Australia's Best Emerging City Experiences

From sky-high architecture and big-city dining to connecting with Country through bush foods and cultural walks.

Journey with our writers as they take you into Australia’s best 6 emerging city experiences from our 100 Emerging Destinations and Experiences series.

1. The new precincts revitalising Brisbane

Travelling with: Emily Murphy

With the 2023 summer Olympics on the horizon, Brisbane is soaring to new heights as striking precincts enliven the city. In the CBD, Queen’s Wharf Brisbane precinct will merge state-of-the-art contemporary architecture with heritage buildings, securing itself as a world-recognised destination.

a steak dish on the table at Low n Slow Meat Co. — Relish in your steak favourites at Low n Slow Meat Co.

Four new luxury hotels, more than 50 wine-and-dine experiences, a new pedestrian-only bridge connecting to South Bank and a 100-metre-high Sky Deck are just the beginning. Rivermakers Heritage Quarter in the city’s east, a once-hidden gem, has transformed into Brisbane’s newest lifestyle precinct.

an overhead shot of Rivermakers Heritage Quarter — Head to the newest lifestyle precinct at Rivermakers Heritage Quarter.

It’s a hub of dining, entertainment and creativity with Low n Slow Meat Co, Revel Brewing Co, Bavay Distillery and Mas & Miek Ceramics calling it home.

pottery making at Mas & Miek Ceramics — Witness how pots are made at Mas & Miek Ceramics.

2. Canberra’s newest village

Travelling with: Christine Aldred

On Ngunnawal Land in a place once reserved for car yards and industrial warehouses, Fyshwick’s Dairy Road precinct on the edge of Canberra has surfaced as a funky and fun place, rethinking how creative businesses and community can combine. A small village has been fashioned within transformed warehouses from the 1970s, alleyways with soaring ceilings and exposed timber trusses now leading the way through a string of eclectic enterprises, some with windows to peer through to witness the action.

External Dairy Road featuring LESS artwork — Soak up sky-high architecture at External Dairy Road. (Image: Christine Aldred)

Dairy Road is a place to gather with friends over coffees or craft beers, to pick up a freshly distilled gin, browse an art gallery or to pick up everything from mid-century treasures to chocolate treats. But it is also where business is done. You can test your muscles bouldering, reset with a yoga or wellness session or indulge in a night of drama at the tiny but thoroughly professional Mill Theatre. Perhaps top it off with pre-theatre dinner and drinks, belly-warming ramen and sake from Japanese-inspired Canteen or casual pizza by the fire in front of indoor ski slopes. It’s an intriguing mix.

dining interior at Outside Canteen, Dairy Road — Order up a warm bowl of ramen at Outside Canteen. (Image: Christine Aldred)

Outside, the kids will relish exploring the running stream and garden spaces or run among a towering concrete art installation. If your timing is right, the professional entertainers employed on site may be around to inspire small people with open-ended and creative play while you relax. Watch out for regular community events and markets showcasing local produce. With planned residential accommodation, it’s a forward-thinking place worth visiting and watching.

outside Dairy Road Building Capital Brewing Co Garden — Mingle over a beer at Capital Brewing Co.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

3. A new cultural walk in nipaluna/Hobart

Travelling with: Elspeth Callender

A fresh new walking tour in nipaluna/Hobart takes place along the bush tracks and unsealed roads of piyura kitina/Risdon Cove. This land, with its hilltop views to kunanyi/Mt Wellington, was fought long and hard for by the palawa community and finally returned in 1995. The name palawa refers to Aboriginal people of lutruwita.

kipli takara piyura kitina-ta, which means ‘bush foods walk at Risdon Cove’, is a one-hour tour led by palawa guides. Walkers sample lots of seasonal plants such as kangaroo apple, native clover, native cherry, kunzea and bracken fern while also learning the area’s true history.

a tour guide leading guests during Kipli Takara Tour — Kitana Mansell leads a kipli takara tour. (Image: Palawa Kipli)

The tour is connected to palawa kipli – the island’s only palawa-owned-and-operated catering company. Proud palawa woman Kitana Mansell, who manages palawa kipli, created and often leads kipli takara.

“I have so much passion for my culture and history," says Kitana, “and for making history by bringing it all back from what was stolen and taken from us and putting it back into the community’s knowledge and in our hands."

All the edible leaves, fruits, berries, flowers, roots and seeds within this abundant natural pantry aren’t framed as purely traditional foods and medicines. As Kitana explains: “kipli takara helps people understand how all the bush tucker we have on the property can be introduced into our modern diet as more sustainable food options."

