8 Aussie city escapes every traveller needs to take this summer
The joys of a citycation across Australia shouldn’t be underestimated. Check out all that’s new and hot in our nation’s capitals for a homegrown stay like no other.
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At the risk of making this story all about myself… actually that’s exactly what I’m about to do. Some months ago I tore my Achilles tendon in the Solomon Islands and I didn’t realise just how grounding the injury would be – in more ways than one.
Not only did it stop this travel writer from getting on a plane, but for three months I was in a boot, hobbling between my bathroom, sofa and bed. But as I’ve eased into walking again, this humbling experience has given me time to rediscover the city I live in (Sydney) and realise how beautiful it is. I’ve now made it my mission to appreciate and explore every inch of the country’s largest city – then start on the other capitals.
The rest of the world has plenty of attractions (like crazily fast-flowing rocky waterfalls in the Solomons). But there is so much in this country to inspire a home-grown citycation. From exciting new hotels and restaurants to groundbreaking exhibitions and inspiring tours, here’s how I intend (and you should, too) to make the most of the fresh urban bounty Australia has to offer.
SYDNEY
Is this the world’s most beautiful city? I challenge you to tell me different. From its harbour to its city beaches (more than a hundred), it never fails to dazzle.
SWEET DREAMS: Steps from the harbour, Capella Sydney hotel sits in a near-century-old sandstone building that was once home to the NSW Department of Education. Luxurious interiors celebrate history, but also come with modern art.
LOCAL HANG: The inner-west suburb of Enmore is fast becoming Sydney’s coolest hub, replete with seriously cool restaurants from some of the city’s finest food connoisseurs, not to mention breweries, distilleries, cocktail bars, live-music venues and vintage shops. Need another reason to visit?
TABLE TO BOOK: Josh Niland is one of Australia’s most talented seafood chefs. And when he closed his Paddington restaurant Saint Peter, Sydney sighed. The population is now on high alert for table availability thanks to its recent reopening, still in Paddington but now at the Grand National Hotel.
CHEERS TO THAT: There are plenty of amazing mixologists, but none quite as good as those at Maybe Sammy, which recently took home the accolade of Australian’s only bar in the World’s 50 Best awards.
SEE A SHOW: From the Sydney Opera House to Carriageworks, a plethora of musical theatre is brewing over the next 12 months. Catch everything from Titanique to the return of Hamilton.
BIRD’S-EYE VIEW: Two Indigenous Sydney experiences – Dreamtime Southern X and Burrawa Aboriginal Bridge Climb – now unite. Enjoy a Welcome to Country with Aunty Margret at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, then scale it with a First Nations guide.
MELBOURNE
Australia’s “cultural capital” is also a food-lover’s destination. And I’m ready to dig into the bounty of hot new restaurants and bars. If there’s a game on at the MCG, even better.
SWEET DREAMS: On the cusp of the city’s Parliament Gardens, the new Lanson Place hotel sits pretty across two buildings: a gleaming new tower and the meticulously restored 1901 Salvation Army Printing Works. The original arched windows and marbled columns remain.
INDIGENOUS EDGE: The Koorie Heritage Trust has been spotlighting Indigenous heritage from its base at Federation Square for decades. Now it has a new, and expanded, home front here. Browse galleries, then head on a walking tour along the Yarra River. Finish with lunch at Big Esso by Mabu Mabu at the Trust’s base, highlighting native flavours.
SPORTS FANATICS: Be a VIP at the MCG on a tour of Australia’s oldest and largest sporting oval. Step onto hallowed turf, visit the museum and dine in the Committee Room where the menu is by legendary Italian chef Guy Grossi.
DRINK IN THE VIEW: Melbourne has its fair share of rooftop bars. Newest of them all is Fleet, the loftiest of its kind along Flinders Street in the city centre. You can drink up the view from the top of the Vibe Hotel, and thank us later.
TABLE TO BOOK: Restaurateur Chris Lucas can’t put a step wrong in Melbourne. And his newest outlet, Tombo Den, doesn’t disappoint. It’s part sushi bar, part karaoke haunt, and a whole lot of fun.
