A guide to australia

Australia, the land of the kangaroos, the great barrier reef, the harbour bridge and of-course the beaches is an excellent place to visit. There is lot more but these attractions are a must watch. Australia has got a lot to offer, good tourist attractions, easily available public transportation, different cuisines and comfortable accomodations.
I visited melbourne, sydney, port douglas and brisbane.

Melbourne

If you are a sports lover then this a place to visit. Melbourne is the sports capital of australia . From international events like formula one grand prix to peaceful rowing on the yarra river, melbourne is worth seeing when it comes to sports and recreation. The city has hundreds of clubs, courts and sports grounds for basketball, football, swimming, cricket, rugby, golf, tennis, athletics and much more. Some major popular attractions are:-

1. Melbourne cricket ground(MCG)-The MCG is australia's largest and most popular stadium for players from both cricket and football
2. Telstra dome-telstra dome caters for a range of sports including 'Aussie rules' football, rugby league, rugby union and cricket. It has a retractable roof.
   
3. Melbourne and olympic parks- Melbourne and olympic parks is one of australia's premier sports and entertainment attractions featuring two world class arenas, the rod laver arena and the vodafone arena plus the olympic park stadium and melbourne park function centre.
4. Swimming pools such as the historic melbourne city baths which are easily accessible.
5. The Tan track- One of the most famous jogging tracks in australia which skirts the boundaries of the royal botanic gardens.

Despite from being a sports capital, melbourne has other lovely tourist attractions as well which includes the philip island, the healesville sanctuary, melbourne aquarium, AFL world, captain cook's cottage, crown casino, melbourne observation deck and much more

PHILIP ISLAND-March of the penguins

• Australia's world famous penguin parade starring the world's smallest penguins
• Every night at sunset
• Only 90 minutes form melbourne
• Loads of exciting new attractions

I visited this place and it is awesome. It is a must if you visit melbourne. Cute, little penguins come out of the ocean at sunset and get scattered on the island.

CROWN-CASINO

Located on the southern bank of melbourne's yarra river, Crown offers a brilliant combination of luxury, relaxed style, warm service and non-stop excitement. Crown is melbourne's premier entertainment venue offering something to meet every need and match every mood. The main gaming floor of the casino stretches for more than half a kilometre and includes a series of small rooms designed to match the way you want to play. Crown boasts more than 40 restaurants, cafes and snack bars offering an incredible variety of cuisines and atmosphere. Nowhere else in melbourne is there such a wide variety under one roof.

Weather(for summers)- Extreme climate. sometimes cloudy, sometimes sunny. Temperature varies from 16c-28c. humidity-27%

Sydney

Sydney the land of the harbour bridge is one of australia's most happening places.Of the many suburbs that sydney is divided into, Central sydney is the prime location featuring the darling harbour, opera house, harbour bridge and much more. Other attractions include the bondi beach, the rocks village, toranga zoo.etc. Sydney offers an atmosphere that is blended with diverse cultures and shows an aura of excellence in whatever it offers.

1. Darling harbour-Starting with the darling harbour, this palce is a modern leisure area on the waterfront to the west of the city. There are plenty of shops within the wonderful harbourside shopping complex, with restaurants lining the beautiful waters edge. An ideal place to laze the day away. The australian maritime museum, chinese garden of friendship, panasonic imax theatre, powerhouse museum, star city, the sydney aquarium and the sydney art gallery are all located within the darling harbour. The australian maritime museum tells the maritime history and has boats that you can explore. The powerhouse museum presents informative displays about history, science and technology of australia.The sydney art gallery houses a magnificent display of australian artwork. The sydney aquarium has underwater tunnels where you can see various fishes from different parts of australia. If you'd prefer to relax then there is the chinese garden of friendship which is a tranquil and beautiful setting with traditional chinese gardens or choose the imax theatres which present various 2d and 3d films. In the evening visit the star city which is a large sydney casino. It also features 2 theatres, a nightclub, restaurants, a fitness centre and plenty of shopping outlets.
2. Sydney opera house- It is one of the most distinctive and famous 20th century buildings and one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world. Situated close to the equally famous sydney harbour bridge, the building and its surroundings form an iconic australian image. It is a major tourist attraction.
3. Sydney harbour bridge-It is one of australia's most well known and photographed landmarks. It is the world's largest steel arch bridge with the top of the bridge standing 134 metres high above the harbour. It is most popular for the fireworks held on it at new year's eve. It also features bridgeclimb which is a guided tour to the top of the harbour bridge.
4. Bondi beach-Bondi is well known for its great sandy beach, as well as it's surf. It is a modern and trendy coastal resort which is very popular. Bondi has a number of cafes and restaurants which look out over the beach and makes it a great place to stay and visit. The beach is backed by attractive parkland where you can relax, play games or take a walk. It is a popular place among rollerbladers, skaters and cyclists.

