Adventure Activities in Australia

Australia is an adventure-lovers delight. With a bustling coastline, sprawling outback and a mild climate year-round. Australia almost can't help but lure travellers with the endless list of outdoor activities, both on land and at sea.

Jump out of an airplane: Gold Coast

Nothing gets the adrenalin pumping like jumping out of an airplane from 4,000 meters.

A tandem skydive -- you’re attached to an expert -- heightens your chances of a safe landing. The fact that you land near that long, white coastline called the Gold Coast is a bonus – as long as it’s soft.

Swim with whale sharks: Ningaloo

In the early 1800s, whalers flocked to Ningaloo, one of the world’s largest reefs, which stretches 260 kilometers off Western Australia’s mid-north coast.

Today the reef attracts a different kind of visitor -- travelers who want to snorkel with the monstrous but harmless whale sharks -- as well as dugongs, manta rays, turtles and dolphins.

Accredited operators like Three Islands Ningaloo Blue Dive run whale shark expeditions that depart daily from Exmouth, a former naval base, 1,270 kilometers north of Perth.

Dirt bike through wilderness: Cape York

Cape York is one of the largest remaining wilderness areas in the world. It’s also one of the most remote and difficult to access in Australia.

Cape York Motorcycle Adventures offer a range of two- to 10-day trips through the remote region. Prices include motorbikes, food and camping accommodation.

“We’ll get into the real Cape York, ducking and weaving through ant hills and all the low-lying areas through the coast,” says director Roy Kundra. “It’s a lot more exciting than seeing it from the back of a bus or four-wheel drive.”

Kayak from the ocean to a mountain: Gold Coast

On the Gold Coast between Currumbin Village and Palm Beach, Currumbin Creek runs 24 kilometers inland to Mount Cougal.

Its waterscape changes from a soft surf break and shallow lagoons at its mouth to lush jungle surroundings in the interior.

Hire a kayak, paddleboard or small motorized flatbed boat; prices start at $10 an hour.

Horseback riding: Snowy Mountains

In the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, Snowy Wilderness is a privately owned sanctuary for wild horses, known as "brumbies." They remain, many years after their generations-ago sires and mares played a part in colonials staking land claims.

While you’re not allowed to ride a brumby (even if you're a gifted horseman), you can observe these majestic creatures from the saddle of a mountain-fit stock horse on a guided tour through the 3,000-hectare property.