SOPHISTICATED TIPPLE: Melbourne’s newest cabaret bar, Viva, adds a touch of spice to the city’s nightlife – think underground French luxury meets 1920s spiegeltent, with standout cocktails.
ADELAIDE
Adelaide was recently voted Australia’s most liveable city by The Economist– and the third most liveable in the world. I can see why.
SWEET DREAMS: Set within the city’s 150-year-old General Post Office building, the new Marriott Adelaide pays tribute to its heritage, from its staggering collection of commissioned artwork to its three dining rooms – not to mention rooms and suites with stellar outlooks.
SPA DAY: Freshly minted Davaar House is not your average spa. Yes, you can get massages and facials, but this boutique cocoon – set in a historic mansion – also has an infrared sauna and float pod, offering additional treatments such as salt, cold, oxygen and red-light therapy.
TABLE TO BOOK: It was named the best restaurant in Adelaide in 2023, and now Botanic has a rock-star new chef. Jamie Musgrave delivers a tasting menu that is as fresh as it is flavourful, highlighting producers that have shaped Australia, as well as native ingredients like marron, green ants, finger limes and bunya branches. Oh, and you’re dining within the Botanic Garden. Bonus: Exclusive to the gardens until April 29, 2025, is the southern hemisphere’s first large-scale outdoor showcase of renowned American glass artist Dale Chihuly’s works. Catch it after your meal, when his 15 sculptures transform in a rainbow of colourful lights.
A TASTE OF NATURE: While on the topic of the Botanic Garden, take a deep-dive into the native ingredients Musgrave serves at his restaurant on an Indigenous-guided walking tour with Southern Cultural Immersion.
LIQUID COURAGE: Coopers has been quenching the thirst of beer lovers for more than 160 years. See what all the fuss is about at the brewery’s gleaming new home in Regency Park, replete with a restaurant, three bars, tasting room, microbrewery and whisky distillery.
SKY-HIGH SPORT: Want some perspective? Join a RoofClimb adventure over Adelaide Oval with Cultural Attractions of Australia to take in the city skyline, discover the history behind the celebrated sporting arena and delve into the famed Bradman Collection.
CANBERRA
Our nation’s capital is a beacon for the outdoors, art and culture. And then there are the exciting new food offerings.
MEET THE LOCALS: A former industrial precinct, up-and-coming Fyshwick is gaining its groove thanks to a host of new artisan bakeries, vintage record stores, breweries and the ultra-hip Niche Markets.
TABLE TO BOOK: Known for Sydney restaurants Aria, Opera Bar and Chiswick, restaurateur Matt Moran has made his double-debut in Canberra with &Sando (a Japanese-inspired sandwich bar) and Compa (a fire-fuelled steakhouse).
SPLASH OUT: A night at the museum? Almost. Cultural Attractions of Australia offers an exclusive evening out at the National Gallery of Australia, with after-hours access to collections and a sumptuous meal.
FOR THE FAMILY: Canberra’s gallery scene continues to grow to new heights and new show Curiosity: Building Breakthrough in Lego Bricks is a prime example. It’s at Questacon until May 25, 2025.
DARWIN
Australia’s only tropical capital is steamy whenever you visit. As the gateway to Kakadu, the Tiwi Islands and Litchfield National Park, it offers so many reasons to linger.
SWEET DREAMS: The new Darwin Airport Resort is not just for plane-spotters – this integration of two reimagined hotels (Novotel and Mercure) comes with a 60m pool (one of the largest of its kind in an Australian capital city), waterfalls and lush gardens.
BIRD’S-EYE VIEW: Head off on an epic heli-foraging adventure with Darwin Distilling Co, choppering over the coastline, then gathering native botanicals at Finniss River Lodge. Back in Darwin with your haul, get set to make your own gin.
