Wandering Well · Country

Australia.

Less-touristed places, sorted by Wander Well Score.

Bonbeach, Australia
Bronze
Coast & island escapes

Bonbeach

Kingston (Vic.) · Australia

Bayside suburb on Port Phillip, Bonbeach sits on the water's edge south-east of Melbourne with mountain views across the bay and a small café and restaurant…

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Hobart, Australia
Silver
Inland waterside towns

Hobart

Hobart · Australia

Sitting on the Derwent River estuary beneath the peak of kunanyi / Mount Wellington, Hobart is a photogenic waterfront city and Australia's second-oldest cap…

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Mission Beach, Australia
Bronze
Coast & island escapes

Mission Beach

Cassowary Coast · Australia

This compact tropical village on Queensland's Cassowary Coast where dense rainforest meets a long arc of sandy beach, with island-dotted blue water stretchin…

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Waterways, Australia
Silver
Sacred & spiritual destinations

Waterways

Kingston (Vic.) · Australia

This pocket-sized Melbourne suburb where roughly 40% of the land is water and 20% parkland, Waterways was built around artificially created wetlands along Mo…

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Bright, Australia
Bronze
Mountain villages

Bright

Alpine · Australia

This pocket-sized mountain town in northeastern Victoria with an unusually dense café and restaurant scene for its size, Bright sits at the southeastern end…

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Townsville, Australia
Gold
Coast & island escapes

Townsville

Townsville · Australia

This coastal city in tropical north Queensland, Townsville sits beside the central section of the Great Barrier Reef and faces Magnetic Island, most of which…

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Maryborough, Australia
Gold

Maryborough

Central Goldfields · Australia

Maryborough's compact civic centre impresses with grand cream-stone Victorian-era public buildings — including a clock-towered post office and a war memorial…

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Ross, Australia
Gold
Mountain villages

Ross

Australia

Photogenic Tasmanian hamlet on the Macquarie River, Ross is known for its historic sandstone bridge, original sandstone buildings, and convict history, all l…

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Eildon, Australia
Silver
Mountain villages

Eildon

Murrindindi · Australia

A little Victorian village on the edge of Lake Eildon, set in mountain terrain that gives it a strong visual character.

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Horseshoe Bay, Australia
Silver
Coast & island escapes

Horseshoe Bay

Australia

This photogenic bay village on Magnetic Island, Queensland, with direct beach access, mountain views, and a tiny but real café and restaurant scene for its s…

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St Huberts Island, Australia
Gold
Mountain villages

St Huberts Island

Central Coast (NSW) · Australia

This small canal estate suburb on the Central Coast of New South Wales, St Huberts Island is connected to the mainland at Daleys Point and sits within walkin…

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Port Noarlunga, Australia
Silver
Coast & island escapes

Port Noarlunga

Onkaparinga · Australia

A small seaside suburb south of Adelaide on Gulf St Vincent, Port Noarlunga has a café and restaurant scene that outpunches its size, a jetty connecting to a…

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Chiltern, Australia
Silver
Hiking & national-park bases

Chiltern

Indigo · Australia

The birthplace of Prime Minister John McEwen, Chiltern is a small Victorian town in the northeast of the state, between Wangaratta and Wodonga, close to the…

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Yackandandah, Australia
Bronze
Quiet rural escapes

Yackandandah

Indigo · Australia

This tree-lined main street blazing with autumn colour leads the eye toward forested hills in this tiny northeast Victorian town, where low-rise historic sho…

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Warburton, Australia
Gold
Mountain villages

Warburton

Yarra Ranges · Australia

A modest mountain village in Victoria's Yarra Ranges, east of Melbourne, where the Yarra River runs through the centre and an unusually strong café and resta…

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Pomona, Australia
Silver

Pomona

Noosa · Australia

Pocket-sized Queensland town in the Noosa hinterland, Pomona's main street is anchored by a two-storey timber pub with wraparound verandahs, typical of class…

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Loch, Australia
Silver
Quiet rural escapes

Loch

South Gippsland · Australia

This tiny Victorian-era village in South Gippsland where well-preserved red-brick heritage buildings line quiet streets, with upland country and scenic surro…

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Bicheno, Australia
Bronze
Coast & island escapes

Bicheno

Glamorgan-Spring Bay · Australia

A tiny fishing port and beach resort on Tasmania's east coast, Bicheno has a disproportionate number of cafés and restaurants for its size, scenic viewpoints…

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Euroa, Australia
Silver
Inland waterside towns

Euroa

Strathbogie · Australia

This low-rise Victorian town where a tree-lined river curves through green parkland at its edge, with rolling ranges visible on the horizon and a modest café…

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Shoal Bay, Australia
Bronze
Hiking & national-park bases

Shoal Bay

Port Stephens · Australia

This summer beach village on the southern shore of Port Stephens in New South Wales, Shoal Bay sits at the entrance to the port and includes part of Tomaree…

