563 Best Sights in Australia

The world's largest subtropical garden within a city is a gentle mix of forest paths, floral displays, and structured plantings surrounding a fish-stocked lake. Highlights include the Lilly Pilly Garden, with native evergreen rain-forest plants, interesting children's play areas, and the friendly resident birds and lizards. Free hour-long guided garden tours focus on various themes, including bush tucker. Self-guided tour maps are available at the Roma Street Parkland Information Hub; The Sound Society is a monthly live music event, from 11:30 on Sunday.

This large bay, the biggest of Sydney Harbour's 66 bays, was once a base for the Qantas flying boats that provided the only passenger air service between Australia and America and Europe. The last flying boat departed from Rose Bay in the 1960s, but the "airstrip" is still used by floatplanes on scenic flights connecting Sydney with the Hawkesbury River and the central coast. It's a popular place for joggers, who pound the pavement of New South Head Road, which runs along the bay.

Backing onto the suburb of Rosebud, this popular beach has been rated one of the safest in Victoria. The white-sand flats extend a long way offshore and sand bars keep the area protected for swimming, while trees provide natural shade. The beach reserve includes a jetty (from which many locals fish), boat ramp, and camping ground. A picnic and barbecue area and adventure playground make the beach a hit with families, and the nearby Bay Trail walking and cycling track is popular. Accommodation around here tends to be motels and cottages for rent. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); restrooms; showers. Best for: swimming; walking.

Opened in 1870, this is the country's oldest shopping arcade, and despite alterations it retains an airy, graceful elegance that often transfixes passersby. Browse beautiful curios, diamonds, or magic spells in its ornate shops. At the heart of the arcade, the statues of mythical monsters Gog and Magog toll the hour on either side of Gaunt's Clock.

Within its 93 acres are 8,000 species of native and imported plants and trees, sweeping lawns, and ornamental lakes populated with ducks and swans that love to be fed. The Children's Garden is a fun and interactive place for kids to explore. Summer brings alfresco performances of classic plays, usually Shakespeare, and children's classics like Wind in the Willows, as well as the popular Moonlight Cinema series. There is also a garden shop and several cafés including The Terrace, which serves high tea. The present design and layout were the brainchild of W.R. Guilfoyle, curator, botanist, and director of the gardens from 1873 to 1910. Take an Aboriginal Heritage walk through the gardens, a significant site for the local Kulin Nation. Your Aboriginal guide will identify native plants and describe their use and the connection to Country (A$35).

This much-visited tourist attraction in Alice Springs has a theater, interactive displays, and a full-scale replica of the fuselage of the service's current Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. The site has long been the radio base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which directs doctors (using aircraft) on their house calls to remote settlements and homes hundreds of miles apart, making it a vital part of Outback life. The center features historical displays, a holographic audiovisual show portraying RFDS founder Reverend John Flynn, tours that run every half hour throughout the year, and a lovely café at the back.

The Royal Hotel is an enjoyable Victorian pub with leather couches and stained-glass windows. It's a good place to stop for something cool to drink. The top floor has a balcony restaurant that's popular on sunny afternoons.

Established in 1879 on the coast south of Sydney, the Royal has the distinction of being the first national park in Australia and the second in the world, after Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Several walking tracks traverse the grounds, most of them requiring little or no hiking experience. The Lady Carrington Walk, a 10-km (6-mile) trek, is a self-guided tour that crosses 15 creeks and passes several historic sites. Other tracks take you along the coast past beautiful wildflower displays and through patches of rain forest. You can canoe the Port Hacking River upstream from the Audley Causeway; rentals are available at the Audley boat shed on the river. The Illawarra train line, from Central Station, stops at Loftus, Engadine, Heathcote, Waterfall, and Otford stations, where most of the park's walking tracks begin. There are three campsites in the park.

The largest area of open land in Hobart, these well-tended gardens are rarely crowded and provide a welcome relief from the city. Plants from all over the world are here—more than 6,000 exotic and native species in all. The collection of Tasmania's unique native flora is especially impressive. The café serves wholesome meals with some produce grown on-site. The gardens also host regular concerts and events throughout the summer. A sub-Antarctic chamber contains specimens from islands far to the south of Tasmania.

After the West Australian premier described the Scarborough precinct as “tired and old,” the state government pledged A$30 million to pretty-up the beachfront, and things have markedly improved. The beach was always beautiful and the waves surfable, but now there are a number of busy cafés, including the Wild Fig, the Local Shack, and The Peach Pit. There's also the long-standing takeout spot, Peters by the Sea for fish-and-chips. Kids love to run wild on the beachfront playground and the Snake Pit skate park, while holidaymakers come and go from the towering Rendezvous Hotel. The more enviable locales of Cottesloe, Fremantle, and Perth CBD are all a 15- to 20-minute drive away; Scarborough is not on the train line. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; sunset; walking.

