10 Urban Wonders Around Australia | Australian Traveller

Our cities pulse with culture, from graffitied streets lined with cult-like coffee stores to historic sporting institutions that are embedded in the national soul and world-class art exhibitions in regional hubs.

This article is part of our 100 Australian Wonders series. Throughout the series, we explore our nation’s wonders across culture, nature, food, islands and many more. We hope it inspires your own exploration of Australia’s many wonders.

1. WA Museum Boola Bardip

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Boola Bardip means ‘many stories’ in Whadjuk Nyoongar, the Country on which WA’s arts and culture hub sits. And indeed, it’s those First Nations stories and perspectives that wash over you from the minute you step into the museum, which rises above the heritage buildings of Perth CBD (Boorloo).

view of WA Museum Boola Bardip at night — The arts and culture hub explores the places, people and cultures that make Western Australia unique. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

The visionary $400 million museum aims to educate visitors through an array of themes such as the beauty of the state’s rugged landscape, the diversity and spirit of Western Australians and the state’s impact on the world.

an Aboriginal art at WA Museum Boola Bardip — The museum showcases First Nations stories and perspectives through art. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

2. Bendigo’s art scene, Vic

Travelling with: Imogen Eveson

Five years ago, Bendigo was designated Australia’s first-ever UNESCO Creative City and Region of Gastronomy. In recent years, the old gold rush town has become an epicentre of art and design, thanks to Bendigo Art Gallery.

The regional art centre has carved a niche for itself by securing blockbuster fashion and design exhibitions including The Golden Age of Couture; Grace Kelly: Style Icon; Marilyn Monroe and Elvis: Direct from Graceland, with activations that percolate throughout town.

In 2024, the city is having a Paris moment. Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925 is exclusive to Bendigo Art Gallery and includes a French-inspired program of festivities and experiences, culminating in a Bastille Day celebration on 14 July.

a woman strolling inside the Bendigo Art Gallery — Blockbuster art and design exhibitions are a regular occurrence at Bendigo Art Gallery. (Image: Two Palms Australia)

3. Adelaide Oval, SA

Travelling with: Alexis Buxton-Collins

Whether you’re standing in the shade of the giant Moreton Bay figs looming over The Hill or sitting 50 metres above the turf on the roof of the new Riverbank Stand, being at Adelaide Oval on game day is always a thrill.

the Adelaide Oval in SA — Visit Adelaide Oval to see AFL, cricket, and more. (Image: Oval Hotel)

The rest of the time, visitors can step inside the hand-operated 1911 scoreboard or test their skills against the world’s greatest batsman at The Bradman Collection.

Want to stay the night? Australia’s first stadium stay, Oval Hotel , is just a few steps away behind soundproofed walls thick enough to withstand a Guns N’ Roses concert.

the elegant interior of Oval Hotel — The Oval Hotel is just a few steps away from Adelaide Oval. (Image: Oval Hotel)

4. Flinders Street Photo Booth, Vic

Travelling with: Jo Stewart

This Melbourne photographic institution has been capturing young love, late-night shenanigans, pet portraits and spontaneous solo shots long before selfies were a thing.

New owners have recently taken over the Flinders Street Photo Booth , previously run by the same man for five decades, to keep the candid, black-and-white print photography tradition alive in the digital age.

A documentary is in the works and an exhibition honouring the beloved booth is due to run at the Centre for Contemporary Photography in Fitzroy. Laying claim to being Melbourne’s oldest photo booth, this accidentally iconic time capsule even has its own Instagram account.

the Flinders Street Photo Booth in Vic — Capture a piece of history in the Flinders Street Photo Booth. (Image: Alamy Stock Photo/Henk Vrieselaar)

5. Melbourne’s laneways, Vic

Travelling with: Christine Aldred

Tucked away in Melbourne’s CBD, a myriad of lanes and alleyways overflows with hole-in-the-wall cafes, hidden bars, boutiques, quirky stores and great eats, from steaming dumplings to high-end dining.

These lanes are more than shortcuts, they’re pulsing urban hotspots and destinations in themselves. Living galleries too, their walls provide canvases for artists to make their mark or tell tales of the city’s history and culture: rock’n’roll stories in AC/DC Lane, graffiti scrawled in grungy cobblestoned Hosier Lane and ever-changing murals in Chinatown’s Croft Alley, just for starters.

And we haven’t even mentioned the historic glass-topped arcades. Explore on your own or let a local lead the way.

walking along Melbourne’s vibrant laneways filled with graffiti art on walls — Get lost in Melbourne’s vibrant laneways. (Image: Visit Victoria)

6. The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, NSW

Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

Bob Hawke was simultaneously an everyman and an Aussie legend. He holds the highest public approval rating of any Australian prime minister ever due to his social reforms, environmental policies and – perhaps most of all – his ability to down a beer in mere seconds.

a look inside Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre in Marrickville — Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre is dedicated to an Aussie legend. (Image: Jessie Ann Harris)

The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre in Marrickville in Sydney’s Inner West is a fitting tribute to a man who was a quintessential larrikin: rowdy, free-spirited, but above all, good-hearted. The interior is a time capsule of 1980s Australiana, from the Chinese-Australian bistro (the sesame-sprinkled prawn toast is a highlight) to the decor steeped in nostalgia.