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Healesville, Australia
Bronze
Wine country

Healesville

Yarra Ranges · Australia

A pocket-sized town on the Watts River in Victoria's Yarra Valley wine region, about an hour's drive from Melbourne, Healesville has a café and restaurant sc…

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Burra, Australia
Gold
Charming old-world towns

Burra

Australia

One of the best-preserved Victorian-era towns in Australia, Burra is a small historic centre in South Australia's mid-north, sitting on Burra Creek in the Ba…

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Glenrowan, Australia
Bronze
Wine country

Glenrowan

Wangaratta · Australia

This modest Victorian village near the Warby Ranges and Mount Glenrowan sits in wine-growing country in Australia's northeast, a short drive from Wangaratta.

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Pittsworth, Australia
Bronze

Pittsworth

Toowoomba · Australia

A little Queensland rural town where a well-preserved two-storey timber pub with decorative Federation-era gables anchors a modest main street, set in the up…

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Castlemaine, Australia
Gold
Hiking & national-park bases

Castlemaine

Mount Alexander · Australia

A pocket-sized town in Victoria's Goldfields region with a café and restaurant scene that punches well above its size, Castlemaine grew from a gold rush boom…

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Peregian Beach, Australia
Silver
Coast & island escapes

Peregian Beach

Noosa · Australia

This modest coastal town on Queensland's Sunshine Coast sits directly beside the beach, with hinterland hills rising to the west.

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Port Fairy, Australia
Silver
Coast & island escapes

Port Fairy

Moyne · Australia

This pocket-sized waterfront town in south-western Victoria where the Moyne River meets the Southern Ocean, Port Fairy sits on the Princes Highway between Wa…

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Charters Towers, Australia
Bronze

Charters Towers

Charters Towers · Australia

Gold built Charters Towers, a small Queensland town roughly a two-hour drive south-west of Townsville, during a boom that ran through the final decades of th…

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Maslin Beach, Australia
Bronze
Wine country

Maslin Beach

Onkaparinga · Australia

A long arc of pale sand curves below dramatically layered red and ochre cliffs on Adelaide's southern coast, making Maslin Beach a striking coastal stop with…

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Sellicks Beach, Australia
Gold
Wine country

Sellicks Beach

Onkaparinga · Australia

Coastal village on Aldinga Bay at the southern edge of Adelaide's metropolitan area, with vineyards in the surrounding hills and scenic views along the shore…

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Werribee, Australia
Gold
Relaxing family getaways

Werribee

Wyndham · Australia

Werribee Park, the former estate of pastoralist Thomas Chirnside, anchors this Melbourne suburb's appeal as a day-trip destination, alongside the Victoria St…

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Strahan, Australia
Bronze
Mountain villages

Strahan

West Coast · Australia

Small waterfront village on Tasmania's west coast, Strahan sits on Macquarie Harbour and serves as the main tourism base for the surrounding mountain region.

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Nebo, Australia
Bronze
Quiet rural escapes

Nebo

Isaac · Australia

Tiny Queensland outback village where a classic two-storey timber pub with wraparound verandas anchors the town centre, set amid open rural country close to…

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Umina Beach, Australia
Bronze
Mountain villages

Umina Beach

Central Coast (NSW) · Australia

A beachside town on the Woy Woy Peninsula, a short drive north of Sydney on New South Wales's Central Coast, Umina Beach sits directly on the water with moun…

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Magra, Australia
Bronze
Hiking & national-park bases

Magra

Derwent Valley · Australia

A pocket-sized Tasmanian valley village where brick farmhouses dot rolling green paddocks beneath forested hills, offering a quiet rural escape in the Derwen…

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Birregurra, Australia
Gold

Birregurra

Colac Otway · Australia

This modest Victorian village on Gulidjan Country, south-west of Melbourne, holds several historic churches for its size and sits alongside water with mounta…

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Beaconsfield, Australia
Silver

Beaconsfield

Cardinia · Australia

This compact Melbourne-fringe town set among rolling green paddocks and forested ridgelines, Beaconsfield offers a solid café and dining scene for its size,…

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Clunes, Australia
Silver
Quiet rural escapes

Clunes

Hepburn · Australia

Clunes, a tiny Victorian town north of Ballarat, was the site of Victoria's first registered gold discovery in 1850 and has since reinvented itself as a book…

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Alexandra, Australia
Bronze
Inland waterside towns

Alexandra

Murrindindi · Australia

A tiny Victorian town northeast of Melbourne that serves as a base for fishing the Goulburn and Rubicon rivers and boating on Lake Eildon, a short drive east.

