Australia & the Pacific attractions

You can traverse the entire city of Auckland—and the North Island itself—on this 10-mile (16-kilometer) walking route that winds between Waitemata Harbour and Onehunga Harbour. There’s plenty to see along the way. The walkway passes some major attractions, along with suburban neighborhoods, verdant parks, and even a dormant volcano.

When the seafaring Maori people arrived in New Zealand from other Pacific islands, they used the stars to navigate across the vast Pacific Ocean. Today, visit Auckland’s Stardome Observatory & Planetarium to study the same stars of the southern hemisphere, nearly 1,000 years after those first Polynesian explorers landed ashore.

Considered the city’s playground, Wellington Outer Green Belt is a strip of undeveloped green land that stretches north along Wellington’s ridgetops. Walking and biking tracks weave through the landscape, which encompasses forests, hills, and the rugged south coastline.

Sweeping dunes, dramatic rocky coastline, and vast stretches of white-sand beaches and karri forests draw outdoor adventurers to D’Entrecasteaux National Park. Named after the 18th-century French explorer of the same name, the remote park in Western Australia remains as wild, unspoiled, and secluded as it must have been when it was first discovered.

McLean Falls, on the Tautuku River in the Catlins Conservation Park spanning Otago and Southland, is a 72-foot (22-meter) waterfall surrounded by damp New Zealand bush. The path to the falls passes through an attractive podocarp forest with flowering fuchsia trees. While the short walk there is categorized as easy, some of it is uphill.

History chugs to life at the Workshops Rail Museum—affectionately known as The Workshops—in Ipswich, Queensland. As the site from which the state’s first train ran over 145 years ago, the museum celebrates the social, technical, and cultural impacts of rail transport and travel on Australia. Exhibits cover the introduction of diesel trains, great Australian rail journeys, and more.

Jacob's Creek is a global wine brand and the oldest commercial winery in the Barossa Valley. Given its prestigious lineage, it's no surprise that the Jacob's Creek Visitor Center offers guests wine tastings, gourmet picnic lunches on the estate grounds, a café, education around the winemaking process, and accommodations.

Whether you see it, hear it, or smell it first, approaching the bustling Auckland Fish Market is always an exciting experience. Here along Auckland’s bustling waterfront, fishermen returning to the docks come to sell their fresh catches at auction, and diners come to feast on fish that was literally caught that morning.

Also known as the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections, Ballarat’s Gold Museum is an excellent resource for understanding life and culture during the Victorian Gold Rush. There is a focus on the Ballarat region, so you can conceptualize the area’s diversity before, during, and after the Great Gold Rush.

One of many wineries on the Bellarine Peninsula raising the Geelong wine region’s promising reputation, Bennetts on Bellarine combines a casual atmosphere with stunning bay views. On a large open-air deck, you can enjoy wine tastings of shiraz, sauvignon blanc, and sémillon, paired with a menu crafted around local produce and woodfired pizzas, plus occasional live music.

Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) is the biggest museum of its type in New Zealand, dedicated to the nation’s transport, technology, and social history. MOTAT houses many attractions, including working steam trains and tramways, perfectly preserved WWII planes, and a Victorian-era village full of historical artifacts.

A welcome contrast to the North Island’s steam plumes, sulfuric mud pools, and rugged geothermal craters, Waipahihi Botanical Gardens are a vibrant and fragrant refuge overlooking Lake Taupo. Wander the 86 acres (35 hectares) of native and foreign flowers and trees, or picnic while enjoying views of the lake and Tongariro National Park.

Head underground and back in time on the Queenstown’s Time Tripper Underwater Experience, a 15-minute animated show that takes you on a journey through Queenstown’s history. The animated cinematic show starts in the dinosaurs’ time, when Queenstown’s mountains, lakes, and glaciers were forming. After the show, continue to the underwater observatory to see Lake Wakatipu’s ducks, eels, and trout.

Thrill-seeking travelers are never short of attractions in New Zealand, and Queenstown’s Nevis Swing is certainly one of the most thrilling. The jumping-off platform is located 524 feet (160 meters) above a river. After a 229 foot (70 meter) free-fall, you’ll swing in a 984-foot (300-meter) arc. Jump solo or tandem, forwards, backwards, or upside down.

In the eastern reaches of the Yarra Valley, the Blue Lotus Water Garden has 14 acres (5.5 hectares) of gardens, lakes, and wetlands, blooming with colorful lotus flowers and water lilies. A fun attraction for the whole family, it’s also home to horticultural marvels such as the golden lotus and a 2000-year-old Japanese flower.

