Must See Attractions in Australia
Australia is undoubtedly brimming with many natural attractions, from the east coast to the west, from south to north and into the dead centre of this island continent. There are unique rock formations such as Uluru, the Bungle Bungles, Wave Rock, the Twelve Apostles and the Pinnacles. There are man-made marvels such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Tower Eye, Port Arthur Historic Site and Story Bridge.
Due to the size of Australia and remoteness of some of these attractions, you would need to spend at least a month here to see them all. Here I am listing the must see attractions in Australia for visitors who only have a limited amount of time. I have also divided them into three: the East Coast, the West Coast and Central Australia.
East Coast of Australia Must See Attractions
The distance from Melbourne to Cairns is immense, being 3,550 kilometres. Then there’s Tasmania located below Melbourne, easily accessible by a short plane trip. So there’s a whole lot packed into this vast coastline, with some of world’s best beaches taking pride of place.
MONA – Museum of Old and New
Location: Hobart, Tasmania
Features: Surrounded by a winery, with magnificent grounds and views, MONA defies traditional art galleries with a blend of old, new, quirky, controversial and immersive experiences.
Port Arthur Historic Site
Location: Tasman Peninsula (97 kilometres from Hobart, Tasmania)
Features: A large, well-preserved, 19th century penal settlement where early convicts were imprisoned after being transported to Australia.
The Twelve Apostles
Location: Great Ocean Road (275 kilometres south-east of Melbourne).
Features: One of the most epic road trips along a coastal strip of south-eastern Australia with limestone cliffs, stunning beaches and the infamous 12 Apostles limestone towers.
MCG – Melbourne Cricket Ground
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Features: The largest and oldest sporting stadium in the Southern Hemisphere where you can watch AFL football, cricket, international soccer, visit the Australian Sports Museum and do a tour of the stadium.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Location: Sydney, New South Wales
Features: The iconic “coathanger” bridge spans the Sydney Harbour dominating the harbour and can be walked over, or climbed upon on special tours.
Sydney Opera House
Location: Sydney, New South Wales
Features: The very famous and most recognised landmark in Sydney with a very interesting design, is actually a performing arts centre located on the harbour.
Bondi Beach Pavilion
Location: Bondi Beach, Sydney
Features: Adjoining Sydney’s most popular beach, the Bondi Pavilion was built in 1929 as dressing rooms for bathers at the beach. It is now a heritage-listed building.
Australian War Memorial
Location: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Features: The Australian War Museum combines a shrine, a museum, and an archive to commemorate all of those that have served in the defence services in Australia.
Story Bridge
Location: Brisbane, Queensland
Features: The heritage-listed bridge that spans the Brisbane River is an icon in the Queensland capital city and is sometimes lit up of a nighttime.
Southbank Parklands
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Features: Southbank consists of extensive parklands on the southside of the Brisbane River opposite the CBD of Brisbane. It features galleries, restaurants, cafes and even a man-made beach.
Kuranda Scenic Railway
Location: Cairns, Queensland
Features: This scenic train snakes it’s way through Barron Gorge National Park from Cairns to the village of Kuranda with breathtaking views along the way.
Great Barrier Reef
Location: Cairns, Queensland
Features: The world’s largest coral reef is located along the eastern coast of Northern Queensland and is accessible from Cairns by boat. There are many opportunities to explore this unique marine park.
West Coast of Australia Must See Attractions
Sometimes referred to as the “Wild West”, due to it’s extensive wilderness areas and diverse landscapes, West Australia is worth putting on your Australian bucket list. However, the state is huge and there are so many incredible natural attractions, so you need at least two weeks to cover this coastline.
Wave Rock
Location: Hyden, West Australia
Features: A natural rock formation that is shaped like a tall breaking ocean wave, located wheatlbelt countryside, is 15 metres high.
Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk
Location: Denmark, West Australia
Features: A famous tree top walk which reaches a height of 40 metres above the forest floor is a must see in the south of the state.
Cape Le Grand
Location: Esperance, West Australia
Features: This national park is 56 metres east of Esperance and has loads of natural attributes, including some of the most pristine beaches in Australia.
Margaret River
Location: A town 271km south of Perth, West Australia
Features: A region of abundant beauty, with vineyards and wineries, scenic walking coastal path and spectacular surf beaches.
Fremantle Prison
Location: Fremantle, West Australia
Features: A former Australian historical gaol built in the 1850s constructed by convicts at the time. It’s claim to fame is where serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke, was hanged to death in 1964.
The Pinnacles Desert (Nambung National Park)
Location: Cervantes, West Australia
Features: An intriguing landscape of thousands of huge limestone pillars that rise from a stark landscape of yellow sand desert.
Kalbarri Gorge and Sea Cliffs
Location: Kalbarri, West Australia
Features: Dramatic sea cliffs and an inland gorge made by the Murchison River with red and white banded sandstone escarpments. Best viewed from the Skywalk or take a photo through “nature’s window”.
Cable Beach
Location: Broome, West Australia
Features: A beautiful stretch of white-sanded beach with clear turquoise waters for swimming, snorkelling or fishing. Best known for the sunset camel safaris that take place in the late afternoon.
Horizontal Falls
Location: Kimberley Coast, West Australia
Features: A natural ocean phenomenon that has to be seen to be believed, where high tides create a horizontal waterfall. Best viewed by boat cruise or on a scenic flight.
The Bungle Bungles (Purnululu National Park)
Location: The Kimberley, West Australia
Features: With striking “beehive” shaped domes in banded yellow and black sandstone, and a number of striking gorges, the Bungle Bungles are an awesome sight.
Lake Argyle
Location: East Kimberley, West Australia
Features: A man-made lake constructed to dam the Ord River, is the second biggest in Australia and is a abundant with fish, birdlife and native animals.
Central Australia
Bunda Cliffs
Location: The Great Australian Bight, Nullabor Plain, South Australia
Features: Extraordinary coastal sea cliffs on the Southern Ocean of South Australia accessed from the Nullabor Plain, where you can whale-watch during the season.
Uluru and Kata Tjuta
Location: 335km south-west of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Features: The largest sandstone monolith (348 metres high) in the world that changes colour during the day. Whilst Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) are made up of 36 giant domes.
Kings Canyon (Watarrka National Park)
Location: 450km south-west of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Features: A scenic landscape of rugged ranges, rockholes and gorges, with red canyon walls that soar 100m above Kings Creek.
Katherine Gorge (Nitimiluk National Park)
Location: Katherine, Northern Territory
Features: A series of 13 gorges located within Nitimiluk National Park that can be explored by boat, kayak or by hiking.
Kakadu National Park
Location: 171 km south-east of Darwin, Northern Territory
Features: A vast national park in the Top End of Australia, with ancient landscapes, thundering waterfalls, lush rainforests, extensive wetlands, native wildlife and aboriginal rock art.
First-time travellers to Australia, due to time constrains, generally cover the East Coast, sometimes venturing into Central Australia. However, why not break your holiday up into two separate itineraries and cover the West Coast of Australia (a 5 hour flight from Sydney to Perth)? You won’t be disappointed!
