What is Melbourne like in winter?
Cool, crisp and drier than spring15°C days, penguins every night and whales off the coast road.
Cool and crisp, and drier than you would expect. Melbourne averages 15 to 16°C by day from June to August, with nights around 8°C, and gets 41 to 46mm of rain a month, less than October or November at 64mm. Winter is when the whales pass Warrnambool on the Great Ocean Road, with southern rights calving close to shore, and the Twelve Apostles have the big Southern Ocean swells. The penguin parade on Phillip Island happens every night of the year, earlier in the evening in winter. A day on the Great Ocean Road is from $139, and the Phillip Island penguins from $149, both with pick-up from your Melbourne accommodation.
Checked on 28 October 2026.
Melbourne's rain is spread across the whole year, so winter is not its wet season: June, July and August each get less rain than April, October or November. What winter brings is cool, clear days, the quietest time of year to travel, and the two big days out of the city at their most dramatic.
Melbourne's winter, by the numbers
| Month | Day | Night | Rain | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 15°C | 8°C | 41mm | The quietest time of year to travel |
| July | 15°C | 8°C | 41mm | The coolest month, and big swells on the coast road |
| August | 16°C | 8°C | 46mm | Whales passing Warrnambool, and the days warming |
| October, for comparison | 21°C | 11°C | 64mm | Spring: warmer, and wetter than winter |
Bureau of Meteorology monthly averages for Melbourne (Olympic Park), station 086338. A short record, 13 years, because the station is recent.
What winter gives you
- The penguin parade, every night.On Phillip Island hundreds of little penguins come out of the surf and cross the beach after sunset, in every month of the year. In winter it is earlier in the evening.
- Whales.Southern right whales pass Warrnambool, at the western end of the Great Ocean Road, roughly June to September, and calve close to shore.
- The Twelve Apostles in a winter swell.The Southern Ocean throws its biggest seas at the Shipwreck Coast in winter, and the car parks are nearly empty.
- Less rain than spring.41 to 46mm a month, against 64mm in October and November.
- Cool, not cold.15°C by day and 8°C at night. A warm jacket covers it.
The day trips run all winter
| Trip | What is included | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day Phillip Island and Penguins | No meals are included. There are lunch options along the way, at your own cost. | $149 | $115 |
| 1 Day Great Ocean Road + Rainforest Tour | No meals are included. There is free time for lunch in Apollo Bay and a dinner stop in Colac on the way home, both at your own expense. | $139 | $100 |
| 1 Day Great Ocean Road Reverse Tour (with lunch) | A picnic lunch is included. | $149 | $139 |
All three pick up and drop off at your Melbourne accommodation. Prices update on their own.
- Phillip Island, $149(children $115): an air-conditioned 4WD mini bus with a guide, some of the driving on dirt roads along the coastal cliffs, and the penguins crossing the beach after sunset.
- The Great Ocean Road, $139(children $100): the coast road out, free time for lunch in Apollo Bay, and the Twelve Apostles at sunset from the viewing platform.
- The reverse day, $149inland through Colac first so you reach the Twelve Apostles ahead of the crowds, with a picnic lunch included, in a group of 9 to 21.
With a night or two
| Trip | Length | Where you sleep | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Day Great Ocean Road Tour | 2 days, 1 night | Hostel and Cabin | $369 |
| 2 Day Great Ocean Road & Grampians Tour | 2 days, 1 night | Hostel and Cabin | $475 |
| 3 Day Great Ocean Road & Grampians | 3 days, 2 nights | Hostel and Cabin | $695 |
All three leave from and return to Melbourne. Prices update on their own.
The three day trip, from $695, sleeps the first night at Warrnambool, in private ensuite rooms or triple share at the Downtown Motel, which puts you in the whale town in whale season. The second night is at Halls Gap in the Grampians, with a traditional Aussie barbecue dinner. There is more on the coast road in the cold months on our Great Ocean Road in winter page.
Or head north into the sun
Melbourne is the southern end of the road to the Red Centre, and winter is when the desert is at its best: Alice Springs averages 20°C by day in July with 14mm of rain. Eight days from Melbourne to Alice Springs, from $1,899, takes in the Twelve Apostles, a night at Halls Gap, the overnight coach from Adelaide, and three nights camping in the Red Centre, including a bush camp at Curtin Springs. For the whole year in Melbourne, see the best time to visit Melbourne.
1 Day Phillip Island and Penguinsfrom $1491 day1 day. The penguin parade, children $115View trip
1 Day Great Ocean Road + Rainforest Tourfrom $1391 day1 day. The Twelve Apostles at sunset, children $100View trip
3 Day Great Ocean Road & Grampiansfrom $6953 days, 2 nightsHostel and Cabin3 days. Warrnambool and the GrampiansView trip
8 Day Melbourne to Alice Springsfrom $18998 days, 7 nightsCamping and Hostels8 days. Melbourne to Alice SpringsView tripPeople also ask
- When is the best time to visit Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road?
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- What day trips can you do from Melbourne?
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Where this comes from. Temperatures and rainfall are Bureau of Meteorology monthly averages for Melbourne (Olympic Park), station 086338, from 13 years of records, and Alice Springs Airport, station 015590, from 84 years, for the comparison. What each trip includes, pick-ups, where you sleep, group sizes, child prices and prices are that trip's own details as held on its page here, and prices update on their own.