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With over 7.5 million sq km of sparsely populated
territory, it's not surprising that Australia
is an adventure playground. You can chew up the
km with a 4WD, or explore smaller regions by foot,
horseback or even on the back of a camel. You
can also find some fine touring country for cycling,
though only the very experienced should tackle
the dry centre, and there are some fabulous trails
for hiking. Surprisingly Australia
also offers some excellent skiing
and snow-boarding.
There are countless surfing
beaches along the Australian coast, and diving
spots are also many, especially on Queensland's
Great Barrier Reef. White-water rafting
and/or canoeing are possible
on the country's mighty rivers.
Whalewatching
is possible at many places; the most popular are
Eden in New South Wales, Warrnambool in Victoria,
Albany in Western Australia and Fraser Island
in Queensland.
Sport is the Australian religion
and Aussies are worldbeaters in cricket,
rugby league, rugby union,
swimming and cycling.
Other popular sports include basketball,
yachting, golf,
soccer and Aussie Rules.
Canberra is a picturesque 20th-century
concoction on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin
that has struggled to establish itself as the
focus of Australia's national identity. It has
often been perceived as a 'fat cat' town of politicians
and bureaucrats living off the rest of the country.
As Australia's capital, Canberra
pulls out the big guns when it comes to sightseeing.
Souped-up national versions of art galleries,
war memorials and libraries come extra-large and
with lashings of grandiose gravitas. The city's
impressive sights are ringed around its focal
lake.
Melbourne is
dubbed marvellous for a reason. Healthy hedonism
masquerades as high art: Melburnians are equally
passionate about football and ballet, nuts for
fashion, munchy for restaurants, ravenous for
music and hot for theatre. It's a smorgasbord
of a city that invites you to take a bite.
Melbourne's easy-going pace is
perfect for enjoying its gracious Victorian architecture,
its green wealth of parks and gardens, and its
many cultural highlights. Most of the city's main
sights are just a short walk or tram-hop apart,
with plenty of latte pick-me-up opportunities
on the way.
Sydney is Australia's
oldest city, the economic powerhouse of the nation
and the country's capital in everything but name.
It's blessed with sun-drenched natural attractions,
dizzy skyscrapers, delicious and daring restaurants,
superb shopping and friendly folk.
Sydney Harbour's sandstone headlands,
dramatic cliffs and stunning beaches define the
city. But whichever way you look, from the white
sails of the harbour to the arc of The Coathanger
to the toned flesh on Bondi, Sydney is serious
eye-candy.
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