Australia Country Overview
Define Australia from a
backpackers perspective
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Country Overview
This big beautiful country has vast tracts of sun-baked land shimmering in the heat of the day, dense tropical rainforests filled with strange flora and fauna, and cold southern beaches. It is a world of its own with creatures seen nowhere else on earth, and Aboriginal people of ancient origin fighting to retain their own identity. Hard-bitten suntanned men from the great outback, sophisticates and yuppies in the bright modern city of Sydney, and sports mad fanatics behind every bush you kick, these are the people of Australia.
Daily Budget
Accommodation and food in Australia is reasonably cheap, and backpackers will find themselves a lot richer than in other countries. With budget meals in the region of US$ 4 lodging around US$ 7 - 22 especially if they camp or stay in hostels, and do a spot of self catering, they can look at a daily budget of approximately US$33 a day. For an upgrade to cheap hotels, more traveling around (the biggest expense in Australia), and eating out more often then consider spending anything up to US$125 day.
When to Go!
Australia's weather is so good that there really is very little limit to when to visit. Summer, from December to February, can be scorching hot, but when it becomes too much to bear take a dip in the ocean. In the north of the country it becomes extremely humid in the rainy season and the box jellyfish come to town, making swimming not the best option. Winter from June to August, believe it or not offers skiing in New South Wales and Victoria, but over all in spring and autumn the weather is mild.
The long summer school vacations during December and January makes early booking for accommodation essential, with most places fully booked.
The huge 'Festival of Sydney' in January is a celebration of open air concerts, street theatre and great displays of fireworks. Melbourne puts on a 'Comedy Festival' in April and the world's biggest 'Writers' Festival' in September. Not to be missed however is 'Darwin's Beer Can Regatta' in August, when a series of boat races are held for craft constructed entirely of beer cans. And especially for the gay population there is Sydney's enormous and bizarre 'Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras', in February/March, with Melbourne's putting on its 'Midsumma Festival' in January/February.
Daily Budget
Accommodation and food in Australia is reasonably cheap, and backpackers will find themselves a lot richer than in other countries. With budget meals in the region of US$ 4 lodging around US$ 7 - 22 especially if they camp or stay in hostels, and do a spot of self catering, they can look at a daily budget of approximately US$33 a day. For an upgrade to cheap hotels, more traveling around (the biggest expense in Australia), and eating out more often then consider spending anything up to US$125 day.
When to Go!
Australia's weather is so good that there really is very little limit to when to visit. Summer, from December to February, can be scorching hot, but when it becomes too much to bear take a dip in the ocean. In the north of the country it becomes extremely humid in the rainy season and the box jellyfish come to town, making swimming not the best option. Winter from June to August, believe it or not offers skiing in New South Wales and Victoria, but over all in spring and autumn the weather is mild.
The long summer school vacations during December and January makes early booking for accommodation essential, with most places fully booked.
The huge 'Festival of Sydney' in January is a celebration of open air concerts, street theatre and great displays of fireworks. Melbourne puts on a 'Comedy Festival' in April and the world's biggest 'Writers' Festival' in September. Not to be missed however is 'Darwin's Beer Can Regatta' in August, when a series of boat races are held for craft constructed entirely of beer cans. And especially for the gay population there is Sydney's enormous and bizarre 'Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras', in February/March, with Melbourne's putting on its 'Midsumma Festival' in January/February.