Get your big blue “oil can” of Fosters beer and your plate of shrimp straight off “the barbie” and get ready to read about the cities of Australia! You’ve heard about the surfing, the wildlife, the arts and the cultural traditions, but you may not know where to begin or where to find all these world-famous activities. While you’re visiting, be sure to try a vegemite sandwich, play a digeridoo or take a tour of the outback! Australian culture is rich and offers the adventurous a whole slew of new things to do! Whether it’s the Opera House in Sydney or the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland that you’re after, you’ll return home from Australia a new person.
Queensland Australia is a territory in the southeast corner of Australia that encompasses destinations like Brisbane, Cairns, Port Douglas, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine coast, the Great Barrier Reef and the outback region. The 70 kilometer stretch of Gold Coast City is sometimes called “the theme park capital of Australia,” housing Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World, WhiteWater World and the Wet N’ Wild Water Park. Additionally, you can hang at Surfers Paradise, visit the behemoth Q1 tower, shop the bohemian markets, visit Australian wineries and eat delicious fresh seafood.
In the welcoming city of Cairns, you can snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, relax on the beach, shop duty-free, hike through lush tropical rainforests, see national parks of Green and Fitzroy Islands, ride on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway or Kuranda Scenic Railway, experience flora and fauna at the Flecker Botanic Gardens, or take a stroll along the Esplanade, which is bordered by cafes and the Coral Sea. In Port Douglas, you can get a great view of the Great Barrier Reef, shop at Macrossan Street and the Sunday Markets in Anzac Park, visit the sugar cane farms of Mossman, or hike through the Daintree Rainforest, where impressive flora and fauna prosper.
While in Australia, you’ll want to see Brisbane, which is the capital of Queensland. Here, you’ll want to catch some local music, since Brisbane was hailed by Billboard as one of the “Top 5 International Music Hotspots” in 2007. If art and culture are your cup o’ tea, then you can also visit The Queensland Museum, The Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), The Queensland Performing Arts Complex, The Brisbane Powerhouse, the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts and the war memorials in Anzac Square.
Adelaide is a highly esteemed city in South Australia, known for its history of British Lutheran colonization, its miles of green space, Rundle Street restaurants, Hindley Street nightlife, the Festival of Arts and the Fringe Festival, Barossa Valley Australian wine, the South Australian Museum, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Central Market, and the Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute. This epicenter of culture can entertain and amuse for days or even weeks of your trip to Australia.
Lastly, Perth, in Western Australia, offers visitors easy navigation around the high rises via motorized trams and courtesy buses. Situated in the city center is Kings Park, which is 400 hectares of natural Australian bush, providing you with a glimpse of Australia’s aboriginal past. Fantastic beaches and nightlife characterize this city that thrives by day and night. Some of the hippest art hotspots can be found in the Northbridge Neighborhood. To see all that West Australia has to offer, Perth is a great meeting point where you can travel to wineries, the ocean and port cities within 30 minutes.
