{"id":2318,"date":"2009-11-13T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2009-11-13T14:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=2318"},"modified":"2016-12-17T00:44:40","modified_gmt":"2016-12-17T06:44:40","slug":"australia-part-2-urban-hip-and-wine-country-sips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2009\/11\/australia-part-2-urban-hip-and-wine-country-sips\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia part 2: Urban hip and wine country sips"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Melbourne

Melbourne skyline (Courtesy: Tourism Victoria)<\/p><\/div>\n

By Lena Katz<\/em><\/p>\n

Melbourne: where leisure is a luxury … for everyone<\/strong>
\nAs a girl who lives on the beach, I\u2019m never head-over-heels to see more white sand. I like cities, especially the ones with character and architecture all their own, which is why I included Melbourne on my Australia vacation <\/a><\/strong>itinerary. Though its urban sprawl covers more square acreage than U.S. cities twice as populated \u2014 Australians don\u2019t like to live on less than a half-acre \u2014 its city center is a colorful labyrinth of laneways sprouting more laneways, where tiny bars are tucked into corners and attics and rooftops<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Federation Square<\/strong> teems with milling tourists and locals hurrying toward the train station across the street. People stroll and bike the banks of the Yarra River<\/strong> whenever the weather permits. Outside the Queen Victoria Market<\/strong>, locals angle for tables twoblocks down the sidewalk, chatting and snacking without a care in the world, even at 2 p.m. on a Thursday. For anyone used to the typical 40-means-60-hour U.S. workweek, this spectacle is hard to comprehend. Aren\u2019t these people supposed to be in offices? Maybe we can learn something from them.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Art Thrives in Australia<\/strong>
\nBeing from Los Angeles, where people routinely humiliate, ignore and critically crucify \u201ccreative artists\u201d in near-Darwinian style (only the strong become famous), it is heartwarming to see that Aussies take such loving care of their creative types. Indie bands, ethnic dance troupes, writers, artists and even cabaret performers are given a stage<\/strong>, an encouraging nod from the tourism authority and a spot in a local festival if it suits.<\/p>\n

Melbourne is a particularly artsy city<\/strong>, that helps boost up-and-coming fashion designers (think San Francisco, Amsterdam or Barcelona) and tiny\u201cmixology\u201d bars, which can\u2019t exist in Sydney because of prohibitive liquor licensing fees. Every week Melbourne welcomes a new festival or party; annual highlights include the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Moomba Waterfest, Melbourne International Film Festival and Melbourne International Arts Festival<\/strong>. It\u2019s also the only city to have its own civic children\u2019s art center, ArtPlay, located behind Federation Square and open to kids under age 13 only.<\/p>\n

\"Yarra

Yarra Valley (Courtesy: Tourism Victoria)<\/p><\/div>\n

Wine Country is Everywhere<\/strong>
\nWine connoisseurs ofevery level can find a lot to love about Australia \u2026 the first challenge being just to learn the various wine-producing regions and what they\u2019re known for, because as any Aussie will tell you, \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as generic Australian Shiraz.\u201d Australia is a vast wine country, with wine-producing regions from Tasmania to Queensland, and each region has its own heritage and its own set of challenges.<\/p>\n

Barossa Valley is home to the oldest vines<\/strong> \u2014 some of its Shiraz vines were planted in the 1840s. Hunter Valley is probably the most touristy and romantic <\/strong>Australian wine country destination, with a name that garners respect from even the most self-involved Europeans and Californians. Adelaide is home to the Australian Wine Research Institute, a viticulture think tank on par with California’s UC Davis. The Yarra Valley and Tasmania are both up-and-coming cool climate regions, producing some outstanding Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines<\/strong>, but still struggling with everything from climactic conditions (brushfire is a huge problem) to branding challenges.<\/p>\n

Related Orbitz resources:<\/strong><\/h3>\n