Landmarks in Australia

Sydney and The Blue Mountains

Sydney and it's surrounds are one of the most vibrant and spectacular places on the planet. From the nightlife of the city centre, the beaches along the coast and the scenery of The Blue Mountains it's all here.

The Great Barrier Reef

Composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, running for over 2,600 km and covering an area of approximately 344,400 square km makes The Great Barrier Reef the largest reef system in the world.

The Kimberley

The Kimberley is a massive and majestic 421,500 square kilometre landscape of rugged rivers, gorges and falls, intriguing mountain ranges, surprising towns and awe inspiring natural phenomena.

The Outback

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth. From mulga scrub to gibber plains and wattle studded sand dunes, all of the remote desert areas of Australia are known collectively as The Outback.

The Top End

The Top End refers to the north of the Northern Territory. Essentially it is the vast peninsula at the top and middle of the country which includes Darwin, Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land and much more.

Australia's Famous People

Famous Australian actors

A number of Australian actors have found international success, including the Academy-winning Geoffrey Rush, star of Shine and The King's Speech. Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett have also claimed the Best Actor honour. Action hero Hugh Jackman is also a Tony Award-winning singer and dancer. Other famous Australian actors include Naomi Watts, whose cut-through role was in Mulholland Drive, and Heath Ledger, who won a posthumous Oscar for his performance in The Dark Knight. Australian actors of international fame include Guy Pearce, Eric Bana, Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths and Paul Hogan. Errol Flynn was famous for romantic swashbuckling roles in the 1930s and 1940s.

Famous Australian sportspeople

Sport is a huge part of Australian culture and the nation has produced many sporting greats. Our cricketing heroes include Sir Donald Bradman, Ritchie Benaud, Allan Border, the Waugh brothers, Shane Warne and Glen McGrath.  Famous Australian swimmers include Dawn Fraser, Shane Gould, Kieren Perkins and Ian Thorpe. Our most famous runner is Cathy Freeman, who lit the Olympic flame and claimed gold in the 400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Other lauded runners include Betty Cuthbert, Herb Elliot and John Landy, famous for his sportsmanship at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Australian tennis stars include Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe, Pat Cash, Pat Rafter, Lleyton Hewitt, Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Famous Australian singers and songwriters

There are famous Australian singers across every musical genre. Our greatest opera singers were Dame Nellie Melba and Dame Joan Sutherland. Australian country music stars have included Smoky Dawson and Slim Dusty, and more recently John Williamson, James Blundell, Kasey Chambers, and Keith Urban. Pop princess Kylie Minogue hit the international charts many years after Grease star Olivia Newton John and icon John Farnham. Jimmy Barnes, Peter Garret, Michael Hutchence and Daniel Johns claimed fame as lead singers in rock bands. Famous Aboriginal singers include Jimmy Little, Christine Anu, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter and Geoffrey Gurrumul. Rolf Harris has written many iconic Australian songs while songwriter and entertainer Peter Allen has been immortalized in a stage musical.

Famous Australian artists

Our famous Australian artists include the late avant-garde painter Brett Whitely, landscape painter John Olson and photographers Bill Henson and Tracey Moffat. Ken Done has also won worldwide fame for his colourful paintings and designs. Famous Aboriginal artists of the last century include Albert Namatjira, David Malangi, Rover Thomas, Queenie McKenzie and Emily Kngwarreye.  Painters Florence Rodway, Grace Cossington Smith and Margaret Preston were at the vanguard of the modernist movement, while painter Norman Lindsay attracted controversy for his nudes. Other famous Australian artists have included painter Pro Hart, modernist photographer Max Dupain, Heidelberg painters such as Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton and surrealists Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd and Albert Tucker.

