AUSTRALIA
Whether you’re visiting friends who have swapped Blighty for beaches or fancy an adventure in a land as beautiful as it is wild, you’ll be on a high after a holiday Down Under
BRITS are mad for Australia. So much so, 1.2 million of us have made it home. But what exactly is it that makes people fall head over heels for the land Down Under? Irrevocably tied together (mainly to do with sharing a monarch), Aussies and expats alike have more than a shared history in common – they are proud to call this mega-diverse country home.
If you want to make the most of going across the globe, perhaps to see old friends or simply for a holiday like no other, here’s everything you need to discover about adventuring across Australia.
CONSTANTLY CHANGING LANDSCAPE
WHILE good weather is omnipresent, the Australian landscape is constantly changing. Due to its mammoth size, visitors can expect to go from coast to desert to rainforest in a matter of a few hours’ travelling.
But perhaps the best place to start is arguably its most happening hub – Sydney. A shining example of how city living should be done, this glamorous metropolis is centred on its beautiful beaches. The iconic stretch of Bondi, or its neighbours of Bronte and Coogee, is the perfect place to watch surfers, drink schooners of beer and indulge in one of the country’s most impressive imports: its cuisine.
A culmination of its European settlers combined with influences from the Pacific and Asia alongside just a sprinkling of bush-tucker grub, contemporary Australian food is a flavour sensation worth savouring. From super-fresh fish such as meaty barramundi to native dishes like the wattleseed plant and kangaroo steaks or Chinese-inspired pork rolls, Aussie dishes are as diverse as they are delicious.
UNRIVALLED ROAD TRIPS
ANOTHER tongue-smacking experience Australia is a master of is wines. Any trip Down Under should include a good glug of the stuff at a wine-tasting tour, and just north of Sydney’s beaches and bars is a lush wilderness worth raising a
glass to – the Blue Mountains. Here you can sip on a Sauvignon Blanc as you take in the mountainous scenery and chat with local winery owners.
If you’re in the mood for something with a bit more horsepower, this a land that road trips were made for. Vast rivers of Tarmac carve their way through the copper Aussie earth, and, thanks to affordable car-hire companies, one of the best ways to set out on an authentic adventure is on the road. Whether you take the coastal road up to hipster’s paradise Byron Bay or kick up some dust on desert tracks like those from Birdsville to Cape York, the open road is possibly one of the best – and easiest – ways of falling in love with this incredible landscape.
One of the most awe-inspiring spots to drive to is also one of the country’s most spiritual sites – Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock. The sight of this huge formation standing proud in front of you is one of life’s ‘ah-ha’ moments. No matter how worldly a traveller you are, seeing this landscape at sunset and learning about why it means so much to the indigenous population makes this as emotive an experience as anyone can hope for.
While its scorched heartland has the wow factor, you’ll never truly discover Australia until you walk – or swim – on the wild side. Queensland is paradise found for those of us who daydream about white-feather-soft sands and seawater so clear it looks ready to drink. And it’s no wonder this part of the world is home to one of Mother Nature’s most impressive creations – the Great Barrier Reef. Stretching 2,300km and boasting 3,000 reefs, 900 islands and 1,500 species of fish, this is the ultimate territory for wildlife lovers and water babies alike. Jump off a boat and straight into a world of multicoloured corals, sea turtles and unimaginable marine creatures – all of which you can snorkel through.
No wonder this place is called the Lucky Country – you’ll certainly feel favoured after your visit.
The metropolis of Sydney is centred on its beautiful beaches