{"id":4407,"date":"2017-10-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-28T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/?p=4407"},"modified":"2020-04-02T05:34:40","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T19:34:40","slug":"best-value-xmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/trending\/australia\/best-value-xmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Ho ho WHOA! Oz\u2019s best-value Xmas destinations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can you believe it\u2019s almost Christmas? If your year has gotten away from you like mine has, you might think you\u2019ve left it too late to plan a Christmas or New-Year getaway (at least, without breaking the bank). But don\u2019t worry! There are still plenty of bargains out there if you know where to look. To help, we\u2019ve crunched the numbers and predicted the average daily rates of some of our most popular destinations over the holiday period. They\u2019re all less than $250 a night*, so you can save your cash for more important things\u2026 like presents \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

1. Melbourne, VIC<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Average rate: $248 a night
\n<\/strong>Make the most of the holiday period by booking a trip to Melbourne at a time when the CBD workers and business travellers clear out. Enjoy incredible coffee, art, and grab a bargain at the Boxing Day sales. Admire beautiful 19th<\/sup>-century architecture, hang out in the newest cafes, and take your pick from exciting NYE parties happening all over the city.<\/p>\n

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2. Port Douglas, QLD<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Average rate: $229 a night
\n<\/strong>Sitting adjacent to two World Heritage sites \u2013 the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest \u2013 Port Douglas has long been an Aussie holiday favourite. The laid back beach lifestyle and trendy cafes will have you unwinding as soon as you check in.<\/p>\n

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3. Warrnambool, VIC<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Average rate: $220 a night
\n<\/strong>Located on the Victorian coast at the western end of the spectacular Great Ocean Road, Warrnambool is a great road-trip destination and well worth a few days of holiday time. Don\u2019t miss the Warrnambool Art Gallery (one of Australia\u2019s oldest) or Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village\u2019s fascinating shipwreck museum.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

4. Rockhampton, QLD<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Average rate: $138 a night
\n<\/strong>Slap on your wide-brimmed hat and leave the big city behind as you roll into Rockhampton, where Queensland\u2019s outback meets the coastline. If you\u2019re in town for New Year\u2019s Eve, head to Queen\u2019s Park on the Fitzroy River to watch the fireworks.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5. Newcastle, NSW<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Average rate: $187 a night
\n<\/strong>Escape the chaos of Sydney and head a couple of hours north to Newcastle for excellent surf beaches, incredible views, and a vibrant arts, dining, and bar scene. Foodies will want to take an extra day for a side-trip to the Hunter Valley, just a 1hr drive away.<\/p>\n

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6. Glenelg, SA<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Average rate: $241 a night
\n<\/strong>Just 20 minutes from the heart of Adelaide, Glenelg\u2019s laid-back feel and beachy vibes will have you squishing sand between your toes in no time. Make sure you take your togs \u2013 Glenelg is one of the best places in Australia to swim with wild dolphins!<\/p>\n

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7. Bateman\u2019s Bay, NSW <\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Average rate: $246 a night
\n<\/strong>Bateman\u2019s Bay is perfect for relaxing coastal getaways. Unwind on a secluded beach, keep the kids busy with a day trip to a stunning national park, or learn about the region\u2019s exciting gold-rush history at The Colony, a recreated gold-rush town and theme park.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

8. Cable Beach, WA<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Average rate: $165 a night
\n<\/strong>With its sparkling white sand, striking red rocks, and stunning turquoise water, Cable Beach is a real bucket-list destination. Watch the sunset over the beach from the back of a camel (a must), or hire a car and explore more of nearby Broome.<\/p>\n

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9. Cairns, QLD <\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Average rate: $178 a night
\n<\/strong>Take advantage of the great value on offer during the wet season and head north to Cairns. Grab some last-minute gifts at The Esplanade Markets (every Saturday, 8am \u2013 4pm), or ring in the new year with the family at the Cairns Esplanade NYE celebrations, which include food stalls, rides, live music, and\u00a0face-painting.<\/p>\n

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*Best-value destinations are based on the average daily rate for 3 \u2013 5 star-rated and self-rated accommodation, and demand on Wotif.com in December 2016 for travel from 22 December 2016 to 2 January 2017 for the above destinations. Prices shown are in Australian dollars and may not be the same as the rates displayed on site. Rates are subject to accommodation selections made.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Can you believe it\u2019s almost Christmas? If your year has gotten away from you like mine has, you might think you\u2019ve left it too late to plan a Christmas or New-Year getaway (at least, without breaking the bank). But don\u2019t worry! There are still plenty of bargains out there if you know where to look. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":4409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[740,765],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4407"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4407"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4446,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4407\/revisions\/4446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}