Tourism Australia Introduces One Week Walkabout

Tourism Australia has introduced the One Week Walkabout –one-week trips to one of the East Coast hubs of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane and surrounding areas. Among the activities and events travelers can see and do in Sydney in the coming months are breakfast on the Sydney Harbor Bridge on Oct. 27, during the Crave Sydney festival; visiting Sculpture by the Sea, featuring sculptures from artists around the world, at Bondi Beach, Oct. 29 through Nov. 15; and partying at Sydney Mardi Gras, Feb. 10 through March 6.

In Melbourne, visitors can see Tiger Woods play in the Australian Masters, Nov. 12 to 15; be a spectator at the Melbourne Cup, Nov. 3; go to the Melbourne International Arts Festival, Oct. 9 to 24; and join more than 160,000 cricket fans at the Melbourne Boxing Day Test, Dec. 26 to 30.

And in Brisbane, visitors can clink mugs and enjoy a warm pretzel at Oktoberfest Brisbane, Oct. 9 to 18; and see the Riverfire fireworks extravaganza over Story Bridge and explore Australia’s largest international arts festival during Brisbane Festival Sept. 12 through Oct. 3.

In addition, a variety of day trips are available from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Among them are: Lord Howe Island, less than a two-hour flight from Sydney, for diving or snorkeling in the world’s most southerly coral reef; Queenscliff, a coastal town less than a two-hour drive from Melbourne, where the Queenscliff Music Festival takes place Nov. 27 to 29; and the Great Barrier Reef, a seaplane ride away from Brisbane.