563 Best Sights in Australia

About an hour's drive from Cairns, Babinda Boulders is a popular swimming hole, and a sacred Aboriginal site. It's 7 km (5 miles) inland on The Boulders Road from the town of Babinda, accessible via the Bruce Highway about 60 km (37 miles) south of Cairns. You can also hike to the boulders, taking the 19-km (12-mile) Goldfield Track (Wooroonooran National Park) that starts in Goldsborough Valley, southwest of Cairns, and ends in Babinda Boulders car park.

Just south of Glen Aplin is the town of Ballandean, home to award-winning Ballandean Estate Wines, the oldest family-owned and -operated vineyard and winery in Queensland. The first grapes were grown on the Granite Belt site in 1931, and the tasting room is the original brick shed built in 1950. The Barrel Room Cafe behind it—with massive, 125-year-old wooden barrels lining one wall—serves modern Italian cuisine, showcasing local produce and quality coffee (lunch Thursday–Monday, dinner Friday and Saturday). There are 45-minute tours of the facility daily at 11 am for A$5 per person.

On the shores of Lake Wendouree, the Ballarat Botanical Gardens are identifiable by the brilliant blooms and classical statuary. At the rear of the gardens, the Conservatory hosts events during the town's Begonia Festival held each March, with other events taking place near the lake.

All sorts of native animals, including kangaroos and emus (which roam free), saltwater crocodiles, snakes, Tasmanian devils, wombats, tree kangaroos, and echidnas can be found at this wildlife sanctuary. Daily tours of the park are led at 11, with a koala show at 2 and a wombat show at 2:30. Sunday at 3 is "crunch time," when Crunch the crocodile gets a feed. If you're also hungry, the park has a café and picnic areas.

This 800-yard-long beach—among the best of the inner-harbor beaches—is in one of Sydney's most exclusive northern suburbs. There's no surf, but it's a great place to learn to windsurf (sailboard rentals are available). The Esplanade, which runs along the beachfront, has a handful of upscale restaurants, as well as several snack bars and cafés that serve award-winning fish-and-chips. In summer you can catch performances of Bard on the Beach. You could easily combine a trip to Balmoral with a visit to Taronga Zoo. To reach Balmoral, take the ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo and then board Bus 238. Or take Bus 247 from the city (near Wynyard Station) to Mosman and then walk down Raglan Street hill to the Esplanade, the main street running along Balmoral Beach. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking; windsurfing.

This pool-like bay is one of Rottnest's most popular, both for its safe, shallow waters and proximity to the main settlement. Protected by an outer reef, the ocean is crystal clear, the waves are gentle, and little fish dart about. Major renovations in 2021 saw improvements to toilet blocks, shelters, barbecue facilities, and play spaces. Amenities: lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

This interpretive center highlights the natural history of the Bass Strait and its many islands as well as showing exhibits that explore Devonport's development into a port city, the area's rich naval past, and the arrival and settlement of the early Europeans. Regular exhibitions feature different aspects of Tasmania's rich maritime history.

A drive along this part of the coast, which starts at Green Head, 285 km (178 miles) north of Perth, and runs up to Kalbarri, takes you past white sands and emerald seas, and some lovely small towns. Among them are the fig-shaded, seaside village of Dongara and the more northerly Central Greenough Historical Settlement, whose restored colonial buildings—including a jail with original leg irons—date from 1858. A few miles north is Geraldton, whose skyline is dominated by the beautiful Byzantine St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. Its main foreshore is great for families, beach lovers, and coffee drinkers (Kai Lani Cafe makes a good brew and serves burgers, wraps, and ice cream too). Also worth a visit is the haunting HMAS Sydney II Memorial, which is the only recognized national war memorial outside of Canberra and has expansive ocean views. The beautiful Batavia Coast Marina has a pedestrian plaza, shopping arcades, and the fascinating Western Australian Museum, which houses a collection of artifacts from the Batavia, a Dutch vessel shipwrecked in 1629.

Sometimes, good things come in small packages. This flat, soft-sand beach sits hidden between the Fishing Boat Harbour and the Roundhouse and is an ideal spot to picnic with takeout fish-and-chips, or to enjoy a sunset cocktail from Bathers Beachhouse, the only restaurant licensed to serve drinks on the beach. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: solitude; sunset; swimming; walking.

