So, you’ve climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge, walked the beach in Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park, and taken a Northern Territory road trip from Alice Springs to Uluru…what’s next on the itinerary?
Happily, Australia’s unique cities and diverse landscapes offer a variety of activities that tick the quirky, hidden or off-the-beaten track boxes. Here are some ideas for travellers keen to do something a little out of the ordinary.
Horse Swimming Ride from Rainbow Beach
Already seen Bondi Beach? Riding a horse along beautiful Rainbow Beach in Queensland’s Gympie Region is one of nature’s thrills, but experienced horse riders can take it one trot further by actually swimming with their stead. Participants on this memorable 90-minute adventure will ride their horses bareback — that’s no saddle — along the white sands before steering them into the ocean for a frolic in the waves. A waterproof camera will be on hand. Don’t forget your bathers.
Cat Yoga at Catmosphere Café Sydney
Missing that cute little ball of fur? Catmosphere Café Sydney, in the city’s vibrant Surrey Hills, is Australia’s first cat space. It has a regular barista café along with two separate cat rooms where feline fanciers can book in for some quality kitty time. Better still combine cat cuddles with a 45-minute yoga class held on Thursdays at 6pm. The $25 entry goes towards the kittens, ranging from eight-weeks to eight-months-old, who are all orphans, rescued from pounds in Sydney.
Dracula’s Cabaret in Melbourne, Victoria
Looking for something quirkier than the Sydney Opera House? Three million guests and 37 years in the business has put Melbourne’s Dracula Cabaret Restaurant, in Carlton, on the must-do theatre list. Sell-out three-hour shows begin with a Dracula-themed drink in Graveyard Cocktail Lounge before guests board the spooky ghost train to Theatre of the Vampyre where a three-course dinner is served in gothic surrounds. Be entertained by a host of characters whose antics involve burlesque performances, illusion, trapeze and live music.
Melbourne City Tour: Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous
Put your pearls on for a four-hour tour of Melbourne’s affluent eastern suburbs, the stomping ground of the city’s rich and famous. A drive through the tree-studded neighbourhoods of Toorak, South Yarra and Kew will be accompanied by stories about the lives of much-loved celebrity locals Kylie Minogue and Cate Blanchett. Guests will also stop outside Raheen Mansion, owned by the family of wealthy Australian businessperson Richard Pratt, Kooyong Tennis Club, the Yarra River and 19th century Como House, where you can buy afternoon tea.
Perth Video Game Console Museum
Generation X-ers can revisit their Donkey Kong obsession at The Nostalgia Box, a retro game console museum in the hip Perth suburb of Northbridge, in Western Australia. The museum celebrates the evolution of more than 100 consoles by showcasing their development through the 1970s to the 2000s. in the games room, play childhood favourites such as Atari’s Space Invaders and Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers. Nostalgia rocks.
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