Down Under's urban intrigue

Australia is a spectacular country with an array of diverse experiences, a melange of amazing culture and warm people. The Australian government’s migration programme has resulted in more than six million people from some 200 countries making Australia their home, bringing with them their cuisine and traditions. Their settlement in certain suburbs have made these precincts more interesting, and have helped shape the major Australian cities into the unique urban landscapes they are today.

In Sydney, head to the inner city suburb of Leichhardt for a taste of Italy. It was once a working class area populated by first and second generation Italian immigrants. ‘Little Italy’ is centred around busy Norton Street and has plenty of Italian cafes, restaurants, bookshops and a movie theatre.

Sydney’s Chinatown is another fascinating area. Located near Town Hall in the city centre, Chinatown is focused around Dixon Street. It’s a pedestrian mall with many Chinese restaurants and grocery stores. Close to Chinatown is Sydney’s Spanish quarter, where you can find several Spanish-style restaurants and bars.

For funky fashions and cheap-eat restaurants serving up everything from North African to Vietnamese choose Newtown, or for fashion boutiques and chic inner city atmosphere with an alternative side try Oxford Street. It leads up to the fashionable suburb of Paddington.

Further out of town the in-place for international cuisine is Cabramatta which has on offer cuisine from a large range of countries including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Lebanon, Iraq, Italy, Spain and Turkey.

Melbourne has some intriguing city precincts too. Among these is the bayside suburb of St Kilda with restaurants and bars that attract a distinctly bohemian crowd. The St Kilda Esplanade, which nudges up to a beach and a historic pier, is popular by day, while the restaurant and bar strips really come alive once dusk falls.

The city has its own Chinatown, centered on Little Bourke Street which is home to Australia’s oldest Chinese settlement dating back to the 1850s. Just north of the city centre grid are the suburbs of Carlton and Fitzroy. Carlton is known for its Italian restaurants and cafes which cluster along Lygon Street. Fitzroy revolves around edgy Brunswick Street, with its funky art galleries, alternative bookshops, restaurants, boisterous bars and cool cafes.

Perth suburbs of note include upmarket Subiaco, which offers a pedestrian village experience with a mix of friendly markets, boutiques, antique shops, pubs, restaurants and art galleries. Not far from Perth’s city centre is Fremantle - the best preserved example of a 19th century port streetscape in the world. Back streets reveal old dockworkers’ cottages, and warehouses converted into trendy apartments. Also here are the iconic Fremantle Markets, where you can shop for fashion, home wares, antiques and local produce. Treat yourself to Japanese, Turkish, Indonesian, French, or Vietnamese food too.

In Hobart, the state capital of Tasmania, you can find Salamanca Place. This was once the haunt of sailors, whalers, dock-workers and convict labourers. The old Georgian warehouses here are home to art galleries, theatres, cafes, craft shops and restaurants.

In Queensland’s state capital, Brisbane, the small inner-city enclave of West End is a free-spirited place known for its many ethnic restaurants, cafes, and Asian grocers. Then there’s the Fortitude Valley with its vibrant cafes, trendy fashion outlets, popular nightclubs, live music venues, renovated pubs, great restaurants, and the city’s very own Chinatown.

In South Australia, the suburb of North Adelaide is crammed with Victorian and Edwardian architecture and the streets are lined with restaurants, cafes, bistros, and six popular pubs. Northwest of the city centre is Port Adelaide, a historic seaport which is home to some of the finest colonial buildings and several museums, including the National Railway Museum.

Australia’s capital city, Canberra, is a relaxed culturally-significant place. In addition to the nation’s major museums and art galleries, Canberra hosts around 80 diplomatic missions from around the world in its leafy suburb of Yarralumla. The architecture here is well-worth seeing.

Discover these fascinating suburbs, off the main tourist route. Come and enjoy alluring Australia.

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