Where to go next – 2026 Travel Inspiration Events Calendar
Given the diversity of landscapes and experiences of our destinations, anytime is a great time to visit. Here we share some of the specific month by month highlights for where to go and what to do in 2026
JANUARY
Following the spectacular annual Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks, Australia’s sparkling harbour city continues the summer celebrations with a full calendar of colourful outdoor including the Sydney Festival (8-25 January 2026. Annual event) – a three-week celebration of theatre, music, art and more with free and ticketed events across the city and the Open Air Cinema (9 January – 24 February 2026. Annual event) with the opportunity to see new release and favourite films on a floating screen on Sydney Harbour.
In South Australia, visitors can choose to spectate or participate in the Santos Down Under (16-25 January 2026. Annual event) cycling events throughout the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley. Australia’s answer to the Tour de France marks the start of the UCI World Tour season.
Meanwhile, the Australian Open Tennis Grand Slam (18 January – 1 February 2026. Annual event) in Melbourne is without doubt one of the annual highlights on Australia’s event calendar. See the greats of the game battle it out and ask our Travel Designers how we can elevate the experience with special access and introductions.
Golfers are also in for a treat with the opening of a new wellness and spa facility at Te Arai Links in New Zealand and the fabulous new 7 Mile Beach pure links course in Tasmania’s undulating coastal dunes just moments from the centre of Hobart (designed by the Clayton De Vries duo also behind King Island’s Cape Wickham that recently ranked in the Top 100 courses in the world).
For rugby fans now is also the time to register their interest for the 2027 Rugby World Cup (1 October – 13 November 2027, with presale tickets on sale from 18 February 2026).
FEBRUARY
Auckland ‘City of Sails’ will this year host Sail GP one of the most prestigious and fast-paced global sailing events (14-15 February 2026, followed by 28 February – 1 March in Sydney). Ask our Travel Designers about the best way to experience all of the high-speed racing action and on-shore special activations.
Alternatively, travellers can be a part of the high-speed action with the Tarawera Ultra-Trail (in the UTMB World Series). Keen runners can choose between five different courses, from 14-160 kilometres in length, that make up one of the Southern Hemisphere’s longest running trail race events that showcases Taupo’s unique geothermal landscapes, beautiful native forests and cultural sites significant to the local Māori people.
Witness one of the world’s iconic pride parades (28 February 2026) as part of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival (13 February – 3 March 2026. Annual event).
Book early to secure a romantic table for two at the best restaurants across Australia and New Zealand (Valentine’s Day, 14 February, annually). Our Travel Design team can suggest and curate dozens of romantic ways to celebrate a special occasion or pop-the-question in spectacular style all year round! (A special note for visitors wanting to experience Sydney’s iconic Quay dining – you will need to be quick, the waterside venue will serve its last meal 14 February 2026. After this date, dedicated foodies can continue to enjoy Peter Gilmore’s celebrated cuisine across the Harbour at Bennelong restaurant beneath the sails of the Sydney Opera House).
MARCH
Oenophiles should head to New Zealand’s fabulous wine regions to enjoy colourful vineyard harvest season celebrations – and be among the first to experience Waiheke ‘Island of Wine’s stunning new All Press Estate or the new Lodge at Craggy Range in Hawkes Bay. These two new private villa stays provide space, privacy and privilege in spades.
Satisfy your need for speed with the season-opening Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne (5-8 March 2026. Annual event). Ask the Southern Crossings Travel Designers how to catch all the excitement and action on, and off, the track.
This is also a fabulous time of year to enjoy some of our scenic self-drives. Explore the Great Ocean Road behind the wheel of a Ferrari, and heli-back to Melbourne; or marvel at the autumn colours with a collection of New Zealand South Island scenic drives (the road between Glenorchy and Arrowtown is particularly spectacular in the Fall).
Enjoy a spectacle of colour of a different kind with the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (27 March – 3 May. Annual Event), this year featuring Phantom of the Opera performed on a floating stage to the backdrop of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
APRIL
From now through to September is the time cruise Western Australia’s remote and rugged Kimberley Coast. From new small-ship luxury expedition vessels and exciting new itineraries to private charter cruising options, our Travel Designers can match you with your ideal way to enjoy this bucket-list experience.
Bucket-list experiences abound in Western Australia at this time of year. Mid-March through to July is also the best time to swim with gentle whalesharks on the Ningaloo Coast. In 2026 the region will welcome some exciting new and revitalised places to stay and our Travel Designers can match you with your perfect place.
From April 2026, visitors to Australia’s Red Centre will also be able to enjoy a new immersive touring experience with the launch of Australia’s newest Great Walk. The 5-day Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature walk, developed in partnership with the local Anangu Traditional Custodians, provides an introduction to some of Australia’s most iconic outback landscapes (Uluru and Kata Tjuta) and captivating cultural connections, with purpose-built camps and lodgings to sleep within the national park.
In April 2026, Australia’s iconic rail journeys will also welcome a new level of luxury with the introduction of two new ultraluxe accommodation options; the Aurora and Australis suites; from which to experience the romance of rail and some of Australia’s most breathtaking rolling scenery travelling with the Indian Pacific (Sydney-Perth) or the Ghan (Adelaide-Darwin).
MAY
From May through to October is the best time to swim with Manta Rays in Fiji’s turquoise tropical waters. With clear-blue skies and calm seas, this is also the best time for dive visibility, with the island nation’s surrounding reefs serving up some of the planet’s most stunning snorkelling and dive sites.
Meanwhile, Sydney enjoys its own spectacle of colour at this time of year with the annual Vivid sound and light exhibition illuminating the city (22 May – 13 June 2026. Annual event).
