When it comes to adventure, Australia never disappoints. It’s a country that has so much to offer to different kinds of travelers — for backpackers, campers, hikers, swimmers, and even for those who love long road trips.
Australia is dreamy, fascinating, incredible, and dazzling. The beautiful natural scenery will take your breath away. The enchanting reefs, pristine water, and overwhelming rock formations are a natural beauty.
If you’re thinking about visiting Australia, then a visit to its iconic landmarks is a must. We’ve narrowed down the best places to visit in Australia below.
1. Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is blessed with the striking beauty of the world’s largest coral reef. The reef is home to a great number of marine life and comprises more than 300 individual reef systems and coral cays. The Great Barrier Reef is undoubtedly beautiful and breathtaking… no wonder why it has become one of the world’s most sought-after tourist destinations.
The iconic reef was listed as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The reef system is so vast, in fact, it’s larger than the Great Wall of China and can be seen from outer space. The Queensland National Trust named the reef as a state icon of Queensland.
2. Uluru
Also known as Ayers Rock, Uluru is a giant monolith dwelling in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The natives of the area consider the Uluru sacred. The area around the iconic rock formation is home to springs, rock caves, waterholes, and ancient paintings.
Uluru offers more than just an opportunity to take stunning photos. The massive, iconic rock hide ancient wisdom and diverse animal and plant life.
Adventurers love roaming around the enormous rock, while some enjoy watching the dramatic sunrise and sunset or the pink skies. Explore caves with carved paintings, learn more about the history embedded in the rock formation, or watch and listen to the birds as they sing a beautiful lullaby.
3. Sydney Harbour Bridge
One of the most iconic Australian landmarks is the Sydney Harbour Bridge — the largest steel arch bridge in the world. The enormous bridge opened in 1932 and was nicknamed the Coathanger by Sydneysiders.
You can walk and cycle across the bridge. You can even climb to the top to enjoy breathtaking views.
The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbor, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of Sydney. They are the subject of many photographs — in magazines and postcards.
The famous steel arch bridge was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007 and to the New South Wales Heritage Register in 1999.
4. Sydney Opera House
Perhaps the most iconic and most known Australia landmark is the Sydney Opera House. We see it in movies, magazines, and postcards — everyone knows this multi-venue performing arts center at Sydney Harbour. In fact, the famous Opera House is one of the most famous and distinctive buildings of the 20th century.
The building was designed by Jorn Utzon, a Danish architect, and was opened on October 1973. The building can accommodate over 1,500 performances annually, attended by over a million people.
Performances are being presented by numerous performing artists, including three resident companies: Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Theater Company, and Opera Australia.
In June 2007, the Opera House was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was also added to the list of the National Trust of Australia in 1983, the City of Sydney Heritage Inventory in 2000, New South Wales State Heritage Register in 2003, and the Australian National Heritage List in 2005.
5. Great Ocean Road
The ever-so-spectacular Great Ocean Road offers a sweet and relaxing escape for those who are jaded by everyday life.
Explore the vast landscape of Great Ocean Road and immerse yourself in solitude the Big Nature offers. It’s a great place to restore life balance, de-stress, unwind, and forget life problems.
Hike the beautiful wilderness and walk to the beat of mother nature. You can also go two-wheeling to keep your heart pumping or come face to face with the strong waves of the vast ocean.
The Great Ocean Road is the world’s largest war memorial. Learn more about the history of this iconic spot by visiting the Great Ocean Road Heritage Center.
6. Twelve Apostles
The iconic Twelve Apostles in the Great Ocean Road is a collection of massive limestone stacks. Their distance to one another has made the site a major tourist attraction.
The stacks were formed by erosion. The harsh and extreme weather conditions form the Southern Ocean shaped the soft limestone into caves, which eventually collapsed and formed into rock stacks.
Interestingly, the Twelve Apostles never included twelve stacks.
There are only seven stacks after one collapsed in July 2005.
Get a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of the majestic 12 apostles and explore the dramatic coastline. There are two ways to reach this site: you can take a hike along the Great Ocean Walk or take a helicopter flight to enjoy a 360-degree view.
7. Queen Victoria Building
The world-famous Queen Victoria Building (or QVB) is a 19th-century building designed by George McRae. The complex is not just an ordinary building… it’s a heritage-listed Romanesque-style building was constructed between 1893 and 1989. It was intended as a marketplace and was further used for a variety of other purposes.
Today, the iconic building is an excellent place for shopping in Sydney. The complex occupies an entire block on George Street. It has over 180 fashion boutiques, jewelry shops, cafes, and restaurants.
8. Kings Canyon National Park
If you want to see soaring giant sequoia trees, rivers with water like silk, magnificent mountain meadows, deep canyons, and beautiful wildlife, then a visit to Kings Canyon National Park should be in your list.
This Australian landmark is an excellent place to sight-see magnificent scenery. The stunning cliffs polished with greenery and watersheds are picturesque and relaxing. The national park offers recreation. Roam around the park, take incredible snaps, find life balance, and unwind… It’s truly a great place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
