Australian culture is as broad and varied as the country's landscape. Australia is multicultural and multiracial and this is reflected in the country's food, lifestyle and cultural practices and experience. Australia has an important heritage from its indigenous people, which plays a defining role in the cultural landscape. This diversity of influences creates a cultural environment in Australia that is lively, energised, innovative and outward looking. Australia's population is concentrated along the coastal region of Australia from Adelaide to Cairns, with a small concentration around Perth, Western Australia. The center of Australia is sparsely populated. The northern states of Australia are typically warm all the time, with the southern states experiencing cool winters but rarely sub-zero temperatures. Snow falls on the higher mountains during the winter months, enabling skiing in southern New South Wales and Victorian ski resorts, as well as the smaller resorts in Australia's island state, Tasmania. Australia is an island continent and the world's sixth largest country (7,682,300 sq. km). Australia's first inhabitants, the Aboriginal people, are believed to have migrated from some unknown point in Asia to Australia between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. While Captain James Cook is credited with Australia's European discovery in 1770, a Portuguese possibly first sighted the country, while the Dutch are known to have explored the coastal regions in the 1640s. The first European settlement of Australia was in January 1788, when the First Fleet sailed into Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. Originally established as a penal colony, by the 1830s the number of free settlers was increasing. Transportation of convicts to the eastern colonies was abolished in 1852 and to the western colonies in 1868. Australia is also famous for its landmark buildings including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, its ancient geology, as well as for its high country.

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Brisbane is the capital of the state of Queensland with a population of about 2 million people, making it the third-largest city in Australia. Brisbane maintains a youthful enthusiasm and has what is arguably the most vibrant, laid back and friendliest atmosphere of any east-coast capital city.
Sea World is one of the top attractions on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. With 16 themed zones visitors have the unique opportunity to explore the world of SEA LIFE including the new Jellyfish Kingdom, Seahorse Sanctuary, Tidal Touch Pools, Seal Island, Otter Empire, Freshwater Streams, Pacific Reef, Coastal Wreck, Billabongs, Shark Shipwreck, Coral Cove, Bay of Rays, Turtle Temple, Crawly Creatures and the Conservation Cove – highlighting the initiatives in ‘Breed, Rescue, Protect’! Discover thousands of marine and freshwater animals including, Asian small-clawed otters and the family of seals, sawfish and tropical reef fish without getting your feet wet. Animal (attractions) - Creatures of The Deep, Discovery Trail, Polar Bear Shores, Henry's New Adventure, Seal Harbour, Dolphin Beach, Penguin Encounter, Shark Bay, Penguin Point, Ray Reef, Seabird Rehab, From adrenaline pumping coasters to awesome kid’s rides in Beach Break Bay. Rides (attractions) - Nickelodeon Land, Storm Coaster, Castaway Bay, Jet Rescue, Viking Revenge Flume, Sea World Monorail, Sea World Resort Water Park. Heart stopping action to the grace of our delightful dolphins, there’s a show for everybody to enjoy. Shows (attractions) - Nickelodeon Character Meet & Greet, Affinity - Dolphin Show, Fish Detectives, Jet Stunt Extreme, Dora's Best Friends Adventure, Turtle Power Live, SpongeBob 3D.
Movie world - Enjoy a day of thrilling rollercoasters, interactive-film rides and a variety of live shows throughout Warner Bros. Movie World. Meet some of your favourite Looney Tunes characters including Bugs Bunny, Tweety & Daffy Duck. Hold on tight and get ready to experience some exhilarating rides and pulse-racing rollercoasters as you take on Arkham Asylum, Batwing Spaceshot or the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster. After you’ve conquered those, join the action of an epic 3D interactive ride – Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D. Grab your laser blaster and follow your fellow superheroes into battle to save the citizens of Earth. Take the kids down to Junior Driving School, where they can take the driving seat and zoom through the kid-sized version of Warner Bros. Movie World. Here, you can also enjoy one of the many shows including the Hollywood Stunt Driver, which offers hilarious family entertainment. Don’t forget to stroll down High Street and meet one of your favourite Looney Tunes characters at the Kids Warner Bros. Fun Zone. Once you have built up an appetite, there are plenty of themed restaurants and food outlets to try before you catch another ride or show. Hold on tight and get ready for the ride of your life. Thrills (attractions)– Arkham Asylum, Superman Escape, Batwing Spaceshot, Scooby – Doo Spooky Coaster, Wild West Falls Adventure Ride, Green Lantern Coaster, No matter how old you are, you'll have crazy fun at our Kids Warner Bros. Fun Zone. Kid’s fun (attractions) – Justice League 3D - The Ride, Junior Driving School, Road Runner Rollercoaster, movie magic comes to life every day at Warner Bros. Movie World. Family Entertainment - Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 Experience, Looney Tunes 4D, Main Street Entertainment.
