563 Best Sights in Australia

These magnificent formal gardens include an international rose garden, giant water lilies, an avenue of Moreton Bay fig trees, acres of green lawns, and duck ponds. The Bicentennial Conservatory—the largest single-span glass house in the southern hemisphere—provides an environment for lowland rain-forest species such as the cassowary palm and torch ginger. The Santos Museum of Economic Botany contains fascinating exhibits on the commercial use of some species, and on-site Restaurant Botanic utilizes many plants grown on-site in exquisite degustations. In summer the Moonlight Cinema series (www.moonlight.com.au) screens new, classic, and cult films in Botanic Park, adjacent the garden at sunset; if you forget a picnic blanket you can hire one as well as buy drinks and snacks. Tickets sell fast, so plan ahead. Check the website for workshops, events, and concerts in the park.

Hugely popular with locals and visitors, especially in stinger season, this stinger-free swimming enclosure on Airlie's shorefront has dedicated lap-swimming lanes, real-sand "beaches," adjoining children's pools, and sensor-activated lighting after dark. There are toilets, showers, and change rooms nearby, and all pools are patrolled by trained lifeguards year-round. Surrounding the lagoon are a children's playground and a tropical garden, crisscrossed with walkways and dotted with public art, picnic tables, and free electric barbecues. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.

Focusing on the desert, which makes up 70% of the Australian landmass, this 128-acre site contains 92 types of plants and 37 animal species in several Australian ecosystems—including the largest nocturnal-animal house in the southern hemisphere. An open-air habitat is also open at night, when animals are most active. At daily presentations, Aboriginal 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 9 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. Also in the precinct are the Aviation Museum (free), Central Craft (free, prices for workshops vary), and Araluen Arts Centre, home to the Araluen Art Galleries and the Namatjira Gallery (A$8 entry), a collection of renowned Aboriginal landscapes, and the Yeperenye Scuplture—a 3-meter-high caterpillar that you can walk through, representing the sacred Dreamtime creator of the country around Alice Springs. The precinct is located 2.4 km (1½ miles) southwest of town, and is on most tourist bus itineraries. The on-site theater has regular screening and events.

Apart from Canberra's National Gallery, this is the best place to explore the evolution of European-influenced Australian art, as well as the distinctly different concepts that underlie Aboriginal art. All the major Australian artists of the last two centuries are represented in this impressive collection. The entrance level, where large windows frame spectacular views of the harbor, exhibits 20th-century art. Below, in the gallery's major extensions, the Yiribana Gallery displays one of the nation's most comprehensive collections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. There are monthly free audio tours and free talks.

There's been a chairlift climbing up to Arthurs Seat since 1960. Now, the new Eagle's gondolas take 14 minutes to drift slowly above the eucalyptus forests up to Arthurs Seat, at 1,030 feet above sea level. The gondolas are surprisingly quiet, so you'll hear the birdcall among the trees: keep an eye out for the wedge-tailed eagle, after which the Eagle chairlift is named. You can travel one way or return, starting from either the base station, or down from the summit station at Arthur's Seat. It's not a mountain, but the peak affords magnificent views back to Melbourne and across Port Phillip Bay. Take coffee or lunch at the café at the top before your return journey. There is plenty of parking at the base, as well as a small café, but limited parking at the peak, and the entire facility is wheelchair-friendly. From the summit, take the 1.8-km (1.1-mile) circuit walk, which passes several scenic viewing points.

Melbourne's most important cultural landmark is the venue for performances by the Australian Ballet, Opera Australia, Melbourne Theatre Company, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. It encompasses Hamer Hall, the Arts Centre complex, the original National Gallery of Victoria, and the outdoor Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Take a 60-minute tour of the five floors of the complex, plus the current gallery exhibition and refreshment at the café, or its longer Sunday backstage tour. Neither tour is suitable for children under 12 and both must be booked in advance. At night, look for the center's spire, which creates a magical spectacle with brilliant fiber-optic cables.

Made famous by the late Steve Irwin, this popular, 110-acre park is home to all manner of Australian animals: koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes, Tasmanian devils, snakes, wombats, lizards—and, naturally, crocodiles. There are also otters, lemurs, tigers, red pandas, and a giant rain forest aviary. Daily shows feature crocs, birds of prey, koalas, and more. There are also plenty of extras that let you get up close and personal with the residents, including petting and hand-feeding red pandas (A$99), getting cozy with cheetahs (A$69) and rhinos (A$99), or cuddling a koala (A$49). Get around the park on foot or try the free hop-on, hop-off mini-trains. Private guided tours and Segway adventures (A$60) are also available.

