Northern Territory
If you only have time for a couple of stops in the East MacDonnell Ranges, make Trephina Gorge Nature Park (75km from Alice) one of them. The play between…
Must-see attractions in Australia & Pacific
Parnell & Newmarket
This imposing neoclassical temple (1929), capped with an impressive copper-and-glass dome (2007), dominates the Auckland Domain and is a prominent part of…
Darwin
Food is the main attraction here − from Thai, Sri Lankan, Indian, Chinese and Malaysian to Brazilian, Greek, Portuguese and more − all at around $6 to $12…
Sydney
Studded with photogenic industrial relics, convict architecture and art installations, fascinating Cockatoo Island (Wareamah) opened to the public in 2007…
'Upolu
This outrageously photogenic spot is a Samoan icon; skip it to your everlasting regret. Though the first thing you'll see upon entering the grounds is To…
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Northern Territory
Nothing can really prepare you for the immensity, grandeur, changing colour and stillness of 'the Rock'. It really is a sight that will sear itself on to…
Sydney
Scratched out of the sand in 1888 in grand Victorian style, Sydney’s biggest park is a rambling 189-hectare expanse full of horse riders, joggers,…
Rotorua & the Bay of Plenty
The most colourful of the region's geothermal attractions, Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) has a variety of features packed into a relatively compact, heavily…
Victoria
Commanding expansive ocean views, this windswept national park on the peninsula’s western tip was a seasonal base of its traditional owners, the Boon…
Victoria
Don't leave Halls Gap without visiting the superb cultural centre at Brambuk, 2.5km south of town. Run by five Koorie communities (including the…
Victoria
Looming from its commanding hilltop location, the Old Castlemaine Gaol is the town's most notable historical landmark; dating from 1861, it closed its…
Melbourne
Built for the 1880 International Exhibition, this Victorian edifice in Carlton Gardens symbolises the glory days of 19th-century Melbourne's economic…
Aitutaki
Aitutaki’s stunning lagoon, brimming with marine life and ringed by 15 palm-covered motu (islets), is a South Pacific tearsure. Maina (Little Girl) offers…
Canberra
Occupying a flash, purpose-built building, this wonderful gallery is a striking representation of Australia's shifting self-image and a must-see for art…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Acclaimed local artist Brett Whiteley (1939–1992) lived fast and without restraint. Many of his multimillion-dollar paintings were created in this hard-to…
Cairns
These gorgeous gardens are an explosion of greenery and rainforest plants. Highlights include a section devoted to Aboriginal plant use, the Gondwana…
Cairns Esplanade, Boardwalk & Lagoon
Cairns
Sunseekers and fun-lovers flock to Cairns Esplanade's spectacular swimming lagoon on the city’s reclaimed foreshore. The artificial, sandy-edged, 4800-sq…
Suva
It’s the beating heart of Suva and a great place to spend an hour or so poking around with a camera. The boys with barrows own the lanes and they aren’t…
Adelaide
A tourist sight or a shopping op? Either way, satisfy your deepest culinary cravings at the 250-odd stalls in superb Adelaide Central Market. A sliver of…
Golden Dragon Museum & Gardens
Victoria
Bendigo’s Chinese heritage sets it apart from other goldfields towns, and this fantastic museum is the place to experience it. Walk through a huge wooden…
Broome
WA's most famous landmark offers turquoise waters and beautiful white sand curving away to the sunset. Clothing is optional north of the rocks, while…
Wellington
For an imaginative, interactive experience of Wellington’s social and maritime history, head to this bewitching little museum, inside an 1892 bond store…
Christchurch
Strolling through these 30 blissful riverside hectares of arboreal and floral splendour is a consummate Christchurch experience. Gorgeous at any time of…
Darwin
If the tourists won't go out to see the crocs, then bring the crocs to the tourists. Right in the middle of Mitchell St, Crocosaurus Cove is as close as…
Rockhampton
The stories of the local Darumbal people and Torres Straits islanders are well-conveyed here. Self-guide through exhibits such as 'The Vanishing Culture…
Brisbane
On South Bank, just over Victoria Bridge from the CBD, the Queensland Cultural Centre is the epicentre of Brisbane’s cultural confluence. Surrounded by…
Koror
This little museum features exhibits from all eras of Palauan life, including artworks, photography, sculpture, storyboards and more. As you move between…
Hobart
Standing in startling, Gothic isolation next to the clean-running Hobart Rivulet, Australia’s oldest brewery (1824) is still pumping out superb beers. The…
Melbourne
Multi-terraced Birrarung Marr is one of Melbourne’s most unique parks, featuring grassy knolls, river promenades, thoughtful planting of Indigenous flora…
Apia
Abuzz with local merchants, shoppers, loiterers and men slamming it down over games of mu (Samoan checkers), this 24-hour market is a must-see shopping…
Wellington
These hilly, 25-hectare botanic gardens can be effortlessly visited via the Wellington Cable Car (nice bit of planning, eh?), although there are several…
Brisbane
All angular glass, concrete and black metal, must-see GOMA celebrates modern and contemporary art, with a particular emphasis on Australian, Asian and…
Noumea
This is the heart of the city. The square slopes gently from east to west and at the top is a band rotunda, a famous landmark dating back to the late…
Cairns
Cairns' multi-million-dollar aquarium is well worth a visit for its vast and gorgeously presented range of marine life, the Great Barrier Reef in…
Bay of Islands & Northland
From the Kauri Walks car park, a 20-minute walk leads past the Four Sisters, a graceful stand of four tall trees fused together at the base, to Te Matua…
Mo'orea
The spectacular Cook’s Bay is something of a misnomer because Cook actually anchored in Opunohu Bay. With Mt Rotui as a backdrop, Cook’s Bay is a lovely…
Canberra
As well as telling Australia's national story, this museum hosts blockbuster touring exhibitions (admission prices vary), which often outpoint the…
