On the southwestern tip of Kangaroo Island, Admirals Arch offers one of the island’s most photo-worthy views. Framed by the jagged arch of an ancient cave—carved out of the sea cliffs by centuries of pummeling surf—the vast swaths of blue ocean and cloud-free skies are even more magical at sunset.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Royal Exhibition Building and surrounding Carlton Gardens were built for the 1880 International Exhibition. Designed by Joseph Reed, the building is an eclectic, photogenic piece of architecture. The site still houses a range of exhibitions today, including the Melbourne International Garden and Flower Show.
Australia might be famous for its kangaroos and koalas, but the Werribee Open Range Zoo offers all the excitement of an African safari on Aussie shores. Lions, rhinoceros, giraffes, and gorillas all roam freely in the park’s 494-acre (200-hectare) grasslands, affording visitors some incredible wildlife-watching opportunities.
Open since 2000, in a contemporary building designed by Denton Corker Marshall, the Melbourne Museum is a cultural and natural history museum dedicated to life in the Australian state of Victoria. Science, nature, and the humanities are combined for an immersive and modern museum experience.
The magnificent Cataract Gorge, a river gorge on the South Esk River right at the edge of Launceston, offers a wealth of outdoor recreation that feels a world away from the city. The reserve is home to the First Basin outdoor swimming pool, the world’s longest single-span chairlift, and a Victorian-era landscaped garden.
Streets Beach is a favorite with locals and visitors alike–located in the heart of Brisbane’s South Bank neighborhood, the outdoor swimming lagoon overlooks the Brisbane River and the sparkling skyscrapers. The artificial beach comes to life in the summer as families picnic in the shade and cool off from the Australian sun.
With wind-sculpted coastal cliffs, remote bushland trails, historic lighthouses, and woodlands teeming with wildlife, Flinders Chase National Park is one of Australia’s most diverse wildernesses. Blanketing the western tip of Kangaroo Island, the park is ideal for hiking, animal-spotting, and outdoor activities.
Located on the grounds of the Cedar Creek Estate Winery on Mt. Tamborine, the Glow Worm Caves Tamborine Mountain are one of the best spots on the Gold Coast to view glowworms. See thousands of these creatures during the daytime in a darkened, controlled environment designed to mimic their natural habitat.
The wildlife of Kangaroo Island isn’t limited to kangaroos and koalas—Clifford’s Honey Farm affords a completely different kind of animal experience. The family-run farm has been producing homemade honey since 1973, and their hives of rare pure-strain Ligurian bees create a tantalizingly sweet honey that has become a staple of Kangaroo Island.
A family favorite and lower-key than the better-known Bondi, Coogee Beach, in the eastern Sydney suburbs, offers a sheltered arc of sand lapped by waves. Popular year-round with Sydneysiders and visitors alike, Coogee offers surfing, swimming, and snorkeling, as well as shopping, restaurants, and bars.
Soaring 260 feet (80 meters) high and narrowing to just 10 feet (3 meters) wide, the red sandstone Standley Chasm is one of the West MacDonnell Ranges’ most striking features. A sacred site known to the Arrernte people as Angkerle Atwatye, it’s a trailhead on the Larapinta Trail with various hiking (bushwalking) options.
Just south of Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach, Bronte Beach offers all the appeal of its neighbor—golden sands, surf-worthy waves, and scores of sun-bronzed holidaymakers—but its smaller size and lighter traffic make it a local favorite. Head here to enjoy a beachside barbecue in Bronte Park, paddle in the rock pools, or put your surf skills to the test.
This elevated perch in the heart of downtown offers sweeping views of the Sydney Harbour and the Harbour Bridge. Dotted with huge Moreton Bay fig trees, grassy ObservatoryPark is a great spot for a picnic and attracts joggers, lunching office workers, and visitors to the Observatory.
Located in the Gold Coast Hinterlands, Tamborine National Park is known for its natural beauty, rich biodiversity, and breathtaking views over the Gold Coast and the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Scenic Rim to the west. Queensland’s first national park, Tamborine is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.
Victoria's Dandenong Ranges lie just east of Melbourne and overlook the Yarra Valley wine region, offering a mountain retreat on the city's doorstep. What the peaks lack in size—the highest are under 2,620 feet (800 meters) above sea level—they make up for in scenery, such as ash forests, valleys of tree ferns, and wild bushlands.
