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

Unusual
Attractions
in Australia

Aerial view of Lake Hillier

Lake Hillier

An Australian lake whose pink hue defies scientific explanation.

-34.0942, 123.2033

Raymond Island, Australia

Gippsland Lakes Bioluminescence

Australian Lake set aglow by Noctiluca Scintillans.

-37.9224, 147.7913

Added by serflac

Melbourne, Australia

The Haunted Bookshop

Occult books, Tarot, Oddities.

-37.8155, 144.9617

Ball's Pyramid

Ball's Pyramid

This barren sea spire is home to the world's rarest insect and is part of the lost content of Zealandia.

-31.7558, 159.2506

Putty, Australia

Newnes Glow Worm Tunnel

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

-32.8739, 150.4922

Entryway to Sanctuary

Mount Dandenong, Australia

William Ricketts Sanctuary

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

-37.8334, 145.3555

Added by Clinton

The SS Ayerfield

Sydney, Australia

SS Ayerfield

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

-33.8489, 151.0677

Added by Luke Cata

Whitehaven Beach

Whitsundays, Australia

Whitehaven Beach

A small, but award-winning beach known for its literally spotless reputation.

-20.2798, 149.0370

Added by Hannah Frishberg

See All 221 Things to Do in Australia See All 221 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
from Australia

Hala Fruit

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Hala Fruit

It looks like an exploding planet and tastes like sugarcane.

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

Tim Tam Slam

Gastro Obscura

Ritual & Medicinal

Tim Tam Slam

The world's least practical and most delicious edible straw.

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

Fairy Bread

Gastro Obscura

Fairy Bread

A rainbow of flavor that harks back to childhood.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Ella Morton

Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey

Bees get a lift from helicopters in order to produce this spicy honey.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Anne Ewbank

See All 14 Must-Eats in Australia See All 14 Must-Eats

Explore Australia

Australia Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Australia Activity

robgthomas wants to go to Gwalia Ghost Town

kyliejwalker wants to go to Spiky Bridge

kyliejwalker wants to go to Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)

kyliejwalker wants to go to Taroona Shot Tower

kyliejwalker wants to go to Joseph Moir's Shot Tower

Stories
About Australia

The "Six O'Clock Swill" at a bar in Victoria, Australia.

The ‘Six O’Clock Swill’ Was an Hour of Drunken Anarchy

How Australia and New Zealand’s restrictive alcohol laws fostered a culture of binge drinking.

by Natasha Frost

Have you seen this duck?

Found: A Giant Inflatable Duck, Lost at Sea

How do you lose a house-sized duck?

by Christina Ayele Djossa

Another masterpiece of insect architecture.

Found: A Spiraling Bees' Nest

And they're stingless!

by Vittoria Traverso

January 23, 2018

The front of the document.

The Mystery Manuscript Found in a Used Copy of 'Alice in Wonderland'

When a strange document appeared in her shop, an Australian bookseller turned detective.

by Sarah Laskow

January 23, 2018

A crown-of-thorns starfish feeds on some coral.

Saving the Great Barrier Reef Means Saying Goodbye to a Lot of Starfish

The crown-of-thorns starfish preys upon coral, munching on its stony polyps.

by Natasha Frost

January 22, 2018

This elegant biscuit card has a dark backstory.

Australian Soldiers Used to Write Letters Home on Crackers

They were easier to find than paper.

January 10, 2018

Australian nicknames for Jeremy or Teresa or Laurence would be Jezza or Tezza or Lozza.

How Australian Nicknaming Conventions Turn an Afternoon Into an 'Arvo'

A thorough explanation for why Dazza ate a sammie at the servo.

by Dan Nosowitz

January 04, 2018

This is not tomato sauce.

Heinz’s Decades-Long Attempt to Convince Australia That Ketchup Is Awesome

Australians grew up with tomato sauce. Heinz wants to sell them (nearly identical) ketchup.

December 21, 2017

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