Traveling to Australia on your own. Useful links for traveling to Australia. Take care of excursions in advance

There are people who, year after year, go on vacation to the same favorite hotel in Turkey or Thailand, and there are those who are greedy for new experiences and distant unexplored places. The whole world is not enough for such people, and what keeps them from traveling to Mars is, perhaps, only the technical impossibility of this at the moment. The hero of this article, Nikita, also belongs to the latter. He has already written for our site. Today we will talk about an even more distant place on our planet - Australia. Word from the author:

Trip planning and flight

It’s priceless when you throw a link to a common chat with friends cheap tickets to Australia for May with a call to fly, and literally within 24 hours 8(!) people take tickets to the other side of the globe. For this alone it was worth graduating from the Geography Department of Moscow State University (6 out of 8 people are from there). By the way, about the price - 30 thousand rubles for tickets to Sydney, and even for May holidays! There is one “but” - departure from Stockholm. But could this stop geographers? Just another bonus city (though wildly expensive). In general, thanks to British Airways for the error in the booking system, and PiratesRU.com for information about it.

When planning your trip, you must take into account that a visa to Australia takes at least a month to obtain! But you don't need to go to Visa Center or the embassy, ​​you don’t even need original documents - just an application form via the Internet and scanned copies. And then the visa arrives by email. Comfortable!

It took another month to draw up the route, tears from the cruelty of this world, when it is not possible to cram all the wishes into a budget that would suit everyone and not turn the vacation into something between a military march and a truck driver’s trip (one of the options was to drive 11 thousand km by car). In the end, we decided to limit ourselves to Eastern Australia, Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef.

When entering and leaving Australia, neither a visa nor even a stamp is placed on your passport! So you won’t be able to brag about how far you’ve climbed.

Be careful, creatures.

This topic was raised by everyone to whom I told anything about this trip. Wildlife in Australia can be divided into 3 types:

1. The one who wants to kill you.
2. The one who generally doesn’t want to, but can do it because of her own stupidity.
3. The ones that are too slow to make it into group #2.

So, the good news is that there are minimal numbers of Group 1 in Eastern Australia, especially in the larger cities, so your chances of being fatally bitten are minimal. But there is a possibility... of being eaten by a saltwater crocodile! In the Cairns area there are a lot of warning signs that you cannot swim here, because a person has a limited number of limbs. But in the Northern Territory (this is the pathetic name of the state) there are more than enough evil animals, reptiles and insects. This is working outbacks of the country with landscapes a la Mad Max - the goal of the next trip.

The car rental agreement explicitly states that it is prohibited to drive outside cities after 18-00 in the statesWesternAustralia andNorthernTerritory. Draw your own conclusions.

Crocodiles also want to eat. Sometimes people too.

Group No. 2 includes animals that do not have personal accounts with representatives of Homo Sapiens, but their stupidity and lack of knowledge of traffic rules can greatly shorten your personal path to Valhalla. So driving at night on forest roads is a lot of fun and tests your alertness, forcing you to dodge kangaroos and wombats.
But at the same time, these cute animals can be lured, petted and fed (with some patience and perseverance).

Australian life hack: kangaroos are great at luring bananas.

Selfie with a kangaroo is a must do in Australia

Koalas, as you understand, are group number 3. They are difficult to find in the wild, much less get close to. But! You can touch them and see them up close at the Sanctuary (a sort of less torturous version of a zoo). We went to the Sanctuary, located in Brisbane. Entrance fee is about $30, plus extra for photos, etc. There you can feed and chat with kangaroos, but compared to wild ones, these look like the Russian football team (stupid and don’t move).

Koala's soft butt smelling like eucalyptus

Sydney

In Sydney, in the very center, they park huge liners the size of a house

The feeling from Sydney (and from other Australian cities) is something between the cities of the USA and Europe: an organic interweaving of American planning and appearance and European thoughtfulness and purity. In general, Australia is about comfort, from the urban environment to the national composition of the population. It’s not for nothing that crowds of British pensioners move here (especially to Perth, where more than 50% of the population is already British).

