The majestic limestone stacks that make up the 12 Apostles are beautiful from land, and make an incredible drive, but gazing at them from a helicopter – at angles seen only by a lucky few – delivers something else. Floating back and forth along Victoria’s mottled coastline reveals a scattering of islands, the sculpted forms of peach-hued cliffs and the wild, frothing Southern Ocean – and no photo-snapping crowds in your way. You’ll also glimpse the Great Ocean Road that ribbons along the land’s edge, just begging you to follow it.

Victoria’s Great Ocean Road might get all the attention, but every state in Australia has its own extraordinary drives. One fabulous coastal road-cruise you should navigate is the drive from the Gold Coast to Fraser Coast. A road trip from Surfers Paradise to Hervey Bay is like a tasting platter of the very best of Australia’s coastal lifestyle. One minute you’re in the glitzy wave-washed metropolis of the Gold Coast, the next you’re wandering though World Heritage-listed rainforest. Before you know it you’re cheese tasting in a hinterland valley, chatting with artists at a village market, horse riding on a beach, kayaking with dolphins, swimming with whales, sailing, or fine dining on a beach. Travel time: 450km; allow two to three days.

Humpbacks. Southern Rights. Minkes. Blue whales, sperm whales, pilot whales. Whatever kind of whale you’d like to see, pristine waters and a spot on their annual migration routes makes Australia ideal for literally dozens of species. There are so many along Australia’s coast at certain times of the year that in many places you can simply stand on the beach and watch as they frolic in front of you. But one of the best viewpoints? Port Douglas. The Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest are both located on the doorstop of this chic beach town, but between June and September there’s another reason to visit Port Douglas: you can also spot humpbacks making their annual migration to the nearby Whitsundays. For a closer encounter, swim with inquisitive dwarf minke whales on the Great Barrier Reef – overnight expeditions leave from the nearby tropical city of Cairns.

If you have any curiosity at all about sharks, Port Lincoln should be on your itinerary: it’s here that the particularly adventurous can jump on board a boat to see sharks, and even jump in alongside one – but only under the watchful eye and protective cage of a professional tour company. Jumping into an inky ocean with the world’s most awesome predators is an adrenalin rush like no other. Even timid travellers find their curiosity about great white sharks trumps their shyness and the prospect of swimming alongside six metres and 3000-plus kilograms of a lean, silver, mean machine becomes a thrilling one. There’s a great chance you’ll see a great white, or white pointer as they’re often called, in their natural feeding ground here, so be ready for action. There are several tours operating out of Port Lincoln, some for multiple days with on-board accommodation; see the males circling in summer and autumn while the female great whites are most prevalent in winter and spring.

Jump on the 16km ferry ride from mainland South Australia and hop over to Kangaroo Island - an ‘untouched’ sanctuary where you’ll find the fourth best hotel in the world, secret sandy coves (try Stokes Bay), shipwrecks galore for the curious diver in you, flawless snorkelling in crystal-clear waters - one of the world’s largest colonies of Leafy Sea Dragons can be found off Kingscote’s beaches - sea lions and multicoloured coral. You can also take a sunset safari tour on quad bikes with breathtaking dune views, and you’ll even get your money back if you don’t spot a kangaroo while you’re out. You can also take tours where you meet the locals up close, whether it’s kangaroos or a morning swimming with dolphins with Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari. You can also spot sea eagles, osprey and seals (try the Seal Conservation Park). Oh, and don’t forget the seafood which takes the term ‘fresh from the sea’ quite literally.

Tasmania is Australia’s island state, and is widely known as an outdoor playground being blanketed in World Heritage-listed wilderness. It’s the perfect spot for a luxury coastal hike (tucking into amazing local food and wine en route) or cruising the seas and plucking a fresh lunch from the ocean. However, it’s also home to some incredible golfing opportunities. Tasmania’s Bass Strait coast is as wild as any Scottish heath, so it’s no surprise that a couple of Australia’s top links golf courses have set up here. Outside of Bridport – just nearby the Bay of Fires (recently named by the Lonely Planet as the world’s hottest travel destination) – Barnbougle consists of two traditional links courses, the Dunes and Lost Farm, both of which have been rated among Australia’s top ten courses. On King Island’s northern tip, in the windswept shadow of Australia’s tallest lighthouse, the brand new Cape Wickham Golf Course provides a similarly fiendish – and rewarding – links challenge. You won’t find a better place to tee off.