Australia The Best Place To Buy A New Home

Australia is fast emerging as the number one destination when it comes to buying a new home. Its healthy, sub-tropical climate, idyllic lifestyle, vibrant business community, low cost of living and charming Aboriginal people, multicultural community and supportive government have ranked it as the top destination to where most people looking for a change in lifestyle would most want to migrate to. Apart from this, the world class educational facilities, vast variety of housing (beachside, waterfront, high-rise, suburban, hinterland etc) low levels of pollution, lower traffic congestion and reasonable state taxes has won hearts of people from all over the world. This magnificent country has even played host to two of the most high profile athletic events in the past few yearsSources say that new developments are fast selling out, sometimes even before launch in prime areas such as Perth, the countrys only large city on the West Coast. Sydney has become to the highest house prices. The citys cosmopolitan nature, comfortable infrastructure and landmark tourist attractions are pushing new home prices further.The government’s foreign investment policy is encouraging and inviting investment in Australia and making sure that the investment is consistent with the needs of the Australian community. Offshore investment is being considered as a significant contribution in development of the countrys development and infrastructure. And therefore, the government is making the procedure for buying new homes much easier.It looks like the future Down Under is getting brighter and brighter for property owners and investors!

Port Douglas: A tourist Phoenix

Port Douglas has had a chequered life. It had its name changed several times, and it saw booms and busts many times. It rose as a township when gold was struck, but its run under the sun was short. In 1960 the town had reached its nadir when it was no more than a fishing village with a population of 100! But then gold of a different variety was struck, and the sun became the greatest attraction. It was only in the last 20 years that Port Douglas discovered it had something few places had – a weather that recalled the Grecian summer, a blue ocean that recalled Sicily, a rainforest that recalled Costa Rica, and an infrastructure that recalled Toronto.

Situated in Tropical Far North Queensland, Port Douglas is well connected by land, water and air. A modern harbor attracts yachts, sailboats and bigger ships with a healthy frequency. It is just over an hour’s drive from Cairns through the breathtaking coastal road that hugs the ocean throughout, giving spectacular glimpses of pristine forests and beaches, a patterned reef showing a thousands shades from maroon to aquamarine, undulating hills and a beautiful meandering road. Few other drives are as pleasurable as the one that takes you through two World Heritage Sites. With a pleasant tropical climate where the temperatures remain within the comfortable zone throughout, you can afford to pack lightly. Port Douglas might be a small town with a few thousand population (there are always more tourists than residents), but its geography ensures that you are witness to the bevy of nature’s creations – from the most enchanting to the most exciting, from the most enjoyable to the most philosophical. And there are dozens of places you can see or things you can do. Situated nearby is the World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest, a tropical jungle with probably the largest species count among all places on earth. At 135 million years, it is one of the oldest rainforest in the world.

Mossman gorge, cut by the Mossman River which flows through the Daintree, is one of the most popular tourist haunts, and is very famous for its various trails that take you near and through the ageless forest and fauna. It is home to many rare species of birds, and bird-watchers take keen delight in locating the various bird calls. The Daintree River, home to crocodiles and other predators, offers enchanting and thrilling river rides through dark waters that are placid at one place and bustling at another. Cape Tribulation is another nearby hotspot popular with tourists, having many celebrated trails. Some of these trails take you to the summits of hills like Mt. Sorrow that gives a wonderful lookout into the blue Pacific. Well furnished with bathrooms and even barbeques, many of these trails provide opportunities for picnics. Here you get close to the indigenous population and get an enchanting entrance to the ageless rainforest.

Port Douglas is a marvelous launching pad to a world of adventure. Port Douglas is ideally situated for tours to Cairns city, the SkyRail Rainforest Cable, the Kuranda Scenic Railway and village, the Mareeba wetlands, the Tjapukai Aboriginal Park, or if you fancy to look East, to the wonderful experiences of the Reef or the nearby islands. There are plenty of adventure activities in store for the enthusiastic, including white water rafting, kayaking, snorkeling, bungee jumping, river and reef fishing, or trekking. Situated within wine country Port Douglas has its own eclectic collection of wine. There are aerial tours on seaplanes, hot-air balloons or helicopters. And the shopaholic can find many hours excitement in the well-stocked shopping malls and Sunday markets. Of course, Port Douglas is also famous for its cuisine and restaurants. In short, a trip to Port Douglas is a hectic one, with romance and adventure mixed with the tropical holiday spirit.

