Top 10 most incredible experiences Australia has to offer

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We revisit the 100 Incredible Experiences (right here in your backyard). Here are the overall Top 10 Experiences from the 100 – the best in each of our 10 categories for you to add to your bucket list. Enjoy.

Best Unforgettable Walk and Adventure – Bridle Gap hike, Wilpena Pound, SA

Part of the amazing 1200-kilometre Heysen Trail, Bridle Gap’s a six-hour return hike across 19 kilometres, which dissects the wonder that is Wilpena Pound. It’s a bird-lover’s dream with a variety of them calling the native pines, eucalyptus and heath home.

 

Read more here. 

Bridle Gap hike Wilpena Pound elise hassey
Bridle Gap hike dissects the magnificent Wilpena Pound (photo: Elise Hassey).

Most Unique Place To Lay Your Head – Moonbah Hut, Moonbah Valley, NSW

These cute stone cabins are nestled on the outskirts of Jindabyne in NSW’s Snowy Mountains. On the banks of the Moonbah River, each of these two charming huts boasts a large open fireplace, underfloor heating, and an indoor bathroom. Pick your season at Moonbah Hut for either fly fishing, horse riding, bushwalking or the likes of snowshoeing, and, of course, skiing.

 

Read more here.

Perennial Australian Traveller favourite, Moonbah Hut near Jindabyne.

Best Must-See Events & Festivals – Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, Queensland

Every August yachties and spectators alike descend on Hamilton Island to watch sails race around the Whitsundays and enjoy everything from fashion shows to exclusive dining events hosted by the likes of Guillaume Brahimi. Race Week is Australia’s largest offshore yachting regatta.

 

Read more here.

Hamilton Island Race Week
You dont have to be a yachtie to enjoy Hamilton Island Race Week

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Best Invigorating Aquatic Playground – Satellite Island, Tasmania

You can hire the whole of this tiny Tasmanian island for yourself (with the exception of the discreet island manager and a lovely herd of deer). During your stay at Satellitte you can cosy up by the fireplace in the beautiful house or simply choose to sleep in the converted jetty shed, while in the summer it’s a sublime place for a swim.

 

Read more here.

Spend a night on Satellite Island.
Spend a night on Satellite Island. (Image: Adam Gibson)

Most Delicious Culinary Journey – Roaming restaurant, pop-up dining – various locations, WA

Paul Iskov has worked in some of Europe’s best restaurants and having returned to his native WA, he and his friends set up roaming restaurant Fervor. Think native ingredients cooked over open fires in the West Australian outback and towns and presented in the finest fashion. It might be the most ‘Australian’ dining experience you’ll ever have.

 

Read more here.

Fervor western Australia
The grounds at Fervor.

Best Ways to Enjoy Wine and Vine – Back with a bang – Australian Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the best example of the changes sweeping through Australian wine. A victim of industrialised winemaking and public listings in the ’80s and ’90s, chardonnay was squeezed into millions of bottles. However, with wine ‘growing’ now more prevalent and wines being made in vineyards not wineries, chardonnay is finally realising its full potential with wines that run from light, fresh and clean to rich, layered and complex.

 

Read more here.

Best Captivating Design Treasure – Pumphouse Point, Lake St Claire, Tasmania

Taking the notion of adaptive re-use to a new high is the reinvention of two industrial buildings by Cumulus Architects in the heart of a wilderness area in Tasmania. The Shorehouse, an Art Deco hydro sub-station and The Pumphouse (sited 250 metres out on the lake itself) were built in the ’40s as part of the State’s Hydro Electricity Scheme and decommissioned in the ’90s. They have been skilfully refurbished to make Pumphouse Point a great base for walks, cycling and spa treatments. 

 

Read more here.

Pumphouse Point is surrounded by panoramic views

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Best Inspiring Aboriginal Experience – Journey to the far reaches of East Arnhem Land

This incredible corner of Australia is full of adventure for those who like to push into the country’s remote outposts. The Yolngu people of East Arnhem Land have a beautiful connection to their environment and are often happy to teach travellers about their ways. If you’re up for a bit of a rustic, croc-laced experience, you can join a tour that will take you into Aboriginal communities where you can stay and spend time with the Yolngu. We have travelled with Venture North and found them to be fantastic, but there are also a few other operators in the area. You can also head to Banubanu Retreat on Bremer Island, where you’ll find simple, tented accommodation and guided activities such as fishing and turtle watching.

 

Read more here.

Banubanu East Arnhem Land, NT
Beach view of Banubanu East Arnhem Land, NT. (Tourism NT/Stuart Ord)

Best Little-Known Natural Wonder – Rowley Shoals, WA

Three tear drops of coral reef sit almost equidistant from each other on the face of the Indian Ocean, 260 kilometres from Broome. With them being almost the same size at around 80 square kilometres apiece, Rowley Shoals is surely one of the most unusual reef formations and it has some of the best diving and snorkelling on the planet to boot.

 

Read more here.

Rowley Shores
Rowley Shores is a natural heavy-hitter.

Best Memorable Moment for Kids – Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary, Coffs Harbour, NSW

At this intimate and eco-responsible park, over-12s can have dolphin hugs in a deep-water experience, while over-sixes can do the same in the shallows. Anyone over eight can get in and play, swim and, yes, hug and kiss with the sea lions at the Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

Read more here.

Dolphin Marine Conservation Park
Prepare for a dolphin encounter at the Dolphin Marine Conservation Park. (Image: DNSW)
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Art, wine & fireplaces: 8 reasons Bowral is the ultimate winter getaway

(Credit: Destination NSW)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.

    Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.

    The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.

    Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.

    1. Check in

    aerial of Ardour Milton Park Bowral in winter
    Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.

    After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.

    2. Hunt for treasure

    couple exploring Dirty Janes bowral
    Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.

    Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.

    3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery

    kids posing with donald bradman statue in bowral's The Bradman Museum
    Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.

    Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.

    4. A taste of France

    table spread at Lucette bowral
    Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.

    For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.

    Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.

    5. Indulge in a tipple

    Centennial Vineyards bowral in winter
    Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.

    This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.

    6. Blend your own gin

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar
    Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.

    7. Go for a walk at dawn

    Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.

    8. Cosy up by the fireplace

    Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel
    Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.

    A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.

    At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.

    Start planning your Bowral escape at visitsouthernhighlands.com.au.