Island Getaways"Find the right island for you" Trying to find island getaways in Australia? Believe it or not, Australia has 8222 islands!! Now not all of them are worth visiting but there really are lots to choose from. The following guide includes some well known ones that are definitely on the tourist treck, as well as some hidden gems. The more touristy ones often have australia travel packages on offer and this can be cheaper than buying a flight and accommodation separately. For my recommendations of which travel agents to try see the page on Australia travel agents
The best Islands to visitIt's too hard to choose which are the best island getaways so I have put them in alphabetical order! The page ended up being too long so the second set of islands are at Australian Islands I've also included at the end a section on best for families, best for diving etc in case this is easier to navigate through them!
Bathurst Island, Tiwi Islands, Northern TerritoryThis is a full day trip from Darwin and is a good island getaway if you want to experience some Aboriginal culture. It is one of the Tiwi Islands and is rich in aboriginal culutre. You really need to go with a tour to visit the islands as permits are required. Trips usually allow you to visit the old wooden church, cool off in the amazing waterfall and pool at Tumwarripi and of course meet the Tiwi people. They are famous for their arts and crafts with their painting being very collectable. Trips always visit the arts and crafts centre. Click here for more information on Darwin 
Fraser Island, QueenslandStill one of my favourite weekends away and island getaways. This is one of the biggest of Australia's islands and is totally made of sand. It offers a chance to be adventurous and drive a 4WD on sandy trails and beaches, with scenery to die for. This is for you if you want to do something different. Whilst there is a 4 star resort on the island, I'd recommend camping (and I NEVER camp!) Click here for more information on Fraser Island 
Green Island, tropical north QueenslandThis is one of the great island getaways suitable for a day trip from Cairns. Cairns is the gateway to the great barrier reef and green island offers fantastic snorkelling and diving on the great barrier reef. It also has a lovely rainforest so you can take a walk through the forest. There is also an underwater observatory and a glass bottomed boat to view the marine life if you don't fancy snorkelling or diving. It is more of a day trip type place but there is a 5 star resort here called Green Island Resort if you fancy staying a bit longer. Prices start from $550 per night.
Hinchinbrook Island, tropical north QueenslandThis is the island for you if you like national parks and walking. The access point is south of Cairns at Cardwell (just south of Mission Beach so about 3 hours from Cairns). A boat transfer will get you here from Cardwell. Given its proximity to Cairns, it's in the tropical north of Queensland so the best time to come is during the dry season - May to September would be best. It is famous for its 32km Thorsborne bushwalking trail. This is only for the experienced walker as the trail is pretty challenging. You need at least 3 days here to enjoy it. Booking ahead is essential for Hitchinbrook island getaways as the walk only allows 40 people at a time, with strict adherence to "no trace camping" The wilderness lodge here is an eco lodge and is beautiful. Prices start at $295 but the treetop bungalows are the best at $395 
Kangaroo Island, nr AdelaideYou can experience perfect island getaways in Kangaroo Island. This is the perfect island for you if you want to discover unspoilt Australian beauty and Australian animals in their natural habitat. It involves touring around in your car and whilst there are plenty of beaches to laze around on, it's more of a "doing" holiday. Click here for more information on Kangaroo Island 
Lady Elliot IslandAffordable island getaways with fantastic marine life. Lady Elliot offers standard accommodation to more expensive accommodation. A perfect destination if you want to dive or snorkel. More details are under the Budget travel page. Click here for more information on budget travel destinations It might also be a good destination for australia travel packages. Contact a travel agent to see if they have any good flights and accommodation deals.
King Island, off TasmaniaJust off the north coast of Tasmania, this island is for you if you like your cheese, lobster and beef. It has the perfect conditions for all of them You can visit the King Island dairy and King Island Seafoods both will give you a tour and allow you to taste some great cheese and fish. This is probably a good day or half day trip from the north coast of Tasmania. You can visit all year round (Tasmania is the coldest of all the Australian states) and experience its rugged charm. You can catch a flight from Davenport on the mainland of Tasmania. Tas Air run frequent flights between the two. Click here for more information on Tasmania
Lord Howe Island, New South WalesPerfect Island getaways don't get much better than this! Lord Howe is a favourite with the locals and is an easy 2 hour flight from either Sydney or Brisbane in the Pacific Ocean (kind of on the way to New Zealand). In peak season you can fly from Port Macquarie which is about 5 hours north of Sydney. Qantas are the only airline to fly here so prices can be a bit on the expensive side. Best time to come is when its warm but not too hot if you fancy walking. Anytime from late October through to March would be best, trying to avoid December and January when prices are at their peak. It's the only Australian island to have been added to the UNESCO world heritage list due its pristine beauty. Only 400 tourists are allowed on the island at any one time to ensure its prefect-ness is maintained! You can come here and simply relax and enjoy its uncroweded gorgeous beaches but its more popular due to its many other activities ton offer. There's fantastic snorkelling directly off the island or head a little further out for some amazing dive sites. Bushwalking is also a popular past time here as the Mount Gower day walk is supposed to be one of the best ever The good thing about the island is that there is a range of accommodation types but it does tend to cater for the well off! It's hard to find cheap accommodation on Lord Howe! This is a good destination to try to get Australia travel packages - it should make the overall cost cheaper but it's not easy as you need to have booked accommodation first before you can book a flight ( it must be the way they make sure there is only 400 tourists on the island) 
Show me the best island getaways suitable for.....So now you've seen some of the islands, here's a quick summary as to which ones are best for you. Remember that there is another page with the remaining islands at Australian Islands:- BEST FOR TROPICAL ISLAND INDULGENCE BEST FOR DIVING AND SNORKELLING BEST FOR THE FAMILY BEST FOR NATURE BEST FOR WALKING BEST FOR ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA BEST FOR FOOD AND WINE MOST AFFORDABLE
More Australian Islands
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