18 Best Sights in The Outback, Australia

With a natural infinity pool with views as far as the eye can see, this attraction is an influencer's dream. The pool is a steep 15-minute trek from the base, but is definitely worth the effort—and as crocs can't climb hills you can be confident it's safe for swimming. The walking track was closed for several years from 2019 while an investigation was carried out after Jawoyn Traditional Owners alleged Parks Australia damaged a sacred site while upgrading the path.     

Focusing on the desert, which makes up 70% of the Australian landmass, this 128-acre site contains a range of plants and animal species in several Australian ecosystems—including a large nocturnal-animal house. You can also do a tour at night, when animals such as bilbies and echidnas are most active. At daily presentations, Indigenous guides discuss the different plants and animals that have helped people traditionally survive and thrive in such an arid desert environment. Don't miss the twice-daily birds of prey presentation at 10:30 am and 3 pm. Allow about four hours to explore the park, which is located about 7 km (4 miles) west of downtown Alice Springs.

The most distinctive building in this complex is the Museum of Central Australia (A$8 entry), which charts the evolution of the land and its inhabitants—human and animal—around Central Australia. Exhibits include a skeleton of the 10½-foot-tall Dromornis stirtoni, the largest bird to walk on earth, which was found northeast of Alice Springs. Also in the precinct are the Aviation Museum (free), Central Craft (free, prices for workshops vary), and Araluen Arts Centre, which is home to art galleries showcasing the contemporary Aboriginal art movement and the works of watercolorist Albert Namatjira, known for his depictions of the Central Australian landscape. The precinct is located 2½ km (1½ miles) southwest of town, and is on most tourist bus itineraries. The on-site theater has regular screenings and events.

Like the main Kakadu escarpment, Burrungkuy, also known as Nourlangie Rock, is a remnant of an ancient plateau that is slowly eroding, leaving sheer cliffs rising high above the floodplains. The main attraction is the Anbangbang Gallery, an excellent frieze of Aboriginal rock paintings.

Watching the sun sink into the sea on Cable Beach is a nightly ritual for almost all visitors to Broome, who flock to the 22-km (14-mile) stretch of dazzling white sand lapped by turquoise water 7 km (4½ miles) from the center of town. The most popular way to watch the sunset is from the back of a swaying camel, but you can also unpack a picnic at the beachside park, drive a four-wheel-drive vehicle onto the sand, or sip a cocktail from the Sunset Bar at Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa. By day it's a lot less crowded. It's good for swimming, but low tide can mean a long walk across sand to get to the water. Beware of marine stingers (deadly box and Irukandji jellyfish) in the water from December through to April. Amenities: lifeguard; parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

This 700,000-acre property features some of the most ruggedly beautiful country in the Kimberley. El Questro has a full complement of recreational activities like fishing, swimming, horseback riding, and helicopter rides, and offers individually tailored walking and four-wheel-drive tours. Four independent accommodation facilities are on-site, each different in style and budget: the luxury Homestead (from A$3,285 per night with a two-night minimum-stay requirement and a policy that guests must be ages 16 and up); the safari-style tented cabins at Emma Gorge Resort (from A$350); air-conditioned Riverside Bungalows (from A$175); and Riverside Campgrounds (from A$30 per person per night) at El Questro Station. Each has a restaurant, and rates at the Homestead include drinks and food, laundry, and activities. Alternatively, you can choose to take a full-day tour of El Questro with included trips to Emma Gorge, Zebedee Springs, lunch at The Station, a Chamberlain River Cruise, and round-trip transport from Kununurra (A$268). Not renting a four-wheel-drive vehicle? Take a shuttle from Kununurra starting at A$110 each way to Emma Gorge Resort, A$135 each way to El Questro Station, and A$140 each way to El Questro Homestead.

This is one of the prettiest (and coldest) swimming holes in the Red Centre, so it's quite popular with locals and visitors alike—it's also the deepest and most permanent water hole in the area, so you may glimpse wild creatures like wallabies or goannas (monitor lizards) quenching their thirst. Take the 3-km (2-mile) Dolomite Walk for a close-up look at this fascinating geological site.