Surfers Paradise: A Paradise for Everyone

Perhaps you thought this section of Queensand’s Gold Coast was just for surfies. It would be understandable considering the name, but you’d be wrong. In fact, Surfers Paradise and environs has something for everyone. Families with kids have the choice of four theme parks, or you can just go shopping, play sports or relax on the beach, take boat trips, or just hang loose and enjoy the food and nightlife.

The beaches are at the heart of Surfers Paradise and deservedly so. Surfers Paradise beach was voted as one of the best beaches in the world by the American Travel Channel. And even if surfing is not your thing, there’s plenty to do. You can just relax and sunbathe, join in one of the energetic games of beach volleyball, or partake in a range of exhilarating water sports.

Other options include heading out to sea on fishing charters or whale watching cruises. The Whales in Paradise cruise takes you out to the abode of the hump backed whales. Enjoy the site of bottle nosed dolphins, giant loggerhead turtles, killer whales and a variety of sea birds on the way.

For more timid views of aquatic fauna, you can visit the Seaworld theme park.
This is home to such creatures as dolphins, seals, sharks and polar bears. Seaworld houses Shark Bay, the world’s largest artificial lagoon which is populated with a fierce contingent of sharks. Other attractions include Polar Bear Shores, the Waterski Wipeout show, and Sesame Street Beach.

Seaworld is located on Seaworld Drive on Main Beach, just two miles north of Surfers Paradise. It’s open from 10am – 5.00pm all year.

Another theme park that’s great for the kids is Wet’n'wild Water World. Billed as Australia’s premier water theme park, it offers high-octane aquatic thrills with whirlpools and roller coasters. The biggie here is Mammoth Falls and there’ also the Giant Wave Pool and the more sedate Calypso Beach.
Wet’n'wild Water World is located 20 minutes north of Surfers Paradise and it opens at 10.00am every day, closing times vary throughout the year.

Then if you want some action away from the beach, you can go bungee jumping, or play mini golf or have 18 holes at one of the nearby professional golf courses. The Surfers Paradise Golf Club offers lush, well-watered fairways and some challenging holes.

If nightlife is your thing, Surfers Paradise is a great place to be with its pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurant. Most of the bars and clubs are situated along Orchid Avenue near Cavill Avenue. You can enjoy a lively street scene as in the evening you can see balloon artistry, buskers, circus acts, mimes, and street artists.

Surfers Paradise’s lively night scene also offers ten-pin bowling, video arcades, theatres, cabaret restaurants, and there are free magic shows in the Paradise Centre on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

One of the pleasures of staying at Surfers Paradise is the fine range of quality accommodation available. You can choose from a host of Surfers Paradise hotels including Classic Holidays at Sovereign Gold Coast and BreakFree Acapulco Resort Gold Coast.

Ecotourism destinations Australia heading the world in Ecotourism

Like your marriage date the honeymoon comes in once, for a life time so newly weds are inspired to make the most of it the moment is to rejoice and to make plans for the future. In the brink of searching for the ideal destination Australia honeymoon destinations are the foremost. Some of the key attractions are the basic attraction is its natural scenery. The perfect landscapes the sun baked horizons and the contrasting tropical rain forest and adding up to it chilly southern beaches. The sun soaked sights of Australia holds up to a magnificent panorama. The cities of Australia are dotted with fantastic coastlines and if we see the cultural point of view the culture of Australia is perfectly blended with a enthusiasm for art and food with the positive outlook towards sport and the outdoors.
Visitors or travelers have to revamp their catch on geography in this huge country as it is this sheer emblem of vastness that gives Australia and its diverse population a much of a substance. The best part of Australia is its vastness; almost the size of Europe and travelers delight. Australia is all about sun baked horizons, tropical rain forest and chilly beaches. The country has no dearth of Ecotourism destinations Australia you can visit opera house of a city on one day and beautifully tended sanctuary on the other end.

