The 10 best places to skydive in Australia

Where: Mission Beach, Cassowary Coast, QLD

How far? Two-hour drive from Cairns

If diving out of the sky above the Great Barrier Reef, numerous tropical islands and World Heritage-listed rainforest is your idea of a good time, pop Mission Beach on your skydiving Australia checklist. With a guaranteed beach landing, this spectacular jump in the tropics of far north Queensland is located about an hour and forty minutes away from Cairns, and there are a few different vendors you can hit up to get your sky-high fix above the lush Cassowary Coast. Skydive Australia has a branch here, offering you a swim and a free meal after you've done the hard yards and jumped out of a plane.

Price: From $385 with Skydive Mission Beach

Where: Rottnest Island Airport, WA

How far? 1.5-hour ferry ride from Perth

It's not hyperbole to say that Rottnest Island is one of the most incredibly beautiful places on Earth. With some of the clearest water in the world, sugar-white sand and an abundance of smiley marsupials (quokkas, we're looking at you), Rotto is next-level amazing, regardless of whether you're on the ground – or falling through the sky. If you choose to take to the skies, you won't be disappointed. With Skydive Geronimo, you get a 20-minute scenic flight over the tiny island, then you and your instructor will plummet down over an abundance of turquoise water and white sand, landing after a five-minute parachute fall on a pristine beach. You won't regret it.

Price: From $499 with Skydive Geronimo

Where: North Wollongong

How far? One-hour drive from Sydney CBD

Get the best view of NSW’s pristine coastline from the sky… as you fall out of it above North Wollongong Beach. Just an hour south of Sydney CBD, this is the only beach skydive near Sydney, offering jaw-dropping panoramas of the city and the Pacific Ocean. You'll ascend to the highest altitude offered by any skydiving company – up to 15,000 feet – then dive into a heart-racing 60-second freefall at more than 200 kilometres per hour. Finally, you’ll drift peacefully under canopy for five to seven minutes, soaking in spectacular sights of Wollongong and the southern Sydney coast.

Price: From $405 with Skydive Sydney-Wollongong

Where: McLaren Vale, SA

How far? 40-minute drive from Adelaide

If the sound of skydiving over rolling green vineyards, followed by throwing back a glass of world-class vino, sounds like your personal dream day, you're in luck – because McLaren Vale in South Australia exists, and as such, so does that very specific scenario. You've got a few different vendors to choose from in McLaren Vale when it comes to diving out of a plane, but they're all united in their soaring descent over South Australia's southern wine country and glittery Fleurieu coastline. With well-renowned places like Skydive the Vines giving you a freefall experience over a lush green vineyard, with you landing amongst the vines, you'll be feeling tipsy in all ways that are humanly possible.

Price: From $399 with Skydive the Vines

Where: Torquay, Great Ocean Road, VIC

How far? 1.5-hour drive from Melbourne

There are few places on Earth quite as spectacular as Victoria's Great Ocean Road. Even when you're firmly on solid Earth, this region's incredible coastline, rugged rock formations (hello, Twelve Apostles) and general wild beauty are pretty breathtaking. Now, imagine all of that while you're suspended 15,000 feet in the air. Breathtaking, in more ways than one. After you get saddled up by the trusty folks and choose to fly at either 8,000 or 15,000 feet, you can expect to soar over a glittering expanse of ocean, wild waves and seriously salty scenery that'll blow your senses out of the park, and then out to sea. There ain't nothing like it. 

Price: From $405 with Skydive Great Ocean Road or $399 with Skyone

Where: Whitsunday Airport, Airlie Beach, QLD

How far? 3.5-hour drive from Townsville

Airlie Beach in far north Queensland's glittering Whitsundays is widely famed as one of the most incredible places (and beaches) in the world. The heart-rending turquoise water, the warm tropical air and the lush, frangipani-coated coastline are pretty much what you get when you type 'paradise' into Google images. As you can imagine, skydiving here is pretty special. You can soar from 8,000 to 15,000 feet with the well-established Skydive Australia – and this experience is all about the marine vistas. Your freefall will happen over a huge expanse of bright blue water and a curvy combination of tropical beaches. Also, this part of the world cops a fair bit of flak for the creatures that live *beneath* the water (ahem, crocs, etc), which makes flying above it much more appealing.

Price: From $315 with Skydive Airlie Beach

Where: Goolwa, Fleurieu Peninsula, SA

How far? One-hour drive from Adelaide CBD

If you’re gonna chuck yourself out of a plane, the Fleurieu Peninsula is a pretty ripper spot to do it. Just an hour south of Adelaide CBD, Goolwa is the state’s top skydiving destination for both solo and tandem jumps. You’ll be flown anywhere from 7,500 to 15,000 feet, then experience the rush of a freefall at 220 kilometres per hour. When the parachute pops, enjoy a chill five-minute float with stunning views of the Southern Ocean, Horseshoe Bay, Basham Beach, the vineyards of McLaren Vale and, on clear days, even Kangaroo Island.

Price: From $299 with SA Skydiving

Where: Newcastle, NSW

How far? Two-hour drive from Sydney 

Skydiving in Newy (as it's known to locals), on NSW's north coast, is an excellent option for any adrenaline junkies in Sydney who don't want to hop on a plane (across state borders, anyway). You can choose to either do a vineyard-style flight in the Hunter Valley or take a coastal route and plunge over the cerulean waters of Lake Macquarie and the Newcastle coast. If the weather permits for the latter, you can land on the sand and basically feel like you're in a 1980s Aussie music video. 

Price: From $359 with Skyone or $379 with Skydive Newcastle

Where: Byron Bay, NSW

How far? One-hour drive from the Gold Coast or two hours from Brisbane

Even though Byron Bay likes to sell itself as a laidback hippie paradise where only the chillest times are allowed to roll, there are actually quite a few opportunities for heart-racing adrenaline – and skydiving might be the best of them. With the seasoned and hyper-safe Skydive Byron Bay slinging you up (and then out) of the sky (they've been doing it for 20 years), you can rest assured that what you're doing is most likely going to be okay. Apart from that, getting to fly above an epic tapestry of sandy beaches, rolling emerald hinterland and a shimmering turquoise ocean at a staggering 15,000 feet will make you feel more like a sea eagle than you ever have before. 

Price: From $385 with Skydive Byron Bay

Where: Cairns, NSW

How far? One-hour drive from Port Douglas

This one's for everyone keen on free-falling over the Great Barrier Reef. With lots of different vendors offering up epic skydives over the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, it can be hard to choose – however, Cairns Skydivers are a pretty great shout. With loads of experience, a high level of attention to safety and heights of up to 14,000 feet, they do a good job of ticking all the skydiving boxes. Plus, you get the option of landing on Kurrimine Beach, one of the closest beaches to the Great Barrier Reef. This means that at low tide, you can actually walk out to the reef itself. How's that for a life-changing time? 

Price: From $349 with Skyone