Head away from the big cities and you'll find a different side to Australia: remote outback settlements, breezy beachside towns and leafy enclaves with deep-rooted histories. Here are some of the most appealing towns and villages around the country that are great for a day trip, getaway and also make ideal bases for exploring the nearby coast or countryside.
Basking in ocean views and beaches, Bicheno is one of the most charming towns along Tasmania’s spectacular east coast. The fishing town is close to wildlife-rich national parks, and glass-bottom boat tours take passengers out from the Gulch to spot marine life around Governor Island Marine Reserve. Wineries and artisan food producers lie all around too, including oyster farms on the Freycinet Peninsula. However you spend your days, be back in Bicheno by dusk. You can take a tour to see the fairy penguins return to their burrows at the Diamond Island Nature Reserve.
Gold Rush-era architecture and gourmet delights combine at this charming rural town in Victoria’s High Country. It had its heyday during the 1850s, but today the town still lures visitors with its acclaimed restaurants and breweries, quaint stores, heritage buildings and museums. It has no less than 30 National Trust-listed buildings, with the Beechworth Historic and Cultural Precinct the place to discover its colourful history. It’s here that notorious bushranger Ned Kelly was jailed and you can also visit the spooky Mayday Hills Lunatic Asylum on ghost tours.
Given its position along New South Wales' southern Sapphire Coast, you know you’re in for dazzling blue waters at Merimbula. It doesn’t just have dreamy ocean beaches, but pretty lagoons and lakes too. In fact, its name was derived from a local Aboriginal word meaning “two lakes”. Take in the blue vistas on the Merimbula Boardwalk, which edges the shore around Merimbula Lake. Over the course of around an hour and a half, you’ll pass mangrove forests, eucalyptus trees, oyster farms and jetties, which make a handy perch for gazing at the coast's spectacular sunsets.
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In the southeast corner of Queensland, Stanthorpe is part of the so-called Granite Belt, a striking landscape characterised by spectacular granite outcrops. The pleasant rural town is the hub of the state's main winegrowing area, home to Australia’s highest vineyards, and is surrounded by farmlands and orchards. Follow mountain bike trails or hike up Mount Marlay (pictured) to get a good look across the town and its pastoral surrounds. Stop by Queensland’s oldest family-owned and operated winery – Ballandean Estate – to taste the local vino and visit Girraween National Park to marvel at its hulking rock formations.
Anywhere dubbed the new Byron is bound to be a whole lot of fun. And Yamba, a town at the mouth of the Clarence River in north New South Wales, is just that. With five main beaches to pick from and a buzzing dining scene, days can be spent beach hopping, learning to surf, sipping craft brews in laid-back bars and eating in boho cafés. For the best views, walk to the old Yamba Lighthouse which overlooks Turners Beach and the breakwall where the ocean meets the Clarence River. Look out for dolphins and whales (when in season) and pack a picnic, preferably including the local Yamba prawns.
Tropical vibes and good times flow in this upmarket beach town in far north Queensland. Stride along the stunning soft-white arc of Four Mile Beach, backed by swaying palm trees, and head up Flagstaff Hill for stirring beach, mountain and water views. Head to the marina to take a boat trip out to snorkel on the fringing reefs of the Low Isles and go further out to duck down into the outer reef. There’s plenty to see and do in town too: it has an impressive amount of excellent restaurants, lively bars and some great shops along Macrossan Street. Don’t miss the much-loved Sunday market in Anzac Park, near the tiny little clapboard church St Mary's By the Sea.
Katherine is the third largest town in the NT and has long been a crossroads for travellers driving the Stuart Highway. It’s also a stop on the Ghan railway between Adelaide and Darwin. The remote town is far from overcrowded though, despite its proximity to Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park and the incredible Nitmiluk National Park with its gorge, waterfalls and rock art. Closer to town you can discover Indigenous and non-Indigenous art of the Katherine region at the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre and learn about the local history at the fascinating Katherine Museum. The hot springs, just outside the town on the banks of the Katherine River, are a lovely spot to cool off.