If you've ever fancied being a cowboy or cowgirl, this massive 3½-million-acre working cattle farm at the foot of the majestic Cockburn (pronounced co-burn) range is the place to do it. Owned and operated by the traditional owners of the land, the Balanggarra people through the Indigenous Land Corporation, you can join a cattle muster or just take a half-day horse trek. Other activities include barramundi fishing and four-wheel-drive trips. There's a bar and restaurant on-site and a range of accommodations from stylish "Grass Castle" bungalows complete with cowskin rugs, air-conditioning, fully stocked minibar, flat-screen cable TV, huge walk-in rain shower, and resident tree frogs (from A$425) to motel-style guesthouse rooms (from A$275), and remote bush camping beside the Pentecost River, 4 km (2½ miles) from the homestead (from A$44 per person per night). Note that a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required to reach Home Valley Station and these can be rented in Kununurra via Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty, and Europcar. Air transfers and charter flights can also be arranged from Kununurra Airport.

The superb gathering of Aboriginal rock art is one of Kakadu National Park's major highlights. Two main types of artwork can be seen here—the Mimi style, which is the oldest, is believed to be up to 20,000 years old. Aboriginal people believe that Mimi spirits created the red-ochre stick figures to depict hunting scenes and other pictures of life at the time. The more recent artwork, known as X-ray painting, dates back fewer than 9,000 years and depicts freshwater animals—especially fish, turtles, and geese—living in floodplains created after the last ice age.

As the dry season progresses, billabongs (water holes) become increasingly important to the more than 280 species of birds that inhabit the park. Huge flocks often gather at Yellow Water, South Alligator River, and Magela Creek. Scenic flights over the wetlands and Arnhem Land escarpment provide unforgettable moments in the wet season.

The Kangaroo Sanctuary, which was made famous in the BBC documentary series Kangaroo Dundee, is the passion project of Chris “Brolga” Barns, whose life’s mission is to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned kangaroos and educate people about how they can easily do the same. All you need to do is pay attention while you’re driving, and if you spot a deceased kangaroo on the side of the road, check to see if there’s still a living joey in its pouch, since they’ll often survive the impact of a vehicle and can live for up to four more days after it. You can visit on a prebooked sunset tour, just as the 'roos are waking from their day sleep, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, where you will get the chance to take turns holding and feeding baby kangaroos. The price includes a bus transfer to the property, no self-drive is permitted.

There are three main walks at Kata Tjuṯa, the first from the parking lot into Walpa Gorge, a 2.6-km (1.6-mile) hike to the deepest valley between the rocks. The round-trip journey takes about one hour. The gorge is a desert refuge for plants and animals and the rocky track gently rises along a moisture-rich gully, passing inconspicuous rare plants and ending at a grove of flourishing spearwood. More rewarding, but also more difficult, is the Valley of the Winds Walk, which takes you along a stony track to two spectacular lookouts, Karu (2.2 km or 1.3 miles return; allow an hour) and Karingana (5.4 km or 3.3 miles; allow 2½ hours). Experienced walkers can also complete the full 7.4-km (4.6-mile) circuit in about four hours.

Note that the Valley of the Winds Walk closes when temperatures rise above 36°C (97°F), which is usually after 11 am in summer.

The Kata Tjuta Viewing Area, 25 km (16 miles) along Kata Tjuta Road is 1,970 feet from the car park, and interpretive panels explain the natural life around you. It's also where tour buses line up for sunrise photos about a half hour before dawn. Be prepared for crowds—and amazing views of Kata Tjuṯa and Uluṟu in the distance.

Inside Watarrka National Park, Kings Canyon is one of the most spectacular sights in central Australia. Sprawling in scope, the canyon's sheer cliff walls shelter a world of ferns and woodlands, permanent springs, and rock pools. The main path is the 6-km (4-mile) Kings Canyon Rim Walk, which starts with a short but steep 15-minute climb straight up from the parking lot to the top of the escarpment; the view 886 feet down to the base of the canyon is amazing. Steep stairs mark your arrival into the scenic Garden of Eden—the only way out along the main trail is via another round of intense stair-climbing back up to the top of the canyon wall, so make sure you're carrying plenty of water for the hike. An easier walk, called the Creek Walk, which starts at the parking lot and winds through the base of the canyon, is just as worthwhile. Alternatively, Discovery Parks - Kings Canyon ( www.discoveryholidayparks.com.au) offers 8-, 15-, and 30-minute helicopter rides so you can view it all from above (from A$125, A$200, and A$400, respectively).

