The 100 Things To Do in Australia Before You Die Panellists

The Panel

Nine expert voices, one gigantic country, 100 Things To Do . . . so if you’re looking for someone to praise (or, heaven forbid, blame), say hello to your panel of judges.

Tony Wheeler

When Bill Gates visited Australia, he insisted on meeting two people in particular: the Prime Minister and Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet Publications. When Tony produced his first guidebook in 1972, Across Asia on the Cheap, he was writing about his own experiences and had no idea that Lonely Planet would come to publish more than 650 authoritative guides worldwide. Lonely Planet Australia is by far the best-selling guidebook in Britain, so who better to ask about Australia’s top spots?

Catriona Rowntree

For the past ten years, Catriona Rowntree has filled one of the most sought-after TV spots in the land, as presenter for Nine’s spectacularly popular travel programme, Getaway. Having visited hundreds of unique holiday destinations worldwide and given thousands of people the inspiration to “get up and go," Catriona now shares her invaluable thoughts on the top places you should visit a little closer to home.

David Whitley

An English refugee, David has spent the past five years exploring the more bizarre corners of Australia on the grounds that he doesn’t much fancy going back to the constant drizzle of his homeland. As editor of backpacker mag British Balls, David has seen those bits of the country most Aussies have never heard of – many for very good reason – but his disturbingly extensive knowledge of obscure nooks and crannies makes him just the man to write our Detours and Diversions section each issue. And also to give us an important outsider’s perspective on the 100 Things To Do In Australia Before You Die.

Suzi Petkovski

Back in the mid-’90, AT’s consulting editor Suzi Petkovski was a naive tennis journo. Then she scored a guernsey to the World Tourism Games in Austria – the junket to end all junkets – and thought: “How long has this been going on?" Soon after, though, she joined Lonely Planet, which is to travel junkets what David Attenborough is to pole-dancing. Despite having received zero freebies ever since, she continues to potter and pay her way around Australia, finding even the Newell Highway endlessly fascinating. When not writing sport and travel, she grows (and goes) nuts in the Victorian High Country.

John Borthwick

Travel writer/photographer John Borthwick is the author of countless articles, most illustrated by his own photos, as well as several collections of travel stories. His first journeys of youthful folly were hitch-hiking trips around Australia. He overshot the pier one day and found himself hitch-hiking on ships and yachts around the world, a diversion that accounted for a fair chunk of the ’70s. Since then he’s turned a taste for travel into the vice of a livelihood. He loves both the extremes and the relative tranquility of Australia. He’s also amazed at the stamina of foreign tourists who see more of Australia in ten days than some Australians manage in ten years.

David Koch

Co-host of Seven’s Sunrise programme and one of the country’s most influential business and finance commentators, David Koch greets hundreds of thousands of viewers across the country early each morning, and yet manages to maintain a vigour and enthusiasm for pretty much any worthwhile project that comes across his radar. Opinionated, forthright and no-nonsense – yet with a keen and quirky sense of humour – David’s also a self-confessed sports nut, as well as a family man with a generous love of the Australian Outback, having travelled to many a bizarre location with family in tow.

Johanna Griggs

Athlete, commentator, presenter, mother . . . Johanna Griggs is best known as the face of Seven’s Olympic telecasts, and as the always energetic and ever reliable go-to gal for both Better Homes and Gardens and Sportsworld. When she’s not delivering deft onscreen backhands to Jim Courier during her Oz Open Tennis coverage, she’s secretly very, very into betting on nags at the Melbourne Cup Carnival. She’s taken a quick break from her ridiculously sports-heavy schedule here to weigh in on the best in travel experiences that her beloved country has to offer.

George Negus

One of the most trusted, well-respected and recognisable faces on the Australian media landscape, George Negus is currently presenting the SBS current affairs programme Dateline. He’s also experienced massive success as an author (The World From Islam and The World From Italy). George has lived both in the bush with his family and experienced seaboard Australian life, making him more than amply qualified to brief us on his favourite destinations.

Greg Barton

Greg is the author of no books, but is the former editor of Australian Traveller and has been zooming around Australia all his life, so for some reason feels that means he has something to contribute to this monumental project. While doing everything he can to help promote travel within Australia, he still can’t help feeling there are impressive things off happening overseas that he’s missing out on. This wasn’t helped by the fact that every time he tried to get Catriona, Johanna or Tony on the phone, they were (respectively) diving with seals in New Zealand, skiing in Turin and providing earthquake relief in Pakistan.

WA might be enormous, but the right insider knowledge brings its mysteries a whole lot closer.

“Western Australia is a land of record-breakers,” says Carolyn Tipper, a Travel Director working on AAT Kings Western Australia tours. “It has the second-longest fault line, the second-largest meteorite crater, the second-fastest flowing river—it just keeps surprising you. And every area has its charm.”

From tropics to deserts, Australia’s largest state is a land of extremes. You can’t see all of Western Australia in a lifetime, but with the right guide, you can discover its hidden pockets of magic.

Carolyn wishes to reach her guests’ hearts. “I want them to enjoy and be in awe,” she says. “I want them to have the holiday of a lifetime.”