Fishing village Port Fairy is the stuff that family getaways are made of: fishing boats bobbing in the harbour, beaches to paddle and swim in, coastal walks to stride out on, and wildlife to spot. Lying at end of the Great Ocean Road, it was founded in 1835 as a whaling station known as Belfast. Many Irish people who had fled the famine came to settle and work the lands in this part of Victoria. Its Irish heritage is still celebrated with its annual folk festival. As well as natural beauty, Port Fairy has handsome heritage buildings (old whalers' cottages and a lonely lighthouse built in 1856) and some acclaimed places to eat and drink.
Epicentre of Australia’s farm-to-plate scene and vibrant hub of artisan producers and wine makers, Victoria’s pretty village of Daylesford is a must-visit for any food lover. It’s also located in a volcanic region that has the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia. Just an hour north of Melbourne, city dwellers flock to the genteel town to enjoy its smart cafés, revered restaurants, food stores and health and wellness centres. Its natural surrounds are pretty enticing too, with lakes and trails leading to rolling hills, lush valleys and rocky outcrops.
On the southern coast, Albany was where European settlers first set foot in Western Australia and it soon became a key whaling station. Today these majestic mammals are celebrated with whale watching trips leaving from the port to spot the southern right whales and humpbacks that pass close to the land (between May and October). You may well spot them from the heady lookouts of the Gap and Natural Bridge too. There are magnificent trails from the town and along the craggy coastline past its sculpted rocks, secluded coves, pools and blowholes. The Albany Historic Whaling Station is well worth a visit to trace the isolated town's past.
Take a walk back in time around this quaint outback town between Dubbo and Broken Hill. Once Australia’s leading copper producer, its streets are still lined with elegant 19th-century buildings. Follow the Cobar Heritage Walk to see them: it starts at the Great Cobar Heritage Centre and takes in early miner’s cottages, the remains of the Great Cobar Copper Mining Company and the still-functioning Great Western Hotel. Take a dip in its open-cut mine (now a reservoir) and stride up Fort Bourke Hill, site of Cobar's first gold mine. Just outside, Mount Grenfell National Park has some of the finest examples of rock art in Australia.
A historic pearling centre in the far north of Western Australia, today Broome is a sleepy tropical town surrounded by spectacular scenery. Spend languorous days on the sands of Cable Beach, where the red rocks of the outback meet white sands and dazzling blue water – or get to know this multicultural town in its breezy cafés, little museums and lively pubs. Be sure to catch a film under the stars at the heritage-listed Sun Pictures, said to be the oldest operating outdoor cinema in the world. You can visit pearl farms too and discover dinosaur footprints at Roebuck Bay Marine Park.
Fish and chips on the sand, a surf session, sauntering around the shops and strolling along the 19th-century pier to soak it all in – do holidays get better than that? The upmarket coastal town of Lorne lies along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road and is a popular stop-off point with its fab hotels, restaurants and proximity to the lush Otway Ranges, where you can spot koalas and walk to waterfalls. It also has a great viewpoint of the cliff-hugging Great Ocean Road where the mouth of the St George River meets the pounding surf. Head to the viewing platform, Teddys Lookout, and get snapping.
Crouched under the cooled lava pond of an extinct volcano, known as the Nut, and facing out to the wild Bass Strait, little Stanley can be both glorious and bleakly beautiful (weather dependent). Once a lawless outpost for runaway convicts-turned-sealers, it became the HQ for the British-owned Van Diemen’s Land Company in 1824 – Highfield Estate Historic Site up above the town was the chief agent’s home. As well as its beautifully preserved 19th-century heritage cottages and museum, Stanley has two lovely beaches and a clutch of good restaurants where you can try the local seafood and Cape Grim beef.
Just a 10-minute drive from Byron Bay in the region’s lush hinterland, Bangalow has a distinctly different vibe to the boho beach town. Super-cute heritage shopfronts line its main street, home to an array of smart cafés, acclaimed restaurants, galleries, bookshops, delis and gorgeous homeware stores. The Bangalow Historic Museum and handsome Bangalow Hotel are must-visits, as is the town’s beloved Bangalow Market that takes place on the last Sunday of the month. It's a vibrant outdoor celebration of local artists, artisans, therapists and farmers. Nearby, the Killen Falls are well worth a wander, as are the glorious beaches all around Byron Bay.