This beautiful park lies just 120 km (75 miles) southwest of Darwin off the Stuart Highway. Its 1,500 square km (579 square miles) are an untouched wilderness of monsoonal rain forests, rivers, and striking rock formations. The highlights include four separate, spectacular waterfalls—Florence, Tjaynera (Sandy Creek), Wangi, and Tolmer Falls—all of which have secluded plunge pools.  The pools are suitable for swimming but occasionally there are crocs here, so observe any "no swimming" signs.

There is also a dramatic group of large, freestanding sandstone pillars known as the Lost City (accessible only by four-wheel-drive track), and Magnetic Termite Mounds, which have an eerie resemblance to eroded grave markers, which dot the black-soiled plains of the park's northern area. You'll need to camp if you want to stay in the park; campgrounds and RV sites are located near several of the major sights (call the Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory at 08/8976–0282 for more information on the facilities, as they vary by campsite). There are also a few restaurants and modest hotels in the nearby town of Batchelor, though most folks just visit Litchfield as a day trip from Darwin, about a 90-minute drive away.

Collections at this excellent—and free—museum and art gallery encompass Aboriginal art and culture, maritime archaeology, Northern Territory history, and natural sciences. One gallery is devoted to Cyclone Tracy, where you can listen to a terrifying recording of the howling winds. You can also see "Sweetheart," a 16-foot, 10-inch stuffed saltwater crocodile that was known for attacking fishing boats on the Finniss River in the 1970s.

This beautiful gorge has something for everyone, whether you're interested in swimming in the water hole, taking a short hike to Gum Tree Lookout for fantastic views of the 820-foot-high gorge walls rising from the pool below, or experiencing the best of both worlds on the 90-minute, 7 km (4½-mile) Ormiston Pound Walk.

This historical display sheds light on the difficulties and immense skill involved in pearl harvesting. You'll have a chance to check out historical artifacts, get an insight into the risky lives of pearl divers, who spent years aboard pearling luggers and diving for pearl shells, and learn how the industry has evolved on the regular 90-minute tours. This is a must-see for those interested in Broome's history, and for anyone who wants to sample pearl meat, a true delicacy.

Opened in 1916, Sun Pictures is the world's oldest operating outdoor movie theater. Here, silent movies—accompanied by a pianist—were once shown to the public, while these days current releases are presented in the very pleasant outdoors. Drop in and have a look during the day for free or stick around for a charming movie-viewing experience that hearkens back to another era.

Rising like an enormous red mountain in the middle of an otherwise completely flat desert, Uluṟu is a marvel to behold. Two car parks—Mala and Kuniya—provide access for several short walks, or you can choose to do the full 10-km (6-mile) circuit on the Uluṟu Base Walk, which takes about four hours. Some places are sacred sites for the Aṉangu and cannot be entered, nor can they be photographed or captured on video—these are clearly signposted—while signs around the base explain the significance of what you’re looking at and recount traditional creation stories.

The Mala Walk is 2 km (1 mile) in length and almost all on flat land, taking you to Kanju Gorge from the car park; park rangers provide free tours daily at 8 am from October through April and at 10 am from May through September.

The Liru Walk starts at the cultural center and takes you to the base Uluṟu. Along the way are stands of mulga trees and, after rain, wildflowers. The track is wheelchair-accessible and the walk is an easy 1½ hours.

On the southern side of Uluṟu, the Kuniya Walk and Mutitjulu Waterhole trail starts at the Kuniya car park and is an easy 45-minute walk along a wheelchair-accessible trail to the water hole, home of Wanampi, an ancestral snake. A rock shelter once used by Indigenous people houses rock art.

Another popular way to experience Uluṟu is to watch the natural light reflect on it from one of the two sunset-viewing areas. As the last rays of daylight strike, the rock positively glows as if lit from within. Just as quickly, the light is extinguished and the color changes to a somber mauve and finally to black.