Australia’s top 10 hidden gem locations revealed!

Australia’s top 10 hidden gem locations revealed!

Study findings from Mitsubishi Motors Australia have analysed over 1.1 million data points to reveal a list of ‘Australia’s Secret Road Trip Hotspots’ for 2023.

These hidden gems are the most highly rated, yet least searched for locations nationally – ensuring that travellers avoid typically overcrowded tourist attractions to experience the most beautiful, and more untouched parts of the country. Whether you are an Aussie looking to plan an interstate trip, or if you are set to explore down under for the first time, then there’s nothing quite like venturing off the beaten track.

#1 Hidden Gem Location

It’s official, ‘St Columba Waterfall, Pyengana Tasmania is crowned Australia’s number 1 Secret Hotspot. The stunning fall features a drop of over 90 meters and is one of the state’s tallest multi-tiered waterfalls, yet lesser well-known than some of the area’s and Tasmania’s more popular destinations.

St Columba Falls (Flickr user thinkrorbot used under Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Here is where to go to avoid the crowds across Australia.

National Top 10 Secret Locations List

Country Rank

Hidden Gem 

State

Location

Category

1

St Columba Waterfall

Tasmania

Pyengana, Break O’Day, Tasmania

Bodies of Water & Waterfalls

2

Loch Ard Gorge

Victoria

Port Campbell, Victoria

Canyons & Gorges

3

Kirra Beach

Queensland

Coolangatta, Gold Coast, Queensland

Beaches

4

Painted Desert

South Australia

Oodnadatta, South Australia

Natural Formations & Landmarks

5

Mossman Gorge

Queensland

Daintree Region, Queensland

Canyons & Gorges

6

Mammoth Cave

Western Australia

Boranup, Margaret River, Margaret River Region, Western Australia

Caverns & Caves

7

Erskine Falls

Victoria

Lorne, Victoria

Bodies of Water & Waterfalls

8

Marion’s Lookout Walk

Tasmania

Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania

Hiking & Walking

9

The Larapinta Trail

Northern Territory

Alice Springs, Red Centre, Northern Territory

Hiking & Walking

10

Mt Baw Baw Summit Walk

Victoria

Mount Baw Baw, Victoria

Hiking & Walking

Mossman Gorge (Flickr user Dan O’Cker used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License)

Arckaringa Hills (Flickr user Thomas used under Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Victoria has the most hidden gem natural locations within the top spots of the study at 30 per cent, despite being Australia’s second smallest state! Both Tasmania and Queensland are home to 20 per cent of revealed locations, with one location located in Western Australia, South Australia and Northern Territory. New South Wales is the only state that does not feature any of the identified top-secret locations.

“Over the past couple of years, many Australians have had to postpone or reschedule travel,” Shaun Westcott, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Australia said.

“As restrictions ease and the country reopens, it’s clear that many people are itching to experience new adventures and holiday once again.

“We really want to celebrate the nation’s new sense of freedom, while supporting Australia’s affected tourism industry – on both national and local levels. We want to do this while appreciating that concerns may remain for many around health and safety, as we continue to adapt to living with the virus.

“This is why we have set out to find ‘Australia’s Secret Road Trip Hotspots’. We’ve conducted a bespoke data analysis to reveal over 140 ‘hidden gems’; locations that are highly rated, but not as commonly searched for or as well-known as more popular tourist destinations.

“We really want to encourage people ‘off the beaten track’, to take the road less travelled and discover new locations, whether on a local day trip or nation-wide.”


Featured Image: Loch Ard Gorge, Victoria (Vince Russell on Unsplash)

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