The 37 best things to do in Australia

Take a day trip, stay the weekend or just pack up and move there – there's plenty going on down the Great Ocean Road. The winding stretch from Torquay to Warrnambool takes four hours to drive non-stop, but you’ll want to take it slow to admire the jaw-dropping vistas, including the Two Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and the London Arch. A pit stop at Apollo Bay Fishermen's Co-op for some grilled lobster with garlic butter and thick-cut chips is a must. 

The striking large-scale art piece ‘Field of Light’ by British installation artist Bruce Munro has been illuminating the red centre since 2016, and it’s not going anywhere soon. The beauty of visiting Uluru while this installation is on is that you get a ripper view of the famous landmark illuminated by more than 50,000 multi-coloured LED lights. Visit it at dusk to see it at its most spectacular.

Cable Beach is consistently rated as one of the world’s very best beaches and you can marvel at its magic in the most quintessential way with this safari tour. You’ll ride into sunset on your very own camel, watching the sky reflect onto to serene waters in all shades of yellow and orange. This is some serious bucket list stuff. 

You’ll be singing 'Purple Rain' from the lavender fields of Bridestowe Estate, as you take in countless rows of lilac, violet and indigo blossoms. Located a 50-minute drive from Launceston in Tasmania, Bridestowe is the world’s largest privately owned lavender farm and blooms with the brightest purple flowers from December to early February. Wander through the manicured fields, take in the sweet smells and even try a scoop of lavender-infused ice cream.

These adorable marsupials are native to Rottnest Island, an A-class nature reserve located off the coast of Perth. Rotto boasts 63 white-as-snow beaches perfect for snorkelling, diving, surfing off the back breaks and posting to Instagram with #nofilter, but these days it’s all about the quokkas. They’re heavily protected, but they love to investigate and mingle with new visitors. Remember to always approach with caution when leaning in for a selfie, and don’t touch or feed them (it’s against the law).

Rise early for a sunrise kayak to get glorious photo opportunities that’ll make your hungover friends incredibly jealous on a Sunday morning. Tours run over the velvety smooth water underneath Sydney Harbour Bridge, where you can watch the sunrise hit Sydney Opera House. Luckily the harbour water is very calm, so you don’t have to work hard to paddle.

With revolving exhibitions, a trip to Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) will never be exactly the same experience for every visitor. This colossal and futuristic alien space, which has been described as a “subversive adult Disneyland” is stuffed with the weirdest, most dazzling and generally shocking exhibitions. The hottest festival ticket to MONA is arguably Dark Mofo, a winter art party that takes over this Tasmanian city during June bringing with it a wacky combo of art, music and community spirit. 

It’s hard to believe a place as blue and beautiful as this exists in the small town of Mataranka, just south of Katherine. Unwind in the natural waters of this sandy-bottomed thermal pool, as you listen to the gentle gush of nearby waterfalls and look out for local wildlife playing in the palm forest. Along with the main thermal pools, there’s the generally less-crowded Bitter Springs Thermal pools, which are equally as peaceful and picturesque.

Lune Croissanterie's croissants earned the bakery the top spot on Time Out Melbourne's best patisseries list, and they were dubbed "the world's best" by a writer for The New York Times. Not a bad gig for brother-sister team Kate and Cameron Reid. Be warned: the lines snake out of the door of this Fitzroy shopfront nearly every day, but these crisp, golden and mathematically perfect beauties are so worth it. Arrive early to beat the queues.

If your Instagram feed has been looking a little lacklustre lately, we have a surefire cure: taking a bubble bath in a five-star hotel just heartbeats from a pair of Malayan sun bears. Yes, at Canberra’s zoo-side luxury resort, guests can book in for an overnight stay in rooms overlooking lion, tiger, cheetah or bear enclosures. The best part? A stay at the Lodge will help support the zoo’s conservation efforts.

Climb into waterproof waders with the team at Oyster Farm Tours and wade out onto the semi-submerged salt water pavillion in the beautiful waters of Coffin Bay in South Australia. Here you’ll get to see how oysters grow, hear about oyster farming practices and learn how to shuck your own. Best of all? You get to taste them, fresh as hell, straight from the water. Not to brag, but it’s the only tour of its kind in the world.

You may have seen them on Instagram or TikTok – two perfect circles of crystal blue water, connected in the centre, sitting inside a rock ledge. They’re beautiful, and getting to them sounds like an intrepid adventure into a slice of untouched, subtropical paradise – the Royal National Park. It takes 6km to reach the Figure Eight Pools, but it’s well worth it for that post-hike dip. Just be sure to plan your trek during low tide and monitor the wave risk forecast.

