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Although seafood, beefsteak and dubious delicacies like witchetty grub and grilled crocodile are a part of Australian cuisine, vegetarians- and those less adventurous- needn't feel nervous. The fact is that Australia, with its vast range of ingredients and its wealth of culinary tradition, is a gourmet's dream come true. Whether you want to stick to familiar cuisine, or get a taste of some of the most bizarre ingredients on earth, this is one country where you can get it all and eating out is a pleasurable experience.
Right across Australia are specialty restaurants, cafés, bistros, coffee-shops, pub counters, `barbies' (barbecues) and fast food outlets which serve up an amazing array of food and drink. Cosmopolitan cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin and Perth offer a very eclectic mix of cuisines and dining experiences to choose from, many of them very good value indeed. Food courts, bakeries, bistros and cafés are particularly recommended for budget-watchers. Alongside are a range of bars, taverns and pubs where local beer and wine rule the roost.
Away from the cities and in the heart of the Bush are outback eateries and roadhouses which offer smaller menus and more threadbare facilities.
Australia's attractiveness as a tourist destination has a lot to do with its abundant facilities for entertainment. Whereas neighbourhood dance clubs in isolated settlements may be the norm in the outback, larger cities offer everything from world- class opera and theatre to casinos, dancing, and cinema. Discotheques, bars and nightclubs all across the country's major cities fill up every night, and a string of venues- from Sydney's famous Opera House to Perth's lively Entertainment Centre- host performances of comedy, theatre, classical music, jazz, rock, ballet, cabaret, aboriginal music, cinema and virtually any other form of entertainment you can think of. In addition to that, there are annual festivals- celebrating everything from Christmas to wine, from gay pride to aboriginal culture- which form a part and parcel of Australia's recreation.
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