All Australia

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Australia

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

Updated March 17, 2025

Walk the banks of mysterious pink lakes, marvel at glow worm tunnels, and dive into the Museum of Underwater Art. We’ve rounded up the best places to visit in Australia on your next adventure down under.

Email

Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Abbotsford
  2. Acton
  3. Adelaide
  4. Balladonia
  5. Ballandean
  6. Ballarat
  7. Bass
  8. Beechworth
  9. Bicheno
  10. Blinman
  11. Box Hill
  12. Brisbane
  13. Broken Hill
  14. Bundoora
  15. Caiguna
  16. Cairns
  17. Callanna
  18. Canberra
  19. Cervantes
  20. Coffs Harbour
  21. Coober Pedy
  22. Darwin
  23. Davenport
  24. Denham
  25. Eaglehawk Neck
  26. Edrom
  27. Fairfield
  28. Fraser Island
  29. Fremantle
  30. Geelong
  31. Ghan
  32. Guildford
  33. Gumeracha
  34. Hamelin Pool
  35. Hobart
  36. Kariong
  37. Katoomba
  38. Kew
  39. Kiama
  40. Launceston
  41. Maldon
  42. Manly
  43. Maryborough
  44. Melbourne
  45. Mount Dandenong
  46. Myrtleford
  47. Newcastle
  48. Norseman
  49. North Coogee
  50. Parkes
  51. Parkville
  52. Penong
  53. Perth
  54. Port Arthur
  55. Queenscliff
  56. Raymond Island
  57. Richmond
  58. Sandy Bay
  59. Southbank
  60. St Kilda
  61. Subiaco
  62. Sydney
  63. Taroona
  64. Williamstown
  65. Wilmington
  66. Yallabatharra
  67. Young

Unusual Attractions in Australia

See All 610 Things To Do in Australia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Australia

See all 21 Places to Eat in Australia
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Australia

History & Culture 70
Statues 65
Animals 57
Nature 53
Museums 51
Monuments 49
Art 46
Geology 42

Australia Leaderboard

Recent Australia Activity

Stories About Australia

Standing no taller than a 10-year-old, the Yara ma tha who watches from the forest canopy—always ready to pounce on its next victim.

The Child-Eating Bloodsucker of Aboriginal Australian Nightmares

The Yara ma tha who is more terrifying than any vampire.
by April White
A colorful orgy in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is triggered by the moon.

Australia's Synchronized Coral Spawning Can Be Seen From Space

The world’s largest living structure renews itself in nights of moonlit passion.
by Melissa Scott Sinclair
A near-complete fossil skeleton of Protemnodon viator from Lake Callabonna, missing just a few bones from the hand, foot, and tail.

Giant Kangaroos Once Towered Over Humans at 8 Feet Tall

New studies from a boneyard of fossilized skeletons may reveal why the 'roos grew and hopped the way they do.
by Olivia Young

Podcast: Law of the Tongue

Back when killer whales used to assist humans.
by The Podcast Team
Which nation can claim the pavlova?

This Christmas Dessert Caused a Decades-Long Rivalry Between Two Countries

Two historians are trying to track down pavlova's origins once and for all.
by Leah Hudson
Honeypot ants feed on sweet nectar and death.

All Winter, These Ants Make the Ultimate Sweet Sacrifice to Their Colony

Their syrupy death is medicinal for humans, too.
by Shoshi Parks

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
A herd of 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

Lists Featuring Australia

‘Memory Is Creation Without End’
Justice and Police Museum
Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair In Sydney Botanic Garden

The 10 Best Places to Visit Near the Sydney Opera House for Curious Travelers

10

Including 'Memory Is Creation Without End', Justice and Police Museum, and Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair

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.
Near the top of the stairs (January 2025)
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

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Learn More