Top 35 Attractions in Australia

The territory of Australia occupies a whole continent, so the main attractions of the country are natural objects. Australia has many national parks and reserves with a developed tourist infrastructure. Separately, it is worth noting the Australian beaches, they attract not only lovers of huge waves - surfers, but also connoisseurs of exquisite resorts or lovers of a relaxing beach holiday.

Cities are famous for their modern architecture - it was appreciated not only by Australians, but also by the UNESCO World Organization, including a number of sites in Sydney and Melbourne in its list. There are ancient centuries-old buildings, all of them are used for modern needs. Cultural life is represented by museums, art galleries, war memorials.

What to see and where to go in Australia?

The most interesting and beautiful places to visit, photos and a brief description.

Great Barrier Reef

Incredible natural phenomenon. The natural complex, consisting of almost a thousand islands and three thousand coral reefs, can be seen even from space - it covers an area of ​​350 km². From the shores of the islands there are views that you will not find anywhere else in the world. Diving enthusiasts have also appreciated this place and its beauty for a long time, but you need to remember that corals cannot be touched during diving because of their fragility.

Tasmania

Tourists call this place ideal for relaxation - mild climate, picturesque landscapes, unique flora and fauna. The relief of the island allows you to engage in water, mountain and beach tourism. Many inhabitants of Tasmania are found only here, and relict plant species grow in evergreen forests. Therefore, one fifth of the island is occupied by nature reserves and national parks, which are accessible to visitors.

Port Jackson

One of the largest bays in the world. It was in this area that the colonization of Australia began, and it is still of great importance for the country. There are many ports in the bay. Famous sights are located on the shores of the bay - the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge, the unspoken symbols of the country. Ferries in the bay carry up to 100 thousand passengers every day - local residents and tourists.

Sydney Opera House

Built in 14 years on the shores of Port Jackson Bay. Its flying silhouette seems to be hovering over the water surface. Because of the unusual architectural forms, similar to sails, the theater is included in the UNESCO protection lists. The theater complex consists of several halls, the largest of which can accommodate 2,500 spectators. 5 performances can go on at the same time. The theater also houses souvenir shops, bars and restaurants.

Harbor Bridge (Sydney)

Along with the opera house, it is the hallmark of Sydney. The length of the bridge is 1200 meters. It carries vehicular, pedestrian and rail traffic. Its steel arched structure looks like a hanger, which is why the locals call Harbor Bridge among themselves that way. On New Year's Eve, the bridge becomes the main point of attraction for people, because hundreds of fireworks are launched from it on New Year's Eve.

sydney tower

A popular city landmark with a total height of 305 meters. High-speed elevators lift visitors to a height of 250 meters. There is an observation deck that offers a panoramic view of the surroundings of Sydney. Tourists can see the skyscrapers of the city, the bay and the ocean against the backdrop of mountains from a bird's eye view. Under the observation deck is a turret in which a revolving restaurant is located.

Queen Victoria Building (Sydney)

A grand shopping center building. Its dimensions are impressive - 190 meters long, 30 meters wide. The building in the Romanesque style was built on the site of the city market in 1918. Its decoration is a copper dome with glass inserts. The interior is decorated with a dial, which is a copy of Big Ben. Each time, under the chimes, a small theatrical performance about the life of the royal family takes place.

Carlton Gardens (Melbourne)

Located in the center of Melbourne, they are a green oasis with a Victorian-style garden, fountains and two artificial lakes. There are tennis courts and a playground. A single complex with gardens is the Royal Exhibition Center, which hosts exhibitions on various topics. The entire complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to the exhibition center, visitors can see the Melbourne Museum. It consists of 10 galleries of permanent and temporary exhibitions, auditoriums, small theater venues, and a research center. There is an IMAX cinema.

City Circle tram (Melbourne)

An antique-style sightseeing tram. The interior of the tram is quite modern with elements of retro design. Tourists will be especially pleased to know that it is free. His route is laid at the most remarkable sights of the historical center of the city - the Royal Botanical Gardens, Chinatown, the building of Queen Victoria. The trip takes about 40 minutes. For tourists there is an audio guide in English.

National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)

It is the largest art gallery in Australia. Founded in the 19th century. It exhibits paintings by Van Dyck, Rubens, Monet, Picasso and others. In total, the gallery funds are 65,000 exhibits. In addition to paintings, the public is presented with objects from ancient Egypt, vases from ancient Greece, and ceramics. The number of visitors to the Victoria Gallery is about a million people a year.

MONA Museum (Hobart)

Founded by a millionaire from Tasmania in 2011. Having made a fortune on gambling and sweepstakes, the tycoon has invested about 80 million dollars in the creation of a museum with an avant-garde art collection. The building is an underground pyramid-bunker. Most of the exhibits not only amaze with their originality, but also shock some visitors who are accustomed to classical examples of painting and sculpture.