Attractions of Australia.

• Australia’s red core contains the country’s finest sculpture; its cities are beautified with red core sculpture. Its finest varied cities are dotted with excellent architecture and designs like formal gardens and monuments of historical interest.
Barossa valley: The Barossa valley is the best known region for wine production in Australia. To enjoy the best known wine producing region you are always advised to get in to back lanes. Out of 100 wine settlers at least 70 of them would invite the visitors to taste some of their grandeur. If you don’t want any of the fun then visit this place in March to May where the grapes are harvested and they are crushed and revamped to produce the high quality wine.

• Tasmania is famous for its national park which is studded with stunning deep gorges, lakes and wild moorlands. It is also one of the areas that are affected most y glacial activity in Australia.

• The Daintree forest is the escape getaway from the hustle and bustle of the town and into deep breath taking forest in the coastal lowland rainforest exactly into the wet tropical rainforest. This dense area hosts spectacular scenic view and the unique swamp and mangrove inhabitant’s native birds and tropical rain forest.

Holiday destinations Australia can be any of them mentioned above or other destinations that surely complete the character and soul of the country.

Wild and wacky town festival ideas

Alice Springs is in the center of the Australian outback. It’s fame came from a book by Neville Shute, “A Town like Alice” a book everyone should read.

Alice is a small Northern Territory town on the road (Route 87) that bisects Australia North to South from Darwin to Adelaide and by all accounts is situated at the very center of the continent.

You can reach Alice directly from most cities in Australia by plane and then from Alice you can explore the outback by jeep, or take a bus to Uluru, Ayres Rock, the Olgas, and King’s Canyon. On the way to Uluru, an aboriginal station will sell you all the carvings and paintings of their people as well as serve a genuine Devonshire Cream Tea while macaws fly overhead. Australia is nothing but a place of contrasts. There are camel stations where you can ride the beasts and visit to emus and the kangaroos and eat an outback breakfast of eggs. There is plenty to do around Alice Springs and nothing will leave you quite the same.

The river through Alice Springs is the Todd and each year Alice celebrates the “Henley on Todd River Regatta” in October. It is styled on the British boat race, the Henley-on-Thames Regatta, where the rowing on a smooth and verdant Thames is of Olympic standard. The Henley-on-Thames Regatta is often the British Olympic trials venue.

However, in Alice there is one problem. There is generally no water in the Todd River. which would make the Henley-Regatta-on-Todd problematic to most people. In fact most times the bed of the Todd River is inhabited by Aboriginals sitting in groups xmoking and drinking.

However, lack of water is no problem to the Australians. They run their boats, standing in holes cut in the bottoms and carrying their boats by their arms. The bed of the river is pure sand about a foot deep, soft and yielding, so running in it is a real challenge and hilarious to boot. This regatta is a sight that cannot be experienced elsewhere.

As the Wikipedia correspondent puts it: “Watching seemingly sane people race in bottomless “eights”, “Oxford tubs”, “bath tubs” and yachts through the deep coarse sand of the Todd River provides a unique spectacle amongst world sporting events. The multi-event program attracts many local and international participants from the audience who often finish up on world TV news paddling canoes with sand shovels and in “land lubber” events like filling empty 44-gallon drums with sand.”

In addition. to the Regattac on this occasion Alice Springs stages other regular events.

The Surf Lifesaving Event is for a team of four. The “lifesaver” paddles or shovels the surf along the rails to pick up the damsel-in-distress. Both are then reeled back by the other two members of the team

Then there is the Battle-Boat Spectacular in which three battle boats, powered by four-wheel drives, churn through the sand bristling with flour mortars and high-powered water cannons. Can you imagine what it is like being hit by flour and water in a sandy environment?

However, these days are not considered Whacky. They are Australian and they are in Alice Springs and therefore they are unique.

After its all over the competitors retire to the numerous corrugated-iron roofed bars to drink their disappointments away and to celebrate the winners while local guitar and harmonica groups celebrate the winner.

