563 Best Sights in Australia

Most commonly known for its colorful and culturally significant bathing boxes, which were built more than a century ago in response to Victorian ideas of morality and seaside bathing, Brighton Beach is also ideal for families since its location in a cove means that it's protected from the wind. Perfect for those looking for a quieter spot to bathe than St. Kilda Beach, the Middle Brighton Baths (www.middlebrightonbaths.com.au) is a nice place to view the boats and have a bite to eat. Good views of the bathing boxes and Melbourne's skyline can be enjoyed from the gardens at Green Point. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming.

A super-safe, family-friendly swimming beach, Mooloolaba Beach is patrolled year-round and has just enough swell to make it fun. Surfers might want to check out the left-hand break that sometimes forms off the rocks at the northern end. There are shady picnic areas with barbecues, playgrounds, and exercise areas—as well as the local meeting point, the Loo with a View. Stroll south along the coastal path to the river mouth and rock wall (off which you can fish, year-round, for bream); north to Alexandra Headland for views of the bay; or along Mooloolaba Esplanade, lined with casual eateries and boutiques. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; sunset; swimming; walking.

Just 5 km (3 miles) outside Mossman are the spectacular waterfalls and swimming-hole-studded river that tumble through sheer-walled Mossman Gorge. The Kuku Yalanji–run Mossman Gorge Centre is the starting point for various walks, tours, and activities. There are several boulder-studded, croc-free swimming holes within the gorge, and a 2½-km (1½-mile) rain-forest walking track and suspension bridge. (Swimming in the river itself is hazardous, crocs or not, due to swift currents, slippery rocks, and flash flooding.) Keep your eyes peeled for tree and musky rat-kangaroos, Boyd's water dragons, scrub fowl, turtles, and big, bright butterflies—and try to avoid stinging vines (plants with serrated-edge, heart-shaped leaves, found at rain-forest edges). If you intend to hike beyond the river and rain-forest circuits, inform the information desk staff at the Mossman Gorge Centre, which also has café/restaurant, gift shop, Indigenous art gallery, restrooms, showers, and visitor parking.

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.

Australia's largest privately funded museum is home to a diverse array of exhibits from Tasmanian millionaire David Walsh's private collection. The unusual collection contains more than 400 often provocative pieces, including Sidney Nolan's Snake—an impressive mural made of more than 1,500 individual paintings—and Wim Delvoye's Cloaca Professional, an interesting contraption that transforms food into excrement. Each year, the museum also hosts the Mona Foma Festival, Tasmania's largest contemporary music festival. MONA's two-week winter festival, Dark Mofo, celebrates the dark through large-scale public art, food, music, and light. Sometimes compared with Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum, MONA has an eclectic mix of antiquities and contemporary art. The unusual building itself is set into cliffs on the Berriedale peninsula, and visitors to the museum use touch-screen devices to learn about the exhibits as they wander around. There is often music on the lawns with large-scale public art throughout the site. To reach MONA, it's a 15-minute drive, or you can take the MONA-ROMA minibus from the Hobart waterfront or airport. There is also the MONA fast catamaran from the Hobart waterfront.

The most comprehensive collection of Australian art in the country is on exhibit in the nation's premier art gallery, including superlative works of Aboriginal art and paintings by such famous native sons as Arthur Streeton, Sidney Nolan, and Arthur Boyd. The gallery also contains a sprinkling of works by European and American masters, including Rodin, Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol, as well as art and artifacts from closer to home, Southeast Asia. Free guided tours on a variety of topics with excellent guides begin in the foyer each day—check the website for details. A new wing, containing 13 galleries, is dedicated to indigenous art. The gallery extends outside into the Sculpture Garden, and the innovative Fog Sculpture takes place (outdoors) from 12:30 to 2 pm daily.

