Australia Hotels, Attractions & Travel Guide

Australia Travel Guide

An overview of Australia - from major hotels, attactions and localities to climate and weather information.

Australia Attractions

The most sought after region in Australia is New South Wales. This region is home to the Australia’s capital, several beautiful beach side communities where water sports adventures are quite common, the Blue Mountains, a hiker’s paradise and inland plains and deserts. The Northern Territory of Australia is very beautiful with its red deserts while Queensland is the queen of the famous Gold Coast in Australia. Indeed, New South Wales’s year round sunny environment and stunning beaches are well sought after.

Further inland you will find Australia’s reputable Outback region which is among the most breathtaking natural environments in the world. South Australia is home of the Barossa Valley wine region while Tasmania’s rugged landscape, beaches and historic sites make it a popular destination in the country. The undulating green hills, surf beaches and national parks of Victoria can be enjoyed by all whereas Western Australia is home to the famous Margaret Valley Wine region, beaches and splendid rivers, scenic routes, mines and nature parks.

Australia’s beautiful national parks are major attractions in the country. The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, known as the Red Centre of the continent, is a World Heritage Site famous for its stunning rock formation and rock domes. The Great Ocean Road encompasses several scenic icons including the twelve apostles while the Sunshine and Gold Coast have excellent beaches, playgrounds and national parks. In New South Wales, there is the Northern Tablelands, the Riverina, Royal and Kur-ing-gai Chase in Sydney and the Great Lakes, Crowdy Bay National Park and those of the Western Plains. The beautiful Coral Coast, Fraser Island and Toowoomba among others can be found in Queensland while the other regions in the country are equipped with a multitude of wildlife preserves. In fact, a wildlife park and zoo is present in every state in Australia, with many rare and exotic floral and faunal species. The Warrawong Fauna Sanctuary in South Australia and the Taronga Zoo in Sydney are favourites among visitors.

Australia’s freshwater lakes, beaches, thermal pools, rivers and artificial lakes are well known for the exciting water sports adventures they facilitate. New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania are the chief skiing areas while rock climbing and mountain biking are popular in the Snowy Mountains and Canberra areas. The remarkable coral reefs facilitate exciting scuba diving adventures. Thrilling sky diving opportunities are also available while cricket, rugby, netball, tennis, golf and scuba diving are major sports on the continent. Australia’s coasts present wonderful opportunities for whale watching from May to November.

The country’s cultural attractions are centred on its museums, aboriginal tribe, art and theatre in the cities and traditional folk fests. In Sydney, you will find theatres, symphony or ballets. Australian art is present at the National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Cultural Centre has many lively musical and cultural performances in store and Aboriginal artefacts in the South Australian Museum can be seen in Adelaide. Darwin also has a rich aboriginal heritage while the galleries, opera, ballets and theatres of Canberra should not be missed.

Australia is home to several excellent museums. These include the Western Australia Museum with its stunning dinosaur fossils, Museum Victoria, the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and the Sydney Australian Museum among a host of others.

Major heritage sights on the continent include the Old Government House in NSW, Flinders Street Station in Melbourne Victoria, the Customs House in Brisbane, the Round House in Western Australia and the Australian War Memorial.

Several exciting events and celebrations take place each year in Australia. These include the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in Victoria, Dreaming-Australia’s International Indigenous Festival, the Nude Beach Olympics in January, Smart Light Sydney in May and Spring Carnival in October. Canberra hosts the Australian Science Festival, the National Folk Festival and the National Multicultural Festival while Sydney hosts the Festival of Winds at Bondi Beach, the Great Escape, Ignite Film Festival and This Is Not Art among several others.

Australia Weather

Australia has several climatic types prevailing over its areas and the seasons are opposite to those in Europe and North America. The country has two climatic zones, the tropical and the temperate zone. The tropical zone has two seasons, summer and winter, while the temperate zone has all four seasons. A hot tropical climate can be found in the north while the south has a sub tropical temperate climate. The coasts receive the bulk of the rainfall while the inland areas are arid to semi arid. Being in the southern hemisphere, Australia experiences winter from June to August with the snow being totally confined to mountainous regions of the southeast. Summer runs from December to February and Christmas in the country is a whole new experience with sunshine and beaches instead of snow and ice. The south receives the most extremes in temperature.

Australia Hotels

Australia has many wonderful accommodations with several world class hotels in major cities like Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne. Holiday residencies, beachside villas, hotels, apartments, camping sites, caravan parks and accommodations set in tropical forests or natural settings can be accessed in the country. The boutique hotel known as the Blue Sydney, the Tower Lodge in NSW and the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa are just a few of the popular hotels in the country. The Four Seasons Sydney, Lilianfels Blue Mountains in Katoomba, the Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast and the Hayman Island Resort on the Great Barrier Reef are superb places to stay as well. The magnificent Intercontinental Perth Burswood, Thorngrove Manor Hotel in Adelaide, the Ruffles Lodge on the Gold Coast and the award winning Westin Sydney are other popular hotels in the country. Australia provides an unparalleled experience with nature and a unique cultural atmosphere, natural setting and several great opportunities for leisure seekers and business travellers.

Australia Links

http://www.australia.com/index.aspx : Official Tourist Information and Travel Guide

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_festivals_in_Australia : Detailed Information on Major Festivals in Australia

Top Australia Cities