A photograph of Australia

Country guide

Australia

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

50,740 Places
5Cities

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

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
English is the principal language; no federal official language
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+61
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
000
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type I · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from treated public supplies
Follow local notices in remote communities and after disruptions

Planning a visit

Seasonal closures come from recorded opening hours.

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Brisbane Tramway Museum Brisbane Tramway Museum
    32 1 hr 30 min

    Brisbane Tramway Museum

    The Brisbane Tramway Museum is a heritage transport museum located in the Brisbane metropolitan area. It preserves and operates historic tramcars that once served the city of Brisbane.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  2. Queensland Maritime Museum Queensland Maritime Museum
    33 1 hr 30 min

    Queensland Maritime Museum

    The Queensland Maritime Museum is a maritime heritage institution located in Brisbane. It occupies a site at the South Brisbane Dry Dock on the Brisbane River.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  3. Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
    34 1 hr 30 min

    Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute

    Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute stands as a dedicated Aboriginal cultural centre in Adelaide, South Australia. The institution serves as a gallery and performance space focused on promoting contemporary and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  4. Aviation Heritage Museum Aviation Heritage Museum
    35 1 hr 30 min

    Aviation Heritage Museum

    Aviation Heritage Museum is a Perth museum devoted to aviation history, aircraft preservation and the material culture of flight. It gives visitors a concentrated way to explore aerospace heritage through preserved aircraft, equipment and related objects.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Perth
  5. Claremont Museum Claremont Museum
    36 1 hr 30 min

    Claremont Museum

    Freshwater Bay Museum

    Claremont Museum is a local heritage museum in Perth’s western suburbs. Its focus is the history of Claremont and the surrounding community, presented through artefacts, documents, photographs, and stories connected with the district.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Perth
  6. Wireless Hill Museum Wireless Hill Museum
    37 1 hr 30 min

    Wireless Hill Museum

    Wireless Hill Museum stands in the Wireless Hill Park area of Applecross and explores the history of early wireless communication.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Perth
  7. Bay Discovery Centre
    38 1 hr 30 min

    Bay Discovery Centre

    Bay Discovery Centre is a cultural venue located in Adelaide, South Australia. The centre occupies a heritage building at Glenelg, the historic beachside suburb of Adelaide.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  8. Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre
    39 1 hr 30 min

    Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre

    Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre is an environmental education facility located in the Boondall Wetlands Reserve in northern Brisbane. The centre serves as a gateway to one of the largest remaining wetland areas on the eastern coast of Australia.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  9. Kalamunda History Village Kalamunda History Village
    40 1 hr 30 min

    Kalamunda History Village

    Kalamunda History Village is a heritage attraction in the Perth Hills of Western Australia. It presents the story of Kalamunda and its surrounding community through preserved historic buildings, local objects, and interpretive displays.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Perth
  10. Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre
    41 1 hr 30 min

    Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre

    Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre is a nature interpretation facility located within Karawatha Forest, a significant bushland reserve in Brisbane's southern suburbs.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  11. MOD.
    42 1 hr 30 min

    MOD.

    MOD. at UniSA is a futuristic museum and gallery operated by the University of South Australia on its North Terrace campus in Adelaide.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  12. Motor Museum of Western Australia Motor Museum of Western Australia
    43 1 hr 30 min

    Motor Museum of Western Australia

    The Motor Museum of Western Australia is a curated automotive heritage institution located in the Perth metropolitan area. It preserves and displays vehicles significant to Western Australia's motoring history.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Perth
  13. Museum of Brisbane Museum of Brisbane
    44 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Brisbane

    Museum of Brisbane is the city’s museum inside Brisbane City Hall, on Level 3 above King George Square. Its subject is Brisbane itself: the city’s stories, people, places and changing identity are interpreted through exhibitions in the civic heart.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  14. Pine Rivers Heritage Museum Pine Rivers Heritage Museum
    45 1 hr 30 min

    Pine Rivers Heritage Museum

    Pine Rivers Heritage Museum preserves the local story of the Pine Rivers region in Brisbane's northern suburbs.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  15. Scitech Scitech
    46 1 hr 30 min

    Scitech

    Scitech is a science discovery centre located in Perth, Western Australia. It serves as an educational and interactive attraction designed to engage visitors with scientific concepts through hands-on exhibits and experiences.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Perth
  16. Wadjemup Museum Wadjemup Museum
    47 1 hr 30 min

    Wadjemup Museum

    Wadjemup Museum is a cultural museum on Wadjemup / Rottnest Island, reached from Perth by ferry. It occupies a heritage building connected with the island’s former prison period.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Perth
  17. Western Australian Museum Shipwrecks Western Australian Museum Shipwrecks
    48 1 hr 30 min

    Western Australian Museum Shipwrecks

    The WA Shipwrecks Museum is a maritime heritage institution operated by the Western Australian Museum. It is located in Fremantle, the port city of the Perth metropolitan area.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Perth

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Australia be?

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.

What entry documents are needed for Australia?

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.

What is the best way to travel around Australia?

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.

When is a practical time to visit Australia?

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.

What money and payment basics apply in Australia?

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.

What practical safety details should I save for Australia?

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.