Australia

Country Profile

Capital: Canberra Australia  officially the Commonwealth of Australia,is a country

comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands.

Largest city: Sydney  It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area.  Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea;

the Solomon Islands, and New Zealand.  In 2012 Australia had the world's fifth-highest per capita income Currency: Australian dollar Sports: The number one watched sport in Australia isAustralian

Rules Football (AFL). National Rugby League (NRL) is also very popular. Australia is a nation of swimmers and Olympic medals attest to our performance in the pool. Cricket and Australia Open tennis also famous sports.

The Dreamtime is the sacred ‘time before time’ of the world’s creation. According to Aboriginal belief, ancestors descended from the sky andcreated the sun, moon and stars, mountains, rivers, trees and waterholes and changed into human and animal forms. Spirit ancestors connect this ancient past with the present and future through every aspect of Aboriginal culture. Rock art, craft and bark painting reveal Dreamtime stories, mark territory and record history, while songs tell of Dreamtime journeys. Similarly, traditional dances reveal creation myths, enact the deeds of Dreamtime heroes and even recent historical events.

sun and surf or to sail, parasail, fish, snorkel, scuba dive and beach comb are adventure activites for Australians

 Australia has no official language, English is the most common language.

Australian National Airways (ANA) was Australia’ s predominant carrier.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy, Queen of England is the Monarch under the common wealth realms

History

Australia’s Aboriginal people were thought to have arrived here by boat from South East Asia during the last Ice Age, at least 50,000 years ago. At the time of European  discovery and settlement, up to one million Aboriginal people lived across the continent as hunters and gatherers. 

A number of European explorers sailed the coast of Australia, then known as New Holland, in the 17th century. In 1770, Captain James Cook came to Australia and claimed it for Britain. The new outpost was put to use as a penal colony and on 26 January 1788, the First Fleet of 11 ships carrying 1,500 people – half of them convicts – arrived in Sydney Harbour. Until penal transportation ended in 1868, 160,000 men and women came to Australia as convicts.

While free settlers began to flow in from the early 1790s, life for prisoners was harsh. 

By the 1820s, many soldiers, officers freed prisoners and they received land from the government which they turned into flourishing farms. News of Australia’s cheap land was bringing more and more boatloads of adventurous m igrants from Britain.

Gold was discovered in New South Wales and central Victoria in 1851, luring thousands of young men and some adventurous young women from the colonies.

Australia’s six states became a nation under a single constitution on 1 January 1901. 

Further Facts

New Zealand passport holders can apply for a visa upon arrival in the country. All other passport holders must apply for a visa before leaving home.

A temporary visa allowing a stay in Australia of up to three or six or 12 months. In the financial year 2010/11, the tourism industry represented 2.5% of Australia’

s GDP at a value of approximately $35 billion to the national economy. Tourism contributing $94.8 million a day to the Australian economy. Domestic tourism was responsible for 73% of the total direct tourism GDP.

Popular Australian destinations include the coastal cities of Sydney and Melbourne, as well as other high profile destinations including regional Queensland, the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef. Uluru and the Australian outback are other popular locations, as is Tasmanian wilderness

The cool temperate rainforest of the World Heritage-listed Tasmanian wilderness contains some of the oldest trees on the planet

  The Daintree Rainforest in north Queensland is the oldest tropical rainforest on earth

 Australia’s best-known animals are the kangaroo, koala, platypus and spiny anteater. Of more than 700 bird species listed in Australia, 400 – including the large, flightless emu – are found nowhere else.

Canberra

 The capital city of Australia has national museums, tourist attractions, historical sites and many natural wonders

Floriade is Australia's "Celebration of Spring", and is a world-class floral exhibition. More than a million blooms go into the show, which stretches from mid September to Mid October. There are also horticultural workshops, music, local artistry and events that include the specacular Floriade NightFest.

The Australian War Memorial is a must-see museum. It has gallery exhibits, memorabilia, personal stories, combat displays, research facilities and a sculpture garden.

The National Museum details Australian history and culture via interactive displays, high-tech exhibits and many art galleries. The museum also features several restaurants, theaters and a resource center.

Parliament House is a constant crowd-pleaser with free guided tours that begin every thirty minutes. The building is an architectural wonder. There's an incredible collection of 4,000 works of art in these hallowed halls.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens is home to rock gardens, native plants, eucalyptus lawns and its own rainforest.

