Australia

Australia is an ancient land located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is the smallest continent however the world's largest island, with a surface area of 7.6 million sq km, 36735 km of coastline with over 7000 beaches - more than any other nation. Australia is almost the same size as the United States or Europe with Turkey and Scandinavia included. It is the flattest and the driest continent in the world, with about a quarter of the surface classified as uninhabitable.

The very name “Australia” means “the southern land”. Australians, or “Aussies”, as they like to call themselves, say that they live “down under” in the land of “Oz” giving a mystical sense of adventure.

Australia is a very different land - the seasons are reversed, the trees shed their bark rather than their leaves, the native flowers have no smell. Instead of forests of oak, pine or beech you will find hundreds of species of eucalypts, acacias and ancient fern trees; instead of bears, deer and wolf you encounter completely exotic animals like kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, Tasmanian devils, wombats and emus. Even the light is different 'Down Under'.

The skies are bright and dazzling blue and at night you can see an incomparable view of the Milky Way galaxy and the Southern Cross. The continent's original indigenous inhabitants, the Aborigines, have the appearance of an ancient people and have a unique magic timeless religion, which they call the “Dream Time”.

Australia lives up to its nickname of “The Lucky Country”. Its people enjoy a casual, outdoor lifestyle, the climate is mild, the air and waters unpolluted. It is a multicultural middle class society of more than 22 million people, the majority of Anglo-Celtic origin, boasting the highest rate of home ownership in the world. Eighty-five percent of all Australians live in city urban areas that are cosmopolitan, clean, and modern, comparatively very safe from crime, served by first-rate mass-transit systems and filled with imaginatively designed buildings.

Almost everyone who visits Australia finds its cities among the most liveable in the world, each city having its own distinctive character and adding an element of regionalism to the urban scene.

Many visitors make the mistake of trying to see the country in few days and then depart feeling that they have barely scratched the surface of such a large and varied continent.

To make a trip to Australia truly enjoyable, our company, Way To Australia, can recommend the regions, cities and programs depending on your time limit and more importantly suited to your interests - Just ask us!