Holiday destinations for art and history lovers

While it may not match Lord Howe’s wow factor or price tag, Norfolk offers boundless appeal. The island’s World Heritage listing is not due to its abundant natural assets, including endemic species. araucaria heterophile (Norfolk pine), but from the extraordinary preservation of large areas of convicts. Add to this the story of HMS Bounty’s mutinous descendants, and it’s a wonder more people don’t make it to Norfolk. To see norfolkisland.com.au; spacificatravel.com

Carnarvon Gorge, Qld

Carnarvon Gorge is a place to hike for its natural beauty alone, but it goes from good to great once you head higher up the gorge to find two Indigenous rock art sites. The simply named Art Gallery contains more than 2,000 paintings, ocher stencils and engravings along the 60-metre cliff, while a further three kilometers away lies the Cathedral Cave, an eroded outcrop covered in artworks and engravings. To see parks.qld.gov.au

Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, Vic

When it comes to engineering marvels, the Sydney Harbor Bridge or the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Project come to mind. But in southwestern Victoria, on the Gunditjmara Country, a series of 6600-year-old stone channels carry them out of the water. Designed for trapping and farming kooyang (short-finned eels) Budj Bim is one of the oldest known examples of aquaculture in the world. A UNESCO-listed site celebrating indigenous creativity and land stewardship. To see budjbim.com.au

Tiwi Islands, NT

“Tiwis” consists of two main islands, Bathurst and Melville, 80 kilometers north of Darwin. A 20-minute flight or 2.5-hour ferry takes you into 7,000 years of Aboriginal culture and it’s unlike anything you’ll experience on the mainland. Head to an arts centre, join a guided fishing trip or plan your visit for the annual big football final and art sale (March). In December 2025, the Tiwi Islands became Australia’s newest Indigenous Protected Area. To see northterritory.com

Silverton, NSW

It’s home to a few dozen mortal residents and stray donkeys, but the near-ghost town of Silverton near Broken Hill feels very much alive. Every August there’s a buzz of activity thanks to the nearby Mundi Mundi Bash, a uniquely Australian music festival. The rest of the time? Visitors flock like galas to tour the Mad Max 2 Museum, traverse red-earth streets on camels, laugh at the quaint John Dynon Art Gallery, gasp at the views of the Mundi Mundi Lookout, and blow off cold froth at the picturesque Silverton Hotel. To see visitnsw.com

Naala Badu, Sydney, NSW

The striking contemporary wing of the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney is a massive space of polished concrete floors and airy limestone-clad exhibition spaces showcasing Sydney’s natural beauty with glass walls and expansive terraces. Highlights of the collection include Francis Upritchard’s soaring mythological bronze figures in the entrance plaza, Yayoi Kusama’s dazzling floral sculpture on the observation deck, and a repurposed underground World War II tank, now an atmospheric seven-meter-high exhibition space called the Nelson Packer Tank. It includes a World War II oil depot. To see artgallery.nsw.gov.au

Boola Bardip, Perth, WA

This $400 million complex not only won numerous architectural awards when it debuted in 2020, but also set a new curatorial standard by presenting the state’s history through both Western and Indigenous eyes for the first time, thanks to a five-year consultation process with more than 54,000 people. Permanent exhibitions cover everything from Western Australia’s spectacular landscapes to changing social attitudes, offering an intriguing selection of immersive exhibits and personal stories. To see museum.wa.gov.au

Mount Barker, S.A.

