Tour Australia: The Ultimate Guide

Australia is just about on the other side of the world. Directly it is a distance of 14,784 kilometers. By plane the journey takes between 16 and 21 hours, depending on the airport where you land. If you arrive at Darwin, the journey by plane is 'only' 16 hours and 35 minutes, but if you go to Hobart or Sydney you will soon be 21 hours away. But don't let the distance scare you away. Australia is a fantastic country to go on holiday!

1. Characteristics tour Australia

2. Update forest fires Australia 2020

• The high temperatures and strong winds make it impossible to control the fires
• Large parts of forests are completely burnt down
• At the moment 24 people and millions of animals have died as a result of the fire and smoke
• The forest fires are even visible from space
• The red cross has opened GIRO 5125 to help victims of the many fires

3. For a trip to Australia a visa is required

A holiday to Australia starts with applying for a visa. Without a valid visa you will not enter your country. This applies to both business travelers and tourists. Arranging a visa often takes a long time and is a bureaucratic process. So make sure you apply for a visa on time when you have booked a trip. Would you like your visa application to be quicker and easier? Then arrange it via e-visas. They will take the entire application off your hands and take care of a good processing. This way, the holiday already starts with planning the trip.

Aside from arranging the visa, there are few difficulties. You can work with a work visa during your stay so you can recoup part of the costs. Australia has many backpackers who work during their stay, so there are many jobs to be found. Get a job on a farm or in the hospitality industry. The relaxed atmosphere in the country will make you feel at home among the locals.

4. Australia is huge

Australia is one of the largest continents on earth and has 13 different time zones. You have to take this into account during your holiday. Especially since many people work during their stay in Australia to pay for part of the trip. Life in Australia is 13% more expensive than in the Netherlands. A holiday or round trip is therefore quite an expensive expense. Many people therefore choose to make a six months or a year round trip, in which they also work. With the money they earn, they pay for part of the holiday. Besides the cost advantage of working, you also get to know the people of Australia and your fellow travellers better. Actually, only benefits.

The interior of Australia consists of desert. The desert climate that prevails here causes high temperatures and drought. Furthermore, the country has a Mediterranean climate and in the northeast there are rainforests. So the weather is nice and warm all year round. This also ensures that you can enjoy this beautiful country with its many possibilities throughout the year.

5. Sights of Australia

Australia is of course enormous and is packed with special sights. We have listed the most popular sights of Australia for you.

5.1 Sydney Opera House

Lots of backpackers or people touring Australia start their journey in Sydney. It's Australia's largest city, from where you can plan many excursions and activities. Sydney is of course best known for the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House was designed in 1955 by Jorn Utzon. The building was opened in 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II, fourteen years after construction began. The building was created for opera and other performing arts such as music, dance, and theatre.

Besides the opera house there are a number of concert halls, restaurants and bars located in the building. A performance at the Sydney Opera House is definitely worth a visit when you're in Australia. In addition, Sydney is a big city where you can enjoy good food and drink. Many excursions are organized from Sydney. It is also a place where you can easily work as a backpacker in the hospitality industry.

5.2 Blue Mountains

5.3. Australian war memorial

The name says it all, this is Australia's national war memorial. The monument is located in the capital Canberra. The Australian War memorial is a memorial to all the military dead of all the wars in which Australia has participated. The memorial consists of three parts: the commemorative area including The Tomb of the Unkown Australian Soldier, the memorial's galleries (the museum) and the Research Centre (where all documents and records are kept). The museum also has an outdoor swimming pool: Sculpture Garden. Here you can take a refreshing dip. The Australian War memorial gives you an interesting glimpse into Australia's war history.

5.4 Newcastle Memorial walk

Besides the Australian War memorial there is another monument in Australia to commemorate war victims and that is the Newcastle Memorial walk. This walk is made to commemorate the centenary of the First World War and the beginning of steel production in Newcastle in 1915. It is a monument to all the men and women who served their community and their country.

The Newcastle Memorial walk is equipped with a 160 meter high cliff bridge. This bridge is decorated with steel silhouettes of soldiers. These silhouettes are engraved with almost 400 surnames of nearly 11,000 famous Hunter Valley men and women who fought in the First World War. In addition, along the footpath on top of the cliff there are panels with information about the First World War and important place names. A large piece of history can be read back here during a special walk.

5.5 Castle Hill

Pemulwuy is the most famous Aboriginal person of the time. He led the resistance movement against the settlers. Much of his legacy can be seen in this suburb. Want to learn more about Australia's aboriginal history? Then this place shouldn't be missing from your itinerary.

5.6. South Bank parklands

From Australia's aboriginal history, we go to South Bank parklands. This is a cultural, social, educational and recreational district in Brisbane, Queensland. The park is situated on the southern bank of the Brisbane River. The parks are located at the former World Expo 88 location and are now one of Brisbane's most popular tourist attractions. The South Bank parklands include the Queensland Conservatory, the Wheel of Brisbane, the Nepal Peace Pagoda, Streets Beach and the Grand Arbor. These great attractions are definitely worth a visit. You can also enjoy delicious food in the many restaurants and cafes.