Get up close with Australia’s deadliest animal on a thrilling jumping crocodile cruise. Located en route from Darwin to Kakadu National Park (where Crocodile Dundee was filmed), this hour-long tour will have you trembling in your boots as you witness powerful saltwater crocodiles leap spectacularly in the air. It’s a year-round fear factor affair.

You could spend weeks, if not months, going between the 150 wineries and 90-plus cellar doors in South Australia’s beautiful Barossa Valley. Regarded as the wine capital of Australia, the region is perfectly suited for producing big, beefy red wines, which you can sip all day long. Start at the cellar door of Australia’s most famous wine producer, Penfolds, before touring along for tastings at the secluded Seppeltfield, the award-winning Hentley Farm or the boutique Rockford Wines.

Be the very first in Australia to see the sunrise at Byron Bay’s most famous Lighthouse. Once you reach the summit of Australia’s most easterly point, you can take in sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean and the wider Byron region. Pack your swimmers for a post-sunrise dip at Watego’s Beach and keep your eyes peeled in case you’re visiting during whale or dolphin season.

Just two hours west of Sydney's CBD, this vast, largely untouched wilderness, spanning some 11,400 square kilometres, is crisscrossed with many of Australia’s top walking trails. Take in the most astounding views of the valley, including the Three Sisters, at Scenic World. You can ascend the valley in a glass-walled cable car suspended 270m in the air, and descend in the Scenic Railway, which chugs down a hair-raising 52-degree decline. Of course, the forested canyons, towering rocks and majestic waterfalls can also be explored on foot.

Lace up your hiking boots and explore the natural beauty of Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain. The national park comes to life in all seasons with a world-class maze of walking tracks showcasing its ancient rainforests, snow-kissed mountain tops, crystal clear lakes and playful wildlife. Experienced bushwalkers can conquer the Cradle Summit, which is a rewarding eight-hour return hike. However, you can also take a pleasant stroll around the picture-perfect Dove Lake, followed by a dip in the lake during the warmer months.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the world, so missing out on a face-to-face meeting is unconscionable. Whether you’re a hardcore scuba diver, novice snorkeller or want to see the Great Barrier Reef without getting your hair wet, there are plenty of ways to see the world’s largest coral reef. It comprises more than 2,900 reefs and 900 islands, and you’ll have the opportunity to swim alongside squids, turtles and a myriad psychedelic fish, making it one of the most magical and peaceful experiences you will ever have.

If you can handle dragging yourself out of bed well before dawn then a hot air balloon flight really is worth it. Drifting over the city in the dawn light, you’ll get to admire the city’s most famous architectural landmarks from a totally new angle, including Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin. You can watch the magic from the ground up too at Canberra’s annual Balloon Spectacular. Hosted over nine days in March, this festival fills the city’s skies with more than 30 hot air balloons from around the world.

Plan your trip to Tassie wisely. With more than 300 stallholders, this outdoor mecca takes place in Hobart every Saturday between 8.30am and 3pm. Fuel your exploration through the loud and proud market stalls with freshly shucked oysters, barbecued scallop sticks, pocket curries or a fried weisswurst (white sausage). Pick up tasty treasures for the road too, including local liquor-filled chocolates, artisan cheese, Tasmanian truffles and award-winning gin.

During the day you can see Sydney Harbour in all its majesty, but by night it takes on a whole new magnitude. You'll climb up the inside arc so that you are surrounded by hand-riveted steel and feel a little like you’re inside the ribs of a metal skeleton. Adult tickets are upwards of $200, but it’s totally worth the money.

Native Australian wildlife reigns supreme on Kangaroo Island, the country’s third largest island, which is easily accessible by ferry from South Australia’s Cape Jervis. Animals well and truly outnumber the island’s modest human population, with tammar wallabies, koalas, echidnas, brush-tailed possums, bottlenose dolphins, goannas, sea lions, about 250 species of birds, and kangaroos (naturally) calling Kangaroo Island home. While there, be sure to check out the Remarkable Rocks, too. This natural landmark is, well, quite remarkable.

Nicknamed the "coffee capital of the world", Melbourne has no shortage of excellent coffee shops. Although you’re rarely more than a hundred metres from a good brew, there still are some standout roasters. One such caffeine queen is Bonnie, a CBD coffee joint whose house specialty is cold drip coffee. We also back Collingwood’s Acoffee – more like a coffee museum than a café – and the ethical brews from Padre Coffee, located in Brunswick East or in the heart of South Melbourne Market.

In the summertime when the weather is fine, we all drink at Arbory. This massive outdoor eatery and beer garden is sandwiched between two Melbourne icons, the Yarra River and Flinders Street Station. Stretching for 120 metres along the riverbank, Arbory is officially Melbourne’s longest bar. There are Espresso Martinis and Aperol Spritzes on tap for quick-fire service, and you’ll find some of the city’s best burgers to boot.

