The great Australian bucket list

Many go overseas to tick things off their bucket lists, but what about the hidden gems we have in our own backyard? We have so much to do that it would take an entire lifetime to see it all, but these are our favourite world-class adventures:

1. Ride a camel on Cable Beach – Broome, WA

Visit magical Cable Beach and ride along the beach atop a camel while the sun sets. It doesn’t get better than that! While you’re there, Broome has plenty more to offer, with helicopter rides, pearl tours and the Horizontal Falls.

2. Admire the sand dunes – Lancelin, WA

Imagine a beautiful white beach where you could turn back and see the desert and sand dunes. This is a reality in Lancelin where you can sandboard or stand on top of the dunes and bask in the amazing surrounds: you can see farmland, sea and desert.

3. Tee off at the Nullarbor Links Golf Course – WA and SA

Fancy some golf? Why not play on the world’s largest gold course and tick a great experience off your bucket list? The course stretches 1365km and two states, and you need a car to travel between holes!

4. Explore Coober Pedy – SA

Coober Pedy is a truly unique place and is a must-see for any Australian. Not only is this humble South Australian town the opal capital of the world, it has intriguing underground homes to protect from the scorching heat.

5. Visit Kangaroo Island – SA

We have plenty of islands in Australia but the beautiful Kangaroo Island has to take the cake. Photos don’t do Kangaroo Island justice: there’s native bushland, wildlife, adventure and exploring, not to mention the beaches and delicious wines right on your doorstep.

6. Pan for gold at Sovereign Hill – Ballarat, VIC

It’s the great Australian dream to strike some gold, so you’d be silly not to give it a go at least once in your life! Sovereign Hill was the birthplace of Australian gold mining and the Sovereign Hill museum recreates the gold rush from the 1850s.

7. Take a dip in hot springs – Mornington Peninsula, VIC

This natural phenomenon is not to be missed – the springs are between 37 and 43 degrees and are just perfect in the winter months. The therapeutic benefits of the mineral springs are said to include the alleviation of neuralgia, bruising, articular rheumatism, stiffness of the shoulders, recovery from fatigue and muscular complaints and enhancing fertility.

8. See the Aurora australis – TAS

One of the most beautiful and rare things to see is an aurora, and Tasmania is the place to be to see one. The aurora australis only appears with 30 minutes warning and lights up the night sky with gorgeous, breathtaking colours. To find out when the next aurora is predicted, you can visit this website.

9. Relax on Jervis Bay – NSW

When people think of white sand beaches and turquoise water, it conjures up thoughts of Caribbean islands and Hawaii, but we have this right here in Australia. Jervis Bay is a stand out and should be on any traveller’s bucket list, if only to escape for a weekend to a picturesque place with wildlife, bushwalking, cycling tracks, Indigenous culture, camping and lookouts.

10. Climb Mt Kosciuszko – NSW

Our highest mountain is stunning and worthy of its spot on any bucket list. It is the trip of a lifetime, with sights that you will never forget. Unlike a lot of other tall mountains, Kosciusko offers the same views but without all the hard work! You can use a stairlift to gaze over the mountains and take it all in.

11. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef – Cairns, QLD

It might seem like a cliche, but it is one for a reason. The Great Barrier Reef is fading away so you need to see it as soon as you can! Snorkel or relax on a chartered boat as you cruise around in the water.

What is on your Australian bucket list? What of these have you ticked off? What else would you add?