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Going to watch the British & Irish Lions in action? Read this first
This is experience-of-a-lifetime stuff. If you're one of the lucky ones travelling to Australia for the British and Irish Lions tour this summer, you'll need a plan to make the most of this truly exceptional sporting holiday. Whether you are all in for every match or happy to make the most of time between key fixtures, there's a wealth of diversions to discover in and around the Test cities of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, and ample time during the 'down week' between the final two Test matches to go inland to the heart of Australia.
Here's a primer on what to see where — and why — as the spectacle takes shape.
Weekend in the cityBrisbane can be overlooked on east coast itineraries but Queensland's capital has it all: fantastic city beaches, glittering skyscrapers and great nightlife. It's also a perfect jumping-off point for trips to Fraser Island, a sand island where you can spot wild dingoes. But you don't need to venture far from this vibrant city for a taste of the good life.
This is a great time to visit Australia's largest contemporary art collection, housed at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, or Goma. Running on the expansive ground-floor galleries until October, the Wonderstruck exhibition (free entry) features artists' responses to the idea of 'awe' and includes a delightfully bonkers assortment of work from names including Nick Cave. For guaranteed fun, meanwhile, it would be mad to miss out on Fortitude Valley, the city's entertainment precinct. This is the right kind of adult entertainment, with interesting boutiques, top-notch coffee shops, Brisbane's best restaurants and the renowned Fortitude Music Hall, where the first Darts Down Under event will take place on July 20, to coincide with the Lions series, featuring rugby legends in a showdown against darts greats. Because, well, why not? Tickets at
Allow plenty of time to amble through Brisbane Botanic Gardens, with its impressive tropical display dome and the bamboo grove. Free guided tours are worth booking to see the best bits of the 56 hectares. If you have kids with you, the Planetarium has lots of engaging events and displays. Another gorgeous place for a stroll is Roma Street Parkland. Keep your eye out on warm days and you might spot an eastern water dragon, Australia's largest dragon lizard, by the water — they can change colour according to their mood, temperature or sunlight. You can order a picnic hamper from the garden café, or make like a local and fire up one of the free barbecues. If you're feeling more adventurous, take on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Rock climb or abseil the 20m cliffs for the best views of the city and river. Or play it safe and get a CityCat, a catamaran ferry, and see Brisbane from the water, then stroll up to Kangaroo Point Park. Bring a picnic and, if you're lucky, Brisbane Jazz Club might be playing. If you've more energy to burn, you can climb the Story bridge or kayak down the river.
Midweek exploration Located a 45-minute drive from Brisbane's centre, meanwhile, Flinders Peak Winery merits the trip. Book ahead for a A$20 tour of the winery and distillery, where the shiraz and the gin are equally lip-smacking. Back in Brisbane, you could do considerably worse than spend a day at Felons Barrel Hall, where all six Lions matches will be shown on the big screens, and the on-site brewery completes the scene; Elaine Prendeville
Weekend in the city On first impressions, Melbourne is a mixture of daring architecture and funky skyscrapers sitting beside grungy Victorian neighbourhoods. It is a place of street art and graffiti but also a place where jaywalking is frowned upon. The Yarra River runs through the centre of the city. There are plenty of boat tours, and renting floating water bikes is a novel way to see the city. The older part of Melbourne is to the north of the river, while the southern bank is now a major urban redevelopment complete with a river walkway, restaurants, bars, shops and entertainers. It's public space done well. Off the main streets are Melbourne's famous lanes, which have decent pubs such as the Mitre or else try the buzzy alfresco restaurants on Hardware Lane.
Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) is compact. All the trams are free in the centre and the 45 takes an orbital route. It's an old-fashioned tram and a fun ride. There are Lime electric bikes and a couple of other bike apps. It takes maybe ten minutes to get from one side to the other, although it's a bit hilly.
The famous suit of armour worn by the Irish-Australian gangster Ned Kelly is in the State Library in the centre of town. It's smart to hop on one of the free tours to put Kelly in context. He's either a police-shooting gangster or an early social revolutionary.
Chinatown is wonderful for authentic nosh. The QVM or Queen Victoria Market is a food market by day but, on Wednesday nights, it becomes an entertainment venue with food trucks, bars, music, DJs and hipster shopping. The Philippine pork skewers are off the charts, although sugar-cane juice is something to be tried just once. Melbourne's other food markets are definite destinations. There is terrific fresh fish in the South Melbourne market, which is a couple of tram stops out. Half a crayfish and some cooked scallops and oysters will cost about A$45 (€25).
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You have to drink the local poison, which is either Victoria Bitter or Carlton. Each region of Australia has its own local beer and it's rather competitive. Melbourne has a couple of floating bars, which are slick places for a schooner or two. Afloat and Yarra Botanica are the best. The Yarra Valley produces some excellent vino too. The Quincy or Q rooftop bar is a good spot for a night-time cocktail. There's a beautiful view of the city and if you are lucky you might spot the Southern Cross or Alpha Centauri — stars that are visible mainly in the Southern Hemisphere.
