I felt nice and warm last week after talking about Jamaica so we're keeping it sunny this week and heading to the Southern Hemisphere. We're keeping it topical too cos we're looking at the land of the Ashes - Australia.
Anyone who's been staying up late (or not so late on the final day of the 2nd test) watching the Ashes will have seen it's pretty hot down under at the mo. It's the height of their summer right now and they'll all be gearing up for Christmas dinner on the beach.
The Land of Aus is clearly a great place to go for some sun at this time of year if you can afford the plane fare and have the time to do it justice (you really want to be there for 3 weeks, certainly no less than 2)
I'm not going to talk about the two biggies Melbourne or Sydney here. I did an Indie Travel Guide to Melbourne a few months back and Sydney deserves a whole guide to itself some other time. Basically, I don't think anyone's going to argue that Melbourne is clearly head and shoulders the indiest Aussie city but, the more you explore the rest of the country the more you realise that, along with a heck of a lot of beautiful scenery, there are also some other really cool towns full of interesting indie stuff and all very keen to step out of Melbourne's cool shadow and prove themselves.
So, whether you're already there for the Ashes, thinking of going sometime soon or just curious... here's my guide to 'the best of the rest'... clearly the place is huge and I'm going to be missing out on loads and loads of stuff so if you've got any tips you want to share do tweet me @danny_robins.
Ok, here goes, not sure an iceberg is very appropriate when talking about Australia, but this really is just the tip of it...
Brisbane
Home of the first test two weeks ago at the magnificently named Gabba stadium which always makes me think of either the Ramones or the earbleed-inducing music genre.
For a long time, Brisbane has been branded an uncool and boring sibling to Melbourne and Sydney but just recently it's been having a bit of a makeover and has even earned the tag 'Brisvegas'. That may be going a bit far, but the capital of Queensland has definitely got its fair share of hipsters and good places to eat and drink and lots of new cultural things are springing up, like a Gallery of Modern Art and the Kurilpa Bridge, a striking new landmark crossing the river.
Like other Australian cities, there's a CBD (Central Business District) and the two cool areas to go out in are on either side of that - in the north there's Fortitude Valley, known as 'The Valley', and then there's West End (confusingly in the South) which is full of bohemian cafes, arty shops and studenty places.
Some places to check out:
The Alibi Room
On Brunswick Street in the Valley side of town, this feels like hanging out in a friend's sitting room. There's a cafe and Hawaiian -style Tiki bar. On Tuesday nights they have 'Two dollar Taco Tuesday'. Yum.
Mana Bar
To nurture your inner geek, head to Australia's first video game bar. It's got huge wall-mounted screens and you can play video games both old and new. Unlike playing in your house you get to do it in front of lots of other people and whilst drinking cocktails with videogame-inspired names.
It does attract game-nerds, some of whom like to dress up in 'cosplay' and apparently the local Star Wars Stormtrooper legion are regulars, but it also has its fair share of cool clientele.
Barefoot Bowls
Crown Green Bowls has traditionally been the preserve of oldies, but you know what, it's really good fun. Merthyr Bowls Club, in a lovely spot overlooking the Brisbane River is kicking off the 'bowls revolution' by introducing 'barefoot bowling' - in acknowledgement that most people don't have the right shoes and even if they did, wouldn't be seen dead wearing them.
I've been barefoot bowling and it feels great, having the grass under your feet as you toss your bowls. And, brilliantly, you can do it here with a tasty barbecue and a well-stocked bar. It's proper old school (there's a portrait of the Queen in the clubhouse, but it does get trendy shoeless young things coming down to play.)
Steve Irwin's Zoo
Take a drive an hour north of Brissie and you get to the Sunshine Coast - home of the late great Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. Poor old Steve may be gone but there are still pictures of him everywhere round here holding crocodiles and snakes and saying 'Crikey' a lot. It's big, sunny, and you can get close to the animals and even feed them.
Newcastle
Brisbane is on the East Coast of Aus. Staying on that coast and heading south towards New South Wales and Sydney for about 10 hours (that's nothing in Australia) you go through the town of Newcastle. Like its British namesake, everyone here goes out in t-shirts but that's cos it's actually genuinely warm.