Two parliament houses sit atop Capital Hill in Canberra, the old art deco parliament building from the 1920s and the new Australian Parliament House, built in the 1980s. The grassed roof and triangular metal flagpole of the building have become a national symbol of Australia. Works by some of the country's top contemporary artists hang within.
The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has devoted itself to wildlife conservation since 1927 and is of the best places to spot native Australian fauna. The sanctuary is among the oldest and largest of its kind in the country, with more than 130 resident koalas, plus kangaroos, wombats, emus, dingoes, Tasmanian devils, and platypi.
Shark Island is a 3.5-acre (1.5-hectare) island in the Sydney Harbour National Park that affordssweeping views of Sydney's famous skyline. It’s a popular picnic spot, and visitors can also swim off the sandy beaches and paddle a kayak or other small boat around the shore.
Arguably the most iconic of Melbourne’s sporting stadiums, AAMI Park is famous for its cutting-edge design and riverside location. With a capacity of more than 30,000 spectators, AAMI Park is Melbourne’s premier medium-sized soccer, rugby union, and rugby league venue, and was awarded the World’s Most Iconic and Culturally Significant Stadium award in 2012.
Perched on Australia’s southwestern tip, the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse has been standing watch over the meeting point of the Indian and Southern oceans since 1895. The 128-foot-tall (39-meter landmark and its grounds provide scenic photo ops and the chance to spot dolphins and whales, depending on the time of year.
The Australian War Memorial is one of Canberra’s most prominent landmarks and home to the National Military Museum. Standing at the head of Anzac Parade and surrounded by Remembrance Nature Park, it’s a moving tribute to the many Australian soldiers that fought and died in wars throughout the years.
With its sandy shores fringed by verdant bushlands, rocky headlands, and turquoise ocean, 75 Mile Beach is the star attraction of Fraser Island. Stretching 75 miles (121 kilometers along the eastern shore of the island, the natural wonder is also an official highway—the 75 Mile Beach Road—as well as an airplane landing strip.
With national park information, wetland walks, and an award-winning cultural center devoted to the Jadawadjali and Djab Wurrung people, Brambuk the National Park & Cultural Centre is a great place to start your journey through Grampians National Park. There’s a gift shop, a café, a theater, an art room, and displays.
Lush greenery and rolling vine-clad hills provide a picturesque backdrop for sipping some of Yarra Valley's finest wines at Rochford Wines. Just an hour's drive from Melbourne, this family-owned winery offers wine-tasting and fine-dining experiences with panoramic views of the iconic Great Dividing Ranges.
Known as Melbourne’s grandest avenue, Collins Street offers an eclectic mix of designer boutiques, theaters, global bank headquarters, high-end hotels, and restaurants. Stretching 1 mile (1.6 kilometers), it’s the traditional main street of the city, and its architecture ranges from Victorian Gothic structures nicknamed “Cathedrals of Commerce” to sleek glass skyscrapers that are some of the tallest in Australia.
On Sydney’s North Shore, the harborside village of Balmoral is a less-crowded alternative to the blockbuster beaches of Bondi, Manly, and Coogee. Home to cafés and restaurants specializing in fresh seafood, Balmoral also offers calm waters ideal for swimming.
Grand 19th-century architecture laid out on a classically elegant street plan fringed with green parkland makes Adelaide perhaps Australia’s most beautiful city center—and North Terrace is at the heart of it. From galleries and museums to the state parliament, state library, and Adelaide University, the landmarks are all here.
Covering more than 124 acres (50 hectares) between the North Terrace and Botanic Park, the Adelaide Botanic Garden are among the city’s most stunning green spaces. With tree-lined walkways, water lily and lotus ponds, and flower gardens blooming with roses and dahlias, this is an idyllic place for a walking tour.
Like a big abstract Australian storybook, the National Museum of Australia uses controversy and humor to get you thinking about Australian national identity and heritage. The diverse collection focuses on Indigenous cultures and histories, settlement by Europeans, and the interaction between Australians and the environment.
The National Wine Centre of Australia introduces visitors to Australian wine, with a focus on South Australia. The outer shell of the building resembles wine barrels. Inside, visitors can take a wine discovery journey or an educational class, or indulge in food, a wealth of tastings, and one of the southern hemisphere’s best cellars.
