29 things to do in australia before you die …

29 things to do in australia before you die ... Where do you start with the things to do in Australia before you die? More to the point, where do you end? This amazing continent-sized country is full of amazing beauty and natural wonders, vibrant cities and the most laid back #people on the planet. You could probably make a list of 29,000 things to do in Australia, unfortunately, I’ve had to go with much fewer. Here’s my pick of 29 things to do in Australia before you die, and I can’t wait for our Aussie readers to chip in with all those they would have included. 1. GET THE HUMP IN BROOME There are so many beaches to visit that could easily make the list of #things to do in Australia before you die, so I had to find you something that combined a stunning beach and a unique activity. There are many more camels in Australia than you probably imagine, and one place where they have a home is Cable Beach in Broome, on the northern coast of Western Australia. It is a magical experience to traverse some of the 22 miles of golden sand on the back of a camel while drinking in the views of a magnificent sunset. 2. DO SOME JAIL TIME AT PORT ARTHUR Port Arthur in Tasmania is one of the most evocative places to visit in #Australia before you die if you really want to get a sense of just how hardy the first settlers were. Port Arthur is a huge prison that the deported convicts actually had to build themselves, and the cells eventually held up to 12,500 inmates. The convicts were also put to work building the rest of the settlement. 3. MAKE LIKE A TOURIST IN THE MARGARET RIVER VALLEY The Margaret River runs through ancient forests into the Indian Ocean in Western #Australia. The valley floor is lush with wineries and fine agricultural produce, making a delight for oenologists and gourmets alike. You can sample wines, eat fine foods before lunch and then head out to chill on a gorgeous beach for the afternoon or even visit the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere at Busselton (which also has an underwater observatory). 4. WATCH THE PENGUIN PARADE ON PHILLIP ISLAND Who doesn’t love penguins? There are plenty of places in Australia to see penguins, but the premier spot is Summerland Beach, Phillip Island in Victoria. There is an organized viewing area where you can delight in the sunset parade of penguins as they make their way up the beach after a day’s fishing to settle in their nesting boxes or sand dune burrows for the night. 5. WALK AROUND A BIG ROCK (ULURU) To me there are 2 enduring symbols of Australia – one is the Sydney Opera House (man-made) and Uluru (a wonder of nature). A long journey from any major population centre, but a visit to Uluru is one of the quintessential #things to do in Australia before you die. Although you should no longer climb Uluru, you can walk the perimeter of the huge monolith (about 6 miles) which is probably one of the oldest walking tracks in the #world. The mystical rock anchor’s Australia’s Red Centre and the light changes the colours of the landscape through an amazing spectrum. It’s easy to see why it is so important in the spirituality of the Aboriginal #people. 6. FIND YOUR INNER COWGIRL AT AN OUTBACK CATTLE STATION You got up at sunrise, donned your faded jeans and your akubra and returned home at sunset covered in dust from the day’s yakka. Translation? You have just experienced a hard day out working in an outback cattle station. (Akubra is a traditional hat and yakka is work). A working holiday on an cattle station really is work, with a capital w, but if you think you’d prefer a gentle experience there are stations that provide guest accommodation so you can still enjoy the glory that is the outback: You might stay in a room in the old shearer’s quarters and get taken out to a bush camp. 7. SLIP, SLOP, SLAP AT WINEGLASS BEACH It would be somewhat fatuous to say that to visit a beach is one of the #things to do in Australia before you die, but not so when it is a visit to what is widely accepted as the country’s best beach. This honour goes to Wineglass Beach on Tasmania’s Freycinet Peninsula. Regularly appearing in top 10 best beach lists for decades, Wineglass Beach is National Geographic picture perfect. This is travel eye-candy of the highest calibre. The curve of white sand, a shoreline peppered with pink granite rocks and the most incredible shade of blue water are what beach dreams are made of. 8. DON’T LOOK DOWN: THE HARBOUR BRIDGE CLIMB So many must-do experiences in Australia involve the country’s stunning natural attractions. There are however, some pretty darned spectacular man-made #things that shouldn’t be missed, as long as you have a head for heights. Doing the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb is one of them. One of the most iconic constructions in the #world, the climb provides views of the harbour from 134 metres up that you simply can’t get from any other vantage point. 9. DO THE ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP – THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD One of the greatest road trips in the #world is the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. Starting at Torquay, south-west of Melbourne, the road takes you 240 kilometres along the most glorious stretch of coast, ending at Allansford. Even though this sounds like a trip you can do in a day – don’t! This is a trip where you enjoy the snaking road, stop off at tiny beach towns, indulge in cafes with an amazing ocean view, and enjoy amazing landscapes such as the spectacular 12 Apostles. As there are now only 7 of the 12 original apostles (stone stacks) left, they are absolutely on the list of places to see in Australia before you die. 10. TAP YOUR TOES AT THE TAMWORTH MUSIC FESTIVAL It may surprise non-Aussie readers to learn that one of the nation’s premier music festivals is actually a celebration of country and western. Being one of more than 55,000 who make the annual pilgrimage to Tamworth in New England (NSW) is essential for getting down with the dosey-doe vibe. 11. FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF THE GRAPE IN YARRA There are excellent wine growing regions all over #Australia, but arguably the most scenic of them all is the Yarra Valley in Victoria. Not too far from Melbourne’s heaving city centre, the valley is a gorgeous expanse of wineries set in the most glorious countryside, producing some of the country’s best wines. You can take a day trip from Melbourne, or spend a few days on a wine trail through the valley’s open cellars. 