Interactive science and technology displays educate and entertain visitors of all ages—particularly the younger ones—in this excellent facility. There are more than 100 hands-on general science exhibits, as well as in-depth feature exhibitions. Daily science and puppet shows present science in an entertaining way, and the space shows in the half dome planetarium will stretch your imagination as they take you to the far edges of the known Universe. Minimum age restrictions apply to the planetarium.

Keep an eye out for the quirky facts that dot the space, including the fact that the heart of a giraffe is two feet long.

Become part of the action as you stroll through a transparent tunnel surrounded by water and the denizens of the deep on the prowl. Or press your nose to the glass in the Antarctica exhibition and watch king and gentoo penguins waddling around on ice and darting through water. You can also don snow gear and sit among the penguins. If you're feeling brave, do a shark dive—they're held twice daily, include scuba equipment, and are led by an instructor. No diving experience is required. The aquamarine building illuminates a previously dismal section of Yarra River bank, opposite Crown Casino.

This all-weather sea life sanctuary has back-to-back marine presentations, including stingray feedings, guided shark tours, and seal and otter shows, all accompanied by informative talks. Eleven theme zones spread over three levels, including Australia's largest and most interactive jellyfish display, a seahorse sanctuary, and a famous underwater tunnel that gets you face-to-face with the majestic creatures of the deep. A souvenir shop and a café are also on-site, as well as a three-level indoor playground for kids. The aquarium is part of Mooloolaba's Wharf Complex, which features a marina, restaurants, and a tavern.

Save up by booking a fully flexible ticket valid for up to 12 months online in advance.

Bay of Rays and Shark Valley are among 14 themed areas at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour. Home to some 13,000 creatures, the huge aquarium also has two of only five dugongs (large, rare marine mammal [similar to a manatee] mainly found off the coast of northern Australia) that are on display anywhere in the world. The Sydney Harbour exhibit shows you what's underneath Sydney's huge expanse of water, while the new open coral tank is dazzlingly colorful. Fish and mammal feedings take place throughout the day, along with talks on some of these amazing creatures. A behind-the-scenes tour is a good value at A$18 over the online admission price. The aquarium is part of the Merlin Entertainments group and good combination ticket deals are available for the company's other attractions that include WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, the new Madame Tussauds (both located next door to the Aquarium), and the Sydney Tower Eye (A$63).

This old winery is also one of Australia's most famous, the name Great Western being associated with a long-lived sparkling wine and known for its the Salinger and Fleur de Lys ranges as well as a sparkling Shiraz and various table wines. Beneath the winery is a 3-km (2-mile) underground labyrinth of tunnels, known as the Drives, dating back to 1868 and originally built by gold miners. This is where the best sparkling wines are kept. You can take a day tour of these tunnels and the nearby shaft house and taste 20 Seppelt wines, or enjoy a barbecue and evening tour. Packages to tour and dine in the Drives, including cheese platters, two or three courses, and wine tastings, are also available from A$120 per person. The barbecue and dining options require a minimum of 15 people.

Accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicle, this site is best experienced by taking a refreshing swim through the narrow, winding gorge. According to an Aboriginal myth, a fierce serpent makes its home in the pool, hence the name.

One of Hobart's favorite beaches, this long, sandy stretch of sand is less than a 20-minute drive outside of Hobart, close to the airport. It is both isolated and stunning to look at, although it can be noisy with planes taking off and landing nearby. Considered a great family beach, it's rarely crowded and ideal for long walks along sand that's peppered with many unusual shells. The small surrounding community includes playgrounds, golf courses, and a café. Seven Mile Beach Cabin and Caravan Park is set within a beautiful park alongside the beach. There are numerous day-use areas—No. 1 has unsheltered tables and a lawn area suitable for picnicking. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

In the small village of Sheffield, 32 km (20 miles) south of Devonport, with the ever-present Mt. Roland overlooking the valley, more than 60 murals painted on the exterior walls of local buildings depict scenes of local history. This village is worth a special detour; its cafés and galleries are interesting, and it's the perfect rest point on the way to Cradle Mountain.

Ten kilometers (6 miles) southeast of Airlie Beach along Shute Harbour Road, Shute Harbour is the main ferry terminal and gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and the reef. The large, sheltered inlet teems with boats—it's one of the busiest commuter ports in Australia. Though accommodation is available, the harbor is geared toward transferring visitors. For a great view over Shute Harbour and the Whitsunday Passage, drive to the top of Coral Point.

The closest gorge to Alice Springs—there's even a bicycle and walking track from the city center—greets you with views of stark-white ghost gums (Australian evergreen trees), red rocks, and gorgeous, purple-haze mountains that provide a taste of scenery to be seen farther into the ranges. Heed the "No Swimming" signs, as freshwater crocodiles may be present if there's enough water, and come in the morning and late afternoon for a chance to catch a glimpse of rock wallabies.

