Australia by heart: Six top travel writers on their favourite Australian places

Maybe it's my Scottish origins, but to feel truly alive I need to be on a windswept coastline, dwarfed by the elements; lost in a vista that reminds you how grand, wild and profound our planet can be.

In an overcrowded world, Tasmania's east coast gives you that most precious of gifts: space.

Follow the Great Eastern Drive as it undulates from Orford northwards to St Helens, through beach, cliff and mountain vistas, vineyards, farmland and forest, and you're a dot on nature's canvas.

It's wow factor all the way, from the perfect snow-and-sapphire curve of Wineglass Bay viewed from Mount Amos to a torrid Bay of Fires sunrise turning the ocean to lava.

These are the showstoppers, but the real magic is in this journey's smaller surprises: the deserted beach along a barely trodden trail you almost overlooked; the rockpool teeming with anemones tucked away behind a lichen-covered boulder; a pademelon mother and joey emerging close by from the tea-tree scrub at dusk.

Pause between towns. Meander. Allow yourself detours and discoveries. Take a walk with the Palawa people on their ancestral lands in Wukulina (Mt William National Park) on Trulwulway Country. They're custodians of all the secrets in this magnificent place and generous with their knowledge.

Their land is generous too. From the clean seas and inland waters come oysters, rock lobster, mussels, deep-sea fish and freshwater trout. And as you tour the east coast cellar door trail, you'll taste all the delicious ways this region's surrounding beauty pours its soul into rich, bright, exceptional cool climate wines.

Summer, when the beaches out-blue the Maldives, is heavenly. But I also love the drama of winter, when the weather turns wildly mercurial, pummeling you with furious nor' westers one moment and kissing you with watery sunshine the next. Throw a rug around your shoulders, fill your glass with an east coast pinot noir, and let yourself be awed. eastcoasttasmania.com

CLOSE SECOND: The Whitsundays, Queensland. Pick an island, any island, and you'll enter the ultimate tropical paradise brochure brought to life.

By Michael Turtle

As a child, I would visit family on Kangaroo Island every summer and, amongst the days of playing on golden beaches with stingrays occasionally scaring us from the water, we would do a trip along rough dirt roads to the remote western side of the island, where other visitors were rare and there was nothing stopping us walking right up to sunbaking sea lions (except a responsible adult, thankfully).

Since those holidays decades ago, roads have been sealed and it's now easy to reach the island's icons. Places like the enormous vault of rock at Admiral's Arch that forms a natural frame around crashing waves; the hulking wind-sculpted boulders of Remarkable Rocks perching perilously at the top of a cliff; and those (now protected) sea lions on the bright sands of Seal Bay.

But Kangaroo Island has not lost its adventurous side, with plenty of unsealed trails leading you to rugged landscapes that seem impossibly deserted. It's just that, these days, by the afternoon you can also be indulging in a tasting at one of the island's wineries - or a gin distillery, an oyster farm, or any of the other gourmet offerings that have bloomed in recent years.

Since the devastating bushfires of early 2020, the flora has largely regrown and the wildlife has proved remarkably resilient, while the luxurious Southern Ocean Lodge (one of the most notable tourism casualties) is being rebuilt and is due to open next year.

Since the pandemic, new e-bike tours and pack-free walking experiences have also created fresh ways to explore the wilderness away from the tourist groups. And, with unique wildlife experiences, boutique accommodation, and quaint seaside towns, there's always space for child-like wonder on Australia's third-largest island. tourkangarooisland.com.au

CLOSE SECOND: There's an energy around Uluru, a connection to the red heart of Australia, that I think needs to be felt to truly appreciate the beauty of our country.

By Katrina Lobley

Soon after moving to Grafton for my first grown-up job on a newspaper, I looked up at a sky suddenly grown dim. Thousands of flying foxes were flapping away from Susan Island in the middle of the Clarence River.

It was startling, in a Hitchcock kind of way. I thought, "Should I call my boss? Is this news?" It wasn't. It's just one of the quirks of life in the Clarence Valley on the NSW North Coast.

The river is stunning - it's where I learned to water-ski - but it's also capricious and prone to flooding. With the Pacific Highway's 2020 realignment, you now glimpse the Clarence only as you soar over the new Harwood Bridge between Maclean and Yamba.

But it's worth hopping off the highway to see and feel what the valley's all about. Thanks to the 1700 jacaranda trees lining its streets, Grafton will soon turn purple (this year's peak is expected from October 20 to November 10). Sample "jacaranda" ice-cream (it's berry-flavoured) at I Scream on Prince Street and head to See Park after sunset to see illuminated jacarandas.

In Maclean, known as Australia's most Scottish town, track down your ancestral tartans thanks to 200-plus painted power poles. Or amble past Australia's southernmost sugarcane fields and over low-lying islands to reach Yamba, one of the prettiest seaside towns in all of Australia.

Remarkably, you can take your pick from ocean or river beaches. A chic boutique hotel has also arrived with the 12-room The Surf Yamba. And when you're ready to refuel, a panoramic perch awaits at the clifftop Pacific Hotel.

I tried surfing at nearby Angourie, home to a world-class point break, but never managed to hang 10. These days, I'm content with tenpin bowling inside Yamba Bowling Club (if it's raining) and catching the ferry to Iluka to spot koalas in the salt-tolerant coastal rainforest. myclarencevalley.com

CLOSE SECOND: : With its dinky-di outback sky, endless red dirt, arty vibes, colourful characters and retro gems such as Bells Milk Bar and the Palace Hotel, what's not to love about Broken Hill?

