10 Natural Wonders To See Around Australia

Deep chasms, cascading waterfalls, emerald waterholes. Rocks that pierce blue skies. Hyper-green rainforest. Night-sky phenomena. This wide, brown land holds plenty of natural colour and beauty.

This article is part of our 100 Australian Wonders series. Throughout the series, we explore our nation’s wonders across culture, nature, food, islands and many more. We hope it inspires your own exploration of Australia’s many wonders.

1. Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area

Travelling with: Fleur Bainger

Bring tissues on a nature cruise down the Gordon River, meandering through the lesser-visited western edge of Tasmania where the Franklin Dam project was proposed. You may well be brought to tears by the beauty of Huon pines rising from riverbanks, reflected in mirror-like stillness. Some of these conifers are aged at up to 3000 years, mere saplings at the time of Alexander the Great. They were nearly all lost to damming in the 1980s – cue more tears.

scenic views from the Cradle Mountain — The bushland surrounding Cradle Mountain is home to Australia’s most unique wildlife. (Image: Tourism Australia/Ain Raadik)

This, and about one-fifth of Tasmania, is protected by the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It’s one of only two places on the planet to meet seven out of 10 UNESCO criteria.

a man standing in the middle of a megalith — Explore stunning landscapes on one of the 20-plus self-guided walks. (Image: Tourism NT)

The zone also scoops up Cradle Mountain, where more than 20 self-guided walks, most on narrow, slatted boardwalks, encourage repeat visitation. The Dove Lake Circuit, with its Instagrammable boatshed, might be the most recognisable, and the Overland Track the most challenging. But it’s the Enchanted Walk and King Billy Walk that will steal your heart as you’re enveloped by moss-clad trees that will shelter you from the feathery rain.

An echidna in the wilds of Tasmania — Spot an echidna. (Image: Blake Lisk – Pillar Creative)

2. Aurora australis, Tas

Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

The northern lights top bucket lists around the globe, but this natural phenomenon is closer than many realise. The aurora australis, or the southern lights, are often spotted dancing across Tasmania’s otherworldly starscapes.

the Aurora Australis at Cape Bruny Lighthouse — See the spectacular Southern Lights at Cape Bruny Lighthouse. (Image: Luke Tscharke)

The further south you go, the more likely you’ll catch the mysterious ribbons of light billowing out in a technicolour show of red, green and blue. Some of the best spots to stake out include Bruny Island, Cradle Mountain and kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Bring a camera and a coat.

incredible views of Aurora Australis — Bask in the glory of Aurora Australis. (Image: Luke Tscharke)

3. Gorgeous gorges across Australia

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

The second widest gorge in the world, pipped only by the Grand Canyon, is in NSW’s backyard. Capertee Valley is cradled by sandstone cliffs that have been carved over millions of years.

Australia’s vast landscape is punctuated by manifold gorges, including Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge in the Top End, which comprises 13 ravines sliced by the Katherine River.

the Joffre Gorge at Karijini National Park — The Joffre Gorge is a standout with its curved rock formations. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Towards the navel of the country, the mighty red cliffs of Kings Canyon span up to 300 metres in height, providing breathtaking views across the desert.

Western Australia’s claim to gorge fame is the spectacular Karijini National Park, a tropical semi-arid landscape where fern-lined swimming holes and gushing waterfalls are hidden within the vertical rock faces.

an aerial view of an ancient gorge at Karijini National Park — Swim through the ancient deep gorges at Karijini National Park. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

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4. Kiama Blowhole, NSW

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

When the tide is right, the whoosh of water that blasts out of Kiama Blowhole splits the silence open. In fact, when the vertical blowhole on the NSW South Coast hits its peak at more than 30 metres, it is so loud that it drowns out the delighted squeals of the thousands of visitors who congregate here each year. The foundation for this geological wonder – the largest blowhole in the world – was laid from volcanic lava more than 260 million years ago. And while the nearby Little Blowhole is not as flamboyant, it’s also a wonderful place to watch the water wash in.

5. Australia’s wonderous waterfalls

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Waterfalls in Australia can go from a tumbling trickle to a thundering roar after a sheeting downpour in the wet season.

Expect a couple of jungle nymphs to swing from the liana vines near Fairy Falls in Tropical North Queensland. Pack your bathers for a bracing dip in the natural rock pool at Kondalilla Falls, which you’ll often find swathed in mist in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Seek out the falls and swimming holes of El Questro and spectacular four-tiered Mitchell Falls (Punamii-Uunpuu) in WA’s mighty Kimberley region.

And while Horizontal Falls (Garaanngaddim), also in the Kimberley, is not technically a waterfall, it deserves special mention for being spectacular when the tides are at their highest in the winter months and it morphs into a churning mass of fury.

the falls and swimming hole at El Questro — Seek out the falls and swimming holes of El Questro. (Image: Tourism Australia)

6. Remarkable rocks

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Billions of years in the making, unique rock formations draw people in far and wide for ogling and photo ops. Some are easy to get to – such as the Blue Mountains’ Three Sisters and Victoria’s 12 Apostles – but others rise out of barren landscapes seemingly in the middle of nowhere, making them even more awe-inspiring.

an aerial view of the Blue Mountains’ Three Sisters — Take in the jaw-dropping vistas at the Blue Mountains’ Three Sisters. (Image: Destination NSW)

