Things to Do in Australia in March

March sits in a sweet spot for the outer reef. Water temperatures hold at 27-28°C (81-82°F), warm enough to stay in for an hour before chill sets in, even without a wetsuit. The summer plankton bloom fades. Visibility on the outer ribbon reefs climbs back toward 15-20 metres (50-65 ft). The coral spawning of late November is months past. The water column clears. Hard coral gardens at sites like Agincourt Reef look sharper than at Christmas. Afternoon storms roll through. Most reef boats depart Port Douglas or Cairns Marina by 8am and reach the reef by 10, well before weather builds. The catch is stinger season: reputable operators provide full-body lycra suits. Wear one. Crowds are thinner than the June-August dry season rush. Boats running three-stop itineraries spend time at each site instead of racing through. See current reef tours in the booking section below.

Sydney in March hits its stride. The brutal January humidity softens to something tolerable. Harbour water keeps enough summer warmth for comfortable paddling. Light turns golden earlier as autumn approaches. Kayak from Lavender Bay past Goat Island's sandstone cliffs. The Harbour Bridge fills the sky above you. The Opera House gleams white against blue water across the harbour. Postcards undersell this. Wind patterns in March calm down from late summer southerly busters. Harbour surface stays glassy through morning sessions. Pair this with the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk. This 6 km (3.7 mile) clifftop path drops sandstone straight into churning whitewater. Salt spray mixes with frangipani from gardens above. March foot traffic runs roughly half of December levels. Browse current harbour activities in the booking section below.

March means harvest in the Barossa. Visiting during vintage differs entirely from quiet months. Drive 60 km (37 miles) northeast from Adelaide. Air changes as you drop into the valley. Warm eucalyptus yields to yeasty, grape-skin sweetness. Fruit crushes and ferments in roadside sheds. Cellar doors relax from peak season appointment-only policies. Winemakers often pour themselves. They are on site for harvest. Barossa Shiraz vines, some over 150 years old and among the world's oldest, produce concentrated fruit. Taste this in barrel samples. Adelaide Hills sit twenty minutes closer to the city. They rise 400 m (1,312 ft) higher. Cooler temperatures grow crisp Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Surprises people expecting only bold, heavy Australian wines. March Barossa afternoons hover around 28°C (82°F). Low humidity. Good for stone terrace sitting with something dark and peppery. Check current wine region tours in the booking section below.

The Blue Mountains sit 90 km (56 miles) west of Sydney. They rise 1,000 m (3,280 ft) above sea level. Temperatures run about 5°C (9°F) cooler than the city below. March brings daytime temperatures around 20-22°C (68-72°F). Warm enough for comfortable hiking. Cool enough that steep Jamison Valley descents will not wreck you. Eucalyptus canopy releases volatile oils. These scatter blue light across the valley. Clear March mornings at Echo Point deliver dreamlike haze around the Three Sisters sandstone pillars. Photographs cannot quite capture this. The Grand Canyon Track near Blackheath loops 6.3 km (3.9 miles). It drops through fern-choked slot canyons. Air goes cold, damp, and mossy even on warm days. One of Australia's finest short walks. Sees a fraction of Scenic World tourist crowds a few kilometres east. March rainfall makes canyon track sandstone steps slippery. Worth it. Wentworth Falls area waterfalls run stronger. Overcliff-Undercliff circuit rewards wet-weather visitors. Cascades barely trickle in drier months. See current Blue Mountains day trips in the booking section below.

Gold Coast in March sheds Schoolies chaos and Christmas-New Year invasion. What remains: 57 km (35 miles) of sand. Consistent 1-1.5 m (3-5 ft) swell. Water at 25°C (77°F). Enough offshore morning wind to hold wave faces clean. Learn to surf at Currumbin Alley or Greenmount Beach. Points break gently for beginners. Rips stay manageable. Different proposition from battling Surfers Paradise shore dump. March Broadwater evenings turn the sky through apricot and violet. Reflect off water flat enough to sail a catamaran without spilling your drink. Salt air carries smoke from Burleigh Heads beach barbecues. Locals cook on free park grills. Pelicans line the breakwall like spectators. Humidity sits around 70%. Present but not oppressive. Drops as sea breeze picks up mid-afternoon. Browse current Gold Coast water activities in the booking section below.

Margaret River's stretch of Western Australia's southwest coast is three hours south of Perth and feels like a different country: towering karri forests that block the sky, limestone caves where the air is a constant cool 17°C (63°F) regardless of what is happening above ground, and a coastline where the Indian Ocean hits granite headlands with enough force to send spray 10 m (33 ft) into the air. March marks the tail end of whale shark season at nearby Ningaloo. But locally it is about the terrestrial wildlife: kangaroos graze the fairways of the Leeuwin Estate vineyard at dusk in numbers that would shut down a golf course anywhere else, and wild dolphins surf the breaks at Prevelly Beach close enough to shore that you can watch from the sand. The region's caves, Mammoth Cave and Lake Cave with its suspended limestone table, offer a cool escape on the occasional warm afternoon. The bush around the caves smells of peppermint gum and damp leaf litter after a March shower, and the birdlife, including the western ringneck parrot with its absurd green-and-yellow plumage, is at its most active in the transitional season. Check current Margaret River experiences in the booking section below.