The tallest rock, Mt Olga (546m, 1066m above sea level) is approximately 200m higher than Uluru.

BBC: Lonely Planet's top 10 in Australia's Northern Territory

Others capture a sense of the sacred in the middle of Australia's Outback, where Ayer's Rock -- or Uluru, as it's known to the Aborigines -- stands.

CNN: Spiritual destinations

They include attractions as diverse as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (which includes Ayers Rock) in the arid red heart of Australia, and the temperate Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area.

ECONOMIST: A survey of Australia