By Mal Chenu

Margaret River - 'Margarets' to her mates - is actually a river, a town and a region. And it's the region you want to focus on, touring the rambling roads, from beach to beach, winery to winery, gallery to gallery, Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin.

Caves Road winds its gentle way between the historic lighthouses on the capes through dappled light cast by towering jarrah and karri forests. You can also walk the Cape to Cape Trail if you fancy a 135-kilometre saunter along spectacular coastline, and want to build up a serious appetite and thirst.

Margaret River famously produces just 3 per cent of the nation's annual grape crush but 20 per cent of our premium wines. Gorgeous wineries dot the bucolic green landscape, their vines heaving with the bulging bounty of future vintages.

Famous cellar doors, such as Leeuwin Estate, Cape Mentelle, Voyager and Pierro, are ready to welcome you to talk tastings and serve up an unforgettable lunch. (Pro tip: leave everything to the chef and sommelier, especially if you hear the words "marron", "crayfish", "Cherubino" or "Cullen"). Or you could pick your way through the myriad smaller boutique offerings - and craft beer and gin distilleries - and find something really eclectic.

Often overlooked among Margaret River's natural wonders are the million-year-old limestone caves, which you can explore on guided, self-guided or adventure tours (hard hat included).

And, late in the day, as you peer over a glass of something special at another achingly beautiful Indian Ocean sunset, consider the span of time. From the ancient caves and forests along the song lines of the Wadandi (Saltwater) people to next year's vintage, and beyond, you'll realise time in Margaret River is time well spent. margaretriver.com

CLOSE SECOND: Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, in the red limestone Cape Range National Park near Exmouth in WA, is a glamping resort par excellence. Set in the dunes, it's metres away from the reef. Just roll out of bed and start snorkelling.

By Sue Williams

At the junction of two of Australia's most inhospitable deserts, you'd expect the tiny Queensland town of Birdsville to be equally uninviting. But you'd be wrong.

"Welcome, welcome!" says the barman at the iconic Birdsville Hotel, the honeyed sandstone pub that's been feeding and watering weary travellers for 138 years. "Now where are you from?"

For in Birdsville, sitting 1600 kilometres west of Brisbane and 1200 kilometres north of Adelaide, the reception is as warm as its summer temperatures. It's so incredibly remote, it stands to reason that its 115-strong population are pleased to meet any newcomers.

But the town's attractions are way out of synch with its size. Its September Birdsville Races (founded in 1882) attract around 7000 each year, and 10,000 visit for the three-day music festival the Big Red Bash, held every July on a massive red dune nearby. Think headliners Jimmy Barnes, Missy Higgins and Kasey Chambers.

Outside of those times, Birdsville is even more beaut. There's nothing like watching the sunset with a bottle of bubbly on the dune, taking a swim or a kayak in the local billabong, or checking out the legendary selection of pies at the bakery - try the curried camel or the kangaroo and claret.

There's now even a new 18-hole golf course, with a lot more sand and shrubs and wild animals than most, and 4WD sights like the Burke and Wills Tree, where the two doomed explorers camped on the first south-north crossing of the country.

Try a scenic flight as well over the Simpson and Sturt Stony deserts, spectacular Lake Eyre, and the world's biggest cattle station Anna Creek, with a smoko stop-off at the historic William Creek Hotel.

And then there's that beer at the Birdsville Hotel. The cheers are never as heartfelt. visitbirdsville.com

CLOSE SECOND: Winton is the archetypal cowboy town in Queensland's central west, with historic links to Waltzing Matilda, the founding of Qantas, and one of the world's most fascinating dinosaur discoveries.

By Ute Junker

The Kimberley is for explorers. You don't have to be particularly rugged to love this place - although if you like a drive on dirt roads, you are in for a treat - but you do have to be ready for an adventure. The Kimberley may be home to some of Australia's most monumental landscapes, but it is also a place of hidden secrets.

This is a place where you can wander down a narrow track and find yourself standing at the top of a cascading waterfall or at the narrow defile that opens up into a vast craggy gorge.

It is a place where shaded caves conceal some of the world's oldest artworks and where, if you position yourself just right, you can watch a a coral reef seem to rise up from the ocean as the tide ebbs away.

Sights such as the beehive domes of Purnululu-the Bungle Bungles, the tidal surge of the Horizontal Waterfalls and the apparently endless ribbon of sand that is Cable Beach are well-known, but some of the most memorable Kimberley moments are more low-key experiences. Cooling off on a hot day in the always icy waters of Amalia Gorge in El Questro Wilderness Park, for instance; mud-crabbing with the Bardi people amid the mangroves of the Dampier Peninsula; or camping out under a blanket of glittering stars.

No matter how well you plan your Kimberley trip, the sad truth is you are not going to see everything. Three times the size of England, this region is too vast to explore in one hit. Get behind the wheel for a road trip and you will enjoy one set of experiences; choose a cruise and you will see entirely different sights. Whatever you opt for, resist the urge to rush. The best part of any Kimberley holiday is going slow and letting this ancient landscape work its magic. westernaustralia.com

CLOSE SECOND: Tasmania. Lush wilderness, scenic coastlines, picturesque townships and some of the best wildlife viewing in Australia.