Right on Perth’s doorstep, the Swan Valley is Western Australia’s oldest wine region with a winemaking history stretching back nearly two centuries. Vineyards flank the Swan River, and there are more than 40 wineries to choose from, where you can sample the region’s award-winning shiraz, cabernet, and verdelho wines. But it’s not just wine: The Swan Valley is also dotted with breweries, distilleries, and artisan producers.

Perth’s only theme park, Adventure World is home to all you would expect from a large water and amusement park. You’ll find everything from water slides to kid-friendly rides to thrilling roller coasters and swing rides, plus the Aussie Wildlife Experience to provide some local flair.

Despite its name, Muddy’s Playground is a modern water playground that isn’t really that messy. Incorporating active, passive, educational, and interactive elements in its play equipment, Muddy’s is hugely popular with Cairns locals. Themed around the waterfront it sits on, the park includes a range of equipment for kids of all ages, including splash areas, a rope bridge, multiple slides, and puzzle games.

The historic Tamar Hotel, built in 1826, today houses the beer fans' haven known as Boag’s Centre for Beer Lovers (Boag’s Brewery). The experience takes visitors through the history of the brewing company, founded by James Boag and his son in 1883, while offering a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing process.

A collaboration between the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, the Australian Museum, and Sydney Living Museums, the Museums Discovery Centre is one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets. There are hundreds of displays to explore and plenty of opportunities to learn about museum collecting, conservation, and research practices.

Located in Mt. Cook Aoraki National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Hermitage Hotel is a well-loved landmark. In prime position with fabulous views of the mountain, the hotel dominates the northern edge of Mt. Cook Village. Chalets, motel rooms, and lodge accommodation are offered at several locations around town.

The Australian National Aviation Museum (also called the Moorabbin Air Museum) is home to a collection of aircraft, engines, models, uniforms, and other memorabilia from Australia’s aviation heritage. With more than 30 aircraft on display—and many allowing hands-on exploration—aviation and history enthusiasts, school groups and kids, can get to know a diverse collection of all things that take to the sky, from gliders to historical commercial aircraft, and much more.

Part of Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Botany Bay holds great historical significance for Sydney—it was where Captain James Cook first stepped onto Australia after exploring New Zealand in 1770. The heritage-listed spot is now home to a monument marking the meeting of European and Aboriginal cultures here.

Discover the marine life of Guam without getting wet at Underwater World, one of the longest tunnel aquariums in the world. Descend 14 feet (four meters) below ground and find yourself completely surrounded by live coral, schools of tropical fish, and sharks.

Spanning 500 acres (200 hectares), East Point Reserve is Darwin’s biggest park. It offers safe swimming in man-made Lake Alexander, plus beaches, playgrounds, workout stations, picnic and barbecue areas, cycle and walking paths, and sunset views. Ecosystems include monsoon forest, mangroves, and an intertidal boardwalk.

Western Australia isn’t short of remote settlements, and the Aboriginal community of One Arm Point (Ardyaloon) is another beautiful spot to add to your off-the-beaten-path travel itinerary. On the Dampier Peninsula north of Broome, the village rewards intrepid travelers with great views of the Indian Ocean and the Buccaneer Archipelago, and an interesting hatchery.

Tobruk Sheep Station is a scenic 50-acre working sheep farm about 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Sydney. Visitors to the farm get a peek into what life is like for an Australian sheep farmer. From “mustering” (herding) sheep with the help of some hard-working dogs to enjoying an authentic outback BBQ lunch with can-brewed “Billy Tea,” visitors can observe and take part in all aspects of life on the farm.

Tucked away on the island of Vanua Levu, Vuadomo Waterfall is a peaceful haven for nature lovers. Surrounded by lush foliage, water flows down a steep, rocky cliff to form the clear pools that travelers come to for swimming and relaxing. Not only is it a great photo spot, but it’s also the perfect way to gain access to Fiji's untouched wilderness.

Located only 1.5 hours from the teeming streets of modern, fast-paced Melbourne—Phillip Island is known for its wildlife and rural, undeveloped shores. The fact that the island has remained so wild is in large part due to the Phillip Island Nature Parks—a group of five family-friendly attractions, plus conservation areas that preserve and promote the island’s wildlife wealth.

From fashion boutiques and vintage shops to art galleries and cozy cafés, plus a vibrant nightlife scene, the Chapel Street Precinct is where locals come to eat, drink, and shop. Stretching through four different Melbourne neighborhoods, the legendary street is full of character and abuzz with activity at all hours.