Sydney is located along a picturesque and very winding bay, so great option To see the city from excellent angles is to ride on ferries, which are quite common public transport there.

There is nothing to do in the city itself for more than a couple of days, since all the conventional attractions are covered in a day. Of course, there are historical districts, even a museum of Judaism, but this is for those who want to get to know the city in detail.

There are nice suburbs with beautiful beaches, where you should go to surf or look at those who surf (more relevant for girls than boys). One of these iconic places– Bondi Beach. There is also a swimming pool there, which they like to post in photos in various stupid public pages - like it’s being flooded by waves (in fact, it’s extremely rare).

Bondi Beach

Blue Mountains

Blue Mountains Park is 1.5 hours' drive from Sydney. There, nature reminded us for the first time that, in fact, in the southern hemisphere, May is an autumn month. Moreover, on the plateau - classic Golden autumn, and below, in the canyons, there are evergreen variable-humid forests with waterfalls. In general, this park is worth coming: here and beautiful views And walking routes in tropical forests past rivers and waterfalls.

View of the waterfall and valley

Travel around the country, housing

In total, we traveled about 2.5 thousand kilometers by car, renting an 8-seater minibus, which drove so-so, but could accommodate everyone. Per person, 3 cars (in Sydney, Cairns and Brisbane) cost 250 local dollars per person (twice there was a one-way rental, which is more expensive).

In general, the “development” of a country can very often be easily assessed by its intercity highways/autobahns/interstates (underline as appropriate). And although in terms of climate and a little in terms of surroundings eastern Australia quite close to California, but as soon as you drive out of the city you realize that this is still a village. Still would! In all Australia's population is 2 times less than California's. Therefore, the Brisbane-Sydney road in some places resembles Russian federal highways, which pass among villages with restrictions of 50 km/h, sections under construction and other delights.

Of course, traveling with eight people allows you to save a lot on almost everything: from housing to transport, but in general the country is relatively inexpensive (especially after Stockholm). In terms of the general price level, I would compare Australia with Northern Italy.

Of course, traveling with eight of you has huge advantages, such as the opportunity to go wild and rent an incredible house on the ocean, on the first line, for 800-odd Australian dollars per night (which is more or less adequate per person).

At just around AU$4.5 million, you can wake up to this view. Residence permit as a gift.

Australia is a country of meat. Here they just don’t put it in ice cream. Any house we rented through Airbnb always had a barbecue (well, maybe except for a high-rise apartment in Melbourne, but that would be weird there). Therefore, several times we bought meat at the store and cooked at home.

By the way! In Australia, not only in restaurants, but also in stores you can buy and try kangaroo meat (it tastes like cold turkey), crocodile (which tastes like tuna with the taste of chicken), and emu ostrich (turkey again).

In Australia you can always find excellent local wine (especially white) and beer, but all this is sold in separate stores, where they will ask for a passport to verify your age even if you look like Novodvorskaya, and for everyone who buys!

Kosciuszko and Snowy Mountains

From Sydney we moved south, towards highest peak Australia - Mount Kosciuszko (geographers' hearts should ache). It is located in the Snowy Mountains National Park, as you might guess from the name - this is the only place in Australia where snow falls and even ski resort. Our plans were to “climb” Kosciuszko and “conquer” one of the seven peaks, fortunately there is a boardwalk along which even pregnant women and the disabled can reach the top. But... if there is no strong wind and wild cold. Let me remind you that May in the northern hemisphere, this is November in Australia. Unpreparedness for such cold weather and time constraints did not allow us to climb, although the walk from the lift to the top is only 2.5 hours in each direction.

The region itself is beautiful and quite harsh (especially by Australian standards), somewhat reminiscent of Sheregesh or the Khibiny Mountains.

Snowy Mountains. Album cover of the best indie rock band of 2017.

Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road

As the locals told us, Melbourne in Australia is a kind of St. Petersburg, the climate is worse, but for some reason many people want to move there, which is especially incomprehensible given the presence of Brisbane and the Gold Coast in the country. We went there after Kosciuszko. The city itself is picturesquely located along the banks of the river and, in general, no dramatic differences from Sydney were noticed.

