Things to Do in Australia in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Australia
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is March Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + End-of-summer beach water temperatures peak around 75°F (24°C) at Bondi, making March the last solid month for ocean swimming before autumn currents cool the water.
- + Domestic holiday crowds have evaporated after Australia Day, so you'll walk straight onto the Manly ferry without the January queues snaking around Circular Quay.
- + Melbourne's Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix (mid-March) turns the city into a petrol-head playground with free concerts along the Yarra River and pop-up bars in Federation Square.
- + Wine harvest season in South Australia means you can join cellar-door stomping sessions at McLaren Vale vineyards , something tourists never see outside these three weeks.
- − Northern Australia enters the tail-end of wet season, so Darwin and Cairns see afternoon thunderstorms that can scrub reef trips at 24 hours' notice.
- − Schoolies (Australian spring break) stragglers still haunt Gold Coast hostels through early March, which means 3 AM fire alarms and beer pong in communal kitchens.
- − Easter pricing kicks in from mid-March, so coastal accommodation rates jump 30-40% regardless of whether you're traveling during Easter weekend itself.
Year-Round Climate
How March compares to the rest of the year
| Month | High | Low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°C | 20°C | 3.6 inches |
| Feb | 26°C | 19°C | 5.2 inches |
| Mar | 25°C | 18°C | 4.6 inches |
| Apr | 23°C | 15°C | 4.5 inches |
| May | 20°C | 12°C | 4.0 inches |
| Jun | 18°C | 10°C | 5.6 inches |
| Jul | 17°C | 8°C | 3.2 inches |
| Aug | 19°C | 9°C | 3.0 inches |
| Sep | 21°C | 12°C | 2.5 inches |
| Oct | 23°C | 14°C | 2.7 inches |
| Nov | 24°C | 16°C | 3.6 inches |
| Dec | 25°C | 18°C | 2.9 inches |
Best Activities in March
Top things to do during your visit
March delivers that sweet spot where the coastal path isn't crawling with New Year's resolution joggers, yet water temperatures still hit 75°F (24°C) , good for the Instagram-famous Icebergs pool swim. The sandstone cliffs bake pleasantly in 78°F (26°C) afternoons, and the afternoon sea breeze kicks in reliably at 2 PM to cool you down.
March's stable weather patterns mean 70% less fog than winter months, so you'll see the Twelve Apostles instead of photographing grey mist. The angle of autumn light hits the limestone stacks at golden hour around 6:30 PM, giving you that National Geographic shot without the summer tourist buses.
March is grape-picking month, which means you're drinking Shiraz pressed from grapes you might've picked that morning. The valley floor hits 82°F (28°C) by midday, making those cellar-door tastings of chilled Semillon feel essential rather than indulgent.
March's 70% humidity makes the climb less brutal than summer's 85%, yet you're still climbing in shorts and a t-shirt rather than winter's restrictive layers. The 8 PM twilight climbs catch that perfect moment when the sun drops behind the Blue Mountains and the Opera House sails turn coral pink.
March nights finally drop below 68°F (20°C) for comfortable sleeping, while days peak at a manageable 86°F (30°C) instead of January's 108°F (42°C) furnace. You'll see the rock change from blood orange to purple during sunset without the summer fly swarms that drive visitors insane.
March Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Melbourne's Albert Park circuit transforms into a 5-day festival where you can watch Formula 1 cars scream past at 320 km/h (200 mph) while nursing a craft beer from the St. Kilda brewery pop-up. The Thursday practice sessions are free with general admission, and the sound of V6 engines echoing across the lake is something you feel in your chest.
The world's second-largest fringe festival turns Adelaide's laneways into performance spaces where comedians, acrobats, and cabaret performers spill out of 19th-century pubs. The Garden of Unearthly Delights pop-up village in Rundle Park smells like wood-fired pizza and mulled wine, even in 78°F (26°C) heat.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page , your progress is saved between visits
Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Book Experiences in Australia
Top-rated things to do in Australia this March
