The 17 most breathtaking spots to watch the sunrise in Australia

Ask any Adelaide dweller, Mount Lofty is one of South Australia’s crowning glories. Located in the Adelaide Hills just 17 kilometres from the city centre, it’s an idyllic high ground steeped with hiking trails and flora-infused picnic spots that are scattered with native fauna and excellent photography points. Complete with a café and an overshadowing lighthouse at 710 metres above sea level, Mount Lofty Summit makes for a picturesque place to soak up the new day’s rays cast over central Adelaide from the east. 

Ascend to new heights at Kunayani/Mount Wellington. Looming over Tasmania’s capital, Hobart, the 1271-metre peak is a smorgasbord for wildlife and diverse botany, including forest, woodlands and alpine environments – not to mention an astonishing locale for panoramic sunrises. Reflections from the River Derwent illuminate the foot of the mountain, while Hobart’s neighbouring hilly terrain creates silhouettes as the sun streaks the sky. It’s not uncommon to encounter snow on top of the enormous urban mound in the height of winter – so pack your wellies and rug up for an unforgettable Tasmanian sunrise.

When it comes to once-in-a-lifetime experiences, it’s hard to beat those on offer in Australia’s Red Centre. Now, the siren’s call of the great red north has become even louder, because an all-new, immersive Indigenous art experience has just been unveiled. Sunrise Journeys illuminates the talents of three Anangu artists who have collaborated on a bespoke dot painting that shares the story of their deep connection to culture and Country. The vast desert landscape of Uluru and Kata Tjuta is a natural canvas for their artwork, which is recreated on the dusty red sands before sunrise using cutting-edge laser and light projection. Gasp!

Coming in hot with a two-for-one deal, it’s Kings Park State War Memorial and Mends Street Jetty out in the west. Proximity-wise, the pair are situated just an eight-minute drive apart, and both offer an incoming sunrise at the base of Perth City’s skyline with tranquil Swan River views alike. Here’s the difference – Kings Park State War Memorial is perched 50-odd metres above sea level, while Mends Street Jetty is smack-bang on the water. Different locations, similar perspectives – aquatic and metropolitan vistas at inner-city convenience with licks of multicoloured hues painting the sky.

Trust us: there’s more to the hippie beach town of Byron Bay than what you saw on Byron Baes. Wake up with the sun and walk along the headland to the old-fashioned Cape Byron Lighthouse (which happens to be Australia’s most easterly point). Keep your eyes out for wallabies, dolphins and even whales, and pack your swimmers for a post-climb dip in the sparkly blue shores at Wategos Beach.

Welcome the new day by marinating in the Sun’s glorious beams atop Mount Coot-tha in suburban Brisbane. Positioned just seven kilometres to the west of the city centre, Mount Coot-tha well and truly rises to the occasion at 226 metres above sea level, taking claim to Brisbane’s highest point. Here, all-encompassing views of the big smoke and Moreton Bay are a spectacle to behold as the sun rises behind the vast sprawl and directly into your eyeballs. 

Aptly named, Remarkable Rocks at the tip of Flinders Chase National Park is a Kangaroo Island wonder. The commanding maze of granite boulders has formed across the past 500 million years and happens to be peppered with golden-orange lichen that compliments gleams of morning sunlight – what a time to be alive. The precarious stones cast dramatic shadows as dawn turns to day across the abstruse Southern Ocean – a remarkable sight, one may say. As with anything, keep your wits about you – smooth surfaces and unpredictable waters can be hazardous at the best of times.

Standing proudly in the heart of Townsville is Castle Hill, a pink granite monolith that rises to a height of 286 metres and reigns over the semi-rural, Northern Queensland town. The heritage-listed Hill boasts 360-degree views from its summit and reels in the first light over the beautiful, briny Coral Sea and fringing Great Barrier Reef. With the sun inevitably rising in the east, you may just be one of the first in Australia to lay your eyes on the big ball of fire in the sky.

‘The early bird catches the worm’, so they say. But we’re yet to hear anyone say ‘the early bird gazes upon one of the best sunrises in Western Australia at Bluff Knoll’ – weird. Located 407 kilometres south-east of Perth, the Knoll looms as the Stirling Ranges’ highest peak at a whopping 1099 metres in elevation, and is blanketed by eucalypt woodlands, banksia, grass trees and rocks coming out the wazoo. The break of day sees the heavens saturate everything in its path with the golden glow of the sun, and it’s a surefire one to contemplate. 

Casuarina Beach in Cape Hillsborough National Park is renowned for its sunrises, and for good reason. The secluded Far North Queensland utopia is located 52 kilometres north of Mackay and sees congregations of eastern grey kangaroos and wallabies grazing the shoreline for seaweed and mangrove seed pods each morning – now that’s a breakfast with a view. As the day breaks over the Coral Sea’s horizon, the turquoise waters and pale sands contrast the resident fauna like some kind of enchanting mirage. Casuarina Beach’s first light makes for a rare instance where the sun’s flare isn’t the main event – hop to it.

Situated just 21 kilometres off Perth’s coastline, Rottnest is Western Australia’s isle jewel  – and not just for the drop-dead-cute marsupial quokkas. What the island lacks in square kilometres, it makes up for in marine sanctuaries, paradisal beaches and top-tier coves for witnessing divine dawns. Rainbow-like gradients grace the horizon with Bathurst Lighthouse as a backdrop for the creeping sun. It’s a sight for sore eyes, to say the least.

If you’re partial to a 360-degree lookout, this short and steep trail connecting up Mount Ainslie is a must. You’ll want to time your summit with sunrise to beat the heat and enjoy the best views overlooking the Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, the mountains of Namadgi National Park and beyond. If you’ve already hit your step count for the day, then you can also drive to the top of the summit with breakfast in tow. 

Find an inner-city slice of peace at Darwin’s Stokes Hill Wharf. Located 1.5 kilometres from the Northern Territory capital, the wharf is popular with early risers and last-minute risers alike. Funnily enough, no hills are involved, so you can roll out of bed and onto the wharf for a majestic sunrise over the shimmering seas. Stokes Hill Wharf has got the lot, with alfresco eateries specialising in local seafood, museums and live music, on occasion. As for the sunrise, roost up facing eastward and peer across the Timor Sea inlet with Charles Darwin National Park and the likes over the pastel, morning waters.