All 100 Aussie Wonders

Discover all the top 100 Aussie Wonders.

Wild coastlines, cultural institutions, gourmet delights, epic road trips… Australia is full of wonders, from icons to the lesser-known. Here, we’ve curated 100 Aussie Wonders to discover across the nation. Get ready to explore all the things that make Australia the extraordinary place it is (like the epic shot above taken by Salty Wings of Roebuck Bay in Broome, WA).

Here is the complete list to inspire your own travels this year and beyond.

Iconic wonders

See Australia’s iconic wonders here.

1. Uluru, Northern Territory

2. Murray River, New South Wales and Victoria

3. Sydney Harbour, New South Wales

4. Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

5. Hunter Valley, New South Wales

6. Quokkas of Wadjemup (Rottnest Island), Western Australia

7. Australia’s Big Things, across Australia

8. Parliament House, Australian Capital Territory

9. Luxury Lodges of Australia, across Australia

10. Aussie pubs, across Australia

Natural wonders

See Australia’s natural wonders here.

11. Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Tasmania

12. Aurora australis, Tasmania

13. Gorgeous gorges across Australia, across Australia

14. Kiama Blowhole, New South Wales

15. Australia’s wonderous waterfalls, across Australia

16. Remarkable rocks, across Australia

17. Cassowaries of Mission Beach, Queensland

18. Daintree Rainforest, Queensland

19. Christmas Island

20. Ningaloo/Nyinggulu, Western Australia

Outback wonders

See Australia’s outback wonders here.

21. Flinders Ranges, South Australia

22. Lake Argyle, Western Australia

23. Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

24. Mungo National Park, New South Wales

25. Undara lava tubes, Queensland

26. Outback wildflowers of Western Australia

27. Qantas Founders Museum, Queensland

28. The Ghan, multi-state journey

29. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, South Australia

30. Larapinta Trail, Northern Territory

Cultural wonders

See Australia’s cultural wonders here.

31. Tiwi Islands art, Northern Territory

32. Garma Festival, Northern Territory

33. Tamworth Country Music Festival, New South Wales

34. Australian Music Vault, Victoria

35. Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, Northern Territory

36. Mad Max 2 Museum, New South Wales

37. Indigenous art fairs, across Australia

38. Australian Open, Victoria

39. Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, Victoria

40. Norfolk Island

Urban wonders

See Australia’s urban wonders here.

41. WA Museum Boola Bardip, Western Australia

42. Bendigo’s art scene, Victoria

43. Adelaide Oval, South Australia

44. Flinders Street Photo Booth, Victoria

45. Melbourne’s laneways, Victoria

46. The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, New South Wales

47. Newcastle’s food scene, New South Wales

48. Balumbul/Umpherston Sinkhole, Mt Gambier, South Australia

49. Mona, Tasmania

50. National Arboretum, Australian Capital Territory

Foodie wonders

See Australia’s foodie wonders here.

51. Aboriginal Bush Traders cafe, Northern Territory

52. Aussie oysters, across Australia

53. Tokyo Lamington, New South Wales

54. Australian coffee culture, across Australia

55. Bilpin cider, New South Wales

56. The Agrarian Kitchen, Tasmania

57. LANGTONS Classification of Australian Wine

58. The Aussie sausage sizzle

59. Aussie spirits

60. Sydney Fish Market, New South Wales

Coastal wonders

See Australia’s coastal wonders here.

61. Kimberley Coast, Western Australia

62. Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, New South Wales

63. Australia’s waves

64. Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

65. Ocean pools of New South Wales

66. Cod Hole Dive Site, Queensland

67. Cable Beach, Western Australia

68. Esperance from the air, Western Australia

69. Orcas of Bremer Bay, Western Australia

70. wukalina Walk, Tasmania

Island wonders

See Australia’s island wonders here.

71. Climbing Lord Howe Island’s Mt Gower, New South Wales

72. Torres Strait in a day

73. Little penguins of Phillip Island, Victoria

74. Whitehaven Beach, Queensland

75. Cocos (Keeling) Islands

76. Brisbane’s islands, Queensland

77. Kangaroo Island’s Ligurian honey bees, South Australia

78. K’gari, Queensland

79. Lizard Island, Queensland

80. Maria Island, Tasmania

Hidden wonders

See Australia’s hidden wonders here.

