Australia ranks second in world’s most unspoilt landscapes

Taylah Darnell Taylah Darnell
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Australia has come in second on the list of the world’s most unspoilt landscapes.

From Europe to Central America, some of the most jaw-dropping destinations made the list of destinations across the world that have the most unspoilt landscapes. And not only is Australia on the list, it made the top three.

The rankings

Unspoilt: not spoiled, in particular (of a place) not marred by development.

In today’s world, little of the globe remains untouched. From the depths of the largest rainforest and the deepest parts of the ocean to the highest mountain peak in the world, humans have ventured far and wide in hopes of discovering something new and unseen. With all this travel, it can be difficult to find destinations that remain unspoilt. Until now.

New research by walking holiday experts Inghams has revealed the destinations across the world that are the most intact and preserved. To find out the most frequently posted about unspoilt locations, Inghams analysed 54,000 Instagram posts which included the hashtags #unspoilt, #unspoiled and #offthebeatenpath. This was compared to a control set of 50,000 Instagram posts to reveal an #unspoilt post rate.

Coming in at number one was the Nordic island of Iceland. And number two? That spot belongs to Australia, with an #unspoilt post rate of 10.90 (Iceland came in at 13.15, so not too far off, right?)

Ormiston Pound, Northern Territory
Australia is ranked as the second most unspoilt destination in the world.

Following Iceland and Australia, the top 10 most unspoilt destinations consisted of Ireland, Cyprus, Costa Rica, Tanzania, New Zealand, Peru, Greece and Georgia.

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AI Prompt

Why Australia?

It’s not hard to see why our amazing country won second place. Each state of Australia offers something special; its own unique landscape, climate, community, history and arts scene.

From the vast, dusty terrain of the Red Centre and dense, ancient rainforests of Tropical North Queensland to NSW’s stunning beaches and Tasmania’s charming towns, we’ve got it all.

Daintree Rainforest, Tropical North Queensland
Explore the ancient rainforests of Tropical North Queensland.

Want to boat between golden gorges and spot crocodiles? Head up to Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Keen to dive with whale sharks at a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site? Ningaloo Reef in WA is the place for you.

Plus, Australia is home to one of the world’s oldest living cultures dating back over 65,000 years.

Ningaloo Reef, WA
Ningaloo Reef is a pristine World Heritage-listed site.

Camping and glamping meet luxury hotels. Fine dining meets bush tucker tours. Thrill-seeking adventures meet relaxing escapes. Shopping. Wildlife encounters. Major cities. Country towns. And hundreds of kilometres worth of stunning landscapes. Australia has it all. And the best part? It’s all unspoilt territory.

Glamping in Australia
Glamping is a great way to see unspoilt Australia in style.

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Maintaining our spot

It’s important that it stays unspoilt and unmarred by mass tourism. According to Anne Williams, director of marketing at Inghams, there are courses of action that ensure it stays that way.

“Anyone who loves spending time in nature knows how disappointing it can be when your favourite natural spots get tarnished by tourists or other human interference," she says.

“In order to keep some of the world’s best landscapes as unspoilt as possible, there are a few things you can do while exploring… leave no trace. Stay on designated trails. Don’t take souvenirs [from the environment] and avoid crowded areas."

Kondalilla National Park in Queensland
It’s important to stay on designated trails.

This means taking everything you bring back out with you. No rubbish, food, wrappers, bottles, other waste and harmful products. Leave natural objects were you found them, they’re there for a reason. Don’t visit places that are often overrun by tourists, opt for less-travelled terrain where you’re less likely to leave a footprint.

According to Anne, “If we can all treat the outdoors as if it were our own homes, we’ll be able to leave behind some beautiful, untouched landscapes for future generations to enjoy too."

Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
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The road trips and trails you need to experience in Victoria now

    Kellie Floyd Kellie Floyd
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    Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow. 

    There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.  

    Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur, is one of my favourite road trips. 

    The Black Spur 

    The Black Spur drive
    Through the forested canopy of The Black Spur drive that winds from Healesville to Narbethong. (Image: Neisha Breen)

    Location: Yarra Ranges
    Duration: 30 kilometres / 30 minutes 

    The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.  

    In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn, a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.   

    Victoria’s Silo Art Trail 

    Silo Art Trail
    The Silo Art Trail in the Wimmera Mallee region. (Image: Visit Victoria/Anne Morely)

    Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region
    Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days  

    What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.  

    The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud, making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.   

    Metung to Mallacoota  

    Gippsland lakes
    Gippsland Lakes. (Image: Visit Victoria/Josie Withers)

    Location: Gippsland
    Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours  

    The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance, where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch. 

    Lakes Entrance
    Lakes Entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria/Iluminaire Pictures)

    Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea. 

    Great Ocean Road 

    12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road
    The 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford
    Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days  

    Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.  

    Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast. 

    Bellarine Taste Trail 

    Terindah Estate
    Terindah Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

    Location: Bellarine Peninsula
    Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours  

    The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.  

    You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate, sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours. 

    O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote 

    Pink Cliffs Reserve
    Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

    Location: Central Victoria
    Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling 

    Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail. The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.  

    The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular. 

    Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo 

    Location: Central Victoria
    Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling  

    The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.  

    As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.