AUSTRALIA

Click here for Australia travel specials

G’day! I'm your local " Premier Aussie Specialist," certified by the Australian Tourist Commission. You can find my bio on their web site at www.Australia.com .  Whether you want to escape into the Outback, cuddle a koala, or climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, we have the information to help plan your Down Under adventure.


If you look at the map to the right, you'll see that Australia is divided into seven states.




                                                                                                                            
NEW SOUTH WALES    When Captain Cook first spied the eastern coastline of Australia he thought that it reminded him of Wales; and was then named New South Wales -- twice the size of California with its capital city, Sydney, with a population of over 4 million.
 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
VICTORIA    Because of it's small size, most attractions are never more than a day's drive away, and they include Melbourne, a historic gold rush area, and a lush mountainous region called the Grampians.  The Southwestern portion is famous for the giant limestone pinnacles called the "12 Apostles".    In addition you have premier wine country, fairy penguins and some great national parks to explore!.

QUEENSLAND.  An area of many contrasrs & colors -- the red hot outback, lush, green rainforests, golden beaches & sunshine, and the largest loving organism on earth - the Great Barrier Reef.  Queensland has all that and more!  Australians call it "the Sunshine State",  and as the locals say, "beautiful one day, perfect the next."   It contains so many of the amazing  attractions that Australia's famous for  -- for one thing it covers a huge area -- it's the second largest state, covers more than a quarter of the total country, and is also the fastest growing state.   Just a few highlights --11 World Heritage areas; the world's largest sand island, the largest expanse of virgin rainforest in all of Australia, wild dolphins that come into the shore for their nightly feeding, home to the Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter", hold a koala,or snorkel /dive the Great Barrier Reef; all this and much much more await you in Queenland. 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.       There are two distinct climates - one Mediterranean with goregous coastal areas, and the other is the hot stark look of the Outback.  There are only about 2 million Aussies populating an area that's 1.5 times the size of Texas.  The capital, Adelaide, is known for elegant parks, gardens and beautiful old buildings throughout the city, while  surrounded by hills and two popular wine growing regions.  Just off the coast is Kanagaroo Island, a natural habitat for seals, sea lions, kangaroos, koalas and birds.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
WESTERN AUSTRALIA.        The largest state -  Big enough to fit in Alaska, Texas and Minnesota and have some room left over!  Flanked by the Indian and Great Southern Ocean.   Capital is Perth; and another diverse Australian region -- Spectacular coastal scenery; surfing beaches; limestone caves, wineries, beaches, excellent diving and snorkelling, and to the Northwest, the rugged ranges of the Kimberly region.

NORTHERN TERRITORY.   Vast regions of red-gold desert contrasting with large areas of rare rainforest plants, wetlands filled with wildlife, spectacular waterfalls and amazing rock formations.  To give you an idea of the distance, the two main areas would be Darwin and Alice Springs and are nearly 1,000 miles apart.   The Territory holds two of Australia's great natural treasures - Ayers Rock and Kakadu National Park, and is one of the best places to experience Aboriginal Australia.



TASMANIA.      I enjoyed Tasmania so much that I devoted a whole section to it on the website - you can access it from the menu at the left.

Reasons to Visit

Australia's not all that far - it takes about as long to get here as it does to fly to Rome from the West Coast. An Aussie vacation is truly a great value. Believe it or not, an Aussie holiday is a lot less expensive than traveling in Europe. In fact, you could have a great two week Aussie holiday including airfare for less than $2000 (US).

Rate includes:

    o    International airfare from Los Angeles
    o    Domestic airfare within Australia
    o    Hotel accommodations at a 3-star hotel

Hotels, touring and dining are all significantly less expensive and the exchange rate works in your favor. You can get a full experience in as little as 10 days to two weeks. There's lots to see & do, but we'll help you plan on visiting the highlights that you want to see.

And, they speak the same language you do (well, except for the accent).

Air Time
Los Angeles to Rome 14 hr, 20 min
Los Angeles to Hong Kong 14 hr, 20 min
Los Angeles to Sydney 14 hr, 45 min

Average Night's Stay in 4 Star Paris Hotel $500
Average Night's Stay in 4 Star Sydney Hotel $160

Dinner for Two with wine at a Three Star Restaurant in Paris $408

Dinner for Two with wine at a Three Star Restaurant in Sydney $75

10 km Taxi Ride in London $50
10 km Taxi Ride in Rome $50
10 km Taxi Ride in Sydney $15