There are a bunch of vineyards near Melbourne (more only near Adelaide) where you can come for a tasting, buy wine or just have a good time enjoying the views of the green hills. But you need to understand that this is more and more in the “American” style - that is, you simply pay 20-25 dollars for a tasting and actually taste it, but this does not turn into a process with training.

To the southwest of Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road begins, which ultimately leads to Adelaide (and beyond it, all the way to Perth, there’s an awesome coastline, judging by the photographs). This is essentially some analogue of Highway 1 and Big Sur in California - constantly changing views of the rocky ocean coast with long white waves, cliffs and winds. You can look at this for hours, thinking that to the south there is only Antarctica and these waves came from somewhere there. This is one of the best views in Australia, and probably in the world. The most famous photos– these are the 12 Apostles – picturesque rocks scattered along the coast.

Allow 2-3 days for the ocean road. It's worth it. Don’t repeat our mistake of “watch everything in one day.”

Views along the Great Ocean Road

Nimbin

I’m not sure that Roskomnadzor will approve the placement of several paragraphs of text about soft drugs on a travel website... In short, come to this city and you will understand everything yourself. This is a hippie commune lost among the picturesque, forested mountains with all the ensuing consequences. You won't regret it, I guarantee it! It takes about 2.5 hours to get there from Brisbane, and the further from the coast, the more roads reminiscent of Russian ones. The city is not very visited by tourists, so what do they live on? local residents not very clear (or vice versa, too clear). By the way, there is an excellent pizzeria there, and you may need it!

Nimbin. Guess what stores sell the most goods here?

Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef

When planning the trip, it was almost a prerequisite to dive on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), although the diving experience was 3 dives for 8 people. The main points from which ships sail to the GBR are Cairns and Townsville. We lived in Cairns. It is located at the latitude of Goa, so in May (November) it is comfortable +30. Swimming here near the shore is not so pleasant, since the water is for some reason cloudy and reminiscent of Sochi or Gelendzhik after a storm, and the presence of saltwater crocodiles does not add enthusiasm (however, vacationers in Gelendzhik cause even more fear and hostility). There are many offers for diving on the GBR, I will give some key tips:

1. There are no individual tours (even for 8 people), since the reef is approximately 80-120 km away. Or it will cost as much as a whole ship.
2. Study what spot the ship you have chosen goes to. The cost also depends on this. We were a little stupid and chose a cheaper option on the nearest reef and were left with the impression that there were more interesting places. But it is not exactly.
3. It is better to choose a ship that is newer and faster. There will be more time for the swim itself. Don't begrudge the 50-70 extra dollars!
4. The ships are designed for 70-200 people. In general, there is enough space for everyone, but there is a certain feeling of a “crowd” and there is frankly nothing to do all the way to the GBR.

Behind the stern is the Green Continent

There is nothing to do in the city itself. In addition to diving, you can travel to the surrounding waterfalls and animal parks. We took a ride to one, but it wasn't particularly impressive. Oh yes, in the city instead of birds there are flying foxes (they’re like mice, only fat ones).

Brisbane and Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is the quintessence of what Australia “should” look like to someone from the Northern Hemisphere: oceanfront skyscrapers, huge waves, giant beaches and warm ocean. In the morning, surfers come to the beach (yes, just like in the picture). The main advantage of this place compared to, for example, southern California is the warm ocean, where you can surf in November without a wetsuit and the risk of freezing all your most valuable things. There we rented the best house of the trip, which even had surfboards, which we used with the grace of Kobzon. But we took some pictures.

In general, naming the city (!) Gold Coast is mega-cool in its own way. We had lunch in a skyscraper in the city itself, overlooking the ocean coast.

This is another place where I wanted to stay longer in a relaxed surfer mode (especially with shopping from Nimbin!).

Victoria State Motto “Stayalert –stayalive.” Says a lot.

Gold Coast. View from a skyscraper.

