Having been restored to the traditional name, K'gari' or paradise in the language of Butchulla people, This particular oddity can be found by a 30-minute ferry journey from Hervey Bay, on Queensland’s southern coast. K'gari' is known for its improbably long stretch of beach, primordial rainforests and then inland lakes that are by turns crystalline (McKenzie) and Tea Tree tinged (Wabby).

To be sure this is a private island but it deserves to be known by the public well beyond its rocky, abalone festooned and kelp forested shore. An island off an island, off an island and then off an island again, this sheer-cliffed, eucalyptus-scented island, is a short ferry ride or helicopter journey from Tasmania’s southern coast but feels like the end of the earth (in a good way).

If a guaranteed wildlife encounter is high on your Australian agenda, King Island has you covered. There are around 700,000 wallabies on this 40 mile by 17 mile football-shaped island in the middle of the Bass Strait, north west of Tasmania’s mainland, meaning they outnumber the human population by about 600 to one. The wild and windswept King - whose golden grasses and towering cliff-faces are pounded by the famous Roaring Forties tradewinds - is home to plenty of other curiosities as well.

It’s called “Straddie” to most locals, or "Minjerribah” to its Traditional Owners, and it’s known for its unhurried yet elevated vibe. There are classic weatherboard pubs sitting right on the water, ideal for a cold sunset beer, while Cylinder Beach, on the east side of the island facing the Coral Sea boasts sparkling celadon green water capped by a spectacular surf break.

It’s not a stretch to call this isolated green dot, around halfway between the Australian state of New South Wales and New Zealand, ‘Jurassic Park-sur-mer’. Ancient and captivating, there are different landscapes around every jungly turn; from rainforests to jagged cliffs to coral reefs. Birdwatchers are spoiled here, with 130 species calling the island home including the endemic Lord Howe Island woodhen and providence petrel.

The newly rebuilt Southern Ocean Lodge on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island is one of Australia’s most desirable stays but the comma-shaped Louth Island, further to the west off the Eyre Peninsula, is making a strong case as a rival contender. Off-grid eco lodge Rumi on Louth - dreamed up by tech entrepreneur Che Metcalfe - is opening in gradual stages but there are currently five luxury, completely open-to-the-ocean suites available to guests.

Discerning Australian diners know that when an Abrolhos Island scallop appears on the menu it is to be ordered. In a country known for its unique regional seafood, these sea-sweet shellfish are particularly prized. Known for their buttery texture, they are wild-caught on this archipelago of 122 islands, 60 km west of Geraldton off WA’s Coral Coast. Known as a Galapagos-like marine park, these reef-rimmed islands are accessible by ferry, charter boat or a scenic flight.

Tiwi are Australia’s Saltwater People, living on red-cliffed, forested islands in the Timor Sea for millennia. Making up 90% of the population the island is one of the rare regions where Aboriginal or Tiwi culture dominates. The island is neither Crown Land or public but instead private holding of the people and as such demands a permit to visit and enforcing a respect for the local ways and customs. In something entirely unique, social media is banned, allowing a chance to truly disconnect.