Australia is one of the world’s great travel destinations — a continent-sized country of extraordinary variety, from the tropical coral reefs of Queensland to the ancient red rock formations of the Outback, from the sophisticated cities of Sydney and Melbourne to the wine regions of the Barossa Valley and Margaret River. It’s a country that rewards visitors who make the effort to get beyond the obvious, but even the obvious destinations are genuinely extraordinary. Here are the twelve places that best capture Australia’s remarkable diversity.
1. Sydney
Sydney is one of the world’s great cities — a harbor city of extraordinary beauty, built around one of the finest natural harbors on earth. The Opera House and Harbor Bridge are world-famous for good reason, but Sydney’s greatest pleasure is simply being in the city — swimming at Bondi Beach, walking the coastal clifftop paths, eating fresh seafood at the fish markets, exploring the inner-city neighborhoods of Surry Hills, Newtown, and Paddington. The city has a relaxed, outdoor-oriented lifestyle that makes it one of the most enjoyable places to spend time in the world.
2. Melbourne
Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia — a city that takes food, coffee, art, music, sport, and fashion seriously. The laneway culture (hidden cafes and bars in narrow alleys off the main streets), the street art (Hosier Lane is globally famous), the extraordinary coffee scene, and the annual Grand Prix, Australian Open, and Melbourne Cup racing carnival give the city an energy and identity that is entirely its own. The Great Ocean Road begins just southwest of the city.
3. The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system — 2,300km of coral and more than 2,900 individual reefs, visible from space. It’s one of the seven natural wonders of the world and the largest living structure on earth. Snorkeling and diving here — among the extraordinary variety of coral, fish, sea turtles, sharks, rays, and other marine life — is a genuinely awe-inspiring experience. The reef is best accessed from Cairns, Port Douglas, or the Whitsunday Islands. Visit as soon as possible: climate change-driven coral bleaching is already causing significant damage.
4. Uluru and the Red Centre
Uluru (Ayers Rock) is one of the most iconic images in the world — a massive sandstone monolith rising 348 meters above the Central Australian plain, glowing red, ochre, and purple in the changing light. The Anangu Traditional Owners request that visitors do not climb the rock (the climb is now permanently closed), and walking the 10.6km base trail instead reveals the rock’s true scale and the profound cultural significance that has accumulated over 60,000 years of Aboriginal occupation. The sunset and sunrise views of Uluru — watched from designated viewing areas — are genuinely spectacular.
5. The Whitsunday Islands
The Whitsunday Islands — 74 islands in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park — are a sailor’s paradise and one of Australia’s most beautiful destinations. Whitehaven Beach, on Whitsunday Island itself, is frequently cited as one of the best beaches in the world: a 7km stretch of 98% silica sand so white it squeaks underfoot, lapped by impossibly clear turquoise water. The best way to experience the Whitsundays is by sailing — bareboat charters, crewed yachts, and sailing tours depart from Airlie Beach.
6. The Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s great scenic coastal drives — 243km of road hugging the Victorian coastline from Torquay to Allansford, with the Twelve Apostles (limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean) as the dramatic centerpiece. The road passes through the surf town of Bells Beach, the rainforests of the Otway Ranges, and several excellent beach towns. Lorne and Apollo Bay are the most popular overnight stops.
7. Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia, is one of the best wildlife destinations in the world — a place where you can see Australian wildlife in extraordinary abundance without the effort required in the mainland. Sea lions loll on the beaches at Seal Bay; koalas sleep in the eucalyptus trees; Cape Barren geese wander the farmland; little penguins come ashore at Penneshaw each evening. The island also has excellent food (local honey, marron, sheep’s milk cheese, gin) and dramatic coastal scenery, particularly at Remarkable Rocks and Admiral’s Arch.
8. Cairns and Tropical North Queensland
Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest — two World Heritage Sites accessible within a short drive or boat trip. The city itself has a lively night market and excellent restaurants, but the real draws are outside: snorkeling and diving on the reef, white-water rafting on the Tully River, and the Daintree Rainforest — the world’s oldest tropical rainforest (at least 135 million years old), home to species found nowhere else, and where you can swim in mountain streams while cassowaries crash through the undergrowth.
9. The Kimberley, Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of Australia’s last great frontiers — a remote, ancient landscape of gorges, waterfalls, boab trees, ochre ranges, and coastal mud flats the size of Wales. Purnululu National Park (the Bungle Bungles) — a massive complex of orange and black striped sandstone beehive domes — is the highlight, accessible in the dry season (May–September). The Mitchell Plateau, El Questro, and the coast near Derby are equally extraordinary. Getting here requires planning, 4WD vehicles, and a willingness to be genuinely remote.
10. Margaret River Wine Region, Western Australia
Margaret River, 270km south of Perth, is one of Australia’s and arguably the world’s premier wine regions — producing some of Australia’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in a spectacularly beautiful landscape of karri forests, rugged coastline, and caves. The Leeuwin Estate winery concert series (February–March) is legendary; the region also has world-class surf at Surfers Point, excellent restaurants, boutique accommodation, and Margaret River itself — a small, relaxed town with good independent shops and cafes.
11. Fremantle and Perth
Perth is the most isolated major city in the world — 2,700km from Adelaide, the nearest large city — which gives it a character that is distinctive and self-contained. The city has excellent beaches (Cottesloe and Scarborough), a vibrant laneway food scene, and the extraordinary Kings Park (400 hectares of parkland and bushland on a ridge above the city, with views across the Swan River to the CBD). Fremantle, 20 minutes by train, is the port city with a beautifully preserved Victorian streetscape, the best farmers’ market in Western Australia, and excellent craft breweries.
12. Tasmania
Tasmania is Australia’s island state and one of the most extraordinary wilderness destinations in the Southern Hemisphere — 42% of the island is protected in national parks, World Heritage reserves, and conservation areas. The Overland Track, a 65km multi-day walk through Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, is one of Australia’s great walks. MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) near Hobart is one of the most extraordinary private art museums in the world — provocative, dark, funny, and utterly unlike anywhere else. Tasmanian food (particularly the seafood, cheese, and beef) is among the finest in Australia.
