States

Australian Capital Territory

Canberra is thought to be an Aboriginal name meaning meeting place from the Aboriginal word Kamberra, hence why European Settlers chose it as Australia’s Capital in 1908. It is an excellent base from which to explore local historic towns, the Snowy Mountains and local natural wonders. Be sure to Leave enough time to linger in the district to experience all it has to offer!

Living in the Capital comes with a guarantee that there’s something to do for everyone; Explore the national gallery, library and museums that house Australia 's history and national art works. Visit Old Parliament House and take a stroll through its famous rose gardens, or Parliament House, the High Court and the site of Reconciliation Square . Then there is Questacon , Australia 's National Science and Technology Centre where there is fun for all ages with cutting edge technology. All on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.

For the animal lovers and children, you can take a tour of the National Zoo and Aquarium to see the sharks, tigers, lions and bears. Mint a $1 coin at the Royal Australian Mint which has a capacity to produce 2 million coins a say.

A must for sport lovers is a Visit to the National Institute of Sport, the place where many Australian sporting dreams begin. Try your skills at rowing or wheelchair basketball!. Or how about Gold Creek Village? Just 15 minutes from Canberra's city centre, Gold Creek Village provides a full day of activities for the family. It is an excellent place to shop for giftware, craft, clothing and gourmet foods, a choice of restaurants, cafes and a lively pub or browse among the galleries and interesting attractions that will give you a taste of Australia. Ginninderra Galleries have aboriginal art for sale, while nearby you will see craftspeople making candles, wood turning, or patchwork quilts. Popular local galleries include Aarwun Gallery, Aboriginal Dreamings Gallery and Graham Charlton Gallery with Brindabella Galleries will offer a great range of art in many mediums.

Famous for its vineyards, be sure to take time out to visit the cool climate vineyards. Most are within 30 minutes of the city centre and more than 30 vineyards have cellar doors with affordable prices and friendly people

If you want to spend some time in the Australian bush, visit Corin Forest Mountain Retreat just 45 minutes from Canberra . This a recreational facility that has the excitement of a 1.2 km Bobsled Slide, a 110 m waterslide and a flying fox set in Australia's natural bushland, great fun for all the family!

There is something for everyone to do in and around Canberra , whether it is visiting Australia 's national exhibitions or exploring the region's natural wonders, It is an experience not to be missed!

Northern Territory

Darwin is a vibrant young city with an average year round temperature of 32 degrees Celsius. The weather is balmy from May to October, and sultry from November to April.

Exploring Darwin 's city centre is easy and best on foot. Wander along walking and bicycle track around the city's outskirts with views of Darwin 's famous harbour. This city comes alive at night with the excitement of the hotels and nightclubs with DJs and live music; enjoy a meal at Cullen Bay or visit the casino at Mindil Beach .

The Northern Territory is renowned for its fabulous foods – Asian cuisine, buffalo, kangaroo, mud crabs, crocodile and barramundi. Choose to eat on the wharf overlooking the sea, or enjoy the pleasure of outdoor dining with harbour views or maybe it is silver service for treat. Whatever the style of dining, the food is fresh and fabulous.

For a relaxing weekend visit the open-air markets at Nightcliff and Mindil Beach where there are stalls of unique products form local arts and craftspeople. Try the authentic cuisine from all over Asia or a good Aussie barbecue. The markets are alive with street performances – musicians, performers, traditional Aboriginal culture, recitations of traditional Australian bush poetry, even try whip cracking lessons.

From Darwin access the national parks, indigenous culture, brilliant sunsets, incredible sights and world class fishing. Visit Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks . Kakadu is Australia 's biggest national park and is 250 km from Darwin . It is an area you can spend days exploring and has the most Aboriginal rock art sites in one place in the world.

Known as the Red Centre visit Ayers Rock and climb to the top for amazing views across the landscape. Change is constant in Australia 's outback. In the Northern Territory , you can explore the lush coastlines and rainforests, and then venture into the outback for a truly unique experience. Here you are likely to meet some of Australia 's true characters always willing to share a yarn over a beer away from Australia 's blistering noon day sun.

Visit Katherine for its breathtaking beauty of gorges and rivers that carve their way through national parks and cattle stations. It is part of the remote lifestyle of outback Australia . A trip along the Katherine River is awe inspiring with its towering cliffs at Katherine Gorge.

The original custodians protect the Northern Territory and the Aboriginal people's influence is part of the local culture. Their Dreamtime stories and art connect their spirit to the country to give travelers a deeper insight into the mysteries of Australia 's ‘Top End'.

