Australia Regions and pertinent information
Regions
New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory (Canberra) (NSW) & (ACT)
New South Wales is Australia’s most populous state. The Harbour City of Sydney is Australia’s largest city. The coast of New
South Wales is lined with beach side communities, each one offering experiences for the traveller. A little inland are the mountain ranges of the Blue Mountains and Snowy Mountains, as well as the purpose built capital city of Canberra, excised from New South Wales. Further inland still expect sweeping plains, turning from agriculture to desert the further inland you venture.
Northern Territory (NT)
From the red deserts surrounding Uluru and Alice Springs up to the tropics of Darwin and Kakadu National Park, the Northern Territory is stunningly beautiful, and easier to access than you might think. Darwin has a great espinade for shopping and a very thorough WWII Military Museum. The Mindil Beach Market on Thrusday and Saturday is a great place to purchase food, gifts and have a wonderful beach picnic as you watch the the sun sets. Darwin is also the jumping off place for the Kakadu and Katherine Gorge and the Yellow River.
Queensland (QLD)
Famous for its sunny warm weather, Queensland offers coastal exploration from the vibe of the Gold Coast to the tropics of the Great Barrier Reef to the bustling city of Brisbane. It is also home to tropical rainforests of the Daintree National Park,
and the island resorts of the Whitsundays. Inland lies the ranges of the hinterland, and further on the vast expanses and beauty of outback Australia.
South Australia (SA)
Renowned for the fine wines of the Barossa Valley, the beauty of the Flinders Ranges and the outback, the wildlife and nature on Kangaroo Island and the beaches and events and culture of the City of Churches, Adelaide.
Tasmania (TAS)
Separated from the mainland by Bass Strait, Tasmania has rugged beauty of Cradle Mountain and the west, the beaches of the east, and the complete wilderness of the south. Hobart was the site of the second European settlement in Australia, and many historic sites are well preserved. The island has well developed facilities for travelers. Your visit here could include the historic prison at Port Aurthur and hear all the tales of the convicts as they built and lived in this prison. A Saturday is not complete until you have visited the Salamanca Market with over 300
vendors and shops to enjoy. About 45 minutes south and by ferry is Bruny Island. Visit Tasmania’s southern-most pub and southern-most winery and taste fine local wine, oysters, fudge and cheese at boutique outlets and charming cafés. There’s also a range of accommodation, so that after a long day exploring you can retire to a B&B, spa cottage, solar powered apartment or rain forest lodge. The picturesque camping spots include Cloudy Corner, near Cloudy Bay, and Jetty Beach.
Victoria (VIC)
Small, vibrant and with something for everyone, Victoria has dramatic surf beaches along the southwest and central coast, green rolling farmland and photogenic national parks. The diversity of rural Victoria is very easy to access due in part to its size and well maintained roads. Australia and Victoria’s sporting, shopping, fashion and food capital is Melbourne. Victoria Market is a wonderful place to find those special items for someone. It is closed
on Mondays. The Melbourne Zoo is a terrific place to spend the day visiting with all the animals throughout the world. You can ride all through Melbourne and the surrounds on the Hop on Hop off bus or use any of the free trams that travel throughout the city. You can visit the botanical gardens, Shrine of Remembrance, or gamble in the very large casino within the city. The beaches at St Kilda are beautiful with their very historic and colorful bath houses. The architecture is also very interesting and the city is home to a great number of world renown Universities. If you want to see the city and surrounds all at one time take a ride on the Wheel. The hour long slow revolution gives you a great way to orient you to this comfortable city.
Western Australia (WA)
A vast state. This state starts at the top of Australia and continues down the country. The northern part is very remote with such picturesque towns as Broome, and Exmouth. You can swim in the Indian Ocean, swim with the huge gentle giants the whale sharks, ride camels through the desert, and visit pearl farms (such as Willie Creek Pearl Farm).The south-west contains the state capital and major city of Perth closely surrounded by the wildflower, wine growing and scenic destinations of Margaret River and Albany. Fremante and Perth are very close and Fremantle boasts the Maritime
Museum which is so worth seeing. You can ride the free hop on hop off buses throughout the cities to see the Victorian architecture, visit a university, shop, or travel to the marinas for restaurants or transportation by river to the adjoining city. Kings Park in Perth is a must see, with its unique plants and landscaping it is a gardeners dream.
Source: http://wikitravel.org/en/Australia