Your definitive list of the 100 best Aussie towns to visit right now.
From coast to outback and everywhere in between, our country is home to a vast array of vibrant destinations. At Australian Traveller, we’ve always championed these Australian towns and communities, shining a light on both the well-known and the evolving. This year, we’ve pushed things further by inviting a national panel of industry experts and much-loved Australians to help rank and shape the final rundown of our 100 best Aussie towns to visit around the country.
From the classics you’d expect to fast-emerging hidden gems and even a few wildcards, it’s a snapshot of exploring Australia today; whether you’re seeking a beachy break, a culture fix, a country escape or an outback discovery. Australia, meet your top 100 best Aussie towns to visit this year.
The top 100 Aussie towns
1. Bicheno, Tas
2. Port Douglas, Qld
3. Byron Bay, NSW
4. Port Fairy, Vic
5. Bowral, NSW
6. Broome, WA
7. Willunga, SA
8. Eagle Bay, WA
9. Noosa, Qld
10. Beechworth, Vic
11. Lorne, Vic
12. Daylesford, Vic
13. St Helens, Tas
14. Yamba, NSW
15. Yulara, NT
16. Bellingen, NSW
17. Stanley, Tas
18. Richmond, Tas
19. Kalbarri, WA
20. Margaret River, WA
21. Agnes Water & 1770, Qld
22. Longreach, Qld
23. Broken Hill, NSW
24. Fremantle, WA
25. Esperance, WA
26. Launceston, Tas
27. Meeniyan, Vic
28. Thredbo, NSW
29. Mission Beach, Qld
30. Torquay, Vic
31. Townsville, Qld
32. Hahndorf, SA
33. Orange, NSW
34. Geelong, Vic
35. Metung, Vic
36. New Norfolk, Tas
37. Katherine, NT
38. Lightning Ridge, NSW
39. Bridport, Tas
40. Robe, SA
41. Maleny, Qld
42. Tamborine Mountain, Qld
43. Cooktown, Qld
44. Denmark, WA
45. Leura, NSW
46. Mudgee, NSW
47. Albany, WA
48. Airlie Beach, Qld
49. McLaren Vale, SA
50. Ballarat, Vic
51. Clare, SA
52. Bright, Vic
53. Evandale, Tas
54. Hermannsburg, NT
55. Winton, Qld
56. Cairns, Qld
57. Healesville, Vic
58. Nhulunbuy, NT
59. Murwillumbah, NSW
60. Castlemaine, Vic
61. Mount Gambier, SA
62. Kununurra, WA
63. Griffith, NSW
64. Rutherglen, Vic
65. Echuca Moama, Vic + NSW
66. Coffin Bay, SA
67. Penneshaw, SA
68. South West Rocks, NSW
69. Pemberton, WA
70. Hervey Bay, Qld
71. Halls Gap, Vic
72. Tanunda, SA
73. Terrigal, NSW
74. Bendigo, Vic
75. Exmouth, WA
76. Kiama, NSW
77. Alice Springs, NT
78. Stanthorpe, Qld
79. Sorrento, Vic
80. Portsea, Vic
81. Kalgoorlie-Boulder, WA
82. Berry, NSW
83. Merimbula, NSW
84. Nelson Bay, NSW
85. Strahan, Tas
86. Sheffield, Tas
87. Coober Pedy, SA
88. Woolgoolga, NSW
89. Armidale, NSW
90. Inverloch, Vic
91. Batchelor, NT
92. Atherton, Qld
93. Broke, NSW
94. Quorn, SA
95. Mildura, Vic
96. Wurrumiyanga, NT
97. York, WA
98. Bathurst, NSW
99. Goulburn, NSW
100. Ballina, NSW
Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.
AI Prompt
How it was decided
Australian Traveller’s 100 best Aussie towns were selected by a voting panel of much-loved Australians, industry experts and category authorities from across the country. Following a far-reaching nomination process and guided by professional instinct and personal judgement, our panel rated the shortlist on a scale of 1–10 based on how strongly they believe Australians should visit nominated towns.
They didn’t vote on places they did not feel they had sufficient knowledge of. The overall ranking reflects the towns that received the highest average score, ranging from tiny localities to buzzing regional hubs with community at heart.
