Discover Australia

Australia is an island that is also a continent. It consists of two land masses: the mainland and Tasmania. In area it is the 6th largest country and the smallest continent. Its area is 7,682,300 square km. It is about the size of the mainland states of the United States, excluding Alaska, and approximately 24 times the size of the British Isles.

Australia is one of the oldest continents, the effects of over 250 million years of erosion have turned it into a flat, low lying and stable land mass. It has a wide variety of landforms. Much of the flat inland is desert. At one time this was a fertile area with many lakes and marshes. Some of these old lakes survive today as salt lakes like Lake Eyre in South Australia, with the lowest elevation of 16 metres below sea level (it occasionally fills with water). The highest peak is Mt Kosciusko, in New South Wales, which is 2228 metres above sea level.

Whilst Australia is often thought of as a dry thinly populated land, this is only true of the inland (or outback) areas. The eastern coast is more heavily populated. The huge interior is hot and dry with vast expanses of sandy desert or stone plains giving way to shrub savannah or mallee scrub. The main mountains are along the eastern coast, known as the Great Dividing Range, which has an average altitude of less than 910 metres above sea level. In coastal regions the environments range from tropical rain forest in the north, to pastoral lands and forest in the east and the south-east, to alpine country in the Snowy Mountains and central Tasmania. The highest peak is Mt Kosciusko in the Australian Alps, and is 2,231 metres.

Australia's deserts are as vast as the Sahara, the snowfields huge and picturesque. Our surfing beaches are among the best in the world.

The popularity of Australia with international visitors is growing year by year. It is a land of contrasts, yet it is safe and friendly, and overseas visitors are welcomed. Australia offers sunshine and a rich variety of golden beaches, open spaces and wilderness areas, unique flora and fauna, a rugged, pioneering way of life in its sparsely settled outback regions, sophisticated entertainment and shopping facilities in its modern cities, and the full spectrum of cultural, sporting and recreational activities. Climatically, it is a country conducive to outdoor holidays.

Major centres of tourist interest include the Great Barrier Reef and the Gold Coast resort area in Queensland Ayers Rock (Uluru) and Alice Springs in the hot dry centre of the continent the winter snow resorts in the Australian Alps the wide stretches of golden beaches Canberra, the elaborately planned national capital and the six State capital cities, each with its individual style.

Getting There

Australia's air network is not as well developed as that of North America or Europe, so don't assume there is a direct flight to your chosen destination, or that there is a flight every hour or even every day.

The main airline in Australia is Qantas. They fly to and from most major cities around the world. Other renowned airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Air Olympic and Thai Air also fly there.

Australia is a big country with a small population to support its air routes. Airfares are high. This section contains some tips to help you save.

Most domestic air travel is operated by Qantas 00 in Auckland. You may get a cheaper fare with the no-frills airline Virgin Blue. Virgin flies to every capital, as well as Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, all in Queensland, Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, and Launceston in Tasmania. Because its network is growing, Virgin may have added more cities by the time you read this.

Most travelers get to Australia via plane, arriving in Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport or Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport. As Australia’s most populated cities (there are 4 million Sydney-siders and 3.3 million Melbournians), they have the largest airports with the most number of flights and cheapest tickets. Some flights to Melbourne stop in Sydney first to unload passengers. If this occurs, you must disembark to clear customs in Sydney and re-board the plane.

Direct flights from the United States generally leave from Los Angeles or San Francisco. Europeans will get the best deals out of London and those in Asia are best of going to Bangkok for a cheap flight. There are numerous flights from Japan and New Zealand every day. The two most popular carriers are Australian-based Qantas (part of the One-World alliance) and New Zealand-based Air New Zealand (part of the Star Alliance

By Bus
Australia's national bus network is Greyhound Pioneer/ McCafferty's. It goes places the train doesn't go near. Bus passes are reasonably-priced, and coaches are comfortable. Be forewarned though -- as distances are great and stops are few in the Outback, you may find yourself on more than one 20-hour bus trip. Local and regional bus companies often provide competing services on similar routes.

By Train
Australian trains won't get you off-the-beaten path; in fact, they'll barely get you to the beaten path itself. The seats and sleeper cars are comfortable even in economy class but the routes don't cover most rural areas so you'll have to supplement your rail travel with local buses or operators. Each state has a different body that governs its rails, but info on most lines can be found at either.