by Elisabeth Sowerbutts

There's a whole lot more to Australia than the Sydney Opera House and Ayers Rock. In fact most of Australia's stunning and unusual sights are completely missed by travellers who focus on the well-worn East Coast trail from Sydney to Queensland. Here's a selection of some Australian places that you may have missed: see all these and you'll have seen more than most of the locals!

West Macdonald Ranges and Kings Canyon, Northern Territory: Every visitor wants to see Ayers Rock, so go and see it, just make sure that you take the back road to Alice Springs via Kings Canyon and the West MacDonald Ranges. The colours and gorges of this area have inspired artists for years: visit and you'll know why.

Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory: You may have heard of Kakadu National Park south east of Darwin, but what about nearby Litchfield National Park? Litchfield doesn't have as many sealed roads, cappuccinos or tourists, but is that why you go to the territory's tropical north? Instead experience remote water holes and amazing bird life.

Lawn Hill, Queensland: Most of northern Queensland is off-limits for swimming, well unless you are a crocodile that is. Lawn Hill is an oasis, a beautiful gorge of warm thermal water, bird life and safe swimming. It's the only place you can swim outside of a swimming pool between the Gulf of Carpentaria and Mount Isa. The campground consists of secluded sites within gum trees.

Winton, Queensland: Winton, a tiny country town, is the jumping off spot to see the dinosaur stampede footprints at nearby Lark Quarry. Spend a day in Winton itself, have a drink at the art deco North Gregory Hotel and visit the tacky-sounding, but incredibly entertaining and informative, Waltzing Matilda Centre.

Bungle Bungles, Western Australia: Unknown to the outside world until about 20 years ago, this enormous of area eroded landscape looks like something from a CGI special effects department. In the north of the state the moon-like landscape is so extensive that you have to take a flight to appreciate it.

Cape le Grande National Park, Western Australia: Near to the town of Esperance, a remote port on the Southern coast, are the deserted and stunning beaches of Cape le Grande National Park. The sand is blindingly white, almost pure quartz, and it literally squeaks when you walk on it. The sea is an incredible shade of turquoise blue, and seals were the only surfers on the day we visited.

Kalgoorlie, Western Australia: Many visitors go to Bendigo or Ballarat in Victoria to see a historic mining town. Head instead to Kalgoorlie and see a real, living breathing town whose historic buildings are still in use. Visit the "superpit", a working gold mine right in the centre of town, and check out the "skimpy" bars full of modern-day miners and half-clad waitresses. No, Kalgoorlie is not politically correct, but it's definitely authentic.

Old Ghan Railway Track, South Australia: This remote outback road, along the historic Ghan railway line, is much less travelled than the better known Birdsville Track. You can take the luxurious modern Ghan train from Adelaide all the way to Darwin, or get your hands dirty and grab a 4WD. The 4WD track takes you along the more authentic, remote and beautiful old Ghan track that skirts Lake Eyre. Look out for genuine railway sleepers and pins, which are yours for the taking. Most of the towns along this route died when the trains stopped in the 1970s.

Coober Pedy, South Australia: Subterranean towns are rare. Even rarer are real towns where people, not just tourists, live underground to cut heating and air con bills. Churches, shops, motels and campgrounds are all available underground here. The name 'Coober Pedy' comes from the local Aboriginal phrase "white fella's hole in the ground"; the town is also famous for being the opal capital of the world.

Franklin River, Tasmania: Tasmania's remote West Coast receives a lot of rain, and the dark temperate rain forest is a world away from mainland Australia's deserts and tropics. The remote and brooding landscape of the Franklin River is sinister and appealing at the same time. You can see why the early convicts were desperate to escape, and why so few of them managed to so.