Australia

Most famous for the bush, dangerous animals (those koalas may look cute…) and beaches, there’s more to Australia than coach trips to Uluru and backpacker trails leading up the Gold Coast. For dedicated urbanites Sydney and Melbourne in particular have much to offer, above and beyond their good weather and laidback Aussie lifestyles. We’re here to chronicle it all, from the hedonist nightlife, to the cultural and artistic trends…. check below for our coverage of Australia so far:

Feast on perhaps the world's best Asian fusion cuisine, revel in the city's multitude of outdoor art, swing by its speakeasy bars and discover its hidden beaches. Our Secret Seven tips for exploring Sydney.

Travel writer Richard Tulloch has been to his fair share of great cities, but none have tempted him to cut his ties with his native Sydney. In our Long Weekend guide he shares his local travel tips for first-time visitors… Australians who don’t live in Sydney are jealous. Melbourne people in particular…

Night markets, rooftop bars, hipster cafes… and penguins! Even Sydneysiders don’t have those! Sophie Nellis discovers why Melburnians have got everything, but the weather, going for them… Once one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world, today Melbourne dominates city rankings in a different category. This vibrant, multicultural metropolis has…

Melbourne’s new Bike Share scheme is great value for money and it’s not just for commuters. Richard Tulloch enjoys a whistle stop tour of his birth city for the price of a bottle of water… and invites UTB readers along for the ride. I’m a tightwad traveller. I shun expensive…

Art needn’t be exclusive, as Richard Tulloch discovers when, along with half a million others, he passes judgement over 2011’s crop of creations at Sydney’s open-air exhibition by the sea. Why do hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom would never visit an art gallery, spend a few hours…