This unstuffy museum is spectacularly set on Acton Peninsula, thrust out over the calm waters of Lake Burley Griffin. The museum highlights the stories of Australia and Australians by exploring the key people, events, and issues that shaped and influenced the nation. Memorabilia include a carcass of the extinct Tasmanian tiger, the old Bentley beloved by former Prime Minister Robert Menzies, and the black baby garments worn by dingo victim Azaria Chamberlain (whose story was made famous in the Meryl Streep film A Cry in the Dark). Circa, a 12-minute movie, gives a fascinating snapshot of Australian history and should be your first port of call. Children love the KSpace display, an exhibit where they can use computers and 3-D technology to design a space-age city of the future. You can also take a guided tour—the First Australians tours cost A$15 as does the Building and Architecture tour. 

This beautiful beach on the northeast side of the island is a mecca for fish because fishing bans protect them here. Brightly colored tropical creatures, such as parrotfish and their less-spectacular mullet mates (which are occasionally chased by a harmless reef shark), swim up to shore and greet visitors at the daily 4 pm fish feed. However, visitors can also feed them at other times—you can buy fish food to toss to them from a beach kiosk. This feeding frenzy is fun to watch. Bring snorkel gear to explore the coral a little farther out, or bring a picnic and relax on this beach that's one of the cleanest in Australia. The beach is an easy drive, cycle, or walk from town and the northern hotels. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming; walking.

For more than 20 years this winery on the former Jurlique herb farm has practiced biodynamic farming by following lunar cycles, growing vegetables, raising livestock, and abstaining from chemical treatments. The winery cellar door is open by appointment only, and also occasional events including memorable paddock-to-plate dining experiences showcasing Ngeringa wines like the sprightly pet nat alongside incredible produce grown on-site. The farm supplies most of Adelaide's top restaurants and there is also a dedicated chamber music venue on-site. Tastings by appointment, A$20.

This beautiful gorge has something for everyone, whether you're interested in swimming in the waterhole, 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.

The golden sands of Palm Beach glitter as much as the bejeweled residents of the stylish nearby village. The beach is on one side of the peninsula separating the large inlet of Pittwater from the Pacific Ocean. Bathers can easily cross from the ocean side to Pittwater's calm waters. You can take a circular ferry trip around this waterway from the wharf on the Pittwater side. The view from the lighthouse at the northern end of the beach is well worth the walk. Shops and cafés sell light snacks and meals. North Palm Beach is only patrolled by lifeguards in summer (December to February). Take Bus 190 from Wynyard bus station. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming.

Much of this vast futuristic structure is submerged, covered by a domed glass roof that follows the contours of Capital Hill. You approach the building across a vast courtyard with a central mosaic titled Meeting Place, designed by Aboriginal artist Nelson Tjakamarra. Native timber has been used almost exclusively throughout the building, and the work of some of Australia's finest contemporary artists hangs on the walls.

Parliament generally sits Monday to Thursday mid-February to late June and mid-August to mid-December. Both chambers have public galleries, but the debates in the House of Representatives, where the prime minister sits, are livelier and more newsworthy than those in the Senate. Free 40-minute guided tours take place at 9:30, 11, 1, 2, and 3 daily.

This historical display sheds light on the difficulties and immense skill involved in pearl harvesting. You'll have a chance to check out one of the restored luggers on a replica jetty along with other such pearling equipment as diving suits and a A$100,000 pearl you can hold. Get an insight into the risky lives of pearl divers, who spent years aboard pearling luggers and diving for pearl shells, 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 worth A$120 a kilo.

Founded in 1844 by immigrant English doctor Christopher Rawson Penfold, this is the birthplace of Australia's most famous wine, Penfolds Grange, and one of Australia's only city wineries. Introduced in 1951, Grange is the flagship of a huge stable of wines priced from everyday to special-occasion (collectors pay tens of thousands of dollars for complete sets of Grange). Book ahead for the Magill Estate Heritage Tour (A$25, 10 am and 1 pm daily) to hear some of the stories behind the site; if you're a serious wine lover take the Ultimate Penfolds Tour (A$150) and visit the original Penfold family cottage then head into the winery to enjoy some premium wine tastings, or go for the Iconic Penfolds Experience (A$295), which includes a three-course lunch and wine pairings in addition to the tour.

