Australia’s top 25 travel experiences, state by state
Australians: get excited. It doesn’t matter where you are in this fine land, there is a travel destination or attraction nearby that is truly amazing, truly world-class.
We’re talking the sort of experiences that foreign visitors have typically – in better times – spent their life savings on being able to access. The likes of sailing in the Whitsundays, visiting ancient Indigenous rock-art sites, cruising in the Kimberley, wining and dining in our finest locales.
This is the stuff we Australians should be getting genuinely excited about when it comes to planning a holiday at home this year, the places and experiences that couldn’t be bettered overseas even if you were able to try. Every state and territory has them. It’s time to be inspired.
QUEENSLAND
WHAT IS IT: Bare-boating in the Whitsundays
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: OK, you’re not wealthy enough to own a yacht. But that’s no impediment to enjoying one of the world’s great on-water experiences, sailing the warm, clear waters around the 74 Whitsunday islands off northern Queensland. This is “bare-boating”, where you hire a yacht that’s decked out with all the essentials – except a crew. That’s your job. This is the ultimate in sun-bleached, salt-tinged freedom.
DON’T MISS: The true joy here is the ability to go whichever way the wind – and your whim – takes you. Anchor up in secluded bays; spend hours swimming or whale-watching; go ashore to hike or lie on beaches.
ESSENTIALS: Several companies offer bare-boating from Airlie Beach. See tourismwhitsundays.com.au
WHAT IS IT: Undara Lava Tubes
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: There are plenty of Queensland tourist attractions you can name off the top of your head – but did you know the state has the world’s oldest standing lava tubes? These natural tunnels formed more than 190,000 years ago when the Undara volcano erupted and 23 billion cubic metres of lava poured out. Incredible stuff.
ESSENTIALS: The Undara Lava Tubes are a four-hour drive from Cairns, and there’s accommodation on site. See undara.com.au
EXCITEMENT RATING: 4/5. Not just for the geology buffs.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
WHAT IS IT: Ikara-Flinders Ranges
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: Here is one of Australia’s most dramatic and rugged landscapes, and yet how many people have made the journey to South Australia’s Ikara-Flinders Ranges? There are so many ways to enjoy this wilderness area, from hiking to four-wheel-driving, learning about Indigenous history, spotting wildlife, or having a beer at a local pub.
DON’T MISS: The Ranges’ most famous landmark is probably Wilpena Pound, also known as Ikara, a spectacular natural amphitheatre of mountains that lends itself to being viewed from the air. Several companies offer scenic flights.
ESSENTIALS: The Flinders Ranges are about 500km north of Adelaide, and accessible year-round. See southaustralia.com
EXCITEMENT RATING: 4.5/5. The perfect mix of wilderness and culture.
WHAT IS IT: Wining and dining in the Adelaide Hills
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: South Australia enjoys an embarrassment of high-quality wine regions, from the Barossa to McLaren Vale, Clare Valley to Coonawarra. The sleeper hit, however, is Adelaide Hills, home to a band of dynamic winemakers tinkering with traditional processes, as well as some truly excellent places to eat.
DON’T MISS: Some of the best offerings include the “Panorama Experience” at The Lane vineyard, the excellent pizzas and wine at Lost In a Forest, and the community cellar door at the Summertown Aristologist.
ESSENTIALS: Adelaide Hills is about 15km east of the Adelaide CBD. See southaustralia.com
EXCITEMENT RATING: 4.5/5. The best of Australia’s new viticultural crop.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
WHAT IS IT: Kakadu rock art galleries
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: Of the estimated 100,000 significant Indigenous rock art sites around Australia, more than 5000 are located in the NT’s Kakadu National Park. And we’re talking seriously old works here, some up to 20,000 years. Few places in the world can compete with that.
DON’T MISS: Not all of those 5000 sites are publicly accessible. The easiest to get to, and some of the most impressive, include Burrungkuy, with its depictions of creation ancestors, Nanguluwurr, featuring drawings of European ships, and Ubirr, with spectacular “x-ray” paintings.
ESSENTIALS: Kakadu National Park is a two-hour drive east of Darwin. Art sites mentioned here are accessible by via short walks. See northernterritory.com
EXCITEMENT RATING: 5/5. Australian history and culture at its most amazing.
WHAT IS IT: Kata Tjuta
DON’T MISS: As with Uluru, the best time to see Kata Tjuta is sunset, when the red-rock domes burn a deep ochre, and the desert settles down for the night. Check out the viewing site run by Parks Australia.