This is the time to visit Alice Springs.

Top Holiday Travel Destinations

Despite the high cost of fuel and other travel expenses, an estimated 63.5 million Americans are planning to travel at least 50 miles or more from home this Christmas and New Year. Hotel rates are up nearly 15% at some popular destinations, yet bookings are full or nearly full.

So where do all of these people plan to go?

Domestic Destinations

According to AAA of the United States, here are the top destinations based on the number of bookings for each location.

Florida

Orlando is the top destination for fairly obvious reasons but Ft. Lauderdale is also in the top ten. Florida offers a wealth of activities and options for families, singles, and all types of traveler. Perennial favorite Disney World will attract hundreds of thousands of visitors between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, while other Florida attractions like Gatorland, Kennedy Space Center, and the Everglades will also be popular. It is also common for the beaches of Ft. Lauderdale to be filled with vacationers during the holiday season, which is second only to spring break in terms of number of tourists.

It is not too late to check out some of the great last minute deals throughout Florida. With a little research and a willingness to be flexible, you can still enjoy Florida this holiday season.

California

California has three cities in the top ten travel destinations this holiday season — Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. All three offer a wide range of activities for tourists of all ages, and the generally pleasant December weather in California makes it a favorite place for vacationers from colder climates in need of sunshine.

The Los Angeles area is the gateway to Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, two extremely popular amusement parks. Just a short drive to the south and east is San Diego, a relaxing area that is home to a laid-back lifestyle of beaches, surfing, and shopping.

If an urban experience is more to your liking, opt for San Francisco, where you can enjoy international culture, a ride on the famous cable cars, a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge, and a winding trip down Lombard Street, touted as the “crookedest street” in the world.

Other great holiday escapes

Some of the other most popular holiday escapes in the United States include New York City, Chicago, Boston, Nashville and Las Vegas.

The holidays are legendary in New York City, with ice-skating in Central Park and the elegant decorations around Rockefeller Center. In Chicago, visitors flock to the Navy Pier Winter Wonderfest as well as the famous holiday window display at Marshall Field’s department store. You can’t beat Boston, though, for a traditional New England holiday vacation. Check out the Prudential Center Christmas Tree, walk the Freedom Trail of historic Revolutionary War era sites, or do something entirely different and take Boston Duck Tour on a World War II era amphibious vehicle.

Looking for something a bit different? Consider Las Vegas for the holidays, where the abundance of holiday lights dwarfs even the normal profusion of neon and color. Every casino along the strip works to outdo the others with lights and decorations, with some of the most amazing displays located at Caesars Palace, the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo.

One of the most relaxed holiday destinations in the U.S. is Nashville, home to the “down home country Christmas” festivities at the Opryland Resort and Grand Ole Opry as well as special holiday programs at the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Nashville’s historic homes are also dressed up for the holidays, so think about taking a bus tour of the city to enjoy the spectacular lights and decorations.

International Destinations

International travel is always popular around the holidays, and Americans are flocking to destinations all over the globe this holiday season.

Australia

It is icy and cold across much of the northern United States, but summer in Australia! For cultural attractions and urban festivities, tourists stop in Melbourne and enjoy some Christmas Carols at the Myer Music Bowl, or visit the famed Opera House in Sydney.

Since Christmas falls at the beginning of summer in Australia, many holiday visitors spend their vacation at a spectacular beach location such as Shark Bay, where diving enthusiasts can swim with dolphins and sharks, or along the Queensland Gold Coast, an area with over 30 kilometers of beautiful sandy beaches plus great restaurants, shopping, and an ever-present nightlife.

If you want a truly amazing holiday experience, go to Australia’s Christmas Island, a pristine island that is largely a National Park and home to amazing plants and animals. You can scuba dive with whale sharks, enjoy the peace and quiet of a bird watching excursion, or seek adventure with a sport fishing trip in search of sailfish, tuna and wahoo.

Corsica

This is one of the jewels of the Mediterranean, offering an amazing Array of food, activities, and traditional holiday celebrations. Corsica is famous for its hospitality and beautiful lands, so it definitely belongs on your “short list” of exotic holiday getaways.

