Australia's Easy Island Escapes
Thursday Island
From the very tip of Cape York, Thursday Island is a 15-minute boat ride through the glorious blue-green seas of the Torres Strait. While the laid-back rhythm of island life invites you to park yourself beneath the swaying palm trees, a visit to Thursday Island involves much more than a day at the beach. There’s the local indigenous Torres Strait Islander culture to experience and fascinating WWII history to discover.
Not many travellers make it all the way to the tip of Australia, let alone past it, but having a private aircraft at your disposal makes the challenging journey much easier. Stay on Thursday Island during our 9 Day Queensland Outback and Tropics by Private Jet adventure.
Tasmania
Enjoy a flying visit to the apple of Australia’s eye on our Icons of Australia by Private Jet tour. On arrival in the charming state capital, Hobart, be whisked away for a wine tasting and three-course lunch at family-owned Puddleduck Winery, hosted by the estate’s founder and winemaker Darren Browne. Then savour a delicious dinner at Mures Upper Deck overlooking Constitution Dock.
Saturday means the Salamanca Market in Hobart, one of the city’s great highlights. Browse among hundreds of stalls set out on historic Salamanca Place, selling handmade products and locally grown produce. Then head for the eclectic MONA – the Museum of Old and New Art – where the fascinating exhibits thrill and challenge in equal measure. History buffs might choose an optional excursion (at their own expense) to Port Arthur, and the evocative remnants of one of Australia’s harshest penal settlements – as place of 19th-century tribulation paradoxically set among rare beauty. See the island state of Tasmania with APT.
Kangaroo Island
As Australia’s third-largest island, Kangaroo Island (or KI) is similar in size to Bali. Flying into KI on your private plane, views of pristine shores and limestone cliffs stretch out before you. On landing, step into that luxurious sense of being far removed from the world’s ‘everyday’. Some 14 kilometres from South Australia’s mainland and with so much space, KI is an island wildlife haven with a Mediterranean climate that lends itself to a diverse food culture.
Learn more at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park and on a visit to Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery. Explore with a trip to Seal Bay where a boardwalk leads you into the heart of an Australian sea lion colony, and stay in accommodation ideally placed overlooking Kingscote’s foreshore. Board the 7 Day Southern Ocean to Top End by Private Jet tour for this island escape.
Lizard Island
Located on the Great Barrier Reef, Lizard Island has an array of walking tracks on sandy beaches and through rainforest including Cook's Look Walk. This challenging walk reaches 350 metres above sea level and has awe-inspiring views overlooking the reef. The walk is named after Captain Cook, who used the highest point as a lookout to navigate through the maze of reefs. The island is home to the world-renowned Australian Research Musuem, which focuses on reef recovery efforts through research on its marine life.
Lizard Island also offers water activities such as snorkelling and scuba diving to capture a glimpse of the colourful undersea world, including green sea turtles. Join our 13 Day Queensland Reef and Islands Discovery tour to experience it all.