10 Of The Most Captivating Small Towns In Australia
Australia is the kind of country where you drive for hours through nothing and then suddenly arrive somewhere worth the trip. Yulara sits at the foot of Uluṟu, the giant red rock the Pitjantjatjara have called sacred for thousands of years. Port Douglas is one of the few places on earth where ancient rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef coast. Lord Howe Island, way out in the Tasman Sea, looks across the water at Ball's Pyramid, often cited as the world's tallest sea stack at 551 metres. Thredbo is Australia's ski town, snow and all. Below are 10 small towns with notable backyards.
Yulara, Northern Territory
Yulara sits near the centre of Australia in the southern Northern Territory. Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park lies right next to town and protects the world-famous Uluṟu sandstone monolith. The Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal community has long considered the rock sacred. The orange granite, basalt, and sandstone formations of Kata Tjuṯa are also worth time, with the Waḻpa Gorge Walk threading between two of the largest domes. The Cultural Centre on the park road covers Aṉangu Aboriginal art and artisan work.
For accommodations, Ayers Rock Resort runs a range of properties at the edge of town. Sails in the Desert is the upmarket option with over 200 rooms, white shade sails over the courtyards, and a strong on-site restaurant. The resort also organises bush tucker tastings and visits to the Gallery of Central Australia.
Port Douglas, Queensland
Port Douglas sits on the Tropical North Queensland coast, the rare town where ancient rainforest meets a coral reef. Daintree National Park's Mossman Gorge section preserves a stretch of the Daintree Rainforest that supports tree-kangaroos, brush-turkeys, and Boyd's forest dragons. The Cape Tribulation section north of town protects long sand beaches that open to the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef. Wavelength Reef Cruises runs trips to three offshore sites for snorkelling with accredited marine biologists. Four Mile Beach in town is lifeguard-patrolled and gets used for swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, and stand-up paddleboarding.
By The Sea Port Douglas, near Four Mile Beach, is a boutique resort with rooms that fit small groups. Guest amenities include fast Wi-Fi, an on-site gym, and beach cruisers to borrow.
Lord Howe Island, New South Wales
Lord Howe Island sits in the middle of the Tasman Sea, between mainland Australia and New Zealand. Flights run from Sydney and Port Macquarie. Ned's Beach is the easy snorkelling spot, with reef fish in clear water close to shore. North Bay holds migratory seabirds, sea turtles, and stingrays. Mount Gower (875 metres) is the standard challenging day hike. Charter boats run out to Ball's Pyramid offshore, often cited as the world's tallest sea stack at 551 metres, with chances to see Galapagos whalers, Spanish dancers, and Ballina angelfish.
Capella Lodge is the high-end accommodation: nine suites with full-service spa and on-site dining, sitting on the waterfront at the south end of the island.
Thredbo, New South Wales
Thredbo sits high in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales' Great Dividing Range, and skiing is the main draw. Thredbo Alpine Resort has 480 hectares of skiable terrain and up to 672 metres of vertical drop. Annual snowfall averages around 210 centimetres, split between beginner and advanced runs. Off-snow, the Thredbo Alpine Coaster is the Southern Hemisphere's first year-round mountain coaster. Kosciuszko National Park's Thredbo River Track runs out from town for bush walks and platypus or trout sightings. Thredbo Leisure Centre is open year-round with a full indoor pool, a bouldering wall, and trampolines.
PURE Chalet has four guest rooms with 4K TVs, fast Wi-Fi, mountain views, and a full breakfast.
Healesville, Victoria
Healesville sits 67 kilometres east of Melbourne and works as a gateway to the Yarra Valley. Healesville Sanctuary handles native Australian wildlife: kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, dingoes, and platypus. Maroondah Reservoir Park offers rose gardens, eucalypt groves, and forest walks around a 41-metre dam, with views of the lake and the surrounding mountains.