Both as a moving memorial to Australians who served their country in wartime and as a military museum, this is a shrine of great national importance and the most popular attraction in the capital. The museum explores Australian military involvement from the late 19th century through the 1970s and Vietnam up to Iraq and Afghanistan today. Displays include a Lancaster bomber, a Spitfire, tanks, landing barges, and sections of two of the Japanese midget submarines that infiltrated Sydney Harbour during World War II, as well as more interactive displays in the Anzac Hall. Anzac is an acronym for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, formed during World War I. One of the most moving places is the domed Tomb of the Unknown Soldier that stands above the Pool of Reflection and the Roll of Honour, which are two walls of names honoring the thousands of Australians who have died in all military conflicts. There are a range of free guided tours, led by volunteers, throughout the day. You can best appreciate the impressive facade of the War Memorial from the broad avenue of Anzac Parade. The avenue is flanked by several memorials commemorating the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Nursing Corps, as well as some of the campaigns in which Australian troops have fought, including the Vietnam War.

At closing time a bugler or bagpiper plays the emotive Last Post outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Barangaroo is Sydney's newest shopping and eating precinct, an ongoing redevelopment of the an old wharf area once known as “The Hungry Mile,” between Walsh Bay and The Rocks and a fast favorite with locals because of its central location, easy access, and multiofferings. The harbor front is punctuated with all levels of dining, from high-end to trendy burger bars, and in the newly cobbled streets that run behind them, toward the CBD, there’s a maze of fashion boutiques. There’s also a boardwalk that currently links Barangaroo to its neighbors, with Darling Harbour to its south and Walsh Bay and the Harbour Bridge to its north. The park's name, Barangaroo Precinct, honors the powerful companion of Benelong, the Indigenous man known to the first European settlers, whose name was given to the point on the other side of the city where the Opera House stands. Barangaroo was an outspoken woman who advocated against the colonization of Sydney. Learn more about the origins of the Barangaroo Precinct and the 15-acre headland that surrounds it on a daily Aboriginal culture tour ($36.30), leaving at 10:30 am.

So much more than just a honey shop, Beechworth Honey is a leading producer of pure honey, including single varietal honeys, a working beehive, and a little educational tour great for kids. Shop its raw and pure honey varieties, made from 100% natural, locally produced honey. Peruse the great-smelling honey- and beeswax-based skin care and the high-quality, locally made handcrafts, which make great gifts. The group's Bee Cause project contributes 1% of all global sales revenue toward supporting bees and their environment.

A notable collection of contemporary Australian painting can be found in this beautiful gallery, including the work of Rupert Bunny, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, and Arthur Boyd. The gallery also has some significant 19th-century French realist and impressionist works, bequeathed by a local surgeon. International exhibitions are regularly hosted. There are free guided tours every day at 11 am and 2 pm.

Just north of the city, impossible to miss, is the Big Banana—the symbol of Coffs Harbour. This monumental piece of kitsch has stood at the site since 1964. It welcomes visitors to the Big Banana complex, which takes a fascinating look at the past, present, and future of horticulture. There's a multimedia display called "World of Bananas" and a walkway that meanders through the banana plantations and banana packing shed. The park is fantastic for kids and has varied rides all with different prices, including toboggan rides (A$7), a waterslide (A$19.50 for 90 minutes), an ice-skating rink (A$16.50), and laser tag (A$9.90). There's a café on the premises, as well as the Banana Barn, which sells the park's own jams, pickles, fresh tropical fruit, and frozen chocolate-covered bananas on a stick.

One of your best chances to see the endangered southern cassowary, a prehistoric emu-like bird, is at Birdworld Kuranda. It's home to hundreds of colorful birds from nearly 60 species, more than 20 of them native to vanishing rain-forest areas—walking and flying freely in a gigantic aviary. Many of them are tame enough to perch on your shoulders. Wear a hat and sleeved shirt: birds' claws are scratchy.

Melbourne's most elegant 19th-century shopping arcade dates from the 1880s, when "Marvelous Melbourne" was flush with the prosperity of the gold rushes. A century later, renovations scraped back the grime to reveal a magnificent mosaic floor. Take a guided walking tour back to the Block's origins, back in 1892; reservations are essential.

Wide, wonderful Bondi (pronounced bon-dye) is the most famous and most crowded of all Sydney beaches. It has something for just about everyone, and the droves that flock here on a sunny day give it a bustling, carnival atmosphere unmatched by any other Sydney beach. Facilities include toilets, open-air showers for rinsing sandy feet and salty bodies, and a kiosk on the beach that rents out sun loungers, beach umbrellas, and even swimsuits. Cafés, ice-cream outlets, restaurants, and boutiques line Campbell Parade, which runs behind the beach. But despite its popularity, it's also a dangerous beach, with an estimated 30 swimmers saved by the seven lifeguards who man this spot every day, even in winter. Families tend to prefer the calmer waters of the northern end of the beach. Surfing is popular at the south end, where a path winds along the sea-sculpted cliffs to Tamarama and Bronte beaches. Take Bus 380, 382, or 333 all the way from Circular Quay, or take the train from the city to Bondi Junction and then board Bus 380, 381, 382, or 333. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunrise; surfing; swimming; walking.