Conclusion

Australia may not surprise a sophisticated and boring traveler, especially if he has experience visiting California, but a true geographer (or regional historian) tries to find some peculiarities everywhere, and there is enough of this in Australia - from unusual animals to new cities.

Our Dream Team

Well, for complete exoticism, of course, you need to go to the center of the continent, where there is much more surroundings: deserts, dangerous animals, endlessly straight roads, half-abandoned cities, and so on. Well, in the end, the thought of how far you have traveled from your usual place of residence in any case generates tons of curiosity.

A bonus for all those who read this long article to the end - a cool video report about the trip. We look, enjoy the scenery, and mentally begin to plan our trip to Australia:

INFORMATION FOR TOURISTS

How to save money on a trip to Australia

Unfortunately, for Russians, Australia is located very far from our homeland. And therefore, a trip to this country should be planned especially carefully, scrupulously and in advance. It is best to plan your trip to Australia for at least two weeks.

So, there are two ways to travel to Australia.

However, recently, more and more often, tour operators go bankrupt, as, for example, this happened with the notorious companies: Lanta Tour, Wind Rose World, Neva. What should a tourist do? The answer is simple, choose the second method, where you depend only on yourself. The second method is of course more difficult than simply booking a tour through an agency, however, this method is cheaper and, as practice has shown, more reliable. You can plan your trip yourself, pay for your hotel and flight via the Internet (always choose payment sites that you can trust, that you or your friends have already used, official sites of airlines and hotels, or sites that have been providing hotel booking services for a long time and tickets). To plan your trip yourself you need:

Decide on the purpose of the trip.

Goals:

1. If your goal is beach holiday, then we recommend that you go to golden coast Australia: .

3. If your goal is to attend Formula 1 races, we first recommend that you find out the schedule here: http://www.grandprix.com.au/ (In 2012, the Formula 1 round in Australia will be from March 15 to 18)

5. If you are planning a combined vacation, then simply decide how many days you are willing to devote to this or that type of vacation in Australia. In this case, Russian guides will also be able to help you.

Determine travel dates:

So that you can better navigate the dates here: You can see the list of holidays in Australia, and here: You can learn about another important factor - the weather.

Select flight:

Select hotels:

Take care of excursions in advance:

If you are traveling to such a distant country as Australia, then you definitely want to see as much as possible. We recommend that you take care of excursions in advance; you can find out more about all excursions and attractions from. Russian guides will be able to help you plan your trip correctly in advance, so that you can see and learn as much as possible about Australia.

If you are planning to travel to Australia for the New Year, we recommend that you start planning your trip and celebrating the New Year no later than the beginning of September. Exactly at New Year the largest influx of tourists to Australia, and accordingly there is a greater chance of not having time to find a free guide.

When ordering excursions directly through Russian guides, you can save about 2-3%. Well, the last thing to take care of is a visa, more details here: and medical insurance, which can be purchased from almost any insurance company in Russia. This method of traveling to Australia will help you save from 35 to 50% compared to traveling through a tour operator. You can spend this money on souvenirs or you can book an additional excursion. However, this method is only for those who are willing to spend one or two days planning their vacation.

Hello, friends!

I don’t know why, but this country arouses my genuine and sincere interest. Perhaps because what most of us know about Australia is limited to the fact that it is very far away and amazing kangaroos live there.

And if we are going on a trip to a distant continent, especially with children, then it will not be superfluous to learn more about the climate, nature and the places that we want to visit.

So, today we will take a short excursion into the past and present of the country.

Australia is the opposite country

No mysticism. Everything is explained simply and quite scientifically.

According to one hypothesis, Australia is a large piece of land that broke away from an ancient supercontinent, drifting northward for millions of years.

The oddities and paradoxes of Australia are due to the fact that the mainland is located in the Southern Hemisphere.

This explains a lot:

• Why, for example, do our seasons not coincide? By the way, a good option for those who don’t like winter and cold: spend the summer at home, and go to Australia in the winter again in the summer.
• Why, the further north you go, the warmer it gets, but when going south you need to stock up on warm clothes.
• Why do Australians see the moon upside down?