The beer is award-winning, crisp and as golden as the era the establishment pines for. All in all, it’s a watering hole that’s tried and true blue.

a spread of food on the table at Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre — The Chinese-Australian bistro serves up classics like the sesame-sprinkled prawn toast. (Image: Nikki To)

7. Newcastle’s food scene, NSW

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

Newcastle’s culinary roots are firmly planted in pub culture, with classic watering holes such as The Great Northern and The Beach Hotel given a shake-up in recent years by clever tastemakers who elevate the humble schnitty and schooner experience.

the dining interior of The Beach Hotel, Newcastle — Dine at The Beach Hotel opposite Merewether Beach. (Image: Destination NSW/ Daniel Goldstein)

But it’s a new eclectic roll call of sophisticated eateries that is capturing the attention of cultured palates. Think pan-Asian flavours at pastel-pretty Light Years; fresh and sustainable seafood at local institution Scottie’s; Mediterranean fare with Euro beach club vibes at Blanca; and the ultimate coming together of wine and pasta at one-hatted diner Humbug. Adding to its résumé of beachside beauty a few klicks from wine country, Newcastle can lay claim to being a hot culinary destination, too.

a table-top view of dishes at Humbug, Newcastle — The one-hatted diner Humbug is making waves for its elevated pasta and wine offering. (Image: David Griffen Photography)

8. Balumbul/Umpherston Sinkhole, Mt Gambier, SA

Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

As the ocean slowly retreated, the exposed volcanic landscape of the aptly named Limestone Coast rose to the surface. Today, sinkholes, caves, ponds and lakes make this region of South Australia a paradise for serious divers, recreational swimmers and curious travellers alike.

But none leave an impression quite like the almost magical garden of Balumbul/Umpherston Sinkhole in Mt Gambier. Walk along impossibly green terraced gardens of ferns and hydrangeas and wind through hanging vines while towering palm trees make a bid for freedom as they reach towards the sky.

Stay until dusk, when the garden begins to come alive with possums coming out to feed.

the Umpherston Sinkhole in Mt Gambier, SA — Towering palm trees reach toward the sky at Umpherston Sinkhole. (Image: South Australia Tourism Commission)

9. Mona, Tas

Travelling with: Imogen Eveson

They call it the Mona effect. Hobart’s paradigm-shifting art museum helped redefine Tasmania to itself and the rest of the world when it opened in 2011 under the aegis of professional gambler and art collector, David Walsh.

the Museum of Old and New Art along the Derwent River — MONA sits alongside the Derwent River. (Image: MONA/Leigh Carmichael)

The Museum of Old and New Art is a destination in itself, best accessed by a quirky ferry ride along the Derwent River from the waterfront. It houses an envelope-pushing subterranean art museum as well as an array of swanky restaurants and bars, an onsite winery and brewery, and uber-stylish accommodation.

The trickle-down effect has had a transformational impact on the culinary, cultural and hospitality scenes of Hobart and the island state beyond.

the waterfront dining at Faro restaurant — Opt for waterfront dining at Faro. (Image: Mona/ Jesse Hunniford)

10. National Arboretum, ACT

Travelling with: Christine Aldred

Dotted across hills, the National Arboretum in Canberra is a living national treasure. Rising from grounds razed during the devastating 2003 firestorm, the arboretum is a stunning patchwork of greens, reds and golds.

Home to 94 pockets of rare and endangered forests, it’s more than just beautiful trees. It’s a place where visitors can wander gardens, join walks, admire bonsai, gather for meals and concerts, or cycle the tracks while children play in the acorn playground and fly kites.

With sweeping views over the city and mountains, it’s the go-to spot for catching a sunset, sunrise or hot air balloons floating by at dawn.

Walk, cycle or picnic in the expansive grounds of the National Arboretum in Canberra. (Image: Visit Canberra)

Keep reading our 100 Australian Wonders series; from road trips and outback wonders to cultural and foodie wonders and more.

Slow down and find your rhythm on a Murray River journey through time and place.

Trust is a funny thing. It seems not that long ago that my mother was insisting on pouring the milk into my cereal bowl, because she didn’t trust me not to slosh it over the table, and yet here I am on the Murray River at Mildura in far north-west Victoria, being handed the keys to a very new and very expensive luxury houseboat.

After a crash course in how not to crash, I’m at the wheel of the good ship Elevate – pride of the All Seasons fleet – guiding her upstream past red-ochre cliffs as pelicans glide above the rippled river and kookaburras call from reedy banks. There’s a brief moment of breath-holding while I negotiate a hairpin turn around a jagged reef of skeletal, submerged gum trees, before a cheer rings out and calm descends as the timeless river unfurls in front of us.

The Murray River winding through Yarrawonga. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

Setting sail from Mildura

Murray River birds — Home to a large number of bird species, including pelicans. (Image: The Precint Studios)

A journey along the Murray River is never less than magical, and launching from Mildura makes perfect sense. Up here the river is wide and largely empty, giving novice skippers like myself the confidence to nudge the 60-tonne houseboat up to the riverbank where we tie up for the night, without fear of shattering the glass elevator (the boat is fully wheelchair accessible) or spilling our Champagne.

