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
Seasonal closures come from recorded opening hours.
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
307 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
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 railway station is a railway station on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It serves the entire metropolitan rail network.
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 major sports and entertainment venue located in Perth, Western Australia. It serves as the primary home ground for Australian Football League matches featuring the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers.
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 a recreational marina and leisure precinct located approximately 20 kilometres north-west of Perth's central business district, within the City of Joondalup local government area.
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.
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour is a working harbour located in Fremantle, a port city within the Perth metropolitan area in Western Australia. It serves as a base for commercial fishing vessels and has developed into a significant visitor destination.
Southbank Promenade is a pedestrianised riverside walkway along the southern bank of the Yarra River in central Melbourne. It forms the spine of the Southbank precinct, connecting the central business district to the Crown Entertainment Complex and beyond.
The Adelaide Festival Centre is South Australia's principal performing arts venue and the heart of Adelaide's cultural precinct. Located on the banks of the River Torrens, it was Australia's first multi-purpose arts centre when established.
Chinatown Melbourne is an ethnic enclave in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia.
The WA Maritime Museum is a maritime history museum located in Fremantle, Western Australia. It sits at the entrance to Fremantle Harbour, occupying a prominent waterfront position at Victoria Quay.
Elder Park is a public park situated on the southern bank of the River Torrens in Adelaide, South Australia. It forms part of the linear parklands that characterise the city's layout.
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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