Cape Kidnappers

Cape Kidnappers

This dramatic sandstone headland is not only gorgeous in its own right, it's also home to 6,500 Australasian gannets, distinguished by their two-meter (six-foot) wingspans, golden yellow heads and a serious lack of coordination on land. But once they take flight, these big birds soar with grace and then dive with acrobatic bravado into the sea. Seeing them requires taking one leg of the journey by four-wheel-drive vehicle or tractor. There's no public access from July to October.