There is no better way to put together a holiday of careful pacing than with a Luxury Australia Reef And Wine Tour; one that has room for the Great Barrier Reef, fine wine and a comfortable transfer or two. The more formidable trips will run 10 days or so, which is necessary to account for flight connections and the odd travel inconvenience you will not read about in a brochure. Not to mention the weather.
Oliver Westbrook’s guide on planning a luxury Australia reef and wine tour will have you sorted. He offers up the practical side of things: how to put an Australia itinerary to paper, make the case for Margaret River over the Barossa Valley or vice versa, and sidestep errors of the common variety. You will find what it costs in reality, how long you should be away and the seasonality of it all. There is also the matter of safety and the distinction between a trip with some comfort and one where you are packed in like sardines.
Building A Route For Reef And Wine
Do not make the mistake of a long dash to hit every place of note. An itinerary for the Great Barrier Reef and wine is at its best when considered as two distinct experiences, offering reef valley wine comfort experiences. Get your fix of the reef when you are fresh and then head to wine country for the odd late morning and a long lunch.
The most straightforward map has you in Cairns or Hamilton Island before making for Adelaide and the Barossa Valley. If you opt for the Western Australia route, linking Cairns or Hamilton Island with Perth and Margaret River, be prepared to put in a few extra days for the protracted flight connection.
A Matter Of Preference
Those in search of efficient connections and a wine experience to concentrate on will find the northern and South Australian route to their liking, as do those who like historic towns. Then there is the northern and Western Australian option for the traveller wanting a private journey with some space to spare, coastal drives and top produce.
One could throw in Kangaroo Island, Uluru or Ningaloo but that means more time on the road. An Australia itinerary done privately ought to be generous, not a luggage relay with a credit card to match.
| Route | Recommended Duration | Best For | What To Watch For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns, Daintree, reef and Barossa Valley | 10–12 days | Rainforest, food and wine, luxury done efficiently | A number of flights to contend with |
| Hamilton Island, reef and Barossa Valley | 9–11 days | Premium touring and some island downtime | Schedules on the island are limited |
| Cairns, reef, Margaret River and Perth | 12–15 days | Roomy touring and coastal views | The domestic leg is lengthy |
| Reef, Ningaloo and Margaret River | 14–18 days | Landscapes of Western Australia and marine life | More driving and exposure to the elements |
Deciding On A Wine Region
Both the Barossa Valley and Margaret River will do nicely, yet they make for altogether different holidays. The former is all about the established food culture and the ease of day-to-day logistics with compact cellar-door touring. Margaret River is greener, more spread out and has a coast to it.
What you go for will come down to your flights and wine tastes, if you have an appetite for driving and whether a wider Western Australia journey or a regional base is more to your mind.
Coastal Luxury In Margaret River
Perth is the gateway for a luxury tour here, from which a chauffeured or private vehicle takes you south. It is a drive you can handle but with stops at wineries and for a viewpoint or lunch it makes for a full day of it. The type of traveller who wants ocean air and a long lunch off local produce will be at home with this.
Three nights is what we would allow in Margaret River. With two you may find it a bit of a rush once you have factored in the beaches, a good meal and the galleries. Have your planner arrange visits in proximity to one another instead of crisscrossing the region. Outside the main towns road conditions and phone reception are not to be relied upon so get your directions from Perth beforehand.
Food And Wine In The Barossa
From Adelaide a Barossa Valley luxury tour is not hard to put in place. The premium wineries and restaurants are in close quarters with the small towns so it is ideal for private touring. Have a morning at the cellar door, put in an afternoon of rest and then have your gourmet dinner without the need for a lengthy transfer.
Set aside three nights for the visit. Two full days of touring will see you have time for a cooking class, a drive and your wine tasting. In summer the heat in South Australia is something else, so a good location in the shade and early starts are worth more than any clever plan on the page.
And When To Go Elsewhere
For a change of pace in South Australia and to see some wildlife and local produce, Kangaroo Island is hard to beat. But you cannot just pop over from the Barossa Valley on a whim; it requires ferry or flight arrangements. Those whose idea of a good time is to be in the company of marine wildlife and some unspoilt Western Australian country will find Ningaloo more to their liking than an area with a high concentration of cellar doors. It is the natural companion to a Western Australia itinerary, not something one tacks on after Cairns. Then there is Uluru, a different order of experience that calls for a minimum of two or three nights as opposed to being fitted in between flights.
