563 Best Sights in Australia

Opened in 1868, this splendid, stone-clad, French Renaissance building with a Mount Isa copper roof earned its colonial designer a meager 200-guinea (A$440) fee. The interior is fitted with polished timber, brass, and frosted and engraved glass. Free half-hour tours run on weekday afternoons, depending on demand. The adjacent, kid-friendly City Botanic Gardens have native and exotic plants and theme areas, including the Bamboo Grove and Weeping Fig Avenue, along with sculptures, ponds, and an on-site café.

Ten Corinthian columns are the most striking features of this classical parliament building. It was completed in two stages 50 years apart: the west wing in 1889 and the east wing in 1939. Alongside is Old Parliament House, which dates from 1843. There's a free guided tour of both houses weekdays at 10 and 2 during nonsitting days. The viewing gallery is open to the public when parliament is sitting.

A sprawling Spanish-style castle and gardens grace this offbeat National Trust site in the Mena Creek Falls rain forest. Explore the park on a self-guided botanical walk or 30-minute guided tour, enjoy Devonshire tea on the café's deck, buy local crafts, and cool off under a 40-foot waterfall. On hour-long flashlight-lit evening tours starting nightly at 6:15, you might spot eels, water dragons, fireflies, and glowworms. Allow at least three hours to explore.

This bustling satellite city 26 km (16 miles) west of Sydney is one of Australia's most historic precincts. Its origins as a European settlement are purely agrarian. The sandy, rocky soil around Sydney Cove was too poor to feed the fledgling colony, so Governor Phillip looked to the banks of the Parramatta River for the rich alluvial soil they needed. In 1789, just a year after the first convicts-cum-settlers arrived, Phillip established Rosehill, an area set aside for agriculture. The community developed as its agricultural successes grew, and several important buildings survive as outstanding examples of the period. The two-hour self-guided Harris Park Heritage Walk, which departs from the RiverCat Ferry Terminal, connects the key historic sites and buildings. The ferry departs at frequent intervals from Sydney's Circular Quay, and is a relaxing, scenic alternative to the drive or train ride from the city. A free shuttle bus travels in a loop around Parramatta.

A very big brother to the 19th-century Magill Estate in Adelaide, this massive wine-making outfit in the center of Nuriootpa lets you taste Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Riesling blends—but not the celebrated Grange—at the cellar door. To savor the flagship wine and other premium vintages, book a Taste of Grange Tour (A$150 per person, minimum of two, 24-hour advance notice needed). There are also 90-minute blending workshops for A$85 per person.

“The Tench," as it was known by its inhabitants, was the prisoners' barracks for Hobart Town. The buildings, only a short walk from Hobart's CBD, vividly portray Tasmania's penal, judicial, and religious heritage in their courtrooms, old cells, and underground tunnels. If you want to get spooked, come for the nighttime ghost tour (reservations necessary).

There are now only around 15 pairs of the delightful little (formerly called fairy) penguins in the colony here at Penneshaw. From the indoor interpretive center, where you can read about bird activity—including mating, nesting, and feeding—a boardwalk leads to a viewing platform above rocks and sand riddled with burrows. Because the penguins spend most of the day fishing at sea or inside their burrows, the best viewing is after sunset. The informative guided tours leave from the center after sunset daily except Wednesday and Thursday. You might see penguins waddling ashore, chicks emerging from their burrows to feed, or scruffy adults molting. Although sometimes you may not see any at all. Bookings essential.

All that glitters is gold at the Perth Mint, one of the oldest mints in the world still operating from its original premises, and a reminder of the great gold rush days at the turn of the century. Established in 1899, it first refined gold from Western Australia's newly discovered goldfields, striking gold sovereigns for the British Empire. Today it still produces Australia's legal tender in pure gold, silver, and platinum bullion and commemorative coins for investors and collectors. Visitors can tour the site and watch 200 ounces of molten gold being poured in time-honored fashion to form a gold bar. The tour also lets you marvel at the biggest coin ever made, weighing 1 ton, get close to more than A$50 million worth of gold bullion, and see Australia's best collection of natural gold nuggets, including the 369-ounce Golden Beauty, one of the largest natural nuggets in the world. You can also discover your own weight in gold. There's an on-site gift shop and café.

