Located between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Australia is the world’s largest island and its smallest continent. There’s room to move in the Land Down Under, and with so many sights to discover and enjoy, there’s a great incentive to go on a walkabout adventure. Whether exploring the traditional lifestyle of the nation’s Aboriginal people, relaxing on a sun-kissed beach or reveling the night away. However, there is much more to it than the well-known iconic landscapes and bigger cities. Australia’s unique character is also reflected in the smaller towns which are just as stunning and rewarding to explore.
1. Royal Exhibition Building, Victoria
There's a living presence to Melbourne's much loved and admired Royal Exhibition Building. It vibrates as if it has a heartbeat and a sunny though genteel disposition. The only surviving part of a 19th-century international exhibition complex, it's an in parts incongruous mix of architectural styles: Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Italian Renaissance, with a dome influenced by Florence's 15th-century cathedral. But the Victorian beauty is not incongruous to its surrounds, seamlessly connected to the city by wide grand entranceways and a constant flow of events and bridal photo shoots.
2. Great Ocean Road
This incredibly scenic coastal road takes you from Torquay to Warrnambool in Victoria passing by many attractions including the famous Twelve Apostles – a series of limestone formations which jut out of the sea. Also located here are other interestingly shaped rocks like the Loch Ard Gorge, the Grotto, London Arch and Island Archway. See the villages like the quaint fishing village Port Fairy, Apollo Bay and Queenscliff with Victorian architecture. There are a range of activities along the way like wine tasting and sea sports.
3. Alice Springs
When most people think about remote destinations in Australia, they think about Alice Springs, and for the right reasons. Indeed, Alice Springs draws the more adventurous type of traveller as it is located close to the famous Uluru; an impressive sandstone rock formation that rises out of endless flat bush. At the border of the McDonnell Ranges surrounded by beautiful crimson gorges, Alice Springs offers some of the most memorable and enjoyable walks countrywide. It also offers incredible desert vistas.
4. Great Barrier Reef
One of the top destinations for underwater explorers and scuba divers, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest barrier reef system. Located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia’s state of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef encompasses a huge area of more than 2,900 coral reefs and hundreds of islands and cays. Formed by millions of living organisms over a period of millions of years, the Reef is now one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and of the best places to visit in Australia.
5. Royal Botanic Garden
Botanically speaking, there are better gardens, but this is surely the world's most beautifully located, even if you look across greenery to the skyscraper skyline. Views towards the harbour are perfection as yachts skim and that opera house spreads its white wings. Duck ponds, rose gardens and occasional flowerbeds are an added bonus.
6. Sydney Harbor
This is a very beautiful man-made site in Australia and one where most visitors start and end their journey to Oz. The 240 km long shoreline of Sydney harbor is lined with parklands and gardens. The bright blue water with white sailing boats afloat is set off by the background of the esthetically shapes Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. See this tranquil sight from a ferry boat tour or from the top of the Sydney Tower. Consider starting your major tour of the rest of the country here or find cheap weekend breaks in Sydney for a short-stop stay.
7. Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas is a small and picturesque fishing village with a number of trendy restaurants and a stunning golf course. It is a lively town where locals are always looking for things to celebrate. Port Douglas is also home to a charming beach, which is great for picnics, swimming, volleyball, and snorkeling. The most famous attraction in this lovely town is the port from which travelers can take boats to the magnificent Great Barrier Reef for snorkeling and scuba diving.
8. Hobart
Hobart is the capital city of the Australian island of Tasmania, as well as Australia’s second oldest city after Sydney. With a population of about 250,000 Hobart is small and intimate compared to larger mainland Australian cities, reflecting the small size of the state. There are many fine examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture in Hobart, such as Salamanca Place, which has a terrace of warehouses dating back to the whaling days of the 1830s. It has a mild temperate oceanic climate, with four distinct seasons.
9. Uluru and the Red Centre
Another of the famous sights, this is a giant red colored rock with a distinct shape which rises out of the flat desert plains of central Australia near Alice Springs within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. This area is called the Red Center of Australia and it is the heart of the country. The iconic rock is 348 meters high has deep cultural significance to the Aborigine people and you can take a tour with one of the local Aborigines to learn more about the meaning of this spiritual sight. Make sure you stay for sunset when the rock dramatically changes colour as the daylight fades.
10. Moreton Island
On Brisbane's doorstep is the wild and wonderful playground of Moreton Island. Outdoor enthusiasts camp and roam the beaches, which range from sheltered bayside waters in front of the wrecks to the ocean side where waves roll in unchecked. Tamer types head to Tangalooma Island Resort where wily dolphins cruise in to eat from their hands.
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