There are many holiday options in Australia, which is a large country. Are there places and experiences where you can escape the crowds and truly feel as if you have the place all to yourself?
Chris Zeiher, Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher, picks out the best places from Offbeat as well as Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Australia travel list.
Silo Art Trail, West Wimmera, Victoria
Best for Instagram-worthy photos
Street artists Rone and Adnate have given the disused grain silos that punctuate Victoria’s vast Wimmera-Mallee Plains a new lease of life by transforming them into epic concrete canvases. The 200km+ Silo Art Trail, Australia’s largest outdoor art gallery, features talented artists who have changed concrete cylinders into moving, jaw-dropping pieces of artwork.
The pieces are inspired by or echo the local history of their respective towns, from beautiful native birds to sweeping representations of Indigenous elders. You can also catch the sunset at Lake Tyrrell, where the night sky reflects in the shallow water of Victoria’s biggest inland salt lakes.
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Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia
Best For: Going off-grid through a digital detox
The 42-island Dampier Archipelago off the coast of northwest Australia would be famous if they weren’t so remote. The deep blues of the sea and sky are a stunning backdrop for islands with white sand beaches, rocky outcrops, and mangrove forests. Twenty-five islands have been designated as nature reserves, and they are home to rock wallabies (also known as northern quolls), shorebirds, and many other species.
Coral reefs, sponge gardens, and underwater seagrass plains offshore provide habitat to turtles, dugongs, and dolphins, as well as over 650 different species of the dish. Tour operators can visit the islands in Dampier or Karratha.
North West Tasmania
The best coastal hiking trails
North West Tasmania, dotted with quirky towns and beautiful beaches, is often overlooked by tourists who head straight south upon arrival. There are many off-the-beaten-path places for those who venture west along the coast road. The stunning white-sand beaches at Boat Harbour are a great place to relax. Stanley is an incredibly preserved township that’s dominated by “Nut.” The Rocky Cape National Park is a great place for a family day trip or coastal walk.
Stokes Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Stokes Bay is a secret beach located on the Northern Coast of Kangaroo Island. It’s partly because it can only be reached via a maze of narrow caves. The sheltered nature allows swimmers to enjoy the turquoise water. It’s partly the kangaroos who are idling on the beach that will keep you company. It’s mainly because it pays to make the effort. It’s Australia’s best-kept beach secret.
If you’re visiting the island, be sure to visit the award-winning distillery Ki Spirits and enjoy a drink, or head down to Seal Bay Conservation Park, where you can take a beach tour with Australian Sea Lion colonies.
Palm Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland
Best for: Conservation-conscious divers and snorkelers
Palm Island is not your typical Great Barrier Reefhideaway. Palm Island is not a place to find lux resorts or hip bars and restaurants. Palm Island has been described as an island that tourism has forgotten. Or at least it was, until 2022, when the Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) was planned to be installed.
The series of underwater sculptures is designed to inspire ocean conservation and encourage snorkelers and scuba divers to explore the Great Barrier Marine Park (of which Palm Island is a part) in a whole new way. In 2021, a local Indigenous guide training program was launched. This means an experienced Traditional Custodian can also guide you. This is a great place to go if you don’t want to spend your holiday in a resort.
Fremantle Prison in Western Australia
For families with teenagers seeking adventure
Want to impress your kids with an exciting adventure during the Summer holidays? The Fremantle Prison Tunnel Tour is the perfect way to impress the kids this Summer. You’ll need to don a pair of overalls in the style of “Breaking Bad,” a hard hat, and a locking ladder before you can descend into the tunnels. Prisoners carved an elaborate tunnel network here. Visitors can explore the tunnels on foot before getting on two-person punts and exploring the submerged passageways that are only accessible by boat. When the lights go off, there will be screams. It’s amazing.
