Australia is home to some of the most breathtaking places on Earth, with landscapes that captivate the soul and ignite the imagination. From the stunning red deserts of Uluru to the pristine beaches of the Great Barrier Reef, there are over 15+ awe-inspiring locations that showcase the country’s natural beauty. Explore the lush rainforests of Daintree National Park, marvel at the unique rock formations of the Blue Mountains, and enjoy the vibrant colors of the Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Road. Each destination offers its own unique charm, making Australia a must-visit for travelers seeking adventure and tranquility alike. Whether you’re hiking through national parks, relaxing on sun-soaked shores, or discovering vibrant coral reefs, these breathtaking places will leave you in awe of Australia‘s diverse landscapes.
Australia is the flattest continent on Earth. So pretty dull, right?
01. Victoria Falls, Border Of Zambia And Zimbabwe?
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This fall may look like Africa’s famous rapids, but actually it’s the Barron Falls in Far North Queensland.
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In the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, the Barron Falls are the highlight of the Barron Gorge National Park. Not much more than a trickle for nine months of the year, the 125m (410ft) falls explode into life during the Big Wet (Dec-March).
02. The Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona?
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No, that isn’t the ghost of Evel Knievel shaping up for one final jump; those are sightseers on the rim of the truly epic Kings Canyon in the Northern Territory.
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The highlight of the Watarrka National Park, the sheer walls of Kings Canyon are more than 100m (325ft) high. Home to Luritja Aboriginal people for more than 20,000 years, the Canyon’s 6km Rim Walk is one of Australia’s most exciting strolls.
03. Isla Nublar AKA Jurassic Park, Costa Rica?
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It might look like the last refuge of the dinosaurs, but this is actually Hinchinbrook Island in Far North Queensland.
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You’ll see plenty of native wildlife while wilderness trekking the 32km Thorsborne Trail on Hinchinbrook Island, but you won’t see velociraptors or people. This uninhabited island on the Great Barrier Reef is Australia’s largest island national park.
04. The Alpe d’Huez, France?
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Cyclists are obsessed with these “must-ride” alpine switchbacks, but actually, this is Jacob’s Ladder in Tasmania, not Le Tour de France’s most legendary climb.
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“The most amazing road in Australia, hands down,” according to photographer Beardy McBeard, unsealed Jacob’s Ladder climbs to the summit of Ben Lomond National Park in northern Tasmania, and everyone takes the same pic.
05. The Cliffs Of Moher, Ireland?
Nope, this is not Ireland’s ruggedly wild west coast; it’s actually the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.
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SA’s seriously epic Eyre Peninsula has more than 2,000km of coastline and some of the nation’s most dramatic sea cliffs. Offshore are colonies of seals and sea lions, and Australia’s biggest Great White Sharks.
06. The Old Man Of Stoer, Scotland?
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The coastline is at least as crazy as Scotland’s wild north-west, but this is actually The Totem Pole and Candle Stick in Tasmania.
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Located within the Tasman National Park, the breathtaking 300m (1000ft) high cliffs of Cape Hauy are best viewed by boat: some brave, crazy people rock climb to the top!
07. Copper Canyon, Mexico?
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This canyon might look like the biggest canyon in the world, but actually it’s just the biggest in Oz, Carnarvon Gorge in Queensland.
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Almost 30km long and up to 600m deep, Carnarvon Gorge is the highlight of the nearly 3,000 sq km Carnarvon National Park, which contains 40 diverse ecosystems that host 23 rare fauna species and more than 200 bird species. It’s wild!
08. The Alps?
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Well yes. This is sunrise on Mount Feathertop in Victoria’s Alpine National Park.
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At 1,922 metres (6,306 ft), Mount Feathertop in the Australian Alps is the second-highest mountain in Victoria. Covered in snow from June to September, it’s popular with backcountry skiers and snowboarders.
09. The Rockies?
Not quite, although Cradle Mountain in Tasmania is pretty rocky – and not exactly a “wee hill” at 1,545 m (5,069 ft).