Newcastle has just been selected in Lonely Planet's Top 10 Hottest Cities for 2011 and yes that's hot as in cool as opposed to just really sunny, though it is that too. This fact should merit a bit of a 'wow' as this is not an Australian city that normally gets much of a mention - it's very close to Sydney and is forever in its shadow.
But, maybe 2011 is Newcastle's year - it certainly offers some great bars and clubs, really good food (best in Australia?), great beaches and it's only an hour's drive from Hunter Valley - one of the best wine regions in Australia and a fun place to wander round if you fancy a Sideways-style tasting odyssey.
Adelaide
Carrying on around the coast, you'll come to Melbourne and then the Great Ocean Road - a stretch of driving that will give you some truly stunning scenery and then it's up to Adelaide, the scene of the second test where we kicked the Aussies' butts.
To find out what's going on and where it's at in Adelaide, have a squizz at Five Thousand - a what's-on website straight outta hipsterville. www.fivethousand.com.au It's quite good actually - there are other 'thousands' for other Australian cities - Two Thousand is Sydney, Three is Melbourne, Four is Brisbane and Six is Perth. Well worth looking at for any of those cities, they're really nicely done guides to where's good to go and upcoming events.
The South Australian Tourist Board also has a downloadable 'Hip Guide' but that actually looks a little bit embarrassing.
In Adelaide, head down to Semaphore, once a popular seaside resort suburb, now a little faded but getting a reputation for attracting a cool crowd. Maybe it's kind of Adelaide's Brighton. There's a Swedish cafe called Swedish Tarts and great fish and chips at Sotos.
For a bit of culture - something Australia all too often gets mocked for not having enough of - get down to The Reading Room, a lounge cum library cum gallery cum cinema.
Go west young man (or woman)...
If you look at a map of Australia most of the action seems to be happening on the East Coast, but the West is worth a visit too. Less tourists and with lots of beautiful beaches and pretty fishing villages, such as Lancelin.
The quickest way to get west is of course to fly across country to Perth, but if you have a bit more time and are up for an adventure you could drive or take the train. It's a long way - Sydney to Perth (Western Australia's capital) is 2,698 miles. The train takes three days through the outback across amazing desert scenery - quite a ride. Have a look at the Great Southern Rail website to whet your appetite.
If you're driving, good luck, it's an amazing drive but it'll take you a while.
Perth can be fun. Good bars to drink in include Ezra Pound on William Street - a hard to spot 'speakeasy' where you drink cocktails from old jam jars and, on the same street, The Bird, which hosts gigs and the infamous Hip Hop Karaoke.
Opal Mining and underground houses
One last tip... the town of Coober Pedy (good name, huh?). It's on the road between Adelaide and Alice Springs - a popular drive for a lot of tourists.
It's slap bang in the middle of the desert so it's hot hot hot! Its claim to fame lies in the fact that it is the world capital of opal mining. What is opal, I hear you say, and isn't it called Starburst now? Opal is a gemstone, used in jewellery and stuff - it's Australia's national gemstone apparently.
Anyway, you can visit the mines if you like, they also have a drive-in open air 'outback cinema'. The desert landscape is spectacular and has been used as a backdrop in films like Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
It's so hot in Coober Pedy that a lot of the residents live underground, in disused mines or caves. Apparently, the heat is such that the local golfers choose to play at night with a glow in the dark ball. The local golf course doesn't have any grass (it's in a desert!) so players take a scrap of turf around with them and tee off from that! You've got to love those Aussies...
Twips from listeners...
"Camping on Tasmania is worth a mention... getting away from the crowds..."
"Hunter Valley wine country in New South Wales is beautiful but you have to be careful not to get too drunk with all the wineries dishing up wine tasting galore.
"Port Douglas in Queensland is a great spot for exploring the Great Barrier Reef!"
"Byron Bay is fantastic although already very well known on the East Coast route. Having just come back from Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, the south/eastern cities, still have it for me..."
"Returned Service League Clubs... Imagine if Northern Working Men's Clubs still existed.. and had money . Naff, but cheap, cheerful and 'occa'"
Thanks to Dita Rosted, Laura Amphlett, Richard Avery and Mike Carter for tips.
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|11:53 UK time, Friday, 24 December 2010