Bicheno is a picturesque town on the East Coast of Tasmania. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)
The iconic rock formation at Twilight Beach in Esperance. (Credit: Tourism Australia)
Skillogalee Estate, a boutique winery and restaurant located in the Clare Valley. (Credit: Nadinne Grace)
The family-friendly Governörs café in the heart of Bicheno. (Credit: Rhiannon Taylor)
The only Aboriginal festival of its kind, Parrtjima. (Credit: Lisa Hatz)
Ballina is a stunning, relaxed beach haven on the North Coast. (Credit: Elise Hassey)
Meet the panellists
From TV presenters to industry experts, our panel spans the depth of Australia’s travel landscape to ensure every pillar of Aussie life is accounted for. Among some familiar faces is returning Australian Traveller panellist Catriona Rowntree, who has rightfully earnt the nickname ‘Australia’s most-travelled woman’ thanks to 30 years presenting Getaway.
Also joining us is legendary Wadjarri/Yamatji actor, comedian and television host Ernie Dingo, fresh from shooting a new season of Going Places. We’ve called upon industry experts representing brands – such as AAT Kings and Accor – whose bread and butter is to help you have the best travel experiences wherever you go.
We’ve also got the scoop from category experts such as powerhouse pastry chef Anna Polyviou and Australia’s official beach ambassador Brad Farmer – who know a good bakery or top surf break when they see one. The one thing they have in common? They are all passionate about exploring our own backyard.
Adrian Williams, CEO at Accor.
Accor’s chief operating officer across the Pacific region – which spans nearly 400 hotels and ancillary businesses – Adrian Williams brings more than 30 years of experience in hotel operations to the table. He is a board member of the Australian Accommodation Association, Visit Victoria and the Melbourne Convention Bureau.
(Credit: Asher Milgate)
Powerhouse pastry chef, television personality and cookbook author Anna Polyviou is known for her quirky urban style. From 7.5 years as creative director of pastry at Shangri-La Hotel Sydney to serving as a repeat guest judge on MasterChef Australia, her experience has seen her zigzag all over Australia to tick off its top foodie spots.
CEO of AAT Kings Group, one of Australia’s most trusted guided tour operators, Ben Hall has worked in more than 90 countries. For 10 years, he was a travel director for Contiki, Insight and Trafalgar across EMEA and Grand Circle in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. A long-time advocate for exploring closer to home, Ben has a deep appreciation for Australia’s diverse landscapes and the unique stories found across its regions.
Often described as having ‘the best job in the world’, Brad Farmer’s office is always at the beach. After spearheading multiple coastal conservation not-for-profits, he is now Australia’s official Beach Ambassador – heading the annual study of Best Australian Beaches with Tourism Australia and clocking up extensive travel researching fresh destinations. He has written bestselling books and pioneered award-winning campaigns.
(Credit: Best Australian Beaches)
Brett Godfrey co-founded Virgin Australia, launching it from scratch in 2000 and growing it into Australia’s second largest carrier. In 2013, he traded airplane runways for hiking trails with the purchase of the Tasmanian Walking Company, a leader in environmental tourism that specialises in luxury guided hikes.
(Credit: Tasmanian Walking Company)
Author and television presenter Catriona Rowntree has been dubbed ‘Australia’s Most Travelled Woman’, hosting our longest-running travel program, Getaway, for 30 years – while also becoming one of the country’s longest-running presenters for a single program. She lives with her husband and two sons on a historic homestead atop a sheep station in rural Victoria.
Born on Bullardoo Station in Western Australia, Ernie Dingo is a Wadjarri/Yamatji actor, comedian and TV host – and one of Australia’s most iconic television personas. In 1990, Ernie was awarded the Order of Australia and in 1997 was voted a National Living Treasure in a poll conducted by The National Trust in conjunction with respected media bodies. The seventh season of his television show Going Places with Ernie Dingo premiered on both SBS and NITV in February.
Print editor Imogen Eveson has been part of the Australian Traveller team for almost a decade. In that time, she has been lucky enough to travel to all corners of the country, across every state and territory. From Bellingen and the Barossa to Kununurra and Castlemaine, she enjoys understanding the pulse of the places she visits.
