Bungle Bungles, Tourism Western Australia
From the turquoise sea of Cape Le Grand in Western Australia to the sculpted dunes of Mungo in New South Wales, Australia’s most spectacular places can often be found in our national parks.
But with so many to see, how do you decide which national park to visit first? We’ve picked fourteen national parks you should add to your bucket list. Of course, these national parks are only the start.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Blue Mountains, Jeff Drewitz/Destination NSW
An air of enchantment will settle over you as you drive up the winding mountain road into the Blue Mountains, leaving the hustle and bustle of nearby Sydney far behind. The national park stretches through the centre of the mountains, winding its way behind many of the charming towns in the area.
Don’t try to resist the spell this national park casts over visitors. From the sun reflecting off its golden sandstone formations to the blue mist draping itself over the mountains in the morning, the Blue Mountains is spectacularly beautiful. And one of the best ways to experience it is to take one of the many bushwalks in the park. Many of these walks lead to the most amazing views in the mountains, from the lookout over Wentworth Falls to the Cliff Top Walking Track, where the whole walk is essentially a lookout.
The most famous of these walks starts under the Three Sisters, and begins and ends with the Giant Stairway. After walking down the 800 steps, start along the Federal Pass, which will take you all the way to the bottom of the Scenic Railway.
How many places have you been to that can boast a history of human occupation of over 40,000 years? Mungo National Park in the south west of New South Wales is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the country (if not the world), with remains discovered here that speak of a lengthy human history in Australia.
While it’s fascinating to stand in the visitor centre and marvel at this history, don’t spend too much time indoors when you could be out amongst the dunes and plains of this semi-arid land. The Wall of China, a craggy dune formation with strange shapes and structures rising out of the desert, is the key attraction.
VICTORIA
Vista of Mount Sturgeon, Rob Blackburn/Tourism Victoria
You’ll be stuck between a rock and a hard place deciding what to see and do in the Grampians, as this national park has more than its fair share of activities, from four-wheel driving and rock climbing to canoeing and fishing.
Our favourite thing to do in the Grampians has to be finding a lookout (Reed and Boroka are great options), and simply standing and marvelling at the truly spectacular rock formations that mark this ancient land. Aboriginal people have lived in the Grampians for at least 22,000 years, and the rock-art sites that dot the national park speak of this long history.
Once you’ve acclimatised to the landscape (it takes a while to get used to such awe-inspiring vistas), you’ll discover that there’s more to the Grampians than the four mountain ranges, including wildflowers that burst into colour every spring, and even fern gullies.
Wilsons Promontory National Park
Wilsons Prom, Gary Moore
It often seems as though Wilsons Promontory National Park is Victoria’s (big) secret, as its popularity is mostly contained within the state.
You need to enter a ballot to get a camping spot at the main camping area during holidays, yet the area is so huge that you might only encounter a few other people on the range of walking tracks that crisscross the park. So we think there’s room for visitors from other states to be let in on the secret.
And what a secret. The national park has isolated beaches, soaring forest-covered mountains, secluded bays, and, surrounding it all, the wild deep blue water of the Bass Strait.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Flinders Ranges, Mike Newling/Tourism Australia
If the Walls of China in Mungo National Park are impressive on a small scale, then Flinders Ranges National Park is nature’s attempt at rock formations on a massive scale – and the results are impressive.
Flinders Ranges is an ancient land, with its ridges and mountains formed over millions of years, including the dominating natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound. This is a landscape of vivid colours of oranges and greens, although with the sun angled just so, the rocks can appear any colour from purple to red. With so many peaks and valleys in the landscape, this national park is a four-wheel drive paradise.
Lake Eyre almost needs no introduction. A huge salt lake in the outback of South Australia, seeing Lake Eyre in flood is already on many people’s bucket list.
But as Lake Eyre only floods a few times every century, we wouldn’t recommend postponing your trip to this remote location until then. Even when it’s dry, the lake is an astounding sight. The biggest salt plain in the world, it’s in one of the hottest parts of Australia, and is the lowest point in the country. The lake has an almost alien beauty with the dry, salt-encrusted river tracts stretching like tentacles across the land. The area is best viewed from above on a scenic flight.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Walpole–Nornalup National Park
Tree Top Walk, Tourism Western Australia
Walk among the ‘valley of the giants’ at Walpole-Nornalup National Park, the only place in Australia you’ll find the red tingle tree, the largest type of eucalypt. These trees can grow to 75 metres high, and their trunks can be up to 20 metres in circumference. And at 35 metres high, the Tree Top Walk gives visitors a chance to truly appreciate the size of these giant trees, although you can experience them from the ground up by walking along the designated boardwalks and trails.
After you’ve been astounded by these giants, make sure to visit the coastal edge of the park, which has the pristine sand and stunning turquoise water that characterises this region of Western Australia.
