From the world renowned Sydney Opera House, to the lesser known beaches, it’s no surprise that Australia is a popular country to visit.
Here is my list of the best Australian tourist attractions and some of the worst Australian tourist attractions.
Please note that these are my personal opinions on Australian tourist attractions, and to be taken lightly! Every traveler will have different priorities when visiting a new destination.
If you’re considering visiting this Australia, this list will assist you in your travel planning.
Best Australian Tourist Attractions
This list below is a travel guide only. The possibilities will depend on the amount of time you have to travel in Australia.
The Famous Beaches
Bells Beach
One of the popular beaches to visit in Australia is Bells Beach. Situated next to Jan Juc at the beginning of The Great Ocean Road, Bells Beach holds an annual Rip Curl Pro surf comp. Bells is known for its big waves and decent swell.
Bells Beach, Victoria
Gold Coast
One of the best things to do on the Gold Coast Australia is visit the surf beaches. Surfers Paradise is the most popular and busiest beach on the Gold Coast. Broadbeach, Burleigh and Kirra are also some of the best beaches along the Gold Coast coastline.
Byron Bay
Byron Bay is one of my top tourist attractions in Australia to visit. The east coast town and is famous for its many accessible surf breaks and holiday, hippie lifestyle. Best beaches include Clarkes, Tallows, The Pass, Wategoes and The Wreck.
St Kilda Beach
St Kilda Beach is a popular city beach, located in the artistic suburb of St Kilda. One of the best Melbourne tourist attractions, St Kilda Beach hosts the annual St Kilda festival each February. The free festival began in 1980 and now draws over 400,000 people to the foreshore.
Bondi Beach
Theres something special about Bondi beach, and it is also one of the most popular places to visit in Sydney. Bondi is 7km from central Sydney and is one of those places where action seems to happen. This area has a rich history, and also has its own TV show in Australia “Bondi Rescue”.
Fraser Island
Fraser Island has no cars, with only 4wd vehicles allowed, as the island is predominantly covered in sand. Home to the popular Lake McKenzie and wild dingoes, this island is famous for its 4w driving and turquoise lakes.
Wineglass Bay
Wineglass Bay is an impressive Tasmanian beach within the Freycinet National Park, 3 hours from Hobart.
Noosa Beach
Noosa in Queensland has sheltered conditions, and is an optimal beach for dolphin spotting. This part of the East Coast is a popular holiday destination for families in the colder months.
The Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is on every tourist attraction list in Australia, and throughout the world for a reason.
One of the ultimate things to do in Australia is visit the scenic road which winds around the beach side between small towns. The views are picturesque, and with housing mostly on the inland side of the road, road trippers have the superior view of the ocean at all times.
Beginning at Torquay, and running all the way to Allansford, it takes approximately 9 to10 hours to drive the Great Ocean Road from beginning to end. Here are some of the notable towns along the Great Ocean Road.
Torquay
Beginning of the Surf Coast highway.
Anglesea
A quiet fishing town still not too far to Melbourne.
Aireys Inlet
Fun holiday spot over summer, plenty of holiday rentals for families
Lorne
A popular holiday destination over summer, hotels and accommodation, variety of restaurants and cafes and clothes shops along the foreshore.
Wye River
A popular family camping spot where the river meets the ocean.
Apollo Bay
A seaside older style town, not far from Cape Otway.
Johanna
A secluded town with sought after surf spots and camping or stunning accommodation options.
Princetown
A small fishing town with bush retreats and other accommodation options.
Port Campbell
A seaside surf town near the 12 Apostles.
Peterborough
A very quiet seaside town. More locals than tourists.
Allansford
A small older style town close to Warrnambool.
Sydney Opera House
I still find the Sydney Opera house building an inspiring Australia tourist attraction every time I visit Sydney. The incredible pieces put together to make the stunning piece of architecture on Sydney Harbour, is impressive and original.
The iconic building was famously designed by Jorn Utzon AC. The Danish architect who entered his drawings into the competition running to design the building in 1956.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge arches across Sydney Harbour, one of the famous tourist attractions in Sydney. The Bridge carries pedestrians and cyclists between North Shore, Sydney, and Sydney City Business District. Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the most popular places to visit in Sydney.
