Australia Holiday: A Personal Travelogue

They call Australia "the Outback" and "the bush" and it's easy to see why: wide open spaces, deserts, beaches and a host of natural wonders and wildlife. But those nicknames are somewhat ironic in a way since Australia is really one of the most modern and urbanized places in the world.

Australia is on the cutting-edge of progress and you can feel its vitality and upbeat mood, especially in key cities like the capital city Canberra, as well as Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. People everywhere have money to spend. The office buildings, shopping malls and restaurants are world class. There is so much to see and do in Australia regardless of whether your heart beats to a modern drum or yearns to get in touch with nature and things of the past.

A growing number of my friends and business associates have been vacationing in Australia the last few years and, since I've been a resident for nearly a decade, they all come to me asking about where to go and what to do. In fact, I have become a whiz in recommending this Sydney hotel or that Melbourne hotel or this tourist attraction and what-not. I've repeated my recommendations so many times that I actually feel like a travel agent (I'm actually a broadcast engineer). In the interests of practicality, I've come up with my own personal travelogue of sorts as their reference.

SYDNEY

When you're in Sydney, you can't miss the Sydney Opera House, a favorite destination of millions of tourists a year. Chances are, you already know what it looks like since it's the subject of so many postcards and travel advisories. There's no doubt that it's one of the most famous structures ever built. Darling Harbour is another popular tourist spot and it offers a vast array or museums, shopping venues and restaurants. But the first place that I recommend you visit is the Sydney Tower (also known as the Centrepoint Tower), which is the city's tallest building. From there you can see much of Sydney and plan your sight-seeing better. And don't worry about getting hungry. The Sydney Tower has an excellent restaurant which is really huge.

MELBOURNE

If nature and wildlife is your thing, you can visit the Botanical Gardens, Melbourne Zoo in Carlton or the Ceres environmental park in East Brunswick. Ceres makes you feel that you're no longer in the city and reminds you why they call Australia "the Outback." It has a farm, an aboriginal area and even recreations of African and Indonesian villages which are run by nationals of those countries.

BRISBANE

If you've never been on a beach which is surrounded by shops, cafes, restaurants, museums, theaters and art galleries, then I strongly recommend that you visit South Bank, a man-made artificial beach. And if you're in the mood for a little sailing, then Manly Boat Harbour is the place to be.

CANBERRA

My favorite thing about this city is the great architecture. There's the Australian War Memorial, the Parliament House of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the National Gallery, the National Library, the Australian Institute of Sport and probably a dozen more architectural wonders to look at.

PERTH

Leaving the best until last, Perth is a real treasure well worth a visit. The most isolated city in the world, Perth highlights include Kings Park (with Frasers Restaurant at the top of the park a MUST-VISIT for amazing food and service), the Bell Tower on the Foreshore, the huge selection of restaurants in Northbridge and Fremantle, wine cruises on the Swan River, the world-class Maritime Museum (also in Fremantle) and plenty of spectacular scenery and friendly locals.

Lastly, if you happen to be in Perth in November 2006, you MUST catch the last leg of the Red Bull Air Race World Series. For the first time ever, Perth is hosting this world spectacular event, taking place over the magnificent Swan River, right on the doorstep of the city center itself. For more information, check out the Red Bull Air Race and Festival website.