Australia is also unique in that on a continent with an area of ​​more than 7.5 million square meters. km there is only one state, surrounded on all sides by the waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Australia- a state occupying 6th place in the world in terms of area. However, this vast territory is home to just over 22 million (estimated as of June 30, 2010). Despite the fact that the mainland is located in the tropics and subtropics and even in winter in Australia, by Russian standards, it is warm, a significant part of the island is unsuitable for living.

Conditions are especially difficult in central and western Australia, where there is virtually no water. A large area on the mainland is occupied by famous Australian deserts: Simpson Sandy Desert with characteristic red-brown dunes, Big sandy desert , gibson desert, sandy-salt marsh Great Desert Victoria. They are adjacent to areas of the steppe zone, scorched by the rays of the scorching sun.

The population of Australia lives mainly on the coast of the mainland, whose length is more than 34 thousand kilometers. Fertile lands are the most attractive for Australian residents south- east coast with its mild climate and wonderful natural conditions.

75% of Australians live in cities. Each of them is unique and interesting for curious tourists:

• The capital of Australia is Canberra
• Sydney– the very first city of Australia
• Melbourne– center of cultural and business life
• Darwin– a port located in the north of the mainland
• Perth– “the pearl of Australia” (west coast)
• Adelaide- a city on the ocean
• Brisbane– a large commercial and industrial city (boomerangs are produced only here)
• Hobart– one of the ancient cities of the continent

The main population of Australia is white Australians (95%), speaking English language. These are the descendants of Irish rebels, convicts, criminals and other exiles who began active exploration of the mainland at the end of the 18th century, and emigrants from England, Ireland, Europe and Asia who later joined them.

The local population of Australia (Aborigines) is no more than 5%. Indigenous people appeared on the island long before its discovery European travelers. But today, black Australians live in remote settlements and reserves where it is not so easy to survive.

The history of the emergence of Australia as a state is also amazing and unique. The first documentary evidence of the existence of Australia appeared in the 17th century after its discovery by European sailors. Later, information appeared about the discovery of the eastern coast of the mainland by James Cook. This was in 1770.

But officially Australia Day is considered to be January 26, 1788 - this is the day of the landing of the English fleet captain Arthur Phillip in Sydney Bay with the first exiled criminals and the date of the founding of the first British colony, Sydney Cove (later Sydney).

And today Australia is a young, rapidly developing state on the old continent. According to 2011 data provided by the World Economic Forum, Australia took a respectable 17th place among the richest countries in the world.

The country develops and lives through mining and well-developed agriculture.

The standard of living of Australians is quite high. The Australian government cares about the quality of life of its fellow citizens and does a lot to make their lives better.

Obviously, a sense of security and confidence in the future explains the friendliness and affability of Australians. They will always come to the rescue, and unselfishly. In addition, they are law-abiding citizens who strictly follow instructions and regulations. This may be why there is virtually no corruption in Australia.

The tourism business is thriving in the country. More and more tourists dream of visiting Australia and admiring its unique nature and animals.

And next time we'll go to most famous city Australia – Sydney.

Australia is very big country. Therefore, in order for your trip to Australia to seem successful and full of positive impressions, you need to plan your route in advance. This article looks at ten of the best places in Australia. This doesn't mean you have to fit all these places into one trip when traveling to Australia. You can choose a few that are most interesting to you and think over interesting route. If you decide to organize a trip to Australia, it is good to have at least three weeks in reserve. Well, if you have up to six months left, you will have time to leisurely visit all the interesting places.

Top 10 Places When Traveling to Australia

5. Kangaroo Island.
6. East coast of Australia.
7. Big barrier reef.
8. Margaret-Rivier.
9. Aires rock.
10. Tasmania.

This is a fantastic city! It combines everything that a big city has to offer modern city: tall skyscrapers and ancient architecture, many shopping centers, restaurants and cafes, parks and beaches, the largest port and numerous hotels. Some people compare Sydney to Los Angeles, the same energy and proximity to the ocean.