1. Mimbi Caves

You wouldn’t expect a Great Barrier Reef in the outback – but that’s what you’ll find at Mimbi Caves. Once part of a 350-million-year-old reef, these caves hold marine fossils, ancient Indigenous rock art, and Dreamtime stories shared by a Gooniyandi guide.

“That’s when the real connection happens,” says Carolyn, who has taken guests through on the AAT Kings Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour . “When guests connect, not just with the land, but with the people who have called it home for tens of thousands of years.”

Eye-level view of traveller exploring Mimbi Caves. — Walk through ancient limestone passages. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

2. Kalbarri National Park

Nothing prepares you for the Kalbarri Skywalk: a 25-metre platform jutting over Murchison Gorge, 100 metres above the red cliffs and river below. From July to October, join the AAT Kings Untamed Pilbara and West Coast tour to see over 1000 wildflower species paint the park, and listen as an Indigenous guide shares their uses, bush foods and medicine plants.

“I want our guests to have an emotional experience,” says Carolyn. “It’s not just about seeing the land, it’s about stepping into the stories.”

An aerial view of the Kalbarri Skywalk, one of the secret places in Western Australia, with visitors on the edge. — Stand on the Kalbarri Skywalk in Western Australia. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

3. Hamelin Bay Wines

Margaret River isn’t just a top wine region – it’s a winner in every category. Where the Indian and Southern Oceans collide, granite cliffs rise, limestone caves sprawl and Karri forests tower. It almost distracts from the world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Almost.

Out of over 100 cellar doors, AAT Kings pick Hamelin Bay Wines as a favourite. Hosted tastings of small-batch wines on the Western Wonderland tour end with a group meal. The menu shifting with the seasons.

“Get off the beaten track to one of WA’s most relaxed venues for some amazing red and white signature wines,” explains Carolyn, “accompanied with upmarket pub food.”

Spectacular views.

A person raising a glass of Chardonnay against a glowing Western Australia sunset. — Sip world-class wines at Hamelin Bay in Western Australia. (Image: Getty)

4. Wildflower Guided Walk, Kings Park

Western Australia is home to 12,000 native plant species – 3000 bloom in Kings Park’s Botanic Garden. Stroll past Kangaroo Paw, Banksia and blooms from the Goldfields, Stirling Ranges and Kimberley. “The diversity of Western Australia is immense,” says Carolyn, who leads guests through on the South Western Escape tour .

Couple enjoying the view from the Lotterywest Federation walkway at Kings Park and Botanical Garden. — Wander among thousands of native plant species. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

5. Hoochery Distillery

Did you know that between Kununurra and Emma Gorge lies the state’s oldest continuously operating distillery? Well, the oldest legal one. Set on a family farm, Hoochery Distillery was hand-built using materials found on the property, conjuring up award-winning rum from local sugarcane, wet season rainwater and yeast.

Today, visitors can sample a hearty nip of rum, along with whiskies and gins – all crafted using traditional, labour-intensive methods. It’s the ideal way to soak up the ‘spirit’ of the Kimberley on the AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour .

People enjoying a rum tasting at one of the secret places in Western Australia. — Sample award-winning rum. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

6. Geraldton

The wildflowers of the Midwest will make your heart blossom. In Geraldton, the Helen Ansell Art Gallery brings the region’s botanicals to life in vivid colour and intricate detail. In nearby Mullewa, wander bushland trails lined with everlastings and native blooms. Further afield, Coalseam Conservation Park bursts into carpets of pink, white, and yellow each spring. Do it all on the Wildflower Wanderer tour with AAT Kings.

woman walking through Wildflowers, Coalseam Conservation Park — Chase vibrant wildflower trails. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

7. El Questro

Wake up after a night under the stars at Emma Gorge Resort, ready to explore the mighty beauty of the El Questro Wilderness Park. With deep gorges, thermal springs, and cascading waterfalls, time slows here.

Join the AAT Kings’ Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour to drift through Chamberlain Gorge, where sheer sandstone walls glow burnt orange in the sun, archer fish flick at the surface, and rock wallabies peer down from ledges above. Then, step into Zebedee Springs, a secret oasis of warm, crystal-clear pools among prehistoric Livistona palms – a moment of pure, wild stillness.

Emma Gorge Resort at El Questro. — Wake to adventure at Emma Gorge Resort. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

8. Lake Argyle

Once vast cattle country, Lake Argyle now sprawls like an inland sea – Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake, created by the damming of the Ord River. Scattered with over 70 islands, its glassy waters teem with life, like freshwater crocodiles, barramundi, bony bream, sleepy cod and over 240 bird species. That’s nearly a third of Australia’s avian population.

Glide across the lake’s surface on a cruise as part of AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour , where the silence is only broken by the splash of fish and the call of birds. For Carolyn, this place is a perfect example of how WA’s landscapes surprise visitors. “Lake Argyle is a big puddle of water that became a game-changer,” she says. “Seeing it from a boat, coach, and plane is mind-blowing. It puts time, isolation and the sheer scale into perspective.”

Aerial View of Triple J Tours on the Ord River, near Kununurra. — Glide past islands on Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake. (Image: Western Australia)

Discover more of Western Australia’s hidden gems and book your tour at aatkings.com.