Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and opened in 1973, the Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognisable buildings of the 20th century. Its sail-like shells sit on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, and it hosts more than 1,500 performances a year. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

Opened in 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is the world's largest steel arch bridge, nicknamed "the Coathanger" by locals. It carries road, rail and foot traffic between the CBD and the North Shore. Visitors can walk across for free or join the BridgeClimb to the summit 134 metres above the harbour for sweeping views.

The Rocks is the historic heart of Sydney, where the First Fleet established the colony in 1788. Its narrow laneways and sandstone buildings now house pubs, galleries, restaurants and weekend markets. Sitting between Circular Quay and the Harbour Bridge, it offers some of the best harbour views in the city.

Founded in 1816, the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is Australia's oldest scientific institution. Its 30 hectares wrap around Farm Cove beside the Opera House, with themed gardens, glasshouses and native plant collections. Mrs Macquarie's Chair at the garden's edge is a classic spot for photos of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

Bondi Beach is Australia's most famous stretch of sand, a kilometre-long golden crescent just 7 km from central Sydney. It is known for surf culture, the iconic Bondi Icebergs ocean pool and lifeguards. The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk starts here, winding past cliffs, rock pools and smaller beaches.

Manly Beach is a relaxed surf beach on Sydney's northern peninsula, reached by a scenic 30-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay. Lined with Norfolk Island pines, its long promenade connects to Shelly Beach and the North Head lookouts. The Corso, a pedestrian street, links the harbour wharf with the ocean side.

Darling Harbour is a lively waterfront precinct on the western edge of Sydney's CBD. Once a busy industrial port, it was redeveloped for Australia's bicentenary in 1988. Today it is home to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, the Australian National Maritime Museum, restaurants and frequent fireworks displays over the water.

The Three Sisters is a famous sandstone rock formation in the Blue Mountains near Katoomba. The three weathered pillars, named Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo in Aboriginal legend, rise above the Jamison Valley. Echo Point lookout offers the classic view, and the Giant Stairway leads down past the formation into the valley.

Blue Mountains National Park covers over 260,000 hectares west of Sydney and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage area. The blue haze comes from oils released by eucalyptus trees. Visitors explore dramatic cliffs, waterfalls such as Wentworth Falls and Katoomba Falls, and bushwalking trails through deep valleys.

Parliament House in Canberra opened in 1988 and is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia. Built into Capital Hill and topped by an 81-metre flagpole, it features grass-covered roof walkways offering views over the city. Visitors can tour the building, see its art collection and watch parliament in session.

The Australian War Memorial in Canberra commemorates Australians who died in wars and conflicts. It combines a shrine, a world-class museum and an extensive archive. The Roll of Honour lists over 100,000 names, and the daily Last Post Ceremony honours individual stories. It overlooks Anzac Parade toward Parliament House.

Federation Square opened in 2002 to mark the centenary of Australian federation. Its angular, fractured-facade architecture houses the Ian Potter Centre of the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and event spaces. It faces Flinders Street Station and is Melbourne's main public gathering place.

Flinders Street Station is Melbourne's most famous landmark, completed in 1909 in an Edwardian Baroque style with a green copper dome and clock tower. Its row of clocks above the main entrance gave rise to the local phrase "meet me under the clocks". It remains one of the busiest suburban railway stations in Australia.

Hosier Lane is Melbourne's best-known street art laneway, its bluestone cobbles and walls covered with constantly changing graffiti, stencils and murals. Located opposite Federation Square, it reflects the city's thriving street art culture. Artists repaint the walls frequently, so each visit reveals something new.

Queen Victoria Market has been trading since 1878 and is the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere. Its historic sheds hold fresh produce, deli halls, meat and fish, alongside clothing and souvenir stalls. Seasonal night markets bring street food and live music to the heart of Melbourne.

The Royal Exhibition Building was completed in 1880 to host the Melbourne International Exhibition. Set in the Carlton Gardens, its grand dome and ornate facade blend Byzantine, Romanesque and Italian Renaissance styles. It hosted the opening of Australia's first federal parliament in 1901 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

The Great Ocean Road stretches about 240 km along Victoria's southwest coast between Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 as a war memorial, it is the world's largest war memorial. The route passes surf beaches, rainforest, waterfalls, seaside towns such as Lorne and Apollo Bay, and dramatic limestone cliffs.

The Twelve Apostles are towering limestone stacks rising from the Southern Ocean beside the Great Ocean Road in Port Campbell National Park. Carved by waves over millions of years, the stacks reach up to 45 metres high, though only a handful remain today. Sunset and sunrise views from the boardwalk lookouts are especially popular.

Loch Ard Gorge is a sheltered inlet framed by sheer limestone cliffs near the Twelve Apostles. It is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which wrecked nearby in 1878; only two of the 54 people on board survived, washing ashore in the gorge. Walking trails explore the beach, blowholes and the Razorback formation.

Phillip Island lies about 140 km south of Melbourne and is best known for the Penguin Parade, where little penguins waddle ashore at dusk at Summerland Beach. The island also has a koala conservation reserve, seal colonies at the Nobbies, surf beaches and the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, which hosts motorcycle racing.

Uluru is a massive sandstone monolith rising about 348 metres above the desert in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Sacred to the Anangu people, its traditional owners, it changes colour dramatically at sunrise and sunset. Climbing has been banned since 2019, but the 10 km base walk reveals rock art, waterholes and caves.

Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, is a group of 36 domed rock formations about 30 km west of Uluru. The tallest dome, Mount Olga, rises around 546 metres above the plain. Sacred to the Anangu people, the site offers the Valley of the Winds walk and Walpa Gorge, winding between the towering red domes.

Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park has sandstone walls rising more than 100 metres above Kings Creek. The 6 km Rim Walk climbs to the canyon edge, passing beehive-shaped domes known as the Lost City and the lush Garden of Eden waterhole. It is one of the most spectacular walks in Australia's Red Centre.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, stretching over 2,300 km along the Queensland coast. Made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and hundreds of islands, it supports an extraordinary range of marine life. Visitors snorkel, dive or take scenic flights from Cairns and Port Douglas. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kuranda is a village in the rainforest-covered hills above Cairns, known as the "village in the rainforest". Visitors arrive via the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway or the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the canopy. The village has markets, butterfly and bird sanctuaries, and walks along the Barron River.

The Daintree Rainforest in far north Queensland is considered one of the oldest rainforests on Earth, around 180 million years old. It meets the Great Barrier Reef at Cape Tribulation, where two World Heritage areas sit side by side. Visitors take river cruises to spot crocodiles, walk boardwalks and look for the rare cassowary.

Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island stretches about 7 km and is famous for its brilliant white silica sand, which stays cool underfoot. At Hill Inlet, shifting tides swirl the sand and turquoise water into striking patterns best seen from the Tongue Point lookout. It is reached by boat, seaplane or helicopter from Airlie Beach.

South Bank Parklands is Brisbane's riverside cultural and leisure precinct, built on the site of World Expo 88. It includes Streets Beach, a man-made lagoon in the city, the Wheel of Brisbane, gardens and the Arbour walkway draped in bougainvillea. Nearby are the Queensland Museum, Art Gallery and Performing Arts Centre.