10 totally amazing Australian natural wonders

Australia’s like no other place on the planet, with its one-of-a-kind creatures and beautifully strange natural attractions. Here are 10 totally amazing Australian natural wonders, plus an equally wonderful Australia hotel sale (we’ve got other Asia Pacific and Europe destinations on sale, too), to help ensure you’re getting the best deal around.

1. The Great Barrier Reef
You knew this was going to be on this list, right? The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world and stretches 1,400 miles long off the coast of Queensland. The Reef not only looms large in the imagination, but leaves an indelible impact on all who experience it. Oh, and it can be seen from outer space. How cool is that?

2. Twelve Apostles
We love the Twelve Apostles because in the great vastness that is Australia, the Apostles are an easily accessible attraction. These limestone stack formations are a stop on Victoria’s scenic Great Ocean Road, a spectacular side trip for visitors to the lovely and amazing city of Melbourne. But don’t go crazy counting them; due to erosion only seven are remaining.

3. Bungle Bungles
What is it with Aussies and their weird names for everything?! This collection of beehive-shaped towers is actually constructed of sandstone and boulders and pebbles cemented together, and live within Purnululu National Park in Western Australia. The country’s aboriginal people inhabited the Bungle Bungles area for more than 20,000 years.

4. Fraser Island
At 75 miles wide by 15 miles long, gorgeous Fraser Island is considered the largest sand island in the world. Located in sunny Queensland, the island is home to numerous critters including an estimated 150 dingoes, dozens of reptiles and 350 species of birds. Of course, human inhabitants, aka sun worshipers, have also discovered Fraser’s many charms.

5. Pinnacles
Australia, you are so gorgeous and weird! The Pinnacles are limestone formations whose raw materials originally came from seashells and can be found within Nambung National Park in remote Western Australia. The Pinnacles see more than 250,000visitors annually, many of whom visit at dawn or dusk to catch the way the light plays off each formation.

6. Uluru
The vast and empty center of Australia is also home to one of its most dramatic and iconic features. Uluru, aka Ayers Rock, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located within Ulura-Kata Tjuta National Park in the southern part of the Northern Territory. Not surprisingly, the large sandstone rock is of tremendous significance to Australia’s aboriginal people.

7. The Whitsundays
This sunny and stunning collection of 74 tropical islands in central Queensland and a major Aussie tourist attraction thanks to an infrastructure that includes scuba diving, snorkeling, whale watching and sailing. Captain Cook “discovered” these islands on what he thought was Whit Sunday but not realizing he’d crossed the International Dateline it was already Monday. Oops!

8. Blue Mountains
The vastness of Australia sure intimidates, but the foothills of the gorgeous Blue Mountains begin only a stone’s throw from Sydney (31 miles) and are a must on every visitor’s New South Wales itinerary. The mountains are ideal for hiking and exploring and The Three Sisters (pictured below) make for a quick and easy selfie to share with folks back home.

9. Kakadu National Park
This ecologically diverse region and national park located at the tip of Australia’s Northern Territory is an immense and intimidating 7,400 square miles and home to numerous indigenous creatures including kangaroos, wallabies, flying foxes, bandicoots and quolls. Kakadu is also home to two species of crocodile so watch out!

10. Shark Bay
The name conjures of images of angry Great Whites, but don’t be fooled. Massive Shark Bay, a 5.5-million acre World Heritage Site located in Western Australia is most commonly known for its stromatolites, dome-shaped deposits formed by microbes and said to be the oldest living life forms on earth. It also has a thriving population of dugongs or sea cows. Aww!

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