Australia - The Land of Golden Fleece : Travel Guide

Australia is our home and this is the best place to explore it! Within these pages you will find information on over 15,000 Australian towns and cities and things to do there. We have some great destination and holiday guides, hotels deals, tours and upcoming events for places all over Australia. If you are looking for accommodation, restaurants or local attractions we can help you find them. If you are planning a trip we can help you get there. We have also included maps, and some interesting facts about Australia and all the states and territories. so what are you waiting for, your Australian adventure starts right here.

Australia is our home and we love it! A country with so many unique experiences and places to explore. The ‘Aussie’ way of life is the envy of the world and with such diversity, it has something for everyone to enjoy. Australia is a big country, the world’s largest island and the sixth largest nation. Most international visitors underestimate how big it is and how far it is between our major cities. The  climate ranges from wet tropics to the Arid outback with just about everything in between. Equally famous for it’s landscapes of pristine beaches, tropical islands and the rugged outback as it is for it’s cities, each with a unique personality and culture. Exploring Australia should be a must on everyone’s travel wishlist.

Places To Visit In Australia

1. Sydney

Located on Australia’s southeastern coast, Sydney is the capital of New South Wales. A modern city with a long history,Sydney is defined by its scenic harbor. The region’s first inhabitants lived along the harbor’s bank for thousands of years. The harbor was also the landing site for convicts sent to Australia during the 1780s. Today, ferries take visitors for cruises under the famed Sydney Harbor Bridge and past the iconic Sydney Opera House.

Sydney is both a laid-back beachside town and a thriving metropolis that boasts some of the Southern Hemisphere's best surf, landmarks and activities. Whether you're looking to watch a show at the iconic Opera House, take to the waves at Bondi Beachor explore trendy areas like The Rocks  and Darling Harbour, Sydney features something for everyone. Even Sydneysiders have an ideal mix of both worlds: Fashion-forward attire and British-style sarcasm combine with a "no worries" attitude and relaxed coastal vibe. It's no wonder this vibrant city down under is a natural choice for first-time Aussie visitors.

2. Great Barrier Reef

Visible from outer space, the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef is one of the largest living structures on the planet. In 1975 the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was established to protect its fragile ecosystems, which include more than 3,000 coral reefs; 600 continental islands, including the beautiful Whitsunday group; 300 coral cays; and inshore mangrove islands. One of the seven wonders of the natural world, the park stretches for 2,300 km along the state of Queensland, on Australia's east coast (that's about the distance between Mexico and Vancouver). Diving and snorkeling are spectacular. The astounding array of marine life includes soft and hard corals, more than 1,600 species of tropical fish, sharks, dugongs, dolphins, turtles, rays, and giant clams. Those who prefer to stay dry can view the reef from underwater viewing stations and glass bottom boats. On the mainland, Cairns, Port Douglas, and Airlie Beach are the main launching points for tours.

3. Noosa

Growing up, I always heard about Noosa from other Australians as this dream coastal destination. Being from the country, I didn’t really understand why until I finally visited a few year ago and fell in love. Unlike many other iconic coastal cities, Noosa isn’t filled with towering skyscrapers and massive shopping malls. In fact, the local council don’t let anyone build higher than the trees, ensuring that this sub-tropical town retains its amazingly beautiful seaside town vibe – whilst also being an incredibly popular place to visit!

The main beach can get pretty busy with sunbathers, so I’d recommend doing a trek through nearby Noosa National Park to one of its beautiful and deserted stretches of sand. A 45-minute walk along the Tanglewood Track takes you to Alexandria Bay, where tiny, translucent fish swimming in the shallows (and the occasional nudist) are your only company. Absolute paradise. 

4. Perth

Located on Australia’s southwestern coastline, Perth is the country’s fourth-largest city and the capital of Western Australia. Isolated from other major cities in Australia, Perth has developed its own unique character. Although the area has been inhabited for thousands of years, there’s a youthful atmosphere and a fun-loving attitude in this city of nearly two million people.

5. Sydney Harbour Bridge

Along with the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of Australia's most famous icons. Affectionately called "the Coathanger", this impressive feat of construction is the largest steel arch bridge in the world. It was completed in 1932, 40 years before the Sydney Opera House. Rising 134 m above the harbor, the bridge spans 500 m connecting Sydney's north shore to the central business district. In addition to the pedestrian path, two railway lines extend over the bridge as well as eight lanes for road traffic, the direction of which can be switched to accommodate traffic flow.

One of the top things to do in Sydney is a guided ascent to the top of the bridge where visitors can enjoy spectacular views over the harbor and city. For an overview on the bridge's history and construction visit the museum in the southeastern pier. Interestingly, Paul Hogan, of Crocodile Dundee fame, worked as a painter on the bridge before rocketing to international stardom.

6. Auckland

Auckland, based around 2 large harbours, is a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island. In the centre, the iconic Sky Tower has views of Viaduct Harbour, which is full of superyachts and lined with bars and cafes. Auckland Domain, the city’s oldest park, is based around an extinct volcano and home to the formal Wintergardens. Near Downtown, Mission Bay Beach has a seaside promenade.

