Your Riddle Me Adventures journey begins with a 20-minute car ferry ride to tranquil Bruny Island. In your hands, you’ll find a set of riddles and puzzles that, upon being solved, will propel you around the island, taking the coastal road from cheesemaker to oyster monger as you stock your picnic hamper with gourmet nibbles. The final destination? A clear bubble tent set up to host a lunch of your gathered goods in a private patch of Tassie’s wilderness before making the journey home.

Take a 30-minute helicopter flight from Darwin to Finniss River Lodge and zip across the more than 20,200-hectare property on an ATV buggy or airboat (available depending on the season). On foot, you’ll hunt for native botanicals, including paperbark, waterlily and quinine, which you’ll later use to craft your own blend of gin. Local delicacies await at Charlie’s of Darwin – expect braised Akoya-sourced oysters, crocodile dumplings and kangaroo spring rolls – where you can taste test your bespoke gin before returning home with a 500-millilitre bottle of your uniquely flavoured distillation.

You may have skied Mount Buller, three hours’ drive from Melbourne, but have you scaled the region’s peaks in the summertime? If you can hike and make it up a ladder, you’ve got every skill required to join RockWire's experienced guides on a thrilling half-day climbing adventure safely harnessed to the via ferrata – a secure steel cable the length of the trail. The views of Mansfield and Lake Eildon from 1000 metres up are worth the effort.

Explore quiet beaches, spot whales and stay the night in a seaside village on this 27-kilometre, two-day walk from Shoal Bay, just under three hours’ drive from Sydney, to Anna Bay in Port Stephens. The latest of the NSW Great Walks follows the coast through Tomaree National Park, on the traditional lands of the Worimi people, passing through the charming coastal communities of Fingal Bay, Birubi Point, Boat Harbour and Fishermans Bay where you’ll find plenty of spots for a bite or a coffee and even overnight accommodation. Short on time? Tackle the three-kilometre return stretch from Birubi Beach to Iris Moore Reserve.

It took centuries for the towering tingle trees of the Valley of the Giants to reach the stature that earned the area its name. These other-worldly forests, located near Walpole in Western Australia's Great Southern region, can be enjoyed in multiple ways. The Ancient Empire loop track is a boardwalk trail that wends its way through the most staggering parts of the area, including straight through the middle of the forest's largest tree, Grandma Tingle. More than 400 metres of accessible trails have recently been added to the region, designed to accommodate wheelchair users and young families with strollers. Alternatively, for a birds-eye view, the 600-metre-long Tree Top Walk is a series of connected platforms nestled amongst the boughs, floating 40 metres above the ground.

During the day, the sun-dappled waters of the Great Barrier Reef are a colourful kaleidoscope of vibrant tropical fish and vivid corals. After dark, this Heritage-listed wonder showcases an entirely different character. Hosted aboard a state-of-the-art Sea Quest boat, your six-hour excursion includes a pair of guided night dives, delivering a new perspective on this world-famous marine habitat. You’ll refuel between dives with a range of hot and cold refreshments that hero local produce and all dive equipment – torches, wetsuits and prescription masks – are provided as part of the experience. All divers must be certified but no prior night diving experience is required.

Be transported by coach from Ayers Rock Resort to the open-air desert theatre, Wintjiri Wiru, for a three-hour sunset dinner experience.  On arrival, you’ll sample delicious cocktails, made with Beachtree gin and infused with native ingredients, and indulge in a gourmet hamper as the sun sets over Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park. At nightfall, the ancient Mala story is retold in the sky through 1100 dancing drones, lasers and projections – the 20-minute immersive light show is set to a traditional Inma soundtrack and narrated in the local Pitjantjatjara language.

Over 630 kilometres north of Adelaide’s bright city lights, Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is a 610-square-kilometre expanse spanning the northern Flinders Ranges. Designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2023 – it's one of only two in the country – the area’s minimal light pollution guarantees ultra-clear views of the twinkling constellations above. By day, spot yellow-footed rock wallabies and wedge-tailed eagles while hiking, then learn about the cosmos at the astronomical observatory before retiring to one of three cosy lodges. If you’re feeling adventurous, settle down in a swag on the dedicated sleepout deck and fall asleep under a blanket of stars.

Tasmania has made its mark as the mountain-biking capital of the country and now you can take your two-wheeled ride to the next level. Go Into the Wild’s multi-day expeditions from Hobart will drop you from one remote trail to the next via helicopter, where expert guides and idyllic stays await. The pinnacle of the trip is taking on the remote Stormsdown trail in the Heemskirk Range on the east coast of the state. From the Galena Peak, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of Cradle Mountain, the Southern Ocean, Macquarie Heads and Strahan, before descending into the hilly backcountry before your helicopter journey back to the city.

An hour-and-a-half south of Melbourne by car will bring you to the state’s temple of wellness, Alba Thermal Springs. Across the 15-hectare property you’ll find 31 tranquil bathing spots, including natural geothermal pools that range from 37 degrees and 43 degrees in temperature, dedicated cold plunge pools and a tree-fringed oasis. When you tire of soaking in the springs, slip into one of Alba’s 22 treatment rooms for the three-hour Anahata Ritual – you’ll be enveloped in a decadent clay wrap and scrubbed from head to toe.

