Lifestyle Article
Destination down under!
John Davis takes us on a tour around the States and Territories of Australia and highlights the best attractions offered by each.
Stressed out students looking to get away from the hectic lifestyle of Europe are turning to Australia in droves to get some well-earned rest and relaxation.
Following the outstanding success of the Sydney Olympics, tourist numbers are swelling even further - most notably the low-budget backpacker market students prefer.
The gravitational-like pull of Australia lies in its reputation as a cheap, friendly place that offers the variety of the world's best tourist destinations in one country.
Australia is made up of six states and two territories - Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, West Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory - and each has its own very special experiences to offer.
There are so many things to see and do Down Under, but this article will focus on some of the very best attractions available in each state and territory.
Once you take advantage of one of the many cut-price fares on offer to Australia, Sydney is usually the best place to start.
From there, it is best to get a bus pass or a vehicle to get around.
Among the best options when it comes to bus travel are Oz Experience , McCafferty's or Greyhound coaches.
Those preferring to buy a vehicle or campervan can do so from dealerships that specialise in low-cost cars such as Travellers Auto Barn, which offers guaranteed buyback of the vehicle in either Sydney or Cairns.
Transport aside, let's look at the tourist hotspots, starting with Queensland.
The "Sunshine State" is best known for the magnificent Great Barrier Reef, which has an abundance of beautiful coral and stunning marine life that will make your eyes pop in disbelief.
The reef stretches for more than 2,000 kilometres and is made up of over 2,800 individual reefs.
In this vast labyrinth of reefs, nature has run wild, producing an array of marine life, including some species that would look more at home on a Star Wars set.
Yet even the weirdest of creatures float along gracefully in their aquatic wonderland, leaving you to flounder in unfamiliar surroundings and struggle to take in the beauty around you.
Many dive sites are situated well off the coast, with most tourists choosing services that operate out of Townsville, Cairns or Port Douglas. Depending on conditions, underwater visibility can extend up to 70 metres in some places.
Among the most spectacular places to visit is Cape Tribulation, north of Cairns, where the rainforest meets the reef. Australia's unique bird and animal life abound in a forest that offers crystal clear streams and a seemingly endless serenity. Add to that the prospect of miles of white sandy beaches that look as if no human has ever set foot on them and you have sheer bliss.
On to New South Wales, of which Sydney is the capital.
Much of the social life in Sydney revolves around its harbour, which is regarded as one of the most stunning of its kind in the world. Not only does the Sydney Opera House nestle on its banks, so too do a myriad of fine restaurants, galleries and other businesses - all dwarfed beneath the unmistakable Harbour Bridge.
The city also offers about 70 different beaches and a fantastic nightlife to cater for all tastes.
If you do feel a little homesick for Europe, you could do a lot worse than go skiing in the appropriately named Snowy Mountains, 530 kilometres south of Sydney.
The Snowy Mountains include Australia's highest peaks, with the best skiing offered from June to October. The Perisher Blue and Thredbo resorts have numerous runs for advanced skiers, while Charlotte Pass and the Selwyn Snowfields cater for beginners.
Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, also has its roots in Europe.
It is the most English of Australian cities in terms of architecture, temperature and lifestyle and is home to a mass of European immigrants who thankfully brought their cuisine along with them.
The variety of food and shopping in Melbourne is simply unbelievable, as is the strange sport of Australian Rules, which has become an obsession in the city.
Best described as a cross between Gaelic Football and rugby union, a single Australian Rules match can attract up to 100,000 people.
If you want to see a real slice of Australian sporting obsession complete with electrifying atmosphere, it is certainly an experience not to be missed. The Great Ocean Road, built by World War I veterans as a memorial to their dead mates, rates as arguably Victoria's best tourist attraction.
You may ask what is so special about a road? But stretching for hundreds of kilometres, variety is at the heart of what it offers. One of the most enduring features of the wild untamed coastline along Great Ocean Road is the 12 Apostles, a massive rock formation that rears from the sea, like sentinels guarding the coast.
