HOW TO...
Embrace Australia's Golden Hour
Whether you’ve got your phone at the ready to capture the colours or you’re just focused on being in the moment, these four locations will deliver sunset experiences you’ll never forget.
WORDS Tess Durack
PHOTOGRAPHY Tourism NT, Sean Scott
No matter how many sunsets you’ve seen, there’s something about the fading away of the day that always makes you want to stop and take it all in. Stroll down any beach as the sun starts dipping below the horizon and see how people pause their run, swim or surf to turn their faces to a peachy sky. Enjoy a cocktail at a rooftop bar and notice how the chatter and hubbub subsides during those final few minutes of dusk as everyone is bathed in the universally flattering light of golden hour.
Australia happens to do sunsets exceptionally well, painting its skies in broad brushstrokes of blazing orange and palest pink. It’s a sight to behold. Whether as the main event at a remote beach with gently lapping waters or the vivid backdrop of the cosmopolitan bustle of a big city, Australian sunsets are a masterclass in the spectacular and the romantic.
Here are our top spots to embrace Australia’s magical golden hour.
DARWIN HARBOUR CRUISES, NORTHERN TERRITORY
Whether you’re in Darwin (Garramilla) relishing the picture-perfect days and glorious evenings of the dry season or quite literally soaking up the dramatic storms of the wet season, a fabulous sunset is pretty much guaranteed. Out on the water aboard the Charles Darwin is the perfect place to watch the sun drop its leisurely way into the calm waters of the Arafura Sea.
Board Darwin Harbour Cruises for your sunset experience and pair it with a Territory-style dinner or grazing platter.
MELBOURNE SKYDECK, VICTORIA
While the thought of an ideal sunset might conjure images of oceans or deserts, there’s something particularly thrilling about taking in a wide city skyline as it is silhouetted against a pastel sunset. And there’s no better place to watch the city light flicker to life as the sun goes down than Melbourne Skydeck where you can get sky-high at the Southern Hemisphere’s highest observation deck. Witness dusk unfurl with a cocktail in hand from nearly 300 metres up.
Book a Melbourne Skydeck experience for a city sunset that (literally) sets a high bar.
THE OLD TELEGRAPH STATION, NORTHERN TERRITORY
The Ghan takes you to some of the country’s most spectacular and sacred landscapes. Stopping in Alice Springs (Mparntwe), you can take a discovery walk at Simpsons Gap (Rungutjirpa), cycle along the dry Todd River (Lhere Mparntwe), or even fly in a helicopter over the spectacular Mount Gillen Ridgeline (Alhekulyele). Then, top off a day of unforgettable sights with a desert sunset and outback dinner at the Old Telegraph Station.
Book your train adventure aboard The Ghan and get ready to soak up a desert sunset.
SEVEN SPIRIT BAY, NORTHERN TERRITORY
For those who delight in unspoiled sunsets observed from untouched wilderness in remote locations, Seven Spirit Bay on the Cobourg Peninsula in Arnhem Land is hard to beat. Accessible only by boat or air, this unique lodge combines the adventure of the outback with the luxury of isolation. Take in ocean sunsets from the main pavilion, or sip on a sundowner at one of the viewing areas overlooking the bay.
For some serious-but-luxurious adventuring at the northern tip of the Northern Territory, book your stay at Seven Spirit Bay.