The City of Sails is New Zealand's largest and most cosmopolitan urban center. With towering skyscrapers, volcanic islands and picturesque beaches, Auckland seamlessly blends majestic scenery with the hustle and bustle of city living. For adventure junkies, there's everything from zip lining to bungee jumping and sky diving. Sports lovers will enjoy the city's local rugby and cricket unions, as well as the national All Blacks rugby team. Foodies will appreciate Auckland's array of dining options, which range from casual pubs to celebrity chef-owned fine dining establishments. And for culture enthusiasts, the city offers the perfect mashup of Maori, European and Asian influences.

7. Hobart

Hobart is the capital city of the Australian island of Tasmania, as well as Australia’s second oldest city after Sydney. With a population of about 250,000 Hobart is small and intimate compared to larger mainland Australian cities, reflecting the small size of the state. There are many fine examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture in Hobart, such as Salamanca Place, which has a terrace of warehouses dating back to the whaling days of the 1830s. It has a mild temperate oceanic climate, with four distinct seasons.

8. Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park, in the Top End or the Northern Territory, is a World Heritage Site and one of the planet's great wilderness areas. Covering more than 19,840 sq km, Kakadu is the largest national park in Australia and the second largest in the world. Within its borders lie monsoon rainforests, mangrove swamps, rivers, gorges, ancient rock paintings, wetlands, and waterfalls as well as an astounding diversity of wildlife. In addition to the many mammals and reptiles, more than 300 different species of birds make their home here, and visitors may spot saltwater crocodiles prowling the wetlands. Visitors can view the park's diverse ecosystems by car, air, on foot via the vast network of hiking trails, or by boat on the rivers or floodplains. During the wet season (Nov-April), many roads and attractions close due to heavy flooding.

9. Uluru

Uluru is probably Australia’s most recognisable landmark. But this huge chunk of rock is also extremely sacred to the local Anangu Aboriginal people here, a place of great power. It is the centre of the universe and the home of the ‘Earth Mother’. In the outskirts of Uluru, within small caves, Aboriginal rock art can be seen that is tens of thousands of years old. These are considered national treasures and Uluru is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Though you can still climb to the top of the rock and experience the undoubtedly magical views, doing so is a point of controversy between the local Aboriginal people and the national park service that manages the area. For this reason, tourists are heavily encouraged not to climb. Uluru rises 348 meters above the ground, but the bulk of this rock lies underground. It has a circumference of 16 kilometres and can be walked around in full using a cleared path.

10. Melbourne

Melbourne has secured its spot of the most liveable city in the world the seventh time in a row. Most days see a varied weather – hail, sunshine, rain, wind – but that doesn’t impede the livelihood of Melbourne. Any given day you can find an event, an exhibit, a music gig, or a show to relish. You get access to free trams within the city circle to wander across without outlaying a buck on transportation. Melbourne is a multicultural metropolitan with copious restaurants serving slavering foods and cafes for your caffeine fix – Melbourne’s coffee is some of the best in the world.

Some Interesting Facts About Australia

1. Australia is as wide as the distance between London to Moscow.

2. The biggest property in Australia is bigger than Belgium.

3. More than 85% of Australians live within 50km of the coast.

4. In 1880, Melbourne was the richest city in the world.

5. Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest woman, earns $1 million every half hour, or $598 every second.

6. In 1892, a group of 200 Australians unhappy with the government tried to start an offshoot colony in Paraguay to be called New Australia.

7. The first photos from the 1969 moon landing were beamed to the rest of the world from Honeysuckle Tracking Station, near Canberra.

8. Australia was the second country in the world to allow women to vote (New Zealand was first).

9. Each week, 70 tourists overstay their visas.

10. In 1856, stonemasons took action to ensure a standard of 8-hour working days, which then became recognised worldwide.

11. Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke set a world record for sculling 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds. Hawke later suggested that this was the reason for his great political success.

12. The world's oldest fossil, which is about 3.4 billion years old, was found in Australia.

13. Australia is very sparsely populated: The UK has 248.25 persons per square kilometre, while Australia has only 2.66 persons per square kilometre.

14. Australia's first police force was made up of the most well-behaved convicts.

15. Australia has the hightest electricity prices in the world.

16. There were over one million feral camels in outback Australia, until the government launched the $19m Feral Camel Management Program, which aims to keep the pest problem under control.

17. Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia (mostly for meat production).

18. Qantas once powered an interstate flight with cooking oil.

19. Per capita, Australians spend more money on gambling than any other nation.

20. In 1832, 300 female convicts mooned the governor of Tasmania. It was said that in a "rare moment of collusion with the Convict women, the ladies in the Governor's party could not control their laughter."

Australia is a land of dreams. From the sacred legends of the aboriginal Dreamtime when the great spirits conjured the coral reefs, rainforests, and scorched, red deserts, to armchair travelers who describe Australia as their dream destination, the Land Down Under deserves all the hype. The world's smallest continent and largest island, Australia is almost the same size as the United States, but with a population the size of New York Stateand some of the quirkiest wildlife on the planet.

Australia is also a land of staggering contrast and spectacular beauty. Along the coast, visitors can explore vibrant multicultural cities, safari across vast sand islands, trek through ancient rainforests, and dive the Great Barrier Reef. In the Outback, rugged national parks and red-earthed deserts offer the ultimate in adventure travel. Top it all off with a laidback feel and friendly people and it's no wonder Australia scores top billing on bucket lists around the world.

Read Also : France Top 10 Places To Visit : Travel Guide

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