From Sydney to Perth, And Outback to Islands, 10 Great Places to Explore in Australia

I’m heading to Los Angeles this weekend to meet with tourism and travel representatives from across Australia and hear about wonderful things to see and do.

I’m very excited about this, as I’ve come to dearly love the beauty and people of The Land Down Under, which is home to scintillating cities, amazing nature, rich aboriginal culture, isolated islands and more than a few bizarre animals.

Here’s a look at 10 of my fave experiences in Australia, a country I’ve been lucky enough to visit four times over the years.

LORD HOWE ISLAND, New South Wales

Only the most nerdy of my National Geographic reading friends have heard of this place; a tiny, tiny island stuck partway between Australia and New Zealand. It belongs to the state of New South Wales, but even most Aussies don’t know about the place or haven’t been there. You’ll find a towering set of cliffs at one end of the island that plunge straight down into a deep blue ocean; making the place look like a bigger, blockier version of Tahiti or the Hawaiian island of Kauai. There also are fine beaches, tremendous hikes and a tiny airport where folks sit at picnic tables while they wait for the next plane to come in. It’s expensive to fly to, and flights can be iffy when the weather isn’t right. But you can find hostels or small inns without spending too much. TIP: If you can manage it, the Capella Lodge is a superb resort with views of the massive basalt cliffs and ocean waters that are simply sensational. One of the coolest places I’ve ever been.

PERTH, Western Australia

This is a marvelous city that doesn’t get nearly enough international attention. YOu’ll find vibrant neighborhoods, fabulous cocktail bars, gorgeous beaches, and stylish hotels. Take a food and drinks tour with Oh, Hey, WA for a wonderful intro to the city. I loved my dinner at Hearth, the main restaurant at the new Ritz-Carlton hotel on the city’s booming waterfront, where I nibbled on exquisite octopus and lamb, as well as Wagyu beef so tender it almost cut itself, accompanied by soft, flavourful Pinot Noir from the Margaret River region. Just a short ferry ride away from Perth is Rottnest island, home of tiny, smiling (well, sort of) marsupials called quokkas. They’re only found in a few places in Australia, and this is one of the best places to see them. The little critters are everywhere, and they’re often underfoot on the tiny main shopping street.

FRASER ISLAND, Queensland

This is a beautiful island that’s just a short ride from the town of Hervey Bay. Fraser Island is home to the tiny antechinus, a mouse-like marsupial. The male antechinus, I was told, lives for a couple years before finding a cute mate and going into a 12 or 14-hour copulating frenzy. After sex, his organs start shutting down. His hair falls out, and then he dies. Perhaps not a bad way to go, but definitely gone. Fraser Island also is home to one of Australia’s purest packs of wild dingoes and a gorgeous, small river where you can ride on inner tubes and enjoy a tranquil day in the sun. Lake McKenzie is a freshwater lake on the island with beautiful water and soft, silica sand. 

ULURU, Northern Territory 

A sunset at Uluru, previously known as Ayers Rock, is a tremendous experience. I also enjoyed a fabulous helicopter tour near Uluru when I visited in 2010. But it was being up close that really hit me emotionally. In 20 minutes spent photographing the small pool and the rock walls and some cave paintings, I don’t think I heard a sound. I remember seeing people, but it was like a mystical cone of silence had enveloped me. It’s truly a magical place. There are lots of great places to stay in the area, including the posh, wonderful Longitude 131, where they even have small windows in the shower that allow you to peek out at this massive slab of ancient rock. Nearby is Kata-Tjuta, a stunning rock formation. I arrived in a rainstorm but it quickly stopped. Clouds began swirling and dancing around the tops of three of Kata Tjuta’s knobby peaks. It’s a wonder; another magical few minutes of perfect timing for a memorable photo.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD, Victoria

Victoria’s Great Ocean Road is one of the majestic drives in the world, a curving road that hugs the cliffs west of Melbourne and reveals spectacular views of off-shore limestone pillars called The Twelve Apostles. I had seen photos of them for years, and finally got a chance to see them in person in 2000. My wife and I pulled our car into a parking lot and wandered over to a look out point. I took my hat off and stared in wonder, wiping a tear from my eye. It was an overpowering moment, and one I’ll never forget. The drive reveals not only stunning scenery, but delightful villages. You also can enjoy natural hot springs, animal interactions and lighthouse tours, as well as tremendous beaches. 

