In this article, I’m going to make you fall in love with Australia, and the wonderful, quirky and exciting little details that make it great. We’ll be talking about the major differences in urban culture, artistic expression and most importantly, cuisine selection. In addition, I’m going to give you some insider tips about the most interesting places you should visit, and the experiences you shouldn’t miss while you’re there. Five things that Australia taught me while exploring it.Take a look at this list of interesting places during visiting Australia.
When it comes to accommodation, you should always splurge for the best 5-star hotel in Melbourne, exclusively in the CBD area! Why? Because you’ll be staying next to the Federation Square, which is the central point in the city. Every tourist attraction and all the important spots are within walking distance. From the Queen Victoria market to the famous shopping streets in Melbourne, Flinders, Collins, and Bourke.
I would recommend a boutique hotel in Sydney, somewhere around the Rocks area where you can enjoy the view of the marvelous Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. That’s a hip, trendy neighborhood with a lot of restaurants, bars, and art galleries around. It’s even better if you’re a history lover because you’ll get to experience first-hand the architectural wonders on every corner.
Now, let’s get our locally immersive story started!
- Drink the coffee … or at least try it
This might come as a surprise for some people, but Australia has the best coffee in the world! Moreover, coffee itself is a huge thing for the locals, and while you’re there, even if you don’t drink coffee, you should definitely at least try it. I promise it’s worth it!
The espresso culture in Australia was created in the small coffee shops owned by Greek and Italian immigrants that settled in the country in the 1950s and 60s. Today, coffee lovers (the entire nation) enjoys a higher-quality green coffee prepared in micro-roasters that redefined the coffee game.
- Macca’s is, in fact, McDonald’s
Another curious and fun little detail you’re going to encounter in Australia is connected to copyright laws. Mainly, some of the biggest franchises don’t go under the same names you might be familiar with in different parts of the world. The perfect example of this is McDonald’s, which is Australia is called Macca’s. Locals have been calling it Macca’s for years, so McDonald’s decided just to rename it.
Another example of this is Burger King, or in Australia – Hungry Jack’s. Since the owner of the franchise, Jack Cowin, couldn’t use the name Burger King because it was already taken, he chose the name Hungry Jack’s.
- Hug a koala
Hugging a cuddly, cute and soft koala should be on your Australia list of priorities. First of all, koalas aren’t bears; they’re marsupials. They sleep for 20 hours a day and eat eucalyptus leaves when they’re awake, and they are the most pettable creatures in the world. You can find them in any Australian Zoo, although if you get the chance to visit Phillip Island, the Maru Koala & Animal Park is right outside. Visiting a Zoo in any city in Australia is always a fun option because you’ll get to see wildlife that can’t be encountered anywhere else in the world.
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- Visit the Food Truck Park
One of the friendliest and tastiest places on Earth is located on the Docklands of Melbourne, and it’s called the Food Truck Park, or as they like to call themselves, the home of street food. This year they even had the biggest Food Truck Festival up to date, including the best food trucks from the North, East, West, and South. The festival lasted for five days, with live music, concerts, vibrant art, and entertainment. As we said above, Australians have an amazing urban culture that transcends into every event they do for their citizens.
Most of the food trucks accept cash and card, so that won’t be an issue for a tourist, just be mindful of the crowds, because normally it can get quite busy. If you want to be prepared, you can check the website to see the food truck lineup on the day you are visiting. You can find anything there, from savory to sweet street dishes.
- Australian-Asian fusion culture on a plate
The cuisine!
Urban Australian cuisine is refined, up-to-date and garden-fresh. Most of the polished restaurants offer locally sourced organic ingredients, combined with spices and herbs from Asia. In fact, because Australia is so close to Eastern Asia, the cuisine is a sophisticated combination of fusion food.
If you’re not into fusion cuisine and would like a more European food style, you can also find amazing restaurants that offer exclusively Italian, French, and Mediterranean dishes. Don’t forget to give seafood a taste! There is no better place in the world, to try a shrimp!
