Locate the following on your map:

• Pacific Ocean
• Fiji
  • Nadi (NAN)
  • Suva
• Cook Islands
  • Raratonga (RAR)
• Tahiti
  • Papeete (PPT)
• New Zealand
  • Auckland (AKL)
  • Wellington (WLG)
  • Rotorua
  • Christchurch (CHC)
• Australia
  • Cairns (CNS)
  • Brisbane (BNE)
  • Sydney (SYD)
  • Melbourne (MEL)
  • Adelaide (ADL)
  • Alice Springs (ASP)
  • Darwin (DRW)
  • Perth (PER)

Australia

Verbal picture

kangaroos, koala, marsupials, surfing, movie making, outback, crocodiles, roo bars on front of vehicles, sharks, red soil, waltzing matilda, beer, parties, family, long vacations, gum trees, coral reef, snorkelling, aussie rules, rugby

The Basics

Language

English

Currency

Australian dollar (AUD)

Airline

Qantas (no “U”) QF, Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service

Capital

Canberra (CBA)

Introduction

• very popular tour and VFR destination
• Australian visas required for all and under 27 for work permit

History

• 1606 discovered by Dutch first then re-discovered by Cook 1770
• convicts resettled 1788 then free settlers, then gold rush l85l
• never at war (Darwin bombed by Japanese 1942)
• penalty if you don’t vote

Geography

• same size as USA only continent with just one country
• oldest continent (3.5 million year old fossil)
• unique plant and animal life, because it developed separately
• platypus, kangaroo, koala, echidna
• 3/4 continent is flat plateau of red earth, little rain called the Outback
• tropical rain forests in northern Australia
• treeless Nullabor plain
• sheep, cattle, and wheat stations hundreds of square miles large
• world’s largest wool producer
• mineral rich with zinc, lead, lots of copper an iron ore, opals
• outdoor sports such as Aussie rules football called footy
• British influence, drive on the left, afternoon tea
• country of immigrants from England, Greece, Asia
• slang called Strine… g’day mite, Brissie (Brisbane), barbi (barbeque), Roto (Rottnest Island), tinnies (tins of beer)
• restaurants are often BYOB

Cairns (CNS)

• international airport is good uncrowded introduction to Australia
• is tropical sister city of Sidney BC located in Queensland
• Daintree Rainforest is environmental concern
• wooden train over spectacular gorges through Atherton Tablelands
• world renowned Tjapukai aboriginal dancers at Kuranda
• Great Barrier Reef
  • resorts, cruise/fly, underwater observatories
  • be sure to take catamaran day trip to outer reef
  • August to November is best time to visit
  • rains from December through February
  • game fishing

Whitsunday Islands

• sail yourself holidays

Brisbane (BNE)

• subtropical city with beach resort areas like Miami, Waikiki, Riviera
• Gold Coast for families and all ages
• Surfers Paradise for younger crowd

Sydney (SYD)

• major world port, harbour, relaxed, modern, business centre
• located in New South Wales
• Circular Quay is transportation centre for buses, monorail, and ferries
• The Rocks is old part of town, cobbled streets, buildings made by convicts
• Taronga Zoo has views of giraffes with Opera House backdrop!
• Opera House is pleasant walk from Circular Quay
  • book performances well in advance as very popular
• Harbour Bridge once painted by Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee)
• Kings Cross for nightlife, hookers, drugs
• Paddington restored row houses with grille work called Paddington Lace
• Bondi and Manly Beaches are extremely popular city beaches
• Darling Harbour has shops, food fairs, buskers like Lonsdale Quay
• Doyle’s Seafood Restaurant
• 2000 Olympics

Canberra (CBR)

• planned capital city in Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
• Parliament House is modern and symbolic
• “Washington of the south”
• ski the Snowy Mountains from June to September

Melbourne (MEL)

• cosmopolitan, dignified, fashion, shopping centre
• trams run down middle of main streets
• Magpies are original Aussie Rules football team (footy)
• Melbourne Cup is famous horse race when whole city closed
• colonial tram car restaurant is novelty evening

Ballarat

• gold rush town at Sovereign Hill (gold rush bigger than in California)
• Sovereign Hill bigger and better restored than Barkerville

Philip Island

• fairy penguins parade from water to mate and lay eggs
• obtain breeding cycle calendar and plan accordingly good travel

Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles

• scenic route like Garden Route in South Africa or Sea to Sky Highway in BC

Tasmania

• island state known for Tasmanian devils and penal colony
• car rental and bed and breakfast package is the way to go

Hobart (HBA)

• scenic town with casino at Wrest Point

Gordon River

• west side of island for cruises and eco-tourism

Port Arthur

• remote, windswept penal colony
• can take nightly guided tour by hurricane lamp
• haunted by ghosts, very eerie

Cradle Mountain

• eco-tourism, hiking, wildlife
• wombats, possums, lakes, mountains

Adelaide (ADL)

• in South Australia, is small and pretty like Victoria
• with churches, flower pots, beach resorts, wine valleys, arts
• Grand Prix Formula car racing in November
• Glenelg is quaint English seaside area with pier
• Barossa Valley is vineyard country similar to Okanagan and Napa Valley

Coober Pedy

• aboriginal word meaning “man in the ground”
• 1,600 miles North of Adelaide
• half people live underground due to intense heat
• opal mining town where you can get fossicking licence
• bus tours stay in Best Western underground Hotel

Alice Springs (ASP)

• located in Northern Territory is also called the Red Centre
• communication centre due to clean air
• Flying Doctor base and School of the Air for outback school kids
• camel farms where you can ride a camel to a meal at a local restaurant
• Henley Regatta is goofy rowing race in boats with no water in September!
• aboriginal sand art visible from air

Ayer’s Rock (Uluru)

• largest monolith in world at 5 miles long and 1200 feet high
• sacred to aboriginal

The Olgas

• thirty dome shaped rocks on bald outback

Darwin (DRW)

• tropical, with crocodiles
• was decimated by hurricane in the 1970s but rebuilt
• gateway to Asia and commerce
• the wet is from October to April and the dry from April to October
• deep sea fishing

Kakadu National Park

• wildlife, birds, crocodiles, Crocodile Hotel is crocodile shaped

Arnhemland

• safaris but need aboriginal permit

Katherine Gorges

• deep gullies with water, welcomed oasis

Western Australia

• beaches, wine, iron ore mining, gold, wild flowers

Indian Pacific

• train across Nullarbor Plain has longest straight track in the world

Ningaloo Reef

• near Exmouth is unspoiled and undeveloped

Monkey Mia

• swim with dolphins is now World Heritage Site

Pinnacles

• petrified forest set in desert and is day trip from Perth

Wildflowers

• after first rain after the dry

Perth (PER)

• lovely provincial city of 1 million on Swan River

Rottnest Island

• to see quokkas (cross between kangaroo and rat), hundreds of wild peacocks is popular summer retreat for locals

Fremantle

• restored old buildings, markets, restaurants
• first America’s Cup challenge outside of the US was in Fremantle

Heydyn

• Wave Rock formation looks like a huge wave