Australia

There is much to see in Australia that you can't see easily in its natural setting anywhere else:

itineraries

Gibb River Road

Gunbarrel Highway

Oodnadatta Track

Stuart Highway: crossing Australia north-south

wildlife

Australian flora and fauna is unique to the island, the result of having been isolated from the rest of the world for millions of years. Amongst Australian animals are a large group of marsupials mammals with a pouch and monotremes mammals that lay eggs. Just some of the animal icons of Australia are the kangaroo national symbol and the koala. A visit to Australia would not be complete without taking the chance to see some of these animals in their natural environment.

landmarks

Australia has many landmarks, famous the world over. From Uluru in the red centre, to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House in Sydney.

sports

Sport is an integral part of the Australian culture from the capital cities to country towns. The majority of games are played over the weekend period from Friday night to Monday night.

In the winter in Victoria Aussie Rules Australian Rules Football is more than just a sport, it is a way of life. Catch a game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The national competition has teams from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and the Gold Coast as well.

In summer, international cricket is played between Australia and at least two touring sides. The games rotate around all the capital cities. To experience the traditional game catch the New Year's test match at the Sydney cricket ground played for 5 days starting from the 2nd of January, or the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne. Or for a more lively entertaining form, that only takes a few hours, try a twenty-twenty match. The final form is "One Day" Cricket, international matches generally start at 13:00 and finish at 22:00 or 23:00 a "Day-Nighter", with most domestic and occasional international matches played from 11:00 to 18:00. The Australia Day One Day International is held in Adelaide every 26 January.

The Australian Open, one of the tennis Grand Slams, is played annually in Melbourne. Or the Medibank International in Sydney Olympic Park in January.

Catch a rugby union Super Rugby game, with teams playing from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney during late Summer/Autumn. The Australian national team, the Wallabies, also host international teams during winter, including New Zealand, South Africa and starting in 2012 Argentina for The Rugby Championship formerly the Tri Nations tournament.

Rugby League is a winter game played mainly in New South Wales and Queensland, with the National Rugby League competition. Teams include Melbourne in Victoria, Brisbane, North Queensland and the Gold Coast in Queensland, a team from New Zealand, with the rest of the teams coming from suburban areas in Sydney, and some in regional areas of New South Wales such as Newcastle and Canberra.

Netball

is Australia's largest female sport, and there are weekly games in an international competition between Australia and New Zealand teams.

Football (Soccer)

is a small event by European standards, but there is a national A-League, which is a fully professional league involving teams from Australia and one from New Zealand, with games played weekly during the summer. Most cities have a semi-professional "state league" played during winter, with most clubs being built around a specific ethnic/migrant community.