Great Barrier Reef

It stretches more than 2,000 kilometres along the Queensland coast, from the mainland towns of Port

Douglas to Bundaberg.  It is a UNESCO heritage site. The Great Barrier Reef contains the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 types of coral,

1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc. It also holds great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong (‘sea cow’) and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction

It consists of 900 islands

There are a diverse range of tourism operations in the Great Barrier Reef including day tours, overnight and extended tours, snorkelling, scuba diving and fishing charters, long range roving tours, aircraft or helicopter tours, bare boats (self-sail), glass-bottomed boat viewing, semi-submersibles and educational trips, cruise ships, beach hire and water sports, passenger ferries, whale watching and swimming with dolphins.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality.

The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating over $3 billion per year.

Coral reefs are diverse ecosystems made of tiny living animals, called corals.Corals are soft, stationary animals. When the corals die, they leave behind hard structures that are the basis of the reef

Causes of danger to GBR

By 2100 the world will have only 30% of it’s coral reefs. Lots of the species that are native to the Great Barrier Reef, and only found there, are in danger.

Great barrier reef is in danger because of Toxic Spills, Over-fishing, hunting, Natural Disasters, such as hurricanes, and tropical storms, due to pesticides and fertilizers as well as climate change.

Tourists rip pieces of the coral, and polyps from the reef. Suntan lotions and oils wash off and cause damage to the reef. Boats drop anchors in the reef and cause physical damage. Increases pollution, also Littering: leaving foreign things in the reef.n Fishes may ingest harmful matter Chemicals in the litter can be harmful. Propellers hit marine animals, such as endangered dugongs and turtles. Snorkel fins damage corals when stricken

Brisbane

Capital city of Queensland in Australia. Brisbane is a great gateway to eastern Australia’s splendid

coastline. Brisbane is named after the Brisbane River on which it is

located Tourism plays a major role in Brisbane's economy, being

the third-most popular destination for international tourists after Sydney and Melbourne

Popular tourist and recreation areas in Brisbane include the South Bank Parklands, Roma Street Parkland, the City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane Forest Park and Portside Wharf.

The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary opened in 1927 and was the world's first koala sanctuary.

The suburb of Mount Coot-tha is home to a popular state forest, and the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. The "Tsuki-yama-chisen" Japanese Garden.

Brisbane has over 27 km (16.8 mi) of bicycle pathways, mostly surrounding the Brisbane river and city centre, exte

nding to the west of the city. Boating excursions to Moreton Bay are more common. Other popular recreation activities include the Story Bridge adventure climb and rock climbing at the Kangaroo Point cliffs.

Gold Coast  Gold Coast is a modern city of glittering high-rise buildings, built

around superb beaches, including the world renowned ‘Surfers Paradise’.

 Sixth largest city Along with endless stretches of golden beaches, there are international

theme parks, designer boutiques, luxurious spa retreats, world-class golf courses, award-winning restaurants, upmarket bars and lively nightclubs.

Whale-watch, island-hop are popular tourist activities. Australia's most biologically diverse regions, the lush rainforest-cloaked hinterland with World Heritage-listed national parks such as Lamington, Border Ranges, Main Range and Nightcap.

Eg. Of a 3 day itinerary

Day 1: Take on sun and fun Kickstart your day with a swim or surf off Main Beach, followed by breakfast in one of the

stylish cafes. Walk near the luxury yachts and waterfront mansions, take a surfing lesson and ride the waves of The Spit or snorkel or dive the wreck of the Scottish Prince. From Main Beach, it’s a short walk to the beachfront sky-rises of Surfers Paradise. Heading south, you’ll get another view of the Surfers skyline from the headland of Burleigh Heads. Relax on the beachfront grass, beneath rows of pines and palms, or follow one of the walking trails through Burleigh Heads National Park. When retail cravings hit, trawl the designer stores or evening markets in Surfers Paradise. Dine in Broadbeach or next door Mermaid Beach before heading back to Surfers Paradise where you can experience the energetic, neon-lit nightlife.

Day 2: Get some theme park thrills Buy a theme park pass – your ticket for a day of wildlife interaction and hair-raising

excitement.  Visit Dreamworld, where you can watch the Wiggles perform and meet koalas, wombats and kangaroos in the huge native wildlife park.  Ride through the rapids on a hollowed log, take a scenic helicopter flight or try the first Australian motorbike rollercoaster.  Alternatively, head to Sea World, where you can swim with dolphins and get up close to seals. Get your thrills on huge, movie-themed rides at Movie World or hit the giant wave pool in Wet ‘n’ Wild camels, horses, sheep, dogs and cattle. Depending on your energy levels in the eveniWater Park. Shear a sheep, pat a koala and taste bush tucker at an Aussie farm theme park. You can even see the dust fly in an action-packed outback extravaganza, featuring ng, jump on a cabaret cruise from Main Beach Marina or have a quiet meal in Coolangatta.