My friends and I spend three days on the water, swimming and fishing, sitting around campfires onshore at night, and basking in air so warm you’d swear you were in the tropics. The simplicity of river life reveals an interesting dichotomy: we feel disconnected from the world but at the same time connected to Country, privileged to be part of something so ancient and special.

Stop one: Echuca

19th-century paddlesteamers — A historic 19th-century paddlesteamer cruises along the Murray River. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The six-hour drive from Melbourne to Mildura (or four hours and 20 minutes from Adelaide) is more than worth it, but you don’t have to travel that far to find fun on the river. Once Australia’s largest inland port, Echuca is the closest point on the Murray to Melbourne (two hours 45 minutes), and you’ll still find a plethora of paddlesteamers tethered to the historic timber wharf, a throwback to the thriving river trade days of the 19th century. The PS Adelaide, built in 1866 and the oldest wooden-hulled paddlesteamer operating in the world, departs daily for one-hour cruises, while a brand-new paddlesteamer, the PS Australian Star , is launching luxury seven-night voyages in December through APT Touring.

The town is also a hot food and wine destination. St Anne’s Winery at the historic Port of Echuca precinct has an incredibly photogenic cellar door, set inside an old carriage builders’ workshop on the wharf and filled with huge, 3000-litre port barrels. The Mill, meanwhile, is a cosy winter spot to sample regional produce as an open fire warms the red-brick walls of this former flour mill.

Stop two: Barmah National Park

Just half-an-hour upstream, Barmah National Park is flourishing, its river red gum landscape (the largest in the world) rebounding magnificently after the recent removal of more than 700 feral horses. The internationally significant Ramsar-listed wetland sits in the heart of Yorta Yorta Country, with Traditional Owners managing the environment in close partnership with Parks Victoria. Walkways weave through the forest, crossing creeks lined with rare or threatened plants, passing remnants of Yorta Yorta oven mounds and numerous scar trees, where the bark was removed to build canoes, containers or shields.

The Dharnya Centre (open weekdays until 3pm) is the cultural hub for the Yorta Yorta. Visitors can learn about the ecological significance of the Barmah Lakes on a 90-minute river cruise, led by a First Nations guide, or take a one-hour, guided cultural walking tour along the Yamyabuc Trail.

Stop three: Cobram

Continue east to Cobram to find the southern hemisphere’s largest inland beach. Swarming with sun-seekers in summer, the white sand of Thompson’s Beach is shaded by majestic river red gums and dotted with hundreds of beach umbrellas, as beachgoers launch all manner of water craft and set up stumps for beach cricket. But the beach is at its most captivating at sunset, when the crowds thin out, the glassy river mirrors the purple sky, and the canopies of the gum trees glow fiery orange.

The region is also home to some fine resorts and indulgent retreats. Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort has two riverside championship golf courses, luxury apartments and self-contained villas. While not strictly on the Murray, the historic wine town of Rutherglen is rife with boutique (and unique) accommodation, including an exquisitely renovated red-brick tower in a French provincial-style castle at Mount Ophir Estate. Fans of fortified wines can unravel the mystery of Rutherglen’s ‘Muscat Mile’, meeting the vignerons and master-blenders whose artistry has put the town on the global map for this rich and complex wine style.

Stop four: Albury-Wodonga

First Nations YindyamarraSculpture Walk — First Nations Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk is part of the Wagirra Trail. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Follow the river far enough upstream and you’ll arrive at the twin border cities of Albury-Wodonga. The Hume Highway thunders through, but serenity can be found along the five-kilometre Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk – part of the Wagirra Trail that meanders through river wetlands just west of Albury in Wiradjuri country. Fifteen sculptures by local First Nations artists line the trail, conveying stories of reconciliation, enduring connection to culture, local Milawa lore and traditional practices. It feels a long way from Mildura, and it is, but the pelicans and kookaburras remind us that it’s the same river, the great conduit that connects our country.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

New Mildura motel Kar-rama. (Image: Iain Bond Photo)

Kar-Rama is a brand-new boutique, retro-styled motel in Mildura, with a butterfly-shaped pool and a tropical, Palm Springs vibe. Echuca Holiday Homes has a range of high-end accommodation options, both on the riverfront and in town.

Playing there

BruceMunro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura — Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura. (Image: Imogen Eveson)

Artist Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights installation, comprising more than 12,000 illuminated ‘fireflies’, is currently lighting up Mildura’s Lock Island in the middle of the Murray. Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) is a hub for contemporary art, with a rotating roster of exhibitions, and is a major outlet for young and First Nations artists.

Eating there

Mildura’s diverse demographic means it’s a fantastic place to eat. Andy’s Kitchen is a local favourite, serving up delicious pan-Asian dishes and creative cocktails in a Balinese-style garden setting. Call in to Spoons Riverside in Swan Hill to enjoy locally sourced, seasonal produce in a tranquil setting overlooking the river.

10 urban wonders to explore around Australia