Near the border with New South Wales, this pretty Murray River township has charming shops, places to eat and plenty of history. In fact, it was Australia’s busiest inland port in the 19th century when paddle steamers plied the river, shipping wool and timber downstream. Today people come to enjoy recreational pursuits on its waterways, from boating and fishing to water-skiing and riverside walking. The fascinating Port of Echuca Discovery Centre on the historic port precinct is the place to explore its history and walk along the heritage-listed Echuca Wharf.
Come to see the oldest bridge (still in use) in Australia and stay to lap up the picturesque streets and vineyard surrounds. Historic Richmond, just northeast of Hobart, sits on the banks of the Coal River and is in the centre of the region’s thriving wine growing area. But it’s best known for its sandstone bridge, which was built by convicts in the 1820s, and numerous Georgian-era buildings. The gaol is also the oldest in Australia, built in 1825. Richmond was one of Tasmania’s key convict stations, linking Hobart with Port Arthur, and most of its 50-something heritage buildings date from the 1820s.
Cute towns and villages pepper the Southern Highlands, including Berrima, a treasure trove of historic buildings, charming independent stores and cellar doors. Admire its old courthouse and churches, order a schooner in the Surveyor General Inn (built by convicts in 1834 and one of Australia’s oldest licensed pubs) and meander along the Berrima River Walk. You may even spot one of the country’s most elusive creatures, the platypus, with parts of the Wingecarribee River around Berrima the best place to see them in the region.
Once a naval base, now a tourist hub, Exmouth sits between the Exmouth Gulf and the Indian Ocean on the North West Cape peninsula of Western Australia. It’s a laid-back town with a clutch of appealing places to stay and eat, but it’s the natural surrounds that keep visitors enraptured – from boat trips out to explore the wonders of Ningaloo Reef Marine Park to the gorges and beaches of Cape Range National Park, where you can snorkel with turtles. Learn more about these endangered creatures at Exmouth's Jurabi Turtle Centre.
Set in the picturesque Adelaide Hills, Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest German settlement, dating right back to 1839 when it was founded by German Lutheran immigrants fleeing religious persecution. They built farmsteads and a Lutheran Church, which still stands. Today leafy Hahndorf is peppered with galleries, restaurants, cafés and artisan food stores. It’s also at the centre of the Adelaide Hills wine growing region, renowned for its cool-climate wines.
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains region is full of quaint towns and mountain villages with cosy cafés, cutesy shops and characterful guesthouses, but Leura is one of the loveliest. Pretty tree-lined streets are edged by Edwardian-era architecture and verdant English-style gardens abound. Plus there are plenty of places to rest and tuck into local produce after a day spent bushwalking in the surrounding wilderness. Leura, Empress and Wentworth Falls lie close by while the Art Deco-style Everglades House and Gardens in Leura are a gorgeous place for a stroll.
Its name might be indelibly linked with the beer that was brewed here back in 1857, but Castlemaine has so much more to offer. Century-old shopfronts with great cafés and independent stores line its wide streets with a handful of grand public buildings to explore – the town’s Theatre Royal, established in 1854, is still used as a cinema. It has boutique hotels too, lively markets, one of the country’s oldest botanic gardens and a thriving creative scene. The Mill is a hub of artists, vintage goods and food traders set in the old Castlemaine Woollen Mill. You can also hop on the Victorian Goldfields Railway to ride a heritage steam train to nearby mining town Maldon.
On the edge of vineyards and close to some of the Fleurieu Peninsula’s best beaches, pretty little Willunga holds plenty of appeal. Its cluster of historic buildings include the Old Police Station and Court House-turned-museum, handsome 19th-century hotels still serving cold beers and grand Georgian-era houses. You can walk or cycle along the Shiraz Trail, a relaxed and scenic five-mile (8km) stretch of a former rail-trail through vines and olives trees between Willunga and the town of McLaren Vale. Port Willunga lies six miles (10km) west, where the stumps of the old jetty used to ship slate from Willunga remain on the beach and the wreck of the Star of Greece is visible at low tide.
