Australia's six greatest non-capital cities

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 1 year ago

Australia's six greatest non-capital cities

Updated
Geelong has a laidback lifestyle, preserved heritage architecture and an increasingly dizzying calendar of major events.

Geelong has a laidback lifestyle, preserved heritage architecture and an increasingly dizzying calendar of major events.Credit: Visit Victoria

The wide-open spaces, the glaring absence of traffic jams, the laidback lifestyle with most of the trappings of the big smoke but on a smaller scale. Really, it is not difficult to understand why Australians have been eager to flee lockdowns to the nation's smaller cities and breathe easy again.

If there's an unexpected bonus to emerge from these problematic and disruptive past two and half years it is the rise of once shunned and now embraced smaller cities beyond, and in some cases close to, our major capital cities, Sydney and Melbourne among them.

Not only did many Australians permanently snuff out the big smoke as a place to live, countless others also set their sights firmly on domestic short breaks and holidays.

During the pandemic hiatus many of Australia's regional cities - some already on the upward trajectory – saw billions of dollars spent on new infrastructure, accommodation and tourism products giving travellers more reasons than ever to visit.

Geelong, Newcastle, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Launceston to name but a handful of smaller regional cities and destinations are suddenly cool and desirable places to visit as well as to move to permanently .

They've seen a wave of new cool hotel openings, most of them targeting domestic travellers, bold new additions to already burgeoning Good Food Guide-worthy food scenes (often by talented chefs making their own sea or tree changes) and new investment in arts and culture.

The remarkable, and for that matter rather exciting, rise and rise of the regions is reflected in the forthcoming editions of the Good Food Guide, published next month in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Advertisement

"I'd say that some of the most exciting dining in Victoria is unquestionably in the regions," says Ros Grundy, editor of The Age edition. "You can really get a sense of the produce that shines in each region through eating in the restaurant.

"Similarly, Callan Boys, editor of the SMH Good Food Guide, says regional dining in NSW has never been better, largely thanks to a new generation of young restaurant talent returning from Sydney to their hometowns and opening something fresh and exciting with local customers in mind.

"We even created a New Regional Restaurant of the Year Award for The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide to celebrate this new pack of forward-thinking restaurateurs serving beautiful, honest food outside the city limits."

Tracy Carter, acting executive director of Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine, says that a city like Geelong, with its manageable population of under 300,000, offers "the benefits of a city with the soul of a town".

Indeed, with the Spirit of Tasmania ferry service now calling the city its mainland base and with Victoria's regionally-focused Commonwealth Games on the way, Geelong has clearly come a helluva long way in recent years.

"Geelong is Australia's unofficial regional events capital," Carter says, "with blockbusters such as the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Australian International Air show and international music acts such as Foo Fighters, Robbie Williams, Elton John and Sting choosing to play here.

"Makers, creators and city folk are increasingly calling Geelong home. Our cosmopolitan precincts and venues are attributable to entrepreneurs, chefs, producers and artists escaping the confines of big cities for the intimacy of a smaller local community."

On the Gold Coast, classified as a city, several new and upcoming luxury hotels including the Langham and The Dorsett - Australia's first Mondrian Residences - and world-wide favourite, The Ritz Carlton are in development.

Sorely missed domestic travellers are returning to the Gold Coast - home to more than 600,000 - in droves post pandemic with 3.2 million visiting for the year ending June, particularly from Sydney and Melbourne.

Indeed, the Gold Coast has seen an increase in spend per visitor to over $1000 a head. That's higher than both 2019 and 2021- a figure that shows travellers are preferring quality over quantity.

A few hours north of Sydney, Michael Stamboulidis, general manager of the newly-opened QT Newcastle hotels, says that his property, built inside the city's original David Jones department store, is one of the latest parts of the former steel city's remarkable transformation.

It's become an increasingly cool place, home to 450,000 or so, that people, even Sydneysiders, from afar want to visit.

"Newcastle is a charming, relaxed city escape with an incredible beachside locale and thriving community," says the Sydney northern beaches "born and bred" Stamboulidis. "It's on the cusp of a new era of culture, undergoing rapid growth."

