In the centre, by the beach or on the urban fringe – Melbourne hotels are spread across the city. Our guide to the different neighbourhoods will help you decide where to stay in Melbourne.
There are extensive entertainment options and things to do in Brisbane, with an array of interactive museums and galleries to check out and a busy schedule of festivals and events throughout the year. The city is also home to many square miles of public parks, both in the CBD and at South Bank.
Sydney is truly a multicultural city that is seen through the immense selection of flavors and cuisines from around the world. The wide culinary selection is also complemented with some of the best restaurants in the country. Also making theSydney’s dining scene excel is the fantastic local produce, which is truly top grade and fresh.
The cosmopolitan metropolis of Sydney is awash with modern architecture, a spectacular harbor and countless attractions. Sydney has become a world-class destination that offers visitors cultural diversity and modern flare.
The scenic city of Sydney is blessed with some truly spectacular sights, magnificent landmarks and fascinating tourist attractions. Sydney’s visitors are spoiled for choice, with countless places to visit all within a short distance of the city and harbor area.
Port Douglas sits on the coast in the north of Queensland, between Cairns and Cape Tribulation, and is known for its long beach and sophisticated feel. It is a popular launch point to the Daintree rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef and also has a ton of excellent hotels, restaurants and shops.
Many people use Darwin as a hub for travel into the Northern Territory and it is ideal for this purpose with its international airport and numerous regional air routes, as well as countless travel agencies offering regular bus tours to all the big sights. For those who stay in town and many do they will find a city full of appeals.
Port Douglas is friendly and laid-back and fully used to tourists at all times of year. It is a safe town as far as towns go, yet there are dangers and annoyances to be aware of, such as box jellyfish and crocodiles in the sea and waterways. The climate also has a rainy season so it is worth spending time planning a trip.
Alice Springs may be the Northern Territory's party central but Darwin is no slouch in the fun stakes either. There is a SKYCITY casino here, nightly markets on the beach and more restaurants and bars than you could shake a didgeridoo at. No one needs to be bored for long in Darwin.
Given that it is a last frontier city built on swampland and closer to Jakarta than to Sydney, Darwin is exceptionally cosmopolitan.
The main activities in Port Douglas involve both land and water in the form of rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef. They are both within shouting distance of Port Douglas, with the Daintree Rainforest just inland and fringe reefs extending from the shoreline.
Darwin cuisine fuses Pacific Rim flavors with tastes from the neighboring Indo-Malay region. Into this enticing mix is the Australian love of great steak, lamb and seafood, especially prawns and crayfish. The huge Australian fish, the barramundi, is presented in a number of inventive ways, all of them delicious.
Port Douglas doesn't offer a huge array of attractions as it is mainly used as a base for visiting the nearby Daintree National Park and the Great Barrier Reef. The main allure is its long beachFour Mile Beachwhich is right by the town and easy to walk to.
Port Douglas has dozens of restaurants and cafés that offer the freshest seafood and dishes from across Australia, Europe and Asia. For such a small town, most people are taken aback by not only the amount of eateries here, but the high quality.
The best shopping in Port Douglas is for arts and crafts as there is a weekly market where good deals can be had. Wood carvings and aboriginal crafts are good buys, along with local paintings, jewelry, and handmade clothes.
Darwin is a great place to invest in aboriginal art and craft since most of the work on sale in Darwin's many galleries and souvenir shops is produced by local artists. One thing that many tourists may want to be mindful of is that some local artists receive a very small percentage of the high sale prices. Galleries and stores that practice more equitable exchanges will advertise as such in their windows and brochures.
Darwin is a safe and friendly city and the crime rate here is extremely low. What visitors do need to be prepared for though are the ever present dangers and irritations of nature. Crocodiles and box jellyfish make swimming off the water of Darwin unsafe. Extreme heat needs to be moderated also. Other travel needs are well catered for with plenty of ATMs and tourist information offices.
Hobart's combination of intense natural beauty and rich history means that there is a large number of interesting attractions to explore here, including museums, historic mansions and nature reserves.
Hobart has the largest selection of restaurants in Tasmania, many of which offer diners stunning ocean views to enjoy while they munch away. Many restaurants allow diners to bring their own alcohol, while others offer a selection of the region's finest beers and wines.
