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Big, small, quirky, artistic, historic and simply charming: there is something for everyone. Whether you’re craving the buzz of a world-class city break or a serene corner of the outback, these are the local legends that exemplify the Australian travel experience, as selected by Traveller’s expert writers.
Bondi Beach, Sydney, NSW
Bondi Beach was an all-time great destination of not only Australian, but of world stature as well, before the recent outrage that sullied its sands, and it regardless remains a great destination. Time heals and Bondi, like so many places that have suffered heinous acts, will bounce back, especially if we don’t stay away. Break the ice at the iconic Icebergs, have a peek at the Pav (the beautifully restored and historic beachside Pavilion) or simply slip, slap, slop and loll awhile on that gloriously golden strip. See visitnsw.com
Hobart, Tas
It seems like everyone wants to go to the Tasmanian capital these days, and why not? Hobart is a modern-day hub for arts and culture, it has a cracking restaurant scene, there are a host of wineries within an easy half-hour drive, there’s nature right on its doorstep, including one of Australia’s best mountain climbs, and the whole place retains a friendly, small-town charm. Take us there today. See discovertasmania.com.au
Sydney, NSW
No disrespect to anywhere else, but Sydney is surely Australia’s most beautiful city. In fact, it’s up there with the world’s most beautiful. It has glorious Sydney Harbour, with its Opera House and its bridge; the city has more than 100 beaches, which is just ridiculous; there are national parks within Sydney itself, hugging the harbour; not to mention vast parklands, historic neighbourhoods, architectural icons, and rich diversity in its western reaches. Foreign tourists all want to visit Sydney, and it’s easy to see why. See visitnsw.com
Daylesford, Vic
Founded as a gold mining town in the 19th century, this genteel settlement has transformed into a relaxation hub, boasting as it does a wealth of mineral water springs – best experienced at the historic Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa in neighbouring Hepburn Springs. Another local drawcard is the Lake House with its accomplished restaurant and accommodation that helped put the town on the tourism map, making Daylesford the perfect town in which to eat, soak and chill. See daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au
Melbourne, Vic
After a bumpy end to the 20th century thanks to the early 1990s recession, the Victorian capital got its groove on in the early 21st – entwining historic strands such as its Victorian-era architecture with a newly inventive food, bar and coffee scene. Add this to the city’s ever-evolving cultural offerings and its busy events calendar including major sports, and you have a city with something to offer everyone – displayed to best effect in its lively network of CBD laneways. See visitvictoria.com
Port Lincoln, SA
Seafood lovers will be hooked at Port Lincoln, a city that’s wealth is found beneath the waves. Freshly caught tuna, King George whiting, salmon, lobster and more are served up daily at local institutions like The Fresh Fish Place and The Marina Hotel, but there are plenty of hands-on opportunities too. Shuck oysters straight from the water at Coffin Bay Oyster Farm or join Australian Coastal Safaris to forage for abalone and pipis in the surf. See southaustralia.com
Murwillumbah, NSW
With its art deco buildings, creative community, scrumptious produce and lush subtropical climate, you might consider a tree change while holidaying here. Then you could eat at Tweed River House and Bistro Livi every week, chill at the M-arts precinct, talk fromage at Kat Harvey Cheese, shop for exotic fruits at Tropical Fruit World and toast your brilliant move with rum or butterfly pea-tinted gin from Husk Farm Distillery. See visitthetweed.com.au
Ballarat, Vic
Ballarat was always a pretty city – its main street, Lydiard Street, provides the best representation of Australia’s 1850s gold rush architectural period of any regional city in Australia. But it felt like a living museum, devoid of modern-day options: a ghost town after dark. Not any more. Ballarat’s night scene is booming, with some of Victoria’s most innovative fine dining options opening. And there are fancy wine bars open for late nights afterwards. See visitballarat.com.au
Beechworth, Vic
If Midsomer Murders was ever looking for a quaint village for an Antipodean spin-off, it’s a lay-down misere for this town in the Victorian High Country. Cue the sweet church spire and the monthly farmers’ markets at its feet, the old-timey main street, the stellar brewery full of colourful characters meeting up for tasty pizzas and beers, meandering scenic cycling paths and a historic past – with asylums, bushrangers and a backstory of gold-rush tales – that could fuel a thousand quaintly creepy storylines. See victoriashighcountry.com.au
Tenterfield, NSW