JUNE
The Australian-New Zealand ski season opens from mid June (through to late September), with New Zealand’s snow-covered Southern Alps leading the winter playground experiences for skiers and boarders alike. Heli-ski untracked powder runs and enjoy mountain-top hot tubbing in the most breathtaking surrounds.
Meanwhile, visitors who dive into the deep at the Ribbon Reefs off Lizard Island can enjoy the rare opportunity to swim with the Minke Whales that visit the Great Barrier Reef between June and July. This time of year also offers some of the best conditions for snorkelling and diving the Great Barrier Reef.
Foodies are also in for a treat at this time year with opportunities to head out on a truffle hunt or dive into a delicious truffle-infused feast in Western Australia’s Margaret River. We are also super-excited to learn which of our favourite New Zealand restaurants will make MICHELIN’s first-ever Oceania guide featuring the best restaurants in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
JULY
Matariki (Maori New Year, 10 July 2026. Annual event) is a great time for Southern Hemisphere stargazing. Lucky stargazers may even catch the dancing Southern Lights (Aurora Australis is best viewed in New Zealand’s Southern Alps or remote reaches of Tasmania during the Southern Hemisphere winter months).
Visitors to Australia and New Zealand in July can witness a game of Rugby Union or Aussie Rules football for the opportunity to soak up the locals’ passion for sport. In 2026, there’s also the possibility to watch one of the international rugby union clashes between the Wallabies or the All Blacks and Ireland, France or Italy in Sydney, Brisbane, Christchurch, Auckland or Wellington. Ask our Travel Design team for details and how to best enjoy the local atmosphere.
The Southern Hemisphere winter months also offer some of the best opportunities for whale watching: take a heli-whale watching tour (with a marine biologist by your side) to spot migrating humpbacks and Southern Right whales on New Zealand’s Kaikoura Coast or swim with them on Queensland’s Sunshine Coas, just ask us how.
AUGUST
Visitors to the Whitsundays in August can enjoy a lively festival of yachting and land events during Hamilton Island Race Week (15-22 August 2026. Annual event) that annually attracts contestants and spectators from around the globe.
Meanwhile, visitors to Western Australia can witness the landscapes coming into bloom as the wildflower season (mid-August to October) sweeps its way across the state from North to South.
Round out the month (30 August 2026) with a little run. Sydney is now home to the newest addition to the Abbott World Marathon Majors. The scenic Sydney Marathon route crosses the Sydney Harbour Bridge and follows the foreshore to finish 42.195km later at the Sydney Opera House.
SEPTEMBER
The Southern Hemisphere Spring is a fabulous time to see New Zealand’s waterfalls in full flow and wildflowers in bloom across the region.
From the Northern Territory’s Kakadu National Park to New Zealand’s Otago Peninsula, birdwatchers and twitchers will also delight in the season.
It is also a wonderful time of year to stretch your legs on one of the region’s great walks: Tasmania’s Three Capes Walk, the Twelve Apostles Walk on the Great Ocean Road and the Cape to Cape track that traces the Margaret River coastline all kick off in September, with other stunning walks still to follow throughout the season and across our regions.
September, and the Spring months (October and November) are an ideal time for those who would like to combine destinations from our tropical north (the Kimberley, Kakadu, Great Barrier Reef, Daintree and Fiji) with more temperate regions (Tasmania, Victoria, and New Zealand).
OCTOBER
Anglers are in for a treat at this time of year with New Zealand’s fly-fishing season (October – April) opening across South Island rivers, lakes and streams; whilst those who lean towards game-fishing excitement should head to Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef for the opportunity to hook a Giant Black Marlin (September – December annually).
Meanwhile, NFL fans can see the Los Angeles Rams play their first-ever regular season game in Australia (Melbourne Cricket Ground – dates to be confirmed).
NOVEMBER
Wildlife lovers are in for a treat in New Zealand at this time of year with Dusky Dolphins cruising the Kaikoura Coast in ‘super-pods’ (November – March), seals pupping along this coast (November-January) and kiwi chicks appearing in the beautiful Bay of Islands. In Australia, walk with baby wombats on Maria Island in Tasmania and spot impossibly cute koala joeys clinging to their mums on Kangaroo Island.
Meanwhile, Sydney is blanketed in swathes of purple as Jacarandas come into bloom across the city, creating a colourful canvas for keen photographers.
This time of year is a great time to visit Australia and New Zealand to enjoy warm sunny conditions ahead of the peak summer season and local school holidays.
DECEMBER
As Summer heats up across the region, pōhutukawa (New Zealand Christmas tree) flowers decorate the North Island with their festive red blooms and festive season decorations pop-up across the region.
Join the locals for Christmas celebrations by the beach in boardshorts and flip flops, catch all the excitement of the start of the Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race (Boxing day. Annual event) and see in the new year with one of the world’s most spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks displays on and around Sydney Harbour (31 December. Annual event).
Do as the locals do in New Zealand and book a beachside bach (that’s kiwi for ‘holiday house’) or slip away to one of our spectacular Australian beach houses to celebrate the best of the season in style with family and friends. (In 2026 we look forward to sharing another fabulous new offering with the opening of the new three-bedroom ‘Jewel’ private villa-style stay at Saffire Freycinet).
There is so much to celebrate that our top tip for this popular time of year (which also coincides with peak local holiday season), is to book early.
This Events Calendar selection of some of our region’s popular events is only a small sampling of the events on offer around Australia and across New Zealand every day of the year. Whenever you choose to visit our beautiful part of the world there’s always something new and exciting to discover – sports-fan, nature-lover, foodie or culture-vulture – simply share your passions with our Travel Design teams to help them match you with your perfect place.
Header image: Australian Open Tennis Grand Slam in Melbourne – credit Morgan Hancock.
