Australian National Parks - Which Are The Best?

What makes Australian National Parks so special? Why should your trip to Australia include a National Park? Which are the best ones to visit. Take a trip with a local and get to know the best parks, including beautiful beaches and where to camp.

Australia is the driest continent in the world and is part of a former giant land mass, Gondwana, which connected the southern continents of Africa, Antarctica, Australia, India and South America, and broke up more than 100 million years ago.

Today there are  516 National Parks in Australia covering 3% of the land. That might not sound very much but given the size of Australia, it equates to 25 million hectares!

It's the local state governement's responsibility to look after the National Parks. So for example a park in NSW is looked after by the NSW government. The most important ones are looked after by the Federal Government.

No visit to Australia is complete without a trip to at least one National Park. Most of its famous natural attractions are in one of the parks anyway, so by default, you'll end up visiting.

It is not my intention to tell you about all 516 parks but I will share with you which ones I think are the best.

Before I do though, understand how the National Parks operate. A National park can literally be a park but its more likely to be a  larger area where wildlife and plant/tree species are special or sacred. It can also be  sacred rock formations e.g. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is home to Ayers Rock.  A national park can span for huge distances with the average visitor only touching a small corner of it. Others are more manageable and you can see much more.

Entrance to the parks is not usually free. You will be required to pay an entrance fee of around $10. They may charge this per person or per vehicle. For popular tourist haunts e.g. Ayers Rock, you can expect to pay more.

Australian National Parks and Camping

Many people choose to camp in National Parks. This is a great idea if you like the open air and arent too worried about snakes or spiders (only joking!) There are usually designated areas for camping and there are strict campfire regulations given the risk of bush fires. The facilities are usually quite basic though so dont expect hot showers. That said, some of them do!

You generally need a permit to camp in the National Parks and places are limited. In the peak of summer it can sometimes be hard to find camping spots available so you need to book well in advance. The government websites will allow you to search for campsites. Remember that you will need to do this for EACH state given that the parks are run by the state government. Over Christmas when it is really busy, some of the national parks run a ballot system. If your name is picked out of the hat, you are one of the lucky ones (this is how it works in Freycinet National Park in Tasmania)

It's hard to pick which are the best National Parks and it can be a little subjective as it depends what you like. All have stunning scenery and below you can find my top 3. There are over 15 on the website featured below.

Best for Beaches and Coastal Views

Lord Howe Island has won international acclaim and is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It's not hard to see why with its enchanting walks, forests, mountains, beaches and marine life. The best walks are the Valley of the Shadows and Mount Gower. The first takes you through high forests of Kentia Palms and Banyan trees. The second is a well known day walk to the top of Mount Gower and its known to be one of the best walks in Australia.

Best for Spiritual Rock Formations

Whilst Ayers Rock might be on the tourist trail, this National Park (Uluru Kata Tjuta) is formidable and deserves to be in the top 3 of all the Australian National Parks. It's also a World Heritage listed site due to its culture and rock formations. Most come to visit the Rock and you really should make sure you see it at either sunset or sunrise. They say that this is the best time to view as the changing light on the rock makes it look particularly stunning. You can take your car to the special viewing platforms but get there in good time to get a good spot. I'd also recommend doing one of the organised dinners or breakfasts which take place at these times. There are two rock formations in the park though and the second, The Olgas, are in my opinion, more impressive than the rock. Make sure you visit both. First stop should be the Cultural Centre as this gives you an idea on the walks and times for guided walks if you prefer to have a guide. Don't forget to check out the Aboriginal goods that are usually on sale here too. The Base walk is the most popular (9km) Allow about 3 hours which is plenty of time to take photos. Don't climb the rock. Not only is it steep and dangerous, it's totally against the local aboriginal culture and beliefs.

The Grampians National Park, 260km from Melbourne is one of the most popular parks in Victoria. To get there you need to take the Glenelg or Western Highway from Melbourne and the journey will take you about 3.5 hours. There's lots to do and see apart from the Grampians themselves (a series of sandstone ridges with steep slopes.) Try a 2 day walk or Mount Abrupt for the best views over the park. The Mackenzie falls are very popular but if you want to get off the tourist trail, go further into the park away from Halls Gap. Try Wartook Valley (Mount Zero and Mount Stapylton) or for something more strenuous, go for Mount Difficult. Stony Creek which goes via Stony Peek is also good as is the Wall of China which offers great views to Tower Hill and picturesque Victoria Valley.

Article Tags: Australian National Parks, Australian National, National Parks, National Park, Rock Formations

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