Things to Do in Australia

Ngaut Ngaut is the ancestral home of the Nganguraku people and today serves as a site of archaeological study, history and cultural significance. A visit to the site offers a glimpse into the life, beliefs and customs of the local Aboriginal people, much of whose culture has been lost.

The oldest building in Sydney, Parliament House is home to the political reigning body of New South Wales. Both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council gather inside what once served as Sydney Hospital to make important decisions about the state's operations. While ghosts are rumored to roam the building's halls, visitors most often come to learn about its rich history and gain a better understanding of Sydney's modern political operations.

Home to some of Sydney's best shopping, Oxford Street is an edgy thoroughfare that runs from Sydney's CBD out east toward Bondi Junction. Lined with trendy shops and boutiques, it's also become a central hub of Sydney's late-night club scene, as well as the unofficial center of Sydney's LGBT community. To learn about Oxford Street's fascinating history, join in a guided walking tour that explores the quirky history and heritage of the infamous Sydney thoroughfare, or simply spend a few hours strolling the street and colorful streetside markets. Known as "Paddo" to Sydney locals, the suburb is home to The Intersection which teems with shops and boutiques, and comes alive on Saturday mornings with the weekly Paddington Market. Once per year, at the beginning of March, Oxford Street in Darlinghust is closed to traffic for the Oxford Street Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. The festival celebrates 1978 when Sydney's gay and lesbian community stood up for their rights and marched in the street that now is one of the most energetic and vibrant spots in town.

Facing the sea, Lyon's Cottage was - at the time of its building - the first stone house built in Darwin for 30 years and is the only surviving example of colonial bungalow architecture in the city. It's made from locally quarried stone and now houses a museum.

It was built in 1925 from the same porcellanite stone used to construct many of Darwin's major public buildings, including Fanny Bay Gaol and Government House. The architecture of the house is similar to many that the British built in other colonies such as Singapore and Malaysia.

It came through the bombing of Darwin without damage, although it was occupied by the US army. Ironically, Cyclone Tracy saved its life. It had been sold and scheduled for redevelopment, but after the cyclone it was repaired and became today's museum, featuring local and early European history.

Hobart's heart lies on the sea, and as an island Tasmania's history is inextricably bound to the water.

If you'd like to learn more about Tasmania's maritime history, the Maritime Museum of Tasmania provides all the answers.

You'll see models of the ships that docked at Sullivans Cove, hear the stories of the men who sailed in them, learn about Australia's first explorers and see the navigational instruments they used.

The watercraft of Tasmania's original inhabitants, the Aborigines, are also displayed, along with artifacts rescued from shipwrecks, photographs, paintings and whaling equipment.

An inner city suburb of Perth, Northbridge is known for its vibrant atmosphere.

Northbridge is the ideal starting point for visitors to Perth. The area contains many fantastic restaurants and bars as well as including the city's main nightlife district. Northbridge has a large cultural influence, with many Mediterranean, Greek, Italian and Asian cuisines featuring in the restaurants of the area.

Northbridge has a large cafe culture. Sitting outside a cafe and watching the world go by is a large part of the attraction of the area. The suburb is a cultural precinct, housing the Art Gallery of Western Australia "“ which holds exhibitions both celebrating local art and in conjunction with the New York Museum of Modern Art; Cinema Paradiso; the Perth Institute for Contemporary Arts; and The Bakery ARTRAGE Complex.

Accommodation for all budgets is available in Northbridge, though there's a slight weighting towards backpacker establishments. Before World War I, Northbridge was home to Perth's elite. In the 1950s however, post war European migration contributed the diverse ethnic mix evident in the area today, and introduced the cafe culture and al-fresco lifestyle the area is now known for.

The Myilly Point Historic Precinct is a small group of houses built in the 1930s by the architect B.C.G. Burnett. They are the only remaining examples of this particular pre-war housing style. 

The houses are light and breezy in feel, with pale colors. They're raised for ventilation and represent a European aesthetic sunnily adapted to their tropical climate.

The houses were created for top-level civil servants. Burnett House is the pick of the bunch, and is an unusual type of house called a 'Type K.' It took some hits during WWII and Cyclone Tracy, but has since been restored and functions as a museum.

It sits in a heavenly tropical garden. Take a stroll through the house, chat to the volunteers and (on a Sunday) take high tea, complete with scones, on the veranda.