Plan The Right Number Of Days
For a luxury holiday of reef and wine, ten days is about as short as one can make it and still be practical if you are to cover a wine region and a reef base. But twelve to fourteen is preferable; it puts a recovery day in your calendar, gives you some leeway with the weather and means you have the time to put in at your five-star rooms instead of just using them to sleep in.
You will want an itinerary with some white space in it. Wine touring is no fun when all your appointments are before breakfast, and the reef is at the mercy of the elements and flight changes. There is a certain expensiveness to a holiday in the best sense when there is room to breathe.
Ten-Day Sample Itinerary
Three nights in Hamilton Island or Cairns will do, allotting a day for the outer reef and another for the rainforest or an island at a more sedate pace. If a more complete Daintree and Great Barrier Reef trip is the aim, put in two nights in the Port Douglas and Daintree Rainforest area.
A private transfer from Adelaide to the Barossa Valley for three nights followed by a night in the Adelaide vicinity before flying back is a workable plan for a traveller after a concentrated experience. It does not allow for much in the way of a put-off domestic connection or a reef departure that has to be called off.
Fourteen-Day Sample Itinerary
Begin with four nights in Cairns or Hamilton Island. Make the first full day the outer reef but have another open in case the wind or cloud makes for a poor crossing. Two nights in the Daintree Rainforest with a guide who knows his crocs and a vehicle for the local roads is in order.
From there head to the Barossa Valley and Adelaide for four nights and then on to Kangaroo Island or back to Adelaide for three. The extra time is better for recovery and for indulging in fine wine and dining of the gourmet sort or making a discovery or two without the whole affair becoming like a military exercise.
If You Only Have One Day
The reef should be your priority. Go with a well-run operator for an outer reef excursion, one with a comfortable boat, helicopter option or small group. Trying to fit in a long domestic flight, the Daintree and a wine region in one day is not to be done.
As for wine, stick to a region close to where you have arrived. In Adelaide the Barossa Valley is the obvious choice. Margaret River from Perth involves more travelling so unless the flights put you down for at least two full days it is hardly sensible.
Make The Reef Experience Work
Even the top operators are not going to be able to do anything about the swell, the rain or how your stomach takes to a fast boat, so a luxury tour of the Great Barrier Reef is a matter of striking a balance between comfort and the physical side of being on the water. Motion sickness? Put in a word for a more stable vessel and ask about other flight options and medication prior to booking.
At 2,300 kilometres or so along Queensland’s coast the scale of the reef is such that you will not get the same experience from Hamilton Island, Port Douglas or Cairns and transfers will differ.
Cairns Or Hamilton Island
Cairns is where you will find the most in the way of reef departures, dining and rainforest touring, a sound base for the Daintree as well. Port Douglas is more of a resort proposition and cuts down road time for some.
Hamilton Island has its appeal for the traveller wanting an island atmosphere and qualia accommodation with easy on to the Whitsundays. It can be very simple in a good way, but one would do well to check the island flight times and any weather induced alterations before heading to another state.
Respect Water And Weather
Before you put yourself on a small aircraft or commit to some snorkelling or diving, look at the tides and the marine conditions and the wind. A broad-brimmed hat, reef shoes, a dry set of clothes and proper sun protection are not overpacking, they are practical luxuries; the sun has a way of getting you even when it is overcast.
And be mindful of stingers, wildlife and the fact that pontoons can be slippery. Heed what the crew says and use the flotation gear. Be frank as to your ability to swim. The outer reef is not for everyone, especially with cardiac or respiratory issues of a serious nature unless you have been to the doctor. For up to date forecasts and warnings on your reef and domestic flights the Australian Bureau of Meteorology is the place to go.
Upgrade Stays Meals And Transfers
One could say luxury is the art of obviating minor inconveniences. Be it a driver on hand post-flight, your luggage put in the room before you are, a table in reserve for a late comer or a guide with the sense to know when to be quiet. And an establishment ought to be of service to the itinerary, not just a name on the marquee.
If you are near the reef then water access and transfer logistics should be at the top of the list, as well as facilities for when the weather turns and a sensible way to get to the marina or heliport. In wine country it is a question of a good base, privacy, how easy it is to get to a restaurant and allowing enough time to make it back from the vineyards without any trouble.
Make Of Transfers What They Are Worth
There is no better way to ease the transition from a long haul than a chauffeured car, be it from a regional airport to the estate or to some out of the way accommodation. A private vehicle also affords the opportunity to put in a coffee or have a proper view of the country side if one wishes to slow down.
Helicopters will put road time behind you and make an impression on arrival yet they are subject to the elements and can be unyielding on luggage. Put down the premium only after you have ascertained what the aircraft will take, the terms for cancellation and that there is a road transfer in reserve.
