Australia's 'coolest' destinations to escape the heat during summer
Updated . First published
Can't say summer's my favourite time of the year. I'm not a big fan of the heat.
Not a big fan of the cold, either, for that matter. So when it's cold, I go north, and when it's hot, I go south.
If you're also looking to beat the heat this summer, I'm happy to share some of the best places to go to keep your cool.
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Tassie is the best place to escape summer heat. Discover Tasmania
Tasmania
This is the number one destination for a summer escape. Average summer temperatures in Tassie are around 17°C to 23°C. Perfect.
That's not to say you can just go anywhere in Tasmania to avoid the heat. There are a few hot spots, like the east coast, which get hit with northerly winds from the mainland and warm ocean currents that have travelled down from the Coral Sea. There are also some other pockets in the hills west of Hobart, for example.
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If you are serious about avoiding the heat, head for the wild and woolly west coast, which is cooled by currents from the Southern Ocean.
Cradle-Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is the star of the show, with its knock-out scenery, rivers and brilliant hikes. Like a lot of Tasmania, you can get four seasons in a day, so be prepared. I once drove through snow here on the way back to the coast and stopped for an outdoor lunch twenty minutes later in shirtsleeves.
Even in early spring, the weather can be freezing cold - so summer is the way to go. Supplied
My pick for a west coast base is the pretty little fishing village of Strahan, gateway to the World Heritage Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers NP.
A scenic cruise on the Gordon River to Macquarie Harbour is a must-do you if you are in this part of the world.
I've done it in early spring and the weather was brutal, so summer is the way to go.
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The Great Ocean road is cooled by southerly breezes. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Victoria
If you can't make it all the way to Tassie, Victoria has plenty of locations to get relief from the heat. One thing that might surprise you is that you can still enjoy a day at the beach here, without being subjected to one of Melbourne's famous scorching summer days.
Places like Lorne, Apollo Bay, Warrnambool and Port Campbell along the Great Ocean Road have significantly lower summer temps because of their location. This stretch of coast is the beneficiary of those cool Southern Ocean currents and cool sea breezes to go with it.
How about a retreat in Daylesford? Safari Global / Visit Victoria
If that's not cool enough for you, head for the hills.
The Macedon Ranges, just over an hour out of Melbourne, offer blessed relief and some great attractions headlined by Hanging Rock(as in Picnic at Hanging Rock).
Daylesford, Bendigo and Ballarat are other options and if you like it cooler still, then head to Bright and the Alpine Country.
The Blue Mountains has great swimming spots. Supplied
New South Wales
Easy. The Blue Mountains, about a 90-minute drive west of Sydney. The unofficial capital is Katoomba with an average summer max temp of about 23°C. From here you have access to some world-class scenery, walks and sightseeing attractions including the Scenic Cableway and Scenic Railway, the world's steepest railway.
This World Heritage Area is home to some ancient cool temperate rainforests - with the emphasis on cool.
If you want to go cooler again, there's the Southern Highlands or coolest are the Snowy Mountains.
If you're intent on getting to the beach, the south coast might be your best option. The Jervis Bay area has some of Australia's best beaches and has the advantage of being further south with the benefit of cooler sea breezes.
Queensland
Queensland sounds like the last place you'd want to go to escape the summer heat.
But actually, there is one stand-out cool destination: The Granite Belt. This covers a wide area about three hours south-west of Brisbane and extends right down near the border with NSW.
The area is home to Stanthorpe, Queensland's coldest town. It holds the state record of -10.6°C recorded in June, 1961. This may also come as a surprise - Stanthorpe is also Australia's highest altitude wine region with around 50 wineries and 40 cellar doors.
If you thought the best alcohol to come out of Queensland was XXXX or Bundy & Coke then you might be convinced otherwise by the award-winning Chardonnays and Cab Sauvs here.
Toowoomba and the Darling Downs are also Queensland heat beaters.
South Australia
Generally speaking, avoid inland South Australia in summer. The state is 87 per cent desert, which means hot. So, the coast is where you want to be.
Fleurieu Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula, Limestone Coast and Kangaroo Island will offer you some respite from the South Aussie sun.
Hahndorf is a cute village in the Adelaide Hills. Getty
If you live in Adelaide, you don't need me to tell you that if you want to experience a quick drop in temperature, the Adelaide Hills are where it's at.
Under 30 minutes out of the city and you're in a completely different environment great for foodies and wine lovers. Hahndorf is my pick of the towns here.
Western Australia
This is another state with a high proportion of desert, so in WA, stay on the coast and stay south. The bonus of this formula is Margaret River - the WA capital of wine and waves.
Margaret River has beaches and wine. A perfect combo. Getty Images/iStockphoto
And while you're this far, I'd throw in Augusta, a half hour further. Visit Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet.
If you're going to stay in Perth hang out for the Fremantle Doctor, the south-westerly sea breeze which cools down those often blistering afternoons.
So, there's no need to lose your cool this summer, you just need to know the hot spots when it's time to chill.
John Walsh was Executive Producer of the TV travel series Getaway from 1999-2024. You can follow John on Instagram @thegetawayexpert.
