All Australia

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Australia

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

Updated June 6, 2023

Email

Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Acton
  2. Adelaide
  3. Bass
  4. Beechworth
  5. Bicheno
  6. Blinman
  7. Box Hill
  8. Brisbane
  9. Broken Hill
  10. Bundoora
  11. Callanna
  12. Canberra
  13. Cervantes
  14. Coffs Harbour
  15. Coober Pedy
  16. Darwin
  17. Davenport
  18. Eaglehawk Neck
  19. Edrom
  20. Fairfield
  21. Fraser Island
  22. Fremantle
  23. Geelong
  24. Ghan
  25. Gumeracha
  26. Hamelin Pool
  27. Hobart
  28. Katoomba
  29. Kiama
  30. Melbourne
  31. Myrtleford
  32. Newcastle
  33. North Coogee
  34. Parkes
  35. Parkville
  36. Perth
  37. Port Pirie
  38. Queenscliff
  39. Raymond Island
  40. Sydney
  41. Taroona
  42. Williamstown
  43. Yallabatharra
  44. Young

Unusual Attractions in Australia

See All 554 Things To Do in Australia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Australia

See all 10 Places to Eat in Australia
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Australia

History & Culture 66
Statues 62
Animals 56
Nature 53
Monuments 49
Art 44
Geology 38
Natural Wonders 34

Australia Leaderboard

Recent Australia Activity

Stories About Australia

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: Get Lost Crossword

by AO Puzzles
There are many depictions of the bunyip, but one common iteration is a cow-sized, aquatic wombat-like creature.

The Child-Eating Bunyip Haunts Australia’s Wetlands

But its complex Aboriginal Australian origins have today been commodified and suppressed.
by Sarah Durn
Over the years, dendroglyphs—motifs and images carved into tree bark—have been documented on 22 boab trees in the Tanami Desert of western Australia.

Saving the Mystery Symbols Carved into Australia's Boab Trees

Researchers are rushing to document the Indigenous art before it is lost to time and climate change.
by Shoshi Parks

Podcast: Cactoblastis Memorial Cairn

A moth once saved Australia from a cactus crisis.
by The Podcast Team
Australia's northern quolls "readily bite" anything within reach, requiring careful, firm handling for the safety of both quoll and human.

Studying Australia's Feisty Northern Quolls Requires Beef Chum and Backpacks

Scientists fitted the famously bitey marsupials with tiny accelerometers to learn their secrets.
by Gemma Tarlach
Some years, the water is so choppy, Santa arrives on Mooloolaba beach in a soaking wet red suit.

The Town Where Santa's Sleigh Is a Surf Boat

In Mooloolaba, Australia, Saint Nick wears sunglasses.
by Tiare Tuuhia

Podcast: Buckley’s Cave

Where an escaped prisoner is said to have spent years in hiding.
by The Podcast Team
"Mamu (Spooky Spirits)," a 2006 painting by Nura Rupert.

Mapping the Many Monsters of Aboriginal Australian Lore

A "terrifying pantheon" of ogres, sorcerers, and malevolent mermaids reflects a diversity in geography and environment.
by Christine Judith Nicholls

Lists Featuring Australia

Red Seabeach
Padar Island and its crystal-clear turquoise water.
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.
The Howe Street stair corridor is the longest in Seattle.
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

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Learn More