What is the best time of year to visit Australia?

[Beaverhausen]

I live in California and my boyfriend and I plan to visit your country next year. I would assume spring or fall is the best time? IS that right?

He has a friend in Sydney that we will be staying with. I'm really excited and saving my pennies!!!

[judy]

1. I am not from Australia, but I was there and really liked it...

and our Australian DUer friends might confirm or infirm this.
It depends when you are going. I went in November/December, and everywhere was fine except the North and Darwin which were in "the wet". That's aka Monsoon and it makes the parks too soggy for hiking.

I think if you are going to Darwin or Cairns, it might be better to go in early spring (August\September?) but I don't really know.

[1monster]

2. My neighbor just went to Australia for two weeks starting at the end of

May. She said it was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

[anakie]

3. anytime, it is a very large country

it never gets really cold like what some of you guys go thru. If you want to go up north to places like Cairns and the Barrier Reef, as well as Darwin, Kakadu and Uluru (both of these are must see) April thru to October is the dry season with very pleasant temperatures of usually over 20 degrees C daily. Swimming is not recommended in the north over summer because of certain ocean nasties like the box jelly fish.

Even mid winter in Sydney the temperature will often be around 18 - 20 degrees C with overnight temps of around 10 C.

It all depends on how much time you have and what you want to see. To see Australia in two weeks is like seeing America in two weeks. And the exchange rate is pretty good for you folks - around 75 US cents will get you a dollar.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. Canberra = painfully cold!

It can hit -8 C here, but around lunchtime when the fog finally lifts, it warms up a bit...

[Canadian_moderate]

5. We visited Australia in March/April

We were there from March 17 to April 3 this year to be precise, which is end of summer or autumn in most of Australia. The weather was unusually cool in the south-east (Sydney and Melbourne), but it was very hot and humid in Northern Queensland (especially humid around Cairns). It was more moderate as we travelled down towards Brisbane. The near-outback of Northern Queensland (Undarra Volcanic National Park) was hot in day time and cooler at night. When we returned to Sydney on April 2, they had a mini heatwave with temps close to 30c.

[Kipling]

6. I went skiing at Christmas in Australia... it's kinda variable.

[Saynt]

8. You what?

How the bloody hell did you manage skiing in the middle of summer?

Then again I've never been to any of the resorts in the summer months... maybe it's possible...

[Violet_Crumble]

9. Man-made snow?

The only time I've seen snow during summer was three years ago at Charlotte's Pass on new years day...

Violet...

[itchyvet]

7. Best Time to visit Aussie.

Where ever you intend to go and visit, the best time would be OUR late Spring or early Summer.
For the NORTHERN parts you'd be better off visiting OCT,NOV,DEC, before it gets too hot.

[SweetLeftFoot]

10. The fall

you won't be able to visit Australia during the fall as it does not exist.

Autumn however, is quite lovely - especially in Melbourne. Make sure you get to the MCG to see an Aussie Rules game.