MARGARET RIVER, Western Australia

As surprising as the Perth area is, I’m even more impressed by the Margaret River region. We don’t see a lot of Margaret River wine in Canada, where South Australia products tend to dominate the shelves. Not only is the wine superb, but the region is also bound in the west by long, lovely beaches and rocky coastlines. It’s like Carmel meets Napa. It’s simply not fair. At Smiths Beach Resort, just outside the town of Yallingup, I sampled a small section of the Cape to Cape Trail, which links Cape Naturaliste in the north with Cape Leeuwin in the south, It’s a glorious coastline, topped with granite outcroppings that have been twisted and crumpled into large, spiky boulders in shades of tan, orange and soft gold, surrounded by low-lying, olive-coloured shrubs. At Vasse Felix, the first winery in Margaret River, I sampled their delicious Idee Fixe sparkling wine and dined on luscious toothfish with spring onion, seaweed and bearnaise, as well as kangaroo. At Windows Estate Winery, I had a great tour and sipped wonderful wines accompanied by a monstrous board of charcuterie and delicious local cheeses. Near the town of Yallingup I took a tour of a vast limestone cave that drips with massive, ancient stalactites and listened to a local aboriginal man, Josh Koomal, play a deeply moving tune on a didgeridoo. Koomal also tells visitors about the flora and fauna of this place, where his people have lived for thousands of years. A wonderful experience in a fabulous region of Australia.

LADY ELLIOT ISLAND, Queensland

Lady Elliot Island is a short plane ride away from Hervey Bay and is the southernmost coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a tiny thing, only 45 hectares in area, with a grass landing strip and a single hotel, the Lady Elliot Island Eco-Resort. As I headed out on a snorkelling trip to the reef, which is only a hundred metres or so from shore, I ran into the Jakobsen family from Calgary, who are in the middle of a weeks-long holiday around Australia. “The diving is quite good and it’s a nice resort,” the father, Finn Jakobsen, tells me. “We did a night dive that was fantastic.” We glided past a large turtle and several silky manta rays as we make our way to the reef. The water was a bit murky and the coral somewhat muted, but I spotted some lovely stag coral and other bits in shades of deep lavender. Small, electric pink and green fish darted among the coral and rocks as I made my way along the reef.

SYDNEY, New South Wales

Simply one of the great cities of the world. It’s hard to know where to begin, but you can’t beat the inner harbour, with views of the magnificent Opera House and the towering Harbour Bridge. I love to take a ferry ride to Manly Beach and explore the coastal walk to Shelly Beach, where you pass beautiful pools and cute, waterfront restaurants. Taronga Park Zoo has amazing animals and lovely views of the harbour.  Try a surfing lesson at Bondi Beach, or take the glorious coastal walk towards Bronte Beach. Top hotels include The Crown Sydney (very stylish and youthful), The Shangri-La, the boutique Paramount House Hotel in Surry Hills and the Kimpton Margot Sydney. One great activity I took part in on my last visit was an aboriginal tour of the historic Rocks district, where we learned about how Australia’s aboriginal people lived – and thrived – in this area for centuries before Europeans arrived. 

KINGS CANYON, Northern Territory

Kings Canyon is pretty much located at the bull’s-eye mark in Australia’s vast, red-centre. You’ll pass craggy, jagged peaks of orange and red rock, as well as lush desert oaks and mounds of spiky shrubs called Spinifex. It’s similar terrain to parts of the American Southwest, with massive slabs of canyon wall that look as if they were sliced by a meat cleaver, juxtaposed with jumbled rock formations rising over the outback, which seems to stretch to infinity under a deep, crisp blue sky. It’s about a three-hour hike to climb to the top and circumnavigate the peak of the canyon, plus another half hour or an hour to hike along the creek bed, which is surrounded by palm trees. If you’re staying at King’s Canyon Resort, a staffer might take you to a special spot to catch two sides of a sunset. The setting sun casts fabulous purple and red hues onto the canyon walls to the east, while the night sky to the west might be a kaleidoscope of orange, yellow, pink and pale indigo.

KALBARRI NATIONAL PARK, Western Australia

I knew I’d find wonderful, outback scenery at Kalbarri, a national park about seven hours north of Perth by car. But I somehow didn’t expect such magical ocean scenery. As I pulled into the park district in May of 2022, I could see a pure, soft, golden light hovering under a cloud of low-lying, puffy grey clouds in a sky of brilliant blue. Stretched out in front of me were a series of towering cliffs that rose out of a royal blue ocean. The cliffs were infused with the golden light of the late afternoon sun and topped with pale, olive green chapparal. Waves that had travelled thousands of kilometers slammed into the coast, sending waves of white foam high into the air. I immediately fell in love. The inland portion of the park has wondrous walking trails among wildly shaped, ancient rocks, along with pretty rivers and towering trees. I had a great ATV ride with Kalbarri Quad Bike Safaris, and a great night sky experience to see the stars. Between Kalbarri and Perth is the small city of Geraldton, where you can get a private plane to take you over the marvelous Albrohos Islands, and also over a pink lake. 

HOW TO GET THERE

Air Canada flies from Vancouver to both Sydney and Brisbane. You also can connect via California and fly Qantas or United.

FINANCE TIPS

There’s generally no tipping in Australia, so the price you see is the price you pay. Feel free to leave loose change, or a couple bucks, but it’s not necessary.

A Canadian dollar gets you $1.13 AUS, so it’s a good deal for Canadians. Americans have it even better, with one US dollar equal to $1.51 AUS.