Places worth the detour in Australia
Australia has 1,332 places worth going out of your way for on Detourmap, across 16 kinds — the biggest group is parks, canyons & rock formations (618). The best known is Great Barrier Reef. 1,223 of them are hidden gems most guides skip. Every place below has a photo and a Wikipedia article — click any of them to fly the map there.
Parks, canyons & rock formations in Australia 618
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Great Barrier Reef
Natural wonders · Iconic
Over 2300 km long coral reef off Australia's northeast coast, UNESCO World Heritage Site
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Christmas Island
Natural wonders · 20th century · Iconic
Island and external territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean
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Mount Kosciuszko
Natural wonders · Iconic
Highest mountain in the mainland of the Australian continent, located on New South Wales–Victoria border
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Lord Howe Island
Natural wonders · Iconic
Island in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of New South Wales
Towers & lighthouses in Australia 129
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Sydney Tower
Towers & lighthouses · 20th century · Notable
Tall architectural structure in Sydney, Australia
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Black Mountain Tower
Towers & lighthouses · 20th century · Hidden gem
Telecommunications tower in Australia
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Macquarie Lighthouse
Towers & lighthouses · 19th century · Hidden gem
Lighthouse in New South Wales, Australia
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Fort Denison
Towers & lighthouses · 18th century · Hidden gem
Heritage-listed former penal site and defensive facility in Sydney Harbour, Australia
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Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse
Towers & lighthouses · Hidden gem
Lighthouse at the most south-western point of Australia
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Wadjemup Lighthouse
Towers & lighthouses · 19th century · Hidden gem
Lighthouse on Rottnest Island, Western Australia
Parks, gardens & arboretums in Australia 111
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Parks & gardens · 19th century · Notable
Botanic gardens in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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City Botanic Gardens
Parks & gardens · 19th century · Hidden gem
Botanical gardens in Brisbane, Australia
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Australian National Botanic Gardens
Parks & gardens · 20th century · Hidden gem
Botanical garden in Canberra, Australia
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Kings Park
Parks & gardens · 19th century · Hidden gem
Park and botanical gardens in Perth, Western Australia
Waterfalls in Australia 81
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Florence Falls
Waterfalls · Hidden gem
Waterfall within Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Churches, temples, monasteries & shrines in Australia 79
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St Patrick's Cathedral
Sacred sites · 19th century · Notable
Cathedral in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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St Mary’s Cathedral
Sacred sites · 19th century · Notable
Cathedral in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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St James’ Church, Sydney
Sacred sites · 19th century · Hidden gem
Anglican parish church in inner city Sydney, Australia
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St Paul's Cathedral
Sacred sites · 19th century · Hidden gem
Cathedral in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Museums & galleries in Australia 74
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National Library of Australia
Museums & galleries · 20th century · Renowned
National reference library in Canberra, Australia
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National Gallery of Victoria
Museums & galleries · 19th century · Notable
Art museum in Melbourne, Australia
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National Gallery of Australia
Museums & galleries · 20th century · Notable
National art museum in Canberra, Australia
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Art Gallery of New South Wales
Museums & galleries · 19th century · Notable
Public art gallery and museum in Sydney, Australia
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Art Gallery of South Australia
Museums & galleries · 19th century · Notable
Arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia
Beaches & coves in Australia 49
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North Stradbroke Island
Beaches & coves · Hidden gem
Island in Brisbane, that lies within Moreton Bay in the Australian state of Queensland
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Eighty Mile Beach
Beaches & coves · 20th century · Hidden gem
Beach on the north-west coast of Western Australia
Theme parks, zoos & aquariums in Australia 48
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Warner Bros. Movie World
Fun & leisure · 20th century · Hidden gem
Theme park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Catacombs, shipwrecks & cemeteries in Australia 28
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Batavia
Macabre & curious · Notable
Ship wrecked in 1629 on Houtman Abrolhos with at least 110 men, women and children being murdered during subsequent mutiny
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Australian War Memorial
Macabre & curious · 20th century · Notable
National war memorial and museum in Canberra, Australia
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Kormoran
Macabre & curious · Notable
Ship scuttled off the coast of Western Australia after battle with HMAS Sydney during the second World War
Monuments & statues in Australia 26
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Shrine of Remembrance
Monuments & statues · 20th century · Notable
Memorial located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia
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Anzac Memorial
Monuments & statues · 20th century · Notable
Memorial and museum in Sydney, Australia
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Archibald Fountain
Monuments & statues · 20th century · Hidden gem
Fountain with sculptures in Hyde Park, Sydney
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Coal Mines Historic Site
Monuments & statues · 20th century · Hidden gem
UNESCO heritage site in Tasmania, Australia
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El Alamein Fountain
Monuments & statues · 20th century · Hidden gem
WWII memorial fountain in Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia
Caves & caverns in Australia 25
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Drovers Cave National Park
Caves & caverns · 20th century · Hidden gem
National park in Western Australia
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Mount Etna Caves National Park
Caves & caverns · 21st century · Hidden gem
National park in Australia
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Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park
Caves & caverns · 21st century · Hidden gem
National park in Queensland Australia
Bridges & aqueducts in Australia 20
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Sydney Harbour Bridge
Great structures · 10th century · Renowned
Bridge crossing Sydney Harbour in Australia
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Tasman Bridge
Great structures · 20th century · Hidden gem
Highway bridge over the Derwent River in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Abandoned places & ghost towns in Australia 14
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Mary Kathleen
Abandoned & ghost towns · Hidden gem
Former mining settlement in Queensland, Australia
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Kanyaka Station
Abandoned & ghost towns · Hidden gem
Former sheep and cattle station in South Australia
Ancient & archaeological sites in Australia 12
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Cape St George Lighthouse
Ancient & megalithic · 19th century · Hidden gem
Lighthouse in Jervis Bay Territory, Australia
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Ballandean Pyramid
Ancient & megalithic · Hidden gem
Stone pyramid near Ballandean, Queensland, Australia
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Elizabeth Bay House
Ancient & megalithic · 19th century · Hidden gem
Heritage-listed Colonial Regency style house and now a museum and grotto in Sydney, Australia
Volcanoes, geysers & hot springs in Australia 10
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Ball's Pyramid
Volcanic & geothermal · Renowned
An island and an erosional remnant of a shield volcano southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific
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Blue Lake
Volcanic & geothermal · Hidden gem
Large monomictic lake in Mount Gambier, South Australia
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Mount Warning
Volcanic & geothermal · Hidden gem
Mountain in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia
Castles, palaces & forts in Australia 8
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Fort Nepean
Castles & palaces · Hidden gem
Former defensive facility occupying part of Point Nepean, Victoria, Australia
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Fort Glanville Conservation Park
Castles & palaces · 19th century · Hidden gem
Protected area in South Australia
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Fort Queenscliff
Castles & palaces · Hidden gem
Historic commonwealth heritage site in Queenscliff VIC
