Lonely Planet Australia

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Island, country, continent Australia is a bigun whichever way you spin it. The essence of the place is diversity: deserts, coral reefs, tall forests, snow-cloaked mountains and multicultural melting-pot cities.

Most Australians live along the coast, and most of these folks live in cities. In fact, Australia is the 18th-most urbanised country in the world, with around 70% of Australians living in the 10 largest towns. It follows that cities here are a lot of fun! Sydney, the sun-kissed Harbour City, is a glamorous collusion of beaches, boutiques and bars. Melbourne is all arts, alleyways and Australian Rules football. Brisbane is a subtropical town on the way up; Adelaide has festive grace and pubby poise. Boomtown Perth breathes west-coast optimism; Canberra transcends political agendas. If youre looking for contrast, the tropical northern frontier town of Darwin and chilly southern sandstone city of Hobart couldnt be more different. But whichever city youre wheeling into, youll never go wanting for a decent coffee, live band, art-gallery opening or music festival mosh-pit.

Australia has broken the binds of its Anglo meat-and-two-veg culinary past, serving up a multicultural fusion of European techniques and fresh Pacific-rim ingredients. Mod Oz (or Modern Australian) is what the locals call it. Seafood plays a starring role Hardly surprising on an island this big!, we hear you saybut from succulent Moreton Bay Bugs to delicate King George Whiting, theres a lot of variety in the oceans bounty. And of course, beer in hand, youll still find beef, lamb and chicken at traditional Aussie BBQs. Dont drink beer? Australian wines are world-beaters: punchy Barossa Valley reds, McLaren Vale Shiraz, Hunter Valley Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc from Tasmanias cool-climate Tamar Valley. Need a caffeine hit? Italian cafes have always known how to make the perfect espresso, but now there are coffee machines in pubs and petrol stations, and baristas in downtown coffee carts youre never far from a double-shot, day or night.

Theres a heckuva lot of tarmac across this wide brown land. From Margaret River to Cooktown, Jabiru to Dover, the best way to really appreciate Australia is to hit the open road. Car hire here is relatively affordable, road conditions are generally good, and outside of the big cities theres bugger-all traffic. If youre driving a campervan, youll find well-appointed caravan parks in just about every town of any size. If youre feeling more adventurous, hire a 4WD and go off-road: Australias national parks and secluded corners are custom-made for down-the-dirt-road camping trips. So embrace your inner road warrior and sing it loud: Get your motor runninHead out on the highway

Pinnacles Desert (), Western Australia
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The magnificent opera house ( ) on Sydney Harbour is a headline act in itself. An exercise in architectural lyricism, Jrn Utzons building on Bennelong Point holds its own amid the visual feast of the harbours attention-grabbing bridge, shimmering blue waters and jaunty green ferries. Best of all is the fact that everyone can attend its bars, restaurant, daily tours and regular performance schedule make sure of that.

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Great Barrier Reef

Stretching over 2000km up the Queensland coastline, the awe-inspiring Great Barrier Reef ( ) is one of the worlds great wonders. Among the best ways to experience it: donning a mask and fins and delving into the vivid undersea kingdom for a close-up view of dazzling corals, sea turtles, sharks, rays and tropical fish of every colour and sizeor exploring the reef by sailboat, taking a scenic flight, gazing at marine life through a glass-bottomed semisubmersible and lingering in a resort (or camp) on a remote coral-fringed island.

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Melbourne

Head down bluestone laneways in Melbournes city centre () to find the hidden restaurants and bold street art that encapsulates the alternative vibe here. Take your place on a milk crate in Degraves St and let a local barista change the way you think about coffee, then window shop for quirky only in Melbourne crafts and clothes. Watch evenings arrival by the Yarra River, then head up some stairs or down to the very end of a graffiti-covered lane to find a smooth drinking establishment serving up quality Victorian wine, beer and music.

Section 8 (), Melbourne
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Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

No matter how many times youve seen it on postcards, nothing prepares you for the burnished grandeur of the Rock as it first appears on the outback horizon. With its remote desert location, deep cultural significance and spectacular natural beauty, Uluru is a pilgrimage well worth the many hundreds of kilometres it takes to get there. But Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park ( ) offers much more than the chance to see the Rock. Along with the equally captivating Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), there are mystical walks, sublime sunsets and ancient desert cultures to encounter.

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MONA

Occupying an improbable riverside location a ferry ride from Hobarts harbourfront, Moorilla Estates Museum of Old & New Art (MONA; ) is an innovative and truly world-class institution. Described by its owner, Hobart philanthropist David Walsh, as a subversive adult Disneyland, three levels of spectacular underground galleries showcase more than 400 often challenging and controversial works of art. Visitors may not like everything they see, but its guaranteed that intense debate and conversation will be on the agenda after viewing one of Australias unique arts experiences.