Australia tourist attractions sightseeing tours

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Adelaide - Alice Springs - Ayers Rock - Ballarat Brisbane - Broken Hill - Broome - Cairns Canberra - Darwin - Fraser Island - Gold Coast - Hamilton Island - Hervey Bay - Hobart - Kakadu Kangaroo Island - Katherine - Kununurra - Launceston - Melbourne - Palm Cove - Perth - Phillip Island - Port Douglas - Shute Harbour - Sunshine Coast - Sydney - Whitsundays

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TOURIST GUIDE TO SIGHTS, TOUR ACTIVITIES, ATTRACTIONS, TRAVEL AND EXPLORATION - AUSTRALIA .

AUSTRALIA: States & Territories: 6 States: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. Mainland Territories: Australian Capital Territory (ACT) & Northern Territory

Australia is a land waiting to be explored. And it's so easy. From spectacular coastal drives to outback adventures, there is an itinerary to suit every taste and time scale. You'll find that Australia is a very safe, English speaking & uniquely friendly destination.

Australia Tidbits

Australia is a rather large island, it has a surface area of 7.686.850 million square km. ( incl. islands) and 26735 km. of coastline with 7000 beaches. It is the only nation to occupy an entire continent.

Three quarters of the population live close to the ocean in only ten cities and almost 200 nationalities are represented, indigenous people only make up 1.5% of the current population and the country has a population density of only two people per square km.

Australia is also populated by about 40 million kangaroos, 75000 crocodiles, half a million wild camels, 140 million sheep, 24 million cows and 100 000 koalas.

Australia has more World Heritage listed sites than any other country, fifteen of them have been classified by UNESCO; such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park , the Daintree National Park, Kakadu, Uluru, Cradle Mountain, and several dinosaur fossil sites.

The earliest European explorers to sight Australia were the Portuguese when Luis Vaez de Torres sailed the narrow strait between the tip of Cape York and New Guinea in the 16th century, he was followed by the Dutch ship "the Duyfken" which has been confirmed to have landed in North Queensland in March 1606, no less than 164 years before the so called "discovery" of Australia by James Cook. The Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog also landed on the west coast in 1688 but was far from impressed and wrote in his journal; "This land is cursed; the animals hop not run, birds run, not fly and the swans are black not white".

So for more than one and a half century Australia was actually called New Holland until Cook raised the Union Jack and claimed it as part of the British Empire.

Australia is officially still a part of the British Empire and the Queen is the head of state, though Australians vote for their government the Queen has a representative in Australia called the Governor General who is theoretically the most powerful person in Australia, though they do not usually mingle in the country's affairs and stick to drinking champagne at public functions. Many Australians would like to see the country break ties and become a republic but at the last referendum held in 1998 it was decided by a small margin to maintain the status quo.

Australia's mainland is made up of six states,two territories and one (at least claiming to be) independent province:

New South Wales - Started out as a colony of prisoners in 1788 but has become quite civilized, nowadays best known for its capital Sydney, the country's biggest city, with Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach and the venue for the 2000 Olympics and the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras . It also has a popular wine growing ( and tasting!) region in the Hunter Valley and has a bit more laid back side in the northern part of the state around Byron Bay and Nimbin.

Queensland - Also started as a colony of prisoners but a bit later in 1825 . Its capital Brisbane hosted the World Expo in 1988. Queensland advertises itself as the Sunshine State, most famous for the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree, the Gold Coast ( Surfers Paradise) and the Sunshine Coast.

Victoria - Started out as two plots of land that became Melbourne and Geelong, bought from local Aborigines for flour, tools and clothing by John Batman in 1835 and was later in 1851 declared a British colony. Victoria is Australia's second smallest state but home to 26 per cent of the population. Mostly known the annual Melbourne Cup.

South Australia - This state actually got started by free settlers and not criminals in 1836. Best known for its festivals, Mediterranean climate and wine, just north of the capital Adelaide the Barossa Valley produces a huge amount of wine and you can spend at least one good day cruising the wineries and tasting their products.

Western Australia - Started out as a British militairy colony in 1829 and is Australia's largest state but accounts for only 8 per cent of the population. Its mining industry contributes 25 per cent of GDP. Its capital Perth is known for being the world's most remote city, being home to Alan Bond and hosting the America's Cup, the state in general is known for having lots and lots of desert and the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie

Tasmania - Started out as Dutch territory being called van Diemen's land but the British seized it in 1803 and started yet another colony of prisoners here. The capital is Hobart. Though for many years the Tasmaniacs left in droves to find better employment oportunities on the mainland, in recent times due to house prices being ridiculously cheap by Sydney standards, there has been a flow in the other direction again. The island is best known for apples, the Tasmanian tiger, homosexuality being illegal up to recently.

Northern Territory - Previously part of South Australia, this is actually a territory and not a state, they were granted limited self-government in the 1990s but whatever is decided can be overturned by Canberra. Its capital Darwin has grown considerably over the last decade. The N.T. is best know for beer drinking, crocodiles, Ayers Rock, road trains and hot weather.

Australian Capital Territory - This one was started in 1911 when arguments between Victoria and New South Wales on who should house the Australian government could not be resolved so a third place was chosen, the first parliamentary meeting in the new capital city, canberra, was held in 1927. Due to its more recent establishment and efficient planning many Canberrans enjoy the good facilities the city offers.

Hutt River Province - Between Kalbarri and Port Gregory in Western Australia lies the 39 square mile Hutt River Province where Prince Leonard seceded from Australia and Western Australia in 1970, renamed his wheat farm the Hutt River Province, declared himself Prince Leonard and his wife Princess Shirley of Hutt , and has started printing his own stamps. You can go in and visit the Prince and Princess. The Geraldton tourist info will give you a map when you go in to get your visa for Hutt River Province. You can get your passport stamped on entry.

Australia is also responsible for administering seven external territories;

Norfolk Island, the uninhabited Coral Sea Islands Territory, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, the uninhabited Ashmore and Cartier Islands Territory, the Territory of Heard Island and the McDonald Islands in the sub-Antarctic and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

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