Top 10 Australian Bucket-List Destinations

Nestled off the coast of South Australia, Kangaroo Island is the perfect destination to disconnect and get back to nature and enjoy the “real Australia”. Home to plenty of local wildlife, from sea lions, to penguins, echidnas and koalas, Kangaroo Island has a range of budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation options on offer.

Aussies love a good, old-fashioned road trip and the Great Ocean Road is well-known as one of the best. Wind through the long coastal roads, stop off at cute seaside villages and rise early to see the beautiful 12 Apostles at sunrise. Stay along the way at any of the cute B & B’s, guesthouses or boutique hotels.

Located on Tasmania’s Freycinet Peninsula, this little piece of paradise has been named one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Soak up the deserted beaches, colourful rocks, and delicious local seafood (hint, don’t miss the region’s oysters). Stay at Coles Bay.

This tiny little island only ever allows 400 tourists on it at a time, making you feel like you have the place to yourself. Spend your days hiking, scuba diving, fishing, paddleboarding or just relaxing on the beach with a good book.

Got wine on your mind? Margaret River is the perfect bucket list destination for food and wine enthusiasts, with hundreds of world class wineries and restaurants in this little pocket of the world. The best part is that this is one of the few Australian wine regions that meets the ocean. That means you can spend your mornings at the beach and afternoons wine tasting and feasting on local produce. Bliss!

Ditch the big city smoke and head for Kakadu in 2015, Australia’s largest national park. Just a few hours from Darwin lie croc-spotting adventures, incredible indigenous history and outback waterfalls and swimming holes (safe from the crocs!). Get into the local wildlife spirit and stay at the croc-shaped Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel.

If your idea of a bucket list holiday equals tropical cocktails by the pool, picnics on secluded beaches and sunsets to die for, then the Whitsundays is the perfect place for you. Stay at world famous Hamilton Island or one of the regions smaller island resorts, such as Daydream Island.

The location for many of the scenes of Baz Lurhman’s romantic outback film, Australia, The Kimberley is home to incredible waterholes, a crocodile or two, breathtaking gorges and of course the aqua coastal waters of the Indian Ocean. Stay in coastal Broome or outback Kununurra.

Ride a camel, sip champagne while watching The Rock’s sunset glow, explore the mystical Kata

Tjuta ... a visit to Uluru is all about adventure and outback escapism. Ayers Rock Resort has a variety of accommodation options from budget to luxury on offer.

This world heritage-listed destination is home to thousands of tropical fish, turtles and dolphins. Stay at one of the main towns, Port Douglas or Cairns for easy access to the reef.