Keep moving along the road and you will also pass quiet bays, the town of Torquay (which reputedly has the best waves outside Hawaii), rainforests and the Shipwreck Coast - a graveyard for dozens of ships smashed to pieces on the treacherous coast during the 19th century.
Tasmania, situated below Victoria, has its own graveyards that are infamous for very different reasons.
Formerly known as Van Dieman's Land, Tasmania was home to the most notorious penal settlement for convicts sent to Australia by the British. The penal site called Port Arthur, which is now a popular tourist attraction, could only be described as an horrific place where hangings and floggings with lead-studded cat-o-nine-tail whips were commonplace. Sightings of convict ghosts have also been reported.
Apart from Port Arthur, Tasmania possesses amazing rainforests - which has led to 20 per cent of the state being World Heritage listed.
Home to the Tasmanian Devil - a loud carnivore the size of a small dog - the wilderness in south-west Tasmania remains one of the last areas on earth unexplored on foot due to its sheer density and remoteness. Tourists though can still appreciate its beauty by taking seaplane flights from the tiny town of Strahan.
For something a little less vigorous, but just as enjoyable as traipsing around in the wild, you should check out South Australia's National Wine Centre. You can learn about the history of Aussie wine and enjoy the extensive Tasting Gallery, or choose the even better option of taking the Barossa Wine Train a few hours north to the Barossa Valley. The Barossa Wine Train leaves the Adelaide Railway Station every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Just across the border from South Australia lies the biggest state, West Australia.
The vast Kimberley region, which is three times the size of England, is the jewel in West Australia's'crown.
Many companies offer four-wheel-drive tours to the Kimberley, where you can see and hear about the remarkable Aboriginal culture, fish for the massive freshwater fish called the barramundi or even ride a camel. Depending on what you want, you can either camp under the stars and eat Aussie bush food, stay in safari-style tents or even a homestead.
Like West Australia, the Northern Territory offers an amazing outback experience. Many tourists say Australia's best, in fact.
The Northern Territory is undoubtedly home to Australia's most remarkable tropical landscape and the most traditional of Aboriginal lifestyles. Free from human disturbance, thousands of species of birds live in peace, as does the monstrous saltwater crocodile.
These relics from the age of the dinosaurs can grow to over 20 feet (6.5 metres) long and seemingly barely take notice of passing boatloads of tourists while sunning themselves on the riverbank.
While in the 'Top End', you should not pass up the opportunity to see the amazing Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock. Uluru is the world's biggest monolith and its surrounds are a hotbed of Aboriginal art.
Aboriginals for hundreds of kilometres around Uluru regard it as their most important religious symbol. It is easy to see why once you get close to it. Uluru, which is one of Australia's most popular tourist attractions, is awe-inspiring up close, particularly at dusk when the setting sun makes the massive monolith gradually change colour before your eyes. Uluru is best reached from the town of Alice Springs via bus (4 1/2 hours) or by air (40 minutes).
From the ancient society of the Northern Territory to the modern lifestyle of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), the country's two territories could hardly be more different.
The ACT was created and Canberra built as the nation's capital in 1911 specifically because of political wrangling between Sydney and Melbourne.
Australia's two largest cities, who remain fierce rivals to this day, both wanted to be the nation's capital.
Canberra was built as a compromise and remains a beautiful modern city that is Australia's political heart.
As a country, Australia offers so much to the prospective traveller, but remember to give yourself time to enjoy the scenes - it is a very big place. Now get your backpacks on and get out there! n
Websites to visit:
www.ozexperience.com/index.htm
www.mccaffertys.com.au
www.greyhound.com.au
www.travellersautobarn.com.au
John Davis is a London based Australian freelance journalist specialising in lifestyle reporting. All pictures © Australian Tourist Commission. All rights reserved.