Fly two hours north of Perth to Exmouth to find the drop-dead gorgeous Ningaloo Reef – a nature lover’s playground brimming with vitality. It’s one of the longest fringing reefs on the planet, meaning in many places the coral comes right up to the beach. Whale sharks are what you should come to see – but don’t worry, they’re harmless filter feeders who just so happen to grow up to 18 metres in length. Also, be on the alert for Exmouth’s other visitors like humpback whales (July to November), giant manta rays, dugongs and spinner dolphins who drop by all year round.

Stop and connect with nature while suspended 40m above the ground on this fairytale tree top walk. You’ll gradually ascend into the lush canopy of Western Australia’s ancient forest, surrounded by tingle trees, which are found nowhere else in the world. If heights get your heart racing, then you can opt to stroll through centuries-old native eucalyptus on the ground-level Ancient Empire Walk.

If you want to experience Sydney’s famed seafood, head to Saint Peter. At this fancy fish diner in Paddington, award-winning chef Josh Niland will personally introduce you to the treasures of the high seas. The menu changes from day to day, depending on what prized items Niland’s suppliers have wrested from the fishing nets that morning. Perhaps it’s flame cockles, or maybe a Spencer Gulf rock crab – whatever it is, you’ll have a ripper time.

Take a hike up Australia’s highest mountain, taking in unparalleled views of the Snowy Mountains along the way. The Mount Koscizosko Summit Walk is dotted with wildflowers in summer and icicles in winter, with the best time to visit after the snow melts from December to March. Whether you choose to hike or ride, there are two routes to pick from, including the 13km return journey from Thredbo or the 18.6km return route from Charlotte’s Pass.

Surfing a wave at Bondi Beach should be on everyone’s bucket list. If you’re rusty with a surfboard, book in for a class at Let’s Go Surfing. The school prides itself on the popular two-hour beginners’ course, which goes through the essentials of water safety (including Bondi’s dangerous rips), paddling and how to catch a wave. By the end of the lesson, we can guarantee you’ll have ridden a wave standing up – even if for just a second.

This grand modernist building is Australia’s oldest and most popular art museum. That title has been won thanks to the gallery’s top-notch and diverse permanent collection, its fantastic visiting collections (think Monet, Van Gogh and masterpieces from MoMA) and an ongoing series of additional events aimed at locals and tourists alike. Plus, all visitors to the NGV must pass the water wall upon entry, and yes, it is hard to resist touching it.

You don’t need to go far to see some cute wildlife in Melbourne. We suggest taking in the sunset down in St Kilda, and while you stroll down Jacka Boulevard towards St Kilda’s breakwater, take a peek at a healthy-sized colony of little penguins (also called fairy penguins) that hang out there. These black-and-white cuties are there all year round, but the best viewing is in summer after sunset.

The women’s league of the AFL hit the big time a few years back, and what better way is there to support the athletes than heading along to a game? Follow the pros and get yourself a pie, a hot jam doughnut and a beer, then yell like a bastard, heckle the umpires and have a bloody great time watching the AFLW’s brightest stars. The season starts in August and ends in December.

Warm, kind and incredibly talented, Bill Granger changed the way Aussies eat brekkie (and he made the rest of the world take note). Granger’s avo on toast, ricotta hotcakes and corn fritters are so good they've reached icon status. Come and get your hands on them in Darlinghurst, Surry Hills and Bondi, and remember why we first fell in love with Granger and his sunny food many moons ago.

Commemorate the sacrifice of our service personnel at one of the top free tourist attractions in the whole world, the Australian War Memorial. Explore their stories, place a poppy on the Roll of Honour and stay for the moving Last Post closing ceremony. You can also pay your respects at the Anzac Day Dawn Service, which draws crowds of more than 30,000.

Many people rate the Bondi to Coogee walk, but we’re all about the 10km Manly to Spit coastal walk in Sydney. On what other path can you wind past millionaires' mansions, Indigenous rock art and at least four secret beaches, all of it punctuated by clifftop views and the ocean beyond? It's magic.

Just an hour away from Sydney’s CBD, Dharawal National Park provides stunning scenery and an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Until recently, public access to the bushland was restricted, but now you can enjoy guided tours of the park every second Saturday of the month. Guiding the way will be an Aboriginal Discovery Ranger who will share local knowledge about flora and fauna along the way, as well as Dreamtime stories that connect Indigenous Australians to the area.

Young Henrys is a local beer that you’ll find on tap at all the best pubs and bars around Australia. We suggest getting a flavour for the bohemian suburb of Newtown in Sydney with a wander down King Street and Enmore Road, before joining the inclusive and diverse crowd at the craft beer’s cellar door. Young Henrys is all about afternoon sessions, and on a weekend you’ll want to shake a leg in order to secure one of the prized high tables at the brewery cellar door.