Australia in Pictures: 142 Free Photos from Sydney to the Outback
Australia in 142 free photos: the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in Sydney, its beaches and the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains, Melbourne and the limestone stacks of the Great Ocean Road, Uluru and Kata Tjuta in the Red Centre, red dirt roads, road trains and warning signs in the outback, the boab trees of the Kimberley, Cairns, the reef and the rainforest of Queensland, and Perth, the Pinnacles and the wild west coast. Each set of photos has a short note on the place.
Australia at a glance
- Getting there: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth have the main international airports. Most visitors need an electronic visa (ETA or eVisitor) before they fly.
- Getting around: the distances are huge, so fly between the regions and hire a car or campervan locally. Australians drive on the left.
- Money: Australian dollar. Cards and phone payments are taken almost everywhere.
- When to go: the seasons are reversed. The south is best from October to April; the tropical north and the Red Centre from May to September, in the dry and cooler months.
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Sydney, its beaches and the Blue Mountains
The Sydney Opera House, designed by Jørn Utzon and opened in 1973, is on the UNESCO World Heritage list; the Harbour Bridge of 1932 arches across the water beside it, and you can walk or climb over it. Ferries leave Circular Quay for Manly and the harbour beaches; Bondi is a bus ride away. Two hours west by train, the Three Sisters rise above the eucalyptus forest of the Blue Mountains.
Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road
Melbourne is a city of trams, laneway cafés and sport; trams are free within the city centre. The Shrine of Remembrance and the spire of the Arts Centre stand south of the Yarra. West of the city, the Great Ocean Road runs along the cliffs to the Twelve Apostles, limestone stacks in the surf; fewer than twelve still stand, and London Arch lost its link to the shore in 1990.
Uluru and Kata Tjuta
Uluru, the great red monolith in the centre of the continent, rises 348 metres above the plain and glows at sunrise and sunset. It is sacred to the Anangu people, and climbing it has been banned since 2019; walk around its base instead. The 36 domes of Kata Tjuta, the Olgas, lie about 25 km to the west.
The outback
Red dirt roads to the horizon, floodways, road trains up to fifty metres long, lonely pubs and graves, sandstorms and signs warning of fire, kangaroos and the other side of the road. Carry plenty of water and fuel, and tell someone your route.
The Kimberley
In the far north-west, around Kununurra, the Kimberley is one of the emptiest regions on earth: gorges of red rock, rivers and the swollen trunks of boab trees, best seen from the air.
Queensland: Cairns, the reef and the rainforest
Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world, and to the Daintree, the oldest rainforest on earth. From November to May, swim only inside the stinger nets, and keep away from rivers where crocodiles live. Further south, on K’gari (Fraser Island), the largest sand island in the world, four-wheel drives use the beach as a highway.
Perth and the west coast
Perth, one of the most isolated cities in the world, has white beaches on the Indian Ocean, Kings Park above the river and old Fremantle by the port; ferries go out to Rottnest Island. North along the coast lie the limestone Pinnacles in the desert, the stromatolites and dolphins of Shark Bay, and red cliffs above the turquoise sea.
Kangaroos, koalas and more
Kangaroos and a koala, a country town and a house in the bush.
More of Sydney
The Opera House and the Harbour Bridge under storm clouds, Circular Quay and Fort Denison, The Rocks, Hyde Park and the Anzac Memorial.
The Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles
Limestone stacks and cliffs along the coast of Victoria: Loch Ard Gorge, London Arch, the Island Archway and the Twelve Apostles in the mist and the low sun.
Tips for a first visit
- Do not try to see it all: pick two or three regions, and fly between them.
- Wear a hat and sunscreen, and swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches.
- Do not drive in the outback at dawn and dusk, when kangaroos are on the roads.
- Book the Uluru sunrise and the reef trips ahead in the dry season.
More about Australia
The first thing to remember about Australia when you are planning a trip there is its size. It is BIG. Only Russia, Canada, China, the USA and Brazil are larger. This single nation has three separate time zones: Sydney in the south east is two hours ahead of Perth in the west. So it is not possible to just go and “see Australia”. Flying from one side to the other is 2,000 miles and takes over three and a half hours; flying from Melbourne in the far south to Darwin in the tropical north will also take about three and a half hours. I asked my cousin, who lives in Australia, what was the best time of year to see the country – and only revealed my ignorance, because I should have known that Australia is so vast there is no one month that is the best in which to see all of it.
Sydney inevitably attracts most tourists (2-3 million from abroad each year) and has something for every taste, whether it be culture, sightseeing, shopping or nightlife. The 1973 magical urban sculpture that is Sydney Opera house is the most iconic of the 18 World Heritage Sites in Australia. Its much-photographed three groups of vaulted interlocking ‘shells’ are set on a platform at the end of a peninsula projecting into the Harbour. There is a two hour backstage tour, on which your expert guide will tell you stories of the real life dramas behind the polished performances. The tour takes you onto the stage and into the stars’ dressing rooms, culminating in a breakfast in the Green Room. (Book well in advance as this tour typically sells out.)
