Around December the weather in Australia is probably way better than in your own country, at least when you live at the Northern Hemisphere of course. This time of the year gives you Santa in the sand instead of the snow and fireworks with your shorts and T-shirt on instead of an Eskimo-outfit.
December in Australia will provide you with nothing more than a season of party, friends and family, just like you are used to at home. The only difference now is, you have to choose where to go! To make sure you will have the best hot December ever, we made a list of the highlights in Australia to make things a bit easier. Don’t get us wrong; it’ll still be a hard choice because everything is amazing.
Christmas
Christmas in Sydney
Image thanks to Local Pokies
Sydney can be seen as a summer wonderland. It has dazzling white sandy beaches and sparkling city streets. A Christmas in Sydney is like a month full of celebrations. It all begins on November 24th in the city centre with the Christmas tree lighting in Martin Place. The choirs on Martin Place are a nightly event every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 pm until December 23rd. It feels like walking through a magical forest when all the 90,000 LED lights twinkle nightly at the Pitt Street Mall. Sydney is a massive place with a lot to offer during December such as a X-MAS Eve Sydney Harbour Cruise.
Christmas in Darwin
Image thanks to Monsoons
During December there’s lots is going on in Darwin for both sexes, but for females looking for some fun there’s is one night that’s well known all through Darwin. It’s the Ladies night at Monsoons. Ladies in Darwin have the chance to treat themselves to a night of fun at Monsoons Ladies night through Christmas Week. What’s on during the week changes from year to year, but they’re sure to have great music, awesome drinks and lots of “Naughty Christmas Elves”. The best part is entry is free!
Christmas in Melbourne
Image thanks to Culture Trip
Melbourne is quite a big city with tons of parties and events going on during December. The benefits of a hot Christmas in Melbourne is that the citizens can appreciate the outdoors at Christmas time. You will find a pop-up cinema in the QV shopping mall in its outdoor square all summer long! It’s promising themed films in the lead-up to Christmas. Each ticket holder has issued a deck chair and a personal set of headphones, so cinema-goers can relax and won’t be distracted. For over 60 years the Myer department store has been celebrating Christmas with window displays. It has even become a tradition in Melbourne. Everyone always lines up in Bourke St Mall and watches the Christmas stories come to life with animated puppets and moving scenes.
New Year’s
New Year’s in Sydney
Image thanks to Fantasea Cruising
The Sydney Harbour Fireworks are one of the most spectacular New Year’s celebrations all over the globe! Each year a new theme is chosen and is regularly viewed by more than one million people surrounding the harbour and one billion worldwide for the Midnight Fireworks! Each year a total of around 8.5 tonnes of fireworks will be shot into the sky. This event takes about 12 minutes. A tip we can give you, book in time! Because Sydney is such a famous place to celebrate NYE, you have to be an early bird by booking your tickets and hostels. Most people book their hostel one year in advance!
Also, Sydney can be very expensive during this period, but there are some cheaper ways to celebrate the end of the year!
New Year’s in Cairns
Image thanks to TropicNow
The best place to celebrate New Year’s is in Esplanade, Cairns. With 30,000 others you can enjoy Cairns Regional Council’s official New Year’s Eve party and fireworks. The best part is, it’s free!
Image thanks to Tropical North Queensland
If you’re looking to get fit before you make and then ultimately give up on your New Year’s resolution to exercise, why not try the Cairns Regional Council NYE Resolution Fun Run. Starting at Fogarty Park, the 4km fun run along the Esplanade starts at 7:30 pm. There’s loads of entertainment and surprises lining the course. Dress up in bright neon or paint yourself with glow pens and join the party with a healthy way to finish the year with family and friends. And the best bit, it’s Free!
New Year’s in Perth
Image thanks to PerthNow
If you are based in Perth during NYE, you have plenty of choice with where to see the fireworks! Even if you’re on a budget, you can easily have a fantastic time in Perth. They provide amazing shows, cruises and parties with varying prices.
New Year’s on Magnetic Island
Image thanks to Nomads
Island life offers two massive parties over three days with tunes from some of the world’s biggest artists. It starts on the 30th of December and ends on the first of January. In between the epic beach parties, you can soak up that good old Tropical North Queensland sun and splash about in crystal-clear blue waters. Sun, sea and music, what is a better way to kick off your New Year?
Festivals
Woodford Folk Festival
Image thanks to WeekendNotes
This festival takes place in, of course, Woodford, Queensland. This festival happens every year and brings around 120,000 people together from all over the world to party at one of Australia’s biggest music festivals. Woodford starts on the 27th of December and ends on the first of January. The festival lasts for six days and nights! The festival programme is of epic proportions with concerts, dances, street theatre, writers’ panels, a film festival, comedy acts, acoustic jams, social dialogue and debate, folk medicine, an entire children’s festival, an environmental programme featuring talks, debates and films, art and craft workshops, circus performances and workshops, late night cabarets, parades and special events. Phew.
Falls Festival
Image thanks to ABC
The hype is real for Falls. Kick off the end of December with Falls Festival it starts on the 28th of December and ends on the 6th of January! There are different places where the festival is held.
You can’t say you have partied in OZ unless you have been to one of the Falls Festivals. Tickets entitle you to 3 days of camping onsite and three endless days of entertainment with the hottest DJs and top bands. We can’t think of a more wicked way to welcome your new year!
About The Author:
Pleun van Kerkhoff is 22 years old and from the Netherlands. Since she was only four years old, she has been dreaming of Australia. Australia has heaps of adventures to offer, but she hasn't been able to discover them all yet. Adrenaline is the thing that keeps her running and therefore the major thing she is looking for.
