Tourism Australia has launched its latest campaign to attract overseas visitors to come and visit, but frankly it leaves me a bit baffled.

The latest ambassador for promoting Australia to the world is a CGI (computer generated image) kangaroo. Yes really, a cartoon character called Ruby the roo. The character will be voiced by Aussie actress Rose Byrne, so why even they just didn’t use her as the ambassador is mind boggling.

I actually think they’ve missed the biggest ambassadors for the campaign though, and that would be the real animals, and landscapes that sell themselves.

I’m definitely biased in thinking that a road trip is the best way to experience the country, so I would encourage flying in to the closest point of interest and hiring a four wheel drive or camper van to take yourself the rest of the way. If that’s not a possibility then the next best thing would be to book a tour where you can sit back, leave the driving to someone else and take in the scenery.

If I could tempt visitors to Australia from overseas, these are just a few examples I’d use. Click on the highlighted destinations to see more information from our visits to these gorgeous locations and see if you agree.

Great Ocean Road – Victoria

A truly beautiful stretch of coastline with rugged rock formations, surf beaches, small friendly beach towns and twists and turns that take you into green rainforests before returning back to the coast.

Esperance – Western Australia

The most incredible beach and (real) kangaroo encounters I’ve ever had. The sand at Lucky Bay is the whitest I’ve ever experienced and so clean and bright it squeaks when you walk on it.  The campground here is incredible with kangaroos joining you where you stay and even on the beach.

The town of Esperance is lovely too with a lot to see and a beautiful foreshore area to take a stroll on.

The Red Centre – Northern Territory

Uluru is breathtaking and the sheer size of it is mind blowing. There are numerous ways to appreciate it by self-driving, Segway tours, walking, bike tours and plenty of other ways to learn about this huge monolith. It absolutely must be seen at sunset to see the rock change colour over time as the sun goes down and I would really urge you to take photos because sometimes you can’t appreciate the change until you see it in photos later.

Field of lights is a really magical experience here too, one not to be missed.

Spending time in the West and East MacDonnell Ranges is something special with gorges and wildlife to see. You’ll have the best experiences out here if you don’t rush, take your time to just sit, look and listen to the environment.

Kings Canyon is awesome and it’s absolutely worth it to do the rim walk if you’re fit enough. The first part of the walk is the worst with a steep climb to the top, but then it becomes a lot easier and the vistas are exceptional.  There are other walks into the centre of the canyon which are suitable for everyone.

Darwin – Northern Territory

The capital of the NT and a fantastic down to earth tropical paradise. The city has some incredible street art to find as you walk around, there are terrific museums and attractions in the city and don’t miss a visit to Litchfield National Park. The park is full of waterfalls and billabongs which are safe to swim in (at the right time of year).

A must do in Darwin is to either go fishing or take a cruise on one of the rivers to see crocodiles in the wild and maybe catch a Barramundi.

Monkey Mia – Western Australia

Best wild dolphin experience ever. There is controlled feeding of the dolphins and if you’re lucky you may get picked to wade into the water and feed a fish to these magnificent animals, otherwise you can just swim, relax, paddle board or kayak at this beach during the day and the dolphins swim past and amongst you throughout the day. One of my all-time favourite places.

Lake Argyle – Western Australia

Best infinity pool in Australia, and often voted as one of the best in the world. This is a settle back and relax kind of destination where you can just slow down and enjoy the serenity.

A sunset cruise on Lake Argyle is a must and you’ll get a brilliant commentary on all the ins and out of this amazing oasis.

Byron Bay – New South Wales

Lots of people have different opinions on Byron mainly because it’s a strange mix of hippies, alternative types, cashed up celebrities and tourists, but I would just suggest go there and experience it for yourself. A terrific people watching place with excellent places to eat and drink and enjoy the VIBE.

Flinders Ranges – South Australia

Picture perfect scenery of outback landscapes, giant eucalypt trees, mountain ranges and kangaroos. The Flinders Ranges have plenty of wow views and lots of places to walk and feel immersed in this landscape.

Yorke Peninsula – South Australia

Beautiful secluded beaches and space to relax and enjoy them. Friendly little towns and communities with loads of interesting little shops, and surprises like distilleries and breweries. So many great opportunities for stunning photos along this coastline.

My list could just go on and on, but if you want to see more suggestions, use the category selector for a look at different states, wildlife, indigenous experiences and more, or search for particular places on my website to get even more ideas on some of the idyllic places to see in Australia.

Even better, ask me a question in the comments, I’d be happy to give my impression of places we’ve been to around the country.

The website doesn’t have anything on Tasmania unfortunately as that’s one place I haven’t been to…Yet, and the Queensland content is lacking in information too, but hopefully that will be remedied soon enough, with plans in progress to head in that direction midway through next year.

Happy adventuring!

Glenys