Day 3: Head to the hinterland Join a four-wheel-drive eco tour to the World Heritage-listed rainforests of the Gold Coast

hinterland. Walk through the rainforest canopy or along part of the Border Track in the ecological haven of Lamington National Park. You’ll pass ancient Antarctic beech trees, thundering waterfalls and a wild array of native animals and birds. Listen for the popping call of the masked mountain frog and see the rufous scrub-bird, a species that was alive with the dinosaurs.  Spot echidnas, bandicoots, platypus, possums and flying-foxes in Border Ranges National Park, home to Australia’s highest concentration of marsupial species.  Take in the expansive wilderness from Goomburra in Main Range National Park or hike past sparkling creeks to Minyon Falls in Nightcap National Park. In the evening, return to the Gold Coast or head north for a night in the rural idyll of Mount Tamborine. Jump out to see the famous cascades of Mount Tamborine National Park along the way.

Fraser Island

Fraser Island is a heritage-listed island located along the southern coast of Queensland, Australia

The island is considered to be the largest sand island in the world

Fraser Island is home to a huge rainforests which have mammal species, birds, reptiles and amphibians, saltwater crocodile. The island is part of the Fraser Coast Region and protected in the Great Sandy National Park.

The island can be reached by a ferry. Fraser island is very popular for the tourists for it’s fishing,

camping and trekking tours. It is very popular because of dingo sightings. Environmental Problems

The use of boardwalks and marked tracks by visitors is encouraged to reduce erosion.

Urinating tourists have created environmental problems in Fraser Island lakes and on coastal dunes. The foredunes are used as a toilet by bush campers.  

Water quality in some lakes is being affected by storm water run-off from dune roads, and by swimmers' use of sunscreen.

"Central Station", which was formerly the hub of the forestry industry when there was logging on Fraser Island, is now a popular tourist destination. Some of the rarest ferns grow in the rainforest near the location.

Daintree Rainforest

 Tropical rainforest region on the north east coast of Queensland

Daintree region there are many natural and often unique features to be explored.

The landscape is one of striking diversity including magnificent scenery, mountain ranges, fast flowing streams and waterfalls, deep gorges and dense rainforest.

There is outstanding coastal scenery that combines tropical rainforest, white sandy beaches and fringing reefs just offshore. This is an extremely rare combination.

Also a UNESCO heritage site.

Kakadu National Park

It is a World Heritage listed for both its environment and our living Aboriginal culture. It has been home to Aboriginal people for more than 50,000 years. It is the oldest living culture on earth. More than half the park is Aboriginal land, and all of Kakadu is special to its traditional owners. Kakadu’s

traditional owners manage the park Some of aboriginals live in the towns and Kakadu National Park is a timeless place – a land of extraordinary ecological and biological diversity.

Mangrove fringed coastal areas blend into expansive flood plains, lowland hills flanked to the east by sandstone escarpments, all interwoven between various open woodland and forest habitats. The land takes on different forms and different colours with the passing of each season. This diversity also supports an astonishing array of plants and animals endemic to Kakadu.

Conservation Prevent wildfireThere are provisions for smoking zones and also proper facilities to see that all the cigarettes are thrown in bins

and are not left burnt. Also it is made sure that there is no flammable material near a camp site to avoid fires.

Prevent the spread of weedsThere are proper tracks and roads made for the use of vehicles to get around the park. There are certain

quarantine areas where tourists are not allowed. So they don’t disturb the naturl habitat. Let's keep Kakadu wildAnimals are not fed unnaturally to protect their digestion. Propers bins are provided to avoid littering. Estuarine crocodile managementKakadu is aimed at minimising the danger of crocodile attack while at the same time ensuring the protection of

crocodile populations. Throughout the year park staff carry out crocodile surveys in all the major waterways to obtain data on distribution, numbers and size.

Conservation of aboriginal culture

Respecting culture Aboriginal culture has a set of social behaviours and customs which are considered

good manners. Traditionally, Aboriginal people (Bininj/Mungguy) do not greet each other every

time they meet. Many Bininj/Mungguy do not use personal names as freely as non-Aboriginal people

do and we often address each other by kinship terms Bininj/Mungguy appreciate privacy. It is good manners not to take photographs of

us without permission Some Bininj/Mungguy find constant eye contact uncomfortable In Bininj/Mungguy culture it is important to listen carefully and consider the

response carefully before giving an answer It is polite to say goodbye when leaving. Show respect by not entering restricted areas. They may be sacred sites,

ceremonial sites, burial grounds or even someone's home.

