Australia is a land of great beauty. From soaring city skylines to the huge variety of natural wildernesses, we’ve brought together 12 of the most stunning landscapes in Australia.
Alice Springs
Sitting in Australia’s striking Red Centre, the landscape around Alice Springs is one of the most visually unique in Australia. The quintessential outback landscape, Alice Springs is home to fantastic rock formations like the MacDonnell Ranges and the famous Uluru.
Lake McKenzie Beach, Fraser Island.
Fraser Island
Australia’s land of 100 lakes, Fraser Island is a landscape of, well, lakes. Fraser Island has the second highest density of freshwater lakes in Australia. All of the lakes sit on compacted sand, and Lake Boomanjin is the largest such lake in the world.
Gold Coast photo courtesy lights+shades via Flickr
The Beaches of the Gold Coast
Queensland is Australia’s sunshine state, and the famous Gold Coast doesn’t disappoint. Some of Australia’s best beaches can be found sitting next to the soaring Gold Coast skyline. The juxtaposition of beach culture and fancy high-rises can’t be missed.
The Whitsundays, Where the Rainforest Meets the Reef
The Whitsundays bring together tropical rainforest, crystal clear water, vibrant reefs, and pure white sand to make this region one of the most photographed in the world. Images of sailboats against this glorious background are the inspiration of travellers worldwide.
Sydney Harbour photo courtesy Dave Manwell via Flickr
Sydney Harbour
The Sydney Harbour landscape is arguably the most well known of Australia’s landscape. Describe a harbour with a giant coathanger bridge and the soaring wings of the Sydney Opera House and see how long it takes for your listener to identify the Sydney Harbour.
Mornington Peninsula photo courtesy Aenneken via Flickr
Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula
It’s less visited than the places on this list so far, but the Mornington Peninsula, barely an hour’s drive from the Melbourne CBD is one of Australia’s most stunning landscapes. Windblown headlands that sit high above the wild Pacific Ocean and are covered in dense bushland is a recipe for a beautiful place.
Pinnacles Desert photo courtesy 4nitsirk via Flickr
The Pinnacles Desert
The Pinnacles Desert would easily win a prize for Australia’s most alien landscape. It’s a desert covered in odd, thin rocks jutting straight up out of the ground, but it’s no less stunning than landscapes like Sydney Harbour or the Whitsundays.
The Twelve Apostles
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road has long held a place as Australia’s favourite road trip, and is quite deserving of a mention on a list of Australia’s most stunning landscapes. High cliffs that tower over the crashing waves of the ocean and sunset shots of the Twelve Apostles make for a beautiful drive.
Wineglass Bay photo courtesy Andrea Schaffer via Flickr
Freycinet National Park, Tasmania
Tasmania is one of Australia’s least visited states, and it’s a shame. Cradle Mountain National Park and the skyline of Hobart are particularly beautiful, but when it comes to the most stunning, the views of Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park take the cake.
Mt Kosciuszko Summit Walk photo courtesy Tatters:) via Flickr
Snowy Mountains, NSW
Alpine heathlands, mountains that are capped by snow all year round, and forests that transition from temperate rainforest to sub-alpine bushland filled with ghostly snow gums make the Snowy Mountains of NSW visually striking and not to be missed.
Ubirr Rocks and Floodplain in Kakadu National Park
The Top End’s Kakadu National Park
One of Australia’s oldest landscapes, Kakadu is a place that combines thousands of years of Aboriginal culture with one of Australia’s oldest landscapes. Monsoonal rainforest, deep gorges and ancient waterholes are only the start.
The Remote Kimberly
The Kimberly Region at the very northern tip of Western Australia is Australia’s last untouched wilderness. It’s a place where white sand beaches and clear blue oceans meet deep red deserts, and it’s utterly and completely stunning.
12 of the Most Stunning Landscapes in Australia from Australia Things to Do