12. PEEK AT A PLATYPUS IN THE WILD Australia has some weird and wonderful creatures found nowhere else on earth and the platypus is among them. Seeing one of these unique creatures in the wild just has to be on the list on #things to do in Australia before you die. It’s so much better than seeing one in a zoo. There are various places where you might just get more than a glimpse of these elusive but fascinating animals like Eungalla National Park in Queensland, the southern areas of the Blue Mountains in NSW, the Warrawong Earth Sanctuary in the Adelaide Hills and various places around Tazzy. 13. HEAR THE ROAR AT THE MCG Australia is a great sporting nation and the Melbourne Cricket Ground is the most iconic sports stadium. It may be called a cricket ground but it also hosts Aussie Rules Football (a hybrid of soccer and rugby). Holding 100,000 spectators, being in the crowd for the Boxing Day Test or the AFL Cup Final is an ear splitting, amazing experience. 14. SEE THE OLDEST ART IN THE WORLD Among some of the most awe-inspiring places to visit in Australia before you die are the ancient Aboriginal rock art sites. It’s taken a long #time but Australians and the rest of the world are really beginning to appreciate the images that were carved into rocks tens of thousands of years ago by the indigenous peoples. There are sites all over Australia, some of the most significant being in the Burrup Peninsula. You can view these amazing creations in situ but there are also galleries all over the country displaying and selling more modern art and also, Aboriginal craft centres open to the public. A good resource to start with is australia.gov.au 15. SET SAIL IN THE WHITSUNDAYS Oh #boy! Could there possibly be any better location on earth to go sailing than the Whitsunday Islands? Totally and utterly stunning! With leagues of perfect, crystal clear turquoise ocean, rimmed by pristine, often deserted, white sandy beaches and a mass of amazing coral and fish species, the Whitsundays are the tropical Australian paradise. Regardless of whether you’re interested in island hopping from one of the region’s 74 different islands to the other, or simply spending your #time on or under the water, the Whitsundays are without question one of the must-visit places in Australia. 16. ENJOY A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE FOREST FROM THE PEMBERTON CLIMBING TREES A definite must for daredevils, the massive Pemberton climbing trees located roughly 330 kilometres north of Perth, are enough to weaken the knees of even the most skilled climber. These towering Karri trees were utilised to spot forest fires during the 1930s and 1940s, although the three remaining lookout trees now only serve as tourist attractions, which can be climbed via a series of thin iron pegs that protrude from the trunks. The fact that the tallest of these lookouts sits approximately 75 metres above the ground, and must be climbed without a safety harness certainly qualifies the trees as one of the most dangerous must-do experiences in #Australia! 17. SEARCH FOR PEARLS IN BROOME One of the often overlooked #things to do in Australia before you die, sifting your way through Broome’s pearl farms is a great way to learn more about this prestigious industry; not to mention being able to get your hands on some extremely affordable pearls! Numerous tour providers around town will also vie to fill you in on the township's rich pearl diving past, which can make for an extremely interesting few hours. 18. BE THE FIRST PERSON ON MAINLAND AUSTRALIA TO SEE THE SUNRISE Mt. Warning (also known as Wollumbin) definitely qualifies as one of the most amazing places to see in Australia before you die. Whilst the challenging 4.4 kilometre hike to the top of the mountain from Breakfast Creek may seem a little extreme for some people, the native flora and fauna that you see on the way up, not to mention the unbeatable view of the surrounding country side from the peak certainly makes the trek one of the best walking trails in Australia. The main draw card of Mt. Warning for most #people however, is the fact that the top of the mountain is the first place on mainland Australia, from which you can see the sunrise - meaning that on any given morning you could be the first person on the whole continent to see the sun’s rays! 19. VISIT THE “RACE THAT STOPS THE NATION” Known as “The Race that stops the Nation”, the Melbourne Cup definitely qualifies as a must-do experience. Held annually at Flemington Race Course on the first Tuesday in November, the prestigious horse race is famous for offering outrageous prize #money, which draws in competitors from all over the world. For spectators however, the amazing fashions on the field competitions, in addition to the opportunity to “have a flutter” (place a bet on their favourite horse), makes the race one of the most important events on Melbourne’s social and sporting calendar. 