Australia… the country
Whether you are a first time visitor to Australia or a seasoned traveler around this wide vast land, you will always find something new, interesting and exciting to take your interest.
Below
is some information to help you plan your Oz Visit
Australia is the only country that is also a continent. It is the sixth largest country in the world but the smallest continent. Affectionately known as "The Great South Land", it lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Indian Ocean to the west, the Southern Ocean to the south and the islands of the Indonesian Archipelago to the north. Only 700 kilometers separates Australia from the island of Timor.
While English is the official language and Australians are essentially Western in culture, its 19 million people comprise a multiplicity of ethnic groupings. Australians are a peace-loving, friendly people with a highly developed sense of acceptance towards visitors.
Each state has its own array of "must-visit" destinations. Check out this feature on each State’s focus page and experience the diversity. No matter if you’re traveling from across the seas or from the town down the road, you will always find something different in the Australian landscape.
Australia has winter in the middle of the year and summer over the year-end. While the temperature range and weather conditions across Australia cannot be described as extreme, they vary from hot, humid and tropical in the north eastern sections to hot and dry; cold and still drier in the central sections of the country to pockets of beautiful mild weather all year around along the eastern and southern coastline.
Snow only falls in about 1% of Australia—in its southeastern highland section. The northern parts of Australia are prone to monsoonal influences and periodic cyclones are a normal part of northern summers.
It seems that what ever you want to wear in Australia is fine. Comfortable casual clothing is suitable on most occasions. More formal wear is only needed when indicated at various establishments. It is best to dress to suit the weather and occasion, but in Australia that does not mean bundling up or needing special equipment.
Australia is a vast, relatively dry land mass covered with an endless variety of features. Even the drier inland areas sport a seemingly endless variety of "desert" types. From jungles to snow fields, from flat farming lands to rocky coastal estuaries you will find places to visit and things to do.
Distance is perhaps the most overwhelming feature of the country. It takes time to travel between places. In Australia, it is not only the destination that is important, it is also the journey. Make the most of the journey and you will discover what it really means to be Australian.