Family treats for less in Australia

Despite the fact that most Brits think of Australia as a place to go in the winter, the whole top half of the torso is at its weather-best in our summer according to Australia specialist Bridge & Wickers, which is perfect for families tied to the school holidays.

Flight prices to Australia also take a dip after 15 August, making it the best time to make the most of the excellent weather and fantastic experiences in northern Australia on a budget, with savings of over £800 for a family of four.

Visitors can enjoy some of the sandiest, silkiest and whitest beaches on the planet, brilliant diving and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, the oldest living rainforest on earth (with more species of trees within 100 square yards than you can find in the whole of Europe) and amazing 50,000-year-old rock artworks. The Red Centre, that timeless land of silence, fired earth and intense light, also beckons as does Uluru, the mother of all rocks, the monolithic domes of Kata Tjuta and Alice Springs, the focal point of some of the most isolated communities in the world.

BUDGET VERSUS LUXURY

Once you have saved on the flights, explore the north on a budget or in style during August:

BUDGET - A motorhome, collected in Cairns and left two weeks later at Brisbane airport, with side trips to the Daintree and the Queensland outback as well as optional hops by boat or seaplane to the Barrier Reef, costs as little as £645 per person for two weeks based on a family of 4 sharing a 4-berth vehicle, including insurance.

LUXURY - A top-of-the-range, three week family holiday, which would take in Port Douglas and Dunk, a camping safari in Kakadu, a ‘Discovery Eco’ tour of the Red Centre, including a visit to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta, with a grand finale in Sydney, costs from £2,232 per person, based on four sharing. Plus free annual family travel insurance for bookings for travel in July or August this year.

* Prices are for travel in July and August. Flights are extra from £1,445 per person in July and early August including taxes and a choice of two domestic flights in Australia. Flight fares for travel after 15th August drop to £1,237 per person, saving £832 for a family of four.

For further information visit Bridgeandwickers.co.uk.