Being the capital city of Tasmania, Hobart is particularly easy to get around and there is plenty of public transportation available. English is the main language that is spoken here and the city receives large numbers of tourists from all over the world, which means that Hobart's tourist industry is well developed.
Combining natural beauty and interesting attractions, Hobart is the capital city of the state of Tasmania. This small and enchanting city contains a large number of both natural and historical attractions, while those who are interested in water sports will also be able to practice scuba diving, fishing and sailing.
Hobart is never lacking in live entertainment and music lovers travel here from all over Tasmania to listen to live blues, rock and jazz, which is provided every night of the week in the city's large pubs, bars and clubs.
Hobart is the best place to shop in Tasmania as the city is full of modern shopping malls and interesting market places, all located in and around the city center.
Often said to be the shopping capital of Australia, Melbourne is truly a shopper's paradise, with an abundance of shops catering to all tastes and budgets. You will find everything from expensive designer brand clothing to novelty souvenirs and electronics.
Melbourne is an entertaining city with a vast array of history, culture and heritage. Visitors will enjoy the fantastic museums, cosmopolitan city suburbs and outdoor sporting events. There is truly something for everyone in this exciting city.
The sprawling city of Melbourne has a number of districts, neighborhoods and suburbs which all have a unique feel and atmosphere. The city has a diverse range of culture and heritage dating back to the 1800s when the city was founded.
The cosmopolitan city of Melbourne is known as the food capital of Australia, with literally thousands of choices available in the central city area alone. The city enjoys a wide variety of flavors and cuisines from around the world, which are complemented with the exceptional produce available in Australia.
Melbourne is a truly spectacular city with an abundance of interesting attractions, magnificent sites and beautiful landmarks. The city is filled with culture, history and heritage, which provides a fantastic atmosphere for visitors.
Melbourne is a culturally-rich cosmopolitan city that has a wonderful friendly and open atmosphere which helps to make everyone feel welcome. The weather can be erratic with four seasons in one day but for the most part, it is generally mild year round. Public transport in Melbourne is fantastic, with an array of choices including buses, trains, trams and taxis.
Perth is especially known for its range of creative seafood dishes, and, with the best seafood restaurants being located at the waters' edge on Sunset Coast, the freshness is assured. Specialties include barramundi, freshwater crayfish and tiger prawns.
The Gold Coast is loaded with shopping malls, duty-free stores and boutiques - in particular at Surfers Paradise – and is the best place in Queensland for high-end goods. Souvenirs, designer labels, and sports goods are widely available here, while handicrafts and souvenirs can also be had at regional weekend markets.
The laid-back feel and multicultural makeup of the city provides an interesting and enjoyable atmosphere for foreign travelers visiting Sydney. The weather is mild year-round with a warm summer experienced from December to February. Transport in Sydney is easy to navigate, with an abundance of buses, trains, taxis and ferries as well as hire car services.
Perth offers good shopping options, although nothing like the extent of Sydney or Melbourne. The upside is that most of it is contained in an easy to access area of downtown where there are pedestrianised arcades and walkways and good scope for eating.
Perth, as with any Aussie center, is an active town with a lively populace and many things to do, day and night. You will see business types quickly donning beach attire on the train as they head for the beach during lunch hour, while the parks fill up with walkers and joggers at all times.
Sandwiched between Brisbane and the New South Wales border in southeastern Queensland, the Gold Coast conurbation is a hugely popular beach-based tourist destination. It is essentially a collection of cities, towns and villages along the coast fronted by excellent surfing beaches and pockmarked by waterways.
The Gold Coast has it all; beaches, countryside, sun, malls, museums and bustle, and everyone is catered for. The beaches are of course the main attraction and they go from the tourist-surf-heavy Surfers Paradise in the heart of the action, down two more measured shores toward the south and on nearby islands.
The Gold Coast is all about the beach and there are miles of sand here where swimming and surfing can be enjoyed almost year round. Surfers Paradise is the main beach and the most built up town on the Gold Coast. Consequently it also has the bulk of the attractions, including noteworthy museums and galleries, as well as the best shopping.
