Deal

If you want a snapshot of Australia’s appeal, look no further than Sydney: The idyllic lifestyle, friendly locals and drop-dead natural beauty of this approachable metropolis and its attractions explain why the country tops so many travellers’ wish lists. But Sydney is more than just the embodiment of classic antipodean cool—the city is in a constant state of evolution. A list of what to do in Sydney might start with the white-hot nightlife, with its new cocktail bars and idiosyncratic mixology dens. Inventive restaurants helmed by high-caliber chefs are dishing up everything from posh pan-Asian to Argentine street food, while the famous dining temples that put Sydney on the gastronomic map are still going strong too. The famed harbour is among the top sights—home to twin icons the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it is the stepping-off point for some of the city’s best cultural attractions and sightseeing. In one day you can sail around the harbour, get a behind-the-scenes tour of the opera house and climb the bridge, with time to spare for people-watching over a flat white at a waterfront café. Speaking of water, when you plan what to do in Sydney, you will want to include the iconic beaches, where surfers, office workers and tourists alike converge on some of the most gorgeous shoreline scenery anywhere. Bondi, Bronte and Clovelly are all within easy reach of the Central Business District, as is Manly, a charming seaside town located a short ferry ride from Circular Quay. Beyond the city you’ll discover UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the chance to encounter Australia’s cuddliest wildlife—a perfect way to round out your envy-inducing Sydney photo collection.

Just 140 kilometres south-southeast of Melbourne, lies Phillip Island, ancestral home of the Bunurong people, among the first indigenous people to encounter Europeans. Wildlife is abundant here, including little penguins, fairy penguins and Pacific gulls; as well as wallabies and kangaroos.

Melbourne is consistently voted one of the world’s most livable cities—and for good reason. This is Australia’s cosmopolitan heart with cutting-edge art and architecture, historic galleries, attractions and museums, plus a dizzying range of restaurants, bistros, markets and bars. It’s renowned for its sporting culture, home to the esteemed Melbourne Cricket Ground and Australian rules football teams. The famous laneways of Melbourne bustle with hidden bars and eateries, while myriad beaches and parks allow for the ultimate outdoor lifestyle and active things to do. It’s a melting pot of cultures and a city of gourmands who demand excellent food and find it everywhere—from modern Australian cuisine and delicious Asian fusion fare to low-key cafés serving the best coffee you’ve ever tasted. If you want to leave the city, Melbourne is the gateway to Victoria’s world-class wineries and spectacular coastline sights. Visit the famous penguins at nearby Phillip Island or feast on local produce in the picture-perfect Yarra Valley. Wherever you go in and around Melbourne, you’ll be sure to understand why so many choose to call this beautiful corner of the world home.

Burnie’s long-running logging industry is just one hint at the amazing forests that surround the town, from the UNESCO World Heritage area that contains Tasmania’s most famous crag—Cradle Mountain—to the lesser-known rain forests of the Tarkine wilderness. Woodworkers, papermakers and print artists thrive in this misty land of trees, as does rare wildlife, ranging from wedge-tailed eagles to echidnas and the fabled Tasmanian devils. There’s pristine beachfront, too, where little penguins march and well-to-do locals dine on seafood platters as they gaze off into Bass Strait. Tasmania’s separation from mainland Australia has created a resourceful, self-reliant and sometimes rebellious community that cooks and farms as well as it crafts and explores. Burnie’s bounty includes award-winning single-malt whiskeys, hard apple cider, trout and salmon, hormone-free milk and cheeses and beef from Cape Grim in the far northwest. Known for having the world’s cleanest air, Burnie is an exciting base for a taste tour as well as a rugged or refined adventure.

With a burgeoning creative class, top-notch wining and dining, and a pace of life that feels distinctly more leisurely than high-profile siblings Melbourne and Sydney, Adelaide has evolved into a must-visit destination. The biggest buzz is going on in the city’s Central Business District, which has become the hub for artists, designers and restaurateurs, all breathing new life into a once-sleepy capital. Not everything changes though: The town’s reputation as a genteel, leafy haven is still justified, and Adelaideans’ love of sport—particularly Australian Rules football and cricket—continues unabated. You’ll also soon notice that the citizens of Adelaide are devoted to fine wine and great food, and they’re particularly proud of the world-class vintages being produced in the famous Barossa Valley wine region, another must-see when visiting South Australia. Even if you can’t make it to the source, the city’s excellent restaurants and bars showcase local wines, many of which—like the country’s most famous red, Grange Hermitage—are worth traveling across the world for.

