Top elopement locations in Australia

Let’s cut straight to it, you came here for the top elopement locations in Australia, not to read some fluffy introduction, right? Exactly! So here they are, a small selection of my favourite locations (there are way more, but no one wants a list with 100 places, that’s some overwhelming shit right there), enjoy legend!

Best elopement locations in Australia, NSW

The Blue Mountains, located about 2 hours inland from Sydney is one of the most spectacular of them all, and one of my top elopement locations in Australia, not just NSW. With hundreds, maybe thousands of spots to elope, you are spoilt for choice. Waterfall elopement? Done. Epic cliff ceremony? Sure thing! Rain forest portraits? The Blue Mountains has you covered.

Great thing about the mountains is also it’s huge range of accomodation options, ranging from cute cottages off grid, all the way to luxury style resorts built into the cliffs. You may need a 4×4 to get around to a lot of the spots out here, and you might need to be willing to hike and climb decent distances, but trust me, it’s all worth it! The Blue Mountains is great, all year round as well, winter it can snow, summer its nice and warm, you can’t go wrong! If you want to know all the secret locations, just get in touch, I’ve got you!

Best place to stay: Chalets at Blackheath

The Best place to eat: Bootlegger Bar

Best place for coffee: Cassiopeia Coffee

Stockton Sand Dunes

The largest sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere, only an hour east of Newcastle! This one is a minimalists dream, with almost 40km of dunes, as far as the eye can see! But, it’s not just sand, you are so close to some of the coolest spots in Port Stephens.

If you want something more edgy, rocky, cliff like, head out to Birubi for that, only a few minutes drive away. Want something more island like, beachy vibes…head down to the base of Mount Tomaree only a couple minutes up the road. Or just explore the dunes. You can actually take a 4×4 out here and explore places most people do not get to see, including an abandoned tin city which is quite cool, and eery. Also, no idea why, but every single time I shoot here I get a ridiculous sunset, so yeah, it’s a good time this one!

Best place to stay: Salt at Shoal Bay

The Best place to eat: Rick Stein at Bannisters

Best place for coffee: The Little Nel

Barrington Tops National Park

4.5 hours North of Sydney, the Barrington Tops National Park could easily take you a whole month to explore. This place, is huge! I quite liken it to the Blue Mountains, but without the sheer cliffs, instead it has stunning rolling hills. You can find yourself in huge pine forests, rain forests, out in the rolling hills, in fields covered in snow, it is perfect all year round. As with the Blue Mountains, you will want a 4×4 for this one as the road can get really rough, and in winter when snow is likely, they often close the roads to all vehicles except those with 4×4 capability. But you just know this means adventure.

I highly recommend heading up to the Firs pine forest for your ceremony amongst the trees, and then down to a secret little spot where you will find the most stunning view of the rolling hills. If you get a quality sunset (happens a lot in this part of the world), this place is going to be about as breathtaking as it gets. Do beware though, the roads in can be very rough, and can be sketchy, it’s worth speaking with a local (or your photographer) before settling on this spot. Hands down one of the most stunning elopement locations in Australia!

Best place to stay: St Helena River Retreat

The Best place to eat: Roundabout Inn

Best place for coffee: Billy T Cafe

Jindabyne National Park

Home to the highest peak in Australia, Mount Kosciusko, and premiere snowfields Perisher & Thredbo, Jindabyne National Park is one hell of a mission if you’re up for it. A lot of places in Australia occasionally snow, maybe a few times a year, but this place, well yeah, it snows. And it hikes! So if you’re up for snowy hikes up a mountain to elope with views of the valley, this is for you.

Jindabyne is about 5 hours south of Sydney, about 2 hours south of the nations capital, Canberra. Now Jindabyne has a lot to explore, obviously you have the snowfields, which in summer are more for hiking and camping, and in winter have both epic hikes, and snow sports, but you also have the surrounding towns which have some pretty incredible landscapes to explore.

I suggest staying in Jindabyne, there are a lot of cute off grid remote cottages/tiny homes (I can give you details if you want) out there, and then heading in to one of a couple trails that take you to the top of the mountain. If I had to recommend one, I would recommend the Dead Horse Gap Track (I know, lovely name, right?). Do be prepared to hike though, this isn’t for the faint hearted, it will burn some calories and require multiple food and beer stop offs (but you’ve earned it)…but if that sounds like fun to you, and eloping at the top of the highest peak in Australia in the snow sounds killer, let’s do this!

Best place to stay: Cabin at Crackenback

The best place to eat: La Famiglia Pizzeria

Best place for coffee: Coffee Beats Drinks

Byron Bay

Honestly, do I even need to tell you about Byron Bay? No matter where you are from in the world, you probably have heard of Byron Bay, or seen it on a screen somewhere. It is picturesque. It is everything you imagine when you think of Australian surfer town. Pristine beaches as far as the eye can see. Waves you can ride for what feels like minutes at a time. Epic coastlines, and even mountainous hinterlands. Byron Bay has it all.

