23 Reasons Why You Must Visit Australia Before You Die

    There are places that should be on your bucket list. And then there's Australia.

    Simon Crerar
    by Simon Crerar

    BuzzFeed Founding Editor, Australia

    1. Belgian Johan Lolos has been traveling around Australia for a year. If his pictures don't make you want to jump on a plane RIGHT NOW you must be CRAZY!

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "This is The Pinnacles in Western Australia. The sunset was breathtaking. I was a full moon night. This day I discovered that on the night of the full moon it rises at exactly the same time as the sun sets. The sunset and moon rising: so exciting!"

    2. When Lolos arrived in Australia, he had 500 followers on Instagram. He leaves next week with more than 26,000, following him for fabulous images like this.

    Johan Lolos / Via Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "I first visited Uluru in August 2013, but it was raining. So I decided to go back earlier this year for a proper look at the most famous sunrise, sunset and stars in Australia. This is one of the many shots I took."

    3. Night-time at Uluru, Northern Territory.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "Before I visited Australia, I had never heard of Uluru! Then I saw a photo of the rock and the stars and decided to try for a shot of Uluru and the full arc of the Milky Way. This image is made up of 25 different shots, a 180 degree panorama with 14mm lens, 2.8 aperture taking 30 seconds: then post-production work in Lightroom and Photoshop, hours of work. I'm very pleased with the end result."

    4. Secret spot, Blue Mountains, NSW

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "On the way to Cahill's Lookout, I met a girl living in Katoomba who knew a secret spot. It was stunning. The Blue Mountains is perfect for meditation: great nature, amazing lookouts and rolling valleys."

    5. Devils Marbles, NT.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "Heading up to Darwin after my first visit to Uluru, the sun came out after a rainy week, and it was stunning. I went for a different perspective, waiting for the sun to drop below the clouds: capturing a beautiful sunset."

    6. Darwin, Northern Territory.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "I lived in Darwin for three months and it was heavenly. I arrived at the end of the rainy season in early April, and it was still so hot I had to to hit the pool every day just to cool down. Darwin was incredible, every day served up the most beautiful, breathtaking sunsets."

    7. Bay of Fires, Tasmania.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "I arrived in Tassie with a friend on Christmas Day 2013, and we hitchhiked around for three weeks. This was the first time I saw white sand. We camped on this beach. Tasmania is probably my favourite state, it's so pure, clean and genuine."

    8. Whitehaven Beach, Queensland.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "Believe the hype, this is the most beautiful beach in the world. I shot this image from Hill Inlet lookout, it's a panorama made up of 35 images. I was on a Queensland road-trip with three German friends. Because I was working for voyagerloin.com webzine I got some amazing free tours, including this three day three-day cruise on Solway Lass around the Whitsundays. Whitehaven is simply the best beach I have ever seen, the sand is so fine. There's really no way to describe this beach – you have to experience it for yourself."

    9. Whitehaven Beach, same lookout.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "This is zoomed in on the sand spit were we stopped for a swim. The water is a perfect colour: just crazy!?

    10. Heart Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "This was shot from a seaplane. I'd been lucky enough to take a trip over the GBR off Cairns by helicopter, and it is the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life. This was the same feeling . We landed on the sea and got out of the plane and snorkeled in pristine waters, no human had swum in before. Truly unforgettable."

    11. Gunlom Falls, Kakadu National Park, NT.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "This is like a natural infinity pool, with big falls on the other side going. I went with Elisa Detrez, Best Job In The World winner."

    12. Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "Out of this world. I went on a two day tour, stayed in a lodge and saw LOADS of wildlife. KI has amazing sea lions, pelicans, dolphins, kangaroos and wallabies. This image shows the Milky Way in a single shot with a 30 second exposure and also two other galaxies."

    13. Katherine Gorge, Northern Territory.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "One of the NT's natural wonders, with eight interlinked gorges. This was the night of a blood moon. We got a stunning sunset. It was the end of the wet season, so we still couldn't swim because of crocodiles."

    14. Karijini National Park, Western Australia.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "People I met said said you have to go to two national parks above all others: Karijini and Kakadu. I spent three days here walking and doing tracks, just after rains, sometimes I rhad to walk with water right to my shoulder. Freshwaters pool, heaps of natural pools, gorges everywhere."

    15. Margaret River, Western Australia.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "We were just driving looking for a free campsite, then saw this huge mob of kangaroos. During the golden hour just before dusk you see them popping up everywhere. The great thing about road-tripping it that you can just pull off the highway and take pictures."

    16. Kakadu, Northern Territory.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "I shot this panorama in the Kakadu on the way back to Darwin, driving at night. Saw this amazing sky and basically said "I have to shot that!" The Red light is light from our 4WD's headlamps, it really was in the middle of nowhere."

    17. Loch Ard Gorge, Great Ocean Road, Victoria.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "This was early in my stay and the first image that Tourism Australia posted on social media. The Great Ocean Road reminded me of Normandy in France. This was taken on a short road-trip from Melbourne when four girls and I rented a car."

    18. Nudey Beach, Fitzroy Island, FNQ.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "One of the most photographed beaches in Queensland, a day trip from Cairns. I stayed a few nights, the lodge was amazing. The islands of Far North Queensland are the perfect place to relax, just chilling on the beach. Swimming and snorkeling in stunningly warm waters."

    19. Rainbow Beach, Queensland.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "This is the Great Sandy National Park. You have these massive sand dunes, perfect for viewing sunrises and sunsets. These two guys made a great silhouette."

    20. Sydney Harbour, New South Wales.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "This is in the calm before sunrise, with no boats in the harbour. I like shooting at sunrise better, there is more blue and pink in the sky. Sydney is one of my favourite cities in the world."

    21. Shell Beach, Shark Bay, Western Australia.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "This entire beach is made up of tiny shells, billions of them! The guys in the shot are my travel buddies, a German guy and a British guys, looking at a jellyfish."

    22. Wallaman Falls, Queenland.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "This is the tallest single drop waterfall in Australia, at 268m. It's quite a trek in and when you get there you just sit and meditate, and think "Wow. How small am ?" The track is really steep so you need to be fit."

    23. Uluru, Northern Territory.

    Johan Lolos / Facebook: lebackpacker / Instagram: @lebackpacker

    "I read in the Lonely Planet guide that even the most experienced travelers are amazed when they first Uluru. When I saw it on the horizon I couldn't believe how massive it was. It was wet, but I realised I was really lucky as only one percent of visitors see it under rain. But I had to go back to see the rock with blue skies."

    Follow Johan on Facebook and Instagram.