Going walkabout in Australia

By GREG CLARKE

Few people will escape the news, highlights and results of the Rugby World Cup - there will be upsets for sure. But, for people going to the matches in Australia, there will be plenty of time to be a tourist.

The action starts in Sydney on October 10. One cannot go there without recognising the beauty of its harbour. It is how the city is described. And for good reason - the harbour is one of the most beautiful in the world.

Sydney Harbour is part of Port Jackson, the body of water that nibbles its way into parts of mainland Australia, around 20km from the Pacific Ocean. There are intimate coves and inlets that afford the most wonderful views of the harbour and, failing that, are their own little playgrounds.

Sydney, however, is not just a pretty face. This is the economic heart of Australia and the pace of life can seem faster here than anywhere else in the country.

For Australia's oldest city, the CBD evolved on the south side of the harbour and while many of its four million residents may flock to it for work, playing here is considered just as important. This is Australia's hedonistic heart, too. While people here could sometimes be considered rude compared to elsewhere in the country, it was the city's volunteers, the endlessly cheery folk, who helped to make Sydney's 2000 Olympics successful.

Ultimately, Sydney is about water. This is, after all, where Australian beach culture started. You really can't escape it. And, considering the beauty of this harbour, you might not want to.

WHAT TO SEE

Sydney Harbour looks wonderful from the water; catch a ferry from Circular Quay to the north shore. Just walk - parts of Kirribilli and Neutral Bay make for happy wanderings and great harbourside discoveries. Every Sunday The Rocks has a market. This is a grand old part of Sydney.

Consider a walking tour of the haunts of sailors, convicts and soldiers. Or walk the clifftops between Bondi and Bronte beaches. The Australian Museum is beside Hyde Park. Harbourside precincts will host free bands, as well as the Topp Twins, during the World Cup.

CHILDREN

The Taronga Zoo calls itself the best in the country. There are night tours. Get your bearings by taking the kids on the monorail around the city. Picnic on Shark Island, enjoy its harbour views and rock pools.

EATING OUT

For cafes, try Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay Wharf. Sydney has a number of celebrated fine dining places around the harbour. Or you can dine in style while cruising its waters. Book ahead.

DAY TRIPS

If you can drag yourself away from Sydney, head into the Blue Mountains. The views from Katoomba are the most celebrated. The Hunter Valley is two hours north and boasts more than 100 wineries. Some bus tours offer a pick-up service from hotels.


MELBOURNE

cannot offer the natural beauty of Sydney, but Melburnians will tell you they figure far more prominently in the food and fashion stakes.

Melburnians like to think of themselves as cosmopolitan; this is the place of Parisian-style cafes and cutting-edge food; a gourmand's delight. But, not satisfied with this, Melbourne also claims itself as the sporting capital.

This somewhat incongruous mix is good news for rugby fans - much of what Melbourne has to offer is within walking distance of Telstra Dome. If you are staying in the CBD you will be able to watch the games and discover this city without hailing a cab.

While Melbourne and its suburbs have grown to all points out of the horseshoe of Port Philip Bay, the CBD is built to the north side of the Yarra River. This murky stretch of water is made agreeable by the parklands that surround it.

The botanical gardens here are, reportedly, one of the finest in the world. Melbourne motorists share their roads with trams that rattle through the streets and one of them, the inner-city circle tram, is free.

WHAT TO SEE

The new Federation Square - you will either love it or loathe it - is becoming Melbourne's hub. The Rialto, the city's tallest building, has an observation deck which is an ideal place to get your bearings.

The Botanical Gardens and the Fitzroy Gardens are made for careless early morning strolls. If clothes are your thing, Bridge Rd, Richmond, and Chapel St, Prahran, are the places to shop. Looking for a bar? Check the laneways, the inner-city has been transformed in recent years.

CHILDREN

If you or the kids are feeling a little more energetic, consider hiring bikes and taking to the cycling tracks that run along the Yarra - there is a place on the river just east of Flinders St station. Elsewhere, try St Kilda's Luna Park - an old-style fair ground.

EATING OUT

Your choice is limitless. Try any number of restaurants along south bank for great breakfasts. For the more adventurous, Victoria St, Richmond, is home to cheap and wonderful Vietnamese food. Lygon St, Carlton, is the place to go if Italian takes your fancy and, for a more eclectic choice, try Brunswick St in Fitzroy.

DAY TRIPS

If you plan to venture out of town, consider the Penguin Parade on Philip Island. Sovereign Hill in Ballarat is a gold mining town straight out of the 1850s. The Yarra Valley draws food and wine lovers.

ADELAIDE

THE picturesque Adelaide Oval will host the World Cup matches. There are Moreton Bay figs at one end of the ground and an Edwardian scoreboard that used to tally the runs of Don Bradman.

It is, without question, charming and the oval can set the tone for the city.

Adelaide was designed by Colonel William Light in 1836 and prides itself that it was not set up as a home for convicts. Some cause for celebration, perhaps, but if Australian cities were rated on a places-I-am-going-to-see scale, Adelaide might not get a mention.

Known as the City of Churches, it is still somewhat provincial but this is part of its appeal - a place of big-city amenities without the rush. And spring is the best time to visit - Adelaide can get decidedly hot in the summer.

