Australia Tourism - State by State Attractions

Tours Down Under Can Mean More Than that Big Red Outback Rock

Feb 7, 2009

Each Australian state has lots to offer those travelling down under. The NSW tourist or outback tourist won't be disappointed, but see what other states can offer, too.

Most tourists know and visit Australia by areas or icons - the Gold Coast, Kakadu (the outback rock),Cairns, Sydney, or the opera house. To see all the prized tourist hot-spots requires hopping all over the continent. Localising a visit in one state can be rewarding and cheaper.

Best States of Australian Tourist Attractions

This article will list all the Australian states and give a very brief outline of their tourist attractions. To be precise, the site will discuss the Australian States and Territories – as some ‘states’ are still designated ‘territory’.

NSW was the site of the first European settlement, and Sydney, with its Harbour Bridge, Opera House and historical Rocks area, one of the most popular cities for overseas tourists - probably a must-see for most.

A NSW visit would be rewarding: there are many areas to see. The coastline has great beaches, referred to as Far North Coast, North Coast, Central Coast and South Coast (below Sydney) . There are the rugged Blue Mountains (close to Sydney) and national parks for bushwalks. In winter, the Snowy Mountains ski resorts are also popular – yes, Australia has snow! Further afield is the whole rural state of isolated but busy towns, and, as you get well inland, areas that can be described as the Outback, including the mining towns of Lightning Ridge, White Cliffs and Broken Hill. For lusher country (pardon the pun), tourists can visit the wonderful wine-growing region of the Hunter Valley.

Victoria Tourism (Vic)

Melbourne is always popular, and vies jealously with Sydney in the popularity stakes), as is the nearby Mornington Peninsula and Philip Island penguin colony. The old goldfields are a much-visited destination as is the Murray River with its paddle wheeler cruises. While Victoria doesn’t score as well for beaches, there is the magnificent cliff scenery of the Great Ocean Road.

Often left as an afterthought, much to the disgust of Tasmanians, this island beneath an island continent has a rich diversity of tourist attractions, packed into an easily manageable area. It has several major distinctively different cities, chief of which is Hobart, which features the nearby well-preserved penal settlement of Port Arthur. Tasmania is a delight for nature-lovers, with King Island, the Derwent Valley Cradle Mountain and several wilderness areas for rafting, such as the Franklin-Gordon Wild River National Park.

Adelaide is often put forward as a cultural capital of Australia as it hosts frequent festivals through the year. The state itself has some pretty barren but evocative areas such as the Nullarbor Plains and the Great Australian Bight – that lower area of the continent that looks like a huge bite taken out. South Australia also has its vineyards – the Barossa Valley is famous for its wineries.

The biggest Australian state, by far. Perth is another Aussie city with beaches – excellent for swimming, snorkelling and surfing. This time it’s the Indian Ocean, not the Pacific! Rottnest Island holds similar attractions and is just a ferry ride away. There are lots of feature places to visit in WA, but they are further apart than in other states. On the coast, there is Monkey Mia, where visitors can swim with wild dolphins, Broome, with its pearling history, and Cable Beach. Inland, WA has its desert outback country, plus the Bungle Bungles, and ‘wild west’ towns like Kalgoorlie and Kunanura.

The Northern Territory is the focus of Outback tourism. The capital, Darwin, is a laidback, quintessentially Aussie tropical city. Not far away is Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land. The Northern Territory also contains the ‘Red Centre’, which includes Alice Springs, Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), and King’s Canyon. For wild, often barren, beauty, this is the state. However, tourism is the prime local industry, there is little self-organised touring, and prices for accommodation and tours are high.

As a one-stop Australia shop, Queensland ranks high. International flights can come straight to Brisbane, which has shucked off its ‘country town’ image of some decades ago. Brisbane is a great base for further travel. The Gold Coast (long, gorgeous beaches) is one hour south on an expressway; the Sunshine Coast (yes, more beaches) is an hour or so north, and houses Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo. There are great beaches all the way up the coast to the tip – Cairns (and the Great Barrier Reef) are spectacular coastal tourist hot-spots. Inland, explore quaint rural towns, dwindling into Outback.

The ACT is a small area carved out of NSW at the turn of the century, so that the new federal capital belonged to no one state and would not create jealousy with the others. The ACT houses the Australian capital, Canberra, a city carefully laid out in 1900, and scorned by most Australians as being full of politicians and boring. In fact, people who have visited Canberra come away with a new perspective. It is a beautifully laid-out city with many parks, gardens and monuments. It houses national War Museum, Art Gallery and, of course, Parliament House.

Tourists planning a trip to Australia could do well to select just one state and concentrate on seeing plenty within a smaller area. Most mainland states have an isolated inner area that qualifies as Outback. If the tourist particularly wants to see iconic natural landmarks such as Uluru, or wants to experience Aboriginal tribal culture, then the Northern Territory is the best state to visit. For a much better-rounded picture of Australia, then NSW and Queensland are the best offerings. In truth, it doesn’t much matter where you go, you’ll be welcomed and will love the Australian experience

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