Long weekends like Australia Day, Easter and the King's birthday are the perfect excuse to get away on a spontaneous trip. While exploring your own backyard on your days off is always a good idea, you might be surprised to know you can actually travel internationally for a decent 3- or even 4-day holiday from most capital cities in Australia.
And no, we're not just suggesting you pay our Kiwi friends a visit for the weekend… although there is that option.
To bring you the best destinations to jet set to, we sought out flights with a travel time of 4 hours or less because you shouldn't spend all your time flying when you should be maxing out your holiday hours.
Top overseas trips for the long weekend
New Zealand
We’re going to get this one over and done with early. Located southeast of Australia, New Zealand makes for the perfect long-weekend break due to its proximity to Australia as well as the frequency of direct flights between major cities.
Flights from eastern Australia are between 3-4 hours to major New Zealand cities such as Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington. The shortest direct flight is between Sydney and Queenstown at 3 hours.
The French Polynesian territory of New Caledonia might seem a world away culturally, but it’s only a short flight from Australia’s eastern cities. Renowned for its beaches, marine life and island culture, you can get to it for under 3 hours from Sydney and Brisbane.
Australia’s love affair with Bali isn’t without reason. From its powder-soft beaches to its affordable budget flights, it’s best flown for a short trip from Perth or Darwin. If you’ve got a few more days to spare, you can get up to Bali from Sydney or Brisbane in a little over 6 hours.
If you’ve seen and done Bali or are looking for a more authentic Indonesian experience, try East Timor’s capital Dili. Located on the north coast of the country, Dili features pristine views of the bay and Atauro Island. Darwin is the only Australian capital that offers short, direct flights to it, with a travel time of 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Featuring over 300 islands and a tropical landscape of sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and rugged mountains, Fiji is a relaxing outpost not far from Australia’s east coast. Ideal for young families, honeymooning couples and pure relaxation, it’ll take you less than 4 hours to fly from Sydney or Brisbane, making it ideal for a 3- or 4-day holiday.
Much like Fiji, Vanuatu is a South Pacific Island with a lot to offer families, couples and adventure seekers. Snorkel through coral oceans, unwind in plush cabanas and uncover historical WWI relics over a short trip. You can get here in just over 3 hours from Sydney or under 3 hours from Brisbane.
Brisbane is topping the list here for the best destination to start an international holiday that won’t waste your time to get to. On top of Fiji and Vanuatu, Brisbanites also have the option to travel to the Solomon Islands for a paradise-filled adventure that's less than 4 hours away. Dreamy, laid-back, historical and landscape rich, spend your days stretching out on the beach, swimming in lagoons or wandering volcanic rims. The choice is yours.
Papua New Guinea’s largest city is accessed easiest from Brisbane and is a grittier more city-based experience. With a flight time of just over 3 hours, over the course of your 3-day holiday, you can drink up views of the bay, scour marketplaces, chow down on local eats, visit museums and play it like a local.
Fly direct from Australia starting at $255 with Air Niugini, Virgin Australia and Qantas, or hop on a connecting route with Philippine Airlines. T&Cs apply.
Don't miss out on the lowest-priced Qantas Airways flights starting from just $304. T&Cs apply.
International flights you can take under 4 hours from Australia’s capital cities
Find out where you can go. Note, unfortunately, there are no direct, international flights from Adelaide.
From
To
Flight time (direct)
Darwin
Dili, Timor-Leste
1 hour 20 minutes
Darwin
Bali
2 hours 40 minutes
Brisbane
Port Vila, Vanuatu
2 hours 50 minutes
Brisbane
Noumea
2 hours 10 minutes
Sydney
Noumea
2 hours 50 minutes
Sydney
Queenstown
3 hours
Brisbane
Auckland
3 hours 15 minutes
Melbourne
Queenstown
3 hours 5 minutes
Sydney
Port Vila, Vanuatu
3 hours 30 minutes
Brisbane
Port Moresby
3 hours 10 minutes
Brisbane
Honiara, Solomon Islands
3 hours 20 minutes
Brisbane
Christchurch
3 hours 30 minutes
Brisbane
Wellington
3 hours 35 minutes
Melbourne
Christchurch
3 hours 15 minutes
Brisbane
Queenstown
3 hours 30 minutes
Melbourne
Wellington
3 hours 35 minutes
Brisbane
Fiji
3 hours 40 minutes
Hobart
Auckland
3 hours 30 minutes (no direct flights)
Melbourne
Auckland
3 hours 30 minutes
Perth
Bali
3 hours 45 minutes
Sydney
Fiji
3 hours 55 minutes
Sydney
Wellington
3 hours, 15 minutes
Sydney
Auckland
3 hours
Sydney
Christchurch
3 hours, 5 minutes
Four-day weekend?
If you can stretch your holiday even further and push that flight time just a smidgen, it’s possible to make it even further north than Bali. From Darwin, you can get up to Singapore in just 4 hours and 45 minutes, and from Sydney, you can now fly direct to Tonga in 4 hours and 35 minutes.
See deals for the long weekend
Deal
10% off select hotels around the world
Get 10% off select hotels and free cancellation on selected hotels with Mate's Rates. T&Cs apply.
Available on select rental dates in 2023 with Avis, Budget, Sixt, Europcar and more. Destinations include Brisbane, Toowoomba, Lamington National Park and more.
Available on select dates on destinations including Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Hobart. Minimum spend of $300 required. Activities include hot air balloon flights, skydives and high teas. T&Cs apply.
Available on select stay dates from December 2023 – December 2024, including during Christmas and New Year's Eve. Destinations include Northern Suburbs, Southbank and more.
Available on select rental dates in 2023 with Avis, Budget, Sixt, Europcar and more. Destinations close from Cairns include Palm Island, Mareeba and more.
Available on select properties until December 2023. Sample stay is at Gallery Hotel. Destinations include Northbridge, Fremantle, Scarborough and more.
Available on select travel dates when you spend a minimum of $300. Activities include getaways, sightseeing tours, high teas, helicopter flights and more.
Available on select dates when you spend a minimum of $300. Activities include winery tours, getaways, high teas, spas, sightseeing cruises and helicopter flights. T&Cs apply.
Available on select stay dates with Express Deals. Destinations include Sydney, Adelaide, Byron Bay, Thredbo Village, Sunshine Coast, Jindabyne, Perth, the Gold Coast and more.
Available on select travel dates. Activities include hop-on hop-off tours, sightseeing cruises, indoor skydiving experiences, whale watching experiences and more. T&Cs apply.
Extra 10% off Northern Territory activities with code
Available on select dates and activities, including sightseeing tours, zoo and wildlife experience, spas, sailings, hot air balloon flights and scenic flights. Minimum spend of $300 required. T&Cs apply.
Things to do in Canberra from $15 + an extra 5% off with code
Available on select dates when you buy 2 or more vouchers. Activities include tandem skydives, dinning experiences, getaways, spas, wine tastings and more. T&Cs apply.
Available on select dates when you spend a minimum of $300. Activities include winery tours in Adelaide Hills and tandem skydives. Sample price is for the River Torrens sightseeing cruise. T&Cs apply.
Stephanie Yip was the travel editor at Finder and has been writing about travel and lifestyle for over a decade. She has written for a range of travel publications including Thomas Cook Magazine and Showpo. Stephanie has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, and has visited over 50 countries (and counting). She has a passion for sharing her experiences and knowledge of travel and helping consumers stretch their travel cash while on holiday.
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