Australia Travel
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Fine beaches, perfect weather, good people, and a more secure travelling experience. This is what you will find in Australia.
Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent (the world's smallest),the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. 40,000 years before European settlement commenced in the late 18th century, the Australian mainland and Tasmania were inhabited by around 250 individual nations of indigenous Australians.
After visits, which were few and far between, by fishermen from the immediate north, and European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, the eastern half of Australia was claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales, founded on 26 January 1788.
The population grew steadily in the following years; the continent was explored, and during the 19th century another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established. On 1 January 1901 the six colonies became a federation and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed.
Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable political system and remains a Commonwealth realm. The population is 22 million, with approximately 60% concentrated in and around the mainland capital cities, of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin and Adelaide. Hobart is the capital of Tasmani. The nation's capital city is Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory.
Australian cities routinely rank among the world's highest in terms of cultural offerings and quality of life.
Visit the Australian Destination Guide for more information about this wonderful country.
Australia has six states—New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia and two major mainland territories, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). In most respects these two territories function as states, but the Commonwealth Parliament can override any legislation of their parliaments. Each state and major mainland territory has its own legislature or parliament.
Australia's landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi) is on the Indo-Australian Plate. Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas. It is the world's smallest continent and sixth largest country by total area. Australia – owing to its size and isolation – is often dubbed the 'island continent' and is considered the world's largest island. Australia has 34,218 kilometres (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands). The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over 2,000 kilometres (1,240 mi). Mount Augustus, claimed to be the world's largest monolith, is located in Western Australia. At 2,228 metres (7,310 ft), Mount Kosciuszko on the Great Dividing Range is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, although Mawson Peak on the remote Australian territory of Heard Island is taller at 2,745 metres (9,006 ft).
By far the largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid land, commonly known as the outback. Australia is the flattest continent, with the oldest and least fertile soil, and is the driest inhabited continent. Only the south-east and south-west corners of the continent have a temperate climate. The population density, 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, is among the lowest in the world, although a great proportion of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline. The landscapes of the northern part of the country, with a tropical climate, consist of rainforest, woodland, grassland, mangrove swamps, and desert.
Although most of Australia is semi-arid or desert, it includes a diverse range of habitats from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests. Because of Australias great age, its extremely variable weather patterns, and its long-term geographic isolation, much of Australia's flora and fauna are unique and diverse.
About 85% of flowering plants, 84% of mammals, more than 45% of birds, and 89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are native. Australia has the greatest number of reptiles of any country, with 755 species.
If you love the beach, you can have a choice from a wide variety of 7000 fantastic beaches. Some of them are well known the world over, like Whitehaven Beach, in the Whitsunday Islands and also Bondi Beach at Sydney. Australians are fun-loving people and are very sociable. You can learn so much about their culture because of their very straightforward attitude towards guests and strangers.
Sunglasses, sunscreen and light clothing are important in Australia due to hot climate in some regions, but keeping a jacket during the cold night is a must especially in the southern temperate region. A good pair of sturdy boots in the bush is essential.
Australia is a massive country. In size it rivals the USA. This is an ancient land, and often looks it: in places, it's the most eroded, denuded and driest of continents, with much of central and western Australia - the bulk of the country - overwhelmingly arid and flat.
In contrast, its cities express a youthful energy. The most memorable scenery is in the Outback, the vast desert in the interior of the country west of the Great Dividing Range. Here, vivid blue skies, cinnamon-red earth, deserted gorges and other striking geological features as well as strange wildlife comprise a unique ecology.
The harshness of the interior has forced modern Australia to become a coastal country. Most of the population lives within 500km of the ocean.
Some of these coastal cities are Melbourne, Sydney and Geelong. If you are coming to Australia to surf, you can't go past the fantastic surf beaches at Byron Bay, in New South Wales.
Take a look at some Australian videos, to see what a beautiful country it is. Australians work hard and play hard, with an easy-going vitality that visitors often find refreshing.
A sunny climate also contributes to this exuberance, with an outdoor life in which a thriving beach culture and the congenial backyard "barbie" are central.
There are simply 1001 ways to enjoy the beauty of Australia and the good thing is, you can add more to rev up your rewarding travelling experience.
Travelling to a distant place poses a lot of challenges but surely it is satisfying and worth the money! So enjoy and don’t forget to enjoy yourself!
Do you want to book an Australian tour, but have no idea where to start?
Visit the Australian destination guide for more information.
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