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Breaking News

• US visa requirements: important change for Australians
  31 October 2008
  While holidaymakers can currently fly to the US and get a visa waiver allowing them to stay for up to 90 days, from January 12 passengers will have to apply in advance for "electronic travel authorisation". Those who fail to get pre-authorisation via a US Government website will not be allowed to board their flight (or cruise ship) and staff will be powerless to intervene. There has been little publicity about the changes and he fears airline staff will cop the brunt of passengers' anger. Last year, 670,000 Australians travelled to the US. A search of the websites of six leading airlines offering flights to the US found three had out-of-date information about entry requirements, while one appeared to have none at all. Hawaiian Airlines spokeswoman Sherilyn Robinson says it is the responsibility of passengers to get pre-authorisation and airlines will not be liable for any costs or inconvenience if they fail to do so. "We want to make travellers well aware of the change before they arrive at the airport to board their flight," she says. Travellers who fail to get pre-authorisation will also be knocked back on insurance claims, with most policies stating the insurer will not pay if a traveller fails... close
• Thrill-seekers swim with crocodiles in Australia
  11 November 2008
  Swimming face-to-face with a massive saltwater crocodile might not be everyone's idea of fun but thrill-seekers are snapping up northern Australia's new tourist attraction. Tourists who want to get cozy with a crocodile climb into a clear acrylic cage, dubbed "the cage of death," which is about 145 mm (5.7 inches) thick and 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) high, wearing just a pair of swimming goggles and a swimsuit. The cage has no bars, unlike cages used in shark dives, which prevents the reptiles from gripping on but deep teeth scratches are visible on the sides, deterring some hesitant participants. The cage is then slid along runners over four crocodile pens, carrying a maximum of two divers at a time, and partly immersed in the water so swimmers can see the crocodiles under the water but also come up to the surface for air. The attraction, located at Crocosaurus Cove in the heart of the northern city of Darwin in the Northern Territory, was given high marks by adrenaline-junkies. "This is it!" said self-confessed thrill-seeker Mark Clayton from Darwin after spending 20 minutes in with the crocodiles. Saltwater crocodiles, known locally as "salties," are the largest crocodile species, with the males growing up to 6 meters (18... close
• Melbourne opens observation wheel
  24 November 2008
  From November 28th, visitors to the city of Melbourne in Australia will be able to visit the Southern Star observation wheel, which offers 360-degree views of the city's skyline and up to 25 miles beyond. The wheel, which was modelled on the London Eye and is only 15 metres smaller at 120 metres, is the largest observation wheel in the southern hemisphere. At night-time, the wheel itself becomes an impressive visual attraction as a 2.3-mile-long LED lighting system is switched on to provide constantly changing light displays. The wheel boasts 21 walk-around, air-conditioned cabins, each capable of holding up to 20 people, and charges AU$29 (£12) for adult tickets and AU$17 for children. It is set to become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Melbourne, with some 1.5 million guests expected to take a ride on the wheel in its first year. Source: eTN close

Overview

Sydney Opera House and Harbour © Park Hyatt Sydney

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world - more or less the same size as mainland USA. This vast land however also has the lowest population density in the world, with only two people per square kilometre.

Australia is politically divided into six states and two territories, each one offering a different experience for the traveller. There is the drama of the remote 'Outback', the colourful spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef and its coral islands, the excitement of the cosmopolitan cities, the sun and surf at some of the best beaches in the world, and the tropical rainforests of Western Australia. The list is endless in this diverse land of adventure, which boasts 2,000 national parks and 14 World Heritage-listed areas, along with more than 7,000 beaches.

Australia is a land of character too, with its melting pot of cultures. For more than 50,000 years the Aboriginal people lived and thrived in the continent's unique environment. It is believed the Aboriginals are the world's oldest civilisation, and in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in keeping the Aboriginal culture alive and flourishing.

The vast continent at the bottom of the world was the last landmass to be discovered by European explorers. Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in 1770 and sparked off generations of emigration to Australia, which for some time served as a penal colony. It was not until 1860 that two explorers - Robert Burke and William Wills - became the first Europeans to cross Australia from south to north. The country remains a magnet for modern explorers and adventurers and has a great deal to offer tourists and holidaymakers.