Drives and road trips

Many of us love a good story, or caption, to go along with our holiday snaps.

You can search out Australia’s biggest this or longest that. The tallest, the oldest, the widest.

So, for all those list tickers among us, we’ve put together this collection of noteworthy attractions to inspire your next BIG4 break.

Happy list ticking!

Australia’s oldest national park

That honour goes to Royal National Park, just 30km south of Sydney. It was formally proclaimed in 1879, making it the second-oldest national park behind the United States’ famous Yellowstone. The park blends beautiful beaches and bushland with incredible sandstone rock formations, swimming holes, Aboriginal artefacts, and a wealth of other goodies.

Book now: NRMA Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park, Ingenia Holidays Nepean River, Ingenia Holidays Avina or Ingenia Holidays Sydney Hills.

Australia’s oldest pub

Knock back a cold one at the Bush Inn and you can say that you’ve had a drink in the oldest continually licensed hotel in Australia. Spotted in the southeast Tasmanian town of New Norfolk, the Bush Inn has a history dating 200-plus years. It’s a fascinating past that includes talk of ghosts and famous guests, which can be retraced through memorabilia or by having a quiet chat with the bartender.

Visit on a daytrip: BIG4 Hobart Airport Tourist Park.

Australia’s oldest art gallery

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is not only the oldest gallery in Australia but arguably it is the best. World-class collections of diverse works beam from the walls and halls of two centrally located sites – NVG International and the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia. Works from some of the most revered artists help to cement NVG’s reputation as one of Melbourne’s best visitor attractions.

Book now: BIG4 Melbourne Holiday Park or Crystal Brook Tourist Park.

Australia’s oldest museum

With a past that is almost nudging two centuries, the Australian Museum has built up quite the collection. Millions of absorbing, quirky, and fascinating objects covering all manner of topics can be viewed within these walls. The Australian Museum might be old but it’s certainly not stuffy: interactive exhibits, kids’ activities, talks, and performances all help to create a captivating experience.
Note: The museum is closed to the public until mid-2020 due to a major renovation.

Book now: NRMA Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park, Ingenia Holidays Nepean River, Ingenia Holidays Avina or Ingenia Holidays Sydney Hills.


Australia’s oldest golf course

Grace the fairways of picturesque Ratho Farm and you can proudly state that you’ve played a round at Australia’s first golf course. Planted in the Tasmanian central highlands town of Bothwell, an hour’s drive from Hobart, this Scottish-style course features the likes of square putting greens and fairway-roaming sheep.

Visit on a daytrip: BIG4 Hobart Airport Tourist Park.

Australia’s tallest building

‘Tallest building’ lists often prove contentious: to include the spire or not. Sans spire, Australia 108 in Melbourne is regarded as the tallest building in Australia at 317m high, despite not yet being complete. It is due to open in 2020.

Australia 108 surpassed Eureka Tower (297m), which remains a leading Melbourne attraction thanks to a dedicated viewing deck that dishes up gob-smacking views day and night, alongside its unique and thrilling ‘Edge’ experience.

Meanwhile, on the Gold Coast, the spire-displaying Q1 Building lays claim to Australia’s tallest structure at a height of 322.5m. Its observation deck reveals glittering vistas that meld sparkling coastline with sprawling hinterland, while the SkyPoint Climb is a must for thrillseekers.

Book now: BIG4 parks in Melbourne or the Gold Coast.

Australia’s tallest mountain

The tallest peak on mainland Australia is 2228m-high Mt Kosciuszko, and it’s ripe for the climbing. A few walking tracks lead to its summit where views of the iconic Australian Alps and Bogong Peaks are gifted. Along the way, these paths reveal abundant natural beauty as well as info detailing Aboriginal heritage relevant to these parts. Be sure to pack the camera.

Stay at: NRMA Jindabyne Holiday Park.