The Adelaide Hills are full of beautiful towns but only Mount Barker offers a world-class music experience. The elegant Ukaria Cultural Center may be Australia’s most underrated concert venue, not only for its elegant design, intimate size and exceptional acoustics, but also for its connection to nature. Guests can gaze out over the beautiful gardens while watching artists from around the world perform here for the pleasure of performing. To see southaustralia.com

Lake Ballard, WA

This salt lake, 180 kilometers from Kalgoorlie, offers a thrilling contrast with the bluest sky you’ve ever seen, the reddest soil around and 51 bare alloy stick sculptures standing on the surface. These were created by the famous British artist Antony Gormley, based on the bodies of real Menzies natives, then scaled down for an arts festival in 2003. A stunning sight; See if you can spot the real-life models in the city. To see westernaustralia.com

Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, Vic

This grand building in Melbourne’s Carlton Gardens is extraordinary in many ways, being the first building in Australia to be placed on the UNESCO World Heritage cultural list. This is one of the few buildings built for the major international exhibitions of the 19th century. It later hosted the first meeting of the federal parliament in 1901, when Australia became a nation. Today, the building can be visited with sweeping views of the city from the elevated Dome Promenade. To see museumsvictoria.com.au

State Library, Melbourne, Vic

One of the busiest public libraries in the world, this cultural icon of Melbourne (UNESCO City of Literature) is a product of the gold rush era and has expanded over the decades into a vast and beautiful building capped by a famous reading room under a striking dome. In addition to books and study space, it also houses the Wheeler Center, with art exhibitions and literary exhibitions, as well as a calendar of events devoted to books, writings and ideas. To see slv.vic.gov.au

Sydney Opera House, NSW

It’s one of the world’s most spectacular buildings, located in one of the world’s most spectacular locations, but the Sydney Opera House’s superpower is its versatility. You can grab a bite to eat or drink a beer while watching the sun set behind the Harbor Bridge. You can watch a stand-up comedy show, a contemporary concert, or even an opera. No matter why you come, familiarity never overshadows the charm of those sparkling, elegant seashells. To see sydneyoperahouse.com

Bigge Island, WA

Also known as Wuuyuru, this large sandstone island off the Kimberley coast is known for its incredible open-air galleries featuring beautifully preserved Indigenous art. There are depictions of Wandjina, a symbol of fertility and rain, and images from first contact with Europeans. All three sites are hidden high in the cliffs, but making the effort to see them is well worth the effort. To see westernaustralia.com

Queenstown, Tas

It’s old fashioned to love ordinary Queenstown, the west coast town with a landscape tortured by its mining past. But these balding hills can also be seen as a blank canvas for which a growing number of artists are flocking to the city. Leading Tassie artists Raymond Arnold and Helena Demczuk have led the charge, while quality galleries have proliferated, from Soggy Brolly on the high street to the gallery inside Queenie’s biggest bar. To see westcoasttas.com.au

Port Douglas, Qld

Port Douglas is nice enough, with great resorts and boutique accommodation, as well as access to the Daintree and reefs. But the real attraction is Indigenous guide Juan Walker’s Walkabout Cultural Adventures, which offers a unique chance to delve into the Kuku Yalanji culture. Walker’s tours replicate his days in the Country with his grandfather, covering everything from spearfishing mud crabs to storytelling on the Daintree. To see walkaboutadventures.com.au

Groote Eylandt, NT

Ocean fishing and gallery hopping seem like incompatible holiday activities, but both exemplify the Anindilyakwa culture on this island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, a 90-minute flight from Darwin. Indigenous cave art sites are removed from the island’s mining activities and can be accessed via guided tours; Works by artists from the Groote Archipelago are exhibited at the Anindilyakwa Art and Culture Centre. To see gelnt.com.au

Credits: Andrew Bain, Anthony Dennis, Ben Groundwater, Kerry van der Jagt, Brian Johnston, Ute Junker, Nina Karnikowski, Katrina Lobley, Catherine Marshall, Rob McFarland, Justin Meneguzzi, Tim Richards, Craig Tansley and Sue Williams.

Traveler has 10 copies of Lonely Planet The Ultimate Australia Travel List We’re giving away a coffee table book of the best Australian travel experiences to our readers, valued at $39.99. Send us your picks of the best Australian destinations Negative It was listed in Traveler’s “top 100 Australian destinations of all time” list. We will publish the most interesting and inspiring answers at a later date.