Midweek explorationPhillip Island is about two hours' drive from Melbourne. It's home to the largest little penguin colony in the world. Book your ticket to the Penguin Parade online, and do so early as it sells out fast. There is an interpretive centre with a restaurant at the end of the island. A beautiful cliff walk takes you close to penguin nesting burrows. A sign notes that tourists should leave the brown snakes alone, as there's no anti-venom available. Tickets are A$33 (€19) for an adult. At dusk the first penguin appears in the surf and sticks its head up. Then another. And another. They gingerly group together in bands of maybe ten and slowly shuffle up the beach. You might see 100, or it could be 2,000, depending on the night. It's quite magical, positively uplifting and a remarkable scene of nature. Bring a coat — you'll feel the chill.
The Great Ocean Road, as the name suggests, winds along the coastline, with great views on the drive. Small towns like Lorne or Torquay are good spots to stop for ice cream or lunch. Sulphur-crested cockatoos, white ibis or some other wild bird will swamp your picnic table. We stopped at the Sheoak waterfall, which is a walk of about an hour through a tropical forest — imagine the set of I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! and you'll get the picture. The sounds of the birds, especially the kookaburra, are genuinely memorable. Nick Webb
Weekend in the citySydney, as you might have heard, is the business. It's one of the most magnetic, dynamic and refreshing cities in the world, set across probably the most stunning locale of any metropolis.
The Lions play twice in Sydney, almost a month apart. The first fixture is July 5 against the New South Wales Waratahs; the second is the third Test against the Wallabies on August 2.
Yes, it will be winter, but this is Sydney: the daytime average temperature will be roughly 17C, with a night-time average of 8C, and typically six to seven hours of sunshine each day. Get your bearings on day one by taking the most stunning short city walk in the world, from the Opera House to the headland of Mrs Macquarie's Chair, stopping off at the harbourside Botanic Gardens (free entry).
Snuggled between the Opera House and the southern abutment of the Harbour Bridge is Circular Quay and, to its immediate western flank, the Rocks. This is party central each evening when the Lions are in town. You'll have classic old-school boozers (that is, former 19th-century 'hotels' that have since dropped all rooms) such as the Lord Nelson and the Orient, but then there are more contemporary outfits like the Australian (try the pizza) and the Glenmore or Bar Lulu (both with enviable, elevated views of the harbour). If you're a whisky lover, the Doss House is for you.
You also have the Aster (on the 32nd storey at the InterContinental) or Jimmy's Rooftop, about 500m further south in the CBD. Most of these bars have strong menus too, although your best bet for food at the Rocks is the Collective.
Also at the Rocks are 90-minute leisurely guided walkabouts that discuss Sydney's natural landscape and seasons, and the ancient, indigenous culture, including the Dreamtime. There are daily tours at 10.30am and 1.30pm, starting from A$99 (€56) per tour (
Over the weekend of the Waratahs match (July 5 and 6), go along to this fair celebrating contemporary indigenous Australian art, design, food and culture at the Rocks. It's billed as 'an ethical marketplace' that allows you to buy artworks directly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists based in remote, community-owned art centres from all corners of this mesmerising, massive nation, with postage home (of any bought works) also available ( A$3/€1.70 entry). Also nearby is the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, which is always a good bet, regardless of the year or season ( A$20/€11), while from early June to late October, there will be a standout light and sound exhibition by Cerith Wyn Evans (A$35/€20).
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Roughly 1.5km southwest of Circular Quay is Darling Harbour, which has a terrific selection of restaurants and pubs, as the waterfront promenade angles north to Barangaroo. At the far south of Darling Harbour is Tumbalong Park, a pedestrian zone typically hosting mini fan zones for big sporting events.
The city experiences not to miss? With at least four types of climbs you can book, and different times of day/night you can experience them, there's no excuse not to take on Sydney Harbour Bridge. They tend to be a three-hour experience in full, with two of those being on the bridge, with prices starting from about A$270/€150 (
Midweek explorationSpoiler alert but the Blue Mountains aren't blue any more than Greenland is green. But the mountains do have some magical energy or magnetism to them that I don't think I've ever experienced anywhere else on the planet.
So get yourself out there on a guided (minibus) day trip from Sydney. There's a range of providers offering comparable packages, with pick-ups/drop-offs from your hotel and lunch/snacks/coffees through the ten-hour day, with prices starting from A$120/€68 (see If you're keen to explore the valley, stay overnight at the utterly charming Lilianfels Resort and Spa. It's close enough that you can rise early to beat the crowds, and is a lush place to put your feet up after conquering the Giant Stairway's 998 steps. Jamie Ball
