Choose from 646 Fun Things to Do in Australia
National Carillon
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National Automobile Museum of Tasmania
Vintage cars are the star attraction here, including old Model T Fords and the sparkling chassis of classic Rolls-Royce, Bentleys, Jaguars and Mercedes.
Super cars are another highlight, including streamlined Fords and the famous Australian vehicle of choice in the 1970s, the Holden Monaro – complete with racing stripes.
Motorcycles also get a look in, along with rare Ferraris and Daimlers. While the museum is a definite hit with car lovers, it also provides a snapshot of urban history and will intrigue visitors of all ages.
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Penfolds Barossa Valley
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Perisher and Thredbo Ski Resorts
Perisher is the largest ski resort in the southern hemisphere, amalgamating four villages and their surrounding ski fields. Accessible by road and Australia’s only underground rack railway, Skitube, the resort caters well to intermediate skiers but also has plenty of tracks suitable for beginners and advanced skiers. Most accommodation options here are ski lodge or hotel style.
Thredbo has the longest ski runs in Australia, including the famous ‘Funnelweb,’ which is over 3km long, and some of the country’s steepest trails. Several terrain parks cater to everyone from beginners to the more advanced. Thredbo Village, at the foot of Mount Crackenback, has the feel of a European Alpine Village and has plenty of amenities, accommodations and year-round outdoor activities should you wish to visit outside of snow season.
The Australian snow season runs from mid June until early October.
Magnetic Termite Mounds
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Penfolds Magill Estate
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Penneshaw
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Penitentiary
For all of its grisly history, however, Port Arthur today is a sprawling historic site that’s been restored and preserved as the best example of Australia’s convict past. At the iconic Penitentiary building, gaze upon the concrete ruins where 480 convicts and prisoners spent days filled with toil and misery. The penitentiary ruins are rumored to be haunted, and with the eerie, watchful, and abandoned exterior that the penitentiary exudes, it’s an historic, authentic representation of the darker days of Port Arthur.
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Jervis Bay National Park
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Paronella Park
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Madame Tussauds Sydney
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Jezzine Barracks
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Maheno Shipwreck
In 1935, while being towed to Japan for scrap metal, a cyclone blew her ashore onto Fraser Island. Luckily, there were only a few crew members on board, who tried unsuccessfully to free her. Since then, three and a half stories of the ship have been buried below the sand.
After being used for bombing practice during WW2, the Maheno was in pretty bad shape and has since rusted away. Still, she is an impressive site and is occasionally used as a kooky, lopsided wedding venue.
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The wreck sits on the beach north of Happy Valley. It’s accessible only by 4WD, just find the beach on the west coast and keep heading north, the Maheno will be on your right.
Penguin Parade
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Perth Bell Tower
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Penguin Island
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MacDonnell Ranges
Offering spectacular views both east and west of Alice Springs, the MacDonnell Ranges are a 400 mile (644 kilometer) stretch of mountain ranges. The ranges hold some of the Northern Territory's finest attractions including the ancient ghost gums and rock wallabies at the majestic Simpson's Gap, the stark beauty of Standley Chasm in the midday sun and the secluded waterholes of Serpentine Gorge and Ellery Creek Big Hole.
The ranges are dotted with micro-climates offering rare wildlife including the Centralian Tree Frog that lives in some of the very cold rock pools.
There are many sites of significance to the traditional owners, the Arrernte. These include ancient rock paintings at Emily Gap, Trephina Gorge and N’Dhala Gorge. You can also visit the old ochre pits where they quarried for ochre pigment.
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The range is popular with bush walkers as the 140 mile (223 kilometer) Larapinta Trail runs along the ridge and into the plains below.
The Larapinta Trail is divided into twelve sections with most trail-heads close to the big-ticket attractions. Some access tracks are not suitable for buses or caravans and difficult in wet weather.