So if you think you know our regional cities, based on their admittedly less than glamorous past and reputations, it's time to think again. With Traveller's special guide to five of our favourite smaller and revitalised Australians you may as well start packing now. - Sheriden Rhodes

Contributors: Andrew Bain, Ben Groundwater, Julietta Jameson, Sheriden Rhodes

Geelong, Victoria

Credit: Robert Blackburn/Visit Victoria

THE LOWDOWN Not unlike its tenacious, grand final-winning AFL team, G-town, as many of the quarter of a million locals affectionately call it, refused to lie down when Ford and its manufacturing base shot through, permanently, in 2016. Why would it? Seventy-five kilometres south-west of Melbourne, Greater Geelong has some of the best beaches in Australia (on the Bellarine Peninsula), a glorious, north facing bay, a laidback lifestyle, preserved heritage architecture and an increasingly dizzying calendar of major events. Plus, an influx of sea changers and relocating creatives, especially post-pandemic, has only amplified and accelerated Geelong's food and wine scene.

SEE + DO For a city of its size, Geelong bats deep in attraction including some excellent museums (www.visitgeelongbellarine.com.au) and an art gallery of international standing (www.geelonggallery.org.au). Nowadays converted, the warehouse and factory scene are attracting the most attention such as Fyansford Paper Mill (www.fyansfordpapermill.com.au), an arts and cultural hub with not only galleries and design studio but a winery sitting alongside Buckley Falls and the Barwon River. Elsewhere, the former Valley Worsted Mills is now the east coast home of Little Creatures brewery (littlecreatures.com.au) while Federal Mills (www.federalmills.com.au), includes the Anthur Gin distillery and the atmospheric 1915 restaurant.

EAT + DRINK Frank Camorra, who grew up in Geelong, is set to open his fifth MoVida Spanish eatery in 2023 (www.movida.com.au). Meantime, the Little Malop Street precinct burgeons with choice such as the elegant fine diner, Felix (www.felix.com.au) and The Arborist (www.thearboristgeelong.com.au), a wine bar and restaurant that melds mod Oz with Middle Eastern. For fun and fromage, Splatters Cheese Bar (www.splatters.online) in Geelong West features Australia's first sushi-style cheese train accompanied by a locally focused wine list.

STAY For views of Corio Bay opt for the north facing higher level rooms of R Hotel Geelong (www.rhotelgeelong.com.au), a serviced room and apartment complex not far from Eastern Beach. Then again with proximity to the waterfront attractions and the CBD, even the rooms without the views offer a great base.

ESSENTIALS With the AFL in winter and concerts in summer, including at famous Mount Duneed Estate (mtduneedestate.com.au), there's plenty to appeal, whatever the season. Geelong is a usually easy drive of under an hour from Melbourne. There's also a passenger ferry (www.portphillipferries.com.au) between the two cities. See www.visitgeelongbellarine.com.au; www.visitvictoria.com

Fremantle, WA

Credit: Tourism Western Australia

THE LOWDOWN Part of Perth but at the same time completely distinct and separate from it, it's hard to believe the city affectionately known as "Freo" was once a rough port town, a hard-working hub of stevedores and fishermen and others serving the area's heavy industry. These days, Freo has kept in touch with its past while also morphing into a cultural and creative wonderland, the cool sibling to Perth's buttoned-down desk-jockey, the place to eat, to drink, to see live music and have a good time.

SEE + DO Begin in Freo by tapping into the city's vibrant history, perhaps at the old prison, now a heritage-listed building (www.fremantleprison.com.au), then with visits to the excellent WA Maritime Museum and the WA Shipwrecks Museum (www.museum.wa.gov.au). Next, experience the city's modern charms with a wander through Fremantle Markets (www.fremantlemarkets.com.au), a browse through its many independent boutiques, and then catch a band at music venues such as Freo Social (www.freo.social), The Aardvark (www.theaardvarkbar.com.au) or the Fremantle Arts Centre (www.fac.org.au).

EAT + DRINK Freo's famed "Cappuccino Strip" is a little daggy but still a good place to grab a coffee. For food, try classy mod-Oz at Tonic & Ginger (www.theoldsynagogue.com.au), upmarket pan-Asian at Emily Taylor (www.emilytaylorbar.com.au), and high-end vegan at Mother (www.motherfremantle.com.au). Freo is also a great place to drink: try small-batch beer at Calamity's Rod (www.calamitysrod.com.au) or Running With Thieves (www.runningwiththieves.com.au), local gin at Republic of Fremantle (www.republicoffremantle.com), cocktails at Strange Company (www.strangecompany.com.au), or hipster cool at Darling Darling.

