1 To hike around Australia’s other rock
Starting in Darwin and heading south gives you a chance to explore the fiery landscapes of the Northern Territory’s red centre before continuing on to explore the rest of Australia. Don’t miss Mount Conner, Uluru’s lesser-known, but equally awesome sibling. This ancient monolith sits on Curtin Springs, a privately owned cattle station, which has teamed up with SEIT Outback Australia to offer guided hikes around the base of the rock for the first time. Look out for red kangaroos, birds and reptiles.
2 To encounter a crocodile
Australia’s top end is home to an estimated 90,000 saltwater crocodiles and this is the best place to meet them. On the Adelaide River just down the Stuart Highway from Darwin you can go on a croc-jumping cruise and watch lurking crocodiles jump several metres into the air for the tasty morsels offered. Get your camera ready as these creatures move quick. Back in Darwin visit Crocosaurus Cove to feed the crocodiles yourself (just the baby ones) and even swim in the infamous “Cage of Death” surrounded by – but perfectly safe from – these fearsome creatures.
3 To swim with whale sharks
Visit Exmouth on the Western Australian coast between March and July and you can dive in to the ocean with the world’s largest fish – the whale shark. At Ningaloo Reef, a fringing reef so close to shore you can swim out to it, you can swim with these gentle giants. Spotter planes guide boats to the best spots and guides will help get you into the water in exactly the right place. There’s plenty more to see on the reef, including vast manta rays, reef sharks and huge swirling shoals of tropical fish.
4 To ride in luxury through the outback
Board the luxurious Ghan train in Darwin and slip into the heart of the outback – one of the world’s last true wildernesses. Over dinner in the Platinum Club Car (saltwater barramundi perhaps) watch the desertscape glide past, then retreat to your en suite cabin to watch the sunset. New for 2015 is the Ghan Expedition with stop-offs to cruise the Katherine River, dine beneath the stars in Alice Springs and tour an opal mine in Coober Pedy, where half the residents live underground. This itinerary takes three nights to travel from the country’s far north to its south coast, and Adelaide.
5 To sleep in the middle of Australia’s deepest lake
In Tasmania, you’ll find the world’s cleanest air, the southern hemisphere’s deepest lake and a new wilderness retreat. Pumphouse Point is a 1940s pumphouse turned boutique hotel, located at the end of a hydro flume jutting out into the centre of Lake St Clair. Fly in from Hobart by seaplane, check in and check in to a room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the mountains beyond. and fill up your days with dinghy trips, trout fishing, bike rides and picnics. Wombats, wallabies, echidnas and even the infamously shy platypus can all be seen here.
How to get there
With Malaysia Airlines, the holiday begins as soon as you board. Its cabin crew know Australia better than most and will be able to tell you about the best places to visit. Flying on Malaysia Airlines to Australia from London Heathrow offers quick, convenient connections to six Australian gateways via its hub Kuala Lumpur.
There are twice-daily A380 flights from London Heathrow with connections to Sydney and Melbourne, plus daily flights to Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Planes go to Darwin four times a week. Prices for return flights from London to Australia start from just £649. For more information and to book visit malaysiaairlines.com
