Sangeeta Kocharekar

Flower fans of Victoria, we’ve got good news. If you’re looking for something to brighten up the end of the holiday season, you can truly stop and smell the roses at this garden 35 minutes outside Melbourne CBD – 5,000 of them to be exact. Victoria State Rose Garden in Melbourne’s western suburbs spans five magical hectares, and is overflowing with all types of roses. When viewed from above, the garden itself is shaped like a five-petalled Tudor Rose, with a gazebo at its centre and a pathway acting as a stem. In 2003, the garden took home the award for International Garden of Excellence by the World Federation of Rose Societies, becoming the first rose garden outside Europe to win. Adding to the garden’s appeal is the fact it’s looked after mainly by a group of 100 volunteers (with help from staff at Parks Victoria). And the final layer of sweet sweet icing on the cake? It’s free to visit. Here’s everything you need to know about this cute-as-anything spot. Where is the Victoria State Rose Garden? The Victoria State Rose Garden is in the Werribee Park Tourist Precinct, near Werribee Open Range Zoo and adjacent to Werribee Mansion. Because of its location, it’s sometimes (incorrectly) called Werribee Park Rose Garden, but we won’t call you out if you get it wrong. How do you get to Victoria State Rose Garden? The garden is about a 35- to 45-minute drive west of Melbourne’s CBD along the M1. If you’re coming by public transport, you can take the Metro from Melbourne to Werribe

Cyclists travelling between Footscray and Melbourne’s CBD can finally give their necks – and physios – a rest. If you’re a committed bike rider in Melbourne’s west, you’ll know what we’re talking about. And thanks to a new off-road pathway, cyclists will no longer have to constantly twist and turn to spot oncoming cars across six busy intersections. Formally known as the Dixon Veloway, the new path is a major part of Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel Project – here’s what we know about it so far. Opened on December 6, 2025, the 2.5km-long cycle path runs between Shepherd Bridge in Footscray and the city side of Moonee Ponds Creek, providing riders with a dedicated, off-road route to and from the CBD. “The veloway has been built with cyclist safety front and centre – taking out six intersections between Footscray and Docklands to give riders a clearer, safer run,” said Gabrielle Williams, Minister for Transport Infrastructure, at the time of its opening. Photograph: Supplied | Victorian Government The path is four metres wide, with two cycle lanes, and features lighting, CCTV, alarmed exits and emergency vehicle access. Its suspended section is made up of 195 segments, each individually lifted and added, and weighing a total of 1,700 tonnes. Dixon Veloway, named in honour of Victorian cyclist and Australian Hall of Fame inductee Iris Dixon, is one of many new or upgraded bike paths by the West Gate Tunnel Project, which aims to take 9,000 trucks off local roads, cut congestion an

Even if you're not at the age and stage where you can think about knocking off work for good, the whole retirement game takes a bit of planning – so travel publisher World Atlas regularly looks at Australia's best towns for retirees, taking into consideration factors including affordability, green spaces, cultural outlets and essential services within easy reach. Their list also looks at an area's healthcare services, transport and opportunities to stay active, as well as the number of cafés and markets. Want to know where in New South Wales you should be putting your feet up? Here’s their 2025 list of the best NSW towns for retirees (plus some commentary from us about what's good in each area). Jindabyne  Topping the list is Jindabyne, which sits at the edge of Lake Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains. The town’s retiree appeal is its access to a wide range of outdoor activities. Retirees can fish, kayak or stroll lakeside, ending their day with craft beers at Jindabyne Brewing. Sounds alright to us. Or, if the weather’s cooler and they’re up for something more strenuous, there’s skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing at nearby ski resorts Perisher and Thredbo. Bathurst You’ll be spoilt for choice with retirement living options in Bathurst, a 3.5-hour drive northwest of Sydney. The town has spots for every level of independence, with the main two properties Oak Tree Retirement village and Ingenia Gardens Bathurst. You can also have peace of mind about your health, thanks to two ho

When it comes to Sydney’s housing affordability crisis, things tend to get contentious.  Whether you’re feeling worn out by Saturday mornings spent traipsing around dingy apartments with rents that make you want to cry, given up on the dream of ever buying because you can barely afford a car spot, or, as some members of the Inner West community are feeling, enraged at the prospect of your neighbourhood changing forever because of a major new development, you can probably agree on one thing: Sydney’s housing situation is less than ideal.  In an effort to address this, Inner West Council recently passed ‘Our Fairer Future’ plan, which aims to deliver 20,000 to 30,000 new homes to the Inner West over the next 15 years. This decision was met with significant community backlash in the Inner West, with local residents concerned that the ‘Fairer Future Plan’ would eradicate a sense of community, hurt heritage institutions and businesses, and fail to provide adequate green and park space.  As a result of the community protests, the plan underwent significant amendments, with the most notable being the reduction of 5,000 proposed homes in Marrickville, Dulwich Hill and Ashfield.  Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne noted that some of those homes would be redistributed to the Parramatta Road corridor, which will accept a total of 8,000 new homes as part of a partnership between the Council and the NSW Government. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons | Bidgee “Our Fairer Future Plan will stop the e