You must set aside at least three days for Sydney. The system is well developed here public transport. Buses, ferries and trains are a relatively inexpensive and convenient way to get around in Australia and Sydney in particular. The city itself is very compact and getting around is relatively easy. If you get lost, go to any newsstand. Newspaper sellers are usually very friendly and will always tell you which bus you should take. To get to your desired destination.

If you ask an Australian what Melbourne is, most will tell you it's best city for life. It is the second largest city in Australia. However, it is different from most Australian cities and is the complete opposite of Sydney.
In the center of Melbourne there are wonderful art galleries, shops, museums, huge parks and small squares. The outskirts of Melbourne are also interesting.

The Mornington Peninsula is one of the most... beautiful places Australia. There are about seventy wineries, Australia's largest strawberry farm, and the Ashcombe labyrinth. The outline of the island resembles the shape of Italy.

The Whitsundays are the most stunning part of Australia and, at the same time, the most expensive. These are 74 islands that are located in the warm turquoise waters of the Coral Sea. The marine life surrounding these islands is breathtaking. Tropical Islands - beautiful place for a relaxing holiday, snorkeling or sailing.

Kangaroo Island is the best place to see Australian wildlife. Here you can observe Australian animals in natural environment habitats and approach them at arm's length. In fact, it is believed that if you do not visit this island on your trip to Australia, then you have not been to the “real” Australia.

East coast of Australia

The east coast of Australia is one of the most visited sections coastline. After all, this includes Sydney and Cairns, the largest tourist centre, and Melbourne, and the Barrier Reef, which consists of 71 coral island. You should set aside at least three weeks to visit the east coast.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest coral system in the world. This attracts tourists from all over the world who decide to travel around Australia. Whether you just want to swim or go diving, there’s something completely open for you. new world. The reef itself extends over 300 km.

This city is in the most wine-producing region in Australia. This is one of best regions world where wine is produced. Also, the outskirts of this city are famous big amount caves There is also an amazing creation of nature - Wave Rock. In the middle of the plain there is a rock 15 meters high, which looks like a wave. The road to this wonder of the world is quite tiring, but the result is worth it.

Ayres Rock

A trip to the outback of Australia will be for you more of an adventure. As a result, among the sun-scorched plain you will see a rock 348 m high. It can change color depending on the time of day.

Traveling around Australia. Part 1.

AUSTRALIA

Australia is the birthplace of evergreen eucalyptus and acacia trees! Every tourist wants to see and experience something new, unknown. I advise lovers of deserts and semi-deserts to visit unique and mysterious places Australia. A Russian guides in Australia will help make your trip unforgettable. In Australia there is a huge reserve where many animals and plants have been preserved, similar to those that inhabited the earth in ancient times and disappeared on other continents. Australia is a unique world where you can have a great time.

Very uniquely Australian animal world which has animals such as red kangaroos, platypuses, emus, and many others. The world of birds is rich and diverse, especially many parrots. In northern Australia, crocodiles are found in ponds. Australians are very loving and caring about wildlife and nature, they devote a lot of time to nature conservation and wildlife. A The largest city- the port of Australia will bring you no less pleasure with its various entertainments and all the attractions of Australia will bring you no less pleasure. Amateur travelers wildlife Mostly savages prefer to go on holiday to Australia, in order to taste all the taste of living and wild nature, meet one on one with wild animals, and when your excitement makes you look into the very depths of Australian nature, you will be very surprised how you ever lived without this pleasure . After you return to the civilized world, you will really miss the excitement and adrenaline that you will experience there.

AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL

One of the defining features of Australian society today is cultural diversity population and the degree of its unity through a prevailing and unifying allegiance to Australia.

Another defining feature is the egalitarian nature of Australian society. This does not mean that everyone is the same or that everyone has the same wealth or property. This means that through hard work and dedication, people without great connections or influential patrons can achieve success in life.

Subject to Australian laws, all Australians are free to express their cultural traditions and beliefs and to participate freely in Australian national life. Australia firmly believes that no one should be disadvantaged because of their country of origin, cultural heritage, language, gender or religious belief.