Despite the emergence of Tenterfield’s main street as an underground foodie hotspot, you’re as likely to see a farmer on a tractor there – hence its attraction. Too far away from Sydney to be the next Mudgee, Tenterfield prefers a degree of anonymity. But some of NSW’s best up-and-coming regional restaurants and Australia’s hottest new mountain bike trail (Angry Bull Trail) among six national parks surrounding the town should put Tenterfield on more travel radars. See visitnsw.com
Bendigo, Vic
Arguably the most impressive of Victoria’s gold-rush era settlements, Bendigo’s city centre features gorgeous parkland next to grand historic buildings including its town hall. A tourist tram serves popular attractions such as the Central Deborah Gold Mine; the Bendigo Art Gallery hosts exclusive exhibitions; and the Golden Dragon Museum features the city’s Chinese heritage. On top of that, Bendigo and its region are a UNESCO City of Gastronomy – guaranteeing something great to eat and drink. See bendigoregion.com.au
Launceston, Tas
Put your cutlery aside for a moment in Australia’s second UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and you’ll find a place just as rich in art and architecture. dAda mUse holds Australia’s largest collection of Salvador Dali drawings, while Australia’s most coveted landscape art prize, the Glover, is awarded in Evandale, just south of the city, in March. New city buildings such as the university’s River’s Edge and a funky new wing on Albert Hall have added to the city’s architectural mosaic. See visitnortherntasmania.com.au
Canberra, ACT
Despite it being dissed as the dull domain of politicos, our capital has plenty going for it, not least the wide-open spaces, crisp winter weather, buzzing neighbourhoods with evermore stylish boutique hotels and bars, and an underestimated wine region. Most of all, visiting Canberra is an encounter with Australianness through its array of terrific art, film, sports, war, science and other museums, from the National Museum of Australia to the National Portrait Gallery. See visitcanberra.com.au
Adelaide, SA
Big cities might have more obvious excitement and glamour, but you can’t beat the calmer, friendlier vibe of smaller ones. They have fewer tourist crowds, more eco-friendliness, and more opportunities for relaxed enjoyment. Adelaide is the poster child, with its buzzing back lanes, leafy parklands, agreeable food scene and lively festivals. Can’t complain about great weather, Australia’s best food market, the mighty fine Art Gallery of South Australia, and Glenelg Beach, either. See southaustralia.com
Creswick, Vic
Creswick has been long overshadowed by its trendier neighbour, Daylesford (see above), but Victoria’s hottest new mountain-bike trail system has helped transform it into a worthy alternative destination. The 60-kilometre Djuwang Baring Trail, which opened in November 2024, enticed visitors into town, but Creswick’s historic main street (complete with pubs trading since Victoria’s gold rush era) keep us coming back. Surrounded by a regional park and a stunning lake, this might be Australia’s prettiest historic town. See visithepburnshire.com.au
Hermannsburg (Ntaria), NT
Hermannsburg’s watercolourists are enjoying a long-overdue revival following the multimillion-dollar refurbishment of this former Lutheran mission 130 kilometres west of Alice Springs (Mparntwe). Their artworks and hand-painted pottery help preserve the legacy of foremost Australian artist Albert Namatjira, who was born here and who later inspired The Hermannsburg School art movement. His modest house is among the heritage-listed buildings open to visitors on the town’s outskirts and in the Hermannsburg Historic Complex, a living museum where Western Arrarnta and Lutheran histories are retold. See hermannsburg.com.au
Seal Rocks, NSW
Everyone dreams of that little holiday spot with the caravan parks and the no-frills motels, the old-school Australiana vibes and the beach with white sand and crystal-clear water and not a care in the world. That spot is Seal Rocks. This is a tiny enclave on NSW’s Mid North Coast, with a lighthouse, a caravan park, a few campgrounds and little else. Bring your surfboard, snorkelling gear, some food for a picnic, and you’re all set. See visitnsw.com
Healesville, Vic
Bohemian-spirited Healesville is a crowd pleaser, thanks to its main drag studded with boutiques, galleries, and a century-old pub – but it’s also home to a global superstar. Four Pillars Gin poured its first dram here in 2015 and is now stocked in bars around the world. Drop in at the distillery for their signature G&T sessions. Further afield you’ll find native wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary, including a hospital where you can watch cuddly critters getting their check-ups. See visitmelbourne.com
Mudgee, NSW
The impatient traveller could blow through this pleasant, old-fashioned town, tucked into the curvaceous bosom of the NSW Central West, in 10 minutes. But while it has no obvious sights, you’d miss out on the laid-back charms of a chill-out long weekend amid vineyards and cockatoo-cackled countryside. The restaurant scene is top-notch, and in surrounding rustic and unpretentious cellar doors you can taste varietals such as Tempranillo and Zinfandel. Happy times. See visitmudgeeregion.com.au
Winton, Qld
