This UNESCO-listed architectural treasure is one of the world’s most recognisable buildings and a true Aussie icon, making it an absolute mustsee. On a headland jutting into Sydney Harbour, it’s visible from many of the city’s waterside spots and you can get up-close at the outdoor Opera Bar. up-close at the outdoor Opera Bar.
Bagging tickets to a live performance is obviously the best way to appreciate its legendary acoustics and cavernous interiors, but there are guided tours too including architectural explorations and VIP dinner packages. Part of the Cultural Attractions of Australia collective, its experiences are pre-bookable and fully commissionable for agents.
Crossing the heart of the country and spanning parts of the Outback few get to see, Journey Beyond’s The Ghan is one of the world’s top train journeys.
Travelling between Adelaide in South Australia and Darwin in the Top End, the three-day trip on the luxurious sleeper stops in remote enclaves such as Katherine, where off terrain experiences include river gorge cruises and exploring caves decorated with ancient Indigenous art.
The Red Centre town of Alice Springs is a real highlight. From here travellers can visit Uluru via a helicopter excursion.
As the world’s largest monolith, Uluru is truly extraordinary and all the more iconic for its position right in the Red Centre of Australia. Rising from flat terracotta plains, the sacred rock can no longer be climbed due to its deep cultural significance to First Nations Australians, but there are several trails around Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, including the 10km base walk that circles the rock.
New sound and light experiences featuring indigenous Dreamtime stories, after-dark drone displays and the illuminated Field of Light run by Ayers Rock Resort hotels now add a different dimension to a visit.
Stretching from the northern tip of the continent right down the east coast to Brisbane, the world’s largest coral ecosystem is the equivalent size of 17 million football fields. Cairns is the main gateway from where you depart for trips that immerse you in the kaleidoscopic world of tropical fish, corals, turtles and rays – it’s even possible to swim with curious minke whales in season.
There are a myriad of great ways to experience it, from underwater scooters, glass bottom boats and mini submarines to snorkelling, scuba diving tours and coral conservation.
Named after Australia’s most iconic creature, Kangaroo Island is separated from the southern Australia mainland by just eight miles of ocean, making it a haven for unique Aussie wildlife.
Here, visitors can walk among the roos, echidnas, wallabies and koalas, visit a sealion colony at Seal Bay and spot dolphins frolicking offshore.
Sleek local hotels such as Southern Ocean Lodge offer access to the wild west coast and rugged national parks such as Flinders Chase featuring geological landmarks such as the famous Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch.
Together with the Opera House, the dramatic steel arch of the Harbour Bridge is the iconic image of Australia that international visitors won’t want to miss on a trip Down Under.
Climb to the top of the arch has become a popular way to appreciate the bridge and its panoramic views of the city, with the Burrawa version of the climb including Aboriginal tales and an illuminating history of Sydney Harbour.
In the same area of the city, The Rocks weekend market featuring food, live music and boutique goods beneath the bridge’s girders is the perfect excuse to get up-close to this engineering marvel.
Western Australia’s Coral Coast harbours an enchanting natural wonder known as Ningaloo. A “beauty rival” of the Great Barrier Reef, it’s the largest fringing reef in the world, accessible from the shoreline from where visitors can swim out and snorkel it.
UNESCO-listed for its biodiversity, its electric-blue waters are home to more than 450 types of marine life, including the gentle whale sharks that linger between March and July.
Described by David Attenborough as the most extraordinary place on earth, Daintree is one half of Queensland’s duo of World Heritage wonders that includes the neighbouring Great Barrier Reef. In places, the world’s most ancient tract of rainforest meets the reef on the Daintree Coast.
Its deep biodiversity, bisected by lush rivers and dotted with clear watering holes, is best explored in the company of a First Nations elder who can show travellers how the forest’s custodians look after the land by using techniques dating back 60,000 years.
Meandering between the cosmopolitan cities of Melbourne and Adelaide, the 150-mile Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s most scenic drives.
The heritage-listed route skirts a coastline of soaring cliffs and windswept beaches, with spectacular stops along the way numbering the Twelve Apostles sea stacks and the Otways bush, eucalyptus forests and fern gullies that harbour Aussie creatures such as koalas, potoroos and bandicoots.
Travellers can brush shoulders with celebs at northern New South Wales’ star-studded Byron Bay, the sun-kissed surfer’s paradise that epitomises Australia’s outdoor coastal lifestyle.
The hip town lined with trendy boutiques, paddock-to-plate eateries and cocktail bars is the seaside retreat of choice for A-listers Chris Hemsworth and Nicole Kidman. Less storied visitors often opt for surfing lessons or simply soaking up the chilled vibe.