Looking for Australia's best mid-winter mini-break? Here are a few great options

You've made it to July. Now, you're desperate for a holiday. Even a cheeky weekend away would do. You don't have time to travel too far, but it's always fun jumping on a plane, isn't it?

It's winter in Oz, so you'll need to make a choice. Will you escape the cold? Or embrace it?

I recently enjoyed two completely opposite, and perfectly do-able, mid-winter getaways. First, I flew south to Hobart for the ultimate cool-cation. Then north, to Cairns, to warm up and thaw out.

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HOBART

I love all the wintery things - crackling log fires, the crisp winter air, cosy dinners, rugging up in my favourite woolly coat and scarf. With average daily temps ranging from 3-11 degrees in the colder months, Hobart certainly gives good winter.

"Winter here is not a time to escape. It's a time to embrace!" says Tourism Tasmania CEO Sarah Clark. "Everything just seems a bit brighter during the day and cosier at night."

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If it's your first visit, you'll probably want to check off a few must-dos. A Saturday stroll through the Salamanca Markets. A visit to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). You might get snow on Mt Wellington if you're lucky, and if the roads aren't closed, you can drive all the way to the summit for a snow fight and speccy views of the city.

This wasn't my first rodeo in Hobart, so I was excited to enjoy some wonderful new winter experiences.

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Kuuma Nature Sauna

Saunas are 'so hot right now', in the Tassie wellness tourism space. They're nothing like the stinky, sweat boxes you may have seen at the back of a gym. These are super stylish, Scandinavian-inspired and architecturally designed, to blend in beautifully with Tasmania's stunning landscapes. Oh, and they're pronounced "Sow-na" down here. That's how the Finnish say it, apparently.

For a unique experience close to Hobart, Kuuma Nature Saunas promise a "sensory dawn awakening" with their Dawn Heat and Dip cruise.  A 5am alarm might not sound appealing when you're on holiday, but this one was worth it.

It was a 20-minute drive to the Marina, followed by a torchlit walk along the pier to the custom built pontoon boat. In the pre-dawn silence, we cruised out to a nearby bay to watch the sunrise from the rejuvenating warmth of the floating wood fired sauna.

If you're feeling brave (and hot) enough, you can dive into the freezing water of North West Bay. The hot sauna/cold plunge ritual is meant to invigorate the senses and provide all kinds of health benefits, but with a water temp of just 9 degrees, I couldn't bring myself to take the plunge. My senses felt adequately awakened and invigorated in the toasty sow-na.

Sullivans Cove Distillery

Whisky is booming business in Tassie, with around 40 distillers across the state. Sullivans Cove is the only distillery to have won World's Best Single Cask Single Malt – twice.

The recent $13 million renovation has produced a seriously seductive tasting room. With the dim lighting, velvet furniture and slick gold finishes, it looks like the kind of New York bar where you might spot George Clooney and Brad Pitt sitting in the corner smoking cigars.

On my guided tour of the distillery, I was shown how their 'built-in inefficiencies' have contributed to their success. A 'built-in inefficiency', I learned, means it might not be the most efficient way of doing something, but in their opinion, it's the best (which is exactly how my father would describe his dishwasher stacking technique).  

The $70 Standard tasting experience includes a tour and tasting flight of three whiskys, from bottles that sell for around $400-$500 each. For $100, the tasting flight includes old and rare whiskys which retail at $800-$1200 per bottle. I'm quite sure I'll never get the chance to drink thousand dollar whisky again, so you better believe I savoured every sensational sip.

Tolpuddle Vineyard

Tasmanian wines are also consistently rated amongst the world's best and Tolpuddle Vineyard is recognised for producing some of Australia's finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

It's also home to one of our most stylish new cellar doors. Located 30 minutes from Hobart in the Coal River Valley, everything here feels … 'elevated'. Best of all, it offers an opportunity to taste their exclusive, and famously hard to get wines (there's currently a waitlist for their annual release).

The wine flight includes two current releases and two back vintages, and there's a scrumptious selection of small bites to accompany the wines. My favourite was the Tongola Curdy Goats Curd with Hazelbrae Hazelnuts, Miellerie Kunzea Honey and Pigeon Whole Baguette. So many exotic ingredients I'd never heard of (because: 'elevated'), but I'd order it all again in a heartbeat.

Mushroom Foraging

You might be understandably hesitant to pick wild mushrooms in light of recent events. But this tour is hosted by (and I can't stress this highly enough), a mushroom expert, with decades of experience. Sirocco South master forager Mic Giuliani has always been fond of funghi.

"As kids we would forage with our grandparents", he told me. "Even now, after 50 years of foraging, I still do a little happy dance when I see my first mushroom of the day".

Mic now hosts foraging tours in the forest on the outskirts of Hobart.  In a true 'paddock to plate' experience, he then whips up a 6 course gourmet lunch right there in the middle of the forest, combining the mushrooms found during the treasure hunt with some other seasonal produce. 

I loved the Wild Mushroom Cobbler – it was the perfect hearty winter dish. And the Mushroom Crème Brulee was a surprisingly tasty dessert.  

A night in the country

They had me at "Would you like to warm up beside the crackling log fire with a warm spiced chardonnay?" Tucked away in the Coal River Valley, Prospect Country House is only 20 minutes from Hobart, but feels worlds away from the city. 