After a 45-minute stroll that also takes in the palawa kipli garden, walkers sit down to a personal tasting box. This includes pepperberry pickle, pepperberry guacamole, kunzea relish, kunzea butter, wattleseed brie, pepperberry cheese, smoked wallaby, bread and native crackers, and comes with a revitalising wattleseed iced coffee.

a close-up photo of Kunzea plant — Stroll down the Palawa Kipli garden. (Image: Palawa Kipli)

4. Melbourne’s little sister has come of age

Travelling with: Laura Waters

There’s a reason why I upped sticks and moved an hour west from Melbourne to Geelong recently. It’s got everything you could want in a city but with palm trees and no parking issues. It’s a sunny, north-facing slice of the good life and it’s fast getting even better.

a photo of the Old Geelong Post Office Clock Tower — Admire the stunning landscape at Old Geelong Post Office Clock Tower.

Consider the six AGFG hatted restaurants, with new contenders regularly springing up. Little Malop Street and Pakington Street have long been thriving dining and shopping precincts, but locals know that Belmont is the latest hip hood, where French pastries can be bought from That Place or Friday drinks from Archive Wine Bar. And when the architecturally stunning Geelong Arts Centre opens in full later this year with multiple theatres, it’ll be the largest regional arts centre in Australia. Yes, Geelong’s star is rising.

a person jumping off the Geelong waterfront — Jump off into the Geelong foreshore. (Image: Ben Savage – We Are Explorers)

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5. Food theatre stars in Albury

Travelling with: Sue Wallace

Albury now boasts a whimsical food theatre experience on its roster of reasons to visit; the NSW-Victorian border city that sits on the banks of the Murray River is the winner of Wotif’s recent Aussie Town of the Year Award.

Shiny new Glenbosch on Dean is a restaurant and wine and gin bar. Here, executive chef Chris de Jongh creates a nine-course degustation feast that reflects his love of molecular cuisine, inspired presentations and tastes that pop such as sago crisp, tuna tartare and a ‘smoking’ oyster on dry ice.

a table-top view of the food at Glenbosch on Dean — Fuel up at Glenbosch on Dean. (Image: Grant Hardwick)

Owners Dirk and Nika Bester, who arrived from the Western Cape of South Africa in 2019, also own Glenbosch Wine Estate, home to a restaurant, distillery and luxe eco cottages at Everton, near Beechworth. Dirk, a passionate distiller, makes Rooibos Gin with botanicals and tea from South Africa and Golden Granite Gin with floating gold flakes as a nod to the region’s gold rush days.

a scenic view of the Murray River in Autumn from Noreuil Park Foreshore, Albury — Bask in warm sunshine at Noreuil Park Foreshore. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Salt of the earth in Darwin’s CBD

Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

Darwin sits on Larrakia Country, the land of the Saltwater People. Heeding the instruction of Larrakia Elder, Bilawara Lee, I head down to the city harbour to wash my sweat into the water. “Let the Earth taste you and get to know you; she’ll look after you while you’re here," she tells me.

a Kakadu plum served on granola at Aboriginal Bush Traders — Consume healthy grains at Aboriginal Bush Traders. (Image: Tourism NT)

Here, Indigenous culture is woven into the fabric of the city and ancient tradition thrives in modern iterations. Aboriginal Bush Traders is a bustling urban cafe that features native ingredients like Kakadu plum served on granola and bush-spiced pies. The connecting gallery has a selection of art from across the Northern Territory as well as homewares and skincare made with bush medicine. One street over, trendy Austin Lane is filled with murals, cafes, bars, weekly markets and the Indigenous social enterprise/apparel label, House of Darwin.

guests visiting an indigenous art gallery at Aboriginal Bush Traders — Appreciate aboriginal art. (Image: Tourism NT)

Keep reading our 100 Emerging Destinations and Experiences series for more.

NSW’s beach towns take on a new kind of magic when the cooler months hit.

Autumn and winter cast a whole new light on the New South Wales coastline. The sun hangs lower, the shadows stretch longer and the air is crisp and fresh. The frenetic summer crowds are gone, and the rhythm slows to the pace of a leisurely winter bush walk through still, damp quiet. From wineries pouring winter reds to the annual whale migration up the ‘humpback highway’, here’s why winter on the New South Wales coast is better.

Winter on the NSW South Coast

Winter down south means misty dawns, sipping a flat white on the beach. The thrill of a whale spotting from the headlands and evenings spent slowly savouring Shoalhaven’s wines by the fire.

Start in Kiama, where waves crash into the famous Blowholes. This natural spectacle is achieved when underground pressure and swell unite, sending sea spray soaring above the basalt cliffs. This means, due to larger waves, you’re even more likely to see an explosive display in winter.

two people standing in front of kiama blowhole — See Kiama’s blowholes in full force. (Image: Destination NSW)

Inland, the Minnamurra Rainforest Walk in Budderoo National Park is all subtropical forest and trilling lyrebird song. Make sure to walk silently along the elevated boardwalks, past winter-swelled creeks and the tangled roots of fig trees. You might just hear one of the musically talented birds mimicking your footsteps.

