6 iconic sights in Australia, and how to see them

Your guide to where to stay for easy access to some of Australia’s most famed attractions.

Ellery Creek Big Hole, the Busselton Jetty and Lamington National Park; they’re just a handful of some of Australia’s most incredible attractions. With a car and a conveniently located home base, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t start ticking them off your must-see list.

And where there are iconic sights, there’s a Hilton ready to welcome you.

1. Darwin

dawrin waterfront — Make Hilton Darwin your base for city and wildlife adventures.

Considered Australia’s portal to Asia, Darwin’s proximity to Indonesia and Timor-Leste has resulted in a highly multicultural population. There’s a strong Southeast Asian influence that coexists with the ancient customs and cultural traditions of the land’s traditional custodians, the Larrakia people. One of the finest examples is Darwin’s most acclaimed dish. It’s not damper or a meat pie, but spicy laksa. You’ll find it everywhere in the city, even at the weekly sunset markets.

Just a day trip away lie the region’s other major drawcards, the oases of Kakadu National Park and Litchfield National Park.

How best to explore it all? Check into Hilton Darwin, or sister properties DoubleTree by Hilton Esplanade Darwin and Hilton Garden Inn Darwin. Spend the day exploring, then return to delicious meals at these hotel restaurants, and cool down in their refreshing pools.

2. Gold Coast

A sea-view room at Hilton Surfers Paradise. — Stay in the centre of it all.

What do New York and the Gold Coast have in common? Their iconic skylines. High-rise after high-rise line the city’s 70km stretch of swimmable, surfable, and walkable beach, the majority clustered around the coast’s beating heart, Surfers Paradise.

It’s the region’s most lively and energetic suburb, known for the nightclubs, shops, and restaurants that sit along Cavill Ave. Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel & Residences is right there in the middle of the action, close enough to walk to dinner and drinks, but far enough away to retreat to when you need some R&R.

For further respite, explore the nearby hinterland. Head towards Lamington National Park in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests for winding hiking trails surrounded by dense tropical foliage and waterfalls.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

3. Alice Springs

DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs framed by the rugged MacDonnell Ranges. — Venture into the outback.

Surrounded by ancient desert and dramatic natural landscapes, there’s plenty to see and do around the ‘gateway to the Red Centre’, Alice Springs. Base yourself at the DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs in the town centre, soaking up views of the iconic Macdonnell Ranges and enjoying native Australian flavours from on-site restaurant, Saltbush.

Starting just 10-minutes from your accommodation, seasoned hikers can find the famous Larapinta Trail runs through West Macdonnell National Park, from the Alice Springs Telegraph Station through to Mount Sonder.

Wander the galleries and museums in the Araluen Cultural Precinct to learn more about the Arrernte people – the traditional custodians of Mparntwe. Join an Indigenous-led tour within the region to delve deeper.

4. Busselton

Hilton Garden Inn Busselton set against the sea. — Experience Busselton’s coastal charm.

World-class wines, sunsets over the ocean, and long stretches of calm beach; Busselton is known for it all. But the heritage-listed, timber-piled Busselton Jetty is the coastal city’s most famous icon.

At intervals along it, locals dangle squid jigs and baited hooks over the edge, and teens and tweens take flying leaps into the water below. Visitors can also join, but walking the length of the 1.84km jetty is the most popular pastime. It takes approximately 20-30 minutes to reach the underwater observatory at the end, where you can see squid, sea stars, and the occasional Western Blue Groper in the corals and sea sponges. Walk or catch the train back to shore, where cold beer and pizza beckon at the jetty-front Shelter Brewing Co.

From there, it’s just a hop, skip, and jump to the Hilton Garden Inn Busselton, where upper-level rooms afford you some of the finest views of Busselton’s biggest star.

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5. Cairns

Hilton Cairns viewed from below, showcasing its tropical pool and resort-style surrounds. — Make Hilton Cairns your gateway to the reef and rainforest.

There’s no other place on earth like Cairns. It’s the city where two UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites sit side-by-side: the lush vegetation of the 130-million-year-old Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest meeting the iridescent blue waters and white-sand beaches of the Great Barrier Reef.

Settle in to either Hilton Cairns or DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns in the heart of the city, to walk the esplanade or catch a ferry out to this iconic reef. It’s also only a two-hour drive to the Wet Tropics’ most famed region, the Daintree Rainforest. Make it to Cape Tribulation within the Daintree, and you’ve reached the point where the rainforest literally meets the beach and the reef.

6. Albany

Aerial view of Misery Beach, located within Torndirrup National Park. . — Take a break from history in Torndirrup National Park. (Credit: Tourism WA)

For tens of thousands of soldiers in the first convoy, headed for the battlefields of WWI, the panoramic views of King George Sound were the last glimpses they had of Australian soil. The significance of this moment set the foundations for Albany’s deep-rooted ANZAC history.

At the National ANZAC Centre, a five-minute drive from Hilton Garden Inn Albany, the personal stories of some of these soldiers unfold through interactive multimedia displays, from their experiences with recruitment and training to their time on the front lines in Gallipoli.

Head back to your hotel to recharge while soaking in the stunning views of Princess Royal Harbour. Then try a natural change of pace at Torndirrup National Park. It’s prime wildflower-spotting country from September to November.

Start planning an iconic holiday at hilton.com.

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.

Geelong cellar door wine bar — Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.

Paddock Bakery andPatisserie — Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

At Paddock, one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand.

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

“A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.

And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.

As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.

The rise of a food and wine destination

Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915. Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco.

The Woolstore, one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.

Woolstore menu — Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

Breathing new life into historic spaces

On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.

“We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.”

Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.

handcrafted pieces — Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”

A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”

Ticking off Australia’s icons? These hotels can help.

Your guide to where to stay for easy access to some of Australia’s most famed attractions.

1. Darwin

2. Gold Coast

3. Alice Springs

4. Busselton

5. Cairns

6. Albany

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Inside Geelong’s glow-up from factory town to creative capital

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

The rise of a food and wine destination

Breathing new life into historic spaces

Your guide to where to stay for easy access to some of Australia’s most famed attractions.

1. Darwin

2. Gold Coast

AI Prompt

3. Alice Springs

4. Busselton

5. Cairns

6. Albany

Macaulay Culkin is leaving home (alone) for a tour of Australia

Just one Australian hotel made the World’s 50 Best list for 2026

Australia’s top town for 2026 is a wine region with no beach

30 stunning spring festivals around Australia

Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated.

Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct

Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design

The rise of a food and wine destination

Breathing new life into historic spaces