Australia’s Top Cultural Experiences

At more than seven million square kilometres, Australia is almost the size of the contiguous US. Its vast landscape features deserts, dense rainforests, sublime beaches, award-winning vineyards and vibrant cities, all with a rich culture. A motorhome rental in Australia lets you cherry-pick what you want to see as you make your way around this sprawling land. Here are our picks of the top cultural attractions.

1) Aboriginal art

If serious art piques your interest, you won’t be able to resist the National Gallery in Canberra, home to the world’s largest collection of Australian indigenous art. Alternatively, stop into the Umbarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre in New South Wales for some informal boomerang and spear-throwing lessons, a chance to paint with ochres and explore sacred sites on a guided walk.

In the Northern Territory, watch artists at work at the Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre.

Or head to Western Australia’s Wardan Aboriginal Centre, where the Wardani people share their knowledge of the Margaret River area

2) Get outdoors

Cruise Sydney’s beautiful harbour and hear tales of its tribes, their history and their way of life. Knowledgeable indigenous guides will point out Sydney landmarks along the way and share the meanings behind them.

If you’ve got time up your sleeve while you’re in the Sydney area, it’s worth heading to the Blue Mountains for a walkabout tour. Expert guides will fill you in on the local Darug culture, and you can take in an indigenous performance you won’t forget in a hurry. The scenery’s pretty spectacular up this way, too.

On the other side of the country, Western Australia’s Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Adventures runs a full-day salt-water kayaking trip that’s perfect for adventure-loving culture seekers. This must-do trip gives you a peek into the history of the Nhanda and Malgana people.

3) Visit the cultural capital

Melbourne, some people say, is Australia’s most cultural city, and it has something for everyone. Street art is big here; you could lose several hours – and your way – exploring the countless murals, installations and artist-run galleries in the city’s winding laneways.

Melbourne has a thriving theatre and music scene. See the Australian Ballet or Opera Australia perform on their home stage, dress up for a night of cabaret or catch a Melbourne Theatre Company extravaganza or explore more of that fascinating Aboriginal history with a heritage walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens. 

Time your visit carefully if you like festivals: the city hosts the Melbourne Comedy Festival in April, International Jazz Festival in May and the International Arts Festival in September.

4) Uluru – a living landmark

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is arguably the best-known of Aussie’s national parks, thanks to the towering Uluru. Previously known as Ayers Rock, this sandstone giant is the lucky country’s most famous natural landmark. It’s 863 m high and is thought to have started forming around 550 million years ago.

Affectionately called The Rock by locals, Uluru is much more than just that; it’s a living landmark sacred to the Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people, the guardians of the park. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park also includes the 36 red-rock domes of the Kata Tjuta, locally known as the Olgas. If you’re heading there, prepare for motorhome travel in the Outback

5) Rainforest rock art

Australia has more than 500 national parks, covering 28 million hectares with rainforests, alpine regions, deserts and marine areas. At 19,804sq km, Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory is the largest of them all. Among other attractions, Kakadu boasts a monsoon rainforest famous for Aboriginal rock art. The outdoor galleries have one of the world’s greatest concentrations of rock art sites. Some paintings are up to 20,000 years old, which makes them one of the oldest historical records of any group of people on Earth. They tell a fascinating story of Aboriginal life throughout the years and show the close relationship the Bininj/Mungguy people have with the land. The main rock art galleries are at Ubirr and Burrungkuy.

6) The centre of power

If it’s political and historical culture you want, head to Canberra, Australia’s capital city. Here you can learn about the birth of Australia’s political system in Old Parliament House and watch politicians debate current issues from the public gallery of the modern Parliament House. The National Library of Australia houses all the historical documents you could read, or you can check out Australia’s first constitution can be viewed at the nearby National Archives.

Canberra has its share of art and craft attractions. The delightful Poachers Trail, a collaborative effort by local growers, winemakers, chefs and artisans to showcase the region’s charms, takes in a range of galleries, pottery and glass studios and craft workshops. On this classic country drive you’ll also find plenty of places to indulge in delicious local food and wine.

These options are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Australian cultural attractions. Visitors really are spoilt for choice—so find your wheels and plan an adventure to remember. Our Australian campervan itineraries may be of help.