Irene Jones is an Australian TV presenter, entrepreneur and founder of Travelglobe Group – a growing travel business and media platform. She is particularly known for her work on Travel Oz by Grainger TV, one of Australia’s longest-running travel series. Irene is also the co-creator and host of The Hungry Passport, an all-female travel series blending culture, connection and cuisine.
Katie Carlin is head of content at Australian Traveller Media, leading the editorial team across print, digital and video. In the past seven years she’s seen more of Australia than she could have dreamed – from swimming with whale sharks near Exmouth and dining under the Milky Way at Uluru to seeing the sun rise over Waubs Beach in Bicheno. Crafting compelling stories about Australia’s vast and varied places, people and experiences is what she loves to do most.
Paul Ah Chee is a widely respected Aboriginal leader, Arrernte Traditional Owner and Elder from Mparntwe (Alice Springs), recognised for his enduring contribution to culture, community leadership and Indigenous-led engagement across the Northern Territory. Paul plays a central role in Parrtjima – A Festival In Light, serving as cultural advisor to ensure the festival remains grounded in culture and Country. Paul is also chair of Tourism and Events NT, and a musician and storyteller.
Starting his career in journalism and public relations, Paul Hamra is the founder and managing director of Australian publishing company Solstice Media, responsible for numerous Australian news and lifestyle publications including The New Daily, 7AM podcast, The Weekend Edition, Australian Traveller and International Traveller. He served as deputy chair of the Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia) for six years and is currently the chair of Adelaide Fringe.
Quentin Long is the co-founder of Australian Traveller Media. Today a sought-after travel media commentator, Quentin first conceived of the idea for Australian Traveller as he flew over Broome’s Roebuck Bay more than 20 years ago and wondered why people weren’t talking about how amazing it is to explore our own backyards
Rae Johnston has spent years travelling every corner of this country as a TV host on Going Places with Ernie Dingo, Back Roads and The Secret DNA of Us. Born and raised in the Blue Mountains, she’s also the voice keeping NSW company every Saturday morning on ABC Radio, as well as Radio National’s Download This Show.
Sally Cope leads the Tourism Australia Industry & Business Events teams, responsible for driving strategic initiatives that foster growth, innovation and competitiveness within Australian tourism. Boasting a 35-year-long career, Sally was previously executive officer of Ultimate Winery Experiences of Australia, part of Tourism Australia’s Signature Experiences collection. She has also held leadership positions at Anthology, Voyages Hotels and Resorts, and Qantas Holidays.
From rainforest walks and scenic drives to historic gold-rush towns and standout regional dining experiences, you can find it all in West Gippsland.
Hover over West Gippsland on Google Earth and you’ll see vast tracts of land spread out like green velveteen around the Toorongo Falls Reserve. It’s a landscape that feels almost impossibly lush for a region sitting little more than an hour from Melbourne.
Track southeast in late autumn and early winter and you’ll see pockets of the Mt Baw Baw Plateau dusted in snow. In addition to the forests of mountain ash veined with creeks and rivers, there are pastures and farmland cross-stitched together to form pretty patchworks.
But West Gippsland isn’t defined by scenery alone: in addition to its awe-inspiring nature, a Venn diagram of the region includes gold-rush history and great culinary experiences. Spend a long weekend here and it quickly becomes clear how often these three overlap.
Getting there
Spend the weekend eating and exploring in West Gippsland. (Credit: Messmates Dining)
Getting to West Gippsland involves as easy drive – it’s just over an hour out of Melbourne along the Monash Freeway.
Not driving? Catch the train from Melbourne on the Gippsland line, terminating at either Traralgon or Bairnsdale, and hop off at Warragul or Drouin.
Visit historic villages
Wander into Australia’s Gold Rush history at Walhalla. (Credit: Rob Blackburn)
The West Gippsland region is on the Traditional Lands of the Kulin and Kurnai nations, specifically linked to the Bunurong, Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Peoples, whose connection to Country stretches back thousands of years.
European settlement occurred in the 19th century as timber cutters, farmers and gold seekers pushed into the region’s dense forests. Small towns grew around sawmills and railway lines, and many of those gold rush settlements, timber towns and railway villages still shape the character of the region today.
