Enjoy quiet moments in the off season like this one at Gunlom Falls in the Northern Territory.
Image credit: Tourism Australia.
We believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, meaning that sometimes, off-season travel can actually give you a better and more memorable travelling experience rather than travelling to a destination during its most popular seasons.
There are the obvious advantages of travelling off-season, such as skipping the queues to attractions and being able to secure that much sought after restaurant reservation, but travelling off-season can also open up experiences and activities you may not have considered before and do the planet, your wallet and idle operators a favour.
Planetary Pressures
The high amount of pollution and movement from peak-season travel puts enormous pressure on the communities, ecosystems and habitats of high-traffic destinations. Travelling in a low or shoulder season has a positive effect on global sustainability, as it reduces not only physical stress on fragile sights or protected wildlife, but also the collective carbon footprint of the mass of people travelling to, from and within one place.
Expand Your Experience
With fewer people on group tours and around attractions, you might see different wildlife or a changing landscape than most visitors when you travel in quieter times and less-popular times of the year. Imagine being able to photograph the wildflowers of the Simpson Desert that only bloom in the off-season, without a single other person in your photo. Or hike Kings Canyon with just you and a guide, not another soul around. Off peak travelling certainly can’t be beat for intimate and unique experiences, such as these.
Boost Regional Communities
Travelling off-season also supports tourist towns and small local businesses (both those in and out of the tourism industry), who rely on the busy periods and often struggle in the quieter months. By travelling in the less busy period, your dollars will help local economies thrive, alleviating the seasonal imbalances of peak seasons. Plus, travelling off-season will also see you avoid the intense commercialisation and at times, exploitation, targeted at tourists in the busy periods, giving you a chance to experience the real way of life, without the added ‘tourist’ surcharge.
In busy, touristic towns, locals often have a love/hate relationship towards visitors and are undoubtedly also more friendly in the quieter seasons. During the off-season, locals may have more time to chat, enhancing your connections with the local culture and traditions, more so than you would in the busy peak season.
Boost local operators who may be experiencing a slower business period when you travel in the off season.
Image credit: Tourism Australia.
Money, Money, Money
You might even save money by travelling outside the peak periods. Airfares and accommodation are usually significantly cheaper (although this might not always be the case in regional destinations where low season can decrease supply and raise cost). In some destinations, even restaurants will lower their prices in the off-season to entice visitors.
Travel like there is no “off-season”
Any time of year is a good time to visit any part of Australia. Forget planning a trip around when you should visit, think more about why you want to visit and what you want to experience. Many destinations offer just as exciting and perhaps even more unique experiences or activities in their “off-season.”
Why to head to Australia in its off-season? Well, frankly, why not? Choosing to see Australia in the winter means it’s cooler than the scorching summers. It means you get to see more than 30,000 humpback whales migrate from Sydney to Cairns. It means you’ll be able to explore the Outback with clear skies and without the threat of flooding. It means you can enjoy festivals, such as Vivid and Dark Mofo. Basically, you’ll get to enjoy Australia at a quieter pace, and probably still come away with a suntan!
Tourism Tasmania’s off-season campaign beckons visitors during winter months. After all, “Tasmania only gets more Tasmanian in the winter,” according to the state’s tourism marketing organisation, Discover Tasmania.
Video source: Discover Tasmania YouTube.
Travelling in Australia’s summer means you can go biking in the Australian Alps. It means you don’t have to wear a stinger suit while snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef. It means you can experience a sun-and-sand-filled Christmas or meet Australians travelling their country on summer holidays.
All that being said, off-season travelling in Australia does require careful planning. Australia is a vast, relatively untouched, country with a range of diverse climates across its coasts, interiors, tropics and mountain ranges. Travellers should fully understand changing weather conditions and practical options for an off-season trip. Liv Australia is here to ensure that what you want to do is both possible and safe in any season and especially those shoulder or off seasons. With our local knowledge and travel expertise, we will make your experience an unforgettable one no matter what time of year you choose to head Down Under.