STAY Book a few nights at Warders (www.wardershotel.com.au), a boutique hotel set in the limestone cottages that were once home to Fremantle Prison warders.

ESSENTIALS Freo is great to visit year-round, though is at its most popular in summer, when culture can be combined with beach time. It's easily accessible from Perth, via a half-hour drive or train trip from the CBD, and a 35-minute drive from Perth Airport (under 30 minutes from central Perth), with connections from the eastern states. See www.visitfremantle.com.au; www.westernaustralia.com

Gold Coast

THE LOWDOWN Now officially classified as a city and one built almost entirely on tourism, COVID-19 hit the Gold Coast particularly hard. However $1 billion worth of new investment poured into the coast over the course of the pandemic has put the sparkle back into the glitter strip. Beyond the sun, surf and theme parks, Australia's favourite seaside destination is offering travellers a vibrant new arts precinct, burgeoning food scene and emerging sustainable tourism push.

SEE + DO Delve into the coast's creative side at HOTA (Home of the Arts) (hota.com.au), a 17-hectare $365 million art precinct behind Surfers Paradise home to Australia's largest regional art gallery, visit Wonder Reef (www.wonderreef.com.au) 22 metres above sea level where divers can explore underwater sculptures, marine life and six species of coral on the world's first buoyant reef. Cooly Eco Adventures (www.coolyecoadventures.com.au) meanwhile offers the chance to swim with majestic whales.

EAT + DRINK While surf n turf was once the height of culinary sophistication the Goldie's food scene has undergone a quiet revolution. Twenty two hatted restaurants are on offer including the recently opened Michelin-starred Cantonese fine diner T'ang Court (www.langhamhotels.com) along with Kiyomi (www.star.com.au) headed up by renowned chef Chase Kojima. Labart (www.restaurantlabart.com) at Burleigh Heads serves up knockout Modern Australia cuisine heavy on European flair while foodies simply can't get enough of Rick Shores' Balmain Bug rolls (www.rickshores.com.au). La Luna Beach Club (www.lalunabeachclub.com.au) – Australia's first Mediterranean-inspired floating beach club –meanwhile is set to open this summer.

STAY The first five star beachfront hotel to open in three decades, The Langham Gold Coast (www.langhamhotels.com) offers 339 design-led rooms and suites, heavenly spa treatments at its Chuan Spa and elegant high teas. Alternatively check in to the new Dorsett Hotel, stay in sustainable style at The Mysa (www.themysamotel.com) and keep an eye out for the Mondrian (www.mondrianresidencesgc.com) coming to Burleigh next year.

ESSENTIALS Try to avoid the Christmas school holidays when prices skyrocket and November 20-December 11 when thousands of school leavers descend on the coast for schoolies. Direct flights are on offer from Sydney, Melbourne and most major domestic hubs. See www.destinationgoldcoast.com; www.queensland.com

Launceston, Tasmania

.

. Credit: Jarrad Seng/Tourism Tasmania

THE LOWDOWN It's been 12 months of love for Launceston, home to around 100,000 people. In February, Tasmania's second city was named "Australia's best town" in a poll on travel-booking site Wotif.com, while UNESCO designated it an international City of Gastronomy, joining 48 other world cities on this exclusive list of gourmet goodness. That recognition is already snowballing into new food and restaurant openings to pair with Launceston's suite of natural and urban attractions. Visitors are finally discovering the pleasures of what's always existed: an easy-paced city shaped by nature, lined with historic streetscapes and flavoured by the richness of the surrounding soils and seas.

SEE + DO Launceston's defining feature remains Cataract Gorge, the deep chasm carved by the South Esk River as it flows to meet the North Esk River and form kanamaluka/River Tamar. Few cities can boast such a dramatic natural feature a kilometre from the city centre. Spread across two sites, QVMAG (www.qvmag.tas.gov.au) is Australia's largest regional museum, while Tasmanian timbers and furniture are the stars of the show at Design Tasmania (www.designtasmania.com.au), set into City Park. Saturday mornings are done right at Harvest (www.harvestmarket.org.au), the car-park market that showcases producers from across northern Tasmania, while the city is gift-wrapped in sparkling wine dominated vineyards with growing international reputations.

