Stretching some 4,000 kilometres from East to West and 3,000 kilometres from North to South, Australia is a stunningly beautiful country.  The diversity of landscapes, lifestyles and experiences in Australia offers unrivalled holiday opportunities for you.

From the thrills of the family entertainment in Gold Coast, to the excitement in Sydney, the character of Melbourne and the marvels of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia has plenty to offer every member of your family.

Australia is truly one of the friendliest, safest and most colourful places on earth.

Geography

Australia is the only country occupying a whole continent, lying on and extending south from the Tropic of Capricorn.  Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, behind Russia, Canada, China, the United States and Brazil, covering an area of larger than 7.6 million square metres.  Australia is bounded by the dark blue waters of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Arafura Sea to the north, lapped by the turquoise waves of the Indian Ocean to the west and the mighty Southern Ocean to the south.  The coastline of Australia, which is 36,735 km long, consists of tranquil bays, wonderful beaches with pounding surf, rocky outcrops and dramatic sheer cliffs.

Brief History

Australia is comparatively a very new country.  It was only in 1770 that the East Coast of Australia was sighted by Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy, in command of his ship the “ Endeavour”. He landed in Botany Bay, south of Sydney and then travelled north, charting the coastline and reporting that the East Coast was fertile and suitable for settlement.  He named the land New South Wales and claimed it for the British Crown, in the name of King George III.

States and Territories

Australia is divided into 6 States: New South Wales (oldest and most populous state), Victoria (smallest mainland state), Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia (largest state) and Tasmania (island state) and 2 Territories: The Australia Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.  Each of the States and Territories has a capital city and its own flag.

Canberra is the capital of Australia and the seat of the Federal Government.  It is a city of parks and gardens, statues, fountains and national buildings, and is the location of Parliament House, the National Gallery, the National Library and the Australian War Memorial.

Population

Australia is sparsely populated, with approximately 90 per cent of its 19 million inhabitants living in cities along the fertile coastal plains in the east.  The largest and most populous city is Sydney, with 4.25 million people, closely followed by Melbourne, with 3.6 million.  The third largest is Brisbane, with 1.6 million, followed by Perth with 1.4 million, Adelaide with 1.1 million, Canberra with 325,000, Hobart with 201,000 and Darwin with 105,000.

Australia’s population is made from over 100 different nationalities.  The constant mixing of different cultures, coupled with a high standard of living, has produced a society that is both cosmopolitan and tolerant of all races and religions.  The Arabic community in Australia is large and Islam is the second most practiced religion by Australians.

Climate

Spending New Year’s Eve at the beach or skiing in August may seem strange but the fact is Australia’s seasons are the opposite of those in the Arabian Gulf.  Summer starts in December, Autumn in March, Winter in June and Spring in September.  Due to its size, geographical location and the lack of extensive high mountain ranges, Australia has a wide range of generally pleasant climates without extremes.  Broadly, there are two climatic zones: tropical in the north and temperate below the Tropic of Capricorn.  This makes Australia a great all-year destination.  In fact, in July/ August, you can snow ski near Melbourne one day and swim in the Great Barrier Reef the next.

Environment

Australia has more than 2,000 national parks and protected wilderness areas of natural and environmental importance that range from desert landscape to rainforests.  Fill your cup!  The water is safe to drink anywhere.  Beyond the big cities, the air is so clean it is rarely experienced elsewhere in the world and the intensity and clarity of the light is the dream of every photographer.

Australia’s isolation for more than 55 million years has created a unique sanctuary of animals and plants found nowhere else on earth.  The kangaroo and the emu, a large flightless bird, are featured in the Australian coat of arms and are found throughout the continent in large numbers.  Australia’s marsupials did not have to compete with highly developed mammals and there are still over 100 species, including the cuddly koala, which flourish in ideal conditions.