Australia
From the Sydney Opera House to the Great Ocean Road, Australia is where cricket heritage meets the endless horizon.
Sports tours in Australia
Cricket in Australia
Australia v England: MCG 150th Anniversary Test 2027
Match tickets, a central Melbourne hotel and the trip built around the Test. Add the Great Ocean Road, Sydney or the reef before or after.
The country
Where you’ll go
Australia is a country built for exploring: the harbour and coastline of Sydney, the laneways and coffee culture of Melbourne, the wine regions of the Barossa and Margaret River, the reef off Queensland and the red earth of the outback. Few destinations offer such range, and Australia rewards the time you give it.
For cricket lovers, it is sacred ground. The MCG holds 100,000 under the Melbourne sky. The SCG, with its historic pavilion, is the heartbeat of Sydney summers. The Gabba in Brisbane, Adelaide Oval beneath the cathedral and Perth Stadium on the banks of the Swan each have their own character. The Boxing Day Test is a national institution, and the Ashes, played for since 1882, is the oldest and most fiercely fought rivalry in the game.
In March 2027 England play Australia at the MCG in the 150th Anniversary Test, 150 years after the first Test match was played on the same ground. Add a drive down the Great Ocean Road, a few days in Sydney or a week on the reef, and we build the trip around your group.
On the map
14 places to know in Australia
Hover over or tap a pin to explore.
Melbourne and the Yarra Valley
The MCG, the laneways and coffee culture, and the 150th Anniversary Test in March 2027.
The MCG holds 100,000 and hosts the Boxing Day Test every year. Between days at the cricket: the laneways, the coffee, and the vineyards and cellar doors of the Yarra Valley, about an hour's drive away.
One change from London, from about 21 hours. About 1.5 hours by air from Sydney.
When to go
Australia through the year
The guide
The Australia guide
Travel notesEntry, biosecurity, health, money, weather, time zones, plugs and getting around.+
Entry+
British passport holders need a visa to visit Australia, even for a holiday: an eVisitor (free) or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), through the official app. Apply online before you travel. Your passport must be valid for the length of your stay.
An eVisitor lets you stay up to 3 months each time you enter, as often as you like within 12 months. Rules can change, so always check GOV.UK travel advice before you travel.
Biosecurity+
Australia has strict biosecurity on arrival. Declare all food, animal products and plant material, including wooden items, on your Incoming Passenger Card. Failure to declare can mean a heavy fine.
Health and insurance+
There is a healthcare agreement between the UK and Australia: essential and urgent hospital treatment is free, but you pay to see a GP and for prescriptions.
It does not cover medicines outside hospital, ambulances or medical evacuation, which are very expensive. Take out travel insurance that covers them.
Money+
The currency is the Australian dollar (AUD). Cards are accepted everywhere and contactless is widely used: Australia is nearly cashless. Tipping is not expected.
Weather+
The cricket season runs from October to March, the Australian summer. Temperatures range from 25 to 40°C depending on the city. Melbourne is famously unpredictable: four seasons in one day. Perth is hot and dry, and Darwin is tropical and humid all year.
Pack sunscreen and a proper hat: UV levels in Australia are extreme.
Time zones+
Australia spans several time zones. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are on Eastern time (GMT+10), Adelaide on Central (GMT+9.5), Darwin GMT+9.5 and Perth GMT+8.
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT add an hour for daylight saving, from 4 October 2026 to 4 April 2027. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not.
Plugs+
Australia uses the Type I plug, two angled flat pins, at 230V. UK plugs need an adaptor.
Getting around+
Distances are vast, so domestic flights between cities are essential: Sydney to Melbourne is about 1.5 hours by air, Sydney to Perth about 5 hours. Rideshare works in all the major cities, and public transport is good in Sydney and Melbourne.
Destinations in AustraliaMelbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, the wine regions, the reef and the Red Centre.+
Melbourne+
The laneways, the coffee culture and the MCG, which holds 100,000 and hosts the Boxing Day Test and the 150th Anniversary Test in March 2027. The Yarra Valley and the start of the Great Ocean Road are each about an hour away.
Sydney+
The harbour, the coastline and the SCG in Moore Park, home of the New Year's Test, with its Members' Pavilion and the Hill.
Adelaide+
Adelaide Oval, beneath the cathedral, is arguably the most beautiful ground in Australia, and its day-night Tests are spectacular. The Barossa is about an hour from the city.
Brisbane and the Gold Coast+
The Gabba, Australia's fortress, with a fast, bouncy pitch, and the gateway to the Queensland coast and the reef. The Gold Coast beaches are about an hour south.
Perth+
Perth Stadium, on the banks of the Swan, opened in 2018 and replaced the WACA. Perth is hot and dry in summer, and Margaret River is about 3 hours south.
Tasmania+
Bellerive Oval in Hobart and UTAS Stadium in Launceston, an island of wilderness, food and wine, about an hour by air from Melbourne.
The wine regions+
The Yarra Valley, about an hour from Melbourne; the Barossa, about an hour from Adelaide, with more than 150 wineries; Margaret River, about 3 hours south of Perth; and the Tamar Valley in Tasmania.
The Great Ocean Road+
Self-drive one of the great coastal roads, from Torquay, just over an hour from Melbourne, to the Twelve Apostles.
The reef and the Whitsundays+
Island-hop the Whitsundays, 74 islands off the Queensland coast, with Whitehaven Beach, or head out to the reef from Cairns. April to October is the mildest time to go.
Uluru and the Red Centre+
The red earth of the outback. Fly direct to Ayers Rock Airport from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Cairns. An extension we can plan for you on request.
Beyond AustraliaNew Zealand, and a stopover on the long way there.+
New Zealand+
Across the Tasman Sea from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. An extension we can plan for you on request.
A stopover on the way+
Every route from London to the east coast changes at least once. Many travellers break the journey with a night or two at the stopover, and we plan the trip around whichever flights you book.
Booked with confidence
Follow On Tours is the tour operator for your trip. You book with us and pay us: one contract, one point of contact from your first question to your flight home.
We are a member of ABTOT, number 5718. If we were to become insolvent, ABTOT cover provides a refund if you have not yet travelled. This covers non-flight packages.
Depending on your arrangements, our trusted local team is there to deliver your trip and help with anything you need while you're away.
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Join the FamilyYour financial protection
Follow On Tours Limited is a member of the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (ABTOT), membership number 5718, and holds bonds A60089 and A60090.
The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Follow On Tours Limited, membership number 5718, and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided for:
Non-flight packages
ABTOT cover provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled or repatriation if transportation was included in your package. Please note that bookings made outside the UK are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Follow On Tours Limited.
In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call our 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company.
You can access The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents/made
You can find out more about ABTOT here: https://www.abtot.com/