Australia

Australia is a land of great contrasts and holds some of the most iconic natural wonders of the world. It’s also vast, most don’t realise its roughly the same size as the USA, but with far fewer people, creating huge agrees of undiscovered wilderness ripe for exploring. The country isn’t all ‘outback’ though, with some of the worlds most modern and diverse cities with all the home comforts you would expect.

One of its most famous sights is Ayers Rock (Uluru), an imposing figure rising out of the desert, belonging to the Anangu Aboriginal people and draws crowds from all over the world. The best time to be there is either at sunrise on sunset, with some magnificent colour changes in different light, and is a great place to take a hot air balloon ride or helicopter to have an even better view.

Australia is of course a very outdoor nation, given their climate is generally warmer than ours. There are over 7,000 beaches, and has some of the best surfing you can find – which even has a town names after it – Surfers Paradise, the holiday capital of Australia.

You can’t go to Australia without going to the Great Barrier Reef, the only reef viewable from space, with spectacular diving opportunities where you’ll see almost 7,000 species of plants and animals, many of which are endangered. Those who don’t dive can also see the reef from glass-bottomed boats, which give a great view of the reef’s ecosystem.

There is so much to love about Australia, so much to see that one trip is just never enough. Many who travel there go back time and time again, taking in different parts of the country with the different experiences to be had there.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

SUMMER – (in Australia) can be extremely hot! Its generally mild climate is great for a holiday all year round.

FLIGHT TIME

Between 18 and 24 depending on where in Australia, the only direct service currently serves Perth.

TIME ZONE

GMT/BST +9:30 to 10

CURRENCY

Australian Dollar

IDEAL FOR

Sightseeing in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane, Viewing the Great Barrier Reef, BBQ’s on the beach and skiing in the Blue Mountains.

HOW TO GET THERE

Flying is the quickest option, with many routes via both the Middle and Far East, along with direct London to Perth. Cruises are also available from the UK to Australia, typically taking three months.

LANGUAGE

English

IDEAL TO COMBINE WITH

Combine stays with a trip to New Zealand, a multi-destination stay in Australia or a stopover enroute.