The upside of Perth being more like a small town than a capital city is minimal light pollution. It means Perth and its surrounding areas are full of excellent stargazing locations. The most obvious and fitting location is the Perth Observatory in Bickley Valley. Check their website for tours and special events. If you don't feel like taking a guided tour, why not make an evening of it by packing a picnic basket and jumping in the car to admire the Milky Way somewhere special, away from intruding city lights?

Organic, biodynamic and vegan wines have been gaining more attention in recent years. Check out Lark Hill Winery in the hills just above Canberra for a triple hit. Fans of Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot noir will enjoy this chick location in the hills above Canberra where shale and clay soils let these hardy grapes thrive. Enjoy a few glasses by the open fire at the intimate cellar door. The zesty whites and dark cherry reds won't disappoint. Regular wine tastings are available several times a week.

Built in the 1850s, this is one of Western Australia’s premier cultural sites. In 2010 Fremantle Prison became included on the World Heritage list, as the first building in Western Australia. Take one of the entertaining tours conducted by experienced and knowledgeable tour guides who bring the rich folklore and stories of the Prison to life. You can choose a day tour, a spooky torchlight tour, and ‘extreme heritage’ tunnels tour adventures.

‘This is where the cultural, creative, and enterprising urban district Sphinx will arise.’ So reads the ambition behind the plans for the development of the Sphinx area. Plans focus on the place where Maastricht’s industrial revolution began. It was here that Petrus Regout built his ‘Sphinx Factory,’ the start of what grew into an enormous industry, producing bathroom fixtures, tiles, and the products that made Maastricht great. The factory operated until 2006, and since then efforts have been under way to redevelop this area as a district that fits in with the city, but as something Maastricht does not already have. That’s why this district is being designed to attract creative types, young residents, national and international students, and expatriates. It will be internationally oriented, with room for flexible space and temporary functions. Where this area is going is becoming clearer and clearer, in things like the arrival of the pop music stage in a former sawmill, and the newly opened Brandweer(kantine), with workspaces and meeting places for creative entrepreneurs. But not everything in this part of the city is new and different. The historic and picturesque river harbour ‘t Bassin, adjacent to the Sphinx area, makes a perfect buffer for the transition from the more familiar and better known Maastricht to this new part of town.