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Tasmania’s landscapes feature more exposed dolerite than anywhere else on Earth. Dolerite is the rock that shaped the jagged and mountainous landscapes that have made Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park world famous.
10. The Pyrenees?
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No, this isn’t the French-Spanish border; it’s actually the stunning ridge of Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia.
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Rising out of the bush in outback SA, the spectacular Flinders Ranges are the product of millions of years of erosion, perfectly summarized by the German-born Australian artist Hans Heysen as “the bones of the earth laid bare”.
11. The Rainbow Mountains, China?
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No, these are not the famous painted cliffs of the Danxia Landform Geological Park; these are Western Australia’s beautiful Bungle Bungles.
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The highlight of Western Australia’s Purnululu National Park, the 350-million-year-old Bungle Bungle Range has been an important spiritual place for Indigenous Australians for 40,000 years, but was only “discovered” by the outside world in 1983.
12. The Sierra Nevada, California?
This place may look like the Wild West, and you might not be that surprised to see The Lone Ranger trotting into the shot, but it’s actually Mount Giles in the Northern Territory.
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The six-day 224km Larapinta Trail along the MacDonnell Ranges is one of Australia’s great wilderness treks. One of the highest peaks in Australia’s Red Centre, 1,389m (4,555ft) Mount Giles dominates Ormiston Pound, a spectacular ring of mountains.
13. The Sierra Nevada, Andalucia?
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Think you know your Sierra Nevadas? Wrong again, this is actually the Stirling Ranges in Western Australia.
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Bluff Knoll in Western Australia’s Stirling Range National Park is one of the few places in WA to experience regular winter snowfalls. One thousand ninety-nine metres (3,606 ft) above sea level, the region’s Aboriginal name is Koi Kyeunu-ruff: “the place of ever-moving fog and mist”.
14. Acantilados de Los Gigantes, Canary Islands, Spain?
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Nope, these are the Bunda Cliffs, Nullabor National Park, Western Australia.
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Often described as “The End of the World”, the Bunda Cliffs run more than 100km along the Great Australian Bight and are the longest uninterrupted line of sea cliffs on Earth. They fall dramatically into the Southern Ocean from the Nullabor Plain.
15. Big Sur, California?
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Similarly spectacular, but actually this is the Sea Cliff Bridge on the Grand Pacific Drive from Sydney to Wollongong.
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The Sea Cliff Bridge in northern Illawarra was built after the old road was closed by rock falls. NSW’s Pacific coastline is wild and rugged, particularly immediately north and south of Sydney.
16. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania?
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You won’t see any wildebeest migrating here, sadly: this is the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.
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Named after the eucalyptus mist they are shrouded with in summer, these iconic hills are often blanketed with mist. Part of the Great Dividing Range, the Blue Mountains stretch 95km (60 miles) and feature gorges up to 760m (2,490ft) deep.
17. Bora Bora, French Polynesia?
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No grass skirts here, sadly (well maybe), this stunning scene is lovely, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales.
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600km off the New South Wales coast, volcanic remnant Lord Howe Island is a nature lover’s paradise, with excellent scuba, snorkeling, and bird watching, natural forest, and excellent trails to explore. Towering over it all is 875m Mount Gower (2,870 ft).
18. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil?
Isn’t that the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio? Nope, this spectacular shot is actually a combination of really clever photography and the impressive Arthur Ranges in the Tasmanian Wilderness Heritage Area.
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Some of Australia’s most stunning World Heritage-listed wilderness, the Arthur Ranges in south-west Tasmania, is as wild, desolate, and beautiful as it gets. Also, do yourself a favour and follow Chris Wiewiora on Instagram. His shots are amazing.
19. Angel Falls, Venezuela?
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They’re pretty impressive, but these are actually the Jim Jim Falls in the Northern Territory.
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Plunging 200m (660ft) in a single drop during the Top End wet season, the mighty Jim Jim Falls in the vast Kakadu National Park are best viewed from the air: during the tropical summer, it is impossible to reach them any other way.
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