King Island,Tasmania
This small island off the north of Tasmania produces some of the best brie and soft cheeses in Australia. It's an island of long,empty beaches and clean,fresh air,offshore reefs,rocky coasts,lighthouses and more than 70 shipwreck sites.
Tiwi Islands,Northern Territory
The Tiwi Islands - 80km north of Darwin - are a perfect destination for a day trip. Dubbed the Islands of Smiles,here you can experience how The Tiwis ("We People") live and see how they create their vibrant paintings. The landscape is stunning and features pristine sandy beaches,clear rock pools and dense rainforest. Tourism is restricted on the islands and for most tourists the only way to visit is on one of the daily organised tours from Darwin.
Kangaroo Island,South Australia
KI is located 45 minutes by ferry from Cape Jervis in SA and is home to abundant wildlife,native bushland and pristine beaches. Covering almost 4,500 square kilometres it is Australia's third largest island and offers the best of the mainland on a smaller,more intimate scale.
Philip Island,Victoria
Besides being well known for its Grand Prix Circuit,the island is also famous for the penguin parade - one of Australia's most popular wildlife attractions. Every sunset,the little penguins emerge from the sea and waddle across the beach to their sand dune burrows. The little penguin is the world's smallest penguin species and the only penguin permanently found in Australia.
Wilson Island,Queensland
This tiny coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef,about 72km off the Queensland Coast,is home to sugar-white beaches and rare turtle and bird breeding grounds. Only 12 guests can stay on the island at any one time in tented accommodation. You can get to the island by boat transfer or helicopter from Gladstone to Heron Island,then a 40-minute boat transfer.
Fraser Island,Queensland
Located just a 40-minute ferry ride off Queensland's coast,this thin,drawn-out territory is famed for its wildlife and long white beaches. Spindly Fraser measures 123km in length and 22km at its widest point and is crammed with ancient rainforests,coastal heaths and eucalypt forests. Its World Heritage listing ranks it alongside the likes of Uluru,Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef.
AAP