Australian War Memorial (Canberra)

Erected in honor of the soldiers participating and killed in hostilities. It is one of the most impressive in the world. The memorial complex includes the Hall of Remembrance and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Memorial Museum and the Research Center. A sculpture garden is also included in the complex. It has a sculpture of an Australian soldier, on the sides of the footpath there are signs with stories about the military history of the country.

Memorial Monument (Melbourne)

It was built according to the project of architects who took part in the First World War. It was erected in the classical style of marble in 1934. It looks like a mausoleum. In its center is the sanctuary, it is surrounded by a gallery. It houses the Stone of Remembrance. Beneath the sanctuary is a marble hall, which lists on panels units of the Australian troops that participated in the First and Second World Wars.

Port Arthur penal settlement

Included in the list of 11 Australian hard labor settlements built by Britain. All of them constitute a single UNESCO heritage site. Port Arthur is located in Tasmania. This prison was considered the most terrible in the world - it contained the most notorious violators of the law. The prison complex consisted of 60 buildings for various purposes - from punishment cells to the cathedral. Now the remains of buildings are available for inspection by tourists.

Salamanca Market (Hobart)

Popular outdoor market in Tasmania. Every Saturday, more than 300 tents are set up here with a wide variety of amazing goods. Vintage jewelry, pine and glass animal figurines, lamps, paintings - the list is endless. Musical accompaniment from street musicians gives a special flavor. For relaxation, you can go to a small cafe - eat a national dish with local wine.

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Cricket stadium. It was the main venue for the 1956 Summer Olympics. It seats over 100,000 spectators, making it the tenth largest in the world. The attendance record is over 120,000 people. The stadium was built in 1884, since then it has been reconstructed and completed several times. Artificial lighting has been installed, which allows games to be played at the stadium at any time of the day.

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Located in the business district of Sydney - a green corner of nature among skyscrapers. The area of ​​the garden is 30 hectares. The land in this place is not fertile and not suitable for food crops. The Australian authorities have decided to collect plants from all over the country here. Now almost 9,000 plant species and 5,000 trees grow there. Entrance to the garden is free. Approximately 3.5 million people visit it annually.

Royal Park (Perth)

Located on the banks of the Swan River in the center of Perth. It occupies an area of ​​4 km². The park was founded in 1895 and more than half of it is occupied by the Australian bush. Trees have been planted in the rest of the area. About 2,000 Australian plants grow in the park's botanical garden. The pride of the park and the botanical garden is the wild flower festival, which is held once a year and attracts a large number of visitors.

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

On an area of ​​38 hectares. 12,000 plants planted along the Yara River in Melbourne. These are samples of the flora not only of Australia, but of the whole world. The total number of plants exceeds 50,000 specimens. A branch of the botanical garden is located 50 km from Melbourne. The total area of ​​gardens in this place exceeds 300 hectares. The work of scientists in the section of the Australian plants of the branch has repeatedly received world-class awards.

South Shore Park (Brisbane)

Opened in 1992. The territory of the park does not look like a city landscape at all - rainforest and savannahs, beaches, lakes and the Brisbane River embankment. The attractions of the park are the Ferris wheel 60 meters high, the Queensland Conservatory, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda. The park hosts many festivals and entertainment events every year. About 11 million people visit the park every year.

twelve apostles

Limestone cliffs on the coast of the ocean. Located in Port Campbell Park, Victoria. They are eight rocks standing close to each other. Some reach 45 meters in height. Helicopter rides are popular among tourists in this area. Hiking trails are laid through the park to the rocks, you can look at them from a steep cliff. The Twelve Apostles look especially beautiful against the backdrop of the ocean in the rays of the setting sun.

Uluru (Ayers Rock)

A natural attraction in the middle of the desert is under the protection of UNESCO. About 400,000 people visit it every year. It is a brown-orange rock. Its feature is the ability to change color depending on the lighting. At dawn, the color of the rock has a lilac hue, during the day the hue becomes alternately pink, purple, red, gold. The height of the mountain is 348 meters, the width is 3.6 km.

Blue Mountains

A picturesque place in a national park near Sydney. Eucalyptus and ferns grow in the park. A feature of mountains is the color of their peaks. Drops of eucalyptus oil cover the leaves of plants and in the sun it seems that the tops of the mountains are covered with a bluish haze. There are several viewing platforms with excellent views on the territory. The Blue Mountains are popular with climbers and mountain bikers.

Cockatoo

It is a major national park in Australia. Its dimensions are approximately 200*100 km. The flora and fauna are diverse - thousands of species of plants and animals grow and live in the park. In the caves of the park there are well-preserved examples of rock art made by the natives of Australia. Some specimens are almost 20,000 years old. For tourists, camping sites are equipped, there are cafes and shops.