DAY TRIP: This part of the Northern Territory is vast, but you can see a lot of it in a day on a new safari uniting Kakadu Air and Davidsons Arnhemland Safaris. Fly over Kakadu, then explore monsoonal rainforest, flood plains and sacred Aboriginal sites.
HOTTEST PRECINCT: Darwin’s fresh Cinema Collective precinct unites a number of exciting restaurants and bars in a retro space that was once the city’s first multi-screen movie theatre.
TABLE TO BOOK: Television personality and chef Minoli De Silva has been described as “the flavour queen”, and diners at her Darwin restaurant, Ella by Minoli, understand why. The menu pays homage to De Silva’s Sri Lankan heritage, while showcasing quality Australian produce.
HOBART
The capital of Tasmania is as wild as it is wonderful, as reflected through its forward-thinking restaurants, hotels and experiences.
SWEET DREAMS: The Tasman may be relatively new to Hobart, having opened in late 2021, but it tells a story that is centuries old through its building, interior design and thoughtful plaques throughout remembering European and Indigenous heritage.
A LITTLE PAMPERING: Drift away in steamy bliss on Kuuma, Australia’s first mobile floating sauna boat, a 20-minute drive from Hobart. Work up a sweat, then dive into the invigorating ocean.
HOTTEST SEAT: Tasmania’s lush produce has inspired many restaurants to lean local. Newcomer Maria, on Hobart’s waterfront under Aloft and by the same acclaimed team, uses regional ingredients to work Med-inflected magic for its set menu.
HEAVEN SENT: With little light pollution, the skies around Hobart are a bedazzlement of stars. Gaze north and delve into the constellations on a night tour with Walk on Kunanyi during the colder months. Spotting the Southern Lights is a bonus.
BRISBANE
The capital of Queensland has never shied away from bold developments and this year is no exception, with a plethora of new opportunities to wine, dine and be merry.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH: Brisbane’s highly anticipated Queen’s Wharf precinct has been worth the wait. The former industrial site opposite Southbank is now home to multiple hotels, trendsetting restaurants, boutiques galore and a dramatic arch-shaped Skydeck offering views over the Brisbane River 100m below.
SWEET DREAMS: Part of Queens’s Wharf, the Star Grand doesn’t disappoint when it comes to dazzling views and equally luxe facilities – think multiple pools, a spa, sauna and easy access to all those restaurants.
HOTTEST SEAT IN TOWN: Built in 1888, the gorgeous Naldham House building is now home to a European brasserie by the same name, as well as a slick terrace bar. Come here for beef tartare and chicken-liver parfait in sultry surrounds.
FOR THE FAMILY: Immersive Bluey’s World is set to welcome families from November 7 – this is your chance to visit the Heeler family’s Queenslander home, backyard and beyond “for real life”.
NIGHTCAP: Cocktails in a speakeasy that’s part pawn shop, part bar and part perfumery? No wonder newcomer Pawn&Co has already been rated one of the world’s most exciting new places for a drink.
PERTH
The West Australian capital is strong when it comes to protecting Noongar Indigenous culture. And it shines from its dining rooms toits bustling public precincts.
SWEET DREAMS: The Murdoch precinct is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in WA’s capital. And it’s here you’ll find the new Courtyard Perth, its art-filled rooms the gateway to Fremantle and beyond.
TABLE TO BOOK: Luxe Gibney comes with ocean views all the way from South Cottesloe to Rottnest. The menu is inspired by old-world European brasseries.
NEWEST PRECINCT: Joining Northbridge to the city, the Yagan Square redevelopment brings with it Indigenous art, an amphitheatre and a host of new restaurants and bars.
BEACHY VIBE: A bit of Bali, a bit of Perth – welcome to new Hillarys Beach Club. This coastal haven is open from breakfast to dinner, and there are a number of spaces to drink and dine.
WALK THIS WAY: Explore Kings Park – the largest inner-city park in the world and once a sacred birthing ground – or the Rockingham Foreshore, with an Indigenous guide via In Culture Tours.
Originally published as 8 Aussie city escapes every traveller needs to take this summer
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