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 an excellent base for going to Eungella National Park.

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

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

2. For impressive sunsets: Tower Hill, Victoria

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

The directed walks from the visitor centre will introduce you http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/?action=click&contentCollection®ion=TopBar&WT.nav=searchWidget&module=SearchSubmit&pgtype=Homepage#/australia to the wildlife, in addition to to the Aboriginal history-- and you'll discover how to rustle up some bushtucker. However the sunset-- finest seen from the crater's rim-- is the main event. Stick around later on and sign up with the directed night walk to see the animals at its most active.

3. For remarkable images: Devil's Marbles, Northern Area

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

Envision them as the eponymous marbles, or as the eggs of the rainbow serpent from the regional Aboriginal story. In either case, they're best fodder for the keen professional photographer.

4. For red wine: Denmark, Western Australia

Let Margaret River keep its crowds of red wine tourers and head rather to Denmark on the south coast. Here you'll discover a laid-back cluster of shop 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 struck Howard Park for wines that combine the very best of both Denmark and Margaret River grapes.

Do not miss out on Pepper and Salt for dinner, where chef Silas uses the area's premium produce to produce meals inspired by his Fijian-Indian heritage. And visit in March or April for Taste Fantastic Southern, which commemorates the area's excellent local produce.

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

Superlatives abound on the Nullarbor-- it's the planet's largest 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 (but legendary) drive, punctuated just by lookouts over the Great Australian Bight (next stop Antarctica), dirty roadhouses and the http://australiatraveltips.com/ odd pitstop to strike a golf ball, if you're so inclined.

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

Freycinet may be among Tassie's many gone to sites, but that doesn't suggest you'll run into anybody else on a stroll here. Go out on the 31km peninsula circuit and you'll quickly 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 Mount Freycinet (the top is 620m above water level). As soon as you're done, begin those hiking boots and dig your toes into the pristine white sands of Wineglass Bay.

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

Ancient rain forest capes 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 jungle for visitors, providing walking trails through the snow gums and lookouts from which the view stretches 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 dripping waterfalls, typically frozen in winter. You'll eventually reach Point lookout for those scenic rainforest views.