Other popular landmarks in Sydney include Sydney Harbour Bridge, the fifth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world, linking the Central Business District to North Shore; Sydney Tower, the city’s tallest structure with two restaurants; and the Queen Victoria Building, a 19th century Romanesque Revival building designed as a shopping centre and used for that purpose now.
For great shopping, try the Rocks district or George Street and Pitt Street, Castlereagh and King Street in the city centre, where you will find both designer and high street fashion. Sydney’s outdoor markets offer everything from fresh food to beautiful gifts, vintage furniture and entertainment.
Sydney nightlife offers some of the best cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants in Australia, and the wildest nightlife tends to be in the King’s Cross area. Live music, dance and theatre abounds. There are more than 40 gay bars in this, the gay capital of Australia, and the Mardi Gras Fair Day in February in the park is a colourful display of gay culture.
But Australia is probably better known for its sport and adventure opportunities, and Gap Year backpackers flock to bungy jumping, white water rafting, skydiving, ballooning and, yes, even being rolled down a mountainside strapped inside a transparent plastic ball. Top attraction of this kind in Sydney is climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge. There is a choice of three guided group climbs to the top of the bridge for thrilling views of the city. (It is essential to book in advance.) An alternative for those who like to feel exposure is the Sydney Tower Skywalk, an open air platform twice the height of the bridge.
If beach and surfing culture is your thing, Australia can offer some of the best in the world. Bondi Beach near Sydney is still one of the most popular with surfers and sun worshippers alike; stunning Cable Beach on the Indian Ocean at Broome in Western Australia, or glamorous Four Mile Beach north of Cairns, with its backdrop of rainforest mountains, are equally exciting in different ways. The last named beach at Port Douglas on the Gold Coast also marks the start of the Great Barrier Reef, a 2,000 km natural wonder so big it can be seen from space.
Australia is now internationally known for its wine, with the best regions being in the southern, cooler parts of the country. Day trips can be taken from Sydney to the Hunter Valley, which has over 100 wineries, or from Melbourne to the renowned Yarra Valley, surrounded by mountains.
For those seeking an extraordinary experience, a helicopter ride Melbourne adventure offers a breathtaking perspective of the region’s picturesque landscapes and vineyards. This unique adventure combines the thrill of flight with the allure of wine tasting, making it an unforgettable journey for wine enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike. The aerial views of lush vineyards and rolling hills, followed by exquisite tastings at some of the top wineries, create a perfect blend of luxury and indulgence.
Because of its isolation in pre-history, Australia has a number of unique and fascinating animals. Best known are the marsupials like the kangaroo and wallaby, or the cuddly koala and burrowing wombat. Egg-laying mammals (‘monotremes’) are found only in Australia; examples are the river-dwelling platypus or the spiny, ant-eating, echidna. The eerie laughing Kookaburra and the colourful budgerigar are birds native to Australia, but my favourite creature of all would have to be the incredible lyre bird. This ground-dwelling pheasant-like bird has an unbelievable ability to mimic any sound it hears, from chainsaws to car alarms to camera shutter motors. They also mimic other birds and animals with uncanny accuracy. (If you can’t get to Australia to see it, there are plenty of incredible videos of the lyre bird’s amazing virtuosity on the internet.)
A central place in Aboriginal culture is held by Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory. The nearest town to this large sandstone rock formation is Alice Springs, but the fact that 335 km separate the two is a reminder of the size and emptiness of the ‘red centre’. Many tourists fly to Uluru from Alice Springs, but a six hour bus journey with an entertaining driver will let you experience more of the ‘outback’.
Finally, while in Alice you can discover some of the historic features of the way Australians coped with vast distances and isolation, by visiting the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the School of the Air, and the Telegraph Station Historical Reserve, one of the original sites of European settlement in the town.
More free photos
- New Zealand pictures
- Singapore pictures
- California pictures
- Free beach pictures
- Free fish and coral pictures
- Free bird pictures
- Free funny sign pictures
- Free city skyline pictures
- Free ocean and sea pictures
- Free road pictures and backgrounds
- Free rock, cliff and canyon pictures
- Kuranda Skyrail pictures
- How to photograph Sydney
- Vineyard photography in Australia
Questions about these Australia photos
Can I use these Australia pictures for free?
Yes, for personal and commercial projects. All we ask is a link back to BigFoto.com; the box at the top of the page has a credit link you can copy.
Can you still climb Uluru?
No. The climb closed for good in October 2019 at the request of the Anangu, the traditional owners. The 10 km base walk is the way to see it close up.
