Australia is bursting with jaw-dropping sights and experiences equal of any the world over. On our doorstep is an enviable assortment of mind-boggling natural features, enthralling up-close encounters with marine life, and rare attractions.
This inspired BIG4 to create a Great Australian Bucket List that captures the essential, iconic experiences.
In no particular order, we present the following…
Wow factor: Bungle Bungle Range, Purnululu National Park, WA.
Great Barrier Reef, QLD
One of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, the Great Barrier Reef had to make this list. It offers a kaleidoscope of colour and provides some of the best diving and snorkelling opportunities on the planet. As the world’s largest coral reef, it boasts a profusion of marine and coral life as well as hundreds of islands. Reach the reef with ease from myriad destinations dotted along the QLD coast.
The Great Barrier Reef is a true wonder.
Cradle Mountain, TAS
This eye-catching Tassie mountain has been viewed behind the lens more times than a Hollywood film star, and it’s easy to see why. Cradle Mountain’s jagged shape and the rugged landscape that surrounds it create an aura of being among true wilderness. A series of walking tracks within Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park allow you to witness the best of this glorious scenery.
Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake make a perfect pair.
Uluru, NT
In a game of word association, ‘iconic Australia’ and ‘Uluru’ go hand in hand. This 348m-high sandstone rock is spellbinding, and imagery almost always fails to truly capture its whopping size and shape. Be awed by this monolith in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, an area rich in Aboriginal culture and history. Also, don’t miss the marvel that is Kata Tjuta while you are here.
Uluru is as iconic as it gets.
Great Ocean Road, VIC
An incredibly popular drive, the Great Ocean Road is dominated by spectacular scenery. A never-ending sequence of sparkling coastal views and time-honoured seaside destinations ensures this path requires an unhurried pace. In addition to dramatic coastal vistas is the majestic rainforest and waterfalls found within Great Otway National Park.
The Twelve Apostles are an incredibly popular feature of the Great Ocean Road.
Daintree Rainforest, QLD
The Daintree Rainforest is the oldest-surviving tropical rainforest on earth and this humongous region is divine. Part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage area, the Daintree Rainforest houses an incredible variety of flora and fauna; much of it rare. A visit here will leave you feeling as though you’re in another world.
Mossman Gorge is a gem within Daintree National Park.
Sydney, NSW
Simply put, Sydney is stunning. Australia’s most populous city regularly draws the eyes of the world and provides visitors with its own bucket list. Check out landmark structures like the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, dine in style at Darling Harbour, enjoy endless majestic scenery on a harbour cruise, or swim at famous Bondi Beach. And that’s just the start.
Sydney boasts some of Australia’s biggest landmarks and is world class.
Kakadu National Park, NT
Kakadu National Park is phenomenal, delivering copious amounts of unique, eye-bulging sights. Australia’s largest national park, Kakadu has earned World Heritage status for both its natural and cultural worth. Unearth incredible gorges and waterfalls, lush wetlands, and rugged escarpments and then be amazed by Aboriginal rock art that dates as far back as 50,000 years.
Nature is at its best within Kakadu National Park, NT.
World-famous wine regions of SA
SA’s reputation for producing outstanding wine stretches across the globe, and there’s no better way to appreciate this than being in the heart of the action. Wind your way around the cellar-doors of the Barossa, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, and the Coonawarra and mix incredible views and tranquil environments with delicious wine.
The Barossa is world famous, and with good reason.
Credit: SATC
Climb Mt Kosciuszko, NSW
Climbing Australia’s tallest mountain (during warmer months) has to be on the bucket list. Humanity has long followed the motto ‘see mountain; must climb’, and while Mt Kosciuszko is a baby compared to the likes of Everest it still presents a fair old challenge. This 2228m-high mountain strongly rewards those who reach its summit: awe-inspiring views extend over the diverse landscape of Kosciuszko National Park and beyond.
Climbing our tallest peak, Mt Kosciuszko, should be on all Australians’ list.
Swimming with whale sharks – Ningaloo Reef, WA
Could there be a more exhilarating experience than sharing the water with whale sharks? The sheer size of these animals is almost unfathomable – up to 18m in length – and their distinctive markings appear painted on. Luckily, they don’t consider humans to be particularly tasty. Whale sharks reliably congregate around Ningaloo Reef, part of the wider World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park.
Swimming with a whale shark in WA’s Ningaloo Reef is as thrilling as it gets.
MONA, TAS
While its addition to the bucket list might raise some eyebrows, the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has quickly emerged as a must-visit attraction. Located in Hobart, MONA will shatter any preconceptions that this is just another museum. A series of quirky, thought-provoking, and even confronting displays and exhibits have led to worldwide acclaim.
MONA sure is quirky but it’s compelling and thought-provoking, too.
West MacDonnell Ranges, NT
The West MacDonnell Ranges are quite underrated, yet flying under the radar is a large part of their appeal. This area, comfortably reached from Alice Springs, dishes up a succession of incredible natural features and sacred Aboriginal sites: gorges, chasms, colourful ochre pits, springs, and more. Better still, it escapes the attention of the masses.
The West MacDonnell Ranges are filled with natural wonders. Pictured: Glen Helen Gorge.
The Kimberley, WA
An area of exceptional beauty in North West WA, the Kimberley hoards some of the most awe-inspiring natural attractions on earth. Marvel at incredible waterfalls, rock formations, gorges, and much more. The peculiar Bungle Bungle Range and King George Falls are highlights, while a camel ride at sunset along Broome’s glittering Cable Beach is a bucket list experience within a bucket list destination.
There are so many breathtaking features within the Kimberley region. Pictured: Wolfe Creek crater.
Do you think BIG4’s great Australian bucket list hits the mark? Have we overlooked a key experience? What is top of your bucket list?
Isn’t it time you enjoyed a bucket-list experience?
Stay at Coffs Coast Holiday Parks.
Courtesy of BIG4.com.au