From kangaroos to crocodiles and venomous Aussie snakes to Asian sun bears and orangutans, this expansive, more than century-old zoo is an easy 10-minute drive from Perth's CBD. Expect lush gardens—perfect for a BYO picnic—and different native habitats of various animals from around the world. Walk among Australian animals in an environment depicting the diversity of Australia's native landscape, including a bird-filled wetland. Discover the Reptile Encounter, Rainforest Retreat, and the Australian Bushwalk. For something a little more exotic, there's the African Savannah, with rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, and baboons; and the Asian Rainforest, with elephants, tigers, otters, gibbons, and a Komodo dragon. A number of special encounters are available, such as joining a keeper as they feed the lions, which is best booked and paid for in advance. Free guided walks depart daily at 11 am and 1 pm,  and there are more than a dozen free talks and presentations each day. A one-hour guided tour around the zoo on an electric Zebra Car, seating seven passengers, is also available.

This winery was founded by a larger-than-life Barossa character who had an influence on just about every winemaker in the valley. Art-hung stonework and a wood-burning fireplace make the tasting room one of the most pleasant in the valley and it is the only place to find the Black Queen Sparkling Shiraz. Wooden tables on a shady lawn encourage picnicking on the Weighbridge platter, a selection of local smoked meats, cheeses, and condiments that's big enough for two. Tastings from A$10.

Since its first vines were planted in 1895, this winery has made exceptional fortified wines such as Topaque and Muscat, and varietal wines, including Shiraz and Durif. It also has one of the few Australian plantings of Gamay, the classic French grape used to make Beaujolais, and produces a large range of vegan wines.  Cheese platters (A$30) are available anytime. Winemaker Jen Pfeiffer also makes a cheeky wine cocktail called Pfeiffer Seriously Pink, which makes a great aperitif.

A local favorite, wide Port Beach has small, gentle waves; water the color of a Bombay Sapphire bottle; and pale white sand. It butts up against Fremantle Harbour's North Quay wharf and stretches towards Leighton. Like most of the western-facing coast, the sunsets are epic and the views of Rottnest charming. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; lifeguards; parking. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

The historical society's museum contains relics from the 19th-century whaling days, when Port Fairy was a whaling station with one of the largest ports in Victoria. It also highlights the stories of the many ships that have come to grief along this dangerous coast.

Housed in a two-story convict-built house dating from 1836, this eclectic museum displays period costumes, memorabilia from World Wars I and II, farm implements, antique clocks and watches, and relics from the town's convict days.

If you have an hour to spare (and a set of wheels), cross the river at Bellingen and take an 18-km (11-mile) excursion on the Bellingen–Gleniffer Road to the village of Gleniffer. This tranquil, rambling journey leads through farmlands and wooded valleys and across the evocatively named Never Never River to—believe it or not—the Promised Land, a peaceful, pastoral region with spots for picnics and swimming. Author Peter Carey once lived in this vicinity, and the river and its surroundings provided the backdrop for his novel Oscar and Lucinda.

If you want to stay overnight in the area, the three chalets at the 100-acre Promised Land Retreat are lovely self-contained sanctuaries.

This gleaming narrow-gauge steam train, based 46 km (28 miles) from Healesville in the town of Belgrave, runs on a line originally built in the early 1900s to open up the Dandenong Ranges to 20th-century pioneers. It's a great way to see the foothill landscapes. Daily trips between Belgrave and Emerald Lake pass through picturesque forests and over spectacular wooden trestle bridges. The 13-km (8-mile) trip takes an hour; it's another hour if you continue to the historic town of Gembrook. There are also on-board lunch and train-and-picnic packs, plus special music and children's events, and the new, architecturally impressive visitor center includes a café and interactive activities sharing the little train's long history.

Dating from 1902, this is the world's oldest electrically operated swing-span bridge. The structure once carried motor traffic, but it's now a walkway that links Darling Harbour's western side with Cockle Bay on the east. The center span still swings open to allow tall-masted ships into Cockle Bay, which sits at the bottom of the horseshoe-shape shore.

From the 1830s onward, ship passengers who arrived with contagious diseases were isolated on this outpost in the shadow of North Head until pronounced free of illness. You can access the station as part of a guided tour, and now stay overnight in the four-star hotel and cottage accommodation known as Q Station; there are also two waterfront restaurants. There are day tours and five different evening ghost tours (the station reputedly has its fair share of specters) that depart from the visitor center at the Quarantine Station, and a "ghostly sleep-over" for those who want to spend the night in reputedly haunted rooms. Reservations are essential.

Visitors can also visit the site without taking a tour; however, if you want to dine, you must make prior restaurant reservations.

