Where to explore Australia under city lights

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Cities: busy, exciting, chaotic, inspiring; too much to do and not enough time. And that’s why we love ’em. To help you navigate your way through 2017, we’ve picked some WONDERFUL ways to enjoy the big smoke.

 

1. A cellar door in the urban sprawl

URBAN WINERY SYDNEY, NSW

Urban wineries are a cultural mainstay in Europe and New York, but the Urban Winery Sydney is one of the first of its kind in Australia.

A large-scale working winery in the city’s inner-west, the venture is the brainchild of Alex Retief, who wanted to offer Sydney city slickers a taste of the vine without a schlep to the country.

Try a tasting or one of the popular winemaker and chef dinners.

 

2. Shop like a fashion insider

MELBOURNE, VIC

Melbourne fashion designers Georgie and Alex Cleary of cult label Alpha60 share tips for the best retail therapy and food in their city:

“Search out World Food Books on level three of the Nicholas Building in the city but don’t be confused by the name; there are no cookbooks here.

Instead you’ll find a great range of contemporary art journals and limited edition artist books.

Then pop around the corner to Pieces of Eight, which specialises in super cool and interesting jewellery.

If you like jewellery and craft, you’ll love Craft Victoria.

Part gallery, part shop, it has an amazing array of artisan products including work by local potters and woodworkers.

Visit us in our new Flinders Lane store, Alpha60 at Chapter House.

“For food, Embla is a wine bar in the CBD by the renowned chefs from The Town Mouse. Don’t be put off by the laminex tables and bright lighting in the no-frills Chinese diner

Shandong Mama as the dumplings are authentic and delicious.

Meyers Place is one of the original laneway bars, over 20 years old – and still one of the coolest bars in town."

 

3. A taste of the tropics

DARWIN, NT

Darwin has some of the best markets in the Northern Territory, packed full of the best food and views in all of Australia.

Some of the best food to be devoured in Darwin is at its myriad markets, where cross-cultural influences, fresh flavours and stupendous sunsets and sunrises abound.

At the Rapid Creek Markets, Darwin’s oldest, you’ll find Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Sri Lankan and Filipino shoppers jostling for produce, while at the Nightcliff Markets you can linger a little longer over live music, good food and coffee.

Pick up some crafts or flowers at the Parap Markets or listen to buskers and other live entertainers at the Palmerston Markets.

The Mindil Beach Sunset Markets are a bit of a tourist trap, but once you’ve experienced that sunset you’ll understand it’s for a good reason.
darwin.nt.gov.au/explore/markets

 

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4. Get to know the capital from a kid’s eye view

CANBERRA, ACT 

The family that stargazes together, stays together, so take a night tour of the famous Mount Stromlo Observatory.

To cool off during the day, visit the historic art deco Manuka Swimming Pool, before filling young minds at the likes of Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre, The National Arboretum parks and gardens or the National Museum of Australia; all of which make the capital a paradise for kids – meaning a happy holiday destination for parents, too.

Check out our guide to Canberra for families for more.

 

5. A heritage walk in the other West End

FREMANTLE, WA 

An old port town and part of the Greater Perth region, the atmosphere and history of Fremantle is intoxicating.

The streets of its West End are lined with impeccably preserved Victorian-era buildings, and visitors can explore antique shops, book stores, heritage pubs and new cafes.

Take a dip at Bathers beach or Port Beach before visiting the Fremantle Art Centre for a performance or exhibition.

 

6. You won’t mind if this track work interrupts your journey

CARRIAGEWORKS, SYDNEY, NSW

You’ve seen a performance at the Opera House and a play at the Sydney Theatre Company, so next time you’re in Sydney venture a little further afield to the city’s inner-west and discover one of the best cultural venues in Australia – Carriageworks in Eveleigh.

 

7. Find moments of Japanese calm in the metropolitan madness

MELBOURNE, VIC

Melbourne might be our food, wine and coffee capital, but it also has some of the best Japanese bathhouses in Australia.

