All Australia

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Australia

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

Updated October 6, 2026

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.

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Abbotsford
  2. Acton
  3. Adelaide
  4. Ararat
  5. Balladonia
  6. Ballandean
  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. Derby
  26. Eaglehawk Neck
  27. Edrom
  28. Esperance
  29. Fairfield
  30. Fraser Island
  31. Fremantle
  32. Geelong
  33. Ghan
  34. Glenelg
  35. Guildford
  36. Hamelin Pool
  37. Hobart
  38. Kariong
  39. Katoomba
  40. Kew
  41. Kiama
  42. Launceston
  43. Litchfield Park
  44. Maldon
  45. Manly
  46. Maryborough
  47. Melbourne
  48. Mosman
  49. Mount Dandenong
  50. Myrtleford
  51. Newcastle
  52. Norseman
  53. North Coogee
  54. Parkes
  55. Parkville
  56. Penong
  57. Perth
  58. Port Arthur
  59. Port Melbourne
  60. Queenscliff
  61. Raymond Island
  62. Richmond
  63. Sandy Bay
  64. Southbank
  65. St Kilda
  66. Subiaco
  67. Sydney
  68. Taroona
  69. Williamstown
  70. Wilmington
  71. Yallabatharra
  72. Young

Unusual Attractions in Australia

Places

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See All 643 Things To Do in Australia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Australia

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Australia

History & Culture 71
Statues 65
Animals 58
Museums 54
Nature 54
Monuments 49
Art 46
Sculptures 43

Australia Leaderboard

Recent Australia Activity

Stories About Australia

A male Superb Lyrebird

Did Lyrebirds Steal These Songs From Humans?

Australian lyrebirds can imitate car horns, chainsaws ... and beautiful flute music.
by The Podcast Team, Atlas Obscura
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, Atlas Obscura
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, Atlas Obscura
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, Atlas Obscura

Podcast: Law of the Tongue

Back when killer whales used to assist humans.
by The Podcast Team, Atlas Obscura
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, Atlas Obscura
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, Atlas Obscura

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, Atlas Obscura

Lists Featuring Australia

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.
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

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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