Adelaide is built on a grid pattern but is bisected by the Torrens River and these two distinct sections are surrounded by parklands.

The Rundle Mall is the shopping heart but North Tce is considered Adelaide's cultural centre (despite the casino), and grand Victorian buildings here do not get lost in the crush of development and high-rise.

If you are planning to travel after the Cup, Adelaide is a gateway to Australia's outback.

WHAT TO SEE

North Tce hosts Parliament House, Government House and the State's National War Museum. The South Australian Museum is a good place to learn about Aboriginal culture - it reportedly has the largest collection of Aboriginal artefacts in the world. The Art Gallery of South Australia is next door.

CHILDREN

Snowdome at Thebarton has two ice-skating rinks and indoor slopes. Swim with dolphins on a sailing cruise out of Glenelg. Haigh's Chocolates Visitors' Centre has free guided tours and a taste testing. You can play beach volleyball - no beach but plenty of sand - in the heart of Adelaide.

EATING OUT

There are trendy restaurants and cafes on Rundle St and Gouger St. Adelaide has a Chinatown, next to the Central Markets on Gouger St.

DAY TRIPS

The Barossa Valley is home to Australia's celebrated wine industry. Victor Harbor, a popular seaside escape, is only 45 minutes from the city. The Adelaide Hills are around 30 minutes away. There are national parks and villages with galleries, pubs and restaurants.

BRISBANE

Like Adelaide, Brisbane was once regarded as something of a big country town. But, of late, Brisbane has thrown off that image and regards itself as a cultural and business centre.

Brisbane was home of the Jagera and Turrbal Aborigines, and, like much of Australia, started out as a penal settlement.

But the hunger and speed of development has led some to label this subtropical city, affectionately, as Bris-Vegas - this is one of Australia's fastest growing cities and with a population of 1.6 million is the third-largest in Australia.

Brisbane, finally, seems to be ridding itself of the legacies of scandal and corruption that endured through and after the days of a 20-year conservative state government. The rejuvenated riverside precincts, now a home to the alfresco dining experience, seem to reflect an increasingly cosmopolitan city. Brisbane is a place for the outdoors, its average winter temperature not far off those of a New Zealand summer.

Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, the state which offers some of the finest sights and experiences in Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef and northern rainforests.

WHAT TO SEE

The Queensland Cultural Centre is home of the Queensland Art Gallery, the Queensland Museum and the State Library. Ferry services operate along the Brisbane River. Caxton St, near Suncorp Stadium, and Fortitude Valley are places for night life. If you want some adventure, try abseiling at Kangaroo Pt. It's great fun with good views.

CHILDREN

New Farm Park has giant Banyan figs for the kids to play under. Picnic at Kangaroo Pt or head off to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. The Australian Woolshed is an outback experience 15km from the city.

EATING OUT

Brisbane has its own south bank - restaurants that cater to all budgets and tastes including Asian, Turkish and Greek.

DAY TRIPS

The Gold Coast is an hour south. North Stradbroke Island is 20km from the mainland. The Glass House Mountains and Steve - the Crocodile Hunter - Irwin's Australia Zoo are 45 minutes north of Brisbane.

PERTH

Contrary to what the good folk in Brisbane might say, if Australia was to have an equivalent of the Mediterranean coast this would be it. Perth claims more hours of sunshine than any other Australian capital.

Perth extends to one edge of the Indian Ocean and can seem made for fishing, surfing and sailing; an America's Cup defence was held out of Fremantle in 1987. Even though it is home to 19 beaches, not all life revolves around the ocean. The Swan River flows, as effortlessly as the sun can shine, through Perth's heart.



It is the capital of the State of Western Australia, Australia's largest - it covers an area roughly the size of Western Europe. Some cattle stations are the size of England.

This city might not be as cosmopolitan as Sydney or Melbourne and for the most part it does not try to compete (sport is a serious exception), perhaps comforted by its size as well as its considerable amenities. Perth is one agreeable place.

WHAT TO SEE

Lazy sun-soaked lunches at Fremantle or, as the Perth folk are fond of their barbecues, find a picnic spot and do as the locals do. His Majesty's Theatre is Australia's only remaining Edwardian theatre. The Swan Bells are reportedly the World's largest musical instrument. The Aboriginal Art and Craft Gallery specialises in indigenous art. The sunsets at Scarborough beach are renowned.

CHILDREN

AQWA is an underwater world where you can watch sharks being fed. To impress the kids, brave souls can swim with the sharks. Kings Park is a place for the kids to roam in natural bush.

EATING OUT

Head to Northbridge or Fremantle, the city's main restaurant precincts. While you are at it, sample wines from Western Australia's Margaret River.

DAY TRIPS

Rottnest Island - home of the quokkas, a small marsupial - is 25 minutes by ferry from Fremantle. No cars here, so hire a bike to explore. The Perth Hills and Swan Valley can tempt gourmands with wineries and cafes.

New Norcia, Australia's only monastic town, home of Benedictine monks, was founded in 1846 and visitors are welcome.

At Lancelin, an hour from Perth, the world's largest 4WD will take you on a ride over 50m-high sand dunes.