Take a random road and follow it through small towns, countryside. Stop somewhere nice, maybe a small town near a river, have a swim with the locals. Eat lunch at the pub overlooking the river, and stay for a night at the hotel. Drink more beer, have more conversations, ask questions. Try the blackboard special - chicken parmigiana. Or the surprisingly good Moroccan lamb with couscous if you prefer.
To explore tourist place make the best out of your limited time. Do some research and take note of the places to visit! This will save your time and you don't miss out from visiting exploring the must visit places of the area. There are so many exceptional places to see and every tourist place have to offer, so do not always look for the most popular place, but rather get off the off touristy places and explore the hidden gems.
If you really want to know Australia though, you have to know the dry and dusty places. And they are definitely not all the same. And there are flies there.
Australia is huge. It may not be the biggest country in the world, but it’s up there. And it has more remoteness and long distances than any other country - by far. Like it is said the soul of the place is not at the tourist places but exist in small villages, streets, local people, and off the site places. Do interact with the locals they are always open to welcome new people and they will give you a true insight about the place!
If you happen to be one such traveler, here is a list of some of the best offbeat destinations you can explore in Australia.
1. Broome
Broome, located in the Kimberley region is one of the few civilized destinations that this desert region has. The place where red sand joins the sea, the slogan of this city can not be more appropriate. Broome was once the center of the world pearl industry. Nowadays, you can buy pearls there, as well as visit a dedicated museum.
2. Barossa Valley
Mountain range located to the north of Adelaide, the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park constitutes one of the most beautiful natural spaces of Australia, in the border with the Simpson Desert. The truth is that it is an area not very far from Adelaide, with forests, mountains and the beginning of a desert of red sand that extends to the north of the mountain range.
The Flinders Mountains should be considered a mandatory stage in any trip to Australia. If you are lucky enough to spend a night in the heart of the natural park, do not miss the sunset that inks the skirts of the mountains of an absolutely unforgettable red color.
Continue to the Yourambulla caves to appreciate the aboriginal art and then advance to Wilpena Pound, located in the center of the Flinders Rangers National Park. Not to mention the ancient history and geology of the land that follows you no matter where you are in the Ranges.
Afterwards, you can go to Quorn, known for its steam train trips to and from Port Augusta. Travel to the Barossa and Clare Valley Wine Region. This region is located in the beautiful north of Mount Lofty Ranges and is nestled between wooded hills and extensive vineyards.
You can visit the neighboring towns of Burra and Kapunda. Do not miss the oldest winery called Sevenhill, a historic and beautiful winery founded by the Jesuits.
3. Phillip Island
In the state of Victoria is one of the most beautiful and famous coast roads, the Great Ocean Road, where you can visit the concocted limestone pinnacles of the Twelve Apostles. See whales, stroll along its beaches, enjoy its national parks and visit its fishing villages. Melbourne is a city with great cultural, sports and gastronomic diversity.
At Phillip Island observe each night as hundreds of penguins come out to take refuge in their caves, a spectacle of nature worth observing. If you are a lover of good food, we recommend the Mornington Peninsula and the Yarra Valley wine region.
4. Shark Bay
Shark Bay in Western Australia is one of only two places in the world where living marine stromatolites still exist. These ancient structures are examples of what life on Earth was like 3.5 billion years ago and are considered living fossils and are the earliest record of life on earth. They were vital because it was they who created the oxygen we breathe and enabled life to evolve.
5. Thredbo
Did you know that Australia receives more annual snowfall than the Swiss Alps. The Snowy Mountains (or Snowies) are the highest mountain range in Australia reaching over 7000 feet and located along the Victorian/New South Wales border. Australia has many large lakes, wetlands, and inland river systems including this one, The Murray River.
The Murray is 2,508 kilometers (1,558 mi) in length. Its headwaters begin in the Snowy Mountains then it flow down marking most of the border between New South Wales and Victoria before meandering through the inland plains and outback, through the Coorong national parks and wetlands to eventually reach the Southern Ocean on the South Australian coast.
Paddlewheel riverboats have been plying their trade along its banks since colonial times, much like the Mississippi.
6. Alice Springs
Most Australians don’t know the true outback. They’ve probably heard of the Pilbara, or the Gunbarrel Highway, but wouldn’t know anything about it. It’s a rare breed of tourist who will travel through the true outback. The corrugated dirt roads that run for hundreds of kilometres, or just faint tyre tracks leading to cool, shady waterholes hidden in a small gorge only the locals know about.
Once again, it’s often only a beer with a local at the pub which will unlock the secrets of the area. Don’t be shy. By now, you should have your own stubby holder, or collection. You can tell a lot about a person by their stubby holder. Don’t be afraid to put your stubby holder on the bar, and stick a local beer in it.
