100 Things To Do On Australia’s East Coast This Summer 2026/27

Beach days, epic road trips, summer festivals, new mates. There’s nothing quite like summer on Australia’s East Coast. To make the most of the unforgettable adventure, we’ve unpacked 100 things to do across the east coast of Australia this summer! Whether you’re looking for bucket-list adventures, hidden gems, nights out, recovery days, free experiences, or simply the best places to soak up that Aussie sunshine, this list has you covered. From Melbourne and Sydney, to Byron Bay, Brisbane and Cairns, add these must-do experiences to your Aussie bucket list.

An Iconic East Coast Australia Summer Bucket List

Last updated: October 2025

1. New South Wales
   1. Sydney & surrounds
   2. NSW South Coast
   3. NSW Central Coast
   4. Byron Bay & surrounds
2. Queensland
   1. Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa
   2. Cairns & Tropical North Queensland
3. Victoria
   1. Melbourne & Surrounds

A Quick Note On The Weather In Australia Over Summer

Australia is BIG. Which means summer can look pretty different depending on where you go. Sydney, Melbourne and the country’s southern states experience a relatively dry summer and make for very popular summer destinations. On the flip side, summer in Brisbane and Tropical North Queensland aligns with their wet season, where you’ll experience humidity and rain amongst the heat. It’s all part of the awesome Australian summer experience!

One Final Note: Australia For Christmas?

Time to get festive, with a whole lotta sunshine. We’re here to help make your Aussie festive season sleigh with special edition activity schedules rolling out across all Wake Up! locations! See what’s on.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Sydney & surrounds

1. Do a day trip to the Blue Mountains
2. Catch the ferry and do a hike at Royal National Park
3. Revel in the Mardi Gras Parade
4. Take a road trip from Sydney to Byron Bay
5. Take part in Wake Up’s hostel activities – complimentary for all guests
6. Have dinner at Spice Alley
7. Walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee (included in our hostel activities for guests)
8. See the Darling Harbour fireworks
9. Dance the night away at a themed night at Side Bar
10. Have drinks at Opera Bar
11. Stretch out with a rooftop yoga class, directly in front of Bondi Beach – free for guests at Wake Up! Bondi Beach 
12. Drink margaritas at Salty’s Bondi
13. Do the Spit to Manly walk
14. Fill your camera roll with photos of the Sydney Opera House
15. Swim at Bondi Icebergs and Bronte Baths
16. It’s hot outside…and inside! Sweat it out at Wake Up! Sydney Central’s complimentary gym and massive sauna. Then cool down in the complimentary cold plunge.
    Prefer a cold plunge overlooking Bondi Beach instead? We know a place.
17. Walk around Grounds of Alexandria
18. Catch a ferry to Manly (or join our free Manly Beach Walk)
19. Watch a movie at Westpac’s OpenAir Cinema in front of the Opera House
20. It’s festival season – big time! There’s Harbourlife, Sydney Festival, Laneway Festival, Flickerfest and Field Day, to name a few
21. Take part in the special festive edition activity schedules, for guests at Wake Up! Sydney Central and Bondi Beach
22. Eat delicious Asian street food at the Chinatown Night Markets
23. Swim at all the beaches and ocean pools
24. Grab a bite at the epic new Sydney Fish Market
25. See the Sydney NYE fireworks for a major bucket list end to 2026
26. Or, end the year with Elrow’s 2026 NYE Festival on Bondi Beach.
27. Walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge (free)
28. Have a picnic at Centennial Park, Cremorne Reserve, on the beach… anywhere!
29. Go kayaking or stand up paddleboarding 
30. Walk around Royal Botanic Garden and soak up the sights from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair (you’ll go here on our free guided City Walk at Wake Up!)
31. Go on a guided snorkelling tour at Bondi
32. Win the 2027 reset, with a New Year’s Day cold plunge challenge at Wake Up! Bondi Beach

WHERE TO STAY:

• Wake Up! Sydney Central: the most convenient location to get to everything on your bucket list. Even better: complimentary cold plunges, sauna, gym, home to Side Bar which pumps out the best student & backpacker parties 7 days a week, shared rooms all with fresh new bunks.
• Wake Up! Bondi Beach: Rooftop with panoramic views overlooking Bondi Beach. Need we say more? Fine, we will! All-inclusive access to rooftop ice bath, sauna, yoga classes, beach workouts, social nights… and seriously, the coolest parts of Bondi Beach are just outside your door.

