All Australia

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Australia

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

Updated March 5, 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.

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Cities

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

Unusual Attractions in Australia

See All 609 Things To Do in Australia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Australia

See all 21 Places to Eat in Australia
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History & Culture 70
Statues 65
Animals 57
Nature 53
Museums 51
Monuments 49
Art 46
Geology 42

Australia Leaderboard

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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

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