Cathedral Gorge, in Purnululu National Park, Tourism Western Australia
Hidden deep with the east Kimberley region, Purnululu is almost on the border with the Northern Territory. This region can almost seem like one massive natural park, from the craggy stretches of Cockburn Range to the Pentecost River. But some of the most incredible parts of the Kimberley are protected within Purnululu National Park. The most famous of these is the Bungle Bungles Range, a site of such wacky wonder it could only happen in Australia!
The Bungle Bungles are soaring dome-like sandstone formations (some are 300 metre high), which have distinctive tiger stripe colouring that changes shade depending on the weather. These form the range, which hides a treasure trove of gorges and waterfalls. Cathedral Gorge is potentially the most stunning, forming a natural amphitheatre of curves and jutting shapes.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Ubirr sunset, Tourism NT
The largest national park in Australia, Kakadu is also one of the most mind-blowing scenic places you will ever go. From its wetlands, teeming with a chaotic array of birdlife, to the imposing Arnhem Land escarpment rising 300 metres above the surrounding woodland of the park, the vast array of natural attractions could keep you entertained for weeks. If you visit in the wet season, many areas of the park will be inaccessible. Yet, the wet season has its own appeal, as the waterfalls, including the famous Jim Jim Falls, surge during this time of year.
There are so many things to see and do in Kakadu it’s hard to know where to start, but sights you cannot miss include the rock-art sites at Nourlangie, cruising the Yellow Water wetlands, seeing the sun set from Ubirr Rock, and visiting the pools at Gunlom. And, of course, if you’re interested in history, there’s always the enjoyment of walking in places that humans have inhabited for tens of thousands of years.
Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park
This national park can be found in Australia’s red centre. It’s one of the country’s most iconic images – the red rock of Uluru rising out of the surrounding flat plains. Uluru is a majestic sight at any time of day, as it changes colours depending on the position of the sun. This monolith is of great spiritual significance to local Aboriginal people, so it is requested that you don’t climb Uluru. The best way to see the rock is either on a walking tour around the base, or on hot-air balloon flight over the national park.
Also housed within the expanse of desert that forms the majority of the park is Kata Tjuta, otherwise known as the Olgas. Rather than one dramatic rock formation, Kata Tjuta is a collection of 36 domed rocks that are quite similar in style to the Bungle Bungles.
This national park is around five hours’ drive from Alice Springs, but is well worth the journey.
QUEENSLAND
Rainforest, Tourism Queensland
Get two for the price of one at Daintree National Park by seeing not one, but two World Heritage areas side by side. Daintree National Park is split into two different sections, the Mossman Gorge section and the Cape Tribulation section. At Cape Tribulation, the World Heritage–listed Daintree rainforest meets the World Heritage–listed Great Barrier Reef, and, as you would expect, both are awe-inspiring.
But even standing alone, the Daintree is one of the most spectacular places in the country with vast mountains covered with a tangle of lush rainforest that makes parts of the park virtually inaccessible. It’s dramatic, imposing and incredibly beautiful. One of the best ways to see the park, and the variety of animals that make their home here, is jungle surfing through the park. That is if you’re not afraid of heights, of course.
Whitsundays National Park
Whitsunday Island, Tourism Queensland
The Whitsundays have become synonymous with luxury resorts like Hayman Island, but if you take away all the trims and trappings, you’re left with a collection of verdant islands dotted through one of the most stunning stretches of ocean in the world. And there are actually fantastic camping areas situated around the Whitsundays, which means a trip here doesn’t have to break the bank.
The main appeal of the Whitsundays is that these islands are situated in the Great Barrier Reef, although you will have to go on a tour to access the main sections of the Reef. But the turquoise sea, white sand and glimpses of the other islands from your campsite might just entice you to stay put.
TASMANIA
Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park
Cradle Mountain, Tourism Australia
From the red heart of mainland Australia to the lush green heart of the Apple Isle, Australia has an array of unbelievable scenery. Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park embodies the landscapes that have made Tasmania such a popular tourist destination, from its soaring mountains and crystal lakes to the alpine moors. As one of the last temperate rainforest on Earth, the national park was added to the World Heritage list in the 1980s.
And if you’re up for a hike, the best way to see the national park is by undertaking the Overland Track, which, at 65 kilometres, is generally a six day trek through the park’s rainforests, moors and valleys.
Freycinet, Ian Butterworth/Tourism Australia
The most famous part of Freycinet National Park is Wineglass Bay, a crescent of white sand with deep blue water just offshore protected by a backdrop of rainforest that will take your breath away – not least because you have to walk 11 kilometres to actually access the beach. Most people choose to complete the Wineglass Bay Lookout Track, which offers incredible views over the bay and to Mount Hazard, and is only one hour return.
Freycinet consists of a dramatic mountain range, edged by beautiful beaches. The bushwalking is spectacular, the beach walks even better, and the views will make you want to set up tent and stay forever. Kayaking tours are also a great way to experience the park, if you’re more mariner than landlubber.
