Discover Australia’s Top 50 Towns; as voted by you, our well-travelled readers.
The charm and variety of our Aussie towns is what makes them such beacons for explorers and holidaymakers, offering up divergent delights from country boroughs to mountaintop hamlets to coastal idylls. We asked which ones are the absolute best, and this is what you said…
Start planning your next holiday by reading our guides to the Top 50 towns below.
1. Broome
There is a multitude of reasons that Broome swept into the top spot on our list of top Aussie towns. Read about this remote outpost in the Kimberley, rich in ancient landscapes and lore, and why we think it’s worthy of that top spot.
2. Port Douglas
Port Douglas is the perfect place to flop and drop. Renew your nuptials at the coastal chapel. Collapse on a sun lounger at a luxury hotel. Mooch around the markets. And manifest that sea change to Tropical North Queensland.
3. Noosa
Noosa’s natural good looks helped secure its No.3 spot on our list of top Aussie towns. In addition, it’s the mix of boutiques, galleries, eateries, national parks, and beautiful beaches that sees us consistently singing its praises.
4. Cairns
Pack your fanciest kaftan. This popular holiday spot in Tropical North Queensland has been revitalized in recent years thanks, in part, to Crystalbrook Collection which has gifted Cairns with three five-star sexy sustainable hotels.
5. Mudgee
We’re as mad for Mudgee as you are. From its quirky cafe culture and world-class wineries, to its bonafide paddock-to-plate eateries and five-star digs, make a visit to Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2022 a must.
6. Port Fairy
The ultimate Australian road trip factors in Port Fairy on Australia’s craggy southern coastline. Go beyond the Great Ocean Road to find the seaside village full of warm cafes, little cottages, bluestone pubs and dinky inns.
7. Bright
The picturesque, charming village of Bright in Victoria’s High Country beckons for its pretty tree-lined streets, its microbreweries, wineries, farmers’ market, hiking and biking trails and more.
8. Orange
It’s time to give Orange a squeeze. Head west to the Country NSW region to meet winemakers, eat, drink and shop to your heart’s content and find plenty of charming places to rest your head.
9. Margaret River
Margaret River is calling. Tear yourself away from those picture-postcard coastal views and rose-gold earthy hues to enjoy vineyards undulating to the east in this WA region dotted with epicurean delights that demand attention.
10. Echuca
There are many ways to celebrate the mighty Murray River in Echuca, meaning ‘meeting of the waters’ in the local Indigenous language. After cruising along Australia’s longest river, check out the relaxed vibe in the Victorian town.
11. Beechworth
Beechworth thinks global, but acts local. The beguiling hub in Victoria’s High Country is known as much for its bushranging history as its inspired community of creatives who are luring visitors to discover local secrets.
12. Yamba
Yamba is the Aussie beach town that keeps calling us all back. Its quiet, timeless charm is what draws all kinds of visitors into its clutches. It’s the seaside destination of our dreams, which is precisely why it graces our cover.
13. Esperance
It’s altogether legit that Esperance is one of the most enchanting towns in Australia to explore. Find out why the WA town captures the imagination of our readers who nominated it No.13 on the list of Top 50 Aussie towns.
14. Broken Hill
This historic outback mining town is inclusive, arty, vibrant and out there partly due to the Priscilla effect, but also because of its extreme western NSW landscape and examples of ancient Indigenous stencils and petroglyphs.
15. Byron Bay
Byron Baes is casting for extras and everyone apart from smug locals who live in Byron Bay has applied to be part of it. If you are not desperate enough to audition to be in the docusoap, just find another reason to hang on the North Coast.
16. Daylesford
Daylesford presents as a backdrop in an episode of Escape to the Country. The town in the Hepburn Springs area has a lot to do besides soak in mineral springs. But that’s a pretty good place to start.
17. Alice Springs
Alice Springs is best known for being bookended by the magnificent MacDonnell Ranges and offering an entry point to Uluru. But we agree with you, our readers, as a town like Alice offers so much more besides.
18. Bowral
Plan a weekend escape to Bowral in the NSW countryside if you’re the type that likes to shop for trinkets. Meat pie lovers should visit in June for Pie Time when the town is marked on the map in the so-called Southern Pielands.
19. Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie has blossomed into paradise found for leisure lovers who are brazen about enjoying the lifestyle here every which they can. We love that you love that a visit to Port Mac helps contribute to the conservation of koalas.
20. Airlie Beach
Our readers see you Whitsundays. And they raise you with Airlie, underlining the reasons why this Queensland town with palm-fringed parks and sapphire seas is much more than a stepping stone to the island chain.
21. Kiama
Even small, crazy ideas can turn into solid concepts in Kiama, which seems to retain its young creative talent while hanging onto its Halcyon-day charms. Go beyond the blowhole to see why life here on the South Coast is so swell.
22. Albany
Bookstores, bakeries and beaches hit the trifecta when it comes to endearing Aussies toward a town. But the town of Albany, located in WA’s South West, also has a burgeoning cultural scene, too. Get on it.
23. Bendigo
Yes, we know. Bendigo is, like a few inclusions on this list, actually considered a city (Victoria’s fourth largest). But it has all the charm and timeless beauty of what constitutes a ‘goldfields town’ so it consequently makes the cut.
24. Ballarat
Ballarat is where it’s at according to you, our valued readers. This boom town of the Victorian goldrush era mines its heritage to breathe new life into old buildings and celebrate its status as a UNESCO Creative City.