To maintain a stable, peaceful and prosperous society, Australians, regardless of their background, are expected to uphold the shared principles and values ​​on which Australian society is founded.

About shopping in Australia
Opened 30 years ago, The County Trader still offers the best choice furniture and designer items personally selected by the owners. For clothes, it is interesting to go to Ussed and Abbussed. This department store features more than 2,000 designer brands - new and vintage collections. Ampersand Cafe Bookstore is not just a bookstore and not just a cafe. More than 30,000 books are arranged on huge shelves from floor to ceiling - for every taste and occasion. While leafing through a book you like, you can drink a cup of fragrant tea with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger, accompanied by one of the famous local cupcakes.

About food in Australia
Summit Restaurant has been one of Sydney's main attractions for 40 years. Firstly, due to the quality of the dishes, and secondly, because of the location. Restaurant,
located at an altitude of 165 m above the harbor and rotating at a speed of a meter per minute, guarantees breathtaking views of the Harbor Bridge, Opera House, Olympic Park and the Blue Mountains.
The old building on the shore at 27, Circular Quay West houses four decent restaurants. The Waterfront is always crowded at lunchtime, but in the evening, when the city lights are reflected in the waters of the harbor, best place For romantic dinner can't imagine. The restaurant is famous for its fish and seafood dishes; the seafood platter is more than enough for two. The average price of a main course is $30. In addition to fish dishes, Wolfies Grill serves excellent steaks. The Italian Village specializes in Italian homemade food, while Imperial Peking specializes in Chinese cuisine.
In all four restaurants you can have lunch or dinner both indoors and outdoors.
Where to visit in Australia.

ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS SYDNEY

Sydney's main park is the Royal Botanic Gardens, with memorial benches like "In memory of Grandma Jenny, who loved to watch the sunset here..." and notices: "Please walk on the grass and hug the trees." Athletes run along the paths all the time - in Australia you have to try to find a fat person; almost all residents are obsessed with a healthy lifestyle, which is largely facilitated by the climate. And surfing has hardly become a national religion; “pilgrims” from all over the world come to the main place of worship of the “holy board,” Bondai Beach, even in winter, when the water temperature reaches +15°.

To take a look, if not the entire capital of the state of New South Wales, but at least an impressive part of it, you need to take courage and climb the 134-meter Harbor Bridge. The entertainment is not for the faint of heart, but it is worth it. If you want to achieve complete inner and outer peace, go from cheerful Sydney to the desert. Don't worry, it just sounds so scary.

Darwin is the capital of the northern desert territories. The weather here is almost perfect, average annual temperature+30°. To get started, you can take a cruise around the picturesque harbor. Afterwards, go grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants on the Cullen Bay Marina or watch a movie at the beach cinema under open air sipping wine.

Be sure to arrange a meeting with “domesticated” nature in botanical gardens George Brown natural park Berry Springs, where you can watch birds in the monsoon forests, or Litchfield National Park with its waterfalls, lakes and rainforests. Here you can even swim in cleanest water, without fear of getting caught by crocodiles. You can drive a little further - to national park with the frivolous name "Kakadu", where, in addition to the magnificent nature, you can see an outstanding collection of rock art.

If you feel bored in Darwin and its surroundings or you have no idea how to return to the bustle of your native metropolis after this splendor, go to noisy, overexcited Melbourne. Here it is especially acutely felt how different modern Australia is from its prim “Mother Empress”. Flinders Street and St Kilde are the main hangout spots. When you go to rest towards the coast, you can easily run into a penguin hurrying to hide its body in the rocks. This is Australia.

AUSTRALIA

The motto “from winter to summer” will sound literally if you go to the Southern Hemisphere in January, because it’s really July there now.

Aerosvit and Thai Airways operate daily flights to Sydney via Bangkok. Price - from $1566.

Yes, that’s right, not Sydney, not Melbourne or even Canberra, but the entire huge continent. If you have to fly to the other side of the world, it makes sense to see as much as possible.

If we talk about the size of the country, we can imagine that Europe, Japan, England, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, only the USA will have a piece hanging into the ocean.