The Australian continent’s third-largest island—Kangaroo—enchants visitors with its mellow rhythms, which seem to be coming from a quieter and much simpler time. Even Penneshaw, its main ferry port, has a population of less than 300 people, and farmers sometimes still advertise for spouses on bulletin boards. Long roads run arrow-straight through the fields, scrub and dense gum forests of this spectacular unspoiled destination. It remains one of the best places to see Australian marsupials in the wild. Almost half the island remains bushland or national park, sheltering koalas, echidnas and a million or so tammar wallabies. Weighing just five to seven kilograms, these mini-roos flourish here, thanks to a dearth of foxes and other mainland predators. (Despite this strong population, the species, Macropus eugenii, remains on the endangered list.) Marine mammals also make a healthy showing on Kangaroo Island. Visitors can walk through one of the country’s largest sea lion colonies and watch for rare southern right whales offshore.

The little Australian island is home to stunning landscapes, old-growth forests and exceptional local produce. Lording over all this goodness is Hobart, the island’s creative capital. Although its remoteness might once have made it feel provincial, the city has truly come into its own in recent years. It’s got one of the world’s best museums of contemporary art, vibrant markets, a cosmopolitan dining scene and eclectic music festivals. It’s also achingly beautiful, with a natural harbor setting and rugged Mount Wellington looming in the background. The city is compact enough to easily explore on foot. Start at the sandstone area of Salamanca Place with its hip galleries, artist studios and bustling cafés and bars, and then roam the quaint streets of Battery Point, one of Hobart’s oldest neighbourhoods. Enjoy the gorgeous nature at the Botanical Gardens or head out of town to learn more about Tasmania’s dark—but fascinating—past. Fuel up on the freshest seafood straight from the Southern Ocean down at the waterfront, or feast on gourmet Tassie produce at one of the many excellent restaurants in town.

The very small town of Port Arthur offers a fascinating introduction into the history and culture of Tasmania—indeed, of Australia as a whole. About a 100-kilometre drive southeast of Hobart, Tasmania’s capital, Port Arthur is best known for its past as a penal colony. The Port Arthur convict settlement, which spreads over 40 hectares, operated from the 1830s until 1877. Today its stone buildings make up one of several UNESCO-designated Australian Convict Sites on Tasmania. The whalers, miners, farmers and bushrangers who once lived in this region have given way to artists, foodies and rock climbers. The dramatic landscape ties it all together, infusing the identity of the people as well as the incredible food, drink and culture scene, for which Tasmania has become renowned. From the towering sea cliffs around Port Arthur to Hobart’s historic Salamanca Place, southeast Tasmania holds much appeal for adventurous travellers. Add in artisan wineries and distilleries—and possibly one of the world’s strangest museums—and you have a destination that’s easy to fall in love with.

Straddling national parkland and sparkling estuaries on the unspoiled Sapphire Coast of New South Wales just an hour north of the Victoria border, Eden lives up to its name. From secluded beaches and striped red cliffs to the emerald waters of Twofold Bay—the third-deepest natural harbor in the world—the town is an inspiring immersion into wilderness, even if you just have one day. The original settlers thought so too, establishing a thriving baleen-whale-hunting industry that was assisted by pods of local orcas. Visitors can learn about this amazing mammalian partnership at the Eden Killer Whale Museum, and can learn about some of the shipwrecks at the Green Cape Lightstation. Outdoor enthusiasts have ample opportunities for swimming, hiking, snorkelling and spotting humpback and southern right whales (between May and November; unfortunately, orcas no longer call the area home). And when you think all is said and done, there’s still native wildlife to meet and local art to appreciate—not to mention some of the country’s most prized oysters just waiting to be plucked from the sea.