The great outdoors

With a climate that encourages outdoor activity, you will see Australians everywhere participating in, or watching, their local sporting teams. Other social activities include having barbecues in their backyards or local picnic spots, relaxing at a café with friends, or just walking the dog. On the weekends and holidays, Aussies head off to their favourite recreational locations. It might be a quiet fishing spot on a river, a skiing trip to the Australian Alps (yes, we do have snow in some southern parts of Australia), a family beach holiday, bushwalking (hiking) in one of the many amazing National Parks, or a more cosmopolitan experience where activities like shopping, fine dining, night clubs and theatre are the main attractions.

Tourism to Australia is often promoted around certain icons (the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Uluru---Ayers Rock, and the Gold Coast region of Queensland). However, there are many other places to go and things to do in between these areas, and in other parts of the country too.

Travelling around is also much easier than you may think. Australians are as enthusiastic about travelling in their own country as they are about travel overseas, so you will always have plenty of people to ask for advice. Regular air, train and bus services run to all major centres in Australia. Owning or hiring a car is an easy process and petrol prices compare favourably with other Western countries.