2025, departure. Includes bed-and-breakfast accommodation, most meals, transport and national park entry fees, but excludes international flights.
aatkings.com
Like Australia’s Ghan?
The Ghan is a legendary rail journey that takes travellers across the wilds of the Outback, all the way from tropical Darwin in the Northern Territory to the Victorian city of Adelaide in the south.
The opulent train, operated by Journey Beyond, passes through barren deserts, across rivers and alongside steep canyons as it traverses 1,850 miles, making it one of the world’s greatest rail journeys.
Try New Zealand’s TranzAlpine
If clients love Australia’s romantic train rides, recommend New Zealand’s scenic rail journeys along the line between Auckland and Wellington on the North Island, plus the TranzAlpine and the Coastal Pacific on the South Island. APT sells a New Zealand itinerary that combines the final two in one easy booking.
The 19-day discovery begins in Christchurch, with a fun-filled dinner in the unique Tramway Restaurant, a converted tram that travels around the city while guests tuck into a four-course meal.
Leaving Christchurch, they’ll ride the TranzAlpine (pictured) for five hours through the glorious Southern Alps. Panoramic windows and an outdoor carriage will allow them to watch in wonder as snow-capped jagged mountains and glaciers melt into meadows.
After another 10 days in the South Island (excursions range from The Lord of the Rings tours to cruises in Fiordland), they’ll take the Coastal Pacific train north then cross the Cook Strait.
Book it: APT sells the 18-night New Zealand Rail and Cruise Discovery from £7,895 per person, based on two sharing, departing on September 13, 2025. Includes listed experiences, 31 meals and local transfers, but excludes flights.
aptouring.co.uk
Like Fiji?
This Melanesian paradise has 333 islands to pick from. Whether Crusoe-esque private resorts or wild isles offering jungle hikes, tumbling waterfalls and traditional villages, clients will find no shortage of South Pacific charm to tempt them. Island-hopping holidays offer variety, but it’s just as rewarding to use one resort as a base for adventurous, cultural and water-based pursuits.
Try the Cook Islands
With only 15 islands, the Cook Islands are smaller than Fiji but they pack in their fair share of tropical vibes. The Indigenous population of the islands is Māori, with some 87% of islanders sharing this heritage, so the archipelago has plenty of cultural ties to New Zealand – as well as daily flights from Auckland on Air New Zealand and regular services on low-cost Jetstar.
Once they are on the ground, clients will need to adjust to island life. The Cook Islands have no traffic lights and there is just one road around Rarotonga, the main island, so rushing isn’t an option.
Suggest a stop in Avarua, Rarotonga’s main town and the Cook Islands’ capital, for a weekend market and Māori dance performances. Then clients can loop around the ring road at their leisure for impromptu beach stops or trips into the island’s Polynesian rainforest, complete with sugarloaf mountains.
Book it: Inspiring Travel sells a seven-night holiday at the Pacific Resort Rarotonga from £2,885 per person, based on two sharing a Standard Studio Room with breakfast. Includes private transfers and flights departing June 10, 2025.
inspiringtravel.co.uk
PICTURES: Shutterstock/Kata Lana, Visual Collective; Tourism New Zealand/Miles Holden; Shutterstock/Petr Podrouzek, SCStock; Journey Beyond
