Australia has a wealth of ancient wonders, from the Twelve Apostles that jut out of the ocean to the Pinnacles Desert. Here are ten natural marvels in Oz, from the coastal vibes to the arid and desolate places.
1. Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef has a fragile beauty. It stretches more than 2000km down the Queensland coast. This complex ecosystem is home to dazzling corals, lazy sea turtles, glider rays, shy reef sharks, and tropical species of all sizes and colors. This vibrant underwater World and its coral-fringed island are so memorable that people sign up to be Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef to save it.
2. Daintree Rainforest
The ancient Daintree forest is a lush green rainforest with fan palms, ferns that look prehistoric, and mangroves twisted into a spiral. You’ll hear birdsong, frogs croaking, and insects buzzing as you enter the forest. Explore the area with wildlife-spotting tours at night, mountain treks, and interpretive boardwalks. You can also take self-guided walks and 4WD trips or go horseback riding, kayaking, or on a crocodile spotting cruise. It’s possible to spot a cassowary from prehistory.
3. Uluru
Uluru, Australia’s most famous natural wonder, draws pilgrims around the globe like moths at a bright red flame. You will never forget the Rock, its spiritual gravity, or its character-pitted surface, no matter how many postcards you’ve seen. There is plenty to do and see: wandering walks, guided tours, and bike rides, desert culture, and just contemplating the changing moods and colors of the monolith. You can’t climb Uluru. Keep off!
4. Whitsundays
The Whitsundays are a beautiful place to visit. You can travel around many tropical islands and still not find a better one. Tourists of every budget can launch yachts at Airlie Beach to drift slowly between these lush, green islands in search of paradise. You’ll likely find it more than once. Do not miss Whitehaven Beach, one of Australia’s (and the World’s finest) beaches. Want to be here?
5. The Twelve Apostles
The Twelve Apostles are the most memorable image of the Great Ocean Road for many visitors. They just spectacularly from the ocean. All seven of them stand there, seemingly abandoned by the waves, as the headland retreats. There were never 12, and they were known as the “Sow and Piglets” until someone in the 1960s decided that a more reverent name would attract tourists.
The two stacks that are located on the eastern side (Otway) of the viewing platform are Gog and Magog. The soft limestone cliffs, which are constantly eroded by the tides, are also dynamic and changing. One 70m-high pile collapsed into the sea in July 2005. The Island Archway lost its archway in June 2009. Sunset is the best time to go, both to avoid tour buses and to see penguins coming back ashore.
6. Fraser Island
K’gari is what the local Butchulla call this place and with good reason. The enigmatic island heaven of this giant sandbar is sculpted by the wind, sand, and surf. Its striking blue freshwater lake, crystalline creeks, and lush rainforests are a result. Fraser Island (120km by 15km), the largest sandbar in the World, is also the only place known where rainforests grow on sand.
7. Cradle Mountain in Tasmania
Cradle Mountain, a crescent-shaped mountain in Tasmania, is the state’s most recognizable and spectacular mountain peak. The all-day hike (and boulder scramble!) to the summit will give you incredible views of Tasmania’s alpine center. You can also stand below in awe and take pictures of the stunning views from Dove Lake. If the mountain peak is hidden by clouds or snow, you can warm up in one of the nearby resorts and try again the next day.
8. Ningaloo Reef
This World Heritage marine park is located off the North West Cape in Western Australia. Snorkel and dive amongst pristine corals, surf on rarely-visited reefs, or dive off one of the most beautiful locations in the World. Ningaloo is a lovely reef that rivals the Great Barrier Reef. It’s also more accessible, with shallow turquoise lagoons you can enter directly from the beach. The development is low-key so that you can camp or go on day trips to the nearby towns of Exmouth and Coral Bay.
9. The Outback
You’ll feel like you are part of the outback when you drive along South Australia’s Oodnadatta Track or the Birdsville Track’s southern section. The sky here is blue, and the dust is redder than anywhere. The days are measured by kilometres, spinifex, and tire blowouts. A road trip to Broken Hill, the mining town in the center of Australia’s outback, may be the only way you can get away from the coast if time is short.
10. Pinnacles Desert
It’s easy to mistake the Pinnacles Desert for Mars. Thousands of ghostly limestone pillars are scattered throughout the dunes in Nambung National Park. They look like an alien army of petrified, massive pillars. The Pinnacles Desert is one of the most unusual landscapes in the West. It attracts thousands of tourists each year. It’s easy to visit the Pinnacles Desert as a day trip from Perth. However, staying in Cervantes nearby allows you to make multiple visits and experience the entire spectrum of colors at dawn, sunset, and full moon when most tourists have returned to their hotels.
