12 places to discover
Berowra Valley National Park is a 3,885-hectare protected bushland reserve in northern Sydney, New South Wales, within the Hornsby Shire. Stretching along Berowra Creek between Hornsby and Berowra Waters, it protects eucalypt forest, sandstone gullies and diverse native wildlife. Notable for its extensive walking track network including sections of the Great North Walk, Aboriginal rock engravings, and picnic areas such as Crosslands Reserve.
Brisbane Water National Park is a 11,506-hectare protected area on the Central Coast of New South Wales, between Gosford and the Hawkesbury River. Established in 1959, it preserves sandstone plateaus, eucalypt forests, valleys and waterways surrounding Brisbane Water. Notable for Aboriginal rock engravings, waterfalls such as Somersby Falls, and extensive walking tracks and lookouts, it offers bushwalking, picnicking and nature observation close to Sydney and the Central Coast.
Cania Gorge National Park is a protected area in the North Burnett Region of Queensland, about 30 kilometres north of Monto. Centred on a 70-metre-high sandstone gorge, the park is notable for its dramatic cliffs, sheltered gorges, caves and eucalypt woodlands. It protects significant Aboriginal rock art, diverse wildlife including bats and birds, and offers a network of walking tracks through scenic landscapes shaped over 200 million years.
Carnarvon Gorge is a 30-kilometre sandstone gorge within Carnarvon National Park in the Central Highlands Region of Queensland, Australia, about 600 km northwest of Brisbane. Carved by Carnarvon Creek through white sandstone cliffs up to 600 metres high, it is notable for towering cliffs, narrow side gorges, ancient cycads, and extensive Aboriginal rock art galleries. The gorge is a major bushwalking and nature destination with diverse flora and fauna.
The Gibb River Road is a 660-kilometre unsealed 4WD route through the Kimberley region of Western Australia, linking Derby in the west to the Wyndham-Kununurra area in the east. Originally built as a beef cattle stock route, it traverses vast pastoral stations, Aboriginal lands, gorges, waterfalls and national parks. Renowned for remote wilderness scenery, river crossings and Aboriginal rock art, it is one of Australia's most iconic outback touring routes.
Grampians National Park, known as Gariwerd, is a large protected area in western Victoria, about 260 kilometres west of Melbourne. Centred around the town of Halls Gap, it encompasses rugged sandstone mountain ranges, forests, waterfalls and heathlands. Notable for dramatic lookouts, extensive hiking trails and one of Victoria's largest collections of Aboriginal rock art, it is managed by Parks Victoria and jointly with Traditional Owners.
Gundabooka National Park is a remote outback national park located about 70 kilometres south of Bourke in north-western New South Wales. Covering rugged sandstone ranges, mulga woodlands and ephemeral wetlands, it protects Mount Gunderbooka and the significant Mulgowan (Yapa) Aboriginal rock art site. Notable for its Aboriginal heritage, dramatic gorges, seasonal wildflowers and birdlife, the park offers bushwalking, camping and cultural experiences in a semi-arid landscape.
Keep River National Park is a remote national park in the Victoria Daly region of the Northern Territory, near the Western Australia border, about 400 kilometres southwest of Darwin. Covering 574 square kilometres, it is noted for its striking sandstone ranges, gorges and open woodlands. The park protects significant Aboriginal rock art sites, including Jinmium, and offers camping, bushwalking and four-wheel driving in a rugged outback landscape.
Mount Augustus (Burringurrah) is a massive isolated rock formation in Mount Augustus National Park in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia, about 850 km north of Perth. Rising 717 metres above the surrounding plain and extending 8 km long, it is considered the world's largest monocline and is twice the size of Uluru. Notable for its Aboriginal rock engravings, diverse walking trails, and striking arid landscape, it is a significant natural and cultural landmark.
Mount Grenfell National Park, also known as Mount Grenfell Historic Site, is a protected area northwest of Cobar in western New South Wales. It preserves an extensive Aboriginal rock art site with more than 1,500 motifs on sandstone overhangs. Set in semi-arid mulga and cypress pine woodland, the park features walking tracks, picnic facilities and interpretive signage. It is jointly managed by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan traditional owners.
Mulka's Cave is a natural granite cave located about 18 kilometres north-east of Hyden in the Shire of Kondinin, Western Australia. It is renowned for its extensive Aboriginal rock art, with more than 450 hand stencils covering the cave walls. Associated with the Noongar legend of Mulka, the cave sits within a granite outcrop surrounded by woodland and is a significant cultural and heritage attraction in the Wheatbelt near Wave Rock.
Yeperenye / Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park is a protected nature park in the East MacDonnell Ranges, about 10 km east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. It comprises two prominent gaps in the ranges - Emily Gap and Jessie Gap - carved by ancient watercourses. The park is notable for its dramatic quartzite cliffs, Aboriginal rock paintings at Emily Gap, and its importance in Eastern Arrernte Yeperenye (caterpillar) Dreaming.