Famous Australian writers

Famous Australian writers include Bryce Courtenay, our top-selling novelist, and Colleen McCullough. Patrick White won the 1973 Nobel Prize for literature and the Man Booker Prize has been awarded to Thomas Keneally, Peter Carey (twice) and DBC Pierre. Other acclaimed contemporary writers include David Malouf, Tim Winton, Kate Grenville, Helen Garner, Christopher Koch, playwright David Williamson and Geraldine Brooks, who won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Australia’s notable expatriate writers include Clive James, Robert Hughes, Geoffrey Robertson and feminist writer Germaine Greer. Important names in Australia’s literary history include the bush poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson and novelists Henry Handel Richardson, Miles Franklin, Christina Stead and Marcus Clarke.

Famous Australian politicians

Sir Henry Parkes was the earliest advocate for federal government. Edmund Barton was Australia’s first Prime Minister, followed by Alfred Deakin, who presided over three governments. Billy Hughes, Australia’s seventh Prime Minister, changed parties five times over his 51-year parliamentary career.  Robert Menzies was the country’s twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister and founder of the Australian Liberal Party. Early Labor Prime Ministers include John Curtin, who led Australia through World War II, and Ben Chifley, who established Australian citizenship. Gough Whitlam is remembered for his progressive reforms and dramatic dismissal. Australia’s more recent prime ministers include Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

Famous Australians scientists

Pharmacologist and pathologist Howard Florey shared a Nobel Prize in 1945 for his work extracting penicillin. Other Australian scientists who are Nobel Laureates include William Bragg, John Warcup Cornforth, John Eccles, Bernard Katz, Peter Doherty and Elizabeth Blackburn. Geologist Dorothy Hill was the first female professor in an Australian university. Other famous Australian scientists include immunology and virology pioneer Frank Macfarlane Burnet, magnetism specialist Robert Street, theoretical chemist David Craig and climate change expert Tim Flannery.  Brian Anderson, Richard Stanton and Patricia Woolley have also made significant contributions in their various fields.

Famous Australian inventors and famous Australian inventions

Australia’s Aboriginal people invented the aerodynamic boomerang and a spear thrower called the woomera. Famous Australian inventors include Alfred Traeger, who built a radio for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in 1929, and David Ronald de Mey Warren, who invented the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Professor Ian Frazer 2006, Australian of the Year, invented a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. Other famous Australian inventions include notepads (1902), the surf lifesaving reel (1906), aspirin (1915), the pacemaker (1926), penicillin (1940) the Hills Hoist clothesline (1946), the plastic disposable syringe (1949), the wine cask (1965), the bionic ear (1978), dual-flush toilet flush (1980)anti-counterfeiting technology for banknotes (1992) and long-wearing contact lenses (1999).

Famous Australian explorers

Following Captain Cook’s 1770 landing, and the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 a number of early explorers set out to discover Australia. These included the duos Bass and Flinders, who charted Tasmania, the ill-fated Burke and Wills, and Hume and Hovel, who walked from Sydney to the Victorian coastline. Ernest Giles trekked through Australia’s harsh western deserts on camelback and George Evans discovered the Lachlan River Valley region of central New South Wales. Other early famous Australian explorers include Thomas Mitchell and John Oxley.  In the 20th century Sir Douglas Mawson led a series of important scientific expeditions to Antarctica.

Exploring Australia

Visiting the Land Down Under? There’s more to Australia than kangaroos, funny accents, the Sydney Opera House, and Crocodile Dundee!

In fact, Australia’s known for being a land of stunning landscapes, natural wonders, and sights to behold that will take your breath away. From the Outback’s Ayers Rock at sunrise to sunsets along the beach on the Gold Coast, there’s so much to take in! Your senses will have an experience of a lifetime. Plus, Australia has also been featured as one  of TripAtlas.com’s Ten Great Family Travel Destinations for Kids, as well as our number one pick for the Top Wine Regions in the New World.

This week, TripAtlas.com takes you, your 4×4, and your backpack out of Australia’s big cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth to discover the Top Natural Wonders that Australia’s wilderness and landscapes have to offer with our Top Ten Natural Highlights in Australia. Prepare to be awed and wowed at these destinations in the great Land Down Under.

