Australia

Australia is a country and continent surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its major cities are Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide are coastal. Its capital, Canberra, is inland. The country is known for its Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, a vast interior desert wilderness called the Outback, and unique animal species like kangaroos and duck-billed platypuses.The Outback’s arid Red Centre region is home to the remote town of Alice Springs, a hub for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The park is the site of the Olgas geologic formation and Uluru (Ayers Rock), both sacred to the local indigenous people. Closer to the east coast, Cairns’ Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and Canberra’s National Museum of Australia both explore Aboriginal culture. The country is also known for outdoor activities like snorkelling, surfing, adventure sports and hiking. Visitors can explore rainforests, desert, beaches and alpine ranges, as well the Barossa Valley’s vineyards, known for their Shiraz wines. Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia’s largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby. Sydney Tower’s outdoor platform, the Skywalk, offers 360-degree views of the city and suburbs. Sydney Aquarium, Taronga Zoo and Wildlife Sydney Zoo shelter animals like koalas, kangaroos, sharks and snakes. Pyrmont’s Sydney Fish Market has a working seafood auction and restaurants serving the day’s catch. There are multicultural dining opportunities all over the city, including in Haymarket’s Chinatown and the restaurants serving the Italian community in Leichhardt. A ferry ride through the harbour is part of the experience in visiting outer Sydney destinations such as Bondi and Manly Beaches – both popular for surfing.