Put Some Numbers To It
To plan around, figure on $12,000 to in excess of $30,000 per head in AUD for a 10 to 14 day trip of the more expensive kind, international flights to one side. The bottom line will be influenced by the likes of the room you book, how many are travelling, the reef operator and if it is peak time. As a working budget for high-end lodging, transfers and the odd meal, set aside in the order of $1,000 to $2,500 a night per person. Do not mistake these for hard and fast figures; get an itemised proposal that leaves nothing to chance, from park fees and gratuities to taxes and the handling of your bags.
Do Not Let The Season Dictate You
A competent planner will align the season with what is important to you, rather than claim any month will do. For all the change in temperature, seasonality has its effect on the reef, the humidity, the roads, the landscape in the wine regions and even bushfire risk.
The wet in northern Queensland means tropical disruptions, stingers and heavy rain. The dry is more amenable for touring but expect higher prices and demand. Over in Western or South Australia summer can mean heat and the odd closure due to bushfires; the shoulder seasons are often easier on the driver.
Some Things Travellers Are Prone To Get Wrong
A clear forecast is no assurance of a placid crossing of the reef. Offshore conditions are another matter and you may find a planned departure trying. Put the first full day on the reef early on so you have the option of rebooking.
Then there is the tendency to make of winery visits a quick affair. Between the tasting, lunch and the drive back you will have had enough of three cellar doors in a day. Make it four and you will not be able to tell one vineyard from the next, which is hardly the idea.
When Booking A Custom Holiday
Let your preferences be the starting point for a luxury Australian holiday, not some stock list of must-sees. Inform the planner if it is diving or wildlife or a long lunch or less hotel moving about that you are after.
Get the practicalities sorted at the outset: who is to deal with a flight going awry? Is the reef day refundable? Some questions to consider: is the transfer private, are there accessible rooms at the accommodation and what if a cyclone or bushfire closure puts the route in question?
This Booking Checklist will help.
- Put down domestic flight times, airport transfers and any luggage restrictions for your records.
- Before putting down a deposit you should look into medical requirements as well as weather and reef cancellation policies.
- Have an itemised quote in AUD put together so that taxes, meals and the like are clearly set out along with transfer fees.
- On a lengthier itinerary make time for a day or two of flexibility.
- Do not forget to enquire about winery booking times and safe transport once the tastings are done.
- Ask if park access and marine fees are part of the package.
Who is this for
Couples, small groups, milestone travellers and families with older children will find this kind of travel to their liking; it affords the privacy and comfort one expects from good logistics. It is also for those who would rather have a premium experience than be behind the wheel for every kilometre.
Those after a backpacking route on the cheap, some spontaneous camping or a hard day’s adventure may want to look elsewhere. The same goes for a nightlife fix. Be aware that some of the rainforest and reef excursions mean early hours and uneven ground on boats; luxury does not negate gravity.
A Comfortable Journey
Good wine and reef holidays are unhurried in the best of them because all the hard decisions have been taken care of before you leave. Put aside a reef day with some time to spare, opt for a private transfer when it is of real use and give the weather its due. The objective is to link premium experiences with sound logistics, be it in the Barossa Valley, a luxury tour of Margaret River or further afield in Western Australia. Plan for a measure of Australian calm and the whole thing will feel personal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is needed for a luxury Great Barrier Reef and wine tour in Australia?
Ten days is a workable minimum to cover a wine region and a reef base. If Kangaroo Island or the Daintree Rainforest are on the agenda, or you prefer private touring and some leeway with the weather, 12 to 14 days is more to your comfort.
The best Australian wine region to go with the Great Barrier Reef?
Barossa Valley tends to be the simplest pairing given the Adelaide connections and ease of regional transfers. But if you are after the coast and forests of Western Australia and a less confined, slower route then Margaret River is preferable, albeit with more travelling time.
When is the right time of year?
You will not find one month that is ideal for all routes. The northern dry season is generally better for the reef but factor in the harvest and heat or fire conditions in the wine region you have picked. Make sure to check for any marine or weather warnings prior to leaving.
Cost of a private luxury tour in Australia?
Expect to be looking at $12,000 to $30,000 plus per person in AUD over 10-14 days, international flights apart. Add in a helicopter or private aircraft, peak dates and premium suites and the figure can be much higher.
Is it possible to have gourmet dining, a helicopter and private transfers on a luxury itinerary?
Certainly. We can put together a custom plan with five-star lodging, outer reef and chauffeur service. Just ensure the proposal in writing has made allowances for all fees and covers such matters as luggage limits, accessibility and cancellation.