Just because the Christmas holidays are over doesn’t mean your holidays have to be. Expedia’s Vacation Deprivation Survey shows that the average Aussie ends the year with 5 days of unused leave. That’s a week of wasted holiday. Here’s our guide to destinations where you can getaway for a short break, to rest, re-enegerise and re-excite for the new year.
Melbourne
Laneway bars and graffiti sit side by side with fine dining and high end fashion boutiques in this trendy city. Emporium Melbourne’s luxe shopping arcade in the CBD is home to Australia’s first Kate Spade store if you’re after big brand names but you’ll find plenty of one-of-a-kind vintage pieces at Shag in the Centre Way Arcade. The same goes for food – from cronuts to meatballs, there’s a bakery, wine bar or brasserie on almost every corner. Stay at the uber cool Adelphi Hotel on Flinders Lane to ensure you don’t miss any of the action.
Sydney
This is a city made for Summer. Fly in Friday afternoon and head straight to Pei Modern for dinner, celebrity chef Mark Best’s new restaurant inside the Four Seasons Hotel. Once the sun has set, make the most of the temporary OpenAir cinemas that pop up all over the city. Cinemas at Ms Macquaries Chair, Centennial Park, Bondi Beach and North Sydney screen everything from new releases and blockbuster hits to cult classics with some of the most spectacular backdrops out there. Rest your head at the the brand new InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.
Brisbane
Brisvegas may be the nickname but QLD’s capital city has a lot more going for it than the title suggests. Sofitel Brisbane Central is a great base for exploring the city. Start your visit with a trip to GOMA,the Gallery of Modern Art, which sits right on Southbank and hosts everything from Japanese fashion retrospectives (Future of Beauty, ends 15th Feb) to screenings of the Lord of the Rings (Myths and Legends, ends 8th March). Once you’ve had your culture fix, get your taste buds fired up at the Black Bird, the hot new char-grilled meat restaurant where ex-Melbournites Jake Nicholson and Penny Grant are drawing the crowds.
