TIME World’s Greatest Places 2025 lists 3 unique Aussie experiences

Rachael Thompson Rachael Thompson
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Three unique Australian experiences have been included in this year’s list.

TIME has just revealed its annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, highlighting 100 exciting destinations to visit or stay at in 2025. Australia has once again earned its spot among the world’s must-visit locations, with three wonderful experiences being included in the mix.

The list features a diverse selection of destinations that stand out for offering new, exciting, and unforgettable experiences to travellers. TIME editors explain, “Each year, TIME solicits nominations—including hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums, parks, and more—from its international network of correspondents and contributors, as well as through an application process, with an eye toward those offering fresh and thrilling experiences. The result: 100 extraordinary destinations to visit and stay at this year."

Here are the Australian places that made the list this year:

The Ghan

The Ghan Time World's Greatest Places List 2025
The Ghan is one of the most famous and scenic train journeys in the world.

As Australia’s most famous and historic train journey, it’s easy to see why The Ghan has made the list. Since its first cross-country journey in 1929, the 2979-kilometre, 54-hour Ghan route has whisked passengers from Adelaide to Darwin through the heart of the Red Centre. Adventurers travel past sacred Aboriginal sites, vast deserts, ancient mountain ranges, and remote outback landscapes. The recently updated Art Deco cabins bring an extra layer of romance and luxury to the experience, making this unforgettable journey even more extraordinary.

The Lodge Wadjemup

The Lodge Wadjemup Time World's Greatest Places 2025
Experience the beauty of Rottnest Island from this luxurious resort.

Rottnest Island: home to the adorable quokka and some of Australia’s most spectacular beaches and bays. This tiny island off the coast of Perth has recently been gifted with a revitalised accommodation offering to enhance guests’ experience of its natural beauty. Named after the traditional owners’ name for Rottnest Island, The Lodge Wadjemup resort has received a $40 million redevelopment with 46 new boutique-style rooms and 56 refurbished rooms. While the island’s idyllic landscapes encourage exploration, the resort’s two pools, coffee and soft-serve ice cream kiosk, and Mediterranean-inspired restaurant serving fresh Western Australian produce might tempt you to stay put a little longer.

Stage 1 of the development is now open, with Stage 2 coming mid 2025.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

Bluey’s World

Time World's Greatest Places list 2025 Bluey's World
Bluey’s World offers an immersive experience into the playful Aussie universe.

Bluey may be a children’s show, but you’re not alone if you’ve found yourself glued to the couch watching it too. In fact, it was the most-watched show in the United States in 2024, according to Nielsen. The Australian setting and culture give it a distinct charm, and the opening of Bluey’s World in Brisbane offers fans a chance to experience the beloved show in real life. This immersive event celebrates the phenomenon with activities like a dance party in Bluey and Bingo’s wardrobe and decorating jumbo-sized pavlovas in the family’s kitchen. It’s easily the cutest addition to this year’s list. (Watch our first look in the video below).

 

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Rachael Thompson
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and a self-proclaimed cheese and gin connoisseur. In her role, she creates and manages online content that remains relevant and valuable over time. With a background in publishing and e-commerce in both interior design and travel, along with an English major from The University of Sydney, Rachael is dedicated to curating engaging content that informs and inspires. She began her career at Belle magazine, then went on to become Senior Content Producer at Homes to Love focusing on Australian House & Garden and Belle, followed by Editor at Bed Threads. Her work has also appeared in Qantas Travel Insider. When she's not writing, editing, or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars, and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list are Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and Lord Howe Island.
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5 of the best Sunshine Coast day trips

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    City buzz, gourmet trails, surf breaks and art scenes are all at your fingertips.

    When it comes to planning a trip, picking a holiday destination is the easy part. The real dilemma is where to set yourself up for the night. Do you go coastal, city, or countryside? Somewhere remote and rugged, or right in the action? Luckily, the Sunshine Coast, and huge number of amazing Sunshine Coast day trips, have kindly made the choice for you.

    Ditch the hotel-hopping and suitcase-lugging. Instead, base yourself at Novotel Sunshine Coast or Mantra Mooloolaba, where big-city culture, vine-covered valleys, and theme parks are all within a two-hour drive.

    1. Sunshine Coast to Brisbane

    Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes (105km)

    Shake off the sand from your sandals and swap the beach for the throb of the Queensland capital. Ease in gently with a bougainvillea-filled stroll through South Bank, iced latte in hand, before cooling off at Streets Beach lagoon – Brisbane’s answer to the coast (but without the waves).

