Things to Do in Australia And The Pacific

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.

Perth Zoo is a leader in conservation and research, with natural, spacious exhibits and an important breeding-for-release program for threatened native species. You'll see more native species here than at most other zoos in Australia.

Highlights include the nocturnal animal enclosure, allowing visitors to see normally sleepy critters up and about, and the Australian bushwalk sight and sound experience through eucalyptus and other native flora.

Asian elephants also star at Perth Zoo, along with crocodiles, little penguins, the rainforest retreat, Sumatran orangutans and cute sun bears.

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.

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.

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.

It took 65 years for this building to be erected, but despite major delays it's a stately structure Aussies are seriously proud of. Daily tours provide access to Chambers and the chance to view historic documents, like the Magna Carta, up close and in person. Permanent exhibits on women in government and an impressive art collection"”including one of the world's largest tapestries and an outdoor sculpture garden"”make this a cultural destination for visitors locally and aboard.