The Sydney Opera House, Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef… yawn. While these are all amazing sights to see, they’ve been done. At this point a photo of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge is less a joy than it is an obligation; a box that any self-respecting tourist must tick.
Australia is a vast and aesthetically unique country. It offers endless landscapes, landmarks and attractions that are certified Instagram scroll-stoppers.
You just need to know where to look.
The 10 sights below aren’t the country’s best known, but if you’re a keen Instagrammer looking to fill your feed with the most stunning shots imaginable, look no further.
Noosa Fairy Pools, Queensland
At Noosa National Park you’ll trace your way around the dramatic rocky coastline which falls into a succession of golden and perfectly secluded beaches. But on the headland that forms the park’s northernmost tip, hidden within a crease of granite, you’ll find something less sandy, but somehow more beautiful.
The Fairy Pools are an aptly named landmark. Seemingly taken straight from a Disney movie, the water of these small tidal pools is cool, calm and oh so blue. Surrounded by jagged rock on all sides apart from the one that points to the Pacific, this is the perfect place to relax or to hold an all-out Instagram shoot.
Mount Amos/ Wineglass Bay, Tasmania
Tasmania is known for its untamed wilderness; a perk of being cut off from a landmass that had long been cut off itself. And there’s perhaps no greater example of the rugged beauty of the state than Wineglass Bay, part of the Freycinet Peninsula on the island’s east coast.
Imagine, for a moment, a perfect crescent of china-white sand that stretches on for kilometres, sandwiched between the deep green of old-growth forest and the shimmering turquoise of the ocean. The fact that Wineglass Bay demands an hour’s hike only adds to the allure – there are moments when you’ll feel like you’re the only one there. To capture the beauty for Instagram, take on the (slightly sketchy) hike to the top of Mount Amos, on the beach’s northern side.
Lake Hillier, Western Australia
When the British Royal Navy stumbled upon Lake Hillier in 1802, they could hardly believe their eyes. Found on Middle Island, off the Southern coast of Western Australia, this is a lake of the brightest, most evocative pink; colour that is perhaps enhanced by the fact that it is encircled by green scrub, which in turn is surrounded by the deep blue hues of the Southern Ocean.
The pink – sometimes described as ‘Strawberry Milkshake’ – comes from a unique microorganism that thrives in the waters of Hillier. While there’s no regular service that lands visitors on the island, regular scenic flights leave from the mainland (which give you a better view anyway.)
Devil’s Marbles, Northern Territory
Found in the dead centre of the NT, surrounded by desert sands and saltbush, the Devil’s Marbles are granite boulders that were enveloped in sandstone for aeons. As the surrounding stone slowly weathered away, the granite remained, much of which is as close to a perfect sphere as Mother Nature could get.
The Devil’s Marbles are as accessible as an inaccessible landmark can get, found right next to the Sturt Highway, albeit four hours north of Alice Springs and 11 hours south of Darwin. The good news? You can expect the Insta material to more than make up for the drive.
Loch Ard Gorge, Victoria
While the tourists distract themselves at the more famous Twelve Apostles, found five minutes down the Great Ocean Road, treat yourself to the arguably more Instagrammable views offered by Loch Ard Gorge.
The golden sands of this gorge are surrounded by towering yellow cliffs, the size of which you can only really appreciate from the shoreline. This incision into the Australian mainland doesn’t really have a bad side though, and thanks to a wealth of walking tracks and lookout points you can enjoy it from all angles.
Wedding Cake Rock, New South Wales
Just an hour’s drive (plus a short hike) from the centre of Sydney, Wedding Cake Rock delivers exactly what it says on the packet: a rock, balanced somewhat precariously on the edge of a cliff, that appears to be wrapped in marzipan.
There was a time, not so long ago, when you could wander out to the edge of the rock to take on the role of wedding cake topper, but in recent years a fence has been erected to ensure public safety. This simply means you’ll need to get more creative during your shoot: perhaps you could test out some forced perspective?
Umpherston Sinkhole, South Australia
What’s in a name? For the Umpherston Sinkhole, not much. It might sound like a place where abattoirs dump their unusable offal, but it’s almost the exact opposite. Take a naturally formed limestone sinkhole – or to use the far sexier Spanish term, cenote – mix in a stunning botanic garden, and voila, you’ve whipped up a scene straight from a fairy tale.
To simply call Umpherston Sinkhole beautiful is almost an injustice. It is stunning, and in the most unique of ways. This is the sort of place that makes a professional photographer out of everyone who visits: every angle is a good angle, and every Instagram post is a guaranteed banger.
Hosier Lane, Melbourne
While Australia’s natural delights will always be the headline act, there are city shots to be taken too. One such metropolitan marvel is Hosier Lane in Melbourne, meeting place of the city’s – and the world’s – finest street artists.
The best bit about Hosier Lane – apart from the stunning graffiti – is the fact that it’s always transforming. No two trips to Hosier are the same thanks to the constant battle for artistic real estate, which sees one painting laid over another, again and again. It’s a free trip to the gallery and an Instagram opportunity all tied up in one!
Babinda Boulders, Queensland
Found hidden amongst the dense tropical rainforest of Far North Queensland, an hour’s drive south of Cairns, Babinda Boulders is so named for the rocks that are found dotted along Babinda Creek, which form a succession of natural pools and swimming holes.
The boulders have been smoothed, buffed and polished over millions of years by the often-pumping waters of the creek, which can become too perilous to enjoy in the wet season (over the Australian summer.) During the dry season however, this is the perfect place to relax, take photos, and enjoy a break from the tropical heat.
Figure Eight Pools, New South Wales
There’s something deeply satisfying about finding order in nature. Australia has a few notable examples, like Tasmania’s Tessellated Pavement and the coral heart in the Great Barrier Reef. But we’d argue that none are quite as perfect as the Figure Eight Pools found halfway between Sydney and Wollongong.
While you’ll have to navigate a 5km hike, and time your run to align with low tide, you’ll enjoy Instagram-worthy reward for effort. As the tide retreats it reveals a maze of circular pools, some of which connect to form figure eights. Afterwards you can head to nearby Burning Palms Beach to review your photo haul.
