A Tale Of Two Aussie Cities

Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s two great metropolises, present a fascinating study in contrast like few national city pairs do. The two are poles apart in temperament – the actress Amanda McBroom once piquantly observed, “Melbourne is a lady, Sydney is a slut” – but each has its own unique charms.

Bold, brassy and blessed with glorious surf beaches and a vast harbor, Sydney is the fashion and business center of Australia. Melbourne – sophisticated, stylish and home to countless art galleries and marvelous Victorian architecture – is its cultural capital.

A fierce debate has been going on for nearly 200 years on which is better. In truth, there shouldn’t be any argument. Sydney and Melbourne are simply two sides of the same Aussie coin, and a trip Down Under isn’t complete without taking in both cities.

Here’s a quick guide to both, culled from the popular day tours operated by Gray Line, Australia’s premier sightseeing company.

Sydney

Start with the water. Just as one hasn’t seen Paris if he hasn’t been to the Eiffel Tower, or New York without visiting the Empire State Building, one hasn’t experienced Sydney if he misses out on Sydney Harbor and its two iconic landmarks, the Harbor Bridge and Opera House.

Take a leisurely luncheon cruise around the picturesque harbor via Captain Cook Cruises, one of Sydney’s best experiences. Then head for The Rocks, the city’s birthplace, where Captain Arthur Phillip established the first settlement of mostly English convicts in 1788. It’s now a lively district featuring pubs, galleries and markets.

Continue across town to the vibrant dining and entertainment precinct, Darling Harbor. Within this complex are the Sydney Aquarium, Star casino, IMAX theater and the newest attraction, Darling Quarter, a $500-million development of greenery, cafes and restaurants.

Conveniently close to all these is the Metro Hotel Sydney Central, a 3.5-star property in the CBD that’s a favorite of Filipino tourists on a modest budget. Offering all the usual comforts, the hotel is just a block off George Street, Sydney’s main shopping drag, and steps away from the train and monorail stations.

Hunter Valley

North of Sydney is Hunter Valley, Australia’s best-known wine region. It is home to over 150 wineries producing a variety of wines, including the world benchmark for Semillon, along with Shiraz, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

With so many to choose from, it’s best to start with one of the pioneers. McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Estate first planted vines in 1880 and today is among the revered wineries in the valley. A guided tour and wine tasting, followed by a sumptuous lunch, takes place there daily.

Just down the road is another award-winning winery, Lindeman’s, where a private wine tasting and cheese platter sampling is offered. Cap the day with a stroll through the astounding Hunter Valley Gardens – 60 acres, 10 themed gardens, 6,000 trees and flowers too many to count. The Rose Garden alone has over 8,000 blooms.

Blue Mountains

An hour and a half drive out of Sydney lie the Blue Mountains, a spectacular range of canyons, gorges, bluffs and ancient rain forests. Imagine the Grand Canyon carpeted in lush vegetation. The area is a Unesco World Heritage site. In the town of Katoomba, visitors can descend to the floor of the Jamison Valley via a railway, the steepest in the world at a 52-degree incline, and walk under a canopy of tall tree ferns. Another option is the Scenic Skyway, a glass-bottom cable car that traverses the valley at a height of 200 meters. The views are breathtaking.

Melbourne

Last month, Melbourne was voted, for the second year running, the world’s most livable city in the Economist’s Global Livability Survey (Sydney was seventh). It’s easy to see why. Founded in 1835 by settlers seeking new farmland, Melbourne has evolved into Australia’s most Europeanized yet multicultural city.

With elegant tree-lined boulevards, cafés, trams and the southern hemisphere’s grandest collection of 19th-century heritage buildings, the city exudes a distinctly Old World charm.

Beyond that, Melbourne offers diverse activities, from high art to top-flight sports – think Grand Slam tennis and Formula 1 racing – all in the heart of the city.

First stop is Federation Square, an entire city block devoted to the arts, events and promenading. Stroll through the National Gallery of Victoria, which comprises two massive galleries showcasing Australian and international art. Ponder the visually stimulating exhibits at the Australian Center for the Moving Image. Or watch a recital at the BMW Edge Theater.

Then make your way to Queen Victoria Market, opened in 1878 and still bustling as ever. Spread over seven hectares, it’s the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere. Almost a thousand traders sell everything from fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and poultry to hardware, clothing, jewelry, organics and bric-a-brac.

With much to see and do in Melbourne, staying in the city center is a major plus. The Victoria Hotel on Little Collins Street in the CBD is one of the city fs original hotels, established in 1880. Not surprisingly, the service is legendary. The Vic, as it’s fondly called, radiates a home-away-from-home feel that Filipino travelers look for – indeed, some of its staff are Pinoys – along with four-star amenities at reasonable rates.

Sovereign Hill, Ballarat

In 1850, gold was discovered 100 kilometers northwest of Melbourne in Ballarat, sparking a rush that transformed the area into one of the wealthiest places on earth. A unique outdoor museum, Sovereign Hill recreates a Victorian goldfield from 160 years ago. Once inside the park, it’s like being caught in a time warp.

Town “residents,” in full 1850s attire and oozing with the conservative manners, even prejudices, of the era, go about their antediluvian lives without skipping a beat. I constantly had to do double takes while observing them. No one breaks character, even while ostensibly on lunch break. It’s easy to believe they are from the gold-rush era.

And just like that bygone age, today visitors the world over make the trek to Ballarat to try their luck in search of the precious metal. There’s actually a small creek on the site where visitors can pan for real gold. As Ballarat is still an active mining town, there’s a fair chance nuggets may pop up in the water. Any gold tourists find is theirs to keep!