The ultimate festival on wheels, Red Centre NATS is returning to Alice Springs for the first weekend of September 2021 and tickets are on sale now. The event calendar is filled with street cruising, burnouts, drag racing, show cars, bikes, grass driving and more.
The Northern Territory Minister for Major Events Natasha Fyles said: "People travel from all over the country to attend, bringing with them plenty of support, and many turn the journey into a classic Aussie road trip." Tickets start from just $30 and are predicted to sell fast.
Explore more: redcentrenats.com.au
Why we're hitting the road
This summer we are road tripping from hotels to highlands, cultural grounds to charging stations and beyond.
Bookings in regional Australia are soaring as Australia returns to the vacation of our parents: the annual drive holiday. Some caravan parks have seen bookings up 700 per cent year on year.
But we all remember those days when things didn't run to plan. So a new road trip planner just might save the day.
Destination NSW has curated a series of Great Escape road-trip itineraries that can be followed singly or cut and matched together. The tried-and-true itineraries allow you to choose what matters to you most. Options include waterfalls, caves and fossils, outback country, coastal beaches, heritage highlights, and itineraries on which you can follow your favourite foods. Inspiration is aplenty.
Explore more: visitnsw.com/things-to-do/drives-and-road-trips
The pick of Aussie campsites
Penny Watson has created an all-encompassing, ultimate guidebook to 75 of Australia's most wild and wondrous nature-based campgrounds. Ms Watson covers everything from the white sandy beaches of Queensland and pristine national parks of New South Wales to the wineries of South Australia and the wilderness areas of Tasmania.
Ultimate Campsites: Australia is the perfect accompaniment when camping your way across Australia, and an essential for the glove box, caravan book collection or the restless traveller's coffee table.
Explore more: hardiegrant.com
Ultra-luxe Ultravillas
Australia's leading luxury home-hotel booking service, Luxico, is launching new Ultravillas experiences on a small, curated selection of private five-star villas. The all-inclusive stays feature a personal butler, daily housekeeping, designer linen, a fully stocked fridge on arrival and a bar containing a rare selection of top wines.
Among the crème de la crème of Australia's luxury mansions is Mandalay House in Airlie Beach, gateway to the Whitsundays, where this seven-bedder comes with a pool, marina and helipad. It only costs about $13,000 per night and is rumoured to have once hosted Taylor Swift.
Explore more: luxico.com.au
Sippin' on gin and films
Netflix and pyjamas have taken up more than enough of our time this year. Dress up for a night out in a private cinema with an array of cocktails and bottomless popcorn. Round up your nearest and dearest and make a night of it at the QT Cinema Club in the heart of Sydney's CBD. For just $79 per person, you get exclusive hire of the QT Cinema Club showing your choice of film, a Four Pillars gin cocktail and bottomless gin-salt popcorn, as well as a $25 QT Sydney room credit for each attendee.
Explore more: qthotels.com/sydney-cbd/
The Grapest 5k
Who said you have to choose between a bottle of wine and a fun run? Lace up your runners and perhaps add a wineglass holder to your lanyard before running five kilometres through vineyards, all in the name of fun.
The Grapest 5k Run is taking place across the country in 2021 starting with Lake George Winery on March 20. First, you run through the winery, then there's a slow wander with wine tastings. Dates are yet to be announced for Bunnamagoo Estate Wines (Mudgee), Leura Park Estate (Geelong) and Cassegrain Wines (Port Macquarie). The event will also be held in the Hunter Valley, Queensland and WA.
Explore more: centauroutdoorevents.com.au
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