Corsica is home to varied landscapes, ranging from sparkling beaches and Mediterranean ocean reserves to towering mountains and nature parks. Traditional holiday festivals include the renowned Fiera di a Castagna, or Chestnut Fair. This annual event attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, who are treated to arts, crafts, food and entertainment related to one of the islands main products, the chestnut. It is a holiday tradition for tourists from across the European continent, and well worth exploring on your holiday vacation.

United Kingdom

For a unique holiday experience, check out the United Kingdom this year. It is a perennially popular spot due to the many places of historical significance as well as culture and the arts. In London itself, you can see Parliament, visit the Tower of London, hear the sounds of Big Ben chiming the time, or ride a famed double Decker bus all around the city.

Visit Windsor Castle, the largest inhabited castle in the world and home to the British Sovereign for 900 years. You can tour this magnificent structure, getting a taste of the history and tradition of the British monarchy. When the Queen is in residence, you will see her standard flying high atop the round tower, visible from all directions as you enter the town.

If something sweeter is more to your liking, venture to Birmingham’s own Cadbury World, known as the chocolate paradise. There you can learn all about the famous Cadbury Chocolates, enjoy samples, and watch how the chocolates are made, wrapped and packed. Father Christmas is on site throughout the holidays, greeting children of all ages with a present of their very own.

Travel experiences: Australia

After over 24 hours of flying from Jacksonville, Florida it was a relief to get here, nervous of course because I jumped into this alone. I’m glad about that though. I feel like at the end of all this I’ll have the experience to actually deal with the “real world” in a way that college doesn’t compare to. With the added incentive that I get to immerse myself in Australian culture. Initial problems arose, wattage, which I foolish neglected (even though I knew it wouldn’t be the same). I solved this issue within a few hours when I visited a “chemist” which served as a sort of Walgreens with drugs and various other goods. The trek to find the converter took a while, with some bumps along the road. I walked into a place with the words “tool shop” on the outside assuming it might have something to do with electronics and hardware, etc… I was a bit surprised when I reached the top step to find that the word “tool” was a euphemism. Made a little note to myself that any store with stairs probably isn’t selling conventional goods. Driving looks out of the question, taking a cab here was just a blur of cars. I was baffled we didn’t get into an accident. I’ve been in cabs before, but this was ridiculous. Eighty kilometres on a two lane street with houses on both sides, that paints a good picture. Not to mention it cost me more to get a taxi here then it did to spend the night. Its strange, given how large Australia is, that it all isn’t spread out a bit more. I don’t think most people realize how big this continent is, most people think its the size of Texas but Australia is enormous. I know Sydney isn’t the outback, but even in city centre I expected some sort of space here and there. Currency takes getting used to, there are no one or two dollar bills, coins instead. The hotel check-in is at 1pm, which was of course a hassle considering I got here at eight in the morning. I waited in the lobby for a while before walking around for the next few hours. I plan on visiting Melbourne and Brisbane, probably Melbourne first in about one more week. I’ve started looking into the next place to stay. Everything is similar and foreign at the same time, which I love. I’ve noticed odd things; certain things that were popular a decade ago in the states are still thriving, everyone is a bit more friendly of course, but not eagerly talkative. The radio stations are, well, awful. most of the music is an amalgamation of 80s and 90s music blended into a sort of light-pop music style. They don’t have toilet paper here, would have been nice to know before I came. I mean, it could be isolated to where I’m staying, but they have tissue sheets instead. No shower heads, I’m sure thats just because of the thriftiness of the hotel. Met a nice guy from Perth who had been traveling around, including Florida. He’s leaving tomorrow unfortunately and the rest of my room ‘mates’ (look, a pun) don’t speak English incredibly well. In nine more days I’ll probably be at the YWCA a few blocks away, which is friendlier and cheaper. I’ll try to sound more coherent in the future but for now I figured the best way to explain things was to talk about them the way I saw them; one big chunk of strange notables.

- September 16th, 2005

Cape Tribulation

Cape Tribulation is located about 140 kms north of Cairns in Northern Queensland. Cape Tribulation is fast becoming a very popular tourist destination and the improvements made recently to the roads and other infrastructure has only made it more attractive.

