Sydney Opera House

Sydney

The nation's scintillating capital city spreads around the many bays and inlets forming the natural harbour that is home to the South Pacific's most important seaport. From meagre beginnings as Britain's first settlement in 1788, Sydney grew to become what is today, Australia's largest metropolitan centre. The Harbour Bridge and the landmark Sydney Opera House, with its magnificent sail-shaped contours, are easily the most recognizable features of the harbour. The effervescent international flavour of downtown Sydney stems from the steady influx of immigrants. Surprisingly, however, population density is lower than any major world city. Another notable feature is the Sydney Tower, tucked into the central business district among the skyscrapers huddled together on a narrow peninsula. The Rocks, is the downtown waterfront area that has been revitalized in recent years, its terraced 19th-century buildings transformed into luxury homes and trendy shops.

Aussies love to party and a boisterous nightlife is Sydney's proof. The Taronga Park Zoo is a popular place to spend a day, as is the Royal Botanic Gardens. Beaches abound with Bondi and Coogee finding favour with the beach crowd. University crowds make Glebe their hangout. Haymarket is the city's fast-growing Chinatown area. Take a ferry, a taxi, a bus, walk or stroll but plan on spending a good time in this high-spirited fast-paced city on the southeast coast of Australia.

Perth

A way way over yonder in Western Australia stands the isolated yet bright shiny city of Perth. The gold rush of the 1890's brought prospectors to this region and today, Perth rises up like a giant nugget of prosperity paying homage to those rugged individuals. The surrounding district is rich in fertile lands where pastures, fields and orchards play a key role in the sustaining the economic viability of the area. Young and dynamic, Perth is rich in many ways if one considers attributes like the sparkling neon nightlife, glitzy shopping centres, flash high-rise architecture and 'new frontier' enthusiasm that still lingers from the gold rush era. Not to mention, Perth has many exciting excursion options available to the visitor such as sea kayaking day-trips to snorkel with wild sea lions, or watch penguins feeding. Take a train across the Nullarbor Plain for a memorable experience. Perth is definitely out there, beyond the Outback but well worth a visit.

Melbourne

Melbourne

If Melbourne personifies an image of tradition and refinement with just hint of elitism it perhaps because free men rather than convicts settled it. Located on the shores of Port Phillip Bay in southeast Australia, Melbourne is the second largest city in the country and capital of the state of Victoria. It melds an international culture with a typical easy-going Aussie attitude. It is truly a city of contrasts, where old Victorian buildings rest next to hyperactive commercial towers. This is the financial, educational and cultural capital of Australia and home of the celebrated Melbourne Cup, which brings the best purebreds from Australia and the world to this prestigious horse race. The city is green with nature preserves, sport fields, pools and golf courses. The city is ripe with cultural arts. Subways and a convenient network of electric trains, buses, and streetcars transport you to cafes, bistros and boutiques. Rest assured, despite the cosmopolitan flair of Melbourne, the heart of the city is purely Aussie and thus, active outdoor pursuits lay close at hand. Recreational opportunities range from water sports on the bay to downhill skiing in the nearby mountains.

Cairns

It sounds like 'Cans' when the Aussies pronounce it. Nevertheless, it is one of Australia's fastest-growing cities and a major tourist destination. Cairns is the southern gateway to the wild, sparsely inhabited Cape York Peninsula. Queensland's tropical forests and the Great Barrier Reef are near at hand. Big-game fishing and diving are big on the list of water sport activities. The city has a rustic feel that is typical to the many coastal towns of the area. As everywhere in Australia, the nightlife is always enthusiastic.

Midway up the east coast of the country one finds, Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. Brisbane is an easy, laid-back city with a charm all of its own. Sailboats moor up the river alongside parks and pedestrian-only streets lined with trendy boutiques, shops, clubs and restaurants provide hours of pleasant strolling. With wide boulevards, plenty of greenery and modern buildings, it is easy to see the city planners were giving serious thought to a friendly, people oriented city. Buildings worthy of a visit include Parliament House, the city hall, and the Brisbane Museum. Chinatown, over in Fortitude Valley is great for change of pace and so is the University of Queensland campus. Oh! And of course, Brisbane is just a stone's throw from the fabulous Gold Coast of Australia where sun and surf reign supreme.

Adelaide

Just right of the Great Australian Bight on the south coast tucked up the inlet north of Kangaroo Island, nestles the quiet city of Adelaide. This is a city for arts and education and for an unhurried urban experience. Fine dining and wine tasting are favourite pastimes for visitors to the city. The Adelaide Zoo is home to a comprehensive collection of Australian birds. The Botanic Gardens, one of the city's main attractions, contains a splendid re-created tropical rain forest environment. The cathedrals of Saint Peter and Saint Francis Xavier, the Government House, and the Natural Gallery of South Australia provide other points of interest. Less than an hour north of the city is the Barossa Valley, offering a pleasant afternoon in the outdoors while sampling some of the best wine produced in the country.

Tasmania

Wild and woolly Tasmania looks like the tip that broke off the southeast coast of Australia. It is the last remaining refuge of the vicious little carnivorous marsupial known as the Tasmanian Devil. The coastline of the island is generally ragged and the mild, moist climate is well suited for agriculture. The inland is dotted with lakes, rivers and mountains. Over twenty percent of the land mass is dedicated to national park area and thus, draws many visitors to the state. Hiking reigns supreme in this wilderness region. The capital is Hobart, founded as a penal colony in 1804, and spreading out over the foothills of Mount Wellington in southeast Tasmania. Tasmania is a gem! For vacationing Aussies, the current mania is Tasmania.