Phillip Island's main draw is the nightly parade of little penguins, also called fairy penguins, waddling from the sea to their burrows in nearby dunes. The parade of miniature penguins attracts onlookers year-round and crowds on summer weekends and holidays. There are several ways to view the Penguin Parade: general admission, with viewing from concrete bleachers; the Penguin Plus experience, which puts you on a smaller viewing platform that is closer to the action. There's even a small underground section to watch the penguins as they go to their nests. The Guided Ranger tour puts you on an intimate beachfront viewing stand with a ranger, while the VIP Tour gets you into a private, elevated "Skybox" overlooking the beach. The Ultimate Adventure Tour, for private groups, includes headphones and night-vision equipment and a secluded spot on a separate beach. The spectacle begins at around sunset each night; booking ahead is essential in summer and during public holidays. Wear closed shoes and warm clothing—even in summer—and rain protection gear. Make sure to arrive an hour before the tour begins.

This favorite among gourmands is 25 minutes from Canberra. Here you'll find a tasting room offering good examples of Pinot Noir and Shiraz, and fabulous food and smoked goods offered by Poachers Pantry and the award-winning Smokehouse Cafe. Stock up on picnic-style smoked meats, poultry, and vegetables at the Pantry, or visit the café for a memorable countryside dining experience in a historic cottage. Poachers Panty is one of the 25 operators who make up the Poacher's Way (), a collective of food emporiums, wineries, restaurants, galleries, and experiences that are loosely linked by a trail and that provide memorable regional experiences.

The once private estate of one of the wealthiest men in Australia, Point Leo Estate opened to the public in late 2017 with a fine dining restaurant and winery experience set against dramatic coastal views and enhanced by an ambitious collection of more than 50 large-scale contemporary international and local works dotted along winding paths. Download the audio walk app from Point Leo's website before you visit and plan to spend an entire afternoon exploring. If all that sculpture gets you thirsty, take a break for a wine tasting at the cellar door (or take a glass on your walk). If you can plan ahead, make a reservation at Laura, considered one of Victoria's top restaurants, at the bistro next door, Pt. Leo Restaurant, or outside on the Wine Terrace, which often has live music and always has glorious views of the vineyard, sculptures, and the bay.

This property, formerly the grounds of the Port Arthur Penal Settlement, is now a lovely—and quite large—historical park with a fascinating convict past central to Tasmania's history. Be prepared to do some walking between widely scattered sites. Begin at the excellent visitor center, which introduces you to the experience by "sentencing, transporting, and assigning" you before you set foot in the colony. Most of the original buildings were damaged by bushfires in 1895 and 1897, shortly after the settlement was abandoned, but you can still see the beautiful church, round guardhouse, commandant's residence, model prison, hospital, and government cottages.

The old lunatic asylum is now an excellent museum, with a scale model of the Port Arthur settlement, a video history, and a collection of tools, leg irons, and chains. Along with a walking tour of the grounds and entrance to the museum, admission includes a harbor cruise, of which there are eight scheduled daily in summer. There's a separate twice-daily cruise to and tour of the Isle of the Dead, which sits in the middle of the bay. It's estimated that 1,769 convicts and 180 others are buried here, mostly in communal pits. Ghost tours (reservations are essential) leave the visitor center at dusk and last about 90 minutes. Buy your tickets at the site, or at the Brooke Street Pier, at Franklin Wharf in Hobart.

Stretching some 30 km (19 miles) along Victoria's southeastern coastline, Port Campbell National Park is the site of some of the most famous and most beautiful geological formations in Australia. The ferocious Southern Ocean has gnawed at the limestone cliffs along this coast for eons, creating a sort of badlands-by-the-sea, where strangely shaped formations stand offshore amid the surf. The most famous of these formations is the Twelve Apostles, as much a symbol for Victoria as the Sydney Opera House is for New South Wales (the name has always been a misnomer, as there were originally only nine of these stone columns—or sea stacks as they are correctly termed. Collapses in 2005 and 2009 mean that eight remain). If you happen to be visiting the Twelve Apostles just after sunset, you're likely to see bands of little penguins returning to their burrows on the beach. There's a population of around 3,000 of these cute creatures in the area.