Weary travellers can soak and steam at The Japanese Bath House in Collingwood, which has been open since 1999 and underwent a slick refurbishment in 2015.

Men and women have their own bathing areas and everything is provided, including towels, soap, robes and shampoo.

For a more upmarket unrobing, try Onsen Ma at Meyers Place in the city.

It offers exquisitely serene designer baths as well as Japanese massage packages, as does the Japanese health space Sensu Spa.

 

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8. Design dreams in our island state

HOBART, TAS

Hobart has some of the best seafood and wine in the country, but did you know it also has some of the nation’s best design stores?

Look a little further than the architectural marvel that is Mona and discover design treasure troves such as LUC for homewares and interiors, FIND Collective for contemporary jewellery and Handmark Gallery for Tasmanian art and craft.

 

9. Some coriander with your morning coffee?

BRISBANE, QLD

Ethnic breakfasts are one of the biggest food trends, and Brisbane dishes up three of the best.

Try West End Coffee House for Thai food with your morning latte.

Cook Em Clare hails from Isaan in Thailand and has a breakfast menu including Chinese leek dumplings and khao tom gai, an aromatic Thai rice soup with chicken and ginger.

PawPaw serves a south-east Asian menu including a Bali bowl and an Asian omelette, while Café Ó-mai specialises in Vietnamese breakfast dishes such as claypot-baked eggs with Vietnamese lemongrass pork sausage and tamarind sauce.

 

10. Step into the private world of an art obsessive

THE DAVID ROCHE FOUNDATION,
ADELAIDE, SA

If you love quirky house museums of the super-wealthy, such as the Frick Collection Museum in New York, you’ll adore The David Roche Foundation collection in Adelaide.

Roche was an avid collector of decorative arts, and his collection spans two centuries of European design – from French Rococo to the Fabergé of Russia.

Housed in his original residence, Fermoy House, and a new adjoining building, IT offers a fascinating insight into Roche’s life and passions.

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5 of the best day trips from Hobart

(Credit: Samuel Shelley)

    Rachel Lay Rachel Lay
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    Hobart has quietly become our coolest capital, but the real wonder lies just beyond the city limits.

    In the cool shade of Kunyani/ Mt Wellington, Hobart has earned a reputation. Home to culture-defining Dark MOFO, the city blends rugged, raw wilderness and rule-breaking galleries. But, step beyond the thrumming capital’s border and you’ll find a new perspective: historic towns, Jurassic-era cliffs and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Fill your days with epicurean odysseys and wild scenery on the best day trips from Hobart.

    Where to stay

    Hobart stay with sleek style at Mövenpick hotel
    Elevate your Hobart stay with sleek style at Mövenpick.

    Behind every good road trip is the perfect home base. Somewhere central to review your camera roll, make the most of Hobart’s dining scene and relax before setting off again.

    For modern, Tasmanian-inspired design, book a stay at the Movenpick Hotel Hobart. Standing at the Salamanca Markets, look to the Hobart skyline, and the award-winning hotel will catch your eye. As the third-tallest building in the CBD, the views across the harbour toward Antarctica are totally unique from your room. Here, end each day at the daily free chocolate hour (plus a free Movenpick ice cream for the little ones).

    For a more budget-conscious option, head to the picture book, sandstone buildings of Macquarie Street. Nestled along the buzzing, historic streetscape, you’ll find Tasmania’s biggest hotel: the Ibis Styles. Return home each day to defrost in one of the hotel’s two saunas. Make use of the proximity to MONA, or take an easy stroll to the candy-coloured cottages of Battery Point between your adventures.

    1. Bruny Island

    Bruny Island Neck is an isthmus of land connecting north and south Bruny Island.
    Begin your adventure with a climb and a view. (Credit: Elise Weaver)

    Craggy cliffs and tropical-hued, white sand beaches signal your arrival to Bruny Island/ Lunawanna-Alonnah.

