Remote Islands, National Parks and Regional Towns: Here Are 20 of the Best Places to Visit in Australia in 2024
We've rounded up 20 of the best places to visit in Australia during 2023, from regional towns to national parks and remote islands.
Tassie's Bruny Island feels totally remote but it's a short ferry ride from the coast and, including driving time, is just 50-minutes from Hobart. The beauty of this proximity to the city is that, despite all the rugged wilderness, you can still find luxury.
BRUNY ISLAND
This region is ripe for exploring and one of the most photogenic regions in Tassie. There are hiking trails through bushland full of native wildlife as well as pristine white sand beaches with orange-hued granite that the Bay of Fires is renowned for. 
BAY OF FIRES
Hobart is booming. Increasingly, Australian travellers and international folk are taking the trip down south to Tasmania's seaside city. The city's brilliant food scene draws visitors, as well as the city's singular cultural institution MONA.
HOBART
Victoria's Great Ocean Road is always worth travelling down — but finding places to stop for a few nights can be a much harder task. The classics of Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay are always great options, but we prefer the sleepier Wye River. 
THE WYE RIVER
No matter how popular Wilson's Prom gets, you can always find your own private cove or headland. Either stay at a nearby town and then drive to a beach or hiking trail or get even further off the beaten path by camping or taking your time to go on a long trek.
WILSON'S PROMONTORY
This regional Victorian city was booming back in the Gold Rush era and has recently had another renaissance of sorts — brilliant restaurants, bars, galleries and hotels are the new gold. 
BALLARAT
This may just be Australia's most up-market national park in the country. Luxury adult's only resorts and eco retreats are scattered all over the Whitsunday islands. 
THE WHITSUNDAYS
Now off to somewhere entirely more remote. Munga Thirri is country that belongs to the Wangkangurru and Yarluyandi people, formerly known as the Simpson Desert National Park. 
MUNGA THIRRI NATIONAL PARK
Newcastle has undergone a huge cultural transformation in the past 15 years. Sydney's sister city hasn't always been a getaway destination, but we have been won over by its newfound charm.
NEWCASTLE
Just 11 kilometres long and two kilometres wide, Lord Howe, is fully explorable within a few days. And thanks to visitor limits (only 400 people are permitted at any one time), it's one of Australia's best islands to visit when you want to get off the mainland.
LORD HOWE ISLAND
You'll find some of the most stunning beaches along this part of the south coast including Bulli and Austinmer. But this isn't your average sleepy beach town. 
WOLLONGONG
Byron Bay is a classic Australian travel destination, much loved for its bohemian beach culture and world class yoga and wellness retreats scattered about the region. 
BYRON BAY
If you want to take a selfie with a quokka then Rottnest Island is the only place to do it. These amusing little mounds of joy wander all over the island, ready for locals to respectfully stop for a snap.
ROTTNEST ISLAND
This remote region in Western Australia is one of Australia's most impressive natural landscapes. It's known for its abundance of local wildlife that roams the rugged mountain ranges, dramatic gorges with hidden swimming holes and the semi-arid desert.
THE KIMBERLEY
Fun fact: Ningaloo Reef is the only large reef in the world that you can access right off the shore. Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, you don't need to book a spot on a large boat that takes you out to the reef with a bunch of other tourists. 
NINGALOO REEF
South Australia is famous for its many wine regions that pump out case after case of spectacular vino. You've got McLaren Vale, the Barossa and Clare Valley, but we are all about the Adelaide Hills in 2023. 
ADELAIDE HILLS
Wilpena Pound is the holy grail of the Flinders Ranges National Park, characterised by its dramatic rocky mountains. The entire region is vast and truly remote, located about a five-hour drive from Adelaide.
WILPENA POUND
This coastal region in South Australia is foolishly overlooked by both Aussies and international travellers. It is the state's own version of Victoria's Great Ocean Road, and it might just give that famous stretch of coast a run for its money. 
EYRE PENINSULA
Kakadu is an unmissable Australian travel destination, but its perceived remoteness seems to put a lot of travellers off. Don't let it. Kakadu is only a three-hour drive from Darwin and it's well and truly worth the journey. 
KAKADU NATIONAL PARK
Run away to the Northern Territory's fairly unknown Bremer Island for a super chill tropical island holiday. It's well and truly off the beaten path, so you'll be away from the crowds, surrounded only by well-preserved wilderness.
BREMER ISLAND
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