On WA’s Coral Coast, thousands of natural limestone Pinnacles stand up to five metres tall. Four hours inland, the 110-metre-long, 15-metre-high Wave Rock is the only swell you’ll find this far from the coast. Kangaroo Island’s Remarkable Rocks perch above the sea in Flinders Chase National Park. And the NT’s Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) is a sacred site for the Warumungu, Kaytetye, Alyawarra and Warlpiri peoples, comprising giant granite boulders mysteriously scattered across a wide valley.

the Devils Marbles in NT — More than just rocks, the Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) is a sacred site for the Warumungu, Kaytetye, Alyawarra and Warlpiri peoples. (Image: Tourism NT/Kate Flowers)

7. Cassowaries of Mission Beach, Qld

Travelling with: Steve Magdwick

A few chilled days in utopian Mission Beach, two hours south of Cairns, is its own reward but also perhaps your best chance to see a weird, wonderful cassowary in the wild. Don’t go chasing the tropical dino bird, just observe it* (Mother Nature willing) from a safe distance as you explore the surrounding rainforest and beaches. Cruise down to South Mission Beach by bike. Stride through the flourishing forest of the Dreaming Trail circuit. Eat breakfast at hippy-chic Bingil Bay Cafe. Mission Beach overflows with tributes, from the aptly named Cassowary Drive to kitsch effigies and murals galore. (*A sticky beak around Garners Beach and behind Tasman Holiday Parks may be fruitful.)

a cassowary at Wallaman Falls — See a cassowary in the wild. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland/ Narelle Bouveng)

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8. Daintree Rainforest, Qld

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Standing in the beautiful green dappled light of the Daintree in Tropical North Queensland is akin to being in a cathedral. The world’s oldest living rainforest was recognised by UNESCO in 1988 as having one of the most important ecosystems in the world containing relics of the Gondwanan era, which existed more than 180 million years ago.

an aerial view of the Daintree Rainforest, Qld — Explore the world’s oldest living rainforest. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Take a guided tour deep into the Daintree with one of the Traditional Owners from the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre. Here you will hear birds that only know how to screech, not sing. Inhale air that is thick with the cloying perfume of the forest floor. And understand why the Daintree is so deserving of our devotion.

a woman sitting on a huge rock at Mossman Gorge — The magic of Mossman Gorge needs to be experienced. (Image: Silky Oaks Lodge)

9. Christmas Island

Travelling with: Fleur Bainger

The Jurassic feel of Christmas Island’s black volcanic rock and fluttering leafy plants is elevated when you look up to the skies and down to the forest floor. Creatures synonymous with the Galápagos Islands are found here: brown booby birds shrouding fluffy white chicks or nesting atop sheer cliffs, and inky frigatebirds soaring overhead with bright throat pouches flashing red.

a drone shot of a boat sailing across Christmas Island — Christmas Island is a secluded gem in the Indian Ocean. (Image: Christmas Island Tourism Association)

There are more than 20 species of crab, with an estimated 60 million iconic red crabs flooding the streets during their October or November migration to spawn.

Christmas Island National Park covers 63 per cent of the wild isle and efforts to protect it are collaborative. Regular marine debris clean-ups are held on beaches to clear reams of ocean plastics – voluntourism at its best. WA’s Tangaroa Blue Foundation is holding a series of clean-ups from 14–21 June as part of its Keep Christmas Island Beautiful Week.

a group of red crabs on a cliff at Christmas Island — The Galapagos of Australia is home to the world’s weirdest creatures. (Image: Christmas Island Tourism Association)

10. Ningaloo/Nyinggulu, WA

Travelling with: Christine Aldred

While Ningaloo/Nyinggulu is rightly known for its coast-hugging reefs and stunning ocean blues, the adjoining desert landscapes and nearby gulf are more than worthy counterpoints.

The superlatives used to describe life-spawning reef that hugs the north-west coast of Australia – the remarkable sea creatures that live there including the famous whale sharks, and the vibrance of its colours – are all accurate.

Charles Knife Gorge, Cape Range National Park — Views of Charles Knife Gorge in Cape Range National Park.

But the other two arms of this triple treat of nature also deserve attention: the rugged wilderness of Cape Range National Park; and Exmouth Gulf, the reef nursery where whales, dugongs and turtles go to rest and play, and the home of ancient life forms. Book into tented eco-luxury resort Sal Salis, the only serviced accommodation within the national park, for the awe of the landscape to be really revealed.

Keep reading our 100 Australian Wonders series; from road trips, outback and cultural wonders to foodie wonders and many more.

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat, now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate, whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor, who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will, who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods. “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield, embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House.

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument, which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds.

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens, hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

10 natural wonders to see around Australia

Deep chasms, cascading waterfalls, emerald waterholes. Rocks that pierce blue skies. Hyper-green rainforest. Night-sky phenomena. This wide, brown land holds plenty of natural colour and beauty.

1. Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area

2. Aurora australis, Tas

3. Gorgeous gorges across Australia

4. Kiama Blowhole, NSW

5. Australia’s wonderous waterfalls

6. Remarkable rocks

7. Cassowaries of Mission Beach, Qld

8. Daintree Rainforest, Qld

9. Christmas Island

10. Ningaloo/Nyinggulu, WA

Keep reading our 100 Australian Wonders series; from road trips, outback and cultural wonders to foodie wonders and many more.

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The Macedon Ranges is Victoria’s best-kept food and wine secret

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

Come for the wine, stay for the food