Sydneysiders brace themselves for certain inevitable questions when it comes time for friends or relatives to visit from overseas. How hot will it get? Is it very expensive? Do I need to worry about spiders and snakes? It can grow tiresome after a while, especially the barrage of FAQ about dangerous animals and invasive pests. … More

The Sydney vs Melbourne rivalry only seems to grow more intense each day. But what is it really all about? It’s obviously about more than just football and beaches. We decided to delve into the differences between Australia’s two biggest cities. Some of these comparisons you might find surprising, others you might have already stowed … More

For native sons Baz Luhrmann and Peter Weir, Sydney, New South Wales and, indeed, Australia, is much more than home but a lucid backdrop and stand-in for films like The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge!, The Cars That Ate Paris and Picnic at Hanging Rock. But domestic directors are far from the only ones to shoot … More

Is the casino culinary scene in Australia on the verge of a cataclysmic paradigm shift, whereby it begins to, at last and finally, mimic the best of the best in Las Vegas (or, indeed, the best of the best in Melbourne and Sydney)? Is it possible that in the foreseeable future local epicures will wine … More

The concrete definition of “boutique hotel” may be somewhat loose and elusive but you know a good one when you see it. Australia is at the forefront of the design and lifestyle hotel game, what with global hubs like Sydney and Melbourne, UNESCO World Heritage national parks, sublime wine regions and paradisal islands. From the … More

Exotic endemic fauna, probably as much as Vegemite and Violet Crumble, lures untold visitors to Australia every year. Everyone is keen, after all, to spot a bandicoot or wallaby. From the Top End to Tasmania, the South West to Cape York Peninsula, the country is awash with zoos and nature reserves that allow you to … More