Circumnavigation of Australia, clockwise or anti-clockwise?

[phoenixxx]

Does anyone know if it is better to do the Australia circumnavigation clockwise or anti-clockwise and the reasons? 

I read something about this years ago and thought I'd saved it but didn't.

It seems some cruises do clockwise and some anti.

Looking at Sydney to Brisbane 30 October 2024 on Princess.

Looking forward to all comments.

TIA for any help

[Cbtours]

5 minutes ago, phoenixxx said:

Does anyone know if it is better to do the Australia circumnavigation clockwise or anti-clockwise and the reasons? 

I read something about this years ago and thought I'd saved it but didn't.

It seems some cruises do clockwise and some anti.

Looking at Sydney to Brisbane 30 October 2024 on Princess.

Looking forward to all comments.

TIA for any help

I have only heard it done Sydney (or Brisbane) anticlockwise. We just did Syd return last October and loved it. (Syd/Bri/Cairns ……,) we felt it had a completely different feel as it was a longer cruise. Much more relaxed as not rushing to try and get every experience in with two weeks etc 🥰 loved it and would happily repeat. We did our Coral Princess.

[Ozwoody]

11 minutes ago, phoenixxx said:

Does anyone know if it is better to do the Australia circumnavigation clockwise or anti-clockwise and the reasons? 

I read something about this years ago and thought I'd saved it but didn't.

It seems some cruises do clockwise and some anti.

Looking at Sydney to Brisbane 30 October 2024 on Princess.

Looking forward to all comments.

TIA for any help

It would I think mainly be the weather in the Great Australian Bight that would be the main difference depending on the season.

 

This I found some time ago, don't know where from.

 

Successfully sailing across the Great Australian Bight is a good way to earn bragging rights within the sailing community, but it isn’t for the faint of heart. There are many professional sailors who avoid the route altogether simply because of the rough and unpredictable seas. Given the annual weather patterns, it’s generally recommended that you go from late October until mid-April if travelling east to west. If you are crossing from west to east, however, you can either go from late September until late October or from early April until mid-May to get the most favourable conditions.

 

We have done it anti-clockwise can't think of any other issues.

We had a great trip and for our trip the bight was a pond😁

[arxcards]

Anti. 

If there is any rough weather on the south or east coasts, you are likely going to be cruising with the current & wind, not against it.

 

Most cruises that lap Australia go in an anti-clockwise direction.

[SinbadThePorter]

2 hours ago, phoenixxx said:

Does anyone know if it is better to do the Australia circumnavigation clockwise or anti-clockwise and the reasons? 

 

The reason is that intense low pressure systems rotate around the Southern Ocean from west to east. They form one of the most consistent weather patterns on the planet. Old time sailors called it the Roaring Forties.

 

As these systems pass through the Great Australian Bight, you get several days of strong winds and heavy seas separated by a day or two of calmer seas. If you are heading west you are going into the wind and waves, which is not nice. If you are heading east you are going with the wind and waves, which makes for a less unpleasant experience. If you are lucky you are between low pressure systems and the seas are fine.

[lyndarra]

Have done this a couple of times in both directions. No problems either way although closer to mid summer is likely to be calmer.

[cruiser3775]

The cruise you are looking at goes clockwise.  As others have said, the part between Adelaide and Albany might be rough going that way, but it is only three days out of your 25 days.  The more major problem is the time of year. From Broome to Cairns, you are going to be having port stops in the build up to the tropical wet season.  It will be hot and very humid.  In Cairns, it will be marine stinger season, which means you can't swim unprotected in ocean beaches.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

Most cruises that lap Australia go in an anti-clockwise direction.

I think that's mostly because a lot of the Princess Round Australia cruises hook together with the other long cruises thoughout our off-season so:

-Round Australia from Sydney and Brisbane links to -

- Hawaii/Tahiti from Sydney and Brisbane which in turn links to -

- World Cruise from Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane which then links to - 

- the second Hawaii/Tahiti from Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane and that links to -

- the second Round Australia from Auckland(?), Sydney and Brisbane.

The first one of these can easily go either way but the second tends to go anticlockwise as the Hawaii/Tahiti passengers disembark in Sydney and Brisbane.

 

However sometimes there is a change to this pattern ie next year Coral ends that sequence after the World Cruise. Plus I think Princess has realised how popular the Round Australia is so sometimes chucks in an extra one on a different ship.

 

Which ever way it goes it will be hot and humid up north and probably a bit bouncy down south!

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I think that's mostly because a lot of the Princess Round Australia cruises hook together with the other long cruises thoughout our off-season so:

-Round Australia from Sydney and Brisbane links to -

- Hawaii/Tahiti from Sydney and Brisbane which in turn links to -

- World Cruise from Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane which then links to - 

- the second Hawaii/Tahiti from Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane and that links to -

- the second Round Australia from Auckland(?), Sydney and Brisbane.

The first one of these can easily go either way but the second tends to go anticlockwise as the Hawaii/Tahiti passengers disembark in Sydney and Brisbane.

 

However sometimes there is a change to this pattern ie next year Coral ends that sequence after the World Cruise. Plus I think Princess has realised how popular the Round Australia is so sometimes chucks in an extra one on a different ship.

 

Which ever way it goes it will be hot and humid up north and probably a bit bouncy down south!

Indeed. If there is a swell, wind, current or all of the above down south, it will generally prevail west to east. Much more comfortable to be pushed by the swell than running into it. Sure, when the weather is favourable it makes no difference.

[GUT2407]

Depends on time of year, October/November, anti clockwise, Feb/March clockwise