Australia is a land of amazing contrasts - from cosmopolitan cities to the rugged outback, from tropical rainforest to the Great Barrier Reef. Nearly 90 percent of Australia's 18 million people live in cities along the coast.
With roughly the same geographic area as the continental
U.S., each of Australia's states and territories has its own
unique flavor...which ones you visit will depend on your personal
taste. Clicking on the regions via the map on the right will
take you to more information about the region you select.
Sydney & Surrounds, New South Wales
 Built
on one of the world’s most beautiful harbors, cosmopolitan
Sydney is the gateway to New South Wales. Visitors will delight
in cruising the harbor to view the Opera House and Harbour
Bridge… or venturing just an hour or two outside the
city to some of the state’s diverse regions.
 The
Blue Mountains, sometimes called “Australia’s
Grand Canyon”, offer opportunities to view Australian
wildlife amid beautiful canyons and vistas. In the Hunter
Valley, taste some of Australia’s famous wines, go hot
air ballooning, shop for antiques, or indulge in a game of
golf or relaxing spa treatment. Further afield, Outback New
South Wales is home to opal mining, ancient Aboriginal rock
art, wildlife, and strikingly rugged landscapes.
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Great
Barrier Reef & Beyond, Queensland
 Queensland is Australia’s sunshine state,
home to World Heritage rainforest and the magnificent
Great Barrier Reef. The northern gateway, tropical
Cairns, is the perfect base from which to explore
the rainforest, experience Aboriginal culture
up-close, and visit the wonders of the reef.
 Why not indulge in an island getaway or cruise—perhaps
in the Whitsundays, heart of the Great Barrier
Reef? Divers, snorkelers, and sunbathers alike
will find plenty of fun in the sun in Queensland’s
Tropical North. In Southern Queensland, the capital
city of Brisbane is a jumping-off point to the
rainforest and mountains of Lamington National
Park; Fraser Island, the world’s largest
sand island; the sophisticated Gold Coast; and
the Sunshine Coast, home of the Crocodile Hunter’s
Australia Zoo.
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Northern territory
 Australia’s Northern Territory is home
to the real outback, with rugged red landscapes
steeped in Aboriginal history and culture. Ayers
Rock, the world’s largest monolith, is an
aweinspiring sight.
 While visiting the Rock and the nearby Olgas
rock formation, learn about the area’s significance
to the Aboriginal people. Alice Springs, in the
center of the country, is an outpost of pioneer
history as well as Aboriginal culture. Darwin,
gateway to the Top End, is a tropical frontier
town with access to some of Australia’s
most scenic national parks, including the wildliferich
wetlands, waterfalls, rock formations, and Aboriginal
rock art of Kakadu.
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Perth
& Western Australia
 Perth, capital of Western Australia, is a cosmopolitan
city with a year-round mild climate. From Perth,
visit the wineries of the Swan Valley and Margaret
River.
 Travel further to reach the unique sandstone
formations called The Pinnacles, in Nambung National
Park, or Monkey Mia, where wild dolphins swim
near shore daily to interact with humans. Australia’s
last frontier lies across the north of the state:
The Kimberley, home to amazing scenery and Aboriginal
culture.
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Adelaide,
Kangaroo Island & South Australia
 More than 50% of all Australian wine is produced
within a three-hour drive of South Australia’s
capital city, Adelaide, in the worldfamous
Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, and McLaren Vale.
 A short flight or ferry ride from Adelaide lies
Kangaroo Island, sometimes called the "without
fences" for its diverse and populous wildlife.
In the center of the state is the opal-mining
town of Coober Pedy, with its unique underground
homes, churches, and stores. South Australia’s
outback also includes the Flinders Ranges, featuring
rugged mountain scenery with an abundance of wildlife.
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Tasmania
 Once known chiefly for its carefully-preserved
convict history and stunning natural scenery,
the island state of Tasmania is gaining renown
for its exceptional food, boutique wines, and
local arts and crafts.
 From the capital city of Hobart, discover Port
Arthur, Australia's best-preserved former penal
colony, or Freycinet National Park, with its beautiful
bays and rugged terrain, perfect for hiking. From
the historic city of Launceston, with its Victorian-era
facades, visit the vineyards of the Tamar Valley,
or tour through the alpine scenery of beautiful
Cradle Mountain National Park, home to waterfalls,
glacial lakes, and a variety of Australian wildlife.
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Melbourne, Victoria
 The elegant capital of Victoria, Melbourne, is
home to a thriving arts and cultural scene, glorious
colonial architecture, and superb restaurants.
 As Australia’s smallest mainland state,
Victoria offers a variety of regional attractions,
from the koala and penguin reserves of Phillip
Island and the Mornington Peninsula; to the surf
beaches, maritime history, and unique rock formations
of the Great Ocean Road; wineries and wildlife
sanctuaries of the Yarra Valley and Dandenong
Ranges; and colonial history of the Goldfields
and Ballarat. Look closely at all the pieces that
make up Victoria, and you'll soon discover the
only piece missing is you!
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