This bubblegum pink lake is one of Australia's most unusual sites and is believed to boast a permanent strawberry milkshake hue due the extremely high level of salinity. Lake Hillier, or Pink Lake as it is also known, sits just beside the deep blue ocean on Middle Island and is accessed by chartering a plane or boat. It measures 600 metres wide and is shaped like a footprint.
- Known as the Sunken Garden, Umpherston Sinkhole is a terrific place to visit in South Australia. The sinkhole was once a cave formed through dissolution of limestone and was created when the top of the chamber collapsed. The cave is now the perfect environment for a sunken garden and from dusk every evening it comes alive with possums which venture into the floodlit gardens to feed.
- Located far from the ocean, Australia's biggest wave is a natural rock formation that rises 15 metres above the outback plain. Wave Rock took over 2,700 million years to form and is a multi-coloured granite cliff that appears like a huge wave about to crash onto the bush. It is best visited after the winter rains when it is surrounded by the colourful Western Australia wildflowers.
These geological wonders are scattered across a wide, shallow valley in the traditional country of the Warumungu, Kaytetye, Alyawarra and Warlpiri people. The Devils Marbles are huge granite boulders which were formed by erosion over millions of years. They vary in size, from 50cm to six metres across, and many are precariously balanced on top of one another.
An underground town in the Outback desert, Coober Pedy is one of Australia's weirdest places, where the extreme heat forced residents to build underground houses, cafes, churches and hotels. The lunar-like landscape has been a film location for the likes of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Red Planet. Coober Pedy is also the Opal Capital of the World, offering plenty of opportunities to purchase pretty gemstones.
The majestic Horizontal Falls is a unique sight which demonstrates the power of the Kimberley tides. One of the most amazing natural features of the region, the water of the tidal waterfalls passes horizontally. The phenomenon actually consists of intense tidal currents hurtling through two narrow coastal gorges and creating a waterfall effect. The best way to experience this natural wonder is on a boat trip through the gaps to the bay behind.
The ancient desert sculptures of the Pinnacles sit in the Nambung National Park, where the weathered rock spires rise out of yellow sand dunes creating an otherworldly landscape. Ideal as a day trip from Perth, this unusual site's ancient limestone pillars can be several metres tall and are scattered across the desert in their thousands. Some have jagged points while others have rounded domes and resemble tombstones.
An extraordinary coastal stack teetering on the edge of the Tasmanian coast in the Tasman National Park, Totem Pole is a site for daredevil climbers who are undeterred by its 65 striking metres. The pole is thought to be one of the hardest rock climbs in Australia and geologists estimate that it has been standing tall for around 100 years. Totem Pole can also be witnessed by active travellers on a Cape Hauy walking tour.
Once home to a Spanish castle nestled in an enchanted forest, Paronella Park offers a unique experience that combines natural beauty with history and romance. The ruins of the castle and the lush gardens invite visitors to wander the five hectares of the attraction, browsing cascading waterfalls, exotic rainforest plants and majestic trees.
- As the second largest meteorite crater on Earth with a diameter of up to 950 metres, Wolfe Creek Crater is believed to have formed when a giant mythological snake raised its head from the ground at the time of creation. Aboriginal people understand a number of sites as tracks left by giant ancestral snakes that once weaved their way across the desert, while scientists believe the crater was formed by the impact of a meteorite about two million years ago.