Map of Australia 

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Australia climate and the best time to travel

Not just one climate
It's probably quite obvious that due the sheer size of Australia as a continent there is not just one Australia climate, there are many different climates. If you travel through a large part of Australia, you'll pass through several different Australia climate zones. It's difficult to nail down the best time of year to travel when you're planning on travelling all through Australia. Australia is a popular tourist destination year round. The southern part of the country is especially popular during the summer months, or should we say our winter months. 

Tips on what clothes to pack
You may feel a bit overwhelmed when you read about the various Australia climate zones and temperatures you may encounter. Naturally you can't bring along your entire wardrobe ad you don't want to be carrying around too much clothes with you. So, this is our tip: bring along just enough comfortable (cotton) clothing, thin/ airy clothes and some thicker material clothing such as a pair of jeans. If you bring along one warm cardigan/ vest, a sweater and a jacket you'll prepared for any kind of weather. If you only encounter scorching temperatures, you will probably buy one or two fun Aussie t-shirts to take home with you that you can wear. 

Australia climate zone details
Since nearly every traveller wants to know all about Australia climate, here's a summary for you. Please keep in mind that although we wish we could predict the weather precisely, we can't obviously. 

North Australia, in the Darwin area, has a wet, tropical climate. It's warm all year here and usually quite pleasant. There are two distinct seasons:

May through October: Tropical winter. Although South Australia can be very cold to moderately cold during this time of year, temperatures range from a minimum of 21 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 31 degrees Celsius. Days are warm and dry, skies are blue and the nights are cool. The perfect weather for going on safaris in the outdoors. 

November through April: Tropical summer. Temperatures range between a minimum of 25 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 32 degrees Celsius. There is more rain during this time of year, especially between January and March, and thunderstorms and other storms are more common. One advantage of travelling during this time of year is that the waterfalls are at their best, you'll see more birds and nature is much more colourful and vibrant during this time of year. Some parts of Kakadu can be closed though and safaris become more rigorous and adventurous.  

Central Australia, in the Ayers Rock area, has a desert climate with four distinct seasons. Please note: there are significant differences between day-time and night-time temperatures so it's best to wear several layers of clothing that you could shed if necessary. 
 

March through May:

This period is the Red Centre's fall. It's warm during the day and cools off in the evening. Temperatures range between a minimum of 13 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 28 degrees Celsius. In other words, this is a perfect time of year to explore the area by foot or bus. 
 

June through August:

This is when this area has its winter season. Actually this is probably the best season for travel. Days are sunny without a cloud in the sky and the evenings are crisp and cool and wonderful for sitting around a campfire. You'll need to wear warm clothing during the morning and evening; the minimum temperature is usually near freezing. During the day temperatures can run up to 20 degrees Celsius. 
 

September through November:

This is when this area has its spring season. It will get slightly warmer than it would from March through May. Minimum temperature is approximately 14 degrees Celsius and the maximum can run up to 30 degrees Celsius. It's quite sunny during the day and the evenings and mornings are pleasant. Afternoons can be hot. 
 

December through February:

Summer in the Red Centre. The night-time temperature is about 21 degrees Celsius, while day-time temperatures can reach up to 35 degrees Celsius. If you decide to travel here during this time of year, be sure to drink enough during the day. Our busses all have air-conditioning by the way. Return to the top

Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef in the Cairns area on the tropical east coast, have moderate climates. To start off with the water temperature... it's sublime! The water here is 30 degrees Celsius in January and February. So don't worry about bringing along a wetsuit if you plan to travel here during this time of year. During the winter months of June and July the water temperature is 22 degrees Celsius. During the summer it doesn't get much hotter than 35 degrees Celsius (luckily) and the minimum night-time temperature in the winter (June and July) is about 12 degrees Celsius. The Tablelands, located in the hinterland, are higher up and therefore cooler. They are probably about 5 degrees Celsius cooler than the coast is. 
 

October through December:

Bright, clear, warm days with some thunderclouds late in the afternoon and some rain at night. Many of the area's trees are now in bloom, there are insects everywhere and the waterfalls will begin to flow plunge again. The reef is full of life, it's breeding season for coral. There are many colourful fish swimming around. Temperatures on the coast range from 22-36 C.
 

January through March:

It's warm all day and night now. This is also when you can expect the most rainfall and rivers will be filled to the brink. The rainforest is full of colour and even the Outback has a green hue. Temperatures on the coast range from 22-36 C.

April through May:
This is the mildest time of year. The rain will stop falling, the days are long, lazy, warm and sunny and there's a cool sea breeze from time to time. The nights are comfortably cool. Temperatures on the coast range from 18-30 C.

June through July:
These are the coolest months in the tropics. However they are also the months with the least amount of rain, so you'll have the best chance of sitting by campfire beneath a clear night sky. It doesn't get dark quite as early here as it does in Western Europe. Temperatures on the coast range from 12-26 C.

August through September:
This is when it starts to warm up again and you'll have plenty of sunny days and a cool sea breeze at times. This is when the humpback whales come to the tropics to swim towards Antarctica at the end of the summer. Temperatures on the coast range from 15-30 C.

West Australia, and then particularly the coastal area surrounding Perth, has hot, dry summers (average temperature 30 C) and wet, very mild winters (average temperature 10 C). The ocean wind and storms have quite a significant impact on the area's weather. The semi-arid desert spanning from Halls Creek to Broome and from Geraldton to Albany is hot (38 C) in the summer from December through February and mild in the winter from June through August (19 C). At night it can get quite chilly though. 

The northwest, Kimberley has 2 seasons:
May through November: the dry tropical winter with clear sunny days and cool comfortable nights. This is the most appropriate time to travel here. 
December through April: the wet tropical summer with plenty of rain and tropical cyclones at sea (which bring lots of wind and rain to land). The area is difficult to travel through during this time of year. 

The southwest has 4 seasons:
September through November: plenty of wild flowers, changing weather conditions. Minimum temperature approximately 12 C, maximum temperature approximately 25 C.
December through February: the best time of year to enjoy the beautiful beaches. Minimum temperature approximately 17 C, maximum temperature approximately 31 C.
March through May: warm days and cooler nights. Fine weather for going on tours through the area. 
June through August: this is the off-season no tours take place during this time of year.  

The (South) East side of Australia has a very steady, almost Mediterranean Sea climate. On average, temperatures in Brisbane stay above 20 C all year round. From June through September the minimum temperature can be around 10 C. There's rainfall all year round, however the most rain falls between December and March. This area is always an excellent place to visit, anytime of year. That's why this area is so popular among Aussies themselves. 

Temperatures in Sydney actually only drop below the 10 C minimum in the winter (July and August). During other months, and especially during the summer from December through March, temperatures can rise up to 20 - 25 C.

South Australia has very specific summer and winter seasons, just like we do in the UK, except these seasons take place opposite to ours. For instance, Melbourne is delightfully warm (20-25 C maximum) from October through April, however temperatures can drop below 10 C from May through September. So, they really do have a very European style winter. Canberra however doesn't freeze during the winter. These distinct seasons also apply to Tasmania. It can actually get quite cold on Tasmania during the winter. Temperatures can drop to 10 C below freezing from April through November. In the summers temperatures rise to a maximum of 20 C. Temperatures here are comparable to those in Scandinavia. Return to the top

For more information, have a look at the following web sites: www.weather.com or www.worldclimate.com