A Vibrant, cultural diverse place, Darwin is a city with something for everyone. Young or old you can’t help but be captivated by this beautiful city

Queensland

Tropical North Queensland is as diverse in natural treasures as the cosmopolitan mix of cultures and peoples that call this region home. First to arrive were the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders...followed by the Dutch navigators and eventually Capt. James Cook, who claimed the coast for Britain and paved the way for European settlement to begin. Gold rushes and foreign wars brought immigrants from around the world to enrich the north with their skills, traditions and cultures.

The majestic coral structures that make up the Great Barrier Reef extend over 1,500 kilometres, and are home to the greatest variety of flora and fauna species found in any one location in the world. The scope of the reef is magnificent, encompassing some 21,900 individual reefs and an area of 348,000 square kilometres larger than the combined total area of Ireland and the United Kingdom! The Great Barrier Reef, now a national marine park, provides superb recreational activities such as snorkelling, diving, swimming, semi-submersibles, coral viewing and fishing, and offers a unique environment for scientific research.

The rainforests of the Wet Tropics, a 'living museum' of flora and fauna, were placed on the World Heritage List in 1988 and cover an area of nearly 900,000 hectares of rainforest and tropical vegetation. Here, pockets of primitive plants have remained undisturbed for millions of years, and rare, even previously unidentified species of birds, insects and mammals have emerged to delight biologists and nature lovers.

The warmth of the tropical climate has fostered a vigorous outdoor lifestyle, reflected in the architectural styles of open veranda’s and balconies and extending to the most traditional of Australian cuisine - the barbecue. Dining is a high point, and the cosmopolitan local restaurants, cafes and eateries offer an eclectic fare of Australian and international cuisine, the highlight of most menus featuring the region's mouth-watering fresh seafood’s and unusual tropical fruits. Accommodation in the region is diverse too, ranging from luxury resorts and five star hotels to award winning budget style apartments and backpacker lodges.

There are so many unique attractions and activities to see when you visit Cairns...cruise to the reef or islands, take a 4WD safari to the outback, trek into the rainforest or see it from the rainforest cableway above its green canopy on your way to or from Kuranda.

With the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef right on our doorstep, a vibrant economy and a passionate local population, it's no wonder Cairns remains Australia's favourite destination.

 

South Australia

Festivals and food. Arts and culture. Shopping and sports. This is Adelaide - the Australian city where there's always something on.

Whether you want to party or relax on your next holiday, South Australia's capital has it all. With spacious boulevards and vibrant inner-city districts, sophisticated architecture and lush gardens, plenty of accommodation to choose from, Adelaide is the perfect venue for all sorts of holiday activities - big or small.
You might want to immerse yourself in the culture of Adelaide's North Terrace, with its museums and city cafes. You might want to indulge in retail therapy while shopping at Rundle Mall, sample the tastes on offer at the famed Adelaide Central Market, or sip award-winning wines at the Centre. You might prefer to follow in the footsteps of sporting champions at the world-famous Adelaide Oval. Or enjoy a retreat to the cosmopolitan seaside suburbs of Glenelg, Henley Beach and Semaphore.

The Adelaide Central Market buzzes with life and colour all year round and is a special place for plenty of regulars who just wouldn't shop anywhere else. The range of fresh food is exhaustive and it's all under one roof. You'll find fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood, gourmet cheeses, bakery products, sweets, nuts and health foods. Shoppers can also take a break in some of the hippest cafes in Adelaide. It's the experience of the shopping that people love to return to again and again - the noise, the fresh food smells, the variety, the colour and the atmosphere of an international melting pot of food and cultures.

The market, established in 1869, is divided into a colourful array of lanes and broadways. The Adelaide Central Market is open from Tuesday to Saturday every week. Customers who spend $10 or more in one transaction on a Wednesday are also offered two hours free parking at the Central Market UPark

In Adelaide, there is a brilliant blend of things to see and do. All you have to do is choose 

New South Wales

The gateway to Australia, Sydney is renowned as a dynamic and cosmopolitan city, combining excellent business and education facilities with great leisure. Famous for its World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House, Sydney is one of the world's favourite cities, and has been voted "world's best city" by readers of US travel magazines Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler. Sydney is also ranked first in the Asia Pacific for quality of life by the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2007.

Australia's oldest and largest city is set on one of the world's most stunning harbours, fringed by easy-to-reach, sandy beaches. Sydney Harbour separates the city into north and south, with harbour side villages, beachside suburbs and inner city areas full of life and their own distinctive character.

The city has a sunny, moderate climate which contributes to Sydneysiders' relaxed lifestyle and love of the great outdoors. There are five major national parks around Sydney with 8,000 square kilometres of open space.

This multicultural city's restaurant and cafe scene is enhanced by outstanding local fresh produce and world-class wines. Sydney has a dynamic arts and cultural scene. It is home to some of Australia's leading arts organisations such as Opera Australia, Sydney Symphony, Sydney Dance Company and Sydney Theatre Company and has produced many talented writers, film directors and performers.

