Australia has been on my bucket list ever since I can remember. Even before I really knew what a bucket list was, I dreamed of exploring Australia, cuddling koalas and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. Although I still haven’t made it to Oz, I have kept this Australia bucket list and hope that one day soon I’ll be able to tick some of the items off. Here are my top ten dream places to visit in Australia before you die!
Great Ocean Road
Who doesn’t love a road trip with a view? The Great Ocean Road has got to be one of the best coastal drives in the world, so I would love to rent a car or a campervan and take a road trip through Victoria.
The Great Ocean Road runs between the cities of Allansford and Torquay and features some absolutely stunning views, including the ‘Twelve Apostles’ and miles of blue ocean.
The Outback
I admit, I haven’t really thought this through in any detail, but after watching Crocodile Dundee when I was a kid, I desperately wanted to go walkabout. I still struggle to comprehend the vastness of the Australian outback, living in England where you can be in a new city in an hour or two, driving between cities in Oz can take days!
I don’t think I’d dare to do it alone though, I’d need a guide or a tour, or at least a travel buddy to keep me company in the wide-open spaces.
Uluru
Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) is that huge red rock in the middle of the Northern Territory’s dry Red Centre. The rock is sacred to indigenous Australians and is hard to beat for pure wow factor.
I would love to go and visit Uluru, and see it rising up on the horizon as we approach. Star gazing is incredible out there, so spending the night at the foot of the big red rock is definitely on my Australia bucket list!
The Great Barrier Reef
I always wanted to go snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, but since learning to dive a couple of years ago, diving has got to be the way to go. I have seen Finding Nemo far too many times to count so the reef simply has to be on my Australian bucket list.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park stretches along the north east coast of Australia and is the same size as 70 million football fields – about the size of Italy. How crazy is that? But it is under pressure from climate change and other threats so like any of our natural wonders we need to do all we can to protect it and visit responsibly.
Rottnest Island
OMG how unbelievably cute are quokkas?? These little guys are from the same marsupial family as wallabies and marsupials and have become famous for their friendliness and apparent fondness of selfies!
They are most common on Rottnest Island, and have very little fear of humans so do tend to get quite close to visitors who love snapping photos of them. Although I certainly don’t condone chasing down animals for the ‘Gram, there is no denying that they are adorable, and I’d love to see them in the wild.
Sydney
Sydney Opera House is probably the most iconic building in Australia, and certainly worthy of anyone’s Australia bucket list. For me, as well as attending a performance inside the Opera House, heading there for New Year’s Eve to watch the fireworks display is definitely on my list.
While I’m in town, climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge has got to be another bucket list thing to do in Sydney. I do get nervous looking down from a great height, but after climbing up the O2 in London, I feel brave enough to tackle the climb in Sydney!
Byron Bay
Australia is famous for surfing, and I’ve heard that Byron Bay is the place for backpackers to catch some waves. As well as being a great place for beginner and more experienced surfers, Byron Bay is also known for beautiful beaches, diving, whale watching, and for having a kick-ass nightlife. What more could you ask for??
Lake Hillier
Bubble gum coloured pink lakes are fascinating, there is no doubt about that. Scientists aren’t even sure exactly why Lake Hillier, on the Recherche Archipelago off the south coast of Western Australia, is pink, but it seems to be a saltwater loving algae or bacteria which gives the lake its vibrant colour.
I visited some pink lakes in Mexico, so I’d love to check out some in Australia to see how different they are and get some more gorgeous pink photos!
Wave Rock
Nature continues to surprise me, so I marvel at any natural phenomena that I come across. Wave Rock is a natural rock formation shaped like a breaking wave, close to the small town of Hyden about 180 miles east-southeast from Perth.
The area is also renowned for wildflowers and orchids, and there are other bizarre rock formations to visit too like Hippo’s Yawn and Mulka’s Cave where you can see aboriginal hand prints and cave paintings.
The Bungle Bungle Range
This is a new one on my Australia bucket list but having seen some photos of the weird and wonderful rock formations of Bungle Bungle in Purnululu National Park in Western Australia I simply can’t resist. Apparently, the best way to see the UNESCO listed orange and black sandstone domes is from the air, so a helicopter ride to see them deserves a place on the list!
So there it is, my top ten Australia bucket list destinations that I would love to visit before I die. Have you been to any of these? Have I missed any major bucketlist destinations? I’d love to hear your recommendations, please leave your comments below.
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wonderful post about the places to visit in Australia.
Its very much informative as well as attractive.
MAN! How did I not know about quokkas before I went to Australia? I usually google things like this. SO ADORABLE! I’ve seen pictures of Lake Hillier
And it looks amazing. Climbing the bridge isn’t scary at all and the Opera House has an afternoon tea that I didn’t know about before I went. To add to your bucketlist… a tree top walk when you are up by the great barrier reef and Tangalooma Island to feed dolphins and surf the sand dunes when you are near the Gold Coast
The Great Ocean Road would be at the top of my list, when we make a trip to Australia the second time. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Great Barrier Reef again. Wave Rock seems extremely photogenic.
Australia is totally on my bucket list too! As a surfer, I dream of visiting one day. I’ve been there many years ago, but it was a working trip so I didn’t have the time or the opportunity to see all the places I want. For sure, will have to dive in the Great Barrier Reef one day!
What a great list! I am planning a visit to Aus next year, so I have bookmarked this. It’s going to be a great help in planning my trip. No 1 on my list is to drive the Great Ocean Road. The Quokka looks like it could have the main role it a Disney movie. I hope that I get to see one! 🙂
I was already to vote Great Ocean Road for the win and then Rottnest Island happened. OMG the Quokkas are so darn cute. I hope they are protected well because…. cuteness overload.
Yessss!! A few of these are on my bucket list too! I still have soooo much of Australia to see!
We had a very short trip to Australia and ticked off Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef. But thanks for adding more to our list for a return visit. We would definitely want to travel the Great Ocean Road to see the Twelve Apostles. The Red Rock and Wave Rock both would definitely be stunning to see. Thanks for adding to my list.
We love road trips and driving through the Great Ocean Road is a dream trip. We had not read about Rottnest Island before but definitely on the list now, quokkas look very adorable. Thanks for this wonderful list.
I hope to see these before I die!
Incredible land forms. And that quokka is so cute. Can’t believe they like selfies 😀 I would love to take one with them.