Places to visit in Australia
Australia's states and territories at a glance, with the highlights Michael would not miss in each.
- Sydney • Blue Mountains • Byron Bay
New South Wales
Home to Sydney, one of the world's most beautiful harbour cities, and a state where coastline, mountains, vineyards, and outback meet. From the Opera House and Bondi Beach to the World Heritage Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley wine country, and the laid-back surf town of Byron Bay, NSW offers extraordinary variety in a single state.
- Sydney Opera House & Harbour Bridge
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Hunter Valley wineries
- Byron Bay & Northern Rivers
- Jervis Bay & South Coast
- Melbourne • Great Ocean Road • Yarra Valley
Victoria
Australia's cultural capital is known for its laneway cafés, art galleries, world-class restaurants, and vibrant sport scene. Beyond Melbourne, Victoria delivers the spectacular Great Ocean Road with its Twelve Apostles, the cool-climate wineries of the Yarra Valley, and the wildlife of Phillip Island.
- Melbourne laneways & rooftops
- Great Ocean Road & Twelve Apostles
- Yarra Valley wine region
- Phillip Island Penguin Parade
- Mornington Peninsula hot springs
- Great Barrier Reef • Cairns • Whitsundays • Gold Coast
Queensland
The Sunshine State delivers two World Heritage wonders side by side — the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree, the world's oldest tropical rainforest. Add the white sands of the Whitsundays, the theme parks and surf of the Gold Coast, and you have one of the most travelled-to regions in Australia.
- Great Barrier Reef snorkelling & diving
- Daintree Rainforest & Cape Tribulation
- Whitsunday Islands & Whitehaven Beach
- Gold Coast beaches & theme parks
- Port Douglas & Tropical North
- Uluru • Kakadu • Darwin
Northern Territory
The spiritual heart of Australia. Uluru rises 348 metres from the desert floor and is one of the country's most powerful natural landmarks. The Top End offers Kakadu's wetlands and rock art, Litchfield's waterfalls, and the multicultural city of Darwin as a tropical gateway.
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
- Kings Canyon & Watarrka
- Kakadu National Park
- Litchfield National Park
- Darwin & Mindil Beach Markets
- Perth • Margaret River • Ningaloo • Broome
Western Australia
Australia's largest state covers a third of the continent. Perth's sun-drenched beaches and modern dining sit beside the Margaret River wine region in the south, while the north stretches into the otherworldly Kimberley, the snorkelling paradise of Ningaloo Reef, and the pearling town of Broome.
- Perth, Fremantle & Rottnest Island
- Margaret River wineries & beaches
- Ningaloo Reef & whale sharks
- The Pinnacles Desert
- Broome & the Kimberley
- Adelaide • Kangaroo Island • Barossa Valley
South Australia
South Australia is the country's gourmet heart, with the Barossa, Clare and McLaren Vale wine regions all within an hour or two of Adelaide. Kangaroo Island offers some of the country's best wildlife encounters, and the rugged Flinders Ranges deliver classic outback scenery.
- Adelaide food & festivals
- Barossa Valley wine country
- Kangaroo Island wildlife
- Flinders Ranges & Wilpena Pound
- McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Peninsula
- Hobart • Cradle Mountain • Wineglass Bay
Tasmania
Wild and pristine, Tasmania is the island state where over 40% of the land is national park or world heritage wilderness. Hobart is a thriving food, art, and harbour city; Cradle Mountain delivers iconic alpine scenery; Wineglass Bay and the Bay of Fires are among Australia's most stunning beaches.
- Hobart, MONA & Salamanca Markets
- Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair
- Wineglass Bay & Freycinet
- Bay of Fires
- Port Arthur historic site
- Canberra
Australian Capital Territory
Australia's purpose-built capital is home to the country's national institutions — Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery, and more. Canberra is also a quietly excellent food and cool-climate wine destination, surrounded by bushland and lakes.
- Parliament House
- Australian War Memorial
- National Gallery of Australia
- Lake Burley Griffin
- Canberra District wineries