This has been one of the largest and most prestigious winemakers in the country since the early 1900s. In addition to its Hunter Valley vineyards, the company owns property in South Australia and Victoria, and numerous outstanding wines from these vineyards can be sampled in the tasting room. Try the Shiraz, Sémillon, or Chardonnay. The winery has its own museum, displaying vintage wine-making equipment; the Baume Restaurant; and two picnic areas, one near the parking lot and the other next to the willow trees around the dam.

An active place of worship on the outskirts of the city, this small temple was built by Chinese miners in 1871, during the gold rush days. At the height of the boom in the 1850s and 1860s, about a quarter of Bendigo's miners were Chinese. These men were usually dispatched from villages on the Chinese mainland, and they were expected to work hard and return as quickly as possible with their fortunes. Sadly, tensions with white miners were a feature of that era, along with anti-Chinese riots. Luckily this attractive element of their presence has endured from those turbulent times. 

Australia's oldest working pottery workshop turns out distinctive brown-and-cream pieces that many Australians have in their kitchens. Founded in 1858, the historic workshop hosts demonstrations. You can even get your hands dirty creating your own clay piece during an affordable wheel-throwing lesson (bookings essential during school holidays); there's also a clay play area for small children. Impressive beehive brick kilns, which you can step inside, are star exhibits in the museum. It's 6½ km (4 miles) northeast of Bendigo on the way to Echuca, and there is a small café also on the premises.

Extending 650 feet along the southern shore of Waubs Bay, this gentle beach is in the heart of pretty Bicheno. A secondary north-facing beach sits on the western side of the bay. Rounded granite rocks border and separate the two beaches. There is a car park and toilet facilities at the middle of the beach where Beach Street meets the sand, while the town itself sits on the slopes at the south end. A popular shoreline walking track follows the rocky coast around the headland. If the swell is up, be sure to look for the blowhole. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

This eco-friendly, interactive sanctuary on 22 acres of bushland shelters koalas, wombats, dingoes, wallabies, endangered bilbies, snakes, crocodiles, lizards, and numerous birds, most featuring in daily wildlife shows, presentations, and feedings. The sanctuary has daily free-flight birds of prey shows, crocodile and cassowary feedings, venomous snake presentations, and turtle racing. Visitors can snap a selfie with a koala, or have their photo taken holding a wombat, snake, or baby croc. Thrill-seekers can book a personal croc-feeding experience, with or without souvenir photo.

The 1920s temperance movement helped to turn this brewery's focus to the brewing of nonalcoholic cordials. The cordials are produced using old-time recipes and seasonal flavors, such as Sicilian blood orange, using the area's natural spring water. Temperance is no longer an issue, and Billson's also creates a range of craft beers, whiskey, its own gin, and even a coffee liqueur. Their range of premixed drinks still uses the original cordials: try the full range, including the popular vodka with portello (grape and berry cola flavor). The brewery has several venues and serves a simple menu of pub grub, including burgers and steak sandwiches. Choose from the Tasting Room, the dog-friendly beer garden, and the more upmarket Speakeasy, where you can sip a cocktail and order a grazing board of local olives, meats, and cheeses. On the same site is the Beechworth Carriage Museum, a collection of 20 horse-drawn vehicles and Australian Light Horse Infantry memorabilia from World War I. Open daily 10–5, A$1. Tastings are free.

Drop by this cheese maker to sample and buy Simon Gough's irresistible, handcrafted soft cow and goat cheeses made from locally sourced milk. You'd be hard-pressed to find a tastier marinated feta outside Greece—or even in it.

Just south of Cooktown within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, Black Mountain (Kalkajaka) National Park protects a unique mix of gigantic granite boulders, wet-tropics species, and savanna woodland vegetation harboring abundant wildlife, including threatened species. Lucky visitors might spot the scanty frog, rainbow skink, Black Mountain gecko, Godman's rock-wallaby, or a rare ghost bat. Kalkajaka means "place of the spear"; Black Mountain was a significant meeting place for the Eastern Kuku Yalanji. The boulders are treacherous, so climbing and hiking is not allowed, but the lookout point provides a fairly close-up view.