Cairns

 It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate. It serves as a starting point for people wanting to visit the Great Barrier Reef and Far North Queensland.

Cairns tours includes a swimming lagoon with adjoining barbecue areas. 

Several shopping centres of various sizes are located throughout Cairns. 

Sydney

Tourism in forms an important part of the city's economy.  The most well known attractions include the Sydney Opera House,

and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other attractions include the Sydney Mardi Gras, Royal Botanical Gardens, Luna Park, the beaches and Sydney Tower.

Sydney also has several popular museums, such as the Australian Museum (natural history and anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum (science, technology and design), the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Blue Mountains

The  is a mountainous region in New South Wales It is a UNESCO heritage listings The Blue Mountains are a popular destination for Rock

Climbers, Mountain Bikers and Hikers as well as canyoning and other adventure sports. These sports are well catered for by guiding companies and equipment stores located mainly in Katoomba.

Mountain biking takes place mainly on the many fire trails that branch away from the main spine of the Great Western Highway, such as Narrow Neck, Anderson's Fire Trail and others.

Canyoning in the Blue Mountains is a popular sport and caters for various skill levels

Melbourne

Melbourne is capital of a state called Victoria Melbourne has a wide variety of attractions,

facilities, activities, such as sporting events and cultural and fashion events which are popular with tourists.

Federation Square is a major meeting place in Melbourne.  as well as exhibition spaces, auditoriums, restaurants, bars and shops. Large crowds frequently watch concerts, cultural and various sporting events on the square's large electronic screen located in one of two public areas.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, known as "the MCG" or simply the "G“

Eureka Skydeck, is the highest viewing platform in the southern hemisphere and is located in Eureka Tower. Eureka Tower is the tallest residential building in the world. The observation deck includes a glass cube ride that projects three meters from the side of the building.

12 Apostles

The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National park. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction.

The apostles were formed by erosion: the harsh and extreme weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45 metres high.

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia. In Adelaide, you can enjoy stylish architecture, boutique shopping, sandy swimming beaches, fabulous arts events, nightlife, fine dining, and some of Australia’s best cafe strips.

Its population is slightly over 1 million, which makes it by far the largest city in the otherwise sparsely populated state. It is also known for having the conveniences of a large city, while at the same time being far less cosmopolitan than the “Big Four”.

Adelaide is centrally located among the wine regions of McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Clare Valley, all of which are within day-trip distance.

Kangroo Island

Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island,after Tasmania and Melville Island.

Some of the most popular tourist spots are: Seal Bay with ranger guided walks among basking

Australian sea lions. Flinders Chase National Park which includes Remarkable

Rocks, Admiral's Arch, lighthouses at Cape Borda and Cape du Couedic and multiple walking trails and camping areas.

Cape Willoughby Kelly Hill Caves Little Sahara, huge sand dunes on the south coast. Murray Lagoon with its abundant aquatic bird life. Kangaroo Island Penguin Centre (formerly Kangaroo

Island Marine Centre) at Kingscote. Raptor Domain (In-flight bird of prey presentation and

reptile show) The Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary koala walk and

Nocturnal tour offer visitors a chance to see the local wildlife.

Yarra valley

The Yarra Valley is home to more than 80 wineries, ranging from small, family-owned operations to large estates. The region is renowned for producing Australia’s finest pinot noir and sparkling wine, along with a range of other cool-climate wines. It was Victoria's first planted wine region back in 1838. The region is known for its fresh produce including freshwater salmon, trout and caviar, organically grown fruit and vegetables and handmade cheeses and preserves. Follow one of the many self-drive wine trails and fill your picnic hamper on the Yarra Valley Food Trail or at the many huge, fresh food markets.

The region is known for its fresh produce including freshwater salmon, trout and caviar, organically grown fruit and vegetables and handmade cheeses and preserves.

The Yarra Valley also has a long history of making beer, and local craft brewers welcome visitors to their micro-breweries to sample their beers and ciders.

The beauty of the Yarra Valley’s changing seasons inspired many of Australia’s early landscape painters.

At Healesville Sanctuary you can see the largest collection of Australian native wildlife, including spectacular birds of prey, dingoes, koalas, kangaroos and wombats. Take a drive through the Black Spur to the charming village of Marysville.

In February, top chefs from many of the wineries host feasts accompanied by live music at the Yarra Valley Grape Grazing Festival.