Lifestyle

25 Places You Need To Visit In Australia

By Julie Zeveloff
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surfing australia byron bay
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Australia is known for many things — extraordinary landscapes, laid-back cities, beautiful beaches.

It would be impossible to see the country and experience all it has to offer on a single trip.

But these 25 places and activities should be at the top of any traveler's bucket list, whether he's a foreign tourist flying in from afar or a native Australian looking to explore his own country.

Enjoy a drink at the Opera Bar before seeing a performance at the Sydney Opera House.

sydney opera house bar
ZoeShuttleworth/Flickr

Journey to the remote outback town of Birdsville for its annual horse racing weekend.

birdsville horse races australia
Peter Wallis/REUTERS

Drive by the 12 Apostles — a collection of limestone stacks — on a trip along Great Ocean Road in Victoria.

The_twelve_apostles_Victoria_Australia_2010
Wikimedia Commons

Witness a sunrise at Uluru, a massive sandstone rock formation in the Northern Territory.

uluru ayers rock australia
TheCreativePenn/Flickr

Check into the Qualia, the Hamilton Island resort that topped Condé Nast Traveler's latest "best hotels" list.

Qualia Hotel
Qualia

Climb the steps, ladders, and catwalks of Sydney Harbor Bridge.

sydney harbor bridge climbers
Shutterstock

See the incredible sea life along the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland.

diving great barrier reef australia
REUTERS/HO/Great Barrier Reef National Park Authority

Explore Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, which showcases the collection of Tasmanian gambler-turned-art collector David Walsh.

museum of old and new art tasmania
Wikimedia Commons

Go wine tasting in the Barossa Valley outside of Adelaide.

barossa valley wine region australia
Shutterstock

Get lost looking at art, shopping, and snacking in the Laneways of Melbourne.

Centre Lane in Melbourne
Centre Lane in Melbourne. Flickr/jonathanpoh

Take the 6-km coastal cliff walk from Bondi to Coogee in the Sydney suburbs.

bondi to coogee beach walk
Shutterstock

Bike around the beaches of Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth.

rottnest island australia
Shutterstock

Head to Melbourne in January for the Australian Open, one of tennis' four Grand Slams.

australian open tennis
REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

See the first leg of the Surfing World Tour in the Gold Coast.

surfing gold coast australia
paintings / Shutterstock.com

Sip on whisky at Lark Distillery in Tasmania.

Lark Distillery tasmania
Lark Distillery/Facebook

Spend a day perfecting your lawn bowling game at the Clovelly Bowling Club near Sydney.

clovelly lawn bowling club australia
Jeremy Vandal/Flickr

Hike through the eucalyptus forests of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.

blue mountains australia
Shutterstock

Explore the stunning caves of the Margaret River region.

margaret river australia caves
Shutterstock

Stuff yourself at Flower Drum, a famous Chinese restaurant in Melbourne.

flower drum australia
Flower Drum/Facebook

Tee off at the RACV Royal Pines golf course on Queensland's Gold Coast, new home of the Australian PGA Championship.

royal pines racv australia
http://www.royalpines.etourism.com.au

Traverse the continent by rail on The Ghan, a three-day journey from Darwin to Adelaide.

the ghan train australia
Shutterstock

Catch the British and Irish Lions rugby tour in Sydney in June and July 2013 — it only comes to Australia once every 12 years.

british lions
Wikimedia Commons

Tour the forests, beaches, and swamps of Fraser Island in a four-wheel drive vehicle.

fraser island australia
col / Shutterstock.com

Roll the dice at Crown Perth, a massive casino, entertainment, and nightlife complex.

burswood casino perth
Shutterstock

Surf "The Pass" at Byron Bay on a longboard.

surfing australia byron bay
Shutterstock

Want to travel the world?

versailles gardens
Shutterstock

100 Trips You Must Take In Your Lifetime >

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Julie Zevelof West on grey background
Julie Zeveloff
Julie Zeveloff West is Director of Editorial Product Strategy at Business Insider. She was previously Chief of Staff to Business Insider's editor-in-chief.Julie was the editor-in-chief of the Life division, where she oversaw Business Insider's entertainment, health, food, travel, style, parenting, and digital culture coverage. She was also a Deputy Editor for the site's business section, where she oversaw the lifestyle, transportation, retail, education, and lists & rankings sections, as well as its social media and graphic design teams. Before joining Business Insider in 2010, she was a reporter at Law360, where she covered international trade.In 2019, she was chosen as one of the Folio: Top Women in Media honorees in the Up and Comers category. Julie graduated from Cornell University and holds a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
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