Dubbed “Little Cornwall” after England's idyllic county, the historic town of Moonta lies on the Yorke Peninsula’s Copper Coast. Skilled miners – many of whom were from Cornwall – were encouraged to emigrate here to work the mines in the 1860s after copper deposits were discovered in a wombat hole. By 1875 the population was over 12,000 and it was the second-largest town in South Australia. Take a tour of the Moonta Mines National Heritage Area, ride the Moonta Mines Tourist Railway and grab a Cornish pasty from a bakery. Overlooking Spencer Gulf, Moonta Bay is a lovely place for a swim and stroll with its sandy beach, little coves and L-shaped jetty with swimming enclosure.
Beachside towns don’t get much better than Noosa Heads with its incredible beaches, restaurant- and boutique-lined streets, upscale resorts and lush rainforest surrounds. You can go from surfing or swimming in crystal clear waters to stand-up paddleboarding or canoeing along the Noosa River, or bushwalking to spot koalas. A new boardwalk now leads from Little Cove Beach to Noosa National Park, home to koalas, with dolphins and whales often sighted off the headland. Nearby Lake Cootharaba is the place for tours out on to the Noosa Everglades, one of only two everglades systems on Earth and the state’s first UNESCO Biosphere.
A dry and dusty township between Darwin and Alice Springs, Tennant Creek has a surprising amount of things to do and see. It began life as an Overland Telegraph station in 1872 (the abandoned stone buildings remain) and was at the junction of the outback's major cattle droving routes. It was also the site of Australia’s last Gold Rush in the 1930s – you can tour the old mines and see the rusting machinery at the Battery Hill Mining Centre. The excellent Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre is a must-visit to see the art and learn the stories of the Warumungu people as is Kunjarra /The Pebbles, a sacred women's dreaming site just to the north.
Surf beaches, limestone capes, tall timber forests and wine are what the region of Margaret River is best known for. However, its eponymous town is equally beguiling with its mix of excellent art galleries, boutique shops, artisan food stores, cafés and restaurants. The food here is sensational and the town is host to a farmers’ market every Saturday – one of the best in the country with an incredible array of produce from the fertile region. Follow trails along the Margaret River, which flows through town until it meets the Indian Ocean in beach-dotted Prevelly. And swing by cellar doors to taste the region’s renowned cabernet sauvignon.
An elegant Victorian-era town just south of Melbourne, Queenscliff sits on the Bellarine Peninsula overlooking the Bass Strait Rip towards the Mornington Peninsula. It has jetties, lighthouses and a fort, built during the 19th-century Gold Rush to protect the ships transporting their haul. Today the town is a lively seaside resort known for its beaches (both bay and surfside), elegant architecture, maritime and historical museums, and excellent places to eat. Walk along jetty, explore the fort or catch the ferry over the channel to another charming historic village, Sorrento.
At the end of the dusty Gibb River Road deep in the East Kimberley region, the chilled town of Kununurra on the Ord River is a veritable oasis. Its name means 'big waters' in the local indigenous language and it is set by the spectacular Ord River. Cruise or canoe part of the 34-mile (55km) stretch from the town to the Ord Top Dam (Lake Argyle), stopping to explore its little rocky bays and tree-lined banks (where freshwater crocs bask in the sun). Sunset cruises on the man-made lake are another lovely activity.
Beaches, a surf club and beachfront restaurants serving local seafood – welcome to Narooma. This quintessential beach town is a five-hour drive south of Sydney in the Eurobodalla Shire on the Wagonga Inlet. Beach hop, feast on local oysters, follow the Mill Bay Boardwalk around the inlet or take a cruise along its waters. Catch a boat tour across to Montague Island – a wildlife and marine-life sanctuary just offshore where you'll see seals, penguins and whales (in season).