Aboriginal Australia
The world's oldest continuing culture, shared on Country
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have cared for this continent for more than 65,000 years — the oldest continuing cultures on Earth. The best way to understand Australia is to see it with Traditional Owners: rock art at Kakadu and Gariwerd, the Aṉangu story of Uluṟu, a Quandamooka walk on Minjerribah, art centres in Arnhem Land and on the Tiwi Islands. Look for experiences that are Aboriginal-owned or Aboriginal-guided.
Mirrors Tourism Australia's own theme Aboriginal Australia.
The states and territories this theme is strongest in — tap through to the full state guide.
Queensland
The Great Barrier Reef, rainforest and endless beaches
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Daintree Rainforest The world's oldest living rainforest, and the only place it runs straight down to the Great Barrier Reef. -
K'gari (Fraser Island) The world's largest sand island — rainforest growing on dunes, perched freshwater lakes and a 75-mile beach highway. -
Kuranda A rainforest village reached by heritage railway up and Skyrail gondola back. -
Glass House Mountains Volcanic plugs rising out of the Sunshine Coast hinterland, sacred to the Jinibara and Kabi Kabi peoples. -
North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) Quandamooka Country — the North Gorge walk, whales offshore and freshwater lakes inland.
New South Wales
Sydney Harbour, surf coast, vineyards and the Blue Mountains
Victoria
Melbourne laneways, the Great Ocean Road and cool-climate wine
Western Australia
Ningaloo, the Kimberley and a third of a continent
South Australia
Wine regions, wildlife islands and the Flinders Ranges
Northern Territory
Uluṟu, Kakadu and the world's oldest living culture
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Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa A 348 m monolith on Aṉangu Country, handed back to its Traditional Owners in 1985 — and the spiritual heart of Australia. -
Kakadu National Park Nearly 20,000 km² of wetlands, escarpment and rock art galleries painted over tens of thousands of years. -
Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) Thirteen sandstone gorges on Jawoyn Country, paddled by canoe or walked on the Jatbula Trail. -
Arnhem Land Aboriginal-owned land entered only by permit or with a Traditional Owner — art centres, coast and escarpment. - Tiwi Islands Bathurst and Melville Islands — Tiwi art, football and a culture distinct from the mainland.
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The Red Centre The West MacDonnell Ranges, the Larapinta Trail and desert nights with no light pollution at all.
Australian Capital Territory
The national capital — museums, galleries and cool-climate wine
Best bases for this
Gateway hubs that put the most of this theme within reach.
- Coming soon Alice Springs and surrounds The Red Centre's town — West MacDonnell gorges, the Larapinta Trail and the road to Uluṟu.
- Coming soon Darwin and surrounds The Top End's tropical capital — Mindil Beach sunset markets, and Kakadu and Litchfield within a day.
- Cairns and surrounds The reef-and-rainforest base — Great Barrier Reef boats out the front, the Daintree and Kuranda behind.
Other ways to travel
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Beaches & Islands More than 10,000 beaches and 8,000 islands - Nature & National Parks Reef, rainforest, gorge country and the Outback
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Wildlife Animals you will not see anywhere else -
Food & Drink 65 wine regions, world-class coffee and native ingredients -
Road Trips & Drives The Great Ocean Road, the Gibb River Road and everything between -
Walks & Hikes Great Walks, coastal tracks and city-edge escapes -
Adventure & Sports Dive, surf, sail, climb and sandboard -
Arts & Culture Galleries, laneways, festivals and convict history -
Luxury Wilderness lodges, private islands and long-distance trains -
Health & Wellness Hot springs, retreats and slow coastal days -
Family Travel Wildlife parks, theme parks and safe swimming -
Eco-friendly Travel Low-impact islands, eco-lodges and travel that gives back
Photography
Images on this page are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licences (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA) and are photographs of the places named. Author, licence and source for each:
- Daintree Rainforest — Mwarnes · CC BY-SA 4.0
- K'gari (Fraser Island) — UrbanDruid · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kuranda — Kgbo · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Glass House Mountains — Lucbruna · CC BY-SA 4.0
- North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) — S. Newrick · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blue Mountains — Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mungo National Park — Kevinzoo45 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grampians (Gariwerd) — Joshua Tagicakibau · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) — W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Kimberley — W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Flinders Ranges — Faj2323 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa — Emily Cox · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kakadu National Park — Emily Cox · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) — Ovico · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Arnhem Land — Winston Storer · CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Red Centre — Murray Foubister · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Namadgi National Park — Dhx1 · CC0