Ten Natural Highlights and Sights to Discover in Australia

1. Under the Sea at the Great Barrier Reef
Australia and the South Pacific Islands like Bora Bora offer some of the top places for scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, and underwater life in the world. Two of these top spots in Australia include the Great Barrier Reef and Exmouth Ningaloo Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef is found on the northeast coast of Australia’s Queensland and is a world-class spot for coral life, diving, sandy white shores, sailing, romantic or luxury island getaways, and getting close and personal with marine life. The Reef is made up of more than 2500 individual reefs and 600 islands that offer simple or luxury, romantic or family accommodations and activities. Try your hand at sea kayaking, a chartered boat, go overnight on a bareboat, visit the Whitsunday Islands, or go take a hike through the bushwalking trails that overlook the Coral Sea.

2. Swim with the Whale Sharks and Manta Rays at Ningaloo Reef
The more remote Ningaloo Reef in Exmouth is located at the northwest tip of Western Australia and is a one-of-a-kind underwater or scuba diving location. Dive with the world’s biggest fish, whale sharks, manta rays, 500 species of tropical fish, and 220 species of unspoiled, colorful coral reefs in the clearest turquoise water imaginable.

3. Explore the Wonders of Australia’s Outback
One way to see The Outback, one of Australia’s most famous destinations, is to take the Savannahlander Train journey, weekly from Wednesdays to Saturdays. The train begins in Cairns, Queensland and travels through the Kuranda Range, stops at Barron Falls, Stoney Creek, and Kuranda’s Rainforests. The train then makes its way southwest into the Outback, through to the Chillagoe Caves, Mount Surprise, the Undara Lava Tubes, Einasleigh, Forsayth, and ends at Cobbold Gorge.

For those of us with a little more time on our hands, try experiencing the Outback in a four-wheel. You could trek or ride a horse through and stay at the many Outback Stations: properties that offer accommodations while also offering experience in learning trades in the Outback like working with cattle, shearing sheep, driving property vehicles, fencing, fishing, and more. While you’re in the Outback, be sure to check out Lawn Hill Gorge in Boodjamulla National Park, Riversleigh Fossil Fields, and Lark Quarry Conservation Park to see the famous dinosaur footprints.

4. Don’t be Fooled by the Rocks That Australia’s Got: Uluru or Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta or The Olgas
Australia’s famous rock, Ayers Rock or Uluru (in the aboriginal Anangu language), is found at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and is the stunning, larger-than-life massive red rock, right in the heart of Australia. Often seen or photographed as a massive glowing red monolith, visitors can walk the 9km around Uluru/Ayers Rock or climb up, although this is frowned upon by the Anangu who consider Uluru as “Earth Mother.”

Also in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park are The Olgas or Kata Tjuta. These are a collection of 36 rock domes of various sizes, just west of Uluru/Ayers, thought to have once been like Uluru/Ayers, but eroded into the thirty-six rocks today. When visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, most visitors stay in the town of Yulara, where accommodations and facilities can be found.

5. Kangaroos, Dingoes, Koalas, Crocs, Sharks, and Jellies—Oh My!
Kangaroo Island is a great place to see Australia’s unique wildlife variety. Visit Seal Bay Conservation Park to walk through or get a guided tour through packs of Australia Sea Lions and New Zealand Fur Seals. You’ll also see koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, heath goannas, echidnas, possums, and more.

Another great wildlife spot is Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island. It has endless white sandy beaches. It’s the best place to spot dingoes in Australia. You’ll often see dolphins, dugongs, turtles, manta rays, and from July to November, migrating humpback whales.

The Kimberleys is a natural frontier region that is found in northwest Australia and composed of a complex landscape: gorges, waterfalls, caves, rainforests, and wildlife like crocodiles, sharks, and jellyfish.

6. National Parks Galore!Australia contains a slew of National Parks, World Heritage Parks, and Marine Parks, each that offer a different take on the splendor that is Australia. Be sure not to miss Shark Bay on the west coast of Western Australia or Kakdu National Park in Northern Territory.

