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All Australia

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Australia

571 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Australia

Updated November 22, 2023

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Melbourne
Sydney
The Tenth Drop forming in October 2021
Brisbane
The Grave of the Taman Shud Man
Adelaide
"Heads from the North" (Dadang Christiano).
Canberra
Maritime Museum of Tasmania.
Hobart
All Cities
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  10. Broken Hill
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  18. Darwin
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  21. Edrom
  22. Fairfield
  23. Fraser Island
  24. Fremantle
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  28. Hamelin Pool
  29. Hobart
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  32. Melbourne
  33. Myrtleford
  34. Newcastle
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  36. Parkes
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  38. Perth
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  40. Raymond Island
  41. Sydney
  42. Taroona
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  45. Young
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

Unusual Attractions in Australia

Aerial view of Lake Hillier

Australia

Lake Hillier

An Australian lake whose pink hue defies scientific explanation.
Helensburgh Glowworm Tunnel.

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.
Paronella Park

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.
Entryway to Sanctuary

Mount Dandenong, Australia

William Ricketts Sanctuary

A collection of outdoor mystical statues paying homage to indigenous Australians and ecological stewardship.
The portal made of sticks at the Redwood Forest.

East Warburton, Australia

Redwood Forest Tree Art

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

Wentworth Point, Australia

SS Ayrfield

Nature is leading a successful mutiny on this century-old freighter.
See All 571 Things To Do in Australia

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.
Specimens at the museum.

Adelaide, Australia

Santos Museum of Economic Botany

A wealth of plants and horticultural curiosities fill this charmingly antique museum.
Providing samples of wild boar ham.

Adelaide, Australia

Something Wild

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

Bowen, Australia

The Big Mango

One of Australia's famed "Big Things," this giant fruit was once stolen as part of a publicity stunt.
See all 10 Places to Eat in Australia
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Australia

History & Culture 69
Statues 62
Animals 57
Nature 53
Monuments 49
Art 45
Geology 38
Natural Wonders 34
Sculptures 33
Memorials 32
Museums And Collections 30
Water 29
Places To Stay 5
Unique Restaurants & Bars 4

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Stories About Australia

The Batavia's Tale of Mutiny and Murder Gets a New Chapter

Archaeologists have unearthed new details of the 400-year-old bloodshed on a remote Australian island.
by Chris Baraniuk
September 25, 2023
A herd of Hereford cattle roam a lush green pasture in Australia, home to several of the world's largest private landholdings.

What Do King Charles III, the Pope, and the Canadian Inuit Have in Common?

Meet the world's largest landowners.
by Frank Jacobs, Big Think
August 11, 2023
Orca pods can develop their own cultures that result in distinctive behaviors, including cooperation with humans.

The Killer Whales of Eden and the 'Law of the Tongue'

Orcas and humans once hunted together in southeastern Australia, until their millennia-old relationship broke down.
by Roxanne Hoorn
October 11, 2023
Barbie cakes are a birthday classic.

Before Barbie and Barbie Cakes, There Was Dolly and Dolly Varden Cakes

These toy-filled birthday cakes have an intriguing connection to both Charles Dickens and Australia.
by Cathleen Freedman
July 20, 2023
The mysterious metal cylinder on the shore of Western Australia.

A Massive, Mysterious Object Washed Up on an Australian Beach

Experts say it’s likely space junk—and there’s plenty more where that came from.
by Roxanne Hoorn
July 19, 2023
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Generation Gaps

by Alex Bellos
June 12, 2023
The Aboriginal people of Western Australia have a long history with the vegetation gaps of the region's inland deserts.

In Australia, Aboriginal Knowledge and the Mystery of Fairy Circles

Building connections between tradition and science.
by Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing
June 6, 2023
All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Get Lost Crossword

by AO Puzzles
May 15, 2023

Lists Featuring Australia

Justice and Police Museum
The Sirius building in Sydney.
Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, Mrs. Macquarie's Point, Sydney

The 11 Best Places to Visit Near the Sydney Opera House for Curious Travelers

11

Including 'Memory Is Creation Without End', Justice and Police Museum, and Sirius Building

Red Seabeach
The otherworldly landscape of Padar Island.
Black Sand Beach

10 Unique Beaches From Around the World

From bright red grass to stranded shipwrecks, these beaches are anything but ordinary.

10

Including Driftwood Beach, Red Beach , and Padar Island

They were built in 1979.
The Howe Street stair corridor is the longest in Seattle.
Seward Street Slides

When Stairs and Slides Are Hiding in Plain Sight

Play real-life Chutes and Ladders at these obscure thruways.

9

Including Secret Tiled Staircase, Esmeralda Slide Park, and Howe Street Stairs

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