Okay, let me start off by saying I am FULLY aware I haven’t even scratched the surface of this beautiful country. From vibrant, iconic cities and tall mountains to stunning beaches and cascading waterfalls, Australia has something for everyone. And don’t even get me started on their cute, unique animals (quokkas, anyone?)!
I am dying to go back to this gorgeous country and hit all the places we missed, and I know I will have many more spots to add to this list. However, from our whirlwind 10+ cities in just 10 days, these lovely photo spots became my favorites:
- Glass House Mountains (Sunshine Coast, Queensland)
The Glass House Mountains are a 1-hour drive north from Brisbane. They are 1,000% worth checking out for an afternoon or even a full day trip. Not only are the mountains beautiful, but they boast rich local legends since they are in the lands of the aboriginal Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi people. The mountains are supposedly all members of a family: Tibrogargan, Beerwah, Coonowrin, Tunbubudla, Miketeebumulgrai, Ngungun and Elimbah.
PHOTO TIP: My favorite mountain to climb is Ngungun, as the sunset view from here of Coonowrin and Beerwah is something magical. The surreal colors and framing make this spot any photographer’s dream location!
- Flinders Street Station (Melbourne, Victoria)
This is a quintessential spot in Melbourne, and is know for having unique architecture compared to the rest of the city (rumor has it, the plans were accidentally switched with the blueprints for Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai).
PHOTO TIP: For that ethereal feel, use a tripod (or, in my case, a VERY still human—thanks, little sister!!) and a slow shutter speed while you (the subject) stay very still in the middle of the street. Bicycles, cars and buses will all look like they’re passing by while you’re standing still in time!
- Mossman Gorge (Tropical North Queensland)
Mossman Gorge is a beautiful little slice of the Daintree Rainforest—the oldest continuously surviving rainforest in the world (nope, it’s not the Amazon Rainforest)! Beyond boasting beautiful rivers, fauna and wildlife, it is also home to the indigenous Kuku Yalanji people, who will often share incredible stories about the region.
PHOTO TIP: More of an editing tip, but when you’re working with tropical rainforests and rivers, make sure to reduce your yellows waaayyyyyy down in the photo to make it look more lush and green!
- Bondi Icebergs (Sydney, New South Wales)
Did you even go to Sydney if you didn’t get this recognizable Icebergs shot? I didn’t swim in the pool, but even standing above it was a breathtaking experience.
PHOTO TIP: Try to time your trip with 1) early morning (for lesser crowds) and 2) high tide (for crashing waves), if possible! While I’m very happy with my shot from here, I wish I had gotten that iconic snap of the waves crashing over the pool!
- Cape Byron Bay (Byron Bay, New South Wales)
Beautiful views of Byron Bay, check. Most easterly part of continental Australia, check. What more could you want?
PHOTO TIP: Make sure to check the hours when you’re planning your visit here. You can wander up to the lighthouse at any time, but if you are driving, the parking lot closes at 6pm sharp. We tried to go here for sunset and literally had 5 minutes to hurriedly snap some photos while my dad kept the engine running and my mom distracted the guard with some lovely conversation to keep him from closing the gates!
- Millaa Millaa Falls (Tropical North Queensland)
Wahhh, how badly I want to return to Tropical North Queensland. I want to go to Paronella Park in daylight, I want to see platypuses (platypi…?) swimming in the creek. I want to spot tree kangaroos and drive the full waterfall circuit and frolic through Nucifora Tea Plantation. But enough about what I didn’t do.
Millaa Millaa Falls is one of the few places we made it to because it was a priority for me. The iconic symmetry of the waterfall, the ease of approaching this lovely spot that is RIGHT off the road. Definitely go here if you’re in North Queensland, but also try to make sure you have enough time to hit the other waterfalls around it (Zillie, Ellinjaa and Mungalli).
PHOTO TIP: If you want a shot with nobody in it, either go very early morning on a weekday in the summer, or go literally any time of day in the middle of winter. I took my photos around 4pm on a Saturday in June, and nobody was there!
- Sydney Opera House (Sydney, New South Wales)
Obviously, this had to make the list. “But what’s this,” I hear you ask, “Sydney Opera House isn’t #1!?!”
Shocking, I know! I think that the Opera House is, of COURSE, a must. If it’s a one-or-the-other type thing, I would probably suggest hitting Sydney Opera House above any of the next three spots I’ll mention. It’s such a quintessential destination, but because it is so well known, I feel like some of the later spots are more like hidden treasures. That said, you have to go to the Opera House if you are in Australia.
PHOTO TIP: Wake up early (like, REALLY early—we woke up at 4:30am to get there around 6am in the middle of winter) to watch the sunrise at the Opera House. It might be cold, but it will also be entirely worthwhile to have this beautiful place all to yourself! Also, the best photo spot might not even be directly in front of it—take a stroll around the harbor to the Park Hyatt Sydney. The view of the Opera House across the water while the sun sets is PERFECT.
- Buderim Forest Park (Sunshine Coast, Queensland)
This might be a surprising thing to rank so high, but it holds a special place in my heart. My husband and I wandered around here in the morning before breakfast, and were amazed to have this beautiful rainforest all to ourselves. Even more amazing—it’s a 5-10 minute drive from Mooloolaba!
There are two access points to Buderim Forest Park. The lower entrance is off Lindsay Road via Harry’s Lane, which is the one we entered from. This direction has a wooden boardwalk for much of the way, but be advised that the boardwalk won’t get you all the way to Serenity Falls (which might be important to know if you have strollers or wheelchairs). The second entry point is via Quorn Close, which runs off Lindsay Road at the top of Buderim. This version is steeper, but takes you right to the waterfall!
PHOTO TIP: There’s an awesome suspension bridge right above the falls (which was lowered in by a helicopter!), which is perfect for taking photos from for an epic drone-like shot.
- Crawley Edge Boatshed (Perth, Western Australia)
Yes, it’s just a boatshed. So what’s the big deal?
Honestly, maybe this should be lower on the list. But I LOOOVVEE this spot simply from my memory of getting here. We went here with a super friendly local Uber driver on the day of a crazy rainstorm. “I never understand why tourists take pictures here,” he said in amusement. But all the same, he drove us over happily, and even stopped to help us take some pictures!
PHOTO TIP: I’ve only ever seen pictures of this boatshed in low tide (aka when it’s not flooded from a crazy rainstorm), but we came when the boardwalk was actually submerged in water, and it made for some really cool reflection shots!!
- Rottnest Island (Western Australia)
Ah, where to begin? Legitimately, this might have been my favorite place in Australia. Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face!
Rottnest Island has a wide variety of photo ops from beautiful, white beaches to charming lighthouses and, of course, QUOKKAS. Just ALL THE QUOKKAS. What could possibly make for a better Instagram post than an adorable quokka selfie?!
PHOTO TIP: You should NOT feed or pet the quokkas, but quokkas are super curious and will probably come check you out if you lie flat on your stomach near one and wait for it to scurry on over. Hold your cell phone upside town (camera on the bottom) to capture more of the quokkas cute lil’ bodies! Alternatively, if you’re using a DSLR, hold it out in front of your face the length of your arm and switch to manual focus once it’s focused on you. This way, it won’t accidentally adjust when you’re selfie-ing and blur the adorable moment.
So there you have it! Hope you make it to some of these fun spots, and also let me know YOUR favorite spots that I missed, below (because Australia is AMAZING, and of course I know I missed some great ones)!