Originally the city's produce market, this huge 1898 sandstone structure was handsomely restored with sweeping staircases, enormous stained-glass windows, and the 1-ton Royal Clock, which hangs from the glass roof. The clock chimes the hour from 9 am to 9 pm with four tableaux: the second shows Queen Elizabeth I knighting Sir Frances Drake; the last ends with an executioner chopping off King Charles I's head. The complex includes more than 200 boutiques and restaurants including the lovely Tea Room on Level 3. Boutiques on the upper floors are generally more upscale. Guided tours cost A$25 and depart Thursday and Saturday at noon; bookings are essential.

Offering shade and serenity less than a mile from the CBD, Townsville's colonial-era botanic gardens occupies 10 verdant acres at the base of Castle Hill. Bordered by frangipani (plumeria) and towering Moreton Bay fig trees, whose unique dangling roots veil the entry to the grounds, the gardens are a wonderful place to picnic, stroll, or amuse the kids. There are play areas, a hedge maze, formal rose garden, fountains, and a lovely rain-forest walk. A compact aviary houses bright-plumed peacocks, lorikeets, and sulfur-crested cockatoos.

The best time to observe the House of Representatives is during Question Time, starting at 2, when the Government and the Opposition are most likely to be at each other's throats. To secure a ticket for Question Time, contact the sergeant-at-arms' office until 12:30 pm on the day you require a ticket.

Amazing formations in the sandstone cliffs of the James Range take on rainbow colors in the early-morning and late-afternoon light; the colors are caused by water dissolving the red iron in the sandstone and further erosion that has created dramatic rock faces and squared towers. To reach the reserve, turn left off the Stuart Highway 75 km (46 miles) south of Alice. The next 22 km (13 miles) are on a dirt track, requiring a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

This winery, which has won numerous medals for its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz, has an equally impressive view. Not only are there sweeping vistas over the 23-acre vineyard, but the magnificent waters of Western Port are spread out in the distance. On clear days you can see as far as Phillip Island as you wander around the gardens. The award-winning cuisine and fabulous floor-to-ceiling windows make Max's Restaurant the perfect place to while away at least half the day. Order from the à la carte menu (two-course à la carte lunch A$70, three-course à la carte lunch A$85), available Wednesday--Saturday. The fixed three-course Sunday roast lunch costs A$85. Dinner is served on Saturday night, including the five-course degustation menu, A$110 or A$155 with matching wines. Otherwise, go casual on the lawn with cheese plates, charcuterie boards, and small plates including Coffin Bay oysters and Yarra Valley caviar (A$4 each). Although it may be a little chilly, winter is a good time to visit, as several events are staged, including art shows and the region's Winter Wine Weekend in June.

Morning, presunset, and sunset rides are available every day on Cable Beach north of the rocks. The morning ride lasts for 40 minutes and costs A$50; the presunset ride runs for 30 minutes and costs A$40; the sunset ride takes an hour and costs A$80.

Quieter than Cowes, Rhyll is a charming fishing village on the eastern side of Phillip Island. You can rent a boat from the dock or take a sightseeing cruise from the pier. The local wetlands are internationally significant for their resident and migratory birdlife, and a short mangrove boardwalk leads to Conservation Hill and the Koala Conservation Reserve.

Construction of Rippon Lea, a sprawling polychrome brick mansion built in the Romanesque style, began in the late 1860s. By the time it was completed in 1903, the original 15-room house had expanded into a 33-room mansion. Notable architectural features include a grotto, a tower that overlooks a lake, and humpback bridges. There is also a fernery and an orchard with more than 100 varieties of heritage apples and pears. Access to the house is for exhibitions or, between exhibitions, by guided tour only, but a self-guided tour of the grounds only is available. To get here, take a Sandringham line train from Flinders Street Station to Ripponlea Station; it's a 15-minute ride south of the city center.

This winery occupies a striking-looking property; its cellar door building crafted almost entirely of glass overlooks the vineyards and rolling green paddocks. The family-owned winery produces renowned Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and its huge amphitheater plays host to international and local performers during the annual A Day on the Green concert series (acts have included Alicia Keys and Elton John). Isabella's fine-dining restaurant serves French Mediterranean meals and light platters 11:30–4, seven days a week, and pizzeria Il Vigneto is open for lunch and dinner on weekends and lunch only on Monday. Rochford has also teamed up with a group of distillers to create a range of gins, which you can weave into cocktails at its on-site gin bar, and its cellar door is open seven days.