From the cane fields on fire at sunset near Innisfail, to the Great Ocean Road. All good and well. But head properly west sometime and see the Pilbara and Kimberleys. Everything is definitely not bigger in Texas.
Hermannsburg and especially Palm Valley due to their remoteness are less crowded with tourists than other attractions in the Australian Red Centre. That makes them worth visiting for every Outback enthusiast!
Located in the Krichauff Range, 138 kilometers southwest of Alice Springs, Palm Valley is a spring-fed oasis of enormous cultural significance to the Western Arrantar people and another very rare (almost) permanent water source. It is assumed that the Cabbage palms are the last surviving remnants of the prehistoric rainforests that once blanketed most of central Australia.
7. Newcastle
Popularly considered as a blue water paradise owing to its vast stretches of clean, white sandy beaches, Port Stephens is a breathtakingly beautiful place to visit. Offering some of the most delicious and fresh seafood in the region, the tourism industry here is fast becoming one of the most lively ones in the country.
A fantastic alternative to those who have been to Sydney too many times, Port Stephens does not disappoint with its spectacular beauty and lively ambiance.
With an increasing number of tourists exploring more offbeat destinations in Australia, Hunter Valley has proved itself to be worthy of a visit as well. A paradise for wine lovers, this is where you will find the vineyards and wine cellars of the famed De Luliis, McGuigan, Tyrell's, and Briar Ridge among others.
The Hunter Valley Wine School is a fantastic place to visit and learn all you possibly can about wine. The restaurants here serve only the best when it comes to wine and it’s coupled with delicious food made from fresh local produce.
8. Darwin
Australia is famed for its wildlife experiences. From cuddly Koalas to bouncing Kangaroos, the opportunity to get up close and personal with one of our native animals shouldn't be overlooked. But a crocodile? We wouldn't recommend spending too much time with one of these sharp-toothed beasties unless you happen to visit Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin City.
Take the plunge with the Cage of Death, and spend 15 minutes of your life lowered down into a crocodile pen. Meet Chopper, Axel, and William and Kate (not the Royal couple), and say hello to these amazing reptiles from the safe confines of your water-bound cage as you travel Australia.
9. Grampians National Park
Follow the yellow arrows from the car park and you can’t go wrong. As well as the views you’ll come across an amazing number of native animals, and the diversity of vegetation is enough to keep amateur botanists content for weeks.
10. Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park, which has been inhabited by Aboriginal people for over 40,000 years, has over 5,000 ancient rock art sites that are interesting to see. It is a site of enormous cultural and ecological importance. The park is enormous and includes several magnificent natural features that make it well worth a visit; the Kakadu Escarpment is especially stunning.
With the park's varied habitats, you may spend one-minute trekking amid lonely sandstone escarpments and the next swimming in waterfalls and pools, before learning about some of the old rock art. While it may become very busy, Kakadu's vast size means that you can easily enjoy the park's attractions in peace and quiet if you go slightly off the main track.
While Kakadu is nothing like beautiful Yellowstone it is similar in terms of its incredible ecological diversity and preeminence within the Australian landscape. Australia has 285 national parks. The highest number in the world and 80 more than China, its next closest competitor. It also has 19 World Heritage sites such as The Great Barrier reef, The Daintree Rainforest, Uluru, Shark Bay, Frankin River National Park, and Kakadu amongst many others.
Located on the confluence of the East Alligator River system Kakadu is primarily (though not exclusively) wetland. It has a tropical climate, relies upon wet and dry seasons and monsoonal rainfall. It covers an area of 19,804² km (12305 sq mi)- almost identical to the Florida Everglades, 20,202 km² (12552 sq mi).
Aboriginal people have occupied the Kakadu area continuously for at least 65,000 years, indeed its northern coastline is believed to be the location of their first arrival on the Australian continent and Kakadu is renowned globally for the richness of its Aboriginal cultural sites and rock art.
The views are stunning along the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia’s Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. But lurking on land and within the sea are an unnerving assortment of deadly animal species. The population of giant saltwater crocodiles is quite dense. The unnoticeably painless bite of the blue-ringed octopus causes respiratory failure and no antivenom exists.
And yes, they’ve got the deadly stonefish and box jellyfish too! Worst of all, you’re days from a hospital in this remote corner of the world, so chances of surviving an animal attack are low. Honestly, the shark-infested waters are the least of your worries here.
11. Cape Tribulation
Cape Tribulation is a massive rainforest that meets the Great Barrier Reef. There are spectacular waterfalls, gorges and swimming pools in Northern Territory.