Kuranda free time to enjoy & explore by either horse riding or ATV quad biking. The picturesque mountain retreat of Kuranda Village is surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest. Take the time to visit some of Kuranda’s many first class nature based tourist attractions, which include koalas, butterflies, native and exotic birds, kangaroos and reptiles. We arrive at Freshwater Station, board the Scenic rail, sit back and enjoy the spectacular views as you pass through 15 hand cut tunnels and waterfalls. Arrive at Kuranda village. Kuranda is well known as the Village in the Rainforest and has been attracting visitors for well over a century. Initially people came to admire the mighty Barron Falls, while artisans were attracted to the region’s natural beauty and decided to call it home, creating a vibrant arts and craft culture. Today people flock to this tiny village to enjoy both of these things, the stunning natural beauty and the relaxed atmosphere of the local markets, selling unique souvenirs and gift items, get on the Sky-rail, once aboard you will be amazed as you glide silently over the rainforest canopy on the world’s most beautiful rainforest experience, arrive at Sky-rail Terminal, just a short walk brings you to Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. Explore all the attraction of Tjapukai like History Theatre, Stage Shows, Craft demonstration, boomerang and spear throwing, Aboriginal Village and of course the famous Tjapukai Dance Troupe.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world and pulling away from it, and viewing it from a greater distance, you can understand why. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space. The marine park stretches over 3000 km almost parallel to the Queensland coast, from near the southern coastal town of Bundaberg, up past the northern tip of Cape York. The reef, between 15 km and 150 km off shore and around 65 km wide in some parts, is a gathering of brilliant, vivid coral providing divers with the most spectacular underwater experience imaginable. A closer encounter with the Great Barrier Reef’s impressive coral gardens reveals many astounding underwater attractions including the world’s largest collection of corals (in fact, more than 400 different kinds of coral), coral sponges, molluscs, rays, dolphins, over 1500 species of tropical fish, more than 200 types of birds, around 20 types of reptiles including sea turtles and giant clams over 120 years old. The reef is a breeding area for humpback whales, migrating from the Antarctic and is also the habitat of a few endangered species including the Dugong (Sea Cow) and large Green Sea Turtle. In recognition of its significance, UNESCO listed the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site in 1981. Because of its natural beauty, both below and above the water’s surface, the reef has become one of the world’s most sought after tourist destinations.
Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, is the second largest city in Australia. Melbourne was originally settled by graziers, John Batman being the first. The township being established in 1835 and named after the British Prime Minister at the time, Lord Melbourne. Melbourne's multicultural atmosphere is set amongst Victorian-era buildings and gorgeous parkland. The city centre, also known as the Central Business District (CBD), is on the north bank of the Yarra River. The city is divided into two parts by the Yarra River, creating predominantly working class areas in the North and West regions, and more affluent areas in the South and the East. The CBD used to be known as the 'Golden Mile', as it is 1 mile long and 1/2 mile wide.
Fitzroy Gardens was named after Sir Charles Augustus Fitzroy, Governor of New South Wales. The Gardens have a long history of over 150 years. Fitzroy Gardens is one of Melbourne’s most historic and beautiful Gardens. Originally set aside as a reserve in 1848, the layout follows a classic Victorian–era design, featuring pathways lined with magnificent Elm trees, and a variety of flowers, ornamental shrubs and trees which together with extensive lawns create a diverse and layered landscape. Points of interest include the magnificent floral displays in the Spanish mission style Conservatory, a scarred tree, the Fairies’ Tree and model Tudor village, sculptures and fountains. Cooks Cottage built in 1755 is the oldest building in Australia and a popular Melbourne tourist attraction. Captain James Cook discovered the East coast of Australia. Originally located in Yorkshire, England, and built by the parents of Captain Cook, the cottage was brought to Melbourne by Sir Russell Grimwade in 1934. Astonishingly, each brick was individually numbered, packed into barrels and then shipped to Australia. Combining modern interpretations of Captain Cook's adventures, centuries-old antiques, a delightful English cottage garden and volunteers dressed in 18th century costumes, Cooks' Cottage is a fascinating step back in time. Other attractions are Parliament House, Queen Victoria market, The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Rod laver Arena, Flinders street station and many more. Phillip Island tour - Phillip Island Nature Park, spectators gather nightly to watch the Penguin Parade, each night at sunset you’ll be amazed by Little Penguins returning ashore after a day’s fishing return to their sand dune burrows on the beach.
