Somewhere between €14 Aperol Spritzes, 40-degree heatwaves and attempting to locate one square metre of beach that wasn’t already occupied by an influencer tripod, the #EuroSummer dream started looking… a little sweaty.
Which is perhaps why the travel trend quietly hijacking 2026 isn’t about escaping winter at all. It’s about embracing it – preferably somewhere with a crackling fire, an exceptional wine list and absolutely no queue for a selfie.
Enter the coolcation.
No, it’s not another TikTok buzzword destined to disappear before your next annual leave request gets approved. It’s exactly what it sounds like: travelling somewhere deliciously cool instead of relentlessly hot. Think misty vineyards over melting pavements. Cosy cellar doors over crowded beach clubs. Long lunches that somehow become sunset dinners because, frankly, nobody’s in a rush.
And Western Australia? She understood the assignment.
While travellers continue battling European heatwaves and playing human Tetris through overcrowded tourist hotspots, WA is quietly serving one of Australia’s best winter holidays – all dramatic coastlines, truffle season, luxury stays and enough good food to make you question why you’ve ever considered travelling in January.
Perth suddenly becomes the main character
Winter happens to be Perth’s sweet spot.
The beaches are still impossibly beautiful, but without requiring you to fight someone for towel space. Restaurants suddenly feel easier to get into. Walks along the coast become genuinely enjoyable instead of an endurance sport.
Lunch at Gibney overlooking South Cottesloe somehow feels even more luxurious when there’s a storm rolling across the Indian Ocean outside and another course arriving inside. The sophisticated brasserie grill brings a level of detail and polish that makes South Cottesloe’s first ever restaurant feel like it’s been there forever — just waiting for winter to show off.
Turns out, ocean views don’t actually require 35-degree heat. Who knew?
Winter is when Margaret River becomes ridiculously smug
Summer gets all the headlines, but locals know winter is when Margaret River really starts showing off.
This is peak truffle season – which is essentially permission to order anything with shaved truffle on it and call it cultural enrichment.
Start properly at Margaret River Truffle Farm, where intimate truffle hunts through misty paddocks make you feel like you’ve stepped into a very delicious treasure hunt.
Spend the morning following truffle dogs through the forest, the afternoon parked beside a fire at Vasse Felix, where fireside tastings and long winter lunches turn a cellar door into a full afternoon commitment, or disappear into a long lunch at Glenarty Road where regenerative farming, seasonal produce and exceptional wine all conspire to make your “quick bite” last four hours.
Voyager Estate turns the dial even further down, with curated tastings, behind-the-scenes vineyard access and deeply personalised experiences that feel more like being invited in than simply visiting.
Nobody judges. In fact, lingering is practically part of the itinerary.
The luxury isn’t the hotel. It’s the silence
The best part about a WA coolcation isn’t necessarily where you stay. It’s what happens when you get there.
At Injidup Spa Retreat, floor-to-ceiling windows frame an Indian Ocean that’s moody in all the right ways, while private plunge pools make “doing absolutely nothing” feel strangely productive.
Tucked into Wadandi Boodja (Country), it’s the kind of place where the weather becomes part of the experience — not something you plan around, but something you sink into.
Over on Rottnest, winter transforms the island into something completely different. The quokkas are still impossibly photogenic, but the crowds have disappeared, the walking trails feel peaceful and The Lodge Wadjemup leans fully into slow island luxury. Set amongst salt lakes and native bush, it pairs coastal dining and cultural storytelling with a softer, slower version of island life.
Even Fremantle seems to exhale during winter, with boutique newcomers like the Owston Hotel and Garde Hotel making it dangerously easy to extend “just one night” into an entire long weekend. The Owston leans into heritage restoration with every room telling its own story, while Garde Hotel blends contemporary design with the character of its restored Warders Cottages.
A little further out, Heyscape Cabins in Denmark take things fully off-grid – glass-fronted cabins overlooking William Bay National Park and towering Karri forest, where the only real decision is whether to leave the deck chair.
Turns out, slowing down is surprisingly addictive
If your version of travel still involves colour-coded itineraries, alarms and trying to “fit everything in”, WA may come as a slight shock.
There are festivals if you want them – Cabin Fever transforms Margaret River into ten glorious days of feasts, wine and fireside celebrations. Now in its 10th year, it fills the region with immersive dining, late-night sessions and the kind of winter indulgence that feels entirely justified.
There are new experiences too, from Wadandi-led Noongar cultural tours to the Makers of Esperance trail, which swaps tourist checklists for local makers, artists and stories. Closer to Perth, a newly opened elevated boardwalk at John Forrest National Park offers sweeping valley views just 30 minutes from the city — an easy reminder that you don’t need to go far to feel far away.
Or…
You could simply order another glass of wine. Maybe at Singlefile Wines in the Great Southern, where cool-climate tastings unfold without crowds, noise or urgency – just seriously good wine and even better pacing. Watch the rain roll over the vines. And accept that perhaps the most productive thing you’ll do all holiday is decide between dessert or cheese.
(Answer: both.)
Maybe winter was never the problem
For years we’ve treated winter like something to escape.
Western Australia makes a compelling argument that we’ve been approaching it all wrong.
Because maybe the perfect holiday isn’t about chasing endless sunshine. Maybe it’s about slowing down long enough to notice where you are.
Preferably with truffle fries.