Loch Ard Gorge, named after the iron-hulled clipper that wrecked on the shores of nearby Muttonbird Island in 1878, is another spectacular place to walk. Four of the Loch Ard's victims are buried in a nearby cemetery, while a sign by the gorge tells the story of the ship and its crew. This stretch of coast is often called the Shipwreck Coast for the hundreds of vessels that have met untimely ends in the treacherous waters. The Historic Shipwreck Trail, with landmarks describing 25 of the disasters, stretches from Moonlight Head to Port Fairy.

Spectacular all year round, it is busiest in the warmer months, November to April, so expect to share key sights with many other visitors. This is also the best time to witness the boisterous birdlife on nearby Muttonbird Island. Toward nightfall, hundreds of hawks and kites circle the island in search of baby mutton birds emerging from their protective burrows. The birds of prey beat a hasty retreat at the sight of thousands of adult shearwaters approaching with food for their chicks as the last light fades from the sky. Other amazing sea stacks and stone formations farther west along the Great Ocean Road are also not to be missed. These include the Grotto, London Bridge (now an arch after an earlier collapse), and the spectacular Bay of Islands and Bay of Martyrs.

A self-guided, 1½-hour Discovery Walk begins near Port Campbell Beach, where it's safe to swim between the surf patrol flags. The pounding surf and undertow are treacherous at other nearby beaches.

On the southern bank of the Brisbane River, you'll find a variety of world-class facilities nestled together among landscaped lawns and cafés. The world-famous Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) with its ever-changing exhibitions and events is a must-visit, as is the equally impressive Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum, and Sciencentre. The State Library of Queensland has a host of free, interactive children's activities and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) bustles with concerts and stage shows. There's also a host of restaurants, cafés, gift and book shops, a ticketing agent (in QPAC), public-access computer terminals, and various public spaces. Regular special events and festivals are also held in front of the Cultural Centre, particularly on weekends. Green Cabs (modern rickshaws) are a fun and unique way to get around and sightsee in this area. Starting at the Wheel of Brisbane adjacent QPAC, they'll ferry passengers anywhere between West End and Fortitude Valley.

This interactive science facility is the city's most entertaining museum, especially for kids. About 200 hands-on exhibits in seven galleries use high-tech computer gadgetry and everything from pendulums to feathers to illustrate principles of mathematics, physics, and human perception. There are daily stage shows (about such things as rockets and natural disasters), puppet shows, and talks. Staff members explain the scientific principles behind the exhibits. The free-fall slide (with a drop of 20 feet) and the 360-degree swing are huge hits with all ages. It's pricey, but kids (and their parents) love it.

Knowledgeable marine biologists and conservationists give entertaining talks and multimedia presentations, usually to packed houses, about everything Great Barrier Reef–related, from sea turtles' sleep cycles to coral-killing starfish. Expect to learn more than you thought possible about the reef's evolution and the diverse inhabitants of this delicate marine ecosystem. The attached Marine Shop sells an array of reef-themed merchandise: T-shirts, DVDs, books, field guides, and souvenirs. Sign up for a Reef Teach seat by midday.

You can't miss this ultramodern facility in the heart of Pokolbin. This futuristic winery is a joint venture between two leading Hunter Valley families: the Roches (owners of Hunter Valley Gardens) and the McGuigans, who have made wine for four generations. The winery is best known for its Pinot Gris; however, you can sample a wide variety, including Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Shiraz in the stylish tasting room. There's also a Goldfish Wine Bar and Oishii, an on-site fine-dining Japanese-Thai restaurant. If you can, stop in at the winery's branch of the Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop. In the summer the winery hosts major concerts in its 10,000-seat amphitheater—past performers have included Elton John, Rod Stewart, and the Beach Boys.

