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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Australia

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

Updated February 3, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Acton
  2. Adelaide
  3. Bass
  4. Beechworth
  5. Bicheno
  6. Blinman
  7. Box Hill
  8. Brisbane
  9. Broken Hill
  10. Bundoora
  11. Callanna
  12. Canberra
  13. Cervantes
  14. Coffs Harbour
  15. Coober Pedy
  16. Darwin
  17. Davenport
  18. Eaglehawk Neck
  19. Fairfield
  20. Fraser Island
  21. Geelong
  22. Ghan
  23. Gumeracha
  24. Hobart
  25. Katoomba
  26. Kiama
  27. Melbourne
  28. Newcastle
  29. North Coogee
  30. Parkes
  31. Parkville
  32. Perth
  33. Port Pirie
  34. Raymond Island
  35. Sydney
  36. Taroona
  37. Williamstown
  38. Yallabatharra
  39. Young

Unusual Attractions in Australia

See All 501 Things To Do in Australia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Australia

See all 10 Places to Eat in Australia
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Guided Tours of Australia

Explore Australia

Statues 60
Animals 56
Nature 48
History & Culture 47
Monuments 47
Art 41
Geology 37
Natural Wonders 32

Australia Leaderboard

Recent Australia Activity

Stories About Australia

The Town Where Santa's Sleigh Is a Surf Boat

In Mooloolaba, Australia, Saint Nick wears sunglasses.
by Tiare Tuuhia

Podcast: Buckley’s Cave

Where an escaped prisoner is said to have spent years in hiding.
by The Podcast Team

Mapping the Many Monsters of Aboriginal Australian Lore

A "terrifying pantheon" of ogres, sorcerers, and malevolent mermaids reflects a diversity in geography and environment.
by Christine Judith Nicholls

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.
by Jack Ashby

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.
by Lizzie Pook

Native Societies Harvested Billions of Oysters Sustainably

Conservationists should look to Indigenous history to fix the future.
by Diana Hubbell

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

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

Lists Featuring Australia

Red Seabeach
Padar Island and its crystal-clear turquoise water.
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.

When Stairs and Slides Are Hiding in Plain Sight

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

9

Including Secret Tiled Staircase, Winfield Street Slides , and Howe Street Stairs

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