Horizontal waterfalls

Looking at these waterfalls, an illusion is created that they do not fall from top to bottom, but "horizontally". This effect is manifested during high and low tides. During these periods, water accumulates in gorges and does not have time to escape through narrow passages. The height difference created gives the effect of a waterfall. Change of direction of water occurs 3-4 times a day. Some tourists come here just to enjoy the views, and some for the extreme passage of waterfalls on boats.

stone wave

Rock formation of amazing shape. It looks like a giant ocean wave in the middle of the land. About 150,000 tourists come here every year to see this miracle of nature with their own eyes. A small retaining wall was built to protect against the collapse of the rock. According to the assumptions of scientists, the rock received this form about 60 million years ago. Every year, this place hosts an underground music festival.

royal canyon

The length of the canyon exceeds 2 km, the height of its walls reaches 300 meters. There are two hiking trails in the canyon. Easier to pass is the trail laid along the bottom of the canyon. The walk will take about an hour. The second, leading to the top of the canyon, is more difficult and takes about 3-4 hours of travel. However, tourists say that the stunning view from the top is worth the effort.

Cataract Gorge (Launceston)

The gorge is a 15-minute walk from Launceston. The place is popular with both tourists and locals. Here you can comfortably relax - swim in the outdoor pool, ride the lift, admire the picturesque views of the gorge. There are hiking trails along it. Short tracks no more than a kilometer long lead to bridges over small rivers, observation platforms and to the tops of cliffs.

Mount Wellington (Tasmania)

Favorite place for active tourists. There are many trails on the slopes of the mountain, some of which can be cycled through. The infrastructure around is poorly equipped - there are no cafes, shops, attractions. Basalt ledges of rocks are called "Organ pipes" - they represent an extremely unusual sight. From the top of the mountain with a height of 1270 meters, in the absence of fog, a view of the national park 100 km from the mountain opens.

Cape Byron

The cape was discovered in 1770 by the navigator James Cook. The name was given in honor of the world traveler John Byron. In 1901, a lighthouse was erected on the shore of the cape. It is the only functioning Victorian lighthouse. In addition to practical use, the snow-white lighthouse is an adornment of the area and makes it romantic. There is an observation deck at the top of the lighthouse.

great ocean road

The highway is considered a tourist attraction, as it passes through places that are iconic for Australia. Traveling along this road, you can visit the Lock Ard Range, Port Campbell National Park, the unusual shipwreck coast, the rocks of the Twelve Apostles. The length of the road is 243 km. Some parts of it are considered very dangerous. A hiking trail for tourists 104 km long has been laid along the highway.

Kuranda Railway

Considered one of the most dangerous railways in the world. Basically, the 37-kilometer railway line is used by tourists to get a dose of adrenaline. The train path passes through fragile-looking bridges through deep gorges. But the risk is justified by the views from the window - the road is laid through tropical forests and past several picturesque waterfalls. There is an opportunity to admire exotic plants and mountain peaks.

Sandy Fraser Island

Sandy island with a length of 120 km. The width varies from 7 to 23 km. The dunes that make up the island were formed about 400,000 years ago and can be up to 240 meters high. There are about 40 lakes with fresh water on the island. The largest of them has a size of more than 200 hectares. The nature of the island is incredibly diverse - a hundred-kilometer white sandy beach, swamps, mangrove and equatorial forests. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Penguin Parade on Phillip Island

One of Australia's unusual excursions looks like a show starring small penguins. This happens at sunset - the penguins come out of the ocean in formation and go to their homes. Penguins spend all day in the ocean gathering food. They are forced to unite in organized groups by the confrontation of a common danger - large gulls prefer to attack loners. Within an hour, several groups of penguins march.

Kangaroo

The kangaroo is the living symbol of Australia. This amazing animal is placed on the coat of arms of the country and some coins. This is because, apart from this continent, kangaroos do not live anywhere. The number of these animals in Australia exceeds the number of people. Road signs have been installed on the country's highways warning that kangaroos can interfere with traffic. They are favorites not only among Australians, but throughout the world.

The best beaches in Australia

The most popular and beautiful beaches, photos and a brief description.

Manly and Bondi beaches (Sydney)

The location on the ocean gave Sydney wonderful beaches. Bondi Beach is considered modern and popular. Most of the young tourists come here with a surfboard. There are many restaurants and bars on the beach, which are rarely empty. Concerts and festivals are often held here. Manly Beach features golden soft sand. It is not for nothing that it is one of the best beaches in Sydney - it is always crowded on it. Hundreds of vacationers find entertainment to their liking - swimming, sports, dancing in bars, cycling.

Surfers Paradise Beach (Gold Coast)

The beach holiday capital of Australia's Gold Coast. Surfers Paradise Beach is sometimes referred to as Australia's "Miami Beach". Here is the highest skyscraper in the country with an observation deck at a height of 230 meters. The name of the beach itself implies that this is a great place for surfers - huge waves and warm water. In addition, Surfers Paradise bears the title of a sophisticated resort, with the possibility of shopping right on the beach.

Mindil Beach (Darwin)

Sunset time on the beach is the best and most interesting time to visit. At this time, the evening market begins to work here. But before making purchases, an obligatory ritual is watching the sun sink into sea waters. In addition to trade shops, you need to take time to taste national dishes. Representatives of 50 nationalities live in Darwin, each of which demonstrates the cuisine of their homeland.