Cape Tribulation was included as a World Heritage site in 1988. A visit to North Queensland is incomplete without having visited Cape Tribulation. The Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest meet at the Daintree Cape Tribulation coast making it the only such place on the planet where two World Heritage sites exist next to each other.

The Kuku Yalanji people are customary holders of the place. The dry season here is between July –November when the place plays host to a large number of tourists. Cape Tribulation is known for its breathtaking rainforest, bush walks, the Cape Tribulation beach, Marrdja botanical walk and the boardwalk through the rainforest to name a few.

The National park and Wildlife services also are major tourist attractions. The place looks splendid with its beautiful Array of flora with certain species of ferns dating back to more than a million years. Tourists visiting the area are also likely to find animals which are not found anywhere else, like the Bennett’s tree-kangaroo, Daintree river ringtail possum and the southern cassowary.

Cape Tribulation is basically a spectacular National Park and is known for its scenic beauty, clear blue waters and the lovely beaches. Bush walking, swimming and exploring the rainforest are some of the activities that are extremely popular here. The other attraction is the Great Barrier Reef which is only 19 kms away. There are boats which leave the beach to the reef. Guided tours for a walk under the starry night sky, Horse riding, kayaking, crocodile cruises, diving, fishing, reef trips and bush walks are some of the other activities the tourist can enjoy in this beautiful destination.

To get to Cape Tribulation go north of Cairns for about 104kms and then cross the Daintree River by ferry, from here the place can be accessed by 4WDvehicles. Due care should be taken by keeping a lookout for wildlife that frequently cross the road.

There is a variety of good accommodation with several three and four star facility resorts being developed over the past few years. Since Cape Tribulation is a secluded place it is advisable to make reservations for accommodation ahead of time. There are also a variety of places to eat both local restaurants and eateries within the resorts.

Beautiful beaches, the vast rainforest and picturesque locales are truly what Cape Tribulation is all about. So come and soak in the true beauty of Cape Tribulation.

This article was written for travellers interested in Australia and its many attractions. While Cape Tribulation has proven very popular, we also receive frequent requests about other holidays of interest throughout Australia, and our authors try to write about the various destinations of interest as we find time. One popular tourism provider is Executive Retreats, providing Port Douglas accommodation via their website at www.executiveretreats.com.au. We suggest you visit their site to find out more about their services to holiday-makers. You may also care to browse the collection of tourist operators at TravelAU.com.au, providing links to direct bookings with a large number of tourism operators.

Cairns – Travel Capital Of Tropical North Australia

Originally founded in 1876 as a service port for the North Queensland goldfields, Cairns is today the international gateway to North Queensland. With a population of 100,000, the Cairns region offers a healthy, relaxed lifestyle with the local economy based on tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, mining and fishing industries. The Cairns International Airport provides a first point of entry for both Australian and International travellers.

Cairns is surrounded to the north, west and south by magnificent rainforests, many of which are protected by World Heritage listings. To the east is Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. The wealth of natural beauty in the Cairns region provides the perfect setting for a huge range of activities including swimming, snorkelling, diving, sailing, jet-skiing, white water rafting, bushwalking, fishing, hot air ballooning or simply enjoying the fantastic scenery on a drive out of town to Mossman Gorge, Port Douglas, Kuranda or the Nandroya Falls.

The Esplanade in the centre of Cairns, is where restaurants, cafes, markets, nightclubs, pubs and shopping arcades are located, and is also the departure point for most reef tours and island cruises. Accommodation is plentiful in Cairns, with the Esplanade and surrounding areas offering quality accommodation ranging from luxury apartments and five star hotels to caravan parks and camping areas.