There is more eating choice in the Gold Coast than anywhere else in Australia. Unless you plan on heading to one of the top spots, where you will need to book, you can just head out in any of the beaches or towns and check out any number of quality places.
The cosmopolitan city of Sydney has a wide array of attractions and activities for tourists to enjoy whilst on vacation. Whether it's nightlife activities, shopping, great food and drink, there are plenty of great spots to visit.
Perth is one of the world's most remote major cities, lying as it does thousands of miles from anywhere on West Australia's southwest coast. The Aboriginals were here 40,000 years before the Dutch and English though it was the latter that settled the area in the 1800s, with the establishing of a colony on the Swan River by Captain James Stirling in 1829.
Perth has a low crime rate, fantastic weather and excellent tourist and transport infrastructures. Although pickpockets are a problem, as with any city, Perth is one of the easiest going towns in the country and most visitors have few problems taking in the sights.
Visitors to Sydney will be more than impressed with the city's retail selection, which boasts an array of fashion boutiques, jewelry shops and large department stores. Inside the city there are a number of areas that will entertain shopping aficionados for the whole day.
The sun is particularly fierce in this part of the world and using a high-factor, brand name sun block, plus a hat and sunglasses, is a must when on the beach. Despite being a huge conurbation of towns, villages and suburbs, getting about by public transport is not a problem.
Perth is not overrun with attractions, yet has plenty to lure tourists such as historical and modern landmarks to check out, as well as loads of parks and beaches. Scarborough Beach, City Beach, and Cottesloe Beach are the main ones, of which Scarborough has the best facilities, surf, and access.
Adelaide is good for anything, from the best white opals and other gems to crafts, wines, clothes and antiques. The city is loaded with markets, including that of the bustling Central Market where you have all sorts of foodstuffs, while fashion boutiques and large department stores also abound.
Adelaide boasts hundreds of restaurants, most of which are in the easy-to-navigate downtown area where there is a profusion of traffic-free streets. The good thing is that many cuisines are represented, from good old Aussie tucker, to superb Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Greek and Italian fare.
Adelaide is loaded with historic highlights churches, museums, galleries and manor houses and also comes with beautiful parks and gardens. Its collection of attractions will appeal mostly to the discerning traveler looking for history as well as fun in shops and bars.
Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and although it is its largest city, it has a compact core and many distinct neighborhoods defining it. Adelaide is a place of interesting old buildings that blend with modern arcades and large parks and gardens. It is the main launch point for visiting the wineries of the region and has many beaches.
With its low rate of crime, Adelaide is one of the safest large cities in Australia and the public transport infrastructure and hospitality are excellent. It is worth keeping an eye out for Hindley Street at night and also taking into account that the weather is changeable at various times of the year.
Adelaide offers a good variety of entertainment. There are loads of wineries that can be toured in the region, along with several sandy beaches to swim at and partake in water sports. You can also go bushwalking in the country or have a picnic in one of the many city parks that surround downtown.
When lined up against Sydney or Melbourne, Brisbane doesn't fair so well statistically on the shopping front. There is lots of variety, however, from fun arts and crafts markets to the highest quality designer stores.
The capital city of Canberra is an excellent place to eat as just about every type of food imaginable can be found here. The restaurants here are generally reasonably priced and visitors can dine on anything from modern Australian cuisine to Italian, Thai and Chinese dishes.
Brisbane is one of the most laid-back big cities in the country, with warm and friendly people and a casual and sophisticated atmosphere. The weather is agreeable for the most part, and getting about is straightforward although you should try and stay within reach of the CBD as the city is huge.
Cairns is one of the centers of Australian tourism and as a result people come here from all over the world to work, study and play. This means a cosmopolitan dining scene that can hold its own with the eating on offer in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Central Canberra features a number of large shopping malls, department stores, fashion boutiques and markets, making it a great place for bargain hunters. A wide range of prominent stores such as Myers and David Jones can be found here, as well as unique stores selling locally produced goods.
Australia's capital city is located in the Australian Capital Territory. Although this modern city has a reputation for being a bit on the dull side, the millions of tourists who travel here from all over the world each year soon discover this is not the case.
Brisbane is a fascinating collection of suburbs and districts in one of the most sun drenched areas of Australia. It is a warm, friendly city with spotlessly clean streets and impressive buildings and features a large, meandering river through the middle.
