Tourism in Australia

Australia is a huge area of ​​land surrounded by ocean, it is the sixth largest country in the world with an area of ​​7.686.850 square kilometers, to which we add the area of ​​its islands. And as many know most of its population is based in coastal cities, and a curiosity, the Confederation of Australia is still a constitutional monarchy, with a parliamentary system of government, in which Queen Elizabeth II is currently the head of the Australian state and uses the formal title of Queen of Australia.

If you have decided that this part of the world is your next destination, I give you the top 10 places that you cannot miss on your tour to enjoy tourism in Australia. Making a list I will tell you what they are:

• Sydney
• Cairns
• Gold Coast
• Fraser Islands
• Magnetic Island
• Whitsundays
• Ayers Rock
• Great Ocean Highway
• Kakadu National Park
• Tasmania

And now we go, one by one:

Sydney, the bay that opens Australia

The bay of Sydney It is one of the most beautiful in Australia, and the true gateway to the country. The capital is the most populous city and was founded in 1788.

Some of the places that you cannot miss in this cosmopolitan city, with a wide nightlife centered in the Newtown and Annandale area, are the opera, that icon built in 1973 with which we identify the city, the town hall, the City Recital Hall, the State Theater, the Theater Royal, the Sydney Theater and the Wharf Theater.

Beyond these cultural visits, I recommend the sunsets over the Bay Bridge and its aquarium.

Cairns, the most popular destination

Even though Cairns is a small city, a year it receives about 2 million tourists, and it is a very popular destination for foreigners due to its tropical climate and its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef less than an hour by boat, Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, about 130 kilometers.

This is the recommended place to start tourism in Australia and start here the routes to Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula and the Atherton Plateau.

Gold Coast, the perfect beaches for surfing

Gold Coast It is a city in itself, and also the area of ​​the beautiful beaches and the giant waves perfect for surfing on the Pacific. Surfers will know a lot more about this, but they say that Snapper Rocks Superbank, near Coolongatta, has had some of the highest waves in the world. You can also stop at Currumbin, Palm Beach, Burleigh Heads, Nobby Beach, Mermaid Beach, and Broadbeach. To have clean waves and not crowded, the Sunshine Coast is recommended in Caloundra, Moolooloba, Maroochydore, Coolum Beach and Noosa Heads, where the forests reach the shore of the beach.

Fraser Island, a World Heritage Site

Fraser Island has been a World Heritage Site since 1992, and is the largest sand island in the world at 1.630 square kilometers. Its name in the Aboriginal language, K'gari means paradise, and as you can imagine it is. With a unique ecosystem, the tourism that has developed preserves the charm and biodiversity of the island. If you are going to visit it, they will give you a series of instructions while you are there, such as not feeding the dingoes. In fact, the motto of the island is that as long as you remain on it, your presence should be as less visible and as less damaging as possible.

Magnetic Island, the island of alterations in compasses

Its name Magnetic Island comes from when James Cook in 1770 noticed that the compass of his ship was altered when passing near, by what he called "magnetic effect", since then the origin of the event has been investigated, but no explanation has been found. Personally, I think that this "magnetic effect" comes from its 23 beaches and 300 sunny days a year, who does not allow itself to be magnetized by them or by the koalas? And it is that more than half of the island has been declared a national park, to protect these animals.

Whitsundays Islands, or the great barrier reef

The Whitsunday Islands are a group of 74 islands bordered by the Great Barrier Reef, and by the sheltered waters of the eastern sea, some of these are strips of very fine coral sand, held together by the roots of a single palm tree.

This tropical paradise is the romantic destination with the most marriage proposals and honeymoons per square meter, so if you plan to travel with your partner you already know what corresponds. The aborigines of the islands are the Ngaro who are among the oldest recorded in Australia.

Ayers Rock, the stone of aliens

The film Encounters in the Third Phase (1977) popularized this rock, the largest stone in the world, sacred place for the aborigines AṉEnglish and whose name is Uluru.

The rock formation rises 348 meters above the ground, and 863 meters above sea level, although most of it is underground. The outline of the monolith, which changes color according to the inclination of the sun's rays, measures 9.4 kilometers. The traditional inhabitants of the area organize guided tours on the fauna, the local flora and the indigenous legends.

The great ocean route

Another of the typical places to enjoy tourism in Australia is the great ocean route that is nothing to envy to the 66 in the United States.

The Great Ocean Route runs from Melbourne to Adelaide along the southeastern coast of Australia, skirting the sea and its giant monoliths. You will pass between waterfalls through the lush forest of Otway National Park and you will even be able to see whales in Warrnambool, passing by the cliffs of Cape Bridgewater ... be careful, because you will also pass by tempting vineyards and wineries with the best Australian wines. Leave the bottles you buy for when you have reached your destination.

Kakadu National Park, oldest paintings of mankind

The National Park Kakadu, in the North, you can only visit 100% in the dry seasonFrom May to September, in the rainy season it is not possible to access many areas. Its extension is equivalent to that of the State of Israel and it is believed that it contains 10% of the world's uranium reserves.

The most interesting part of the park is the floodplains, with its marine crocodiles and Johnston's crocodiles, which thankfully sleep most of the day. Also noteworthy are the cave paintings of Ubirr, Nourlangie and Nanguluwur inhabited by man continuously for more than 20.000 years.

Tasmania, adventure tourism

Tasmania is a state of Australia, made up of the entire island of Tasmania and other small adjacent islands. This region is rich in legends of convicts, pioneers, loggers, miners and, recently, environmental activists.

Its unspoiled nature, gastronomy and wines stand out, with small cities with clean air. Tasmania's west coast is great for adventure vacations, descending the rapids of the Franklin River. I love the idea of ​​the historic train from Queenstown.

What places would you recommend for sightseeing in Australia? Would you add any more of the ones we have mentioned? Leave us your experience.