Adelaide

The arrival of giant pandas Wang Wang and Funi in 2009 introduced bold interactive experiences for zoo visitors. Try the Wild Nights programme, a guided nocturnal tour with an overnight sleep in tents pitched on the zoo's EnviroDome rooftop garden.

North Terrace is a spacious boulevard that houses South Australia's grand institutions of learning, culture and government. Its recent renovation provides easier access to the Art Gallery of South Australia and State Library of South Australia. It all leads to the entrance of the magnificent Adelaide Botanic Gardens.

South Australia is home to many of the country's most famous wineries, and a small but enticing list of these is available at this funky hole-in-the-wall wine bar. Expect to discover new producers and exciting alternative wine styles.

The smart new generation of the museum's exhibits can be reflected in an innovative A$3.8 million biodiversity gallery. Trace Sir Douglas Mawson's pioneering Antarctic expeditions or visit the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, the most significant collection of its type in the world.

Adelaide has a battalion of free bikes and helmets available for daily use from Adelaide City Bikes at eight locations. The city's flat terrain is perfectly suited to leisurely peddling, with many designated bike lanes along the city's major roads.

Inspired by his family's farm, Chef Ayhan Erkoc uses superior meats and heirloom vegetables to create worthy modern dining signatures. His daring menu achieves an impressive communion of dazzling presentation, a delicious sense of theatre and harmonious flavours.

Notable boutiques in the fashionable inner suburbs include Adelaide designer Liza Emanuele, whose sexy gowns are specifically designed to make women feel glamorous. Milan-trained Emanuele is a protégé of top Adelaide fashion designers George Gross and Harry Watt (Harry Who).