Set in a lush tropical environment, the water-based activities available in Cairns are endless. Whether sailing the beautiful waters of the Great Barrier Reef and the islands, canoeing or jet-skiing on the bays and lakes, taking a casual cruise or a dynamic jet boat ride, there are adventure tours available for every taste. If fishing is your passion, Cairns is a brilliant destination at any time of the year. Offering excellent angling opportunities for all areas of fishing. Cairns is famous for its Black Marlin fishing and hosts fishing tournaments September to December. Barramundi and Mangrove Jack abound at Trinity Inlet, while freshwater fishing is available further inland on the Atherton Tablelands at Tinaroo Dam. Further afield, the Gulf Savannah and Cape York offer anglers an almost limitless variety of spectacular locations in which to enjoy the fishing experience of a lifetime.

The Rainforests of the Cairns region are another major attraction that simply should not be missed. Home to an amazing diversity of flora and fauna, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and national parks, the rainforests are magical environments containing 200 year old palms where everything seems larger, more colourful and healthier including trees, leaves and seed pods. The rainforests were World heritage listed in 1988 and cover almost one million hectares of lush tropical vegetation. The tropical wet season from January to March is a special time of regeneration and restoration in the rainforest. The rainforests have excellent bushwalking and 4WD tracks, and 4WD Nature Safaris are available. As most rainforest animals are nocturnal, a night excursion can provide the opportunity to view a rich variety of animal life including green tree frogs, pythons, tree climbing kangaroos, geckos and rare possums.

The Great Barrier Reef is located off the Cairns coast to the east in the Coral Sea, and consists of 344,000 square kilometres of warm, clear waters in which an amazing Array of sea life abounds, from sea slugs to migrating whales to coral. The many wonders of the Great Barrier Reef can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, including snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, sailing, or a plane or helicopter flight.

The Great Barrier Reef includes many magnificent locations for day tours and longer expeditions, including the Hinchinbrook Channel, Mission Beach, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation and Cooktown, and Green and Fitzroy Islands. Green Island is a tropical island paradise perfect for a day trip from Cairns where you can enjoy activities such as windsurfing, rainforest walks and snorkelling. The best reefs for snorkelling and diving are Arlington, Elford, Agincourt, Oyster, Michaelmas and Upolu Reefs.

Sydney Youth Hostels

Australia has long been a backpacker’s favorite, with its vast and visually stunning landscape broken up by modern and bustling cities around its edges. Undoubtedly the most famous of these is Sydney, not least because of its instantly recognizable landmarks, the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

But for budget travelers at least, the abundance of Sydney youth hostels – located all over the New South Wales capital, from the historic Rocks to chilled-out Bondi Beach – comes not far behind these iconic monuments in what makes the city so great.

The Original Backpackers Hostel

This ‘clean, cool and comfortable’ Sydney hostel is situated in the King’s Cross area of Sydney and is within walking district of some of the city’s most famous sights, including Darling Harbour and the Opera House.

It’s located on a quiet tree-lined street but is still close enough to nearby nightlife for those who prefer their evenings noisy, as well as being a stone’s throw from King’s Cross station. Reception is open 24 hours a day and facilities include internet access, cable TV and free airport transfers.

Maze Backpackers

Located in Haymarket, this ‘cheap & cheerful’ hostel in Sydney is minutes from Central Station and an easy walk to many of Sydney’s sights, including Hyde Park. As well as more traditional facilities (like washing machines and internet access), the hostel also offers a range of activities for its guests, such as quiz nights and evenings at local bars and clubs. Added to the fact that its special deals include free drinks on arrival, Maze is likely to most suit party-lovers looking for a pit-stop.

Sydney Backpackers

Situated as it is in the business district and close to Woolloomooloo, this hostel offers an enviable proximity to the centre of the city and the restaurants, bars and other attractions of areas like Darling Harbour and The Rocks.

Town Hall underground station is just seconds away from this air conditioned hostel and the sights and sounds of Chinatown are also nearby. Guests can also book package deals which include excursions to the Blue Mountains, among others.

Surfside Backpackers Bondi Beach

Around 20 minutes from the bustle of the city, Surfside is located in the laidback Bondi Beach area. This hostel with a ‘pumpin’ beach vibe’ is just moments from the sparkling blue ocean and golden sand of the beach and all of the cafes, bars and restaurants set along it. Boasting a swimming pool as well as its proximity to the sea, the hostel also offers a 24-hour reception and laundry facilities.

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