Country guide
Australia covers 7,688,287 km², sixth largest in the world, and close to 4,000 km separate its east coast from its west. Nearly 28 million people live here, abo...
Photograph · Corey Leopold · CC BY 2.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Australia covers 7,688,287 km², sixth largest in the world, and close to 4,000 km separate its east coast from its west. Nearly 28 million people live here, about 80 per cent of them within 25 km of a mainland coastline 35,821 km long — which is the fact that governs any trip taken across it. The cities form a rim around an interior that stays largely empty; Sydney and Melbourne pass five million each, and Canberra, the capital, is neither of them. Six states and ten territories, and a sensible visit chooses two of them rather than the map.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Shkuru Afshar · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Chris Olszewski · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Samuel Wiki · CC BY 4.0
Photograph · Photograph by Doug Barber · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
309 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, commonly called the MCG, is Melbourne's landmark stadium in the sporting precinct east of the central city.
Glenelg Beach is Adelaide's best-known metropolitan beach precinct, centred on the sand, Glenelg Jetty, Moseley Square and the western end of Jetty Road.
The Rocks is a historic precinct on the western fringe of Sydney Cove, forming the birthplace of European settlement in Australia. Its sandstone warehouses, laneways, and terraces survive from convict-era foundations through maritime commercial periods to contemporary adaptive reuse.
Adelaide Oval is a major sports stadium located in the parklands district of Adelaide, South Australia. It serves as a venue for Australian rules football, cricket, and other events.
Elizabeth Quay is a mixed-use development on Perth's central waterfront, positioned where the Swan River meets the central business district. The precinct redeveloped former industrial and transport lands into a publicly accessible leisure and entertainment zone.
Mount Coot-tha Lookout is a prominent elevated viewing platform situated in the western suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland.
State Library Victoria is a major public reference library in Melbourne, Australia. Established in 1854, it occupies a prominent position in the city's cultural and civic landscape.
Cleland Wildlife Park is a wildlife attraction in the Adelaide Hills region near Adelaide, South Australia. The park is situated within Cleland Conservation Park and offers visitors encounters with native Australian animals.
Flinders Street Station is both a working rail interchange and one of Melbourne's best-known meeting points. The site opened as Melbourne Terminus in 1854, when it had a single platform and weatherboard sheds; the current station building opened in 1910.
Swan Valley is a recognised tourism and wine-producing region situated in the upper reaches of the Swan River, northeast of Perth's central business district.
Hahndorf is a township in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia, approximately 28 kilometres east of Adelaide's central business district. Established in 1839 by Prussian Lutheran immigrants, it holds distinction as Australia's oldest surviving German settlement.
The Art Gallery of Western Australia is a public art museum located in the Perth Cultural Centre. It serves as the principal state art collection holder for Western Australia.
Howard Smith Wharves is a heritage-listed riverside precinct beneath the Story Bridge in Brisbane. Originally constructed as wharves in the 1930s, the site was redeveloped into a dining and entertainment destination.
Brisbane City Hall is a heritage-listed municipal building located in King George Square, serving as the seat of the Brisbane City Council. Completed in 1930 after a decade of construction, it remains one of the city's most prominent civic landmarks.
Circular Quay is a harbourfront precinct and major transport interchange in Sydney, New South Wales. It serves as the primary ferry terminal for Sydney Harbour, connecting passengers to locations including Manly, Taronga Zoo, and Parramatta.
Perth Cultural Centre is a public cultural precinct in the heart of Perth, Western Australia. It serves as a hub for arts, culture, and learning, bringing together several major institutions in one connected space.
The Mortlock Wing is a heritage-listed reading room and exhibition space within the State Library of South Australia on North Terrace in Adelaide.
North Terrace is a premier boulevard in Adelaide, South Australia, forming the northern edge of the Adelaide city centre grid. It functions as a significant cultural precinct, hosting major state institutions along its length.
Rundle Mall is Adelaide's premier pedestrian shopping street and public thoroughfare in the South Australian capital. It functions as the city's commercial and social heart, stretching east from King William Street through the central business district.
Optus Stadium is a working sports and entertainment venue on Perth's Burswood Peninsula, beside Stadium Park and the Swan River.
Matagarup Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge spanning the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. The bridge connects the East Perth and Burswood precincts, providing access to the Optus Stadium area.
River Torrens Linear Park is a public open space corridor following the River Torrens through Adelaide. It forms part of the broader Adelaide Park Lands system, which encircles the city centre.
Brisbane Powerhouse is a former power station redeveloped as a contemporary arts and cultural venue. Located on the Brisbane River at New Farm, the industrial heritage building now hosts theatre, dance, music, comedy, visual arts and festivals.
Hillarys Boat Harbour is both a working marina and a public waterfront precinct in Perth's northern suburbs. Transport WA lists boat ramps, pens, moorings and a refuelling jetty alongside visitor facilities, dining and retail.
Fortitude Valley is an inner-city suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, situated immediately northeast of the central business district. Historically an industrial and working-class area, it evolved into a prominent entertainment precinct from the late twentieth century.
Ten to fourteen days should cover one coast, one city pair or one city plus a nearby landscape, not the continent. Sydney and Melbourne can share a southeastern route; Perth, the tropical north and the Red Centre each demand separate flights and more time.
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs is the authority for Visitor visas and electronic travel permissions. Select the product for the passport and purpose, complete required declarations, and remember that visa approval does not remove Australia’s strict biosecurity obligations.
Flights are usually the efficient link between distant states. Rail and coaches serve selected corridors, cars become important outside cities, and urban fare cards are local rather than national; remote drives require fuel, water, communications and realistic distance planning.
Australia’s seasons and hazards vary dramatically by latitude. Southern-city summers, tropical dry seasons and Red Centre heat create different windows, so choose dates for the selected region and check official fire, cyclone or flood advice before road travel.
The Australian dollar is the sole recorded currency. Contactless payment is common, but remote roadhouses and small services justify a backup card or cash; check surcharges at the point of sale and budget fuel around long gaps rather than metropolitan prices.
Use 000 for urgent police, fire or ambulance assistance; Australia uses Type I power at 230 V. Treated public tap supplies are recorded as safe, but remote-site notices take precedence, and travellers should save the state emergency service relevant to their route.
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