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Smythesdale, Australia
Bronze

Smythesdale

Golden Plains · Australia

Established during the Victorian Gold Rush — its post office opened in July 1854 — Smythesdale is a small village on the Glenelg Highway west of Ballarat, in…

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Red Cliffs, Australia
Silver
Wine country

Red Cliffs

Mildura · Australia

This pocket-sized Victorian town in Australia's Sunraysia wine and citrus country, Red Cliffs sits near striking red-hued cliffs and features a compact, sunn…

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Wahgunyah, Australia
Silver
Wine country

Wahgunyah

Australia

This pocket-sized wine-country village on the southern bank of the Murray River in northeastern Victoria, Wahgunyah sits opposite Corowa, New South Wales, wi…

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Coochiemudlo Island, Australia
Silver
Coast & island escapes

Coochiemudlo Island

Australia

This small ferry-access island in southern Moreton Bay, a short ride from Victoria Point south of Brisbane, Coochiemudlo Island — known locally as Coochie —…

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Marburg, Australia
Bronze
Wine country

Marburg

Australia

A small Queensland village where a classic two-storey timber pub with wraparound verandahs anchors a rural streetscape, set among vineyard country with uplan…

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Orford, Australia
Silver
Mountain villages

Orford

Glamorgan-Spring Bay · Australia

A compact seaside village on Tasmania's east coast, Orford sits at the mouth of the Prosser River on the southern edge of Prosser Bay, with the Mercury Passa…

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Mundoolun, Australia
Bronze
Charming old-world towns

Mundoolun

Logan · Australia

This tiny rural locality in Queensland's Logan region, Mundoolun draws visitors with its sandstone Gothic church set among eucalyptus trees, upland pastoral…

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Kilkivan, Australia
Bronze
Coast & island escapes

Kilkivan

Gympie · Australia

This small Queensland rural town whose main street is anchored by a classic two-storey timber pub hotel, with low-rise shops and palm trees giving it an easy…

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Primrose Sands, Australia
Bronze
Mountain villages

Primrose Sands

Sorell · Australia

A small seaside village on the channel between Frederick Henry Bay and Norfolk Bay in Tasmania's south-east, Primrose Sands functions largely as a holiday ho…

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Rouse Hill, Australia
Bronze
Charming old-world towns

Rouse Hill

The Hills · Australia

Tree-lined suburban high street in Sydney's Hills District, Rouse Hill offers a lively town square with street-level shops, cafés, and festive decorations st…

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Belgrave South, Australia
Gold
Quiet rural escapes

Belgrave South

Yarra Ranges · Australia

Low-density village of tree-lined residential streets spread across the green foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, offering a rural-feeling escape at the edge…

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Melbourne CBD, Australia
Gold

Melbourne CBD

Melbourne · Australia

Melbourne's CBD is the walkable, water-adjacent core of one of Australia's great cities, built around the 1837 Hoddle Grid and dense with laneways, arcades,…

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Pottsville, Australia
Bronze
Mountain villages

Pottsville

Tweed · Australia

A little coastal town in New South Wales' Northern Rivers region, Pottsville sits directly on the water in Tweed Shire, with UNESCO World Heritage sites in t…

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Drouin, Australia
Bronze
Hiking & national-park bases

Drouin

Baw Baw · Australia

Compact West Gippsland town with a walkable main street, easy access to upland country, and a relaxed local café scene that makes it a practical base for exp…

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Victor Harbor, Australia
Bronze
Coast & island escapes

Victor Harbor

Victor Harbor · Australia

Coastal town on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, roughly an hour's drive south of Adelaide, Victor Harbor draws summer crowds to its beaches, cafés, and…

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Mernda, Australia
Silver

Mernda

Whittlesea · Australia

This growing Melbourne suburb in Victoria's north, Mernda features a well-preserved late-19th-century red-brick pub at its town centre, with upland country a…

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Lowood, Australia
Gold

Lowood

Somerset · Australia

This compact Queensland rural town on the water's edge, with low-rise timber and corrugated-iron streetscapes, close to upland country and within reach of a…

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Urunga, Australia
Silver
Coast & island escapes

Urunga

Bellingen · Australia

A compact town on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales where two rivers meet the sea, Urunga is known for its surf spots — reefs, beaches, and river-mouth…

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Horsham, Australia
Bronze
Inland waterside towns

Horsham

Horsham · Australia

Regional city on the Wimmera River in western Victoria, Horsham is the main centre of the Wimmera wheat and wool country, with a compact walkable core of caf…

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Croydon, Australia
Silver

Croydon

Maroondah · Australia

A walkable brick-paved main street lined with cafés, outdoor seating, and tree-lined footpaths gives this eastern Melbourne suburb an easygoing town-centre f…

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Lawson, Australia
Gold
Mountain villages

Lawson

Blue Mountains · Australia

A little village in New South Wales's Blue Mountains with a disproportionate number of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches for its size, Lawson sits al…

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More places in Australia below the top of the list — pagination coming.

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