Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is one of the fastest-growing Australian destinations for British visitors, set in a great location on Port Phillip Bay and often regarded as Australia’s culinary capital and most ‘European’ city.

Like Sydney, it’s an easy place to enjoy: there’s a dynamic cultural scene, world-class events scattered throughout the year, and plenty of green parks and open spaces. The multicultural residents have created an impressive array of restaurants serving up international cuisine, too – and an equally eclectic mix of music, art and theatre.

Getting to Melbourne – flights from the UK

An increasing number of international airlines are now operating flights into Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport,  which lies about 14 miles northwest of the city centre.

Flights from the UK to Australia are operated by many international airlines including Etihad, Qantas, and British Airways many from London Heathrow and Gatwick. There are, however, also flights from regional UK airports, including Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham.

Melbourne’s top attractions

Melbourne’s architecture spans many styles, including Gothic, Victorian and mega-modern. The Block Arcade shopping centre, the Old Royal Mint and Flinders St Station are fine examples of Victorian architecture, St Paul’s Cathedral shows off Gothic, while at the opposite end of the spectrum there are the striking and far-out designs in Federation Square, where controversial modern buildings line the irregularly-shaped piazza, and an atrium creates a forest within the urban landscape.

While you’re in Federation Square, visit the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, or the Ian Potter Centre, home to the National Gallery of Victoria’s Australian art collection. The National Gallery of Victoria itself is on St Kilda Rd, displaying pieces by some of the world’s most famous artists.

Melbourne’s historic Queen Victoria Market, which dates back some 120 years, is another big attraction – said to be the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere, and selling a wide range of fresh produce and speciality goods, clothes and accessories.

For a spot of tranquillity, explore the Royal Botanic Gardens or visit the William Ricketts Sanctuary, where the sculptor placed his mystical clay sculptures of Aboriginal figures in a ferny glade amongst the rocks and plants. The British left Melbourne with plenty of public parks, too, including Fitzroy Gardens (designed to represent the Union Jack) and Treasury Gardens (home to the Old Treasury Building).

Melbourne Beaches

If you’d rather chill out on the beach, hop on a tram in the city centre that’s heading south, where you’ll find several good beaches along Phillip Bay, including St Kilda Beach and Brighton Beach.

Eating out in Melbourne

Eating out is another of Melbourne’s great pleasures. To name just a few popular options, there are relaxed outdoor cafés on Crown Promenade with views of the Yarra River; Bohemian eateries around Brunswick Street (Fitzroy); Vietnamese restaurants around Victoria Street (Abbotsford); authentic Chinese food in Chinatown; refined seafood restaurants in St Kilda Beach (a half hour tram ride from the centre); and Italian restaurants in Carlton (Lygon Street).

Return Flights to London from Melbourne take approximately 22 hours 30 minutes.

Sydney’s attractive Harbour, golden surf beaches and sunshine make it a great outdoors city swimming with street cafés, and after dark it’s alive with trendy bars and clubs, and restaurants dishing up food from all over the world.

The Sydney Opera House stands proud at the edge of the water watching the yachts and sail boats navigate Harbour Bridge, another of the city’s key landmarks.

This vibrant city is Australia’s oldest and largest, regarded by many as the capital in all but name.

Flights to Sydney

Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport is Australia’s main international gateway, situated on the northern shoreline of Botany Bay.

Flights to Sydney are operated by many international airlines including Qantas, British Airways, Etihad Airways and Virgin – mainly from London Heathrow. There are, however, also flights from regional UK airports such as Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow.

Flights to Australia from London take approximately 23 hours.

Sydney’s top attractions

There’s stack to do outside in Sydney, apart from sipping a latte at one of the many buzzing cafés.

First off, there’s plenty of architecture to admire in the city centre, both old and new – from the iconic Opera House and modern glass and steel structures to the many grand old Victorian buildings such as the Sydney Town Hall and the Queen Victoria Building.

One of the main historical areas of the city is The Rocks, established shortly after the British penal colony was formed in 1788, with many buildings constructed from local sandstone (hence the area’s name). Interesting buildings such as Cadman’s Cottage and Sydney Observatory make the area popular with tourists, as well as the weekend Rocks Market, the souvenir shops and the historic pubs (two of which claim to be Sydney’s oldest: the Fortune of War and the Lord Nelson).

You could also catch some rays and go for a swim at Bondi Beach; learn to surf at Manly; or hire a kayak to explore the harbour. Back on land, Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, home to over one million specimens, are just a short stroll from the Opera House, laid out on a slope overlooking the harbour. You could also take the coastal walk to Coogee; go on an excursion to one of the nearby national parks; or visit Sydney Olympic Park, home of the 2000 Olympics and now a parkland area with sporting facilities.

If you can drag yourself out of the sunshine, Sydney also has a wide range of top museums, galleries, theatres and concert venues for those seeking cultural sustenance. Apart from the obvious such as the Sydney Opera House, top cultural attractions include the Australian Museum (natural history); the Museum of Sydney; the Australian National Maritime Museum; the Art Gallery of NSW (classical, modern and Aboriginal art); Sydney Aquarium; the Powerhouse Museum (science and design); and the Museum of Contemporary Art.