Australia is a land of dramatic contrasts, offering travellers the opportunity to experience the unique and the diverse.

The Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory is a small region within the borders of New South Wales , about halfway between Sydney and Melbourne.  It was set aside in 1901 as the site for Australia's capital city. It is an area of rolling plains and grasslands, about half of it is reserve and national park. Canberra, the nation's capital, was designed by the American architect Walter Burley Griffin and is a handsome, cultured city that strikes a bold stance amid the rugged glories of southern New South Wales. Visitors can experience an Australian farm, or head off further south into the Snowy Mountains to ski in winter or enjoy bushwalking and horse riding in summer.


New South Wales
New South Wales is located in the south-east bounded by the Great Dividing Range, its landscape is characterised by coastal slopes, plateau and river flats and semi-arid desert in the west. Visitors can ride the waves at one of its coastal beaches one day, go bushwalking in the mountains the next. Or they can visit the vineyards of the Hunter Valley, head off into the vast farmlands of Dubbo and Griffith and explore a historical outback town, such as Broken Hill.

Victoria
Victoria lies in the south eastern corner of the continent and is the most densely populated. It has mountainous areas in the north east and a rugged coastline famous for the giant limestone formations shaped by the seas of Bass Strait. In the north-east, there's the wine districts of the Yarra Valley and Rutherglen, and further north is the high country region, great for summer horse riding or winter skiing.

Tasmania
Tasmania is the smallest state, lying off the south eastern corner of the Australian continent. Mountainous, peppered with lakes and waterfalls, it is also an island of soft pastoral beauty and rugged pristine wilderness areas. Tasmania's compact size means it is perfect for self-drive touring. Visitors can bushwalk through Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, only a morning's drive north west from Hobart. They can take a scenic air tour to South West National Park or cruise the rapids Franklin-Lower Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Tasmania is famous for its trout filled lakes and streams and fresh produce - cheese, berries, fruit, apples, honey, prime beef and wine.

Western Australia
Western Australia is the country's largest state. Despite its size it is easy to explore by train, coach or plane. In the south west corner are some spectacular forests of giant jarrah and karri trees, magnificent coastal scenery, surfing beaches and limestone caves, or the Margaret River region - well known for its excellent wines. Inland are the goldfields, where ore is still mined and rich farming land producing much of the country's wheat. To the north are vast unspoiled beaches, coral reefs, ideal for scuba diving and snorkelling and offering an opportunity to discover some friendly wildlife like the dolphins at Monkey Mia or the giant whale shark - the largest fish in the world.

Northern Territory
The North Territory occupies the central north. Colourful images of this region have sparked worldwide interest in visiting Australia. Vast tracks of red-gold desert contrast with large areas of rare rainforest plants, wetlands teeming with wildlife, spectacular waterfalls, and stunning rock formations. The north is famous for Kakadu National Park and is well known for its wildlife, lush vegetation and magnificent Aboriginal rock paintings. The Red Centre is the heart of the continent holding one of our National symbols: Ayers Rock (Uluru), the world's largest monolith and an Aboriginal sacred site.

Queensland
Queensland is the second largest state and boasts great tropical weather and the world's largest living organism - the Great Barrier Reef. The coastal centres and islands of the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches over 2,000km (1,200 miles), offer activities such as snorkelling, diving and sailing. There are over 700 islands in the Great Barrier Reef, accessible from the coastal centres of Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville, Proserpine, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone and Bundaberg. An area of outstanding natural beauty just north of Mackay, the 74 islands of the Whitsundays offer superb boating and coral viewing. Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, and the Great Barrier Reef teem with marine life.