ESSENTIALS: Kata Tjuta is about 500km south-west of Alice Springs, and is open year-round. See northernterritory.com
EXCITEMENT RATING: 4.5/5. As spectacular as Uluru, with a fraction of the crowds.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
WHAT IS IT: Wula Gura Nyinda Tours
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: Australia has a rich, diverse and fascinating Indigenous culture that non-Indigenous citizens can sometimes have difficulty tapping into. One of the most enjoyable ways to do it, to learn the stories and traditions of the Nhanda and Malanga people of WA while having a blast exploring Francois Peron National Park, is by taking a tour with award-winning guide Darren “Capes” Capewell.
DON’T MISS: Though Capes offers plenty of single-day experiences, it’s worth devoting more time to delve into his people’s culture and their land – the two-day, one-night “Francois Peron Catch & Cook Safari” is perfect.
ESSENTIALS: Francois Peron National Park is near Denham, about 800km north of Perth. See wulagura.com.au
EXCITEMENT RATING: 5/5. Every Australian should do this.
WHAT IS IT: Cruising the Kimberley
DON’T MISS: Famously described by Sir David Attenborough as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world”, the Horizontal Falls at Talbot Bay – where strong tides and a narrow gap in the rock make for a torrent of water – have to be seen to be appreciated.
ESSENTIALS: Ponant is offering Kimberley cruises from mid 2021. See au.ponant.com
EXCITEMENT RATING: 5/5. Luxury, scenery, and isolation. Perfection.
TASMANIA
WHAT IS IT: MONA
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: Australia has plenty of high-quality art galleries and museums, but do any offer the full, immersive experience of the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart? Here the fun begins at Brooke Street Pier with a ride on the MONA ferry. Then you have the spectacle of the venue itself, as well as all the outlandish and provocative artworks. And finally, there are the festivals.
DON’T MISS: It’s those festivals that are truly special. There’s Mona Foma, a summer celebration of art and music, and Dark Mofo, a winter festival of music, theatre and skinny-dipping.
ESSENTIALS: MONA is north-west of Hobart, on the Derwent River. See mona.net.au
EXCITEMENT RATING: 4.5/5. Art for the masses – in the best possible way.
WHAT IS IT: Three Capes Track
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: This has fast become one of Australia’s classic multi-day hikes since upgrades to accommodation and track were completed in 2018. Now, hikers have “dry-boot” trails for the full four-day, three-night, 48km of this spectacular, cliff-hugging meander along Cape Raoul, Cape Hauy and Cape Pillar. It’s incredible to feel so isolated and yet only be a few hours from Hobart.
DON’T MISS: The thrill here is the journey, the rugged, windswept landscapes, the sheer cliffs, the sea salt in the air, and the camaraderie among hikers in the beautifully designed cabins.
ESSENTIALS: The Three Capes Track begins with a ferry ride from Port Arthur, 1.5 hours from Hobart. See discovertasmania.com.au
EXCITEMENT RATING: 4.5/5. World-class walk, world-class facilities, world-class experience.
VICTORIA
WHAT IS IT: Canoe-camping on the Lower Glenelg River
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: Does it get any better than this: packing up your family’s gear and stuffing it into water-proof drums, loading everything into canoes and taking to the Lower Glenelg River, paddling gently along, enjoying the wilderness, the serenity, before calling in to boat-access-only campsites to pitch a tent and take it easy. Spectacular.
DON’T MISS: There are seven canoe-only campsites in Lower Glenelg National Park, and it’s worth making time to spend a night at each one, with lazy days paddling the river in between.
ESSENTIALS: The Lower Glenelg Canoe Trail begins at Dartmoor, 380km west of Melbourne. See parks.vic.gov.au
EXCITEMENT RATING: 5/5. Family-friendly adventure at its finest.
WHAT IS IT: Melbourne’s wineries
THE EXCITEMENT FACTOR: Granted, Melbourne doesn’t have any wineries. What the city does have, however, is access to numerous world-class regions. We’re talking Mornington Peninsula, just an hour or so south; Yarra Valley, about the same distance north-east; the Bellarine Peninsula just 1.5 hours south; even the Macedon Ranges and Sunbury regions, all accessible on a day trip from the capital.
DON’T MISS: Though it would be a crime to visit just one winery, Yering Station in the Yarra Valley offers a little European charm, thanks to Chateau Yering, plus some very high-quality wine…
This article is from Traveller, you can read the full article here:
https://www.traveller.com.au/australias-top-25-travel-experiences-state-by-state-h1te7d