Victoria boasts almost 2,000 km of coastline with the Southern Ocean, Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea forming the southern border of the State. The Great Ocean Road is famous for the imposing beauty of the Twelve Apostles, whale watching and a history of ships being wrecked in its treacherous waters. The Murray River, Australia’s principal river, forms the northern border separating Victoria from New South Wales.
Experience spectacular surf, desert, rainforest, mountains, rugged coastal scenery, goldfields, vineyards, lakes, magnificent rivers, wildflowers in spring and snow in winter. Native wildlife includes kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypus, echidnas and lovable little penguins, which parade nightly along Phillip Island beach.
From the cool-climate varieties of the Yarra Valley to the big reds of Rutherglen, you won’t have to travel far to taste fantastic wine in Victoria with over 350 wineries.
Victoria’s capital, Melbourne, has an abundance of arts and culture, major events & festivals, fine food & wine, great shopping, cutting-edge fashion from Australian designers, lush parks and gardens, vast waterways, great architecture, friendly people and world class sporting events.
Major events include the Australian Open Tennis Championships, Australian International Air Show, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, World Cup Aerials at Mt Buller Ski Resort, Australian Football League Finals Series, Melbourne International Arts Festival and the Spring Racing Carnival featuring Australia’s famed Melbourne Cup. The internationally-renowned Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), one of the world’s largest and most outstanding outdoor sporting grounds will host the opening & closing ceremonies and athletics events for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.
There is no greater haven than the Northern Territory for those looking to make a connection with nature - the World Heritage National Parks of Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta (Ayers Rock), flora and fauna as diverse as desert blooms are to lotus lilies, fearsome saltwater crocodiles & the Brolga, the elegant dancing bird that is the Northern Territory’s emblem. Set on a harbour twice the size of Sydney’s, Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory, is a modern, tropical city with great restaurants, fresh seafood and fine shopping including croc-leather products and the renowned Paspaley pearls.
Australia’s most culturally diverse city. Darwin is the gateway to the Northern Territory’s Top End, infused with Aboriginal spirituality, encompassing Litchfield National Park and the Tiwi Islands. Kakadu, with Jabiru mining township at its centre, with its wetlands, plunging gorges and waterfalls, has one of the highest concentrated areas of accessible Aboriginal rock art sites in the world. Arnhem Land bounded by Kakadu National Park, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria, has wild coastlines, deserted islands, rivers teeming with fish, rainforests, soaring escarpments and savanna woodland. The population is predominantly Aboriginal people whose traditional culture remains largely intact.
The outback town of Katherine, about 320 kilometres south of Darwin, is the home to the majestic Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) in the Nitmiluk National Park.
Tennant Creek, with its gold mining heritage, is situated 