One of the other amazing things about Byron, is that it doubles as a honeymoon destination for a lot of people coming, especially from overseas, as you can easily spend a week or two here living it up as a newlywed couple.

Personally, my favourite place to elope would be down on the Broken Head track, or, Minyon Falls (sorry, I couldn’t choose just 1), and then up to Byron for a beer and a feed on the beach! Not only one of the best elopement locations in Australia, but one of the most relaxing locations in the world!

Best place to stay: The Bower Cottages

The best place to eat: Chihuahua Taqueria

Best place for coffee: The General Store

Bombo Quarry

One truly unique place to elope, let me assure you that. Located about 30 minutes south of Wollongong, you would be forgiven for thinking you had travelled off to Mars or something crazy. The way the rocks jut out of the ground, out of the ocean is unreal. And for how Barron and intense the landscape is, you really don’t have to walk too hard to get to it, barely 500m from the carpark.

Personally the way I love to do this area is to do my ceremony down in the ‘natural arbour’ (if you don’t know what it is, I can show you), it’s like nothing else, followed by adventuring up the rocks to the cliff overlooking the coastline. This is a truly stunning spot, especially if you have direct sun & clouds, or if it’s misty and overcast. From here, I actually like to get in the car and drive 2 minutes down the road to a place called Cathedral Rocks for portraits. If you aren’t sure why, just google it and thank me later…what an awesome day!

Best place to stay: Dovecote

The best place to eat: Silica

Best place for coffee: The Hungry Monkey

Top elopement locations in Australia, Victoria

Mornington Peninsula

World renowned for a reason. The Mornington Peninsula is a place of serenity and relaxation. Located only 75 minutes east of Melbourne CBD, it’s remarkably easy to get too, and also means you have your choice of vendors from Melbourne (which you would have for all these locations, but without the large travel fee).

Want to get married in a beautiful little bay on the sand? No worries, head to Portsea for a more ‘peaceful’ experience. Want to get things done up on a cliff overlooking an epic coastline? Of course, just head out to Flinders. You’ll need to know the secret way out to the cliffs for the best views, but don’t worry, I got you!

Do be aware though, being a peninsula it can get quite windy, so if you absolutely hate wind (it makes your photos and video look far better, trust me), you may want to skip this one, but if you don’t mind the elements, this is one of my top picks for elopement locations in Australia!

Best place to stay: Capri House

The best place to eat: Martha’s Table

Best place for coffee: Little Rebel

Great Ocean Road

If you haven’t heard of it yet, open a new tab and google it, I’ll wait. Probably the most breathtaking drive in all of Australia, it’ goes all the way from Melbourne to Adelaide, approximately ‘s approximately 250km one way, with so many spots along the way it could easily take you a week to do!

And with this comes an almost infinite number of spots you could choose to do your ceremony or portraits. But let me let you in on a little insider secret here. There is a stretch of the Great Ocean Road that’s about 12km long where you will find the kinds of views you would expect to see on a postcard.

My recommendation is to do your ceremony down in the Loch Are Gorge and then head down to the Gibson Steps to do your portraits at sunset as the mist kicks up behind you. Again, as with the Mornington Peninsula, it can get quite windy down on the coast, but trust me, this place will leave you breathless…thank me later.

Best place to stay: Old Coach Retreat

The best place to eat: The Captain of Aireys Pizza

Best place for coffee: The Riverbank Cafe

Erskine Falls

Damn this one was fun, and believe me we got some weird looks! Of all the elopement locations in Australia, we probably got heckled the most here by confused onlookers (all in good fun though). Located around the Otways on the Great Ocean Road, it’s about a 2.5 hour drive from Melbourne. This little fall is hidden deep in the forest, and finding it is not even the hard part. Accessing it is! You will need to climb over railings, scale down rocks, cross slippery streams, and then climb up on more rocks to get out to the actually fall. Son definitely one for those who like to adventure.

But once you get out there, oh dear lord what a spot! Personally I would do this for a ceremony, not portraits, simply because it is more limited in terms of moving around, and since it is at a lower elevation, it’s less affected by the earlier sunlight. Once you are officially hitched, I like to head out to this private red rock beach about 20 minutes away for some of the most intimate beach portraits you could ever imagine. Finish it off with a few woodier pizzas and a beer or two, sign me the fuck up!

Best place to stay: Cumulus House

The best place to eat: A La Grecque

Best place for coffee: Onda Foodhouse

Californian Redwood Forest

If misty and moody pine forests are your thing, this spot is a must! There is actually another epic pine forest down on the Great Ocean Rd, but it’s around 3 hours from Melbourne, so I opted for this one due to it’s proximity to the city (about 90 minutes north east), as well as ease of access. The drive in is pretty amazing, I highly recommend this location in the winter, because it actually gets better with a bit of rain and fog!