Sydney in the space of two centuries has transformed itself from a British penal colony to a thriving cosmopolitan metropolis, a financial capital of the Asia-Pacific region, and an international tourist center with a population of close to four million. Located near the southern end of Australia's eastern coast, it is the largest city on the Australian continent, the capital of New South Wales, and one of the world's largest metropolitan areas. The city's dominant feature has always been its stunning physical location on one of the world's most beautiful harbors. In the second half of the twentieth century, Sydney grew from a primarily Anglo-Saxon enclave to a multiethnic city whose cultural sophistication is symbolized by the unique outlines of its famous harbor-front opera house. The twenty-first century was ushered in dramatically with the 2000 Olympic Games, which spurred the city to reinvent itself yet again for a new millennium.
Sydney Opera House is a masterpiece of late modern architecture. It is admired internationally and proudly treasured by the people of Australia. It was created by a young architect who understood and recognised the potential provided by the site against the stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Denmark’s Jorn Utzon gave Australia a challenging, graceful piece of urban sculpture in patterned tiles, glistening in the sunlight and invitingly aglow at night. In its short lifetime, Sydney Opera House has earned a reputation as a world-class performing arts centre and become a symbol of both Sydney and the Australian nation. Sydney Opera House was inscribed in the World Heritage List in June 2007. Additional attractions are Harbour Bridge, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Hyde Park, Kings Cross, Parliament House, Bondi Beach, Darling Harbour, Wildlife World and Sydney Tower Eye.
Nelson Bay Dunes, The Worimi Conservation Lands (Stockton Bight Sand Dunes) covers 4,200 hectares. 1,800 of which are forest as well as 32 kms of the longest moving sand dunes in the southern hemisphere. These truly awe-inspiring dunes reach heights of over 30 meters with slopes up to 60 degrees to form a majestic alien-like moonscape - a much sought after location for film makers around the globe. These Lands form part of an important cultural landscape with special significance for the Worimi people - the Traditional Owners. The land and waters have been used for many thousands of years for living, gathering foods and for cultural activities. Today the landscape features an extraordinary number of culturally significant sites such as burial grounds, campsites and middens, many pre-dating the arrival of non-Aboriginal people. Thanks to the generosity of the Worimi people we can experience and enjoy this special place (with respect and without disturbing any Aboriginal sites). See this monumental sandscape for yourself by four wheel drive (with permits), go fishing, surfing, or take an organised tour for quad biking, sandboarding, horse & camel riding and cultural tours including historic sites such as the middens, Tin City and the Sygna.
Port Stephens on the Mid North Coast of NSW is the perfect place in Australia to observe dolphins in the wild and is home to around 150 bottlenose dolphins. There are different pods in the Port and 99% success rate with dolphin sighting on all dolphin cruises. Often more dolphins join the locals in the Bay from the headlands and the offshore beaches. When large school of spurning mullets come down the river, you might also encounter, much larger oceanic bottlenoses coming from far away to share the feast. Going to watch wild dolphins is not like going to the zoo! The behaviour of wild dolphins is very complex and the experience is always unique as dolphins migrate through the Bay during the day. The dolphins we encounter might be travelling from one feeding ground to another, they could be interacting, playing or mating or they could be chasing fish, foraging in pairs or in pods. Sometime they form a mega-pod when chasing large school of fish… Dolphins need to rest but unlike humans they cannot sleep, so resting is done in group moving very slowly in a motion called logging. Bottlenose dolphins have one of the most complex behaviors in the animal world and a pleasure to watch.