There are numerous speciality dishes and foods. Seafood is an integral part of the cuisine scene in all its shelled and scaled forms. Production of organic foods is increasing and available in the cities and larger towns. Bush tucker is food from Australia's endemic flora and fauna and can be lean and quite delicious - kangaroo meat in particular is growing in popularity and should be eaten rare. Australia also offers an enormous variety of cuisines reflecting its ethnic make-up, including Italian, French, Greek, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Japanese, Indian, African, Lebanese and Korean.

Things to know: Service varies from waitress and waiter service to self-service. Bistros, cafes, family-style restaurants and pub lunches offer good food at reasonable prices. Most restaurants and hotels are licensed to serve alcohol. Some restaurants will allow guests to bring their own alcohol and are called ‘BYO' restaurants. Licensing hours in public bars are Mon-Sat 1000-2200, however most pubs are open until 2400; Sunday hours vary. Restaurants, clubs and hotel lounges have more flexible hours.

National specialities:
• Sydney rock oysters.
• Barramundi (freshwater fish).
• Moreton Bay bugs (a shellfish).
• Macadamia nuts.
• Kangaroo.

National drinks:
• Australian wine, especially Coonawarra, Clare Valley, Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley and Margaret River.
• Australian beer, including Coopers, Cascade, James Squire, Little Creatures and Matilda Bay.

The major vineyards (wineries) are outside Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide. The largest single wine-growing region is in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, two hours' drive from Adelaide, where high-quality red and white wines are produced. For further information, visit Australian Wine and Beer (website: www.australianwineandbeer.com).

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: Not as common as it is in Europe and North America, nor is a service charge added to the bill in restaurants. In top-quality restaurants, 10% is usual for food and drink waiters, but is optional elsewhere. With taxis it is usual not to tip, but round up to the next Dollar.

Australian cities have a diverse and enthralling nightlife. There is something to suit all tastes with theatre and performance arts especially good in Sydney and Melbourne. The Sydney Opera House (website: www.sydneyoperahouse.com) regularly hosts the country's top orchestras and opera companies. Melbourne is Australia's cultural city and has a nationwide reputation for its live music scene, which includes anything from jazz to folk or rock music. Venues range from premier music-hosting places such as The Forum to backstreet pubs in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond. Comedy is also popular in Melbourne.

Most cities have a healthy clubbing scene pulling top national and international DJs. Traditional pubs range from huge double-storey monoliths in Western and South Australia, to graceful Victorian edifices in Victoria and New South Wales. Trendy bars attracting the style-conscious are very popular nighttime venues. Melbourne's central business district is full of hole-in-the-wall bars.

In rural areas the pub is the standard venue for socialising. Local drinking holes off the beaten track tend to be very simple affairs and also very friendly.

Special purchases include excellent local wines; wool, clothing, leather and sheepskin products; precious or semi-precious stones; and modern art sculpture and paintings. Indigenous artworks and artefacts are prolific in some parts of the country and paintings, boomerangs, didgeridoos and other objects are on view and for sale in Darwin, Alice Springs and the state capitals; many depict stories from the Dreamtime. Ensure you are purchasing an authentic item, however, as much so-called Aboriginal art is fake, consisting of designs ripped off from the real artists. The best places to buy are outlets supported or owned by Aboriginal communities.

Many cities and towns have small shops devoted to the sale of ‘Australiana', where Australian souvenirs, ranging from T-shirts to boomerangs, can be bought. The country's national gemstone, the opal, makes beautiful jewellery and the best places to buy are at or near opal mining towns such as Coober Pedy in South Australia. Towns like Broome in Western Australia grew on the back of pearl diving, and cultured pearls are still sold in large quantities and make popular souvenirs.

Shopping hours: Opening hours for most stores in the cities are Mon-Fri 0900-1730, Sat 0900-1700. Late-night shopping is available Friday to 2100 in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart and Darwin. Late-night shopping is available Thursday at the same times in Sydney, Canberra and Perth. Major stores in some states are open 1000-1600 Sunday. Most supermarkets are open until 2000, and are sometimes 24-hour. Corner stores, restaurants and snack bars are open in most cities until well into the night.