Australia is a land of contrasts – topographical, cultural, physical, meterological and visual. About 40,000 years ago, the Aborigines were the first to settle. They lived as hunters and gatherers for this entire time, living with a close link to nature, although backburning and other poor agricultural techniques have since been realised to have caused significant deforestation, salinification of the soil and elimination of much of the natural diversity of the landscape. Such a poor ability to interact with nature, despite it being so important, helps explain why much of Australia is now unsuitable for sustaining life. Interestingly, this provides one of the few examples of where the native population damaged the land more than later waves of settlers. Their way of living developed into a complex culture based on oral tradition and intricate social bounds, which was almost destroyed by the second wave of settlers, who were able to populate the land with much more success.

Australia is a nation in its own right, it is also a technically a continent, with large differences between regions. It has a reputation as a land of leisure, with sun, sea and an enviable ‘Crocodile Dundee’ outdoor lifestyle, but this is just a very narrow conception of a continent. The reality however, is that most people work all day, and then spend the weekend running around trying to pack life into the 2 days on the weekend. Only the homeless and tourists have time to sit around on the beach, or laze away days watching sport on TV.
One of the states is the island state Tasmania of which one fifth is World Heritage area. Each state has its own national parks with their specific character where you can indulge in bush-walking or maybe even rock-climbing. When you’re interested in the miracles of water-world, you can’t miss out on the Great Barrier Reef on the east coast, the main reason for many travellers to visit Cairns. The Wet Tropics of Queensland comprise dense rainforests and foaming waterfalls. Rare species of animals can be spotted in the famous Kakadu National Park as well as ancient aboriginal art. These old drawings can also be seen in the Namadgi National Park.

Good places to set off for exploration of the great outdoors are big cities such as Canberra, Darwin, Adelaide and Perth, that all have interesting sights and a good cultural atmosphere as well. Of course, Australia is surrounded by sea, so good swimming and surfing beaches are more rule than exception, generally these beaches will be full of only tourists, especially during the week. So fun can be had watching people who haven’t heard of sunscreen yet turning into lobsters, or getting trapped in the surf. North of Brisbane, is the Sunshine Coast one of the many stretches of coast where you can find excellent beaches, South of Brisbane is the better known Gold Coast, famous for being home to Australias equivalent of trailer park people and teenagers who can’t afford a holiday somewhere better. Don’t forget the smaller historically interesting Alice Springs, or William Creek [the most isolated town in Australia] that will lead you right to the famous Ayers Rock.

Deserts, rainforests, big cities….and just when you thought you’d caught a glimpse of the versatile character of this fascinating continent, you forgotten about Melbourne and the excellent skiing opportunities in the Alpine National Park. Another good option is the Snowy Mountains area in NSW. How many months could you stay?

Tropical cyclones occur in some parts of Australia, mainly Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. The cyclone season normally runs from November to April. .

Eary 2011 saw some of the worst flooding in recent history, with south and central Queensland the worst affected areas. Flash flooding caused 18 deaths, with many more missing. Brisbane city centre was evacuated on 11 January and the city remained flooded for several days. The British consular office in Brisbane was closed but re-opened on 24 Januray.

Australia is a vast country. Journeys need to be planned, particularly if travelling to remote areas.

Most visits to Australia are trouble-free but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate international terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners. The Australian authorities have carried out a number of arrests as a result of investigations into terrorist networks.

There is a reciprocal health agreement with the UK, in emergencies only, which allows residents from the UK free hospital treatment. Prescribed medicines, ambulances and treatment at some doctors’ surgeries must be paid for. Personal insurance for illness and accidents is highly recommended for all visitors, including UK nationals.
Food and drink:

Standards of hygiene in food preparation are very high. Milk is pasteurised and meat and vegetables are considered safe to eat. Care should be taken, however, when sampling ‘bush tucker’ in outback areas as some insects and fauna are highly poisonous unless properly cooked.
Other risks:

Outbreaks of dengue fever occur in northern Queensland, especially during the wet season (Oct-Mar), and Ross River fever virus is widespread in Australia. There have been reports of Murray Valley encephalitis in northern Australia and in the northwest of Western Australia. Corals, jellyfish and fresh water crocodiles may prove a hazard to the bather, and heat exhaustion is a hazard in most parts of the country. Insectivorous and fruit-eating bats have been found to harbour a virus related to the rabies virus and should be avoided. Venomous snakes and spiders exist throughout Australia and can be extremely dangerous. Medical assistance should be sought immediately if bitten.

