Why Aussies are flocking back to Hong Kong - and what to do when you get there

Australians are returning to Hong Kong in big numbers, with the Hong Kong Tourism Board reporting a 32 per cent year-on-year increase in Australian visitation in the first quarter of 2025. If you're planning your own Hong Kong holiday, here are some of the best and most recent openings to keep in mind. Check in to the Park Lane Hong Kong, Autograph Collection, which opened in the vibrant Causeway Bay in January with state-of-the-art guestrooms and three onsite eateries, including the Skye Roofbar and Brasserie, where sensational seafood meets just as unforgettable sea views. For more good food, book a table at the just-opened South Beauty, which shines a light on Shandong, a lesser-experienced Chinese cuisine, with dishes such as 45-day-old roast duck; or make your way to Landau's, where European favourites - such as pates, baguettes, duck legs and sauerkraut - are the order of the day. And if you end up in Hong Kong before July 13, check out more than 60 works by Pablo Picasso at the Picasso for Asia - A Conversation exhibition at the M+ museum. discoverhongkong.com/anz

A rare phenomenon is unfolding in the heart of South Australia. The country's largest salt lake and the lowest point in the continent (15.2 metres below sea level), Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is flooding, and as it fills up, colourful birdlife - from banded stilts to red-necked avocets - is flocking to it, followed by travellers, of course, keen to soak up the rare spectacle (the lake has filled to capacity only three times in the past 160 years).

APT has added extra departures to its popular seven-day Lake Eyre and Flinders Ranges journey and introduced a new itinerary - the eight-day Lake Eyre and Painted Hills package. Outback Spirit has launched the new five-day Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and Flinders Ranges Spectacular tour, too, with luxury coach transfers and scenic flights. aptouring.com; outbackspirittours.com.au

Two historically rich buildings in Sydney's storied Rocks precinct hold the key to some of the city's hottest new dining experiences. The city's oldest pub, the Fortune of War (which dates back to 1828), will be home to the soon-to-open 60-seat Bistro 1828. Chef Mark Williamson is at the helm, with the goal of delivering "a true representation of a classic Aussie pub".

The best sandy stretches on the planet have been named by US-based publication World's 50 Best Beaches, with three Aussie beaches making the cut: Turquoise Bay at No. 22 and Wharton Beach at No. 21 (both in Western Australia); and Nudey Beach in Queensland at No. 37. Taking the top spot on the list - put together by more than 1000 travel professionals - is Cala Goloritze on Italy's Baunei Coast in Sardinia, followed by Entalula Beach in Palawan, Philippines and Bang Bao Beach in Koh Kood, Thailand.