NSW South Coast

33. Learn to surf with the legends at Surf Camp Australia 
34. See kangaroos catching waves on the beach at Pebbly Beach
35. Soak up the beach and brilliantly-white sand at Hyams Beach in Jervis Bay
36. Drive along Sea Cliff Bridge on the Grand Pacific Drive

WHERE TO STAY:

• Surf Camp Australia

Central Coast

37. Go quad biking at the Worimi Conservation Lands in Port Stephens
38. Climb the Tomaree Head Summit walk for epic views
39. Hike the Coastal Walk at Bouddi National Park on a day trip
40. Drink wine in the Hunter Valley
41. Pub crawl in Newcastle

Byron Bay & Surrounds

42. Enjoy dinner and live music at Treehouse (conveniently located next door to Wake Up! Byron Bay)
43. Get your dancing shoes on at the Piano Bar at Great Northern Hotel
44. Mooch and meander around the shops in the town centre and Arts & Industrial Estate
45. Take up a surf lesson with Soul Surf School.
46. Catch the very first sunrise on mainland Australia, at Cape Byron Lighthouse.
47. Enjoy Happy Hour at The Pool Bar at Wake Up! Byron Bay (exclusive for guests)
48. Take a day trip to the hippy town of Nimbin
49. Flow to a free yoga class in Wake Up’s private yoga studio – one of our complimentary hostel activities
50. Feel the energy at one of the world’s biggest crystal sanctuaries, Crystal Castle
51. Take a dip underneath a waterfall at Killen Falls or Minyon Falls
52. Dance the night away at Rails and Saltwater Social Club
53. Bike ride around Byron Bay with Wake Up’s affordable bike hire
54. Have a sunset picnic on the beach
55. Take some day trips out to Mullumbimby and Brunswick Heads
56. Make friends and meet other travellers at Wake Up! Byron Bay’s complimentary Wine & Cheese Night
57. Beat the summer heat, with complimentary cold plunges. (Then warm up again in the sauna, sprawled out by the pool, or both).

WHERE TO STAY:

• Wake Up! Byron Bay: Amongst the palm trees, across from Belongil Beach, is the kind of social-recovery-community hub that Byron Bay seems built for, at Wake Up! Byron Bay. Come for the pool bar experience, the daily yoga, the laidback living, or quite simply – everything that makes this hostel an award-winner, year on year.

Queensland

Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa

58. Paddleboard along Noosa River
59. Have dinner and drinks at The Mexican Joint
60. Hike through Noosa National Park
61. Browse through the open-air Eumundi Markets
62. Shop along and around Hastings Street
63. Kayak the Noosa Everglades
64. Crikey! Spend time at Australia Zoo (made famous by the late Steve Irwin, and now Robert, Bindi and Terri Irwin)
65. Take a dolphin and snorkelling tour of Moreton Island
66. Get close to koalas at Lone Pine Sanctuary
67. Canoe down the Brisbane River
68. Have drinks and go bar-hopping in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley
69. Swim at Streets Beach
70. Head to Cali Beach Pool Club for drinks and DJs
71. Grab drinks and a meal at Burleigh Pavillion
72. Visit Australia’s tallest Building, at Sky Point’s Observation Deck
73. Have a fun day out at the Warner Bros Movie World theme park
74. Take a pic of the Rainbow Steps at Rainbow Beach

WHERE TO STAY:

• Brisbane Quarters Hostel, Brisbane
• Bounce Backpackers, Noosa

North-East Queensland (including Cairns, Townsville, Magnetic Island, Whitsundays)

75. Great Barrier Reef Scuba Dive
76. Cape Tribulation
77. Frozen drinks and darn good fried food at Howling Jays
78. Night out at Salt House
79. Skydive at Mission Beach
80. Frolic under the sun at The Splash Bar at Ville Resort in Townsville
81. Drive the Waterfall Circuit to Millaa Millaa Falls, Zillie Falls and Ellinjaa Falls
82. Go bungee jumping in Cairns
83. Drive Barbie Cars or Topless Jeep Wranglers around Magnetic Island
84. Feed rock wallabies and spot koalas in the treetops at Magnetic Island
85. Sail and socialise with a True Blue Sailing experience in the Whitsundays
86. Take a helicopter scenic flight from Airlie Beach
87. Have drinks, a swim and unrestricted ocean views at Coral Sea Marina Resort’s pool and bar
88. Do a boat tour of the Whitsundays from Airlie Beach
89. Have a day of adrenaline and snorkelling with Ocean Rafting
90. Explore K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) on an overnight tour
91. Swim at Esplanade Lagoon in Cairns (entry is free) or have a go at beach volleyball (also free!)

WHERE TO STAY:

• Nomads, Magnetic Island
• Bounce Backpackers, Cairns
• Base/Nomads Hostel, Airlie Beach

Victoria

Melbourne & surrounds

92. Drive along the Great Ocean Road on a day-trip tour, or with your own self-drive along the Victorian coast.
93. Take a photo at the Brighton Beach Boxes
94. Drink and party at St Kilda’s beach bars
95. Play Big Willy’s Bingo at Red Eye Bar
96. Catch a movie at the Moonlight Cinema in the Botanic Gardens
97. See the world’s largest little penguin colony at Phillip Island
98. Take in the view from Melbourne Skydeck
99. Meander through the city’s laneways, including the famous Hosier Lane
100. Grab a Ground Pass to the Australian Open
101. Get your Aussie music education at the Australian Music Vault museum
102. Grab drinks on a pop-up floating bar at Arbory Afloat
103. Hit the waves at URBNSRF – a city surf park
104. Experience the Summer Night Markets at the city’s most iconic market, Queen Victoria Market
105. Have fun at a summer festival, like St Kilda Festival and Laneway Festival.