About 25 km (16 miles) north of Hobart on the highway toward Launceston, this sanctuary hosts a diverse selection of Australian species—many of which have been rescued—including koalas, wombats, quolls, and the adorable Tasmanian devil. The private dusk tours are highly recommended and provide a rare opportunity to experience Tassie's beautiful nocturnal animals at their most active.

Booderee is the Aboriginal word meaning "bay of plenty" and there really is plenty to see and do at this incredibly beautiful national park, located at the southernmost part of Jervis Bay. Camping sites are available throughout the park. Cave Beach has on-site showers and a small walk down to a vast beach that’s a safe spot for swimming. Green Patch Beach is a good location for snorkelers with its bounty of interesting fish on its tranquil shores. The historic Cape St George Lighthouse is the perfect location for whale- and bird-watching.

If you want an ocean beach that's close to the city and has a terrific setting, with both sand and grassy areas, this one is hard to beat. A wooded park of palm trees and Norfolk Island pines surrounds Bronte. The park includes a playground and sheltered picnic tables, and excellent cafés are in the immediate area. The breakers can be fierce, but swimming is safe in the sea pool at the southern end of the beach. Take Bus 378 from Central Station, or take the train from the city to Bondi Junction and then board Bus 378. Bus 362 runs between Bondi and Coogee beaches, stopping at Bronte Beach and Tamarama on the weekends only. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard; showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; surfing; walking.

The busy waterfront at Brooke Street Pier is the city's key departure point for harbor and MONA cruises. The translucent building has an excellent cocktail bar and restaurant as well as plenty of tourist information and a trading space for Tasmanian artisans.

Established by Reginald Langdon Buller in 1921, this Rutherglen winery produces delicious fortified wines and gutsy, full-bodied reds, the flagship being its Shiraz. As the old Shiraz vines are not irrigated, the annual yields are low, but the fruit produced has intense flavor, which winemaker Dave Whyte crafts into wines of great depth and elegance. Tastings and sales are at the cellar door, free, or pay A$15 for tastings of four of its Muscat or Topaque, from 4, 10, 25, and 50 years old!  Treat yourself to a grazing platter and Rare Muscat straight from the barrel (A$35) or the Three Chain Road gins, distilled here (A$25). The winery is also home to its on-site restaurant, Pavilion, overlooking the vineyards.

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.

This is the beach for loads of family fun in the sun. The calm, translucent, and turquoise waters of Geographe Bay are perfect for swimming, stand-up paddling, kayaking, fishing, and relaxing. From mid-December until the end of January, an inflatable water park (aquatastic.net) is set up and available to the public for an hourly or daily fee. The City of Busselton has invested millions of development dollars into foreshore infrastructure that includes an amazing kids' adventure park, skate park, amphitheater, plenty of bench seating, and free-to-use barbecues—a favorite Aussie dinner is fish-and-chips on the beach at sunset. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

Undulating green hills that once boasted a thriving dairy industry are dotted with charming villages and small organic farms growing avocados, coffee, fruits, and macadamia nuts. The best way to discover this gorgeous part of the world—nicknamed the Rainbow Region—is to grab a map and just drive. From Byron, take the road toward the regional town of Lismore for about 15 km (9 miles) to the pretty village of Bangalow. Walk along the lovely main street lined with 19th-century storefronts. Carefully follow your map and wind your way northwest for about 20 km (13 miles) to Federal. Meander, via the cute towns of Rosebank and Dunoon, to The Channon, where on the second Sunday of every month you'll find a wonderful market with dozens of stalls and entertainment.

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 beachside bar at Cable Beach Resort & Spa. By day it's a lot less crowded, and about 1,640 feet north of the vehicle access ramp is a declared nude beach. 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 (free); toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

Calling all cheese lovers and connoisseurs to this family-operated sheep and dairy farm located on the outskirts of Nannup. Stop in to the farmhouse and sample the award-winning sheep cheese (in season) and flavor-punching dairy cheeses that are skillfully handmade on-site by the clever Wilde family.

Bring a picnic blanket and a bottle of wine to enjoy with a cheese near the grazing sheep.

The view from the top of the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia and only a 10-minute drive south of Augusta, allows you to witness the meeting of the Southern and the Indian oceans. In some places this alliance results in giant swells that crash against the rocks; in others, you'll spot whales surfacing (May through September). The lighthouse precinct is open daily and offers guided tours, which includes climbing 176 stairs to the top and a trek around the outside balcony. Bring your camera, and wear a windproof jacket—gusts of 156 kmph (97 mph) have been recorded at ground level here.

Order lunch from the café and watch the rock parrots graze on the grass.

This historic mine, with a 1,665-foot shaft, yielded almost a ton of gold before it closed in 1954. Aboveground you can pan for gold, see the old stamper battery, and climb up the poppet head, but the thrill of mining is felt belowground. The one-hour underground tour takes you 200 feet below the surface in an industrial lift to widened tunnels, letting you experience the conditions miners worked in during the gold rush era. Hear the roar of the traditional mining equipment and see gold in its natural state. The tour is wheelchair accessible.