The most evocative of these is Walhalla Historic Township, a remarkably preserved gold-rush township tucked deep in the mountains. In the late 1800s, it was one of Victoria’s richest goldfields. Today visitors can step inside that history at the Long Tunnel Extended Gold Mine, where underground tours reveal the scale of the mining operation that once powered the town’s prosperity. Nearby, the Walhalla Goldfields Railway retraces part of the original narrow-gauge line through the valley, offering a slow journey past forest and river scenery.
Further west, Noojee is a classic mountain village. It’s surrounded by dense forest and waterfalls and has become a natural base for exploring the Baw Baw region. Just outside town, Noojee Trestle Bridge stands as one of West Gippsland’s most striking relics of the rail era. The towering wooden structure is the tallest surviving trestle bridge in Victoria and today forms the centrepiece of an easy scenic walk with wide views across the valley.
Catch your own lunch at Alpine Trout Farm. (Credit: Nicky Cawood)
At Alpine Trout Farm near Noojee, visitors can fish for trout in mountain-fed ponds before enjoying the catch prepared fresh onsite. It’s a simple experience that reflects the area’s long connection to the surrounding waterways.
Back in Warragul, the region’s main service town, the story shifts from heritage to modern regional life. With galleries, restaurants and sweeping views across the rolling farmland of Gippsland, the town has become a lively hub linking the district’s past with its evolving food and cultural scene. Drive through the town and you’ll find heritage buildings, old pubs and weatherboard cottages that hint at the area’s early days as a frontier landscape.
In other towns the past survives in quieter ways – a historic hall here, a century-old bakery there.
Even simple roadside stops can feel cinematic in West Gippsland. The region also delivers plenty of opportunities to lace up your walking shoes.
One of the region’s most rewarding nature escapes lies just outside Noojee at Toorongo Falls Reserve. A network of walking tracks winds through the cool-temperate rainforest where towering mountain ash trees filter the light and the air smells of rich, damp earth. The 2.2-kilometre trail to the viewing platform overlooking Toorongo Falls is short, but spectacular, as the water cascades down over moss-covered rock faces into a cool, green gully in Little Toorongo River.
Further north, the Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort offers year-round adventures. In winter, the mountain attracts skiers and snowboarders. The warmer months are just as compelling, with scenic drives to see alpine wildflowers, mountain bike trails and panoramic hiking routes that open across the plateau.
Cyclists and walkers looking for a more relaxed pace can follow the Rokeby Neerim Rail Trail, which traces a former railway line through farmland and small Gippsland villages. The mostly flat trail passes rolling paddocks, creeks and historic bridges, making it an easy way to drop it down a gear when exploring the countryside.
Taste the best eats of West Gippsland
Taste the best of the region at Hogget Kitchen.
For many travellers, the real drawcards of West Gippsland are the food and wine. The region sits in the heart of Victoria’s fertile dairy country, and that agricultural backdrop has helped shape a dining scene where seasonal produce and local provenance take centre stage.
Hogget Kitchen has helped put Warragul firmly on the radar for serious regional dining in West Gippsland. Here, head chef and owner Trevor Perkins runs the kitchen alongside well-known winemakers William (Bill) Downie and Pat Sullivan. Hogget Kitchen lives up to its promise of exceptional destination dining; what lands on the table depends largely on what nearby farms have harvested that week as well as a wine list from Wild Dog Winery and other Gippsland producers.
Warragul is also where you’ll find Messmates Dining where the kitchen team is led by Michelin-trained chefs. The Euro-leaning bistro and wine bar brings a polished edge to the local dining scene using produce sourced from across West Gippsland.
For something more casual, the century-old Noojee Hotel is the kind of hub that every traveller dreams of finding after a long drive. Expect generous pub classics served on the sunny deck in summer or beside the crackle of a log fire in winter. Nearby, rustic Toolshed Bar, Bistro & Cabins is the place to go for a wood-fired pizza topped with smoked local trout paired with Gippsland wine, making it a rewarding stop for lunch or an overnight stay.
Time your visit with the Truffle Festival
Food lovers visiting in winter should consider timing their trip to coincide with Noojee Truffle Festival, running from 10 July to 2 August 2026. The inaugural event celebrates the region’s emerging truffle industry with tastings, special menus and events built around one of winter’s most prized ingredients.