5.7. Royal botanical gardens of Melbourne

You like flowers and plants? Then you should definitely visit the Kingal botanical gardens of Melbourne. The gardens were established in 1946 on the south side of the River Yarra. It covers 36 hectares and slopes down to the river. You'll find trees, garden beds, lakes and lawns. More than 50,000 individual plants can be found in the botanical gardens of Melbourne. In total there are 8500 different types of plants in the gardens. There are 30 living plant collections.

The royal botanical gardens of Melbourne include the Carnbourne gardens. These were created in 1970. The purpose of these gardens was to preserve biodiversity within Australian plants. The gardens were opened to the public in 1989. The Carnbourne Gardens and the Melbourne Gardens together form the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. For flower and plant lovers a real must to see.

5.8. Cairns Botanic Gardens

The Cairns Bontanic Gardens were first called the Flecker Botanical Gardens. The park was built from 1886 to 1960 and is a tropical paradise. The Cairns Bontanic Gardens is an exhibition of tropical plants in Australia. You will see the most beautiful tropical plants and learn more about tropical flora and horticulture. A beautiful environment that is more than worth a visit.

5.9. Kings Park & botanic garden

Perth is a special place where you can make many excursions and trips. One of the most beautiful parks there is the Kings Park. This park is a botanical garden including beautiful orchids. In addition to the botanical gardens you will also find a grassy park and of course bushland on Mount Eliza. Enjoy panoramic views of the Swan River and Darling Range. In total, the park is home to more than 324 endemic plant species, 215 known endemic species of fungi and 80 bird species. There are many volunteers active in Kings Park who would be happy to give you a guided tour. During these tours they will tell you more about the plants and bird species that live in this special garden.

5.10. The Bell Tower

When you're in Perth, a visit to The Bell Tower is also recommended. The Swan Bells are a set of 18 bells in The Bell Tower. They hang in a purpose-built companile of high copper and glass. In total this companile is 82.5 meters high. The bells are named after the Swan River the tower overlooks. The bells are the second largest series of changing bells in the world. During a visit you can listen to the beautiful music of the bells.

5.11. Swan River

By Perth runs a beautiful river where you should definitely take a look when you are in Australia. The Swan River is a slow-flowing river with a length of 72 kilometres. It runs through the centre of Perth. The river has a small Dutch flavour. The river was called the Swarte Swaene Revier in 1697 by the Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh. This because of the black swans that swam in the river. It is always nice to see a piece of Dutch history in a country like Australia.

5.12. Cable beach

5.13. Turquoise Bay

5.14. Cape Le Grand National Park

Cape Le Grand is a national park in the southwestern part of Perth. The park covers 31,801 hectares and was established in 1966. It is a national park with a rugged coastline. The coastline is interspersed with granite rocks and small bays with white sandy beaches. Well-known coves and beaches in Cape Le Grand are: Lucky Bay, Hellfire Bay, Le Grand Beach, Rossiter Bay and Thistle Cove. The special rocks have high peaks such as Mount Le Grand, Frenchman Peak and Mississippi Hill. This great nature reserve is well worth a visit. Enjoy the peace and quiet and nature.

5.15. Adelaide Botanic Garden

Australia's beautiful nature is also well reflected in the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The Adelaide Botanic Garden is a beautiful botanical garden in the centre of Adelaide. The park is over 51 hectares. In addition to the special flowers and plants, a number of special buildings belong to the Adelaide Botanic Garden. These are: The Palm House, Santos Museum of Economic Botany and Goodman Building and State Herbarium. In these buildings plants are central and you will learn more about their special properties.

5.16. Mount Wellington

Mount Wellington is a mountain on the island of Tasmania. Tasmania is a state of Australia and here you can go by domestic flight or boat. At the foot of the mountain lies the town of Hobart. It is the capital and the largest city on Tasmania. Mount Wellington is 1271 meters high and is often covered with snow. The island of Tasmania is a beautiful place to visit during your trip through Australia.

5.17. Maria Island National Park

Besides Mount Wellington, Tasmania's park Maria Island is definitely worth a visit. The park is located on the east coast of Tasmania. It is a special park where you can visit two former penal colonies. There are also many ruins and restored historic buildings to see. The park is very popular among hikers and cyclists. There are some excellent cycle paths where you can enjoy the beautiful nature in the park.

In addition to the beautiful nature and historic buildings, a wide variety of rare birds can be seen in the Maria Island National Park. Since 2010 a safe environment has been created for the famous Tasmanian Devils. They are trying to create a new population of Tasmanian devils here in order to save the animal from extinction. Another reason to visit this special park.

5.18. See the galaxy in full glory

Might not be the first thing you think of, but Australia is one of the best places in the world to see the galaxy in space. This is a unique view of our Universe and you will never be able to see it in the Netherlands. On the next page you will find some excellent stargazing places you should not miss.

6. Book a round trip to Australia: compare providers and accommodations

Whether you are backpacking or want to take a tour of Australia, the places we have discussed above should not be missing on your route. Of course there are many more possibilities. You can practice many sports in Australia such as rugby, surfing, horseback riding and much more. It is a special country where you can enjoy the peace and quiet and relaxed atmosphere for a long time.

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