Queensland's largest winery sits midway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Sirromet's much-lauded wines—distinctive reds, crisp whites, and some terrific blended varieties—can be sampled at their impressive cellar door, alongside coffee and cake, Devonshire tea, and lunchtime platters (bookings required). Additional dining options are Restaurant Lurleen's and The Tuscan Terrace.

Housed in one half of Adelaide's grand neoclassical railway station, SkyCity is the place to go for every type of gaming, from chiming poker machines to high-stakes Texas hold 'em. The complex is also home to four bars, including the elegant Chandelier Bar, and seven restaurants, and is one of the few places in Adelaide that keeps pumping until dawn.

This lookout at the top of Mt. Dandenong has breathtaking views over Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula and Port Phillip Bay. You can picnic or barbecue on the grounds, eat at the bistro (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), or stroll along the pleasant English Garden Walk while the kids get lost in the hedge maze (additional entry fee). Other fun attractions include a Wishing Tree and the Giant's Chair. Bistro open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. On Sunday, book ahead for its popular roast lunch and afternoon teas: the lookout charges a gate fee upon entrance.

In a state of extraordinary beaches, this one rates high on the list. Bookended by rounded granite boulders, the caramel-hue sand sinks beneath your feet and the gentle, rolling waves beckon, daring you to cool off in the clean ocean. Edged by native bush, this beach that is 12 km (7 miles) from Dunsborough is quiet and secluded. Smiths Beach Resort and Lamont's Restaurant (at resort) are nearby. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; surfing; walking.

North of the creek has strong waves and rips (undertows) and can be hazardous.

Inside a restored stone warehouse, this museum in Port Adelaide, a 20-minute drive from central Adelaide, brings maritime history vividly to life with ships' figureheads, shipwreck relics, and intricate scale models including a ketch you can walk through. In the basement you can see a bunk bed aboard an 1840s immigrant ship and hear passengers telling of life and death on their journeys to South Australia. In addition to the warehouse displays, the museum includes a lighthouse (worth climbing the 75 steps up to see the view), and tours of the historic quarantine are sometimes available (if that's not too real). The surrounding suburb of Port Adelaide has plenty of antiques shops to visit, and nearby Semaphore has a street lined with cafés leading to a lovely beach.

This museum's Aboriginal Cultures Gallery houses the largest collection of Indigenous Australian cultural material in the world. Old black-and-white films show traditional dancing, and touch screens convey desert life. Also in the museum are an exhibit commemorating renowned Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, after whom Australia's main Antarctic research station is named; an Opal-Fossils Gallery housing the world's most expensive opals and the fantastic opalized partial skeleton of a 19-foot-long plesiosaur; and a biodiversity gallery. There's also a café overlooking a grassy lawn. If you are traveling during local school holidays, there are fantastic interactive craft and education activities for children for a small fee.

The center tells the often graphic story of the whaling industry along South Australia's coast, particularly in Encounter Bay. Excellent interpretive displays spread over three floors focus on dolphins, seals, penguins, and whales—all of which can be seen in these waters. In whale-watching season the center has a 24-hour information hotline on sightings.

On the river's edge next to the Arts Centre, Southgate is a prime spot for lingering—designer shops, celebrity chefs' restaurants, bars, and casual eating places help locals and visitors while away the hours. The promenade links with the forecourt of Crown Casino and its hotels.

The peaks of Springbrook National Park rise to around 3,000 feet, dominating the skyline west of the Gold Coast. The World Heritage–listed park has four regions: scenic Springbrook plateau, Mt. Cougal, Natural Bridge, and Numinbah. Highlights include waterfalls and cascades, Jurassic age hoop pines, ancient rain forest, and abundant native birds and wildlife. Thanks to steep, winding roads and longish distances between sections, it takes at least a full day to explore this large park. It's about 30 km (19 miles) from the tiny hamlet of Springbrook to Natural Bridge—a waterfall that cascades through a cavern roof into an icy pool, which is home to Australia's largest glowworm colony. Several waterfalls, including the area's largest, Purling Brook Falls, can be reached via a steepish 4-km (2½-mile) path (allow 15 minutes for each half mile). The 54-km Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk extends from the Settlement campground to Green Mountains campsite in Tamborine National Park. For those short on time or energy, the lookout near the parking lot has beautiful waterfall views. Camping is permitted only in designated private campgrounds. Book online in advance (qpws.usedirect.com).

The foundation stone for Sydney's Gothic Revival Anglican cathedral—the country's oldest—was laid in 1819, although the original architect, Francis Greenway, fell from grace soon after work began. Edmund Blacket, Sydney's most illustrious church architect, was responsible for its final design and completion—a whopping 50 years later in 1868. Notable features of the sandstone construction include ornamental windows depicting Jesus's life and a great east window with images relating to St. Andrew.