By Monique Sanmiguel Photos: Courtesy AO, QVB, Unsplash & Freepik
Australia is one of the best places for sports and nature lovers. There are a few modern cities, but above all there are sporting activities such as cricket, tennis, rugby, Aussie rules, surfing, diving, canoeing, skiing and even rafting or climbing.
A country that was home to British prisoners at the end of the 18th century, finished up being a country of talent not only in sport, but also in music and film. Some of the Australian celebrities include Hugh Jackman, Rose Byrne, Rebel Wilson, and INXS vocalist Michael Hutchence, born in Sydney, and from Melbourne, Cate Blanchett, Ruby Rose, Chris and Lian Hemsworth, just to name a few.
Byron Bay
This is the best place to be for those who like to surf, swim or just enjoy the white sand and relax. The Byron Bay Lighthouse was opened in 1901 and is located on Cape Byron, at mainland Australia’s most easterly point, 3 kilometres from Byron Bay town. The intense light is the most powerful in the country and now still in operation.
In the ‘60s and ‘70s, Byron Bay grew due to the peculiar interest of well-known personalities from the entertainment world who were looking for a cultural change focused on wellness. The waves are ideal for surfing or kayaking surrounded by dolphins, whale migration, tanned people walking barefoot and some music festivals, these are some of the things that dominate this paradisiacal place.
Celebrity couple Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have their home in Byron Bay, as do other film stars, so you might even bump into them in a restaurant or on the street.
Gastronomy is diverse and you can find world-class restaurants and pubs around the town. As well as the gastronomy is varied, there is also a diversity of renowned local designers for the shop lovers.
Sydney
It’s a city that mixes modernity with tradition. One of the most iconic places for fashion and architecture lovers is the Queen Victoria Building (QVB). A historic Romanesque-style building, designed by architect George McRae and opened in 1898, which originally housed a concert hall, coffee and a wide variety of shops.
Since 2010, New South Wales State Heritage Register and thanks to painstaking restorations of its original architecture and some modernisations adapted to 21st century needs, it has become home to over 140 fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants.
The Sydney Town Hall was built from 1886 to 1889 and is opposite the QVB and next to St Andrew’s Cathedral. The Town Hall was built by various architects who wanted to outdo each other and is therefore considered to be one of the most elaborate buildings in Sydney.
Sydney Opera House is undoubtedly the main symbol of modern Australian architecture and one of the most distinctive examples of 20th century architecture.
At foot of the steps of the Opera House is the harbour district of Circular Quay, where you can find a variety of shops, restaurants and pubs, as well as the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge which was opened in 1932 and has a pedestrian lane, a bicycle lane, two train tracks and eight car lanes with a total length of 503 metres.
Canberra
Australia’s capital city is renowned for its solemnity and its natural and cultural attractions. In the town of the city is Burley Griffin, an artificial lake on the Molonglo River. 11 km in length and a maximum depth of 18m, it offers activities such as fishing, boating, swimming and picnic boating.
The Australian Parliament House is one of Canberra’s architectural landmarks, was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp Architects. The façade is reminiscent of the old Parliament House, but the roof has natural grass and of course, a huge spire with the Australian flag.
The National Gallery of Australia is one of Australia’s art museums, housing more than 155,000 works of Australian and international art and is surrounded by a series of sculpture gardens planted with Australian native plants and trees.
Melbourne
Victoria is a sports-mad state, isn’t a best place for the sportsman and sporting spectator than Melbourne, the energy of the inhabitants is contagious. The Melbourne Cricket Ground is considered the main sporting venue in Australia, with 170 years of history, it hosts different sporting competitions in addition to the traditional cricket, one of the most emblematic sports of Australia.
Other sporting events that have been held there include the 1956 Olympic Games, a host of Australian Rules Football matches, Australia’s World Cup football qualifiers. The Australian Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks play each other at the MCG for rugby’s Bledisloe Cup, as well as exciting VFL/AFL finals. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ was hosted by AAMI Park.
Parkville is fundamentally the home of HC Melbourne in the Hockey One League and is recognised by the International Hockey Federation as being of international standard. It has played host to several major events such as the Champions Trophy, Four Nations Hockey Tournament, International Hockey Festival, Oceania Cup and the Australian Hockey League.
Melbourne is all about sport, but it’s also a place for those who like to enjoy culture, art, food and fine wine, such as at the Federation Square, which opened in 2002, is noted for its cultural significance, innovation and creative expression. The architecture of the site has earned the square recognition on the Victorian Heritage Register and it’s considered the youngest building in Australian history to gain heritage status.
Hobart
Founded thanks to the efforts of the convicts who arrived in 1803, it was here that great prosperity began. Almost two decades later, a stone causeway was built to link the island to Hobart’s main waterfront and port activities increased dramatically. Hunter Island became the business centre for the import and export of goods through Hobart.
Salamanca Place is the ideal place to enjoy Hobart’s architecture, food and social life, as it is home to some of Tasmania’s most recognisable sandstone buildings and heritage architecture, as well as most of the best restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
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