    Start your day trip at the island’s most iconic spot, the Neck Game Reserve. Scale the Trunganini steps to gaze out over the teensy stretch of land that juts through the sea connecting the two ends of the island.

    Catch a rare glimpse of the white-furred wallabies that call Bruny Island home at Adventure Bay. Then, for ocean-fresh oysters, pull into the drive-thru window at Get Shucked. Sample Bruny Island cheese at the cellar door before catching the ferry home with an esky full of local produce.

    2. Mount Wellington

    Mount Wellington Summit tasmania
    Climb through alpine forest to the summit. (Credit: Samuel Shelley)

    At 1271 metres, Mount Wellington watches protectively over Hobart. Follow the winding road to climb through alpine forest and tufts of snow to reach the summit. Gaze down over Hobart and out to sea, or over your shoulder to the southwestern wilderness.

    Reset your adrenaline with a mountain bike ride back down. Or, make like the locals and head into the mountain on foot. Try the hike to the Jurassic-period Organ Pipes, which slips under the mountain’s magnificent dolerite cliffs (perfect for families thanks to the trail’s minimal incline).

    For a view of Mount Wellington itself, hike nearby Cathedral Rock.

    2. Port Arthur

    Port Arthur tasmania
    Wander through convict-built grounds and gardens. (Credit: Alastair Bett)

    Constructed entirely by convicts, the manicured gardens and penal buildings of Port Arthur offer a day trip that practically hums with history.

    The rugged, seagirt location was chosen for its difficult escape conditions. Now, you can cruise the coast below the towering, jagged cliffs of the Tasman National Park or wander the sloping fields of fragrant lavender.

    Tickets to Port Arthur include a walking tour and harbour cruise. See the Isle of the Dead where 1000 men are buried in marked and unmarked graves. And Point Puer, Britain’s first prison for children.

    3. Launceston

    Duck Reach Power Station Bridge Cataract Gorge launceston
    Walk the sunlit paths of Cataract Gorge. (Credit: Nick H Visuals)

    You’ll find Launceston at the confluence of three rivers after an easy 2.5-hour drive from Hobart. Launceston is a patchwork of old and new. Here, heritage streetscapes meet modern architecture.

    Visit Cataract Gorge, the green, sun-dappled heart of the town and sacred meeting point for Tasmania’s indigenous communities. Pull up at roadside produce stalls that dot the Tamar Valley, or dine out. Launceston is, after all, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

    Should the local wine scene persuade you, simply extend your time in Launceston at Peppers Silo (but definitely at least stop by the onsite restaurant, Grain of the Silo, for a farm fresh menu) or Mercure Launceston before heading back to Hobart.

    4. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

    woman with wombat at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
    Snap a cuddle-worthy encounter. (Credit: Tourism Australia)

    Take a 35-minute drive from your hotel and you’ll find Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. This social enterprise is run by a team of extremely passionate Tasmanians with a mission to look after critically endangered species who have found sanctuary here after facing extinction on the mainland.

    Choose to wander the sanctuary at your own pace or join a guided tour (free with your ticket) to come face to face with Tassie’s most iconic species. Tasmanian Devils, wombats and echidnas are part of the free tour. You can book up close encounters with your favourite animals, too.

    5. Richmond Village & Coal River Valley

    Richmond is a picture-perfect town in the Coal River Valley wine region, offering a glimpse into early colonial life, one of the best day trips from Hobart.
    Trace the river through history and wine country. (Credit: Alastair Bett)

    Richmond is a town that belongs in a snow globe. Fifty colonial-era, Georgian buildings have been painstakingly restored and turned into cafes, cosy restaurants and galleries. Visit Richmond Gaol, said to be the home of a prisoner so vile he inspired Charles Dickens to pen Oliver Twist’s Fagin.

    Then, follow the Coal River as it flows past grassy, duckling-dotted knolls and under the iconic Richmond Bridge, the oldest bridge in Australia. From the crest of the bridge, see the oldest Catholic Church in Australia. The river crawls past many cellar doors, perfect for a day of wine tasting.