A progressive picnic matching South Australia's finest artisan cheese with wines from the region's best wineries. The tour, which can last around four hours, begins at the Blessed Cheese shop, where the staff will arm us you with a cooler full of cheese, dried fruits, crackers, and nuts; a map; and tasting notes, before sending you off to taste at wineries along the way (A$50 per couple). Tour providers in the area like Top Food and Wine Tours offer an all-inclusive package that includes a driver/guide and lunch on this trail (A$320 per person for 8 hours).

If you have a sweet tooth, try this artisanal-chocolate shop. Here you can watch chocolate being made and taste it for free. There are 60 different varieties of handmade chocolates, as well as hot chocolate (perfect for chilly mountain days) and homemade ice cream (chocolate, of course) for those sultry summer days.

Held over a weekend every March (in the middle of the month) in beautiful Katoomba, this Music Festival of Folk, Blues, and Roots showcases artists from around the world and across Australia in intimate and relaxed settings.

Seven kilometers (4½ miles) west of Victor Harbor, the Bluff is where whalers once stood lookout for their prey. Today the granite outcrop, also known as Rosetta Head, serves the same purpose in very different circumstances. It's a steep, 1,400-foot climb to the top via a formed trail to enjoy the bluff views, or you can park near the summit.

In the hotter months, locals all head out to this lesser-known swimming spot in Gerringong, found on the coast, to cool down. It’s about 1 km (½ mile) from the main high street that runs through Berry. Just follow the directions to Gerringong and you'll soon find the boat ramp that runs close to the pool. It's a small pool that once lived its life as a local swim spot for women only. But today, anyone is welcome and it's an especially great spot for young children. There’s no charge but also no facilities. Best time to go is at high tide as it can get a little shallow during low tide.

A good spot to catch your breath amid the Parliamentary Triangle's mix of history, culture, and science is Bookplate, in the foyer of the National Library. It has lovely stained glass windows and extends out onto a patio overlooking the lake. Sandwiches, salads, cakes, warming soup and curry in the winter, and tea and coffee are served weekdays 7:30–5 (until 4 on Friday) and weekends 9–4.

The surf here is very big thanks to the exposed reef break. Most waves are dumpers, hence the name Boomer, and can get up to 15 feet high. As a result, this is a beach for surfers and strong swimmers. Waves decrease toward Victor Harbor, providing lower surf and usually calm conditions. In summer the surf tends to be mostly flat, but you need to be vigilant of rocks, rips, and sharks year-round. There is an excellent view down the entire beach from the headland at Port Elliot; from here you can spot the southern right whale, which in winter claims this area as its territory. Amenities: lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming.

In a delightful rural corner of the Mount View region, this is one of the Hunter Valley's most prestigious small wineries. It produces a limited selection of sought-after reds, whites, and sparkling wines. The Sémillon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and intense Cabernet Sauvignon are highly recommended. The vineyard is on the southern periphery of the Lower Hunter vineyards, about a five-minute drive from Pokolbin.

Once a run-down area of Richmond, this street is now a bargain shopper's paradise. Track down factory outlets selling fashion and leather goods, refuel at independent brewery Burnley Brewing or Oster Italian osteria. Take Tram 48 or 75 from the city.

It's worth heading to the cellar door at this winery (weekends only) to taste the Reserve Shiraz, one of the varieties that this family-run operation specializes in. The vineyard is ringed by the lovely Brindabella Range, providing a gorgeous setting on a sunny day for a picnic or barbecue. Light lunches are served on weekends, often accompanied by a jazz band. The vineyard is 25 km (16 miles) north of Canberra.

A nonprofit research, education, and accommodation facility, the Broome Bird Observatory provides the perfect opportunity to see the Kimberley's numerous bird species, some of which migrate annually from Siberia or China. On the shores of Roebuck Bay, 25 km (15 miles) east of Broome, the observatory has a prolific number of migratory waders. The observatory offers a variety of daily guided tours in the dry season (from May to around September), including some focused around the native shorebirds, mangroves, bush and plains—each are 2½ hours and cost A$75—as well as a full-day tour of the lakes that includes morning tea (A$150). Pickup from Broome can also be arranged for A$60 for the first person and A$15 for each additional person in your group. Start times depend on the day of the week and the tides and season, but are typically between 8 am and 3 pm, with the exception of the bush and plains tour, which starts at 3 pm or 3:30 pm and returns after sunset.