    Once firmly in big-city mode, hit up the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), home to Australia’s largest collection of modern and contemporary artworks. Dive into the past at the Queensland Museum, where prehistoric fossils of Australian dinosaurs and megafauna collide with First Nations cultural collections and interactive science exhibits.

    All this learning got you hungry? Howard Smith Wharves calls. Here, riverside dining delivers breweries with meat-forward menus, Japanese fine dining and overwater bars. If you’ve got room for more, Fortitude Valley’s shopping boutiques await you and your wallet.

    woman walking around Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
    Wander the Gallery of Modern Art. (Image: TEQ)

    2. Sunshine Coast to the Scenic Rim

    Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (170km)

    Make your way inland to the Scenic Rim for the state’s best vineyards and age-old volcanic slopes. Start your day early (like, sparrow’s breakfast early) at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park. Here, take a treetop walk through the canopy and hand-feed the wild birds who flock here.

    Next, it’s your turn to eat. Here, the food scene operates where locally sourced produce is an expectation, not an exception. Order a picnic basket crammed with regional wine and cheese to devour next to the creek at Canungra Valley Vineyards. Or perhaps a grazing platter of vegan and non-vegan cheeses at Witches Falls Winery.

    Feeling bold? Tackle the Twin Falls circuit in Springbrook National Park. Or keep the gourmet life going with a Scenic Rim Brewery tasting paddle, best enjoyed while taking in the rise of the Great Dividing Range.

    woman with cheese and wine at Witches Falls Winery
    Enjoy a cheese platter at Witches Falls Winery. (Image: TEQ)

    3. Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast

    Drive time: 2 hours (180km)

    Surf, sand and sparkling skylines might be the Gold Coast’s MO, but there’s more to Surfers Paradise and beyond. Kick things off with a beachfront coffee at Burleigh Heads, then hike through Burleigh Head National Park to look over the ocean and whale sightings (dependent on the season, of course).

    Cool off in the calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek before chowing down on the famously buttery Moreton Bay bug rolls at Rick Shores. Travelling with the kids? Then you can’t miss Australia’s theme park capital, with Dreamworld’s big rides and Warner Bros. Movie World’s Hollywood treatment at hand to keep the family entertained.

    aerial view of Tallebudgera Creek
    Dive into Tallebudgera Creek. (Image: TEQ)

    4. Sunshine Coast to Tweed Heads

    Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (200km)

    Dare to cross enemy lines? Then welcome to New South Wales. Tweed Heads blends the laid-back attitude of the Northern Rivers with high-quality dining, experimental art, and farm-fresh indulgence – a combo worth the drive.

    Start strong with a long, lazy brunch at Tweed River House, then swing by Tropical Fruit World for exotic finds like red dragon fruit, handfuls of lychees and black sapote. Next, hit M|Arts Precinct – an art deco hub of micro galleries, artist workshops and one-off boutiques.

    Round off the day with sunset drinks at Husk Distillers among the glowing cane fields, and order one with their famous Ink Gin. You’ll thank us later.

    exterior of Husk Distillers
    Taste the famous Ink Gin at Husk Distillers. (Image: Destination NSW)

    5. Sunshine Coast Hinterland

    Drive time: 1 hour (70km)

    Strap on those hiking boots and make tracks inland, where volcanic peaks, misty rainforest and hinterland townships beckon. Ease in with the Glass House Mountains Lookout Walk, or, if you have energy to burn, tackle the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk for a 360-degree sight of the surrounding summits.

    Next: Montville. This township delivers European-style architecture and old-world appeal. Nearby, settle in at Flame Hill Vineyard, where a large pour of estate-grown wine comes with encompassing views of the countryside.

    Not ready to leave the hinterland villages just yet? Of course not. Meander past art galleries and indie shops at Maleny. Nab some fudge from Sweets on Maple for a sweet fix. Or go salty at Maleny Dairies with a farm tour and a chunky wedge of their deliciously creamy cheese.

    End the day among the eucalypts and rainforests of Kondalilla National Park. Here, the Kondalilla Falls Circuit winds down through trees humming with life to a rock pool beneath a waterfall – as if designed for soaking tired feet before heading back to the coast.

    view of Mount Ngungun on the scenic rim queensland
    Take on the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk (Image: TEQ)

    Start planning your Sunshine home base at all.com.

    TIME World’s Greatest Places 2025: Where to go in Australia