25. Berry
The tiny town of Berry helped score an own goal for the Shoalhaven region when the Berry bypass was built, diverting the traffic that once tore through the town and restoring its quaint country charm.
26. Palm Cove
The palm trees that line the foreshore in Palm Cove bear silent witness to the enviable lifestyle on offer in this region of spectacular natural beauty. It’s enough to make us go Troppo.
27. Launceston
How happy we are that our readers voted to give Lonnie some love. Named a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2021, our love letter to Lonnie is designed to provide visitors with a taste of this riverside city.
28. Busselton
Busselton was – until you voted it No. 28 on our list of Top 50 Aussie Towns – one of WA’s underrated gems. Our guide goes beyond the bling of WA’s dazzling South West coastline to find what makes Busso tick.
29. Merimbula
It’s your time to shine Merimbula. From its destination diners to its retro-chic motels, this jewel on the Sapphire Coast is now on the map for everything from its oyster trail to its rugged surf breaks.
30. Lorne
It’s a parallel trend. Head to the Great Ocean Road to see the 12 (actually eight) Apostles as an excuse to join the dots between lovely villages such as Lorne, which is located along this dramatic stretch of Victoria’s coastline.
31. Denmark
A to-do list in Denmark is chockers with places to brunch, craft, bike, explore, picnic, roam, stay, meditate and more … proving its worth as to why the South West WA spot made it into our Top 50 list of Aussie towns.
32. Hahndorf
The (Adelaide) hills around Hahndorf are alive with traditions that celebrate the town’s status as Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement. Sample that heritage in the artisanal culture that embodies the town.
33. Coffs Harbour
See Coffs Harbour in its best light by taking advantage of its idyllic 30-degrees latitude and following an eco-friendly itinerary that nods to the North Coast region’s status as an accredited ECO Tourism Destination.
34. Kununurra
Kununurra is a diamond in the rough. While it was once known for its Argyle Mine (now closed), it’s now on the map for its Indigenous art scene, its mighty Ord River and as a base camp for exploring the Bungle Bungle Range.
35. Exmouth
After you’ve ticked swimming with whale sharks off your bucket list for Exmouth, linger to enjoy the breweries, industrial-chic cafes and world-class glamping sites in Australia’s Top Small Tourism Town of the Year for 2022.
36. Robe
Robe is, all at once, a throwback to idyllic Aussie holidays of old and an Instagrammer’s dream. Go for its iconic Limestone Coast, stay for the hipster-chic cafes and boutiques housed in heritage-listed buildings.
37. Longreach
This colourful town is named after the fact it’s located on a long reach of the Thomson River. And it’s an absolute bonanza for travellers looking to celebrate Queensland’s outback, the land, the people and the pioneers.
38. Sorrento
There’s nothing vanilla about Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. Unless of course, you factor in the Vanilla Slice Cafe, just one of a gazillion reasons to visit this oh-so-charming seaside village.
39. Bathurst
Book a stay at Wilga Station to truly understand the lure of the landscape in the Central NSW Tablelands. This chic farm stay is more Brooklyn than Bathurst and reflective of the owners’ time spent in New York. Get there.
40. Forster
Forster is framed by its lakes and beaches, which lends itself to aquatic adventures. But this laid-back town located in the Great Lakes, on NSW’s Barrington Coast, has a lot of other attractions worth signposting.
41. Mooloolaba
There was never any doubt Mooloolaba would make it on our list of Top 50 Aussie towns. From eating sustainable seafood to an Indigenous-led cruise, we have a multitude of reasons to visit this Sunny Coast superstar.
42. Narooma
Be it for exploration and exercise, or epicurean delights, the seaside hamlet of Narooma on a rugged stretch of NSW’s South Coast is on the radar for a multitude of reasons. Check out the hotspots we’ve highlighted.
43. Warrnambool
Notwithstanding the evidence that water and whales are the biggest draws in Warrnambool, this seaside gem on the Great Ocean Road is a beacon for everything from its hot springs to its walks and maritime history.
44. Bellingen
Aah Bello, we love your bohemian vibes. This charming town is the promised land for hippies turned hipsters who have relocated to this hub, located on the wondrous Waterfall Way in the NSW North Coast.
45. Yeppoon
It’s clear Aussies yearn for Yeppoon for its old-school holiday vibes, lush emerald rainforests and national parks. The subtropical climate on the Capricorn Coast makes this a great jumping-off point to the Great Barrier Reef.
46. Dubbo
Want to know who’s who in the zoo? We asked one of the keepers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo for her insider secrets on what to see and do inside and outside of the zoo, located in Dubbo, NSW’s Central West.
47. Gerringong
Calm your farm. Of course, Gerringong made the cut. This speck of a town is around the corner from Kiama and known as much for its farm stays as its lacquered green landscapes that stretch all the way to the coast.
48. Kalbarri
If Kalbarri was on a colour chart, it would appear under both Ochre Red and Sapphire Blue. It’s these rich colours that seem custom coded for Mid-West WA, known for its rugged rock formations, gaping coastal gorges and more.
49. Leura
We know why our readers love Leura. The pretty mountain town has a quaint and quirky culture that appeals to everyone from day-trippers and shopaholics to fans of gardens and the great outdoors.
50. Stanley
The charming seaside hamlet of Stanley deserves all the superlatives. As well as being rich in history and natural beauty, it’s a top spot in Tassie’s North West to enjoy a bounty of edible delights sourced from land and sea.
