10 Best Places to Visit in Australia

10. Adelaide

cc by Les Haines

Adelaide is South Australia’s cosmopolitan coastal capital, with a population of over 1 million. The city is located on a plain between the rolling Adelaide Hills and the Gulf St Vincent and is bordered by many of Australia’s famous wine regions. In Adelaide, you can enjoy stylish architecture, boutique shopping, sandy swimming beaches, fabulous arts events, nightlife, fine dining, and some of Australia's best café strips.

9. Darwin

cc by Gary Bembridge

Darwin is capital of the Northern Territory and gateway to Kakadu National Park, Australia’s largest. Darwin has a relaxed lifestyle and unique multiculturalism, where people from over 50 different cultures live and work side by side. At its heart is the Smith Street pedestrian mall, notable for shops selling Aboriginal art and crafts, South Sea pearls, opals and diamonds. Devastated during WW II, Darwin is a resilient town with a spirit that can’t be defeated. Today, the city of around 110,000 people is a popular holiday destination.

8. Hobart

cc by Michael Bodach

Hobart is the capital city of the Australian state of Tasmania. Hobart is small and intimate (population 250,000) compared to larger mainland Australian cities, reflecting the small size of the state. The metropolitan area stretches north and south along the Derwent River, crossed by several bridges. There are many fine examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture in Hobart, such as Salamanca Place, which has a terrace of warehouses dating back to the whaling days of the 1830s. Notable for being one of the coldest Australian cities, it has a mild temperate oceanic climate, with four distinct seasons.[wikitravel]

7. Brisbane

cc by Jayphen

Brisbane is the capital of the state of Queensland with a population of about 2 million people, making it the third-largest city in Australia, after Sydney and Melbourne. Clustered in its South Bank cultural precinct are institutions including Queensland Museum and Sciencentre, with noted interactive exhibitions, and Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, among Australia's major contemporary art museums. Brisbane's year-round warm climate, spectacular scenery and pleasant locals has been the draw-card for many domestic and international visitors, making Brisbane the fastest-growing city in Australia.

6. Perth

cc by Karl Dinnington

Perched on the banks of the wide Swan River, between the Indian Ocean and the sands of the Nullarbor Desert, Perth is one of the world's most isolated cities, yet still boasts an active beach scene and smokin’ nightlife. Its suburbs lie along sandy beaches, riverside Kings Park and Botanic Garden on Mt. Eliza offer sweeping views of the city. The Perth Cultural Centre houses the state ballet and opera companies, and occupies its own central precinct, including a theatre, art galleries and the Western Australian Museum.

5. Cairns

cc by Matthew Kenwrick

Cairns is a major city on the east coast of Far North Queensland in Australia. For its tropical climate and access to the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, Cairns is one of Australia’s most popular vacation destinations. Cairns is the perfect city for merry revelers, passionate divers and adrenaline junkies, offering booming nightlife and heart-pounding adventure amid a vibrant, tropical setting.

4. Alice Springs

cc by Neil Willsey

Alice Springs is a remote town in Australia’s Northern Territory, situated some 1,500km from the nearest major city, with cavernous gorges, boundless desert landscapes, remote Aboriginal communities and a charming pioneering history. It embodies the hardy outback of the Northern Territory's Red Centre, and is a travel hub for sights and hikes in the region, such as Uluru / Ayers Rock, Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and Kings Canyon. Since the start of the tourist boom in the early eighties, the population has substantially grown to about 28,000.

3. Melbourne

cc by Alan Lam

The capital of the state of Victoria, Melbourne is Australia’s second most populated city. Located near the southeastern tip of Australia on the large natural bay of Port Phillip, Melbourne is Australia’s cultural capital, with Victorian-era architecture, extensive shopping, museums, galleries, theatres, and large parks and gardens. Reasons to visit Melbourne include major sporting events, using it as a base for exploring surrounding regions such as the Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and visiting Phillip Island to view the penguin parade.[wikitravel]

2. Great Barrier Reef

cc by Sarah_Ackerman

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest barrier reef system, located off the Pacific coast of Queensland, Australia. It is encompasses a huge area of more than 2,900 coral reefs and hundreds of islands and cays. Formed by millions of living organisms over a period of millions of years. It's home to countless species of colourful fish, molluscs and starfish, plus turtles, dolphins and sharks. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the best places to visit in Australia.

1. Sydney

cc by wiki

Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities, with an enviable reputation as one of the world's most beautiful and liveable cities. Brimming with history, nature, culture, art, fashion, cuisine, design, Sydney's set next to miles of ocean coastline and sandy surf beaches. Longterm immigration has led to the cities reputation as one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in Australia and the world. The city is also home to the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, two of the most iconic structures in the world.