Travel update: ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred latest travel information for South East QLD and Northern NSW
Kakadu Cultural Tours, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
Australia Recommends: Unique getaways
Looking for a one-of-a-kind place to get away? You’re in luck – because Australia is full of destinations that will make you do a double take. Here’s where real Aussies recommend you go in 2025.
A volcanic paradise on Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island, New South Wales © Tourism Australia
Lord Howe Island, New South Wales © Destination NSW
Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales © Ballie Lodges
Neds Beach, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales © Destination NSW
A woman snorkelling among coral gardens on Lord Howe Island, New South Wales © Destination NSW
A volcanic paradise on Lord Howe Island
Voted: The best coastal escape
Lord Howe Island is the remnant of a now-extinct volcano, some seven million years old. The island’s incredible peaks and middle-of-the-ocean isolation make it feel like a scene out of a Jurassic movie. You’ll be pinching yourself when you arrive. Coral gardens, sandy beaches and challenging hikes make everyday magical, and luxury accommodation make for laidback evenings. It's simply paradise.
Larger-than-life nature in Kakadu
Kakadu Cultural Tours, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
Gunlom Falls, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
Yellow Water Cruise, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory © Tourism NT/Helen Orr
Nourlangie Rock, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
Ikoymarrwa (Moline) Falls, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
Larger-than-life nature in Kakadu
Voted: The best place to escape into nature
The Australian outback is unlike anywhere else on Earth; you’ll just have to visit Kakadu National Park for proof. This place is big – the second-largest national park in Australia – and utterly wild. Pounding waterfalls drop into still swimming holes that invite you for a dip. Epic lookouts will remind you just how wonderous nature can be. And if that’s not enough, how about exploring one of 5,000 rock art sites from a 40,000-year-old culture?
Islands of romance in the Whitsundays
Heart Reef, Whitsundays, Queensland © Tourism and Events Queensland
Hamilton Island, Whitsundays, Queensland © Tourism Australia
Hamilton Island, Whitsundays, Queensland © Tourism Australia
qualia, Whitsundays, Queensland © Tourism Australia
Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland © Tourism Whitsundays
Islands of romance in the Whitsundays
Voted: The most romantic getaway
Palm trees swaying in the breeze, a glass of Champagne as you float on a catamaran – sounds romantic, doesn’t it? The Whitsundays, an archipelago in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef, is the ultimate spot for a romantic getaway. There’s even a reef shaped like a heart. Take a helicopter to a private beach, enjoy a picnic to the soundtrack of ocean waves and marvel at tropical sunsets. The Whitsundays are a place you could really fall in love with.
Accommodation-meets-adventure on The Ghan
The Ghan, Yorkey's Crossing, Port Augusta, South Australia © Tourism Australia
Uluru, Northern Territory © Tourism NT/Sean Scott
Yorkey's Crossing, Port Augusta, South Australia © Tourism Australia
Accommodation-meets-adventure on The Ghan
Voted: The most unique accommodation
The Ghan might be considered one of the world’s great train journeys, but to us, it’s even more – it's a trip right through the heart of Australia. It’s comfort, nostalgia, adventure and accommodation all rolled into one. Head to bed (in your elegant private cabin) with wildflowers whizzing by your window, and wake up to the seemingly endless red land of the outback. Step off the train for epic experiences, like a scenic flight over the majestic Uluru.