Myers Creek Cascades rents secluded cottages set among eucalypt and fern groves with deluxe king beds, electric blankets, spa-style bathrooms, and outdoor barbecue areas.
Cape Otway, Victoria
Cape Otway sits 200 kilometres southwest of Melbourne on the Great Ocean Road, where Bass Strait meets the Southern Ocean. Great Otway National Park covers 100,000-plus hectares of rainforest and rugged coast. Parker Hill Campground sits in eucalyptus forest where koalas and wallabies are common. Maits Rest is a short boardwalk through cool-temperate rainforest with myrtle beech trees. Station Beach offers a quieter coastal stretch and Glenaire Beach a few minutes north is a known surf spot.
The Cape Otway Lightstation has stood guard since 1848 (Australia's oldest mainland lighthouse) and books overnight stays in the keepers' quarters.
Currie, Tasmania
King Island sits in the middle of Bass Strait between Tasmania's main island and the mainland state of Victoria. Currie is the launchpad. Cape Wickham Golf Links and Ocean Dunes Golf Course are highly rated 18-hole layouts that combine challenging links holes with wide coastal views. Martha Lavinia Beach is regularly listed among the world's best surf breaks (Kelly Slater, Sunny Garcia, and Tom Carroll have all surfed it). King Island Dairy is one of Australia's older operations and still hand-makes award-winning artisan cheeses.
Netherby Rocks is a private vacation rental on a remote stretch of the Roaring 40s coastline, with fast Wi-Fi, multiple streaming options, and a spacious floor plan.
Angaston, South Australia
Angaston sits in South Australia's Barossa Valley, the wine and food region. The Barossa Valley Cheese Company in town specialises in artisan cheeses for wine pairings. Lambert Estate runs vineyard rows and gum groves and produces premium single-vineyard wines. Gibson Wines is the family-run option known for Shiraz that's worth the detour. Otherness in town pairs micro-produced local wines with chef-driven cuisine for lunch and weekend dinners.
Country Pleasures Bed & Breakfast offers standalone cottages with queen-size bedrooms, jacuzzi tubs, and full breakfasts featuring local Barossa Valley ingredients.
Esperance, Western Australia
Esperance sits on the Southern Ocean coast of Western Australia. The town is known for some of the whitest sand beaches in the country. Cape Le Grand National Park east of town protects 31,000 hectares of granite peaks, clear bays, and long beaches. Lucky Bay and Hellfire Bay both have calm, swimmable water and wide views. Blue Haven Beach to the west is quieter, and Eleven Mile Lagoon has a close offshore reef forming a naturally protected swimming area.
Esperance Chalet Village near Bandy Creek Harbor offers A-frame chalets with communal kitchen and barbecue facilities.
Dampier, Western Australia
Dampier sits in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The town is one of the better places to watch the so-called "Staircase to the Moon," an optical effect when a full moon rises over the coastal tidal flats during the dry season. Hearson Cove is a good vantage. Exmouth Adventure Co. runs multiday trips out to the Dampier Archipelago and the surrounding Indian Ocean waters, where coral reefs support dugongs, dolphins, whales, and over 650 species of tropical fish. Murujuga National Park holds one of the world's largest collections of Indigenous-made petroglyphs and supports Rothschild's rock-wallabies, echidnas, and Pilbara olive pythons.
The Red Dog Memorial Statue in town anchors a local trail that walks through the true story behind Nancy Gillespie's 1983 book Red Dog, Beverly Duckett's 1993 follow-up Red Dog: The Pilbara Wanderer, and the 2011 film Red Dog. The Dampier Mermaid Hotel and Motel offers free local shuttle service, Wi-Fi, and in-room smart TVs.
Where The Big Country Gets Personal
The 10 towns above span desert, coast, and rainforest. Each one is closely tied to its surroundings: rainforest boardwalks, exposed coastal breaks, surf-rated beaches, national parks of tens of thousands of hectares. Some of the country's strongest weekends are built around towns this small.
