470 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Australia - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Australia

Lake Hillier

An Australian lake whose pink hue defies scientific explanation.

Helensburgh, Australia

Glowworm Tunnel

An abandoned railroad tunnel is now filled with bioluminescent bugs.

Raymond Island, Australia

Gippsland Lakes Bioluminescence

Australian Lake set aglow by Noctiluca Scintillans.

Mena Creek, Australia

Paronella Park

A castle hand built by a Spanish dreamer in the Australian tropical jungle.

Putty, Australia

Newnes Glow Worm Tunnel

Once the path of a railway tunnel, now home to thousands of glowing insects.

Mount Dandenong, Australia

William Ricketts Sanctuary

A collection of outdoor mystical statues paying homage to indigenous Australians and ecological stewardship.

Wentworth Point, Australia

SS Ayrfield

Nature is leading a successful mutiny on this century-old freighter.

East Warburton, Australia

Redwood Forest Tree Art

Woven tree art gives this towering Australian woodland a touch of mystical whimsy.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Australia

Frewville, Australia

The Butterfly Room

Hundreds of tiny dead butterfly eyes gaze down at diners in this Australian eatery.

Sydney, Australia

The Lillipad Cafe

An indigenous ethnobotanist runs this brunch spot celebrating Australia’s native flavors.

Adelaide, Australia

Santos Museum of Economic Botany

A wealth of plants and horticultural curiosities fill this charmingly antique museum.

Adelaide, Australia

Something Wild

This store offers tastes of Aboriginal Australia, with some contemporary and global twists.

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Stories About Australia

Despite looking like it has borrowed parts from hedgehogs, anteaters, and porcupines, the echidna has followed its own fascinating evolutionary path.

Why the Echidna is Australia's Most Delightfully Different Mammal

The evolutionary marvel mates in love trains, can swim in the ocean, and even uses jazz hands as a defensive tactic.

Pearl meat is the ear-shaped adductor muscle in a pearl oyster.

How Pearl Meat Became Australia's Newest Luxury Ingredient

Once humble divers' fare, the meat of the pearl oyster now commands up to $200 per kilo.

An eroding late Holocene Native American oyster midden at low tide in Fishing Bay, Maryland.

Native Societies Harvested Billions of Oysters Sustainably

Conservationists should look to Indigenous history to fix the future.

by Diana Hubbell

A pod of short-finned pilot whales.

A Whale of a Tale about a Science Breakthrough Ignored for Decades

In 1981, Helene Marsh and her mentor discovered the truth about a basic biological process—but it took many researchers years to accept it.

by Madeline Bodin

Australian emu.

Emu Dads Raise the Young—Which May Not Even Be Their Offspring

As birds go, these Australian animals are unusual in many ways, including how they divvy up parenting duties.

by Hannah Thomasy

Nornie Bero with her line of condiments.

This Torres Strait Islander Chef Wants You to Cook With Wattleseeds and Bush Tomatoes

Mabu Mabu, Nornie Bero’s first cookbook, is a celebration of Aboriginal culinary traditions.

by Diana Hubbell

February 18, 2022

A northern bettong from a small population in Danbulla National Park in North Queensland.

These Truffle-Eating Marsupials in Australia Are 'Ecosystem Engineers'

There are far fewer northern bettongs than previously thought, but work is underway to save the species.

November 29, 2021

The Giant Koala in Dadswells Bridge is both intimidating and beloved.

What's the Big Deal With Australia's 'Big Things'?

From pineapples to poisonous toads, Aussies love their enormous roadside attractions.

by Tiare Tuuhia

November 3, 2021

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