Feeling adventurous? Book a session at Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures for a wobbly walk through the canopy on Australia’s highest zipline.

Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures on the new south wales south coast — Walk among the tallest trees. (Image: Destination NSW)

Next, it’s time to take the speed down a notch with a drive over to the historic village of Berry. It’s been a beloved stop for generations of Sydneysiders heading south, as has the obligatory stop at its famous doughnut van for crisped, cinnamon goodness. If you’re ready for something a little more chunky, stroll right past the boutiques (okay, go on, just one quick peek) to Milkwood Bakery. Their flaky pastries and all-day breakfasts are best enjoyed under cream-coloured fringed umbrellas.

Back in Kiama, you’ll also find modern Middle Eastern share plates at Miss Arda, and next-level burgers on The Hungry Monkey‘s extensive menu: an ode to everything pattie-shaped.

End the day at The Sebel Kiama on the harbour. The apartment-style rooms come with full cooking facilities — a welcome addition for families looking to test out the local produce they picked up along the way. Including, but not limited to, vintages from nearby Crooked River Wines.

The Sebel Kiama exterior — Sleep by the harbour.

Winter on the Mid-North Coast

A trip up north is a gentle one at this time of year. You’ll still feel that sunshine warming your shoulders, but the lower temperatures make space for rainforest walks, vineyard lunches and long coastal hikes. All without that pesky humidity.

First stop? It has to be the town of Port Macquarie. Start by marking out a stretch of the nine-kilometre coastal walk you want to tackle (or do the whole thing), which winds from Town Beach to the lighthouse along rugged headlands and quiet beaches. Hot tip: binoculars. Don’t forget them if you want to partake in some close-up sightings of dolphin pods or whales migrating up the ‘humpback highway’.

Port Macquarie Coastal Walk, winter on the New South Wales coast — Wander the Port Macquarie Coastal Walk. (Image: Destination NSW)

Swap sea for canopy at the Sea Acres Rainforest Boardwalk, one of the last remaining pockets of coastal rainforest in the state. The accessible elevated trail passes under climbing ferns and tangled strangler figs, and is alive with scarlet robins, goannas and diamond pythons – if you’re lucky, you might see one slipping through the leaf litter.

Afterwards, lunch is sorted at Cassegrain Wines, where crisp whites and elegant reds are grown using a blend of French winemaking tradition and Australian innovation. After a tasting, saddle up for a horse ride through the estate.

port macquarie koala hospital — Meet Koala Hospital inhabitants at their temporary home. (Image: Destination NSW)

The beloved Koala Hospital is rebuilding, so meet its furry patients in their temporary bushland abode at Guulabaa – Place of Koala. Here, you can see rehabilitation up close and learn how one of Australia’s most iconic animals is being carefully rewilded and protected.

Back in town, Whalebone Wharf serves up fine dining with serious views to go with your oysters. Prefer something breezier? Bills Fishhouse + Bar does everything from blue swimmer crab toast to zucchini noodles drizzled in basil and wattleseed pesto. Down by the waterfront, Little Shack slings ceviche, mushroom burgers and fish tacos with casual aplomb.

At the end of it all, check in to Mercure Centro Port Macquarie, right in the heart of town. From here, everything’s walkable. Just park the car, pop your keys in your pocket, and stroll down to the beach.

bed at Mercure Centro Port Macquarie — Check in to Mercure Centro Port Macquarie.

Winter on the Central Coast

On the Central Coast, expect to explore oyster farms that sit on estuaries, beaches that stretch empty for miles, and the kind of surprise sightings of whale sprays that can stop a hiker in their tracks.

The best way to settle into this slower rhythm is with the Bouddi Coastal Walk, an 8.5km trail that dips through rainforest and eroding cliffs. It’s made for unhurried walkers and long-lens photographers.

Up the coast in Terrigal, it’s prime time to spot humpbacks on the move. Join a cruise or find your own perch — Crackneck Lookout and Norah Head Lighthouse are both local favourites.

a humpback whale breaching on the central coast — Spot migrating humpback whales. (Image: Destination NSW)

Travelling with kids? It would be sacrilege not to visit the Australian Reptile Park. Here, Elvis the saltwater crocodile reigns supreme, and the venomous snake talk somehow manages to be simultaneously terrifying and fascinating.

If that isn’t enough to wear them out, zip and climb your way through Treetops Adventure Central Coast, a ropes course in the canopy of Ourimbah State Forest. Afterwards, steady your nerves with a garden tasting at Firescreek Botanical Winery, where fruit- and flower-infused wines are served under the trees.