Australia is a country virtually without history according to universal human concepts: there were no revolutions, no dynastic wars, no feudal order, although people, the aborigines, appeared in Australia about 50 thousand years ago. Where Captain James Cook landed 250 years ago - on the shores of numerous bays - now lies one of the most fashionable areas of Sydney - Botany Bay. Sydney Harbor is bordered by Circular Quay and spanned by the Harbor Bridge. The famous Sydney “Shell” dominates everything Opera theatre. Sydney has a surprisingly harmonious mix of skyscrapers, Victorian mansions and townhouse blocks. Noting how good-natured the modern inhabitants of the continent are, you can’t help but be surprised that Australians are the descendants of convicts.

Its amazing geographical location And natural world Australia stands out. A festive atmosphere reigns here all year round. Australians really appreciate environment, care about the uniqueness of flora and fauna. It must be remembered that Australia is the only country that occupies the entire territory of the mainland. The area is about 8 million square meters. It is washed by two oceans at once - the Indian and the Pacific. The hottest temperatures are in winter, at this time the temperature ranges from +25 to +33 degrees. But in summer it can be cool, the temperature does not rise above 18 degrees, there are times when it reaches 0 degrees. Most likely August is the ideal time to organize trips to Sydney. Australia has many attractions: Lizard Island is one of the most famous and expensive resort islands of the Barrier Reef. Bedarra Island is definitely the most expensive of the Barrier Reef islands. Many animals and plants, wonderful cuisine, hiking and many other entertainments. Natural attractions include the Great Barrier Reef, national park Uluru, Magnetic Island National Park. TO cultural heritage include Sydney, where the Australian Museum is located, Hyde Park, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the National maritime museum and many other museums and galleries and other attractions.

AUSTRALIA DAY

Australia Day, January 26, is the day when Australians as a people celebrate the establishment of the first European settlement in Australia in 1788. It is a national holiday when new arrivals are particularly encouraged to take part in Australia Day celebrations and give them the opportunity to meet other Australians.

Anzac Day

Anzac Day, 25 April, is the day the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs) landed on Gallipoli, Turkey in 1915 during the First World War. This day commemorates those who fought for Australia and those who died in war. The day is a national holiday and is celebrated with official ceremonies, wreath-laying and military parades.

Queen's Birthday

The Queen's Birthday is celebrated annually on the second Monday in June. It is a public holiday in all states except Western Australia, where it is celebrated in September or October.

Australian Citizenship Day

Australian Citizenship Day was established on 17 September 2001 to commemorate the anniversary of the renaming of the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 to the Australian Citizenship Act in 1973. This is an opportunity for all Australians to reflect on the meaning and importance of Australian citizenship and celebrate the values ​​that unite us. However, this is not an official holiday.

Melbourne Cup Day

Melbourne Cup Day falls on the first Tuesday in November every year. The Melbourne Cup is a world famous horse race. Most people - at work, at school and at home - take a break and watch the races on TV. This is an official holiday in the city of Melbourne. Elsewhere, and mostly at work, people have a lunch or celebration to celebrate the Melbourne Cup.

Celebrations and holidays of Australia

NEW YEAR IN AUSTRALIA

Australians celebrate certain days of the year that have special meaning or national significance.

Most workers in Australia have approximately 12 national and state and territory public holidays throughout the year, in addition to their annual leave.

Some of these days are holidays holidays for everyone and are usually celebrated on the same day in all states and territories. Sometimes they are celebrated throughout the country through specially organized events. Some local holidays are observed only in certain states and territories.

Christmas and Easter, two of the most important days in the Christian calendar, are national public holidays throughout Australia. Christmas Day falls on December 25 every year, and Easter can be celebrated in late March or early April. Boxing day

Boxing Day falls on December 26th and is an official holiday. Some people suggest that it was a day on which boxing matches were held; others - that on this day gifts were distributed in boxes. Boxing Day is considered part of the Christmas celebrations.

New Year's Day, January 1st each year, is an official holiday. Most often, Australian residents take annual leave between mid-December and the end of January.

To be continued...