EAT + DRINK High-end stalwarts such as Stillwater (www.stillwater.com.au), Black Cow Bistro (www.blackcowbistro.com.au) and Geronimo (www.geronimorestaurant.com.au) still command top billing, but there's a new and evermore diverse crop of newcomers. Market favourite Small Grain (www.smallgrain.com.au) transitioned from food van to restaurant mid-year, cooking up fine Asian dishes, while things have gone so well for sourdough bakery-cafe Bread + Butter (www.breadandbuttertasmania.com.au) since it opened four years ago that it's about to launch a third outlet. Craft-beer lovers can now pair long-standing Saint John Craft Beer Bar (www.saintjohncraftbeer.com.au) with Du Cane (www.ducanebrewing.com.au), the city's first brewery taproom, which opened last month.

STAY Launceston's lack of pretence is evident in the fact that its tallest building is a silo. And that silo has been reborn as a hotel – Peppers Silo (www.peppers.com.au/silo) – bringing lofty views, rounded walls and the chance to take hotel dog Archie for walks along the river.

ESSENTIALS Chilly winter mornings have their own Launceston appeal, but with its plentiful gardens and waterways, the city looks its best through spring, summer and autumn. There are direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne, or it's a 2.5-hour drive along the Midland Highway from Hobart. See www.visitnortherntasmania.com.au; www.discovertasmania.com.au

Newcastle, NSW

.

. Credit: Guy Williment/Destination NSW

THE LOWDOWN Once known as an industrial heavyweight it's now more recognised for its cutting edge architecture, vibrant street art and a burgeoning food and small bar scene. Its storied past is seen in century-old sea baths, an historic fort and grand buildings now home to much-needed upscale hotels and contemporary drinking holes. The former railway precinct, including the heritage-listed Newcastle Station has been transformed into a public piazza strung with festoon lights, restaurant and market lawns.

SEE + DO Take a self-guided walking trail of Newcastle through the eyes of artists that have lived there (www.visitnewcastle.com.au), browse whimsical and edgy street art with Newcastle Afoot (www.newcastleafoot.com.au) and visit independent arts space the Lock-Up (www.thelockup.org.au), once the local clanger. In the harbourside village of Carrington join a gin masterclass at Earps Distillery (earpdistillingco.com) and head for the Anzac Memorial Walk (www.visitnewcastle.com.au) for a sunset stroll along the cliff hugging walkway.

EAT + DRINK Savour Humbug (www.humbugnewcastle.com.au) owner-chef Michael Portley's playful take on Italian fare accompanied by sustainable vinos and new age Hunter Valley wines. Order a coastal margarita at rooftop Romberg's at Crystalbrook Kingsley (www.crystalbrookcollection.com) while drinking in sweeping coastal vistas. Âpé Yakitori Bar (www.apeyakitoribar.com.au), meanwhile, showcases the Hunter Valley's best produce cooked over charcoal accompanied by a spectacular drinks list curated by part owner Tayio Namba. Dine harbourside or take a seat at the yakitori grill with Âpé's degustation menu paired with wine, Japanese whisky or sakes.

STAY Once a city bereft of quality hotels, choose now from the five star Crystalbrook Kingsley, housed in Newcastle's reborn Roundhouse building from the late 1970s or the newly opened QT Newcastle (qthotels) in the heritage-listed erstwhile David Jones building. Newcastle institution The Lucky Hotel (www.theluckyhotel.com.au) meanwhile, fresh from a Palms Springs style revamp by interior designer Sandy Grice, offers 30 contemporary rooms and a menu by chef Stephen Scott, a former Gordon Ramsay and Matt Moran hand.

ESSENTIALS While summer springs to mind for visiting Newcastle, autumn's where it's at (winter if you're a keen surfer). Newcastle is around two hours' drive north of Sydney, 2.5 hours by train or a 1.5 hour flight from Melbourne (25-minutes from Sydney). See www.visitnewcastle.com.au

Sunshine Coast

THE LOWDOWN The Sunshine Coast? It makes our list as it's classified as a local government area (LGA) with a population of nearly 360,000, comprising coastal cities and towns - and, wow, what cities and towns there are. Come for the beach but do venture beyond the sea where the natural beauty and culinary delights of the bucolic hinterland is fueling the Sunny Coast's popularity. A wave of new and improved accommodation openings, Australia's largest number of breweries per capita not to mention an exceptional food scene offers a myriad of enticing new reasons to visit.