Switch earth for sea and hop on a boat tour with Broken Bay Pearl Farm. Once you’re out on the water, you’ll learn how pearls are cultivated and have a hands-on lesson in grading and shucking.

woman holding a pearl at Broken Bay Pearl Farm — Get a hands-on pearl lesson. (Image: Destination NSW)

As the day winds down, grab a seat at Yellowtail in Terrigal, which takes seasonal native produce and presents it with Asian flair. Prefer something simple? Award-winning Mount White restaurant Saddles is a quintessential Australian dining destination. Find an impressive breakfast and lunch menu, dedicated to country-style cooking and seasonal produce.

Stay the night at Pullman Magenta Shores, between the ocean and the lake. There are plenty of ways to relax, with a massage at the day spa, a poolside beanbag and a round or two at the golf course.

restaurant at Pullman Magenta Shores central coast — Eat well at Pullman Magenta Shores’ restaurant. (Image: Destination NSW)

Winter in Wollongong

Wollongong does contrast pretty well. One moment you’re walking beneath an enormous Buddha, the next you’re ordering soju a few blocks from the surf. It’s a town where skydivers land on beaches, trails lead to paddocks and winter days stretch long and clear beneath the Illawarra cliffs.

If you’re coming from the north, start by crossing over the Sea Cliff Bridge. Curving dramatically out like a jutting ‘C’ out above the water means you won’t be able to resist pulling over (safely, in designated lookouts) to gaze down at the waves crashing on the cliffs below.

Just inland is the serenity of the Nan Tien Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere. You can trace the prayer path, explore the temple gardens and sip delectable Kam Quat Tea in the quiet light at the Dew Drop Inn Tea House.

monk teaching tai chi at Nan Tien Temple — Learn about Buddhist practices. (Image: Destination NSW)

Next, dust off that cowboy hat. It’s time for the Darkes Forest Riding Ranch. Take a guided canter via trail rides among peppermint gums and paddocks. If you’re happier to look at animals than ride them, Symbio Wildlife Park has red pandas dozing in trees, kangaroos that hop up to you and lessons on conservation.

The brave among you shouldn’t miss Skydive Australia – Wollongong. A free fall over the coast via tandem jumps before tumbling down to the sand is a breath-stopping thrill. Prefer to keep your feet on the ground? Check out the program at Wollongong Art Gallery, which delivers contemporary and Aboriginal exhibitions in the centre of town.

monkey at Symbio Wildlife Park — Hang out with the locals at Symbio Wildlife Park.(Image: Destination NSW)

As evening settles in, nab a table at Baby Face Kitchen. It has an ever-changing set menu, with dishes like hand-picked mud crab with white asparagus and salty brown butter, to sheep’s milk and honey ice cream. For something more casual, Dagwood Bar + Kitchen brings the fun with Korean fried chicken, sake cocktails and weekly all-you-can-eat bao buns.

Check in to Novotel Wollongong Northbeach, right by the sand. With a beachfront pool and ocean views, it’s an ideal base for whatever pace you choose.

Winter on the New South Wales coast starts with a cosy place to stay. Start planning your adventure at all.com.

The 6 best emerging city experiences in Australia

From sky-high architecture and big-city dining to connecting with Country through bush foods and cultural walks.

1. The new precincts revitalising Brisbane

2. Canberra’s newest village

3. A new cultural walk in nipaluna/Hobart

4. Melbourne’s little sister has come of age

5. Food theatre stars in Albury

6. Salt of the earth in Darwin’s CBD

Keep reading our 100 Emerging Destinations and Experiences series for more.

Something in the future.

Australia’s best coffee revealed – and it isn’t where you think it is

This off-grid Blue Mountains cabin was just crowned Airbnb’s best nature escape

What’s on around Australia in October 2025

Why winter is the best time to be on the New South Wales coast

NSW’s beach towns take on a new kind of magic when the cooler months hit.

Winter on the NSW South Coast

Winter on the Mid-North Coast

Winter on the Central Coast

Winter in Wollongong

From sky-high architecture and big-city dining to connecting with Country through bush foods and cultural walks.

1. The new precincts revitalising Brisbane

2. Canberra’s newest village

AI Prompt

3. A new cultural walk in nipaluna/Hobart

4. Melbourne’s little sister has come of age

5. Food theatre stars in Albury

6. Salt of the earth in Darwin’s CBD

Keep reading our 100 Emerging Destinations and Experiences series for more.

Something in the future.

Australia’s best coffee revealed – and it isn’t where you think it is

This off-grid Blue Mountains cabin was just crowned Airbnb’s best nature escape

What’s on around Australia in October 2025

NSW’s beach towns take on a new kind of magic when the cooler months hit.

Winter on the NSW South Coast

Winter on the Mid-North Coast

Winter on the Central Coast

Winter in Wollongong