The Daintree Rainforest
Situated at the top northeast of Australia, the Daintree rainforest is another of my top 5 tourist attractions in Australia.
Known as ‘The Daintree’, this tropical paradise is a popular tourist attraction, as well as others in the area including Mosman Gorge and Cape Tribulation.
The Daintree rainforest is unique and is the home for a large amount of Australia’s animal population, including frogs, bats, butterflies, and many insects.
The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef, located off the northeast coast of Australia, is a stunning and popular reef to visit while in that part of Australia. The reef is one of the most interesting natural ecosystems, with the world’s biggest coral reef comprising a unique range of ecological species.
The Great Barrier Reef is under huge threat due to global warming. Some predictions say we may only have 10 years before 90 percent of the living coral will be gone.
Uluru
Uluru, the incredible rock in Central Australia is also known as Ayers Rock and is one of the most recognised Australian tourist attractions. The large sandstone formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory is known as the red centre.
Worst Australian Tourist Attractions
Port Arthur
Although some travellers defend this Tasmanian destination as one of the best tourist attractions. I wonder, why would we visit somewhere that was the location of a horrible mass shooting in 1996.
Port Arthur was previously a prison for convicts, and now the ruins have a double history to present to tourists. My advice is research before visiting!
Rainbow Beach
Rainbow Beach is a lovely town and the beach is supposed to have “rainbow sands”. Unfortunately on arrival, on an overcast day the sands seem to be 70 shades of brown.
The Gold Coast
Visiting the beaches is one of the best things to do in the Gold Coast Australia. Its worth noting though that the Gold Coast can get very crowded. Its recommended to avoid peak times over summer to escape the crowds.
The beaches and weather are enticing but it can be overrated, making it both one of the Best and The Worst Tourist Attractions in Australia.
Tall buildings line the seaside and ‘schoolies’ (high school graduates) party hard in November and December. The nearby hinterland is recommended to avoid crowds, and Surfers Paradise to be avoided if you prefer more quiet natural beach settings.
History That Excludes Indigenous History
Yes, Australia has century old buildings, which offer interesting detail of the history of the more recent settlers in Australia.
Any Australian history tour which doesn’t include the Indigenous people, their stories and culture from up to 80,000 years ago, is not a tour to take.
In addition to this, some places sell Aboriginal arts and crafts, paintings, digeridoos, and boomerangs. If you are buying these, ensure you are paying for the real thing, and that the artists fairly are compensated.
The best place to buy Indigenous Aboriginal art is in Indigenous Aboriginal protected reserves. There are also legitimate art galleries selling quality indigenous art in all Australian states. Research beforehand to ensure you are buying the real thing.
The Neighbours Tour
If you’re a die hard Neighbours fan, you will get something out of this tour. But a visit the set of the tv soap series may not be on everyone’s tourist attractions list.
The popular tourist bus leaves Melbourne every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. A ticket includes a behind the scenes tour of Ramsey Street, and the houses used for filming the television series.
Also included in this “Ultimate Fan Tour” is a visit to Global Television Studios. You’ll see the exterior sets of the Lassiter’s Complex including Harold’s Store, The Waterhole, and Lassiter’s Lake.
If this sounds fun to you, of course, book it in! But don’t feel like you have to do it if there are other priorities to see in Melbourne and Victoria.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Paid tours are expensive and often crowded, making this one of the best and the worst places to visit in Sydney, Australia.
Sydney Markets
Big markets, busy and similar to other cities markets.
Sydney’s Chinatown
A Chinatown area, also similar to other cities.
Conclusion
While I love a tourist spot for its novelty factor, it is true that a lot of Australia’s incredible experiences are often found behind the scenes.
In the laid back coastal campgrounds, the vibrant and multi cultural inner suburbs of most cities and the country escapes and relaxed wine regions. In the family orientated arts and music festivals, the produce at the farmers markets and at the rooftop bars of Melbourne.
There are incredible experiences to be had in outdoor lifestyles of Sydney, Perth, and everywhere north of those cities! The surf culture. The indigenous culture and history. The openness of the land, once venturing into the desert.
From the cities to the country towns, it’s up to you to decide on your preferred tourist attractions to visit when traveling Australia.
All this makes Australia a destination well worth the visit from overseas, or embarking on a shorter road trip as an Australian traveller.