Employment prospects are plentiful, education is world class and healthcare readily available. Sydney offers a secure environment for families, with excellent facilities, transport and telecommunications.

 Sydney’s laid-back outdoor lifestyle and physical allure make it one of the world’s easiest and most pleasant cities to visit and Emigrate to.

Victoria

Melbourne's historic laneways and arcades have spring fashion all stitched up. Discover Melbourne's home grown designers and cutting edge boutiques. Uncover the season's best dressed trends in stylish Howey Place, fashionable Flinders Lane, the elegant Block Arcade and more.

Melbourne's eclectic spirit turns up in a wonderful range of nightspots that pepper the streets and laneways throughout the city. Whatever your taste or budget, Melbourne delivers. From the super swanky to the downright cheap, night owls are blessed with a truly assorted bar scene.

Whether you want to play like the locals, catch world class DJs or are simply in need of a late night feed, the city will not disappoint.

From locally-designed originals to the best of international brands you'll be spoilt for choice in Melbourne's shopping precincts. Explore department stores and shopping centres and meander through the city's myriad of arcades and laneways.

Melbourne's melting pot of cultures is reflected in its microcosmos of restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars. Fashionable, eclectic and eccentric – Melbourne’s dining spots offer a dizzying spread of the world’s great cuisines, serving meals from the substantial and classic to the truly exotic.

In the city, you can enjoy afternoon tea in the genteel surroundings of a nineteenth-century hotel, watch and be watched in buzzing laneway cafés and bars, or handpick a bottle of Yarra Valley chardonnay at the latest über-chic hangout. Head out a little further and explore one of Melbourne’s specialist eating destinations – Richmond for cheap and cheerful Vietnamese dishes, Carlton for Italian classics, Fitzroy for tantalising Spanish tapas.

Dozens of theatrical productions are staged each week in Melbourne, ranging from mainstream musicals to experimental works. Catch a blockbuster at the beautifully restored Princess and Her Majesty's theatres or head down to the Arts Centre and Malthouse to catch quality local productions.

As the weather warms up, the carnival atmosphere arrives in Melbourne. Spring is alive in the city – with racing, fashion, arts and more.

With something to do whatever the weather, Melbourne's electric spirit is guaranteed to captivate anyone.

Western Australia

South West Australia

Perth City Centre is located alongside the peaceful waters of the Swan River, twenty Kilometers inland of the Indian Ocean on the West Coast of Australia. The Perth city centre bustles with activity and offers a range of choices for shopping

If you enjoy long relaxing walks along clean sandy beaches, swimming in the surf on a warm sunny day, or perhaps lazing on a beach towel while watching the world go by, then a visit to the Sunset Coast in Perth is for you.

The Port city of Fremantle lies just south of Perth on the coast of Western Australia. Fremantle is a popular spot, particularly at weekends when you will find markets, entertainment and plenty of alfresco style cafes and eateries.

The Swan Valley Region is steeped in history and is one of Western Australia's oldest wine regions. The region is home to more than 40 vineyards, many of which are still run by the original families which started the wineries many years ago.

Just a short ferry ride from Perth or Fremantle is Rottnest Island, a popular holiday destination which offers a very relaxed atmosphere. Meet the Quokka, a unique little marsupial which is responsible for the islands name.

If you enjoy nature and want to immerse yourself in natural Australian bush land, then a visit or stay in the Perth hills is a must. Offers rolling hills and valleys of native bush land, wineries and orchards, and perfect if you enjoy bushwalking and hiking, and nowhere else in Perth has the amazing views over the Perth city below

Perth has a number of locations which jump into life, especially at the weekends. Just outside the Perth city centre is the Perth district of Northbridge where you will find a range of nightclubs, pubs, cafes and eateries, offering an eclectic mix of cultures and cuisines. Meanwhile, south of Perth in Fremantle things are jumping at the local nightclubs and bars. If you are looking for the Perth nightlife, you are sure to find it at one of these locations.

North West Australia

Australia's North West is one of the world's last true wilderness areas and home to the Kimberley - the inspiration for 'Australia' the movie.

The seaside town of Broome forms the southern gateway to this spectacular region and offers up breathtaking Cable Beach - a 22km stretch of soft white sand and warm turquoise waters.

From Broome, venture into red-earth country and experience an authentic Aussie outback adventure by four wheel drive, take a scenic flight over extraordinary rock formations and magnificent waterfalls, or cruise through the inland waterways that permeate the region.

Highlights of Australia's North West include the Bungle Bungle Range, the rocky landscapes of Karijini National Park, the many ancient gorges featured along the Gibb River Road, and Lake Argyle - a mass of water large enough to be classified as an inland sea.