Travel Guides: All Countries / Oceania / Australia
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| | | Wide, wild and wonderful |  | Why go on holiday to Australia?
For big-city culture and the wild and wonderful outback. Get away from it all in the Northern Territory or party all night in Sydney. Check out the fabulous beaches or get to know the wonderful wildlife.
How much does it cost?
A charter package could cost around £900 for flights and room only for 14 nights in Sydney, or for around the same price you could take a two-centre holiday to Sydney and the Gold Coast.
Packages to the Red Centre or Barrier Reef islands cost more. Flight-only bargains to Oz cities can be had from about £450, depending on time of year. Prices do vary enormously and it pays to shop around.
When should I go?
It's all upside-down Down Under - our winter is Australia's hottest time of the year (max temperature from 22C/72F in Hobart to a whopping 45C/113F in Alice Springs).
Hit Christmas on the beach and join in with a barbecue - prawns are a favourite on the grill. Spring (Sept-Nov) and autumn (March-May) are pleasant and not too hot. Sydney has a rainy season during our summer.
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| | | A world of choice |  | What should I do when there?
Seeing the Great Barrier Reef is a favourite choice for a first-time visitor. You can snorkel, scuba or just take a boat trip.
Sydney is a hot favourite as the city to see, with its buzzing bars, seaside location and of course jewels such as the Opera House.
Other top attractions include Ayers Rock - now named Uluru - the Blue Mountains, Melbourne, Kangaroo Island and the Daintree rainforest. Camping is allowed in the fantastic national parks if you want just a taste of wilderness.
How do I see the sights?
Australia is huge, so the most obvious option is to look at internal flights - some airlines have air passes which offer better value for money than individual flights.
Rail travel is not fast, but a great way to see the countryside. You can get an old-fashioned sleeper compartment and dine in style watching wildlife go by outside the window.
Trains run up the coast from Sydney to Cairns and from Adelaide The Ghan takes you across the great wilderness to Alice Springs.
Coach travel is cheap. Another option is to rent a car or camper van.
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| | | Fabulous food fusion | | Where's good for nightlife?
Major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane all offer good nightlife - even Darwin has a couple of nightclubs.
Dining alfresco is alive and well in cities like Adelaide where the pavements buzz well into the summer nights.
Theatregoers will have plenty of choice in Sydney and Melbourne. Look for free entertainment guides such Beat and Drum Media in Sydney, found in shops and bars.
The best nightlife in the outback is nature. Nothing beats a night camping out under an amazing canopy of stars listening to the wildlife all around you.
What's the food like?
Australia has a great mix of cultures and therefore food influences - from English to Greek, Vietnamese to Lebanese.
Oz has also developed its own style in food, using great local fish like barramundi or yabbies (freshwater crayfish) and meats including kangaroo.
More exotic is the latest craze for bush tucker, including a range of fat, juicy grubs, emu pate or wattle-seed ice cream.
Don't forget to try that Aussie favourite, the lamington - a square sponge cake covered in chocolate icing and coconut.
Wash it all down with some of the world's finest wines - try some out on a vineyard visit. Most popular areas for wine tasting are South Australia and the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
What should I buy?
Aboriginal art is one of the best souvenirs - the genuine article is not cheap but is unique. If you can't afford that, T-shirts bearing Aboriginal designs are good bargains.
A great souvenir is the Akubra hat worn by everyone in the bush. Practical, relatively cheap and very cool-looking!
The opal is the national gemstone but shop carefully as quality is variable. For fun souvenirs, bring home a can of witchetty grubs or honey ants.
What is there for children to do?
Apart from brilliant beaches there are great wildlife parks where you can come face-to-face with cuddly koalas and kangaroos.
There are plenty of theme parks, notably on the Gold Coast, home to Warner Bros' Movie World, Wet 'n' Wild Waterpark and Sea World.
Tourist office
Australian Tourist Commission, 1st Floor, Gemini House, 10-18 Putney Hill, London, SW15 6AA. Brochure line: 0906 8633235 (60p per minute).
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| | Available rental properties in Australia |
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