Australia is famed for its glorious coast lines, crystal clear waters, vast bushland and laid back atmosphere. Yet Australia’s cities are not to be overlooked. Australia is home to some of the most vibrant and coolest cities in the world that can showcase quirky bars, hip restaurants, museums, open spaces, and funky markets, all while the sun is shining down on you.
There is no end to the towns and cities to explore when in Australia, rather, the country’s geography is likely to be your biggest stumbling block. Australia is a vast landscape and it can take over 4 hours by plane to get from the Western Australian capital city of Perth to the New South Wales capital of Sydney. So if you don’t have buckets of time to spend traveling to each city here is a list of some of the highlights of each city so you can choose the best ones for you.
Photo credit; Patrick McLachlan from Pexels
Sydney
Perhaps Australia’s most well-known city and a bucket list destination for so many visiting the land down under and with good reason. No stay in Sydney is complete without a tour of the Opera House, climbing Harbor Bridge, or exploring the harbor by boat. One of the great juxtapositions of Sydney is that you can be amongst the hustle and bustle of the city, exploring landmarks, and shopping hard on Oxford Street but never far away from the world-famous beaches of Coogi, Bondi and Manly. Sydney can offer you contemporary art museums, fine dining restaurants, high-end glamor, a surfers paradise, and so much more all in one stay. Just be sure to budget, it can come with a price tag to match.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the sometimes underrated cooler sister to Sydney. It is the capital city of the state of Victoria and is a cosmopolitan city that will not disappoint. A stay in Melbourne will transport you from the typical Aussie beach and barbie to a metropolitan marvel that offers up some of the most fantastic food, a buzzing art scene, museums, and a cafe culture to rival the cities of Europe, not to mention Melbourne bars are some of the coolest and quirkiest in the country. If you are looking for a city of culture, with the perfect blend of history and modern-day living then Melbourne is the place for you.
Perth
Perth is one of those cities that has it all. It is Western Australia’s capital and is the most isolated city on Earth, but also one of the richest thanks to the State’s thriving mining industry. Perth can offer you everything from a stunning coastline and glorious beach to large luscious open city parks, and a laid back bustling city that is immaculately clean but with constant events and festivals. A stay in Perth will offer you slick wine bars, unbeatable restaurants, historic ports, prisons, and markets. Not to mention an array of river cruises and boat trips that make the most of the city’s waterways. You will not be stuck for things to do when staying in Perth.
Cairns
If you are looking for adventure and to make the most of Australia’s great outdoors and love of sports then Cairns needs to feature on your itinerary. Here you will find some of Australia’s finest and most infamous natural wonders including the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest. It is the perfect destination for snorkeling, scuba diving, rainforest trekking, bungee jumping, and bushwalking. To name but a few of the adventures Cairns has to offer. It’s not all sports and adventure in Cairns and you can mix up your stay with some designer shopping, art galleries, and botanical gardens.
Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is Queensland’s most iconic coastal city and is the perfect holiday city. The Gold coast has everything you could want from a holiday destination. The city’s buildings and high rises are set along 57 kilometers of infamous Aussie sands, you can spend the day in the surf and the night in the bustling bars, gourmet restaurants, or glitzy nightclubs. If you have had enough of the beach then why not spend the day at the theme parks, wildlife parks, or Broadwater Parklands, which hosted many of the Gold Coast’s Commonwealth Games. What is more just a 45-minute drive from the city you will find the Gold Coast Hinterland, which is home to national parks, mountain villages, and the Gondwana Rainforest the world’s most extensive subtropical rainforest.
