This country contains world-class cities,
snowfields, deserts, rainforests and golden beaches. This alluring country
captivates worldwide tourists due to its treasure of natural beauty, diverse
landscape, distinct lifestyle and the warm culture.
Australians believe in enjoying their lives to the fullest; they relish
their exquisite food and sports are the common pastimes for many Aussies.
Australia offers a wealth of travel experiences, from the drama of the
outback and the spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef to the cosmopolitanism
of Sydney and arguably the best beaches in the world. Australia is an
enormous country, and visitors expecting to see an opera in Sydney one night
and meet Crocodile Dundee the next will have to re-think their grasp of
geography. It is this sheer vastness, and the friction between the ancient
land steeped in Aboriginal lore and the New World culture being heaped upon
it, which gives Australia much of its character.
Fact File
Official name : Commonwealth of Australia
Government : Independent member of the British Commonwealth
Nationality : Australian
Ethnic groups : Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Location : Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South
Pacific Ocean
Continent
: Australia
Currency : Australian dollar (AUD); 1 AUD = 33.641 Indian Rupee =
0.7729 $( USD ), = 0.6421 Euro (subject to change).
Capital city : Canberra
Population : 20,090,437
Languages : English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%,
unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
Religion : 75% Christian, 1% Muslim, 1% Buddhist, 0.5% Jewish
Area : 7,686,850 sq km
Famous for : Unique natural wonders. Aboriginal art and opals are
other famous things for which Australia is known to the world.
Major cities : Adelaide( South Australia), Brisbane(Queensland),
Melbourne(Victoria), Perth (Western Australia), Sydney( New South Wales)
Major events : Festival of Sydney, Adelaide Arts Festival,
Womadelaide Writers' Festival, Melbourne International Festival in October,
Stompen Ground Festival, held in Broome, Darwin's Beer Can Regatta in
August, the Australian Open tennis championship (Melbourne in January); the
Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne in March)
Things to Buy: Aboriginal art, clothes, electronic goods, opals and
antiques.
Cuisine : Based on English cooking includes Sunday roasts, grilled
chops, and other forms of meat, and is generally accompanied by vegetables
such as mashed potatoes, beans, peas, and carrots (often served soggy or
overcooked).
Visa Permit
Every nationality except New Zealanders need visas. Tourist visas and
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visas are valid for three months, but
longer-term visas can be applied for.
Culture
Much of Australia's culture is derived from European and more recently
American roots, but distinctive Australian features have evolved from the
environment, aboriginal culture, and the influence of Australia's neighbors.
The vigor and originality of the arts in Australiafilms, opera, music,
painting, theater, dance, and craftsare achieving international
recognition.
Although the effect of the arrival of Europeans on Aboriginal culture was
profound and catastrophic, the reverse is not the case: broadly speaking,
mainstream Australian culture has been imported from Europe, the United
Kingdom in particular, and continuously developing since that time.
When to Go
Any time is a good time to be in Australia. Summer (December to February)
can get uncomfortably hot but it's great beach weather. Up north, the summer
wet season is very, very humid and the sea is swarming with box jellyfish.
Winter (June to August) offers skiing in NSW and Victoria. In spring and
autumn the weather is mild.
Climate
The northern Australia enjoys a tropical climate, and southern Australia a
temperate one. The tropical states Queensland and the Northern Territory
have highly predictable weather. In ``winter'', typical daily maximums are
between 20 to 24 degrees Celsius and rain is rare. The beaches and tropical
islands of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef are perhaps at their most
pleasant during this time of year. Further south, the weather is less
dependable; in Melbourne in August maximums as low as 13 degrees celcius are
possible, but can reach as high as 23 degrees.
In summer, the northern states are hotter and wetter, while the southern
states are simply hotter, with temperatures up to 41 degrees in Sydney,
Adelaide, and Melbourne but generally between 25 & 33 - very pleasant
indeed.
Getting There
By Air : The main international airports are Sydney, Melbourne and
Brisbane, followed by Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin and Cairns. There are
plenty of connections to Asia, Europe and the USA, but Australia's
remoteness makes flights relatively expensive and long. Many flights are
heavily booked, so make plans well in advance. Departure tax on
international flights is US$19. This tax is usually included with the price
of your airline ticket.
The international airports are situated in the cities of Brisbane, Perth,
Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.
Getting Around
By
Air : With distances between cities so great, flying is the most
favoured and speedy option, although buses and trains provide a more scenic,
if lengthy alternative.
Australia is so vast (and so empty in places) that something like 80% of
long-distance trips by public transport are made by air. Some of the
domestic airports are located in the cities like Canberra, Perth, Sydney,
Brisbane and Melbourne.
By Train : There is good railway network in the country. In spite
being convenient the travellers prefer to travel by air as the transit time
is relatively very high. All the cities in the country are well connected by
a well planned railway track.
By Road : There are several long-distance bus companies but only one
truly national service, Greyhound Pioneer Australia. Buses are comfortable,
but if you're travelling between major cities, be prepared for a long trip.
Many visitors group together and hire or purchase a car. The latter can be
an economical way of travelling around Australia.
Major attractions
Canberra : Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is a city
comprising of politicians, bureaucrats - picturesque place with beautiful
galleries and museums, as well as excellent restaurants, bars and cafes.
Canberra is Australia's federal capital. Established as part of Australia's
federation in 1901, Canberra contains the national parliament, federal
government departments, the High Court of Australia, the Australian War
Memorial, and several other important institutions.
Canberra is comprised of five large "town centres" that lie in
the valleys of the Canberra region. These are Central Canberra, Belconnen,
Woden, Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan (actually in New South Wales) where
Central Canberra is the only major area of tourist interest.
Great Barrier Reef : One of Australia's greatest assets is the
magnificent reef that runs along almost the entire coast of Queensland. It
is considered as one of the world's natural wonders and is the most
extensive reef system and the biggest structure made by living organisms on
earth.
Uluru : Uluru is the most famous icon of the Australian outback and
a site of deep cultural significance to the Anangu Aboriginals. The 3.6km
(2.2mi)-long rock rises a towering 348m (1141ft) from the pancake-flat
surrounding scrub. It is especially impressive at dawn and sunset when the
red rock spectacularly changes hue.
