There are really two things you have to do before you die regarding Australia’s largest national park: see Kakadu in the wet (December to March) and see it in the dry (all other months). In either case, the place has a reputation for overloading the senses. “A pre-Noah’s Ark, not to mention the pre-Noah art. Walk, drive, swim, watch the wildlife and be reminded of the World Heritage worthiness of this beautiful realm.” - John Borthwick  In the wet the park drowns in water, heat, humidity, bright tropical colours, nature in the raw – all the fundamental elements that make...

No matter how many documentaries you’ve seen or how much it has been hyped up by everyone you’ve spoken to, once you’ve taken your first look into the world’s biggest aquarium, it is waaaay better than expected.   “A genuine wonder.” - George Negus The vivid colours, subtle movements and interactions between the many life forms are utterly mesmerising. Not surprising, really, as the reef boasts dugongs and green turtles, a large variety of dolphins and whales, more than 1500 species of fish, 4000 types of mollusc, and more than 200 species of bird. “There’s no way around it. You’ve...

It’s the dream of many Australians, but often it takes some guts to say: “Now is the time.” Time, that is, to drop out of the rat race for a while, take three to six months off and drive around Australia. Cut yourself free. And freedom is the most important word here. Freedom to jump in your vehicle (be it a family sedan, 4WD, campervan, caravan, Ute or the famed but slightly overrated Kombie), head where you want to head, stop where you want to stop, spend extra days at places you like, skip right by places that disappoint, and...

There are many remarkable things about Uluru, the huge monolith 465km southwest of Alice Springs in Australia’s Red Centre. But perhaps the most remarkable is how few Aussies have ever visited it. Maybe because it’s a long way to go from most population centres and people think there’s little to do once you get there. Think again. A trip to Uluru (Ayers Rock), and the neighbouring Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), represents one of the world’s most memorable walking holidays. Firstly, there’s the opportunity to walk around the rock (some 9.4km – our tip: start early in the day), which is...

You wouldn’t visit Paris and not climb the Eiffel Tower, would you? Or make the trip to New York and not stand atop the Empire State Building. So why would you visit Sydney – or even live in Sydney – and not climb the world famous, instantly recognisable Sydney Harbour Bridge? You might argue that you’d like to climb the Sydney Opera House, too, which is just as - if not more – famous. The problem there is that you’d be arrested. Just like you would’ve been had you climbed the Coathanger prior to 1998, when BridgeClimb was opened. Quite...

The Kimberley offers visitors one of the most spectacularly rugged coastlines in the world - a place of soaring red cliffs and cascading waterfalls, tidal rivers lined with dense rainforest and sprawling mangroves. And all are teeming with wildlife. The area is virtually unspoilt, and for a very simple reason: it is remote. “This is an amazing region so unique to our country. And the area itself is great on or off land! I say take your time to explore both.” - George Negus The only roads in the region are a very small number of 4WD tracks that are...

Off the North West Cape of WA is Australia’s other magical reef, Ningaloo. Far from being out to sea and accessible only by boat, Ningaloo is special because you can walk literally from the beach to the reef, with water only coming up to your knees in the brilliant white sanded lagoon. More than 500 species of fish are found here, along with 220 species of coral. “What more eerie and special treat can there be than swimming alongside these gentle giants? For intimate wildlife encounters, this is about as good as it gets.” - Greg Barton From mid-March to...

Sydney Harbour, NSW: This list was compiled in 2006. The updated 2011 Edition can be found here. Sure, you should “do” Sydney Harbour before you die. The problem is how. Sydneysiders have been inventing new ways to do the Harbour for years: you can cruise on it, power boat on it, sail it, swim it, sit by it, canoe it, fish on it, eat on it, dance on it, drive over it, drive under it, fly past it, sit on an island in it, view it from the zoo . . . the list goes on and on. It’s also become increasingly...

The Great Ocean Road is without doubt one of Australia’s most spectacular drives, built into the steep seaside cliffs of southwest Victoria. The Southern Ocean and views of the dramatically eroded coastline, including the famed Twelve Apostles, are on one side, the sheer cliffs are on the other. The small strip of bitumen that weaves its way along the coast is right in front of you. But the Great Ocean Road is much more than a road these days. It forms the most popular surf coast of Victoria (including Bells Beach), boasts superb and often deserted beaches, lighthouses, remarkable shipwrecks...

If you want ancient history, take a stroll in the world’s longest continually surviving rainforests in Tropical North Queensland. Sister icon to the Barrier Reef, the forests have been around for over 110 million years. They’re inspirational, primeval and an absolute must-see for every Australian. The sort of place you could travel to over and over again and still not see everything. It’s a lush paradise with over 3000 plants (many still being discovered), host to half the known species of Australian birds, and many ways to explore: boat along mysterious rivers; trek through the dense, damp ecosystem; or drive...

Dazzling sapphire waters, colourful coral cays, bright, white inviting beaches, safe anchorages and coves, and hundreds of inhabited and uninhabited islands to explore: these are the Whitsunday Islands. “I’ve never once heard a traveller return less than thrilled.” - Catriona Rowntree Is there any other way to explore the world’s ultimate cruising region other than on your own boat - owned or rented? Can you believe that you haven’t yet sold the house and spent three months undertaking this arduous task? Dropping a line over the side to catch lunch. Determining off which island or in which cove you’ll anchor...

If it’s one of your desires to truly understand Aboriginal culture in this country, there are many ways to learn about Australia’s first nation. There are now many high-quality cultural attractions designed to inform the wider community about Aboriginal culture, including theatre, art and dance. But to get to know Australia’s oldest community properly, and for an experience that will change the way you view the world, you have to spend some time with them. And what better way than spending a week walking the desert with Indigenous Australians? Moving from community to community across the Central Desert, you can...

It’s amazing to think that the Sydney Opera House has been open just 33 years, and yet it’s as representative of Australia as the pyramids are of Egypt or the Colosseum is of Rome (both of which, if you think about it, have been standing a while longer). It’s photographed almost as often as these buildings as well, but how many people have actually been inside one of the Opera House’s 800-plus rooms? “Soak up the history with a backstage tour . . . you were born for that stage!” - Catriona Rowntree There’s one room in particular that every...