A photograph of Australia

Country guide

1 to 2 hours in Australia — page 2

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. Army Museum of Western Australia Army Museum of Western Australia
    26 1 hr 30 min

    Army Museum of Western Australia

    The Army Museum of Western Australia is a military heritage institution located in the Perth metropolitan area. It preserves and presents the history of the Australian Army in Western Australia, covering conflicts from colonial times through to contemporary operations.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Perth
  2. Waite Arboretum Waite Arboretum
    27 2 hours

    Waite Arboretum

    Waite Arboretum is a botanical collection situated in Adelaide's southern suburbs, within the grounds of the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus at Urrbrae. The arboretum occupies land bequeathed through the Waite Agricultural Research Institute legacy.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Adelaide
  3. Cockatoo Island Cockatoo Island
    28 1 hr 30 min

    Cockatoo Island

    Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour, positioned where the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers meet. It forms part of the Australian Convict Sites UNESCO World Heritage property.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  4. Australian Museum Australian Museum
    29 1 hr 30 min

    Australian Museum

    The Australian Museum is Sydney’s natural-history and cultural museum on William Street, opposite Hyde Park and St Mary’s Cathedral. Its collections and exhibitions connect Australian wildlife, geology and biodiversity with First Nations cultural material.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  5. Hyde Park Barracks Hyde Park Barracks
    30 1 hr 30 min

    Hyde Park Barracks

    Hyde Park Barracks is a historic Georgian building on Macquarie Street beside Hyde Park in central Sydney. Built in the early nineteenth century, it first housed transported convicts and later served as an immigration depot and government offices.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  6. Sydney Mint Sydney Mint
    31 1 hr 30 min

    Sydney Mint

    The Mint

    The Mint is a heritage building in Sydney associated with Australia’s colonial period and the early development of the city. Its sandstone construction reflects the architectural character of historic Sydney.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  7. Sydney Observatory Sydney Observatory
    32 1 hr 30 min

    Sydney Observatory

    Sydney Observatory is a heritage astronomical observatory and museum located in The Rocks area of Sydney. Established in 1858, it occupies a prominent position on Observatory Hill near the harbour.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  8. Melbourne Museum Melbourne Museum
    33 1 hr 30 min

    Melbourne Museum

    Melbourne Museum is a large museum in Carlton where natural history, social history and cultural material share one visitor complex.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  9. Australian National Maritime Museum Australian National Maritime Museum
    34 1 hr 30 min

    Australian National Maritime Museum

    The Australian National Maritime Museum is a major cultural institution located in Sydney's Darling Harbour. It preserves and presents Australia's maritime heritage through exhibitions, vessels, and programs.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  10. South Australian Museum South Australian Museum
    35 1 hr 30 min

    South Australian Museum

    The South Australian Museum is a major natural history and cultural institution in Adelaide. It occupies a prominent position on North Terrace in the cultural precinct.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  11. Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo
    36 1 hr 30 min

    Melbourne Zoo

    Melbourne Zoological Gardens

    Melbourne Zoo is a zoological park situated in the city of Melbourne, Victoria. Established in 1862, it holds distinction as Australia's oldest zoo and one of the world's oldest.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • Melbourne
  12. Elizabeth Bay House Elizabeth Bay House
    37 1 hr 30 min

    Elizabeth Bay House

    Elizabeth Bay House is an 1830s colonial residence built for Alexander Macleay, the colony’s colonial secretary, in Sydney’s inner east.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  13. Elizabeth Farm Elizabeth Farm
    38 1 hr 30 min

    Elizabeth Farm

    Elizabeth Farm is a historic house museum in Sydney's Parramatta area and one of Australia's oldest surviving European buildings. John and Elizabeth Macarthur's house was constructed in 1793 and is closely connected with the beginnings of Australia's wool industry.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  14. Immigration Museum Immigration Museum
    39 1 hr 30 min

    Immigration Museum

    The Immigration Museum is a museum in Melbourne dedicated to the history of immigration to Australia. It explores the stories of people who have migrated to Victoria and Australia, examining the causes, processes, and impacts of immigration.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  15. Museum of Sydney Museum of Sydney
    40 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Sydney

    The Museum of Sydney is a history museum near Circular Quay on the site of Australia’s first Government House, built in 1788. It explores Sydney’s colonial foundations, Indigenous history and continuing urban development through archaeology, objects, art and multimedia.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  16. Queensland Museum Queensland Museum
    41 1 hr 30 min

    Queensland Museum

    Queensland Museum Kurilpa is Queensland's state museum at the Queensland Cultural Centre in Brisbane's South Bank precinct. Its public galleries connect natural history, palaeontology, biodiversity, technology, cultural history and First Nations stories with the museum's active collections and research.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Brisbane
  17. Susannah Place Museum Susannah Place Museum
    42 1 hr 30 min

    Susannah Place Museum

    Susannah Place Museum preserves a terrace of four houses built in 1844 in Sydney’s The Rocks. The site presents working-class domestic life across more than 150 years, showing how successive families lived within a compact urban terrace.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  18. Ian Potter Centre Ian Potter Centre
    43 1 hr 30 min

    Ian Potter Centre

    Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

    Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is a Melbourne art gallery devoted to Australian art and located within the Federation Square precinct.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  19. Migration Museum Migration Museum
    44 1 hr 30 min

    Migration Museum

    Migration Museum South Australia

    The Migration Museum in Adelaide is a cultural institution dedicated to documenting and sharing the stories of people who have migrated to South Australia. It explores themes of displacement, settlement, identity, and belonging through personal narratives and historical records.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  20. Carrick Hill Carrick Hill
    45 1 hr 30 min

    Carrick Hill

    Carrick Hill is a historic house and garden estate located in Adelaide, South Australia.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Adelaide
  21. Experiment Farm Cottage Experiment Farm Cottage
    46 1 hr 30 min

    Experiment Farm Cottage

    Experiment Farm Cottage is a heritage property in Parramatta, western Sydney, connected with Australia’s early colonial agricultural history. The cottage represents the period when European settlers experimented with farming and food production around the developing colony.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Sydney
  22. Scienceworks Scienceworks
    47 1 hr 30 min

    Scienceworks

    Scienceworks is a science museum and technology centre in Spotswood, Melbourne, operated as part of Museums Victoria. It is designed for active learning, with exhibitions that turn scientific principles, technology and industrial history into experiences visitors can explore.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne
  23. Western Australian Museum Western Australian Museum
    48 1 hr 30 min

    Western Australian Museum

    Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip

    WA Museum Boola Bardip is the state museum of Western Australia, located within the Perth Cultural Centre. Its name, from the Noongar language, means many stories.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Perth
  24. Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo
    49 1 hr 30 min

    Taronga Zoo

    Taronga Zoo Sydney is a major zoological garden located on the shores of Sydney Harbour in the suburb of Mosman. Established in 1916, it occupies a prominent harbourside position offering views toward the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • Sydney
  25. Hellenic Museum Hellenic Museum
    50 1 hr 30 min

    Hellenic Museum

    The Hellenic Museum is a cultural institution in Melbourne dedicated to preserving and showcasing Greek history, art, and culture. Located in the city, it serves as a bridge between Australia's Greek community heritage and broader public engagement.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Melbourne

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.