About Australia
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AboutAustralia
Australia has come a long way since the days when Captain Cook stumbled ashore to find an aboriginal way of life that went back for tens of thousands of years. Even the outdated images of Crocodile Dundee types swilling beer around the Opera House have long been replaced by a forward‑looking attitude that embraces Australia’s Pacific Rim location and a growing reputation for first‑class cuisine and high fashion notable in its cosmopolitan, 21st century metropolis, Sydney. The high quality of life in the country’s effervescent largest city is enhanced by one of the world’s great harbors, but there is far more to Australia city‑wise than just Sydney. Its big rival, Melbourne, is blessed with a more European ambiance, with trams and pavement cafes as much a part of the experience as the buzzing sports and cultural scene, while coastal Darwin, Perth and Brisbane offer other worlds to explore. Away from the cities, Australia’s stunningly diverse landscape boasts everything from vast, barren deserts to tropical rain forests, rugged mountains and pristine beaches, such as world‑class Bondi, Cable Beach and Whitehaven. Then, of course, there’s the epic monolith of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Great Barrier Reef, where another undiscovered world opens up beneath the surf. ClimateAustralia is in the Southern Hemisphere and the seasons are opposite to those in Europe and North America. There are two climatic zones: the tropical zone in the north above the Tropic of Capricorn and the Temperate Zone. The tropical zone which consists 40% of Australia has two seasons, summer ('wet') and winter ('dry') while the temperate zone has all four seasons. From November‑March (spring‑summer), it is warm or hot everywhere, tropical in the north, and warm to hot with mild nights in the south. From April‑September (autumn‑winter), northern and central Australia have clear warm days and cool nights while the south has cool days with occasional rain but still plenty of sun. Snow is confined to mountainous regions of the southeast. GeographyAustralia is bounded by the Arafura Sea and Timor Seas to the north, the Coral and Tasman Seas of the South Pacific to the east, the Southern Ocean to the south, and the Indian Ocean to the west. Its coastline covers 59,736 km (37,119 miles). Australia is the smallest continent (or the largest island) in the world. About 40% of the continent is within the tropics and Australia is almost the same size as mainland USA. MoneyCurrencyAustralian Dollar (A$) Credit CardsMajor credit cards are accepted. Use may be restricted in small towns and outback areas. Travelers ChecksWidely accepted in major currencies at banks or large hotels. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in a major currency. Banking HoursMon‑Thurs 9:30AM‑4PM, Fri 9:30AM‑5PM |
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