SEE + DO Reset at luxurious new day spa Tank Bathhouse (tankspa.com.au) with a wellness package including spa treatment, gourmet degustation lunch, high tea, bottle of Chandon and time spent in three alfresco hot tubs, a cold plunge pool, sauna and steam room. Visit Australia's Zoo's (www.australiazoo.com.au) herd of Sumatran elephants at their expansive new home, Elephantasia, and take a tour of First Nations Beachtree Distilling Co (www.beachtree.com.au) to see what goes into the creation of its small-batch, hand-crafted spirits.

EAT + DRINK Cameron Matthews of Spicers' Long Apron fame is collaborating with Falls Farm to transform the 112-year-old Mapleton Pub (www.mapleton.pub) into a paddock-to-plate destination. Dine beneath fairy lights at the intimate Italian fine-diner Popina (www.popinaeumundi.com.au) from the former owners of Mooloolaba's Fish on Parkyn and book in for a slow weekend lunch at Bask (www.baskeumundi.com.au) in Eumundi. Experience the culinary leaps and bounds being taken by the rural market town (being coined as "New-mundi").

STAY Where to begin? Sleep in style at the new Maleny Lodge (www.malenylodge.com.au), plant yourself beachside at Holiday Inn Express and Suites Sunshine Coast (www.ihg.com) or opt for refreshed guest rooms and overwater bungalows at the revamped Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort (www.novotelsunshinecoast.com.au). In the hinterland, Narrows Escape and Lovestone Cottages offer glamorous new luxury villas and cottage stays with plunge pools, double spas and fireplaces. HOLA, aka House of Local Art (www.holaeumundi.com.au) from the owners of the iconic Imperial Hotel meanwhile pays homage to local creatives in 15 spacious and contemporary.

ESSENTIALS With year-round sunny weather (hence its name) practically any time is a good time to visit although peak holiday periods equate to crowds and inflated prices. Direct flights are on offer from Sydney, Melbourne and other major domestic hubs. See www.visitsunshinecoast.com

FIVE MORE SMALLER AUSTRALIAN CITIES WE'RE BIG ON

Bendigo, Vic

Bendigo, two hours from Melbourne and with a population of around 120,000 in Victoria's Goldfields region, was built on mining and there's still pure gold to be uncovered at the likes Bendigo Art Gallery (www.bendigoregion.com.au) which continues to defy the odds in attracting international blockbuster exhibitions. Meanwhile, the new and elegant Bendigo Ernest Hotel (www.hotelbendigo.com.au) has become the destination digs. See www.visitbendigo.com.au; www.visitvictoria.com

Orange, NSW

Here's one NSW town that really matches the best of the classy Victorian equivalents. Smaller than the other places on our list with a population around the 40,000 mark but a city nonetheless,, tuck into the acclaimed local produce, visit cool climate wineries, take a drive down classic country backroads to quaint surrounding towns, attend the famous annual F.O.O.D festival and check-in to the award-winning Byng Street Boutique Hotel (www.byngstreethotel.com). See www.orange360.com.au; www.visitnsw.com

Toowoomba, Qld

The Garden City has long been known for Australia's longest-running floral event (Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers) and rural charm in spades. Now a flourishing food and drink scene including bustling cafes, microbreweries, heli pub crawl calling on country pubs, breweries and distilleries and newly launched Savour Southern Queensland Country tasting trail is luring visitors from further afield. See visittoowoombaregion.com.au;

Ballarat, Vic

Explore the city's rollicking past, admire some of the nation's finest Victorian-era streetscapes and handsome buildings, stroll Lake Wendouree, see the Eureka flag, relive Ballarat's 1850s gold-rush era at Sovereign Hill. Stay at one of the new generation of fashionable Ballarat boltholes such as Provincial Hotel, located in a gorgeous heritage listed building steps from Ballarat's historic dome-roofed railway train station. See www.visitballarat.com.au

Wollongong, NSW

It started with the opening of the now iconic Sea Cliff Bridge, half an hour outside of town and which begged for weekend road tripping. Now all roads lead to the buzzing seaside city known as "The Gong". Set between ocean and mountains, world class beaches, tree top walks, a vibrant music scene, new waterfront precinct (slated for a new Crown Plaza hotel in 2025) and top-notch eateries (many led by sea-changing Sydneysiders) await. See visitwollongong.com.au

Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading