Australia travel

Australia s iconic southern charm contrasts with hard outback life in this huge country of red dust and cosmopolitan cities. Party along the east coast cities while spending your days at the beach, or head cross country to dodge kangaroos, explore opal mines and walk around Uluru (Ayers Rock). And, of course, there s plenty of wine and lager along the way.

Australia travel resources

Australia divides the Pacific and Indian oceans, with East Timor, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to the north and New Zealand three hours flight away the largest of many Pacific nations off the eastern coast.

Australia is a continental landmass, the sixth largest country in the world. The mainland measures a massive 7.682 million square kilometres. Australia is also comprised of Tasmania in the south east and the Torres Straight Islands, part of Queensland in the north. The country is divided into six states (Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania), and two territories (Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory).

Australia s size leads to a wide range of tourism experiences, many with water at the heart of it. The surf, beach and babes image is still strong on the east coast, where sport fishing and diving is also hugely popular. The other iconic Australian image, the great red centre, is the place to head for on massive road trips through the dusty outback.

Sports play a major part in the country s cultural landscape, so expect to watch some netball, cricket, rugby, league or AFL along with dozens of other sports. Australia is home to some premier wine districts in both the east and west, while craft beers are slowly but surely pushing back against the big lager producers.

City focus: Perth

Perth sometimes gets a bad rap from Australia and the international community because it’s so isolated. Sure, it’s on the other side of the country from the capitals of the other states, but that just brings it closer to Asia, Europe, and oh — the rest of the world.

Despite its distance from the other Australian cities, Perth manages to be a popular stop for tourists, who make it a base to explore the beaches, wine regions, and national parks of the West. Slow, relaxed but maintaining a lively calendar of music and theatre events not to mention the Red Bull Air Race there s always something going on if you re willing to scratch the surface.

Getting to and from Australia

Flights operate into all Australian cities, with a good network of internal flights supplementing that. Airlines include the national flag-carrier, Qantas, as well as Air New Zealand, Delta and low-cost carriers Air Asia X, Tiger, Jetstar and Virgin Australia.

To and From the Airport has the rundown on getting you from the airport to the city. Frequent Flyer Masters learn to earn their miles fast, and get free flights around the world.

It may be cheaper to fly with low-cost carriers to an Asian hub then hop down to Australia, rather than doing a straight long-haul flight. Most flights to and from South America route through New Zealand, which can help if you plan to spend time there on the way.

Cruise ships ply the waters from Asia, the Pacific Islands, and New Zealand although there are fewer ships from Asia than one might expect.

Getting around Australia

Australia is a land of huge distances, which impacts significantly on amount you can see while there. If you are in a hurry, fly; otherwise sit back and enjoy the view. By far the most popular option for backpackers is to buy or hire a van or car for the duration of your stay.

There is a good network of interstate coaches that allow you to hop from one major city to another, as well good statewide bus services in Queensland, the Gold Coast, NSW and Victoria.

Things aren t so easy in the Northern Territory or Western Australia, although tourist coaches operate limited routes.

The Australian intercity train network is slow and it often costs less to fly. A journey from Sydney to Melbourne, for example will take over 12 hours, and the Indian Pacific railroad stretching all the way from Perth to Sydney is a truly mammoth journey: 4325km over four days.

Local trains are usually quite efficient, with Melbourne s tram and train system being a great example of public transport, although it still has its problems.

Airline costs can be quite competitive, with four major players: Qantas, Tiger, Jetstar and Virgin Blue covering many routes. Smaller regional airlines service smaller destinations and are worth a look when seating on other services are busy or expensive. Although Qantas is the traditional player, they can have the best online pricing but expect to pay for wine and beer separately on the weekend.

Car and camper rental

Australia is prime road trip country, with thousands of miles of empty highway, well-maintained camping spots and amenities plus plenty of quiet beaches for those with an itch to surf. Distances are huge, so take care not to push yourself too far. Rest often and remember to drive on the left.

Major car rental companies all operate in Australia. We recommend checking out Travellers Auto Barn for rentals and vehicle sales, or the hybrid people-mover/camper van from Spaceships Australia. Insurance is recommended, as a breakdown in the outback could mean getting a tow for several hours, or sometimes days, if the vehicle can t be fixed on site.

Travelling outside the main east coast routes presents unique dangers. We ve compiled some of the best safety advice from the boss over at Travellers Auto Barn .

Cycling and hiking

Cycling across Australia is gruelling, but it has been done. Estimate around one to three months journey, although this could be decreased: the current record is around 8 days. Massive trucks, called road trains thanks to the number of carriages, power down the highways causing concern to cyclists.

Australia has some fantastic hiking routes, with Tasmania probably having the most to offer. That said, hiking trails run through all of Australia s States and Territories, so you can explore everything from rain forest to arid desert.

Australia is home to crocodiles, wild dogs, ostriches, kangaroos and wallabies (which can all be dangerous when roused) as well as a host of poisonous insects, reptiles and plants. Do your homework before you start into the wild.