The experience of seeing humpback whales in the wild has literally reached new heights in WA. Between September and December each year, as the titans of the ocean migrate from the warmer waters of the Kimberly back to the rich feeding grounds of Antarctica, large pods congregate near Perth’s coastline and around Rottnest Island. This parasailing whale watching tour – the only of its type in Australia – offers a unique perspective, sending participants soaring as high as 100-metres into the sky as the mammals glide through the water below. You’ll need to book well in advance to be one of a lucky few – Jet Adventures runs just a single parasailing tour, for up to three people, per day.

The concept of Australia’s first “vertical restaurant”, which can be found bolted to the Brisbane Powerhouse’s century-old façade, is both simple and surreal: a fine-diner where guests sit at tables suspended 17 metres above the ground. The three-course meal comes with a side of adrenaline as diners – fitted with safety harnesses and securely tethered – dangle with nothing but air between them and the concrete pavement below. Following dessert, guests can enjoy one last thrill, leaping from the roof of the Powerhouse for a “free-fall” abseil back down to the ground.

Four years on from the devastating 2019/20 bushfire disaster, which touched much of Kangaroo Island, the isle’s flora and fauna is bouncing back. The popular Wilderness Trail has reopened to the public with $4.2 million worth of upgrades,  including solar power, additional cooking facilities and low-combustion fires at the four campsites located along this multi-day hiking trail. Meandering past the island’s most remarkable natural wonders, including Admirals Arch and Remarkable Rocks, this 61-kilometre trek also passes through the Kelly Hill Conservation Park, which reopened in 2023 after a $2.3 million enhancement project. The park’s limestone cave system now features an audio-visual tour, illuminating the geology of these magnificent caverns.

The beautiful beaches and charming towns of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula are no secret but exploring the region on two wheels offers a new take. Pick up your ride from Emocean E-Bike Tours (in Rye or Point Nepean) and do your own thing, or join a half-day group tour through Point Nepean National Park. You’ll learn local maritime history and might even spot wallabies as you cruise along the coast.

The Alice Springs landscape is sliced with hundreds of kilometres of off-road biking tracks – conquer them on a themed electric bike tour with Red Centre Adventures. On The Simpsons Gap Sunset E-Bike Tour, your journey starts at the Alice Springs Desert Park (seven kilometres from the centre of Alice Springs) before weaving through bush fringed with ancient ghost gums as the sun sets. Once you’ve reached the gorge, you’ll take in the spectacular view while nibbling your way through a bush food-inspired platter.

Discover a story over 600-million years in the making as you immerse yourself in the bush around Ngilgi Caves, on the southwesternmost tip of Western Australia. Opened in November 2023, the Ngilgi Cave Ancient Lands Experience, a $3.6-million self-guided trail, features fascinating installations highlighting the geology that formed the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge and the labyrinth of limestone caverns hidden below the surface. The displays pay homage to the 60,000-year custodianship of the Wadandi people, as well as highlighting the diversity of flora and fauna that call the region home. At the end of the trail, visitors can descend into a subterranean world of stalactites, stalagmites and colourful shawls of solid rock. For an understanding of local First Nations customs and lore, visitors can experience Wadandi and Bibbulman country through the eyes of the traditional owners on a Koomal Dreaming culture tour.

A unique new attraction at Brisbane’s largest koala sanctuary is giving new meaning to the word “night-life”. Discover the hidden world of the Australian critters that are most active after dark, including Tasmanian Devils, wombats, echidnas and tree kangaroos. Led by an expert guide, this 90-minute tour uses special lighting to illuminate the wildlife without disturbing them, so you can witness their natural behaviours in the bush.

On the Sapphire Coast, about half way between Sydney and Melbourne, there’s a hardy new way to challenge yourself and experience nature. Gravity Eden comprises 58 kilometres of single track mountain biking trails that cut through Nullica State Forest’s rainforest, ridges and rock shelves and cater to all levels of experience. Base yourself in nearby Eden town or Canberra, a three hour drive north.

Located in the rugged Mirima National Park on the fringes of Kununurra, this newly established trail (opened in May 2023) is one of the most culturally rich ways to explore the East Kimberley region. Yoorrnging Geranyem means 'painting on rocks' in the language of the local Miriwoong people – an apt name for a hike that takes in an astounding gallery of ancient First Nations art along the 3.5 kilometre loop track. During your trek, you’ll marvel at the undulating terrain of Mirima National Park as you walk across the plateau, descend through a natural waterway and traverse open woodland teeming with wildlife, including rock wallabies and wallaroos.

Wine tasting and skydiving may not seem an obvious pairing but this new experience, playing out above the vineyards of Langhorne Creek, an hour’s drive southwest of Adelaide, is aiming to change that. After free falling at 220 kilometres-an-hour in a tandem jump with one of SA Skydiving’s experienced team, thrillseekers will gently drift by parachute to land at the award-winning Bremerton Wines. Once safely on the ground, head to the cellar door for a guided tasting of Bremeton’s finest drops, including its James Halliday 5-star rated Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho, Chardonnay, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

A 30-minute helicopter ride from Bullo River Station, across the top of the spectacular Champagne Falls in the Keep River National Park, will land you in Legune, a cattle station to the north of the Territory. Prepare for an unforgettable day of cultural immersion on Djarrany-Djarrany Country, joining local Djarrany-Djarrany guides for damper, tea and dreaming stories at a Rock Art site and then it's on to the wetlands and riverbed to collect mussels and try throw-net fishing. A bush-tucker meal of freshly-plucked mussels, salad and meats will be enjoyed around an open fire before another helicopter ride back to Bullo. The tour runs three times a week and is an optional extra experience for Bullo River Station guests.