More than 80 acres of sweeping green lawns, groves of indigenous and exotic trees, duck ponds, greenhouses, and some 45,124 types of plants—many of them in bloom—grace these gardens. The elegant property, which attracts strollers and botany enthusiasts from all over the country, is a far cry today from what it once was: a failed attempt by convicts of the First Fleet to establish a farm. Though their early attempts at agriculture were disastrous, the efforts of these first settlers are acknowledged in the Pioneer Garden, a sunken garden built in their memory. Among the many other feature gardens on the property are the Palm Grove—home to some of the oldest trees in Sydney—the Begonia Garden, and the Rare and Threatened Plants Garden. Not to be missed is a cutting from the famous Wollemi Pine, a plant thought to be extinct until it was discovered in a secluded gully in the Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains in 1994. Plants throughout the gardens have various blooming cycles, so no matter what time of year you visit, there are sure to be plenty of flowers. The gardens include striking sculptures and hundreds of species of birds. There are spectacular views over the harbor and the Opera House from the garden's sea wall and two lovely restaurants are open for lunch and snacks.

For those who don't want to walk, the ChooChoo Express toylike train offers a 25-minute ride through the gardens, making four stops (A$10).

Many of the sandstone warehouses once used by whalers and traders from ships docking at Salamanca Place have been converted into delightful craft shops, art galleries, and restaurants. At the boisterous Saturday market, which attracts all elements of Tasmanian society, from hippies to the well-heeled, dealers in Tasmanian arts and crafts, fresh produce, clothing, rare books, and much more display their wares between 8:30 and 3. Keep an eye open for items made from beautiful Tasmanian timber, particularly Huon pine.

Thrill-seekers can choose their own adventure on the Scenic Railway, whose trains descend 1,000 feet down the mountainside—the seats allow passengers to adjust the incline angle from 52 to a hair-raising 64 degrees. The railway is one of three attractions at Scenic World, which has carried more than 25 million passengers to the valley floor since it opened in 1945. Once at the base, visitors can hike on easy trails through the rain forest or make the 20-minute hike to Cableway, a huge cable car that whisks passengers back up the mountain. You can also hike back up, but it's a steep, strenuous climb. The third attraction is Scenic Skyway, a glass-enclosed and -floored cabin that travels from one cliff to another, some 920 feet above the ravines below. The A$49.50 day pass provides unlimited rides on all three attractions.

This interpretive center comprises 178 pristine acres of coastal rain forest on the southern side of Port Macquarie. There are more than 170 plant species here, including 300-year-old cabbage-tree palms, as well as native mammals, reptiles, and prolific birdlife. An elevated boardwalk allows you to stroll through the lush environment without disturbing the vegetation. The center has informative guided tours, as well as a gift shop and a pleasant rain-forest café, a lovely place for a bite to eat while listening to the birdsong.

This top Kangaroo Island attraction gives you the chance to visit one of the state's largest Australian sea lion colonies. About 300 animals usually lounge on the beach, except on stormy days when they shelter in the dunes. You can visit the beach and get surprisingly close to females, pups, and bulls on a 45-minute tour with an interpretive officer; otherwise, you can follow the self-guided boardwalk to a lookout over the sand. The park visitor center has fun and educational displays, and a touch table covered in sea-lion skins and bones. There is also a souvenir shop.

Joseph Seppelt was a Silesian farmer who purchased land in the Barossa after arriving in Australia in 1849. Under the control of his son, Benno, the wine-making business flourished, and today Seppeltsfield Winery and its splendid grounds are a tribute to the family's industry and enthusiasm. Fortified wine is a Seppeltsfield specialty; this is the only place in the world where you can find an unbroken lineage stretching back to 1878. Most notable is the exquisite 100-year-old Para Liqueur Tawny. Book ahead for the Centenary Tour that allows you to walk through the cellar and taste it directly from the barrel. The Rosé Grenache and Cabernet are also worth tasting before exploring the rest of the complex that includes an excellent on-site restaurant, an art gallery and studios that you can visit, a soap factory that runs workshops, and a coffee roaster as well as the Seppelt family mausoleum that overlooks an avenue planted with more than 2,000 palm trees.