It’s a big country, and there are so many amazing things to experience in Australia, but here is a list (in no specific order) of what we believe to be 10 of the best.

1. Uluru (Ayers Rock)

See this massive sandstone monolith glow when the sun sinks in Australia’s desolate heart. Close up, Uluru is powerful, awe-inspiring and intimidating. From a distance, Uluru famously changes colour, anything from blue or violet to glowing red. Soaking yourself in the aboriginal culture and history of the Red Centre and witnessing Uluru at either sunrise or sunset is a spiritual experience.

2. Sail the Whitsundays

The Whitsundays in far north Queensland offers dazzling sapphire waters, colourful coral cays, bright, white inviting beaches, safe anchorages and coves, and hundreds of inhabited and uninhabited islands to explore. Cruising this spectacular region by yacht and catamaran is perfect for a soothing helping of peace and tranquillity. If you go from July to September you even have a good chance of spotting a whale.

3. Sydney Harbour on a Sunny Day

When the sun in shining, Sydney Harbour is spectacular. Either cruising on the harbour itself or walking around the foreshores, taking in the blue sky and water, the Harbour Bridge and postcard-perfect Sydney Opera House is stunning.

4. Kakadu National Park

With its rugged escarpments, lush wetlands, plunging gorges and cascading waterfalls, Kakadu National Park offers visitors a new world of sights, sounds and experiences. Renowned for its extraordinary natural wonders and rich cultural traditions, World Heritage listed Kakadu has a reputation for overloading the senses.

5. Cable Beach, Broome

The pristine white sand of Cable Beach on WA’s north coast has vast, red desert to the east and an azure blue sea to the west. Taking a camel ride along Cable Beach is an iconic Broome experience. Atop these gentle giants, you journey along one of the most stunning beaches in the world, taking in the dramatic sunsets over the Indian Ocean.

6. Drive the Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is without doubt one of Australia’s most spectacular drives, built into the steep seaside cliffs of southwest Victoria. The Southern Ocean and views of the dramatically eroded coastline, including the famed Twelve Apostles, are on one side, the sheer cliffs are on the other. Driving along the great road beside a great big ocean is great fun.

7. Kayaking at Freycinet National Park

Paddle a kayak across the gentle waters of Freycinet National Park. Freycinet located on Tasmania’s east coast with its pristine white sand beaches, pink granite mountains and glorious crystal blue water is simply stunning.

8. Swim at Bondi Beach

Bondi beach in Sydney’s east is one of the worlds most famous beaches an Aussie icon, so taking a dip is a must.

9. The Kimberly and Bungle Bungles

The Kimberley is one of the world’s last great wilderness areas. The Kimberley offers visitors one of the most spectacularly rugged landscapes in the world. Its home to spectacular wildlife, tidal rivers lined with dense rainforest and sprawling mangroves, soaring red cliffs, stunning gorges, cascading waterfalls and natural icons such as the Bungle Bungle Ranges in the World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park. The Bungle Bungles is one of the most fascinating geological landmarks in Western Australia. From an aircraft, the Bungle Bungle Range is an imposing sight, the orange and black stripes across the beehive-like mounds, rising 300 metres above the ground. The Kimberly one of the most dramatic, unspoilt places on the planet, and for a very simple reason: it is remote.

10. The Great Barrier Reef

Submerge yourself in the spectacular coral cays and life teaming aqua waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Are these in your top 10 list of things to experience in Australia? Or are there some other experiences you think should be listed here? Let us know what you think.

Rising from the broad desert plain in the deep centre of Australia, Uluru / Ayers Rock is Australia’s most recognisable natural icon and one of one of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders.

There are many remarkable things about Uluru (Ayers Rock), the huge monolith 465km southwest of Alice Springs in Australia’s Red Centre.

But perhaps the most remarkable is how few people have ever visited it. Maybe because it’s a long way to go from most population centres and people think there’s little to do once you get there. Think again. A trip to Uluru, and the neighbouring Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), represents one of the world’s most memorable walking holidays. Firstly, there’s the opportunity to walk around the rock (some 9.4km – our tip: start early in the day), which is possibly the oldest walking track on the planet. This walk showcases why Uluru has been given World Heritage status, for both ecological and cultural reasons.

Many also decide to ignore the wishes of the Anangu people and climb the rock, which rises 348m above the surrounding countryside. Guided tours enable visitors to grasp the ancestral creation theories offered by the traditional owners, and the scientific model or “erosion over millions of years” put forward by western science.

“To get the best out of this world icon, don’t just fly straight into nearby Yulara. The longer the drive to get there, the more remarkable it is.”
– David Whitley

Make no mistake: close up, Uluru is powerful, awe-inspiring and intimidating. From a distance, Uluru famously changes colour, anything from blue or violet to glowing red. There are numerous places to watch the sun rise or set over this remarkable pebble (a term coined by explorer Ernest Giles in 1872). You’ll typically be standing on a rise, surrounded by lush vegetation and the famous red earth of the Red Centre.

The Olgas provide further excellent walking opportunities, and the night sky at Uluru, undimmed by the lights of civilisation, is spectacular nearly every evening. Various “dinner in the desert” options are available, some with guided astronomy tours.
Quite apart from on foot, there are various options to see Uluru from the air, but the cheapest way to do this is to insist on a window seat when flying in to Alice.

Did you know?
Only a small portion of Uluru is on the surface. The rock, which is made of arkose (a course-grained sandstone) is at least 2.5km thick. Some report a light source emanating from it at various times of the year. Most likely this can be explained scientifically, but the ancestral owners believe there’s a hollow below ground which houses an energy source they call “Tjukurpa”, or the Dreamtime.

How to get there
You can fly direct to Ayers Rock Airport daily from Perth, Sydney, Cairns and Alice Springs, plus, four times a week from Melbourne. Or you can fly into Alice Springs and drive to Uluru, but plan to take your time to make this drive – it is a long way.
Best time to go
It is obviously very hot during the summer months. Check out the websites below for temperatures during the year.

Further information
Useful websites:

www.deh.gov.au/parks/uluru/
The Department of the Environment and Heritage site for Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park. Must-visit site before you visit!

www.ayersrockresort.com.au
Accommodation site for Yulara, the resort facing Uluru.

[Via - australiantraveller.com]