Australia, the only destination that’s both a continent and a country, is rich in history, culture, wildlife and natural wonders. That, and it’s big. Australia’s size, and the amount of travel time it takes most travelers to get from one spot to another, can make packing everything you want to do and see into a mere week or two of vacation next to impossible. (see more below)

Desert Centre is home to Ayers Rock (Uluru), the world's largest monolith. One of the oldest human societies resided here some 30,000 years ago, the Anangu Aboriginal people, and their presence still remains. The Kimberly (in the far northwest) is a wildlife hotbed, while Broome offers 13 miles of white sand beaches. Tasmania is one of the top islands in the world, featuring incredible walks. (see more below)

Australia is a vast country with many microclimates. From the subtropical beaches of the North to the desert interior, and from the temperate coastal cities to the rainforests of Tazmania, Australian weather varies considerably. The seasons in Australia are the opposite of the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. In the northern, sub-tropical and equatorial parts of the country, the landscape experiences only two seasons: wet during the summer monsoon season, and dry the rest of the year. Temperatures can vary considerably depending on the time of year you visit Australia, and the areas you will be traveling to. Summer temperatures in the desert interior of the country can reach well over one-hundred degrees Fahrenheit, while some coastal cities rarely see summer temperatures over seventy-five. Make sure to pack for the range of temperatures that you are likely to encounter.

All of the major cities and towns of Australia have taxi service available and well-developed public transportation systems. The majority of distance traveling within the country is done by air. Make sure to pad your itinerary with realistic travel times between destinations, as well as down time to recover from traveling. Rail is a largely state-by-state affair, and is not necessarily known for its speed. That said, traveling by train through the Australian interior can be a richly rewarding experience in and of itself, if you have the time for it, and Australia certainly offers some of the planet's significant rail vacations. There are three major railroads in Australia, a North-South line that runs along the East coast of the country, an East-West Line that connects Perth on the West coast with the rest of the country, and a North-South line that runs from Darwin on the northern coast through the Alice Springs in the interior before it connects with the East-West line.

Aussies may claim savory meat pies as their own, though different cultures have their own versions. Aussie pies are stuffed with minced meat, gravy, mushrooms, onions and cheese. There’s also the sausage roll. While there’s nothing more local than Vegemite on toast, and we don’t know if avocado on toast originated here, but avocado with vegemite is a thing, as is the avo smash, a popular dish of smashed avocado on sourdough with feta cheese. The BBQ is popular in Australia, too. Besides putting shrimp on the barbie, barramundi is popular local fish. More endemic protein options may include kangaroo, emu and crocodile. A bit further on the adventurous scale may be the very high in protein a witchetty grub, which of course, taste like chicken. Of course, wash it down with some good Australian beer or exquisite Aussie wine.

The Thorn Birds (C. McCullough), The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (T. Keneally), Picnic at Hanging Rock (J. Lindsay), A Town Like Alice (N. Shute), The Secret River (K.Grenville), Down Under (B. Bryson), The Fatal Shore (R. Hughes), The Songlines (B.Chatwin), This House of Grief (H. Garner), Oscar and Lucinda and True History of the Kelly Gang (P. Carey), In Tasmania (N. Shakespeare).