This grand 1833 Georgian Villa has been transformed into boutique accommodation, with all the rural charm you'd expect from a cosy countryside retreat. It's owned by the Pooley family of the well-known Pooley Wines – their award winning winery is conveniently located just across the road. 

The nearby main street of Richmond has that quaint country town vibe, with a beautiful old pub and a bakery serving Tassie's famous scallop pies. The heritage listed Richmond Bridge is recognised as Australia's oldest bridge still in use. It's also one of our most photogenic.  Oh and Richmond is also home to Australia's only Pooseum. Yep, that's what the sign says out front. It's a museum of poo.

CAIRNS

If you'd prefer a break from the chilly weather, you really can't go wrong with a mid-year getaway to tropical north Queensland.

The moment I stepped off the plane and felt the warm air hit my face, my entire body instantly slipped into holiday mode.

Cairns is hugely popular with overseas visitors, so there are plenty of professional operators offering tours to all the most popular attractions, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. 

But I discovered during this visit, that the beauty of spending a cheeky winter weekend in Cairns, is actually not doing very much at all.

Where to stay

There's no shortage of hotels in Cairns, available in every price range. If the goal of your getaway is to soak up the sunshine in five star comfort, Crystalbrook Riley is your spot.

The rooms are stylish and spacious and the pool area has that luxury resort feel (it reminded me of the old Versace hotel pool on the Gold Coast). With plenty of day beds and comfy cabanas, it's inviting to just spend the entire day poolside.

The extensive breakfast buffet is on par with anything I've seen in five star hotels around the world. I also had a delicious dinner at the Asian inspired Paper Crane restaurant.

It was so lovely sitting outdoors on the terrace and enjoying dinner in the middle of winter, without a heater hovering over me or a blanket covering my knees. 

I'm always hesitant to book a beauty treatment in a hotel spa (they're often underwhelming and over-priced) but my facial at the Eleme Spa was heavenly. Beauty therapist and Cairns local, Madi has absolutely found her calling. 

Another big tick for this property is their commitment to being a sustainable hotel. The coat hangers are made from recycled cardboard, the room keys are made from recycled wood and the bathroom amenities are all biodegradable or recyclable - even the toothbrush is made from sugarcane.

The location is perfect - just outside the busy tourist zone, but close enough to walk to all the action in town. And the famous Cairns Esplanade is just across the road.

This waterfront 2.5 km path is a hive of activity, day and night, with a mix of locals exercising and walking their dogs, and tourists taking happy snaps and facetiming home to show off that stunning North Queensland backdrop. 

Sunday sesh

Cairns has really leaned into the 'Sunday Arvo Sesh' – and I loved that for me on this trip. There's something about a live DJ and saxophone player that lures me into a venue every time, and that's exactly what happened at The Calypso Club. Conveniently located next to my hotel, this bar and restaurant gives Greek Island Beach Club vibes.

The cocktails were davoon, the food was delish (I'm still dreaming about the Prosecco compressed watermelon with goat's cheese and pistachio) and it was all delightfully relaxing, sitting there overlooking the water, listening to the chilled tunes. It's actually how I'd like to spend every Sunday in Winter, thank you very much.

If you're looking for a more rowdy atmosphere, head to The Pier Bar in town. This place was going off when I walked past at 6pm on Sunday night.

Waterfall Circuit

If you love connecting with nature, you've come to the right place. There are so many epic waterfalls in and around Cairns, the clever tourism folk have created a 'Waterfall Circuit'. You can join a guided group tour from Cairns or rent a car and use the self-drive itinerary. 

It would take an entire week to visit every waterfall on the circuit, but for a quick getaway, you could easily see one or two. Many of the falls have idyllic waterholes, open for swimming year-round, so don't forget your swimmers.

I drove 20 minutes to Crystal Cascades, which is actually a series of stunning waterfalls and waterholes. It was a beautiful morning stroll through the rainforest after breakfast.

Visit Palm Cove

Queensland has its fair share of beautiful beaches, but the perfectly picturesque palm-fringed beach in Palm Cove can now claim the prestigious title of World's Best, as voted by Conde Nast Traveller in 2024.

Palm Cove is an easy 30 minute drive from Cairns and well worth a visit.  With everything you'd expect to find in a beachside village - it felt like a smaller, much quieter Noosa.

One of the world's best beaches certainly looked inviting, but the 'beware of crocodiles' signs prevented me from venturing in.

Palm Cove is also home to some of the best restaurants in the region. I was thrilled to secure a reservation at the highly acclaimed NuNu restaurant.

Known for their spectacular beachfront location and innovative menu, this has to be one of the best spots in North Queensland for a long lunch. Or brunch. Or dinner.

The Iceberg, Avocado and Finger Lime Salad tasted like summer on a plate. And the bbq scallop with green masala and smoked yoghurt was the most delicious scallop I've ever had (or maybe everything just tastes better when you're on holiday)?

NuNu absolutely lived up to the hype.

As I sat outside in the 27 degree sunshine, listening to the waves crashing, feeling the warm breeze blowing on my face and sipping my pineapple mojito, I remember thinking – "Yep. This is exactly how a mid-winter escape is meant to feel!"

Sami travelled as a guest of Tourism Tasmania, Tourism Tropical North Queensland & Crystalbrook Riley.

You can follow Sami on instagram @samilukis.