Australia’s tallest tree

If you’re peering skywards at a towering chunk of wood known as Centurion, then you’re likely looking up at the tallest tree in Australia. At 100m in height, this aptly named mountain ash is the world’s tallest flowering plant and makes for an astonishing sight. Spy this big beast near the town of Geeveston, south of Hobart in Tasmania’s alluring Huon Valley.

Visit on a daytrip: BIG4 Hobart Airport Tourist Park.

Australia’s tallest waterfall

This is another category that can be controversial, but most 'waterfallians' (if such a term were used) would agree the winner is a Queenslander. Wallaman Falls, spotted in Girringun National Park in Tropical North Queensland, plunges 268m, making it the nation’s highest, permanent, single-drop waterfall. Better still, it is surrounded by dazzling rainforest that forms part of the World Heritage Wet Tropics of Australia area.

Visit on a daytrip: BIG4 Eco Resort Townsville, BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks - Rowes Bay, BIG4 Townsville Gateway Holiday Park or BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Townsville.

Australia’s biggest national park

Natural, cultural, and historical gems abound at Kakadu National Park, which covers a mammoth area of almost 20,000 sq m. To put that in perspective, that’s half the size of Switzerland. Within this World Heritage wonder, marvel at the likes of stunning waterfalls and wetlands, towering gorges, a huge assortment of plant life and wildlife, and Aboriginal rock art dated at up to 50,000 years old. Amazing.

Book now: Mary River Wilderness Retreat in Mount Bundey, BIG4 Howard Springs Holiday Park or BIG4 Hidden Valley Holiday Park in Darwin, or BIG4 Breeze Holiday Parks - Katherine.

Australia’s largest sand dunes

Worimi Conservation Lands (Stockton Bight Sand Dunes) is home to the longest moving sand dunes in the southern hemisphere. These 32km-long sand dunes shift with winds and changing weather and are a popular place for sandboarding. Enjoy the thrill of navigating sand dunes that rise upwards of 30m all within the beautiful Port Stephens region of NSW.

Book now: BIG4 parks in Port Stephens.

Australia’s largest lake

Time to be controversial again. Lake Eyre in South Australia receives the gong for the largest lake in Australia, but there is a catch. This is only true when it is full, and that isn’t very often. You see, this a salt lake where floodwaters only cover it roughly once every eight years. However, regardless of whether it is filled with water or not, Lake Eyre makes for an incredible sight.

Visit on a daytrip: Organised tours available at BIG4 Stuart Range Outback Resort.

Most easterly point of mainland Australia

And the award goes too…Cape Byron, New South Wales. Notable for the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse, this area makes for essential viewing when visiting Byron Bay, which is just a stone’s throw away. Witness an array of spectacular, dramatic coastal views that contrast with memorable hinterland vistas.

Book now: Ingenia Holidays Byron Bay, BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks - Ballina or Ballina Beach Nature Resort.

Most southerly point of mainland Australia

Much-loved Wilsons Promontory National Park marks the southern tip of the mainland but a visit here rewards in so many ways. Wilsons Prom mixes breathtaking coastline and beaches with rugged rock formations and rainforest. Keep a look out for cute wombats!

Book now: BIG4 Wilsons Prom Holiday Park or visit on a daytrip: BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Inverloch or Ingenia Holidays Inverloch Foreshore.

Most northerly point of mainland Australia

The winner here is Cape York Peninsula, located at the top of Queensland. To demonstrate just how far away it is, consider this: If you reach Cape York Peninsula, you are closer to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea than you are to Port Douglas!

Visit when touring…Tropical North Queensland.

Most westerly point of mainland Australia

You can’t go any further west on the Australian mainland than Steep Point. Located in the World Heritage-listed area of Shark Bay in Western Australia, Steep Point is highly regarded for its game-fishing opportunities, amazing scenery, wildflowers, and wildlife.

Visit when touring…the Coral Coast region.

Isn’t it time you began your list-ticking travels? Book your next BIG4 break now.

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