Australia Is A Vast Country, Though Most Visitors Stay On The Same Tried And Tested Track, Ticking Off Well-touristed Pitstops Along The Way. But, Of Course, There's Plenty More To See Beyond The Usual Sydney, Rock And Reef Holiday Triangle. Here’s Our Pi

1. For wildlife: Mackay, Queensland

Surrounded by sugarcane and with a main street well shaded by tropical foliage, Mackay is a fantastic base for going to Eungella National forest.

This enchanting jungle has rivers abundant enough in platypus to make seeing one practically ensured. Your best chance is at Broken River, where the seeing platform is surrounded by ferns and vines-- pack a picnic and wait a while in silence to see them.

Afterwards, take a hike on walking tracks through the trees, perfect for birdwatching and goanna finding, or head back to town for a walk along the golden sands of Harbour Beach.

2. For legendary sundowns: Tower Hill, Victoria

Continue simply a little additional west from the Great Ocean Roadway and you'll discover this volcanic crater. Encircled by beds of ash, it's a fertile green sanctuary that is house to koalas and kangaroos aplenty.

The directed walks from the visitor centre will present you to the wildlife, in addition to to the Aboriginal history-- and you'll learn how to rustle up some bushtucker. However the sunset-- best seen from the crater's rim-- is the main event. Stick around afterwards and join the directed night walk to see the fauna at its most active.

3. For remarkable photos: Devil's Marbles, Northern Territory

You'll need to dedicate to a long drive for this one-- however it's well worth it. Some 130km south of Tennant Creek, en path to Alice Springs, you'll find a geological phenomenon: a fistful of rock marbles flung across the Wilderness.

Picture them as the eponymous marbles, or as the eggs of the rainbow snake from the local Aboriginal story. In any case, they're ideal fodder for the eager professional photographer.

4. For white wine: Denmark, Western Australia

Let Margaret River keep its crowds of wine tourers and head rather to Denmark on the south coast. Here you'll discover a laid-back cluster of store wineries and hyper-local dining establishments beneath a karri tree canopy. Head for the hills inland and check out Castelli Estate for terrific Pinot Noir and Shiraz or hit Howard Park for red wines that combine the very best of both Denmark and Margaret River grapes.

Don't miss Pepper and Salt for dinner, where http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=australia chef Silas utilizes the location's premium produce to develop dishes influenced by his Fijian-Indian heritage. And visit in March or April for Taste Excellent Southern, which celebrates the area's exceptional local produce.

5. For an unbelievable journey: The Nullarbor Plain, South Australia

Superlatives are plentiful on the Nullarbor-- it's the planet's biggest single piece of limestone, the world's longest stretch of straight railway track and even the universe's longest golf course.

All that produces one long (however legendary) drive, punctuated just by lookouts over the Great Australian Bight (next stop Antarctica), dirty roadhouses and the odd pitstop to hit a golf ball, if you're so likely.

6. For camping and climbs: Freycinet National Park, Tasmania

Freycinet may be among Tassie's many view checked out websites, but that does not imply you'll bump into anybody else on a walk here. Go out on the 31km peninsula circuit and you'll soon shake off any fellow visitors (so bring plenty of water) as you tramp anti-clockwise around the peninsula from the Hazards Beach Track to the Wineglass Bay lookout.

Camping is at Cooks Beach and there's time to climb up Mount Freycinet (the summit is 620m above water level). When you're done, kick off those treking boots and dig your toes into the pristine white sands of Wineglass Bay.

7. For unequalled hiking: New England National Park, New South Wales

Ancient rainforest cloaks the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, much of it an unattainable wilderness that would quickly pass for the Amazon. New England National Park opens this UNESCO World Heritage rain forest for visitors, providing strolling tracks through the snow gums and lookouts from which the view extends all the way to the coast.

Take the Eagles Nest track, a 2.2 km loop, and you'll see Antarctic beech trees covered in fungus, endemic beech orchids and trickling waterfalls, frequently frozen in winter season. You'll eventually reach Point lookout for those breathtaking rainforest views.