Don’t get me wrong, it would look amazing in the sun, but I don’t know, something about pine forests just screams eery and moody to me, so I always recommend them to my couples for winter elopements. Once you’re done with your ceremony in the forest, there is a little place further up the mountain that you would never think to go down, but it provides some of the coolest, most Pinterest worthy rainforest, deep green fern type shots. Pro tip, I will bring some lanterns, because if it’s foggy, this location will light up with golden warmth all over the leaves, it looks unreal!

Best place to stay: Kangaroo Ridge Retreat

The best place to eat: Honestly, Melbourne CBD (which is just too far), so I recommend putting together a wine and cheese charcuterie board (best one in Melbourne right here) for your night, trust me, it’ll be amazing with these views!

Best place for coffee: Your room has a coffee machine, again, you won’t want to drink your coffee anywhere other than on your deck overlooking the mountain ranges at sunrise.

The Grampians

Ahhh the Victorian Blue Mountains, as I call them. So you know this is one of my favourite elopement locations in Australia. Stretching, vast mountain ranges and valleys, as far as the eye can see. If you want to go on an adventure in Victoria, this is absolutely the place to do it. Approximately 3.5 hours West of Melbourne, this is going to give you that ‘alone in the wilderness’ feel that so many people want for their elopement.

When should you elope here? Any time! Summer will give you that stunning golden light and warmth in the evening, and winter, well, unlike the Blue Mountains in NSW, this place will cop a little bit of snow on the higher peaks, which should make for some amazing photos, especially if you are adventurous enough to trek up their and get amongst it. Honestly, if I had to pick one place in Victoria for a winter elopement, here it is!

Best place to stay: Salt Creek Cottage

The best place to eat: Flame Brothers

Best place for coffee: Live Fast

Mount Hotham

Ok, I lied…I would also pick Mount Hotham for a winter elopement, and that’s because it is actually part of the snowfields in the Victorian High Country. If you are looking to try and get a snow elopement in Victoria, and snow is not something you want to leave to chance, I would opt for this over the Grampians. Between June and September, Mount Hotham will get on average 20″ of snow a day, as well as 20+ full snow falls days! For those coming from overseas, that’s a remarkable set of numbers for Australia.

But what about a non winter elopement? Well, if you like mountains, valleys, amazing sunsets with golden light washing all over the landscape as you say your vows…then yeah, it’s also bloody ridiculously gorgeous in summer. It has a combination of spots you can drive all the way up to, and spots you need to hike too, so it’s perfect for the adventurous couple, and the couple who want a bit more of a laid back day. I absolutely recommend the Razorback trail, if you know where to get onto it, it will be a beautiful walk to the most scenic mountain top in Victoria!

Best place to stay: The Alpine Retreat

The best place to eat: The General

Best place for coffee: Also The General!

Cradle Mountain

I call Tasmania the New Zealand of Australia. It’s got a fairly similar landscape, and definitely a similar climate. Cradle mountain totally lives up to that in spades. There are so many stunning locations inside this national park to elope and do portraits, so you will need to plan it out, or you’ll end up paralysed by your options on the day.

Do be aware that you will need to apply for a permit to elope inside the National Park, and within the hours of 8am – 4.30pm you cannot drive inside as they have a shuttle service. So if you are eloping in winter, you will need to make use of that service, or be willing to walk long distance. If you wish to elope in summer (yes, it can actually snow in summer here occasionally), after 4.30pm, with a permit you can drive into the park which is really handy. And trust me, it is worth it, mountains to die for, epic hikes, beautiful lakes and cottages scattered about, let’s do it!

Best place to stay: Felons Corner

Best place to eat: Highland Restaurant

Freycinet National Park

Another one of those unbelievable spots in Tasmania to elope, like it didn’t already have enough! Let me start with the red rocks down on the bay’s shores, god game they pop! Especially if you wear something with a reddish tinge to it like an orange or maroon suit. You also have all these massive beautiful mountains engulfed from within the national park as your backdrop giving you a totally non beauty feel if you want to change it up!

As with all National Park elopements in Tasmania, you will need to have a permit which I can certainly help you organise. For those not scared of a bit of a vertical hike, you can climb up to the peak, giving you untouched views of the entire national park. A lot of people do their ceremony down by the water, but honestly, given the view, if you’re up for it I would say do it up the top, followed by your portraits down by the bay!

Best place to stay: Freycinet Lodge

The best place to eat: Freycinet Lodge

Best coffee: Geographe (also has awesome pizza)

If you’re loving any of these elopement locations, and I wouldn’t be shocked if you were, let’s get talking about it. Honestly, so many people sit on a dream and never take any action. So let’s actually do it. Even if one of these elopement locations isn’t perfect for you, but it’s given you some ideas, I would love to help you explore them! So contact me here, and let’s get the ball rolling on this epic dream elopement.

Want to chat about planning your elopement?