Weather(for summers)-mostly sunny. Temperature varies from 21c to 32c. Humidity-88%

Port douglas-Where rainforest meets the reef

Port douglas is just an hour's drive from cairns via a spectacular coastal road that is surrounded by forest and the coral sea. It is the place where the glittering green merges into the blue; the only place on earth where two world heritage listed jewels exist; the great barrier reef and the rainforest of daintree and cape tribulation. Refresh, restore and revitalize in the aquamarine reef waters of the coral sea, the crystal creeks of mossman gorge and the palm fringed golden sands of port douglas four mile beach. Activities in port douglas include:-

1. Cruise-A visit to the spectacular great barrier reef or perhaps along the daintree river is a must; choose a cruise to suit the adventure you are looking for.
2. Snorkel-Drift over coral gardens and dive to the depths through groups of impossibly coloured fish.
3. Dive-Explore the best places of the great barrier reef day and night with expert dive masters and superbly equipped vessels.
4. Rainforest-See it all on a 4wd safari and have the beauty of this world heritage listed treasure revealed by an eco-accredited nature guide.
5. Share-Breakfast with the birds within a wetlands environment at the rainforests habitat
6. Walk-Take a rainforest walk through the daintree, visit the bloomfield falls, amble along four mile beach, hike up to flagstaff hill or stroll through the sunday markets.
7. Play-A round of golf with friends or just play with kids on the pristine beaches of the region.
8. Ride- A jet ski, a hore along the beach or take the kuranda scenic railway or the skyrail to kuranda

Daintree national park-It i the oldest living rainforest on earth at approximately 140 million years with the southern boundary located at mossman gorge and the northern boundary at bloomfield river. It is divided into 3 main areas:

1. Mossman gorge-Popular section around a steep-sided valley on the mossman river. Includes lush tropical rainforest and creek scenery. Good bird watching and wildlife viewing.No camping
2. Daintree national park-Incorporating the region between mossman gorge and the daintree river , this region is known for its wide stretch of lush tropical rainforest. It is home to unique bird life and is a haven for crocodile spotting.
3. Cape tribulation-Tropical rainforest and coral reef meet in this scenic coastal section of daintree national park.Sandy beaches, mangroves and swamps. Wildlife viewing. Camping available at noah beach only.

Great barrier reef-Experience one of the seven natural wonders of the earth, the amazing great barrier reef. It is one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. A living home to thousands of marine plants and animal species stretching more than 2 thousand kilometres along the queensland coast to form the world's largest reef system. Cruising out across the coral sea to spend a day or even longer on the great barrier reef is a perfect day for every visitor. Port douglas is the nearest departure point for the great barrier reef tours on the tropical north queensland coast.

The range of reef tours available means there is a trip to suit everyone whether you are a certified diver, novice diver, snorkeler or non-swimmer and there are several reef destinations to choose from.

Brisbane

Brisbane is relaxed, laid-back and sub-tropical. Set along the banks of the wide brown brisbane river, this is a city that has grown up in the recent years. Its one of those places that people dont always appreciate until they spend time there but where the welcome is as warm as the weather.Brisbane is in the southeast corner of the state, flanked by the sunshine coast, about 2 hours to the north and the gold coast, 1 hour to the south. The brisbane river flows into the moreton bay which has beautiful islands you can explore. Some popular tourist attractions are:

1. Lone pine koala sanctuary-It is the world's first and largest koala sanctuary, with over 130 koalas. Cuddle a koala anytime, handfeed kangaroos, and encounter a large variety of aussie wildlife all in beautiful natural settings. This premier tourist attraction is only 50 min from gold coast.
2. Frazier island-For many frazier island is the highpoint of their australian adventure. Moulded and shaped by the forces of nature, it is the largest sand island in the world and home to endless beaches, freshwater lakes and dense rainforests. Along the way you can marvel at the wreck of the maheno, explore the beautiful eli creek and swim at champagne pools.
3. Kondalilla falls-Rushing waters is the perfect name for kondalilla falls, a 90 metre drop into a wonderful rainforest valley of piccabeen palms and walking paths to explore. A great place to take a picnic as there are plenty of places to stop. Munch your lunch as you view the vistas.

Gold coast situated to the south-east corner of queensland is a place you will love to live in. With miles of surf beach, lush green rainforest, world class golfing greens and world famous theme parks, gold coast spoils you with choice.

This was a concise guide to some of the major tourist attractions of australia. If you are visiting australia , it is obvious that you cannot miss melbourne and sydney and after reading about port douglas , you will feel like visiting it. australia is incomplete without the exploring the reef and the rainforest. Brisbane is your choice but it is recommended that you visit it if you dont have any other alternative.