Time Out Australia Travel Awards 2026: Best Adventure Experience Nominees

The slow-moving, gentle (and crucially, non-human-eating) Galapagos sharks that live in the reef around Lord Howe are the only known community in Australia, and swimming with them in the crystal-clear water beyond the island is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Tours run a few times every week, with super-experienced divers guiding you off the boat, along with a floating support bar that makes gazing down into the deep blue a whole lot easier. During our two-hour trip, we saw upwards of 20 sharks – beautiful, gentle creatures who came close enough to show their curiosity, but stayed far enough away to leave us with the feeling of awe rather than terror.

Swimming with these super-sized spotted sharks – that can grow up to 18 metres in length – is a bucket list adventure, and the heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park is one of the only places on Earth where you can have a face-to-fin encounter. Only a dozen whale shark operators are licensed to run tours for a maximum of ten swimmers at a time, including Exmouth Dive and Whalesharks Ningaloo. The boats work in tandem with spotter planes, which look out for the best positioning for your group to swim with the sharks.

If facing your fears is high on your bucket list – but jumping out of a plane feels a step too far – we’ve found just the thrill for you. Launched in January 2026, this world-first eco-adventure park sits on the edge of a cliff above the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park. Perched 400 metres above the valley floor, Happitat boasts Australia’s highest zipline at 200 metres, along with a Via Ferrata mountaineering course featuring an 80-metre suspension bridge, forest trails and swimming holes. 

Over six days, you can traverse the country’s most breathtaking landscapes on the Classic Larapinta Trek in Comfort – one of the 15 Great Walks of Australia, which winds its way through the rust-red peaks of the Tjoritja/West MacDonnell Ranges. By covering 69.5 kilometres of the trail’s highlights with just a daypack and retreating to eco-camps each night, you can focus on the ancient landscapes and Indigenous stories rather than just survival. It makes a world-class challenge completely accessible for all.

If you've always wanted to experience snow and surf in one day, you should join Wild Adventures Melbourne (WAM) on its epic four-day Great Australian Snow to Surf Adventure. As one of Australia’s only B-Corp Certified tour operators and winner of the 2025 National Banksia Sustainability Award, WAM is redefining how tourism can be utilised to drive positive and progressive change that will last for generations to come. The epic four-day trip includes everything from a morning of snow play on Mount Hotham to an afternoon surfing along the Gippsland coast. 

You don’t need to carry a 30-kilogram pack, eat two-minute noodles for three nights straight or even know how to pitch a tent to journey along Australia’s most dramatic coastline. Tasmania’s Three Capes Track is the ultimate introduction to multi-day hiking in Australia, bridging the gap between raw wilderness, comfort and accessibility. Those looking for a little more support, comfort and education can join the Three Capes Signature Walk with Tasmanian Walking Company (TWC) – one of only 15 Great Walks of Australia. As the only fully guided Three Capes Track experience with accommodation inside the national park, TWC hikers enjoy the luxury of staying in private lodges, with hot showers and chef-prepared meals – all while carrying nothing more than a day pack.