Size: 2,970,000 square miles (7,700,000sq km)
Capital: Canberra
Language: English
Currency: Australian dollar
Weather: Desert in the centre, tropical in the north. Varies elsewhere where temperatures can drop to -8°C and summers can be extremely hot.

This huge country has sophisticated cities, enormous expanses of desert, brilliant beaches, islands, mountains and all the culture and nightlife you can cope with. Try to sample a bit of each.

Australia - Attractions

Sydney

is the great outdoor and party city. Landmarks include the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay and The Rocks area, site of the original Sydney. Beaches are the focal point for many and include Bondi and Manly. The Blue Mountains, an hour west by train, are excellent for bushwalks, biking, waterfalls and gum trees.

Canberra

Australia's capital is more of a garden than a party city, but not as dull as many Australians would have you believe. It has some of the most aggressive magpies in the world, music, science, folk and ballooning festivals. The man made Lake Burley Griffin in the centre is good for water sports and surrounded by parks and green space. Adelaide is also often written of as a backwater but turns out to be a pleasant surprise for those who bother to go.

Melbourne

sees itself as the country’s cultural capital, with loads of theatre, art, ballet and music on offer. The city hosts international comedy, film, arts and fringe festivals. Chinatown is at its eastern end and dates back to the gold rush. The Victorian Alps north of the city are excellent for hiking and biking. You can also ski there from June to October.

Perth

on the west coast is close to miles of white sand beaches and Indian Ocean surf. The nearby port of Fremantle is the place to go at weekends. The Western Australian Museum specialises in natural history and has an excellent Aboriginal Gallery. The SciTech Discovery Centre provides a feast of hands on exhibits including a Kaleidoscope House and a virtual flight over Perth followed by a dive beneath the sea in the Mega-Morphin Heli-Sub Simulator.

Darwin

in the north is the base for exploring the Top End. Famous for its cyclones and humidity, it's very much a hot, tropical city.

Brisbane

lies between the popular resorts on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast with their beaches, theme parks and high rise. Further north are Townsville, Cairns and The Great Barrier Reef. Lamington offers an escape from the Gold Coast with miles of walking tracks in subtropical rain forest among exotic birds and wallabies.

Tasmania

is often overlooked by visitors. It's off the south coast, slightly smaller than Scotland and relatively unspoiled. The capital Hobart has its fair share of theatres, cinemas, pubs and clubs, but the island is mostly a place for those who enjoy mountains and wilderness. There are eight national parks and some of least explored areas of Australia. The east coast has the best beaches, the west is wilder with steep mountains, gorges and rain forest.

The Outback

an area of scrubland, mountain wilderness and desert, makes up the rest of Australia and is preserved in the many national parks. One of the best known is Uluru-Kata Tjuta in the Red Centre, home to Ayres Rock. Kakadu in the Northern Territories is a quarter the size of Britain and the place for birds, crocs, wetlands and aboriginal art. A visit to the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre is a must.

Australia - Activities

Bushwalking

This can be an easy stroll or an epic adventure. The really big ones include the 601 mile Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia and the 156 mile Larapinta Trail from Alice Springs through the West MacDonnell Ranges. The Cape-to-Cape between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, in the southwest corner of Western Australia takes 6 days and Tasmania's Overland Track in the Cradle Mountain & Lake St. Clair National Park is considered the best hike in Australia. It's tough country and the 50 miles can take up to 10 days. Most of the tracks can be done as shorter sections.

Surfing

Good surf beaches are everywhere including Sydney and Perth. Margaret River in Western Australia has some of the fiercest with waves up to 7 metres. The Gold Coast in Queensland is home to Surfers Paradise with 35 beaches on a 19-mile stretch of coast.

Diving and snorkelling

Queensland's Great Barrier Reef has some of the best dive sites in the world. Places to explore include, including Port Douglas north of Cairns, The Whitsunday Islands and Heron Island. The Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia is 163 miles long and Australia's second great barrier reef. The coral here starts close to the shore. Rottnest Island a former prison 12 miles off Perth has diving amongst wrecks and limestone overhangs.

Canoeing and rafting

Katherine Gorge and the Ord in the Northern Territories are spectacular for flat water canoeing and offer the added excitement of reputedly harmless freshwater crocs. Saltwater crocs are the man eaters, so go out with someone who knows the difference. If you're after white water there's Tully River in north Queensland and the gentler Barron River near Cairns.
The Snowy River National Park in Victoria is popular with rafters as is the Barrington Tops National Park north of Sydney. Sea kayaking among sea lions and penguins is popular around Perth. Longer expeditions in Shark Bay take in whales, dolphins, and sharks, while paddles around the coral at Ningaloo Reef are also available. Kayaking is a great way to explore the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland.

Mountain biking

The 1996 world mountain-biking championships were held in the rain-forest hills behind Cairns. The Blue Mountains close to Sydney's have good trails and Rottnest Island off Perth is car-free so bikes are the only form of transport.

Australia - Entertainment

Sydney has something for everyone, from the sophistication of the Sydney Opera House to the seedy red light area Kings Cross with everything in between. Theatre and cinema goers have lots to choose from too. Free weekly entertainment guides are available at most bookshops and record stores, or check online listings at www.sydneyis.com Festivals include film, jazz, arts, kite flying and the month-long Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras which culminates in a costume parade down Oxford Street and all-night party at the Fox Studios in Moore Park.

Perth has an excellent symphony orchestra, ballet, theatre and opera companies; multiplex cinemas provide a good choice of films. Major cultural events include the Perth International Arts Festival and the National Islander Observance Committee Week with exhibitions of indigenous art and traditional performances.

Melbourne is famed for its bars and live music. Free listings magazines include Inpress and Beat. The Moomba Festival in March is Australia's largest outdoor festival. There are night-time parades, open-air performances, firework displays and water-skiing competitions.