The locals seem to be cursed with an insatiable yen for the unknown and they bend to it willingly, fleeing for weeks, months even, into that vast spot in the middle called the outback. And it’s a big out back; you can travel indefinitely without coming within cooee of a phone call or an email. Nuts! Instead you have to make do with landscapes that shift from saffron to ochre beneath a seamless canopy of deep indigo. And then there are ancient Aboriginal cultures, dazzling salt pans, secretive reptiles, rough-cut canyons and pristine gorges. Some Australians simply go walkabout, traversing national parks filled with such devilish critters as koalas, sugar gliders and knee-high wallabies. Others whiz through world heritage rainforests on mountain bikes or apply ropes to their limbs, chalk to their hands, truly skimpy shorts to their nether regions and scale lofty summits like bronze-backed insects. And some simply launch themselves into the sky with parachutes attached to their backs.

Then there are the Australians who feel separation pains if they stray from the coast. So they don’t. They sport permanent golden hues, adopt languid gaits and wear cheeky grins. They glue themselves to surfboards, kayaks and boats and loll in the surf for hours (days even!). As if that weren’t enough, they flee to the Whitsunday Islands (Qld), the Ningaloo Reef (WA) or the immense Great Barrier Reef (Qld) and spend days under the water defending themselves from kaleidoscopic marine life, colossal whale sharks, giant turtles and mischievous dolphins.

Fortunately, this lovely country is not without its urban havens, and in its dizzying cities you’ll find folk who indulge in saner delights. Rather than risk life and limb in the feisty Australian bush, they litter the beaches like comatose seals, reluctant to move unless emergency dictates. Or they populate pubs with enormous beer gardens and focus all their energy on the pint/schooner bicep curl. They watch hours of sport and possess a vast amount of knowledge about most games, without ever having actually played them. Of course Australia’s metropolises also offer glorious ways to wrap your head around the country’s culture in myriad museums, theatres, festivals and galleries. A solid study of the bars and restaurants will reveal the population’s helpless addiction to coffee, seafood, organics and global cuisine; and the wine industry delights discerning connoisseurs from around the world.

Ask an Australian what issues make them tick and you’ll get a diversity of responses to match the multicultural mix. In general, they’re a pretty laid-back mob and the fundamentals of family, friends and fun tend to keep them relatively placated. To avoid ’spirited’ discussions it’s best to keep talk regarding lacklustre performances of Australian sports teams to a minimum. Many Australians feel a strong connection to the land, regardless of their background, and in recent years, the fragile state of the environment has emerged as a universal equalizer. As much of the world tackles climate change at a theoretical level, Australians experience it at a micro level. This is the driest continent in the world, and water restrictions are now the norm in most cities. But Australians tend to face such difficulties with the same cocky spirit as anything else, and although the question of when will it rain/how will it rain/will it please bloody rain is a constant, they cope with little complaint.

Outbreaks of dengue fever occur in northern Queensland, especially during the wet season (Oct-Mar), and Ross River fever virus is widespread in Australia. There have been reports of Murray Valley encephalitis in northern Australia and in the northwest of Western Australia. Corals, jellyfish and fresh water crocodiles may prove a hazard to the bather, and heat exhaustion is a hazard in most parts of the country. Insectivorous and fruit-eating bats have been found to harbour a virus related to the rabies virus and should be avoided. Venomous snakes and spiders exist throughout Australia and can be extremely dangerous. Medical assistance should be sought immediately if bitten.

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