Cairns is the sweltering gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia's second-largest tourist attraction (after Uluru) and the largest living thing in the world. Most people who visit here do so fleetingly, in order to take boat trips to the Reef. This is a shame since Cairns itself is a thriving tourist center that marks the entrance to the far north tropics of Australia.
Cairns is very much a night time city since the soaring temperatures and soggy humidity during the day prohibit any kind of vigorous activity during the day time. Of an evening, the international crowd flocks to bars and restaurants that pulsate with travelers from all backgrounds, and the variety of nightlife and atmosphere here is truly electric.
The main thing to bear in mind when approaching a stay in Cairns is the heat and humidity. This is a very steamy part of the world and the most frequent cause of discomfort and distress is unfamiliarity or lack of preparation for extreme temperatures. Also, be sure to avoid swimming in the waters directly off Cairns as crocodiles swim in the wild here. Tourist traps are another concern, and most visitors should try to book well in advance for all trips to the Great Barrier Reef.
Built in 1913, Canberra is a very modern city and there are no ancient sights to visit. However, there is a large number of historically significant buildings and more than 30 impressive structures to explore, all located around the city's many park and other natural beauty spots.
Brisbane is one of Australia's most historically important cities and is loaded to the hilt with impressive buildings in the center. It also has an array of world class museums and galleries that hold much of the country's cultural wealth and history. The galleries in South Bank in particular are nicely laid out and appeal to a broad audience.
Canberra is a vibrant, multicultural capital city, and a large number of people visit from all over the world. English is the main language and is spoken throughout the city, making communication simple. Although most of the main attractions and sights can be visited on foot, the city is also blessed with an excellent public bus system.
Built in 1913, Canberra is a very modern city and there are no ancient sights to visit. However, there is a large number of historically significant buildings and more than 30 impressive structures to explore, all located around the city's many park and other natural beauty spots.
Brisbane used to be a bit of a bore on the dining front although it has really come along of late. There are now many award-winning restaurants in the city and its stylish suburbs, with everything from good Aussie tucker (wholesome Australian food) to excellent European and Asian eats.
Australia's capital city has no shortage of entertainment options. People travel here from all over the world and there are plenty of places to shop, drink and dance after dark and enjoy outdoor activities such as bush walking and boating.
Sophisticated and multi-cultural Cairns is a shopper's heaven with a great mix of shopping malls and department stores as well as souvenir and trinket stores which are a dime a dozen by the main port and The Esplanade. Good buys include crocodile skin leather goods and pearls.
The days are warm, sunny and ideal for outdoor activities on autumn holidays in Sydney. It’s a time of festivals and parades, so book a Sydney autumn hotel when the summer heat has mellowed.
Book a Sydney hotel to shop and dine by the harbour, take in a show or spend a relaxed day at the beach. Whatever your interests, this two-day itinerary will help you get the most out of a short break in Sydney.
Leave the winter fireside behind on spring holidays in Melbourne and discover a city bursting with flowers and festivals. It’s the season of sporting highlights that stop the nation, so book a spring hotel in Melbourne to watch the events.
Watch a show or sporting event on a short break in Melbourne, and dine at some of Australia’s best restaurants. Book a Melbourne hotel and see the best of the city with this two-day itinerary.
Food-loving Melbourne specialises in innovative restaurants and eclectic bars. Book a Melbourne hotel and savour the best with this guide to the top 10 food and drink things to do in Melbourne.
Coastal walks, surfing beaches and sailing on the harbour – book a Sydney hotel to follow the call of the wild in outdoor Sydney.
Take an Australia holiday and visit a vast land of sultry jungle, arid desert, endless beaches and cosmopolitan cities. From the tropical far north to Tasmania’s rugged far south, book an Australia hotel and discover a big country with an ancient past and youthful energy.
Easy-going Melbourne puts a high value on the good life. Book a Melbourne hotel and put style, sport, food and drink top of the agenda on a Melbourne city break.
Sydney city breaks mean catching waves at Bondi Beach, a show at the Opera House and tasting the global flavours of modern Australian cuisine. Book a Sydney hotel to experience the many sides to Australia’s most popular city.