81. Rowley Shoals, Western Australia

82. Hawkesbury River, New South Wales

83. Swan River Trails, Western Australia

84. Litchfield’s swimming holes, Northern Territory

85. Australia’s hot springs, across Australia

86. Bundanon, New South Wales

87. Noosa Everglades, Queensland

88. Bungle Bungle Range, Western Australia

89. Royal Exhibition Building Dome Promenade, Victoria

90. Arnhem Land, Northern Territory

Road trip wonders

See Australia’s road trip wonders here.

91. Adelaide to Birdsville (and beyond)

92. Great Ocean Road, Victoria

93. Waterfall Way, New South Wales

94. Silo Art Trail, Victoria

95. Great Beach Drive, Queensland

96. Prosecco Road, Victoria

97. Cairns to Cape York, Queensland

98. Tassie’s Tasting Trail, Tasmania

99. Savannah Way, multi-state journey

100. Gibb River Road, Western Australia

Australian Bird of the Year explained

Originally launched in 2017 and held every two years since, the Australian Bird of the Year competition is a celebration of our birds, one of the country’s most unique wildlife species. But it also serves a deeper purpose – to highlight the importance of our native bird species and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing environment.

Rainbow lorikeets are one of Australia’s most recognisable birds. (Image: Getty/Matthew Starling)

Australia is home to roughly 850 native bird species. A significant portion of those are also endemic, meaning they cannot be found anywhere else on the planet – mainly due to Australia’s geographical isolation.

The troubling news? Under the government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 , 22 native bird species are already completely extinct, with 77 classified as vulnerable, more than any other species on the list. Over 65 are listed as endangered and 18 critically endangered, including some of the competition’s nominees.

The black cockatoo one of 77 species listed as vulnerable. (Image: Getty/Jeremy Edwards)

Take one of the previous Australian Bird of the Year winners. The swift parrot took out top spot in 2023 – and it’s no surprise. The endemic species, usually found in Tasmania, is one of just three migratory parrots on Earth. But it’s also critically endangered, with demographic studies predicting it could be completely extinct as soon as 2031.

Here’s how you can help – and vote!

We still have time to make a difference, and it really doesn’t take much. If you’re in a position to do so, Birdlife Australia accepts donations, which are funnelled into protecting endangered species, restoring habitats, building conservation partnerships and educating the public. Or you can volunteer your spare time to monitor birds, collect data and repair damaged habitats.

Birdlife Australia helps restore habitats for species like the splendid fairywren. (Image: Getty/Outback to Coast)

I get it though, we’re all busy. But just by voting for your favourite Australian Bird of the Year, you’re not only raising awareness, you’re also supporting an organisation that is working hard to save our native birdlife.

Voting is easy, too, and it’s open now! Simply head to The Guardian’s website, scroll through the list of this year’s candidates (which come with their own adorable photo and bio) and click the ‘vote’ button under your favourite.

Can’t pick just one? Yeah, me either. But don’t worry – polling refreshes daily, so you can vote for a different bird every day. At the end of each round, the five species with the fewest votes will be removed from the race, a bittersweet but necessary step to crown a winner.

At the time of writing, 2023’s runner-up, the tawny frogmouth, is in the lead with over 1000 votes. The black cockatoo is close behind, followed by the gang-gang cockatoo and willie wagtail, with the bush stone-curlew rounding out the top five. Other favourites include the kookaburra, galah, splendid fairywren and little penguin, which can be spotted across southern Australia.

The details

The 2025 Australian Bird of the Year competition runs from 6–15 October. Voting is free, with one vote allowed per day and tallies refreshed at midnight – no sign-in or registration required.

Just 10 bird species will enter the final round on 14 October, and vote tallies will no longer be visible. The poll officially closes at 6am on 15 October, with the winner announced on 16 October. If you miss it this year, the Australian Bird of the Year returns in 2027.