Melbourne Australia
Beyond Melbourne: By Air
Situated between Victoria and mainland Tasmania at the western entrance to Bass Strait, King Island is only a 50 minute flight away from Melbourne, but it might just as well be 1,000 kms, given the stark contrast between the laid back way of life here and the hustle and bustle of Australia's second largest city across the waters of Bass Strait. Because of its relative isolation, King Island receives less than ten thousand tourist a year (compared with two and a half million in Queensland). This, combined with the windswept jagged reefs and deserted long sandy beaches, make it the ideal destination. The pace of life is far slower than just about anywhere else in Australia and the locals - there are only around 2,000 of them - boast that the only traffic delays they encounter are wallabies, turkeys, possums and pheasants, to name a few.
The southern-most and second oldest state capital, Hobart is an historic port situated in a picturesque natural setting beside the deep Derwent River estuary and in the shadow of the mass of Mount Wellington. For most visitors who come to Tasmania by air, Hobart is where their journey begins and ends. As a result, most organised tours of Tasmania, and specifically those covering the island's south, begin and end here. It's a great place to get a feel as to what Tasmania is all about and a holiday destination before heading off into the wild blue yonder. Hobart has the closest links to the nation's past of all the capital cities. Those links are tangible - they can be seen and felt, particularly by Australians, many of whom leave here feeling they have somehow tapped into their national roots.
The Red Centre really is the literal centre of the vast continent of Australia and believe it or not, it is red - red earth, red mountains as in the MacDonnell Ranges, red rock formations such as the Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and Uluru (Ayres rock), red flowers, the Sturts Desert Pea being one of the predominant ones. Only after having visited the area do you realise how many different facets the colour red can have. The light in this part of the world is so clear, devoid of most pollution, that the suns rays cause the colour of the landscape to change in front of your very eyes.
Surrounded by over 50 mostly uninhabited islands, more than 65 shipwrecks and with over 120 pristine beaches, Flinders Island is a great place for a relaxing, rejuvenating holiday, being set amid the tranquillity of one of Australia's idyllic natural settings. Not many people live there, and not many people go there, so this is the place to be if you don t want to share your holiday destination with the rest of Australia. Bushland, lagoons and coastal reserves provide the visitor with a superb opportunity to explore and images Flinders Island's little changed natural setting, with an abundance of wildlife and a fascinating history thrown in for good measure.
A significant global and domestic tourist destination, Sydney is regularly declared to be one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world, admired for its harbour, beautiful coastline, warm and pleasant climate and cosmopolitan culture. Sydney was the birthplace of modern Australia, being established in 1788 as a British penal colony. Sydney has an ideal geographical setting - it is built on one of the most beautiful harbours in the world; throughout its suburbs and outlying areas are pockets of virgin bushland which not only means Sydney doesn't have the 'concrete jungle' feel of most big cities, you don't have to drive great distances to see its natural attractions because they are right there just a short distance away. it has top class beaches right on its doorstep.
The capital city of the State of Western Australia, Perth sits beside the widest stretch of the meandering Swan River. Locals here enjoy a relaxed outdoors lifestyle. Perth is known for its wonderful white, sandy and uncrowded beaches, a sunny climate, friendly and hospitable atmosphere, great parks and gardens, National Parks and excellent dining. Within easy reach of Perth, Fremantle has lively street entertainment and a great cafe culture, as well as weekend markets. Perth's residents consider their city to be egalitarian and relaxed, with a relatively large middle class and a suburban lifestyle. The population is easy-going and friendly, but can be parochial, especially towards the Eastern States which are often viewed with deep, but usually jocular, suspicion.
Among Australia's cities, Adelaide has long been at the forefront in terms of cultural activities. It is a place of natural beauty and simple elegance. The city centre has wide flat streets, and is surrounded on all sides by parklands. The urban landscape is highlighted with many elegant colonial buildings, museums, churches and galleries. Adelaide s cultural life flourished in the 1970s under the leadership of premier Don Dunstan, removing some of the more puritanical restrictions on cultural activities then prevalent around Australia. Now the city is home to events such as the Barossa Music Festival, the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Adelaide Film Festival, and the Fringe Festival, among others.
Brisbane is both the capital city of the state of Queensland and its largest cirty. Brisbane is located on the coast in the state's south east corner, some 100 km north of the New South Wales border. Queensland's Sunshine Coast to the north, and Gold Coast to the south, are both just an hour's drive away from Brisbane and therefore can each be visited in a single day, however they are major destinations in their own right and a day's drive to either one would barely scratch the surface of what they offer. Both have magnificent beaches and attractive mountainous hinterlands that cry out to be explored.
An Australian capital city with a difference, Darwin boasts an easy-going lifestyle (in the dry season at least) and extends a warm welcome to visitors from the south, eager for a taste of Territory life. A modern city of over 100,000 people, Darwin is Australia s most northerly city. Darwin has a tropical climate, and is subjected to tropical thunderstorms and cyclones during the wet season (December to March). Darwin has felt the fury of tropical cyclones or more than one occasion. A milestone in Darwin's recent history was the completion of the Adelaide - Darwin railway in September 2003, linking the city to the rest of Australia by rail for the first time and offering visitors to the Territory's capital a new way to experience the vast open spaces of Northern Australia.
