Sydney Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales © Qantas Airways
Getting here: find cruises and flights to Australia
Adventure awaits. Get ready to pack your bags and hit the sea or sky. Here’s our guide on getting to Australia.
From the sun-soaked outback to the crystalline waters of the Great Barrier Reef, there are thousands of ways to see Australia. But first, you have to get here. You can reach our beautiful country in a number of different ways – enough to suit every budget, timeline and itinerary.
Reaching Australia by air
Sydney airport, New South Wales © Destination NSW
With a number of direct flights from New Zealand to Australia, the land of koalas and kangaroos is as easy as ever to reach. Travellers can choose from a wide range of flight operators, including Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin, China Airlines, AirAsia X, LATAM Airlines and Jetstar. Direct flights start from just 3.5 hours and are available to the major Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth. Flights to Darwin, Cairns and Alice Springs require connecting flights.
While most flights depart from Auckland, you can also depart from other airports around New Zealand, including Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington.
Direct flights to Sydney
| Departure city | Airlines | Flights per week |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Qantas Air New Zealand AirAsia X Jetstar LATAM Airlines |
33 28 7 7 7 |
| Christchurch | Qantas Air New Zealand |
14 12 |
| Queenstown | Qantas Air New Zealand Virgin Australia Jetstar |
12 7 7 6 |
| Wellington | Qantas Air New Zealand |
14 8 |
Direct flights to Melbourne
| Departure city | Airlines | Flights per week |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Qantas Air New Zealand Jetstar |
28 22 8 |
| Christchurch |
Qantas Air New Zealand Jetstar |
9 7 3 |
| Queenstown | Air New Zealand Jetstar Virgin Australia Qantas |
6 6 6 4 |
| Wellington | Qantas Air New Zealand |
7 6 |
Direct flights to Brisbane
| Departure city | Airlines | Flights per week |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Air New Zealand Qantas China Airlines |
18 14 3 |
| Christchurch | Air New Zealand Qantas |
9 7 |
| Queenstown | Virgin Australia Qantas |
7 3 |
| Wellington | Air New Zealand | 7 |
Direct flights to the Gold Coast
| Departure city | Airlines | Flights per week |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Jetstar Qantas |
8 7 |
| Christchurch | Jetstar Air New Zealand |
3 2 |
| Queenstown | Jetstar |
3 |
| Wellington | Jetstar | 3 |
Direct flights to Adelaide
| Departure city | Airlines | Flights per week |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Qantas Air New Zealand |
5 4 |
Direct flights to Perth
| Departure city | Airlines | Flights per week |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Air New Zealand |
7 |
Direct flights to Hobart
| Departure city | Airlines | Flights per week |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Air New Zealand |
3 |
Reaching Australia by sea
Circular Quay, Sydney, New South Wales © Hamilton Lund, Destination NSW
If cruising the open seas is your preferred way to travel, there are plenty of options for you to sail your way to Australia. There are a number of spectacular cruises, from 21 nights, that offer luxurious and comfortable ways to travel to Australia.
You can embark on a cruise to Australia with operators including Princess Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Silversea, Seabourn, Holland America Line and P&O Cruises. These cruises often offer packages that include many of Australia’s major cities and tourist destinations, so you can tick off a lot of your bucket list without even having to unpack!
