Question: I am trying to plan a big trip to Australia for June 2017 for myself and my partner (I am going to be 50).
It's obviously their winter, but how cold does it actually get?
Paul Jones
Answer: June in the temperate parts of the southern hemisphere corresponds to December in the north.
In the south of Australia, you can expect a cold, crisp experience, along with the shortest days of the year. The latitude of Hobart, the state capital of Tasmania, is as far south (43 degrees) as Sofia in Bulgaria is north. Personally I wouldn't stray anywhere south of Sydney (including the Snowy Mountains, with their frankly lacklustre skiing) in June.
In the northern half of Australia, though, the middle of the year is an excellent time to travel.
Cairns, the main town in Queensland's far north and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, is humid from October to December; it experiences cyclones between November and May; and has a very pronounced wet season from December to February. You should miss all of these, and can look forward to clear, warm days and cool nights.
Much the same applies for Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory, and gateway to natural wonders such as Kakadu National Park. And in the “Red Centre” of Australia, June is as benign as it gets - with an average daily high of just 20C. That is perfect for visiting Uluru (Ayers Rock).
June is also very low season for air fares to Australia, so you can expect a bargain.
Flights to Darwin and Cairns from outside Australia are relatively scarce; Singapore Airlines' regional offshoot, Silk Air, serves both, making Singapore a good hub to choose. And as with many trips to Australia, an open-jaw arrangement - flying into one city and out of another - saves backtracking.
Having said all of that, though: were I to plan the trip of a lifetime in the northern summer next year, it would revolve around the US on 21 August 2017 - when the greatest astronomical phenomenon of the century so far is set to occur. A total solar eclipse will sweep across the nation from Oregon to South Carolina.
Just email yours to [email protected] or tweet @simoncalder
The Independent