Central West Queensland’s Winton has so many outback jewels, the shine is dazzling. As the dinosaur capital of Australia, its fossil footprints are said to have inspired the stampede scene in Jurassic Park; it’s the home of Waltzing Matilda, with a museum venerating the humble swaggie; and it has dramatically craggy landscapes, sheep and cattle stations to visit and no fewer than four excellent historic pubs, serving great grub, cold beer and warm welcomes. See experiencewinton.com.au
Gulgong, NSW
You’ll wish you had a horse to ride into this NSW Central West town, which has barely changed – well, bar some hip art galleries – since 1870s gold rush days. Among its 150-plus heritage buildings are a town hall and courthouse, but rows of shops and workers’ cottages too. Gulgong Pioneers Museum is one of Australia’s most magnificent jumbles of colonial-era knick-knackery and recreates various interiors, such as a schoolroom, pub and bakery. See visitmudgeeregion.com.au
Stanley, Tas
Often bypassed by travellers doing the customary lap of Tassie, Stanley (125 kilometres west of Devonport) offers a mix of natural attractions such as The Nut, wildlife including little penguins, and well-preserved 19th-century architecture. It’s offers a little The Light Between Oceans (some scenes from the 2016 movie were filmed here) a little Wuthering Heights (moody, brooding, isolated) and a whole lot of fishing village charm. The Bond Store is the latest addition to Stanley’s range of luxury heritage accommodation. See discovertasmania.com.au
Manly, NSW
Can anyone ride the Manly ferry across Sydney Harbour and not be wowed by its green-and-blue magnificence and swanky suburbs? Manly tops it off, with several harbour beaches and a superb ocean beach too. Walk the cliffs at North Head, snorkel off Shelly Beach, have a surf lesson, eat fish and chips, sit on a bench beneath Norfolk pines, swim between the red and yellow flags, and be very happy to be Australian. See sydney.com
Byron Bay, NSW
Yes, it’s busy. Yes, someone in linen will try to sell you a sound bath. But beneath the wellness gloss, Byron Bay remains one of Australia’s most beautiful coastal towns: ridiculous golden beaches, rainforest-backed headlands, sunrise lighthouse walks and a hinterland that feels like an exhalation. Come for the cliches, stay because the waterfalls, markets and eateries are genuinely worth it. See visitbyronbay.com
Coober Pedy, SA
For the opal capital of the world, it seems fitting that half the population of Coober Pedy lives underground, if mainly to beat the outback heat. Get a dose of subterranean living with a stay at a cave hotel or take in the carved architecture of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Above ground, catch some fresh air at the Breakaways lookout on the edge of town and watch the otherworldly landscape shift colour at sunset. See cooberpedy.com
Bathurst, NSW
Australia’s oldest inland European settlement has it all. History lover? Check out the grand Victorian-era Bathurst Courthouse and Scottish-baronial mansion Abercrombie House. Motorsport fan? Visit the National Motor Racing Museum and do a lap of the iconic Mount Panorama Circuit. For culture vultures, there’s the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, and for garden gurus there’s the delightful Machattie Park. Foodie? Loosen your belt. Standout eateries include Bootleg Dining, Norma Joan and Dogwood, BX. See bathurstregion.com.au
Birdsville, Qld
It’s one of the most isolated towns on Earth at the point where four terrifyingly barren deserts meet, yet it still manages to be a lively Australian icon, as unexpectedly knockabout fun as it is enchanting. The home of the annual Birdsville Races, when 6000 people arrive to swell the population from 110, the beautiful 1884 Birdsville Hotel and the Big Red Bash concert, it even now has its own nine-hole desert golf course. See birdsville.com
Bermagui, NSW
From its Blue Pool to the arc of Horseshoe Bay Beach and to the silhouette of Mount Gulaga, this Far South Coast harbour town wins on looks alone. And then there’s the fresh seafood, farm-to-coast produce and small batch producers, with Honorbread bakery proving that man can live on bread – and pastries and cinnamon buns – alone. The third piece of the trifecta comes from Bermagui’s small but thriving art scene. Shop 7 Art Space is a co-operative with works by local artists. See sapphirecoast.com.au
Grafton, NSW
Detour off the Pacific Highway in mid-spring (late October/early November) to see this regional city exuberantly wreathed in purple thanks to 1700-plus jacaranda trees. Tootle the streets to find a favourite vista for a selfie, slurp a jacaranda (berry-flavoured) ice-cream and, from the deck of the Crown Hotel, admire the broad expanse of the Clarence River flowing around Susan Island, a roost for flying foxes. Australia’s other jacaranda hotspots include Sydney’s Kirribilli and Brisbane’s New Farm Park. See myclarencevalley.com
Contributors: Andrew Bain, Anthony Dennis, Ben Groundwater, Kerry van der Jagt, Brian Johnston, Ute Junker, Nina Karnikowski, Katrina Lobley, Catherine Marshall, Rob McFarland, Justin Meneguzzi, Tim Richards, Craig Tansley and Sue Williams.