While you’re swimming through the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, make your way to Daintree National Park to get a glimpse at the great World Heritage Rainforest and the home of the largest range of plants and animals in the world. Finally, be sure to check out Blue Mountains in New South Wales near Sydney where you’ll experience dramatic ravines, bush, and grand forests of Australia.

7. More Than Just Tasmanian Devils in Tasmania
Tasmania is an island off the southeast coast of the Australia peninsula is known for many as the home of the Tasmanian Devil: a vicious scavenging creature with black fur, white patches, and deafeningly loud screeching growls—not unlike the one depicted in Bugs Bunny or Looney Toons cartoons!

Other species of wildlife that you’ll find on Tasmania are wallabies, wombats, platypuses, and even penguins,  seals, dolphins, or whales. Tasmania is a great side-trip when visiting Australia. Check out its highly diverse rugged terrain, grasslands, and rainforests full of unique vegetation like Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park and Franklin-Gordon National Park.

8. Where to Wine Your Weekend Away in Australia
On the west coast in Western Australia, Margaret River and Great Southern are the two main wine regions. Margaret River is surrounded on three sides by the ocean because it sits on the west coast of the southern tip of Western Australia. Its location offers great conditions for grape-growing and “stellar” waves for surfing. Margaret River hosts an annual pro-surfing competition and is known as a “mecca” for surfing. On the opposite side of the tip, Great Southern is found on the east coast of the southern tip of Western Australia and offers a great Riesling wine.

On the east coast, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales offer a few wine regions of their own. Barossa Valley is one of the best-known in Australia with its bright Shiraz wines and Coonawarra grows Australia’s famous Cab Sauvs. In Victoria, nearby Melbourne, Yarra Valley is known for its Pinot Noir and  Chardonnays, while King Valley is known for making fortified and dessert wines. Finally in New South Wales, Australia’s first viticultural area, Hunter Valley, contains more than eighty wineries and is famous for its Semillon.

9. Great Ocean Road: 273 kms of Real Australian Coastline
The perfect road trip: 273 kms along Australia’s southeast coast from Torquay and going westward to Warrnambool. This Great Ocean Road was built by 3000 servicemen as a memorial to their fellow servicemen who were killed in World War I. The road winds along the Australia’s southeast coastal mountains and you’ll meet new stunning views at every turn.

Great Ocean Road is also a journey with great stops on the way. The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge or Arch, and the Grotto are rock formations that were created by natural erosion. They can be found in Port Campbell National Park, along Great Ocean Road.

The Twelve Apostles are twelve rock formations that rise out of the Southern Ocean which were caused be erosion, but not all twelve are standing today as some have fallen over. Loch Ard Gorge tells the story of the English Loch Ard ship in the late 1800s that washed ashore and all but two of the fifty-five-member crew survived. The gorge is also another example of erosion of the rock face by the powerful ocean waves.

10. Surfing Along the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Near Brisbane
The Sunshine Coast in Queensland is found just north of Brisbane. It’s characterized by beautiful beaches that stretch for 40 miles, stunning coastal views, and rich fertile soils that are perfect for producing tropical fruits, nuts, pineapple, and sugar cane farms. For a taste of traditional Australian coastal towns, visit Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore, Coolum, and Noosa. Along with perfect waves for surfing, you’ll also find great seafood in the area. Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo is also found in the Sunshine Coast, as is the UnderWater World marine park and Aussie World.

Similarly, the Gold Coast is found south of Brisbane and boasts subtropical weather and 50 miles of beaches  and waves that beckon surfer from all around the world to its Surfers Paradise. The Gold Coast is also a destination that consists of World Heritage Rainforests, rock pools, waterfalls, and mountain villages. With nature at your doorstep and high-rises just steps away, the Gold Coast has tons to offer. The Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast are a great compliment to your visit in Australia.