# Australia Travel Escapes > Australia Travel Escapes is an Australian travel guide for people who plan before they go, covering walks like the Larapinta Trail and Overland Track, the southern lights in Tasmania, and travel rules such as the Bali tourist levy and duty free limits. It also keeps an editor-picked list of travel and wellness escapes, chosen from public information against the criteria on its methodology page. No honoree pays a fee. Last updated: 2026-11-09. ## Key facts - What it is: An Australian travel guide with planning guides, plus an editor-picked list of travel and wellness escapes (the 2026 Escape Awards & Destination Honours). - Country: Australia. The footer gives Sydney, Australia. - How honorees are chosen: Honorees are selected by our editors based on a published evaluation of publicly available information. The criteria are on the methodology page: https://australiatravelescapes.com/methodology - Fees: No winner pays a fee for inclusion. A category can be empty. - Ownership: This publication shares ownership with PeptaraLabs, Lab Ranked Agency, and Dental Link. - Contact: desk@australiatravelescapes.com ## Guides - [Aurora Australis Tasmania: Where to See the Southern Lights](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/aurora-australis-tasmania) - [Australian Passport Ranking in the World, 2006 to 2026](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/australian-passport-ranking) - [Bali Tourist Levy: Bali Tourist Tax and How to Pay](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/bali-tourist-levy) - [Best Time to Visit Uluru: When to Go, Month by Month](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/best-time-to-visit-uluru) - [Duty Free Allowance Australia: Alcohol, Tobacco and Goods](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/duty-free-allowance-australia) - [Forest Bathing: What It Is and How to Try It in Australia](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/forest-bathing) - [Larapinta Trail: A Walker's Guide to Australia's Red Centre](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/larapinta-trail) - [Overland Track: A Planning Guide to Tasmania's Alpine Walk](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/overland-track) - [Tourist Refund Scheme: How Australians Claim GST Back](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/tourist-refund-scheme) - [Wet Season Darwin: What to Expect in the Top End](https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/wet-season-darwin) ## Categories, 2026 - [Dental Tourism Destination of the Year](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners/dental-tourism) - [Wellness Escape of the Year](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners/wellness-escape) - [Coastal Escape](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners/coastal-escape) - [Outback Retreats](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners/outback-retreats) - [Island Stays](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners/island-stays) - [Food & Wine Trails](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners/food-trails) - [City Breaks](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners/city-breaks) - [Rail Journeys](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners/rail-journeys) - [Family Adventures](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners/family-adventures) ## Common questions - **How long is the Larapinta Trail, and when should I walk it?** The trail runs for more than 230 km through the West MacDonnell Ranges, from the Alice Springs Telegraph Station to Mount Sonder. NT Parks splits it into 12 sections of one or two days each, and most people walk in the cooler months from May to September. Our Larapinta Trail guide lists every section. Page: https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/larapinta-trail - **How does Overland Track booking work?** Bookings run from 1 October to 31 May. In that season each walker picks a start date and pays the pass fee, with a cap of 34 independent walkers a day. The walk covers 65 km over six days in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. The Overland Track guide covers fees, huts and gear. Page: https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/overland-track - **Aurora australis Tasmania: where and when can I see it?** Choose a clear, dark night and an open place facing south, such as Cockle Creek, Bruny Island, kunanyi / Mount Wellington or the South Arm Peninsula. A display is never certain, so our southern lights guide explains the Bureau of Meteorology alerts and the Kp index. Page: https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/aurora-australis-tasmania - **How much is the Bali tourist levy, and how do I pay it?** It is a one-off IDR 150,000 per foreign tourist, set by the Bali Provincial Government and separate from your visa. Payment is cashless: pay online ahead of the flight, at an arrival counter, or at a registered hotel or attraction. Our Bali levy guide explains who is exempt. Page: https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/bali-tourist-levy - **Can Australians use the Tourist Refund Scheme?** Yes. Australian residents can claim back GST and wine equalisation tax on goods they take overseas, just like visitors. You make the claim in person on departure day, at the airport or seaport you leave from, as our Tourist Refund Scheme guide explains. Page: https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/tourist-refund-scheme - **What is the best time to visit Uluru?** May to September. Daytime highs then sit mostly in the 20°C to 30°C range, and rain is rare. Many days from October to March top 35°C, which means early starts on a summer trip. Our Uluru month by month guide has the averages. Page: https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/best-time-to-visit-uluru - **What is the duty free allowance Australia gives each adult?** Each adult can bring in 2.25 litres of alcohol, up to AUD900 of general goods, and either 25 cigarettes or 25 grams of tobacco, all free of duty. Anyone under 18 is limited to AUD450 of general goods, with no alcohol allowance. Our duty free guide shows how families can pool limits. Page: https://australiatravelescapes.com/guides/duty-free-allowance-australia ## More pages - [Home](https://australiatravelescapes.com/) - [All 2026 winners](https://australiatravelescapes.com/winners) - [Methodology](https://australiatravelescapes.com/methodology) - [FAQ](https://australiatravelescapes.com/faq) - [About](https://australiatravelescapes.com/about)