Australia is a traveler’s haven. It has the best things the world can offer in one amazing continent. Here are the 10 best places to add to your list and roam, whether you are a native, an Australian citizen, or just a budding tourist.
Sydney Opera House
The flagship of Australian tourism and one of the most iconic structures in the world. This 20th Century masterpiece is home to 1,500 performances annually. The outside is lined up with restaurants, bars, and cafes. So if you’re not into operas, enjoying the drink and the view is just as fun.
Clocking at 2,300-kilometers, it is the largest coral reef system in the world (yes, it’s alive). It is a conglomeration of 900 individual reefs and 900 islands supporting thousands upon thousands of organisms. This World Heritage Site can be seen in outer space, too.
Ayer's Rock
You've seen sunsets on coastlines and metropolitan skylines, but witnessing it on Ayer’s Rock is otherworldly. Known as Uluru to the locals, this humongous piece of sandstone (yes, it’s just one rock) stuck in the middle of Central Australian desert stands at 348 meters with a total circumference of 9.4 kilometers. Like the Opera House, it is one of the most prominent icons of Australia.
Located in New South Wales, Blue Mountain’s most prominent feature is the Three Sisters, three protruding rock formations towering at 900 meters. Here you can trail, bike, or get your adrenaline pumped on rock climbing and abseiling. Not into extreme activities? You can enjoy the view the aboard the glass-roofed carriages of the Katoomba Scenic Railway.
Well, hopefully not literally. The 12 Apostles in Victoria is a collection of limestone vertical stacks that provide a magnificent contrast to the already pristine coastline horizon. The beach is bewildering on both early morning and sunset. Walk the shoreline. Take photos. Relax and enjoy the view.
For art lovers, there’s the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania featuring the impressive (that word is an understatement) collection of Australian art collector and businessman David Walsh. Described by Walsh as a “subversive adult Disneyland”, it houses many of the most controversial and infamous arts. If you like art-appreciation with heated debates, this place is for you.
If wine aficionados were to have a religion, Barossa Valley just outside of Adelaide would be one of the pilgrimage sites. With 50 wineries producing the best wines in the world, a wine-tasting tour beholds not only the eyes, what the with charming vineyards and the rustic ambiance, but satisfies the palate as well.
“AUSTRALIA HAS SNOW?” we can hear you blurting out. Just a three hour-drive from Melbourne, Mt. Buller is famous for skiers and those who are just looking for great sights to appreciate. With over 300 hectares of skiable terrain, the village and resort is complete with amenities such as chairlifts, t-bars, a toboggan park, bars, and restaurants.
New South Wales might be known for extreme adventure spots, but Melbourne is famous for gastronomic explorers. A melting pot of many culinary cultures from around the world, the thriving cosmopolitan has restaurants and cafes lining its streets such as Lygon, Brunswick, Smith, and yes, Chinatown Street. These places are every foodie’s haven.
Koalas are not the only celebrities in Australia’s Cuteness Department, it shares the spotlight with penguins, and most of them are in Philip Island. Just a ninety minute-drive from Melbourne, this wildlife park in Victoria is one of the largest colonies of little penguins in the country, with an estimated 70,000 in number.