20. SEE EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE OLDEST LIVING ORGANISMS IN THE WORLD Not many #people have ever heard of the Stromatolites, which lie roughly 750 kilometres north of Perth on the central Western Australian coast, although these ancient marine structures definitely rank highly on the list of things to see in Australia before you die! Microbial colonies formed by prehistoric Cyanobacteria over a period of thousands of years, the Stromatolites are perfect examples of what life on Earth would have looked like approximately 3.5 billion years ago. 21. EXPLORE THE WORLD’S LARGEST SAND ISLAND BY 4WD One of the most extreme 4WD experiences in Australia, Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, is definitely one of the best attractions in Australia. Regardless of whether you’re interested in testing your 4WD mettle on the kilometres of beach and inland tracks, hooking a fish straight off the beach, getting up close and personal with dingoes, whales and turtles, or swimming in the crystal clear waters of the#beautiful inland lakes, Fraser Island is simply spectacular. 22. SWIM WITH THE OCEAN’S GENTLE GIANTS ON NINGALOO REEF Swimming with whale sharks on Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef during the winter months is certainly one of the must-do experiences in Australia. These 12 metre filter feeding giants, which are officially classed as the world’s largest fish, provide divers with an awe inspiring brush with nature; although they’re not the only #attraction in the area, with manta rays, dolphins, dugong and turtles also frequenting the region. 23. SPEND A NIGHT ON A STUNNING TROPICAL ISLAND NEAR CAIRNS Cairns is often referred to as “The Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef”, with hordes of travellers setting off on boats every day to get a peek at the reef. The best way to experience the reef and avoid the tourist #crush however, is to book accommodation on one of the small tropical islands that lie just off the coast. Islands such as Green Island, Fitzroy Island or the lesser known Franklin Islands allow you to take your #time and explore all that the reef has to offer, not to mention the fact that you get to spend your evenings on a tropical paradise girt by the sparkling Pacific Ocean. 24. MARVEL AT THE UNDERGROUND TOWNSHIP THAT IS COOBER PEDY The small opal mining community of Coober Pedy is one of the most unique and iconic sights of Australia, owing in no small part to its unique underground dwellings. The scorching temperatures experienced in the region forced the residents of the small central South Australian township to create extensive underground homes, hotels, shops and even museums and galleries in order to escape the heat. Whilst this may not sound overly pleasant to some #people, the settlement really is something magical! 25. SCUBA DIVE ON ONE OF THE WONDERS OF THE NATURAL WORLD Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most awe inspiring #things to do in Australia before you die, as the coral and fishes present are some of the most beautiful and rare on the planet. Another advantage of diving on the Great Barrier Reef however, is that the range and size of the coral atolls that make up the reef, means that there are a plethora of different sites to choose from, all of which offer something new and exciting! 26. SWIM IN A DORMANT VOLCANO ON THE ATHERTON TABLELANDS The Atherton Tablelands, located approximately 1 hours’ drive inland from Cairns in Australia’s northeast is certainly one of the most spectacular places to see in #Australiabefore you die. The region was once extremely volcanically active, as is apparent from the fertile bright red soil, which stands out against the stunning green foliage that coats the area’s farmland. The absolute must-see attractions on the Tablelands however, are the two large volcanic crater lakes, Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham, which are skirted by dense tropical rainforest, and are great for a leisurely rainforest walk or swim. 27. PERUSE THE ANCIENT PINNACLES The Pinnacles, located roughly 200 kilometres north of Perth in Western #Australia, are amazing, tall limestone structures, which have been formed by intense weathering and erosion. The interesting part of seeing the Pinnacles however is that these large rocky structures protrude above the red sands of the Australian desert, making it seem as though you’ve just landed on another planet. If you’re there in the spring months, you may also be lucky enough to catch the blooming wildflowers, which add a real dash of colour to the arid desert landscape. 28. GO SHOPPING IN MELBOURNE’S CHADSTONE SHOPPING CENTRE Said to be one of the best shopping centres in #Australia, Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre offers a myriad of approximately 500 different stores, in addition to all sorts of different cuisine and entertainment. The centre’s main focus is definitely on fashion however, with the establishment claiming to be Melbourne’s fashion capital! So if you’re looking to expand your wardrobe during your next getaway, why not pay Chadstone Shopping Centre a visit?! 29. WANDER THROUGH PRIMORDIAL LAVA TUBES IN UNDARA Undara may not rank as one of the most visited places in#Australia, although this is really only due to its remote outback location. The calibre of the attractions in the area however, are second to none, with the remains of one of the world’s largest lava flows from a single volcano winding through the region, in the form of cavernous lava tubes. The small areas of rare rainforest plant species scattered throughout the savannah, and the once in a lifetime “Opera in the Outback” performances held in the lava tubes however, certainly make Undara an amazing Australian destination.

29. WANDER THROUGH PRIMORDIAL LAVA TUBES IN UNDARA

Murtaza Rangwala

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