Top 20 Places to visit in Australia

Australia is an extremely diverse country, with some of the oldest indigenous people in the world, the most picturesque landscapes, and a reputation for being deadly. Australia is such an awesome country, so it's no wonder that it is filled with amazing holiday destinations. In this blog I will rank the top 20 in my opinion (which is obviously a hard task for me). So let's get into it then...

Note: I haven't been to all of these places so they may not be completely accurate.

Perth is the capital and largest city in the state of Western Australia. It's a beautiful city of about 2 million people (urban area) and it is worth the visit. It is the most isolated major city in the world, but is still a great destination. I haven't spent much time there though, so I can't say much more from personal experience.

Hobart is the capital and biggest city of the island state of Tasmania. It is a beautiful city known for its famous Salamanca Markets, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race on Boxing Day, and the great views that can be seen from Mount Wellington. It is the second-driest capital in Australia and the best time to visit is in November - February when temperatures can reach above 30 degrees Celsius. In the Winter though, Hobart can reach cold days of less than 15 degrees, with snow frequently falling on Mount Wellington.

Speaking of snow, the Snowy Mountains (aka the Australian Alps) are a beautiful place to visit. The mountains include Mount Kosciuszko - Australia's highest peak. The mountains are found in southern New South Wales in between the ACT and Victoria.

The national capital (no it's not Sydney), Canberra is a unique and beautiful city. With a current population of around 400,000, Canberra was originally built as a compromise for the argument of whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the capital. Canberra was built in between these two cities and is now the national capital and home to the Australian parliament and international embassies.

Fraser Island, on the Queensland Coast, is the largest sand island in the world (1,655km²). It is known for its stunning coastline, turquoise oceans and white sands, and of course its dingo's.

Another island, this time in South Australia, is a famous getaway known for its honey, beaches, and wildlife (namely seals, penguins, koalas and obviously kangaroos). Its capital is Kingscote - the oldest European settlement in Australia.

The Freycinet National park is a small peninsula that juts out of Tassie's East Coast. However, this small peninsula packs a huge punch for tourists and locals alike. Famous for its beaches and bushwalks, Freycinet's Wineglass Bay is sometimes included in the top 10 beaches in the world!

The Kimberly region in north-west Australia is a large land mass that includes the typical scenes of Australia's 'bush' along with some amazingly beautiful and unique landscapes. Broome - a small city of 10,000 people - is a popular place to stay whilst visiting the area.

The Australian Outback is the huge arid area of desert that Australia is often known for. Also called the 'Red Centre' because of its red desert sand, the Outback is a great place to warm up of the day, and cool down in the night, see red kangaroos and emus and come face to face with a deadly snake. It also has the best views of the stars on the planet!

Kakadu, near the city of Darwin, is a large National Park, teaming with tropical wildlife, and amazingly vast and wonderful landscapes. It is famous for its waterways, full of water birds and..... salties (best not to go for a swim).

The first entry in the top 10 is the Blue Mountains. The mountains are a stunning and very popular attraction just a stone throw from Sydney. There are many activities to undertake in the mountains and a popular scene are the famous Three Sisters.

Another mountain and another Tasmanian entry - Cradle Mountain is a stunning place for all. The National Park extends down to Lake St Clair (Australia's deepest lake) and is part of the Tasmanian UNESCO world heritage area. The 'Western Wilderness' is sprinkled in mountains and covered in the 'bush' which is teeming with the wildlife Australia is famous for (Kangaroos, wallabies, platypuses, echidnas, wombats etc.). The Overland Track is a seven-day trek through the mountains and one of the top 5 bushwalks in the world. The Mountain itself gets its name from the cradle-like shape that has formed in the centre of the mountain.

One of Australia's most famous landmarks is Uluru or Ayres Rock - the random rock that appears out of 400km of flat desert. The Olgas (Mount Olga/Kata Tjuta) is another random rock, not too far from Uluru, but commonly overlooked. Recently however, Uluru has been shut for climbers and given back to the native Aboriginal people, to which it is a sacred sight.

If you were wondering what on earth happened to Queensland then stay tuned until the end! The Sunshine Coast is an awesome place of jaw-dropping coastline, great cities and a beautiful hinterland. It is also home to the world-famous Australia Zoo where the late and great Steve Irwin used to work and wrestle crocs. Just north of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast is an extraordinary place to visit.

The Great Ocean Road not too far west of Melbourne stretches from the surfing city of Torquay to the whale-watching city of Warrnambool (one of the most beautiful cities in Oz imo). The road follows the wild coastline of southern Victoria through Lorne, Apollo Bay, the Otways, and Port Campbell. The Great Ocean Road can be done in a day, but is best experienced over a week. It is most famous for its rock formations including the London Bridge, the Grotto, Lord Arch Gorge and especially the 12 Apostles (not the Biblical ones).

The City of Melbourne is an awesome city where many begin their Oz-trip. It is famous for many things especially its food and sport. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG or simply the 'G') is a huge world famous stadium with a capacity of 100,000 and it holds famous sports events like the Boxing Day Test, the Ashes and the AFL Grand Final. Melbourne is also a great place to live, voted the most liveable city in the world for 7 years in a row!

Perhaps the place that most people think of when they hear the word Australia, the world-famous Sydney Harbour is even more stunning in real life than it is in all those pictures. Famous for its Bridge and Opera House, it is home to the cities' waterfront and the theme park called Luna Park (another one is found in Melbourne). The Sydney Harbour Bridge also holds the New Years fireworks which are watched by millions worldwide every new year.

Tropical North Queensland is home to many big things - the Daintree Rainforest, the Cape York Peninsula, and the Great Barrier Reef (I didn't do the reef separately so that Perth didn't have to miss out). The north is obviously home to the northernmost point of the Australian continent or mainland as well, and above that, the Torres Strait Islands stretch up to almost meet Papua New Guinea.

The Gold Coast is a large urban area (700,000 people) along some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. The famous suburb of Surfers Paradise tells it plainly in its name. The surfers city is home to Australia's 4 largest theme parks and nearby is the amazing Lamington National Park.

The Whitsunday Islands off the coast of Queensland is the definition of a tropical seaside paradise. The archipelago is home to hundreds of islands, full of 5-star resorts and awesome activities. Probably most famous for Whitehaven Beach - the second best beach on the planet!

Anyway, I hope you liked my blog, and I hope that you will come and visit the Great Southern Land sometime! Have you been before (not that that's an excuse not to return) and do you have a different list. I'd be happy to hear considering I haven't been everywhere. One warning though - if your favourite country is something else and you want it to stay that way, maybe you shouldn't come :)