Whether you’re after a beach holiday, an outback adventure or a long weekend in wine country, we’ve crunched the numbers and found five great value holiday spots in Australia for under $150 a night.
In no particular order (since we don’t like to play favourites), here is our pick of the top five bang for your buck backyard destinations to check out this year.
1. Hervey Bay, Queensland: average daily rate of $147 a night*
A scenic 3.5 hour drive north of Brisbane you’ll find Hervey Bay, the Queensland destination mostly famous for whale watching. For families looking for a fun-filled holiday spot this year Hervey Bay is not only budget friendly, it also offers activities galore, think fishing, whale watching, swimming, art galleries and horse riding – Hervey Bay is all about soaking up the sunshine, outdoors and coastline.
2. Alice Springs, Northern Territory: average daily rate of $137 a night*
If an outback adventure is more your style, Alice Springs is the destination for you. As the gateway to many central Australian adventures it’s a town full of rich indigenous culture, art and history.
For an educational experience, not to be missed is learning about the different way of life for kids in the outback with a visit to the world’s largest classroom: The School Of The Air.
While if you’re up for the road trip, hit the open highway and make the six hour journey to another iconic Aussie destination, Uluru.Or if you’re not up for drive, you can always take a scenic helicopter day flight from Alice Springs to Uluru to see it all 😉
3. Townsville, Queensland: average daily rate of $133 a night*
Discovering Townsville has got to be on your list for 2016. Not only is it ‘winning’ when it comes to bargain accommodation rates, it’s also the home to the ‘winning’ Cowboys and is a gateway to the islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
If that’s not enough to impress you, it’s also the perfect place to base yourself for a day trip to Wallaman Falls which (fun fact) is home to the Southern Hemispheres largest single drop waterfall.
4. Clare Valley, South Australia: average daily rate of $140 a night*
After a food and wine getaway without breaking the bank balance? Check out Australia’s best bang for your buck wine region, the Clare Valley, just a two-hour drive north of Adelaide where you’ll find plenty of boutique wineries, an emerging food scene and some of the best Riesling you’ll find in Australia – mmm!
5. Coffs Harbour, New South Wales: average daily rate of $149 a night*
Nothing beats a good old fashion road trip, and Coffs Harbour, ideally located halfway between Sydney and Brisbane is our pick of destinations to consider a drive holiday to in 2016.
As well as offering fantastic beaches, it also provides plenty of great value family friendly resorts and holiday parks. Plus, visiting Coffs most famous icon, the Big Banana, is a ‘must-do’ for the kids, as well as your inner kid within (lets admit we’ve all had a token childhood photo there!)
*Based on the average daily rate for 3 – 5 star rated and self-rated accommodation bookings on Wotif.com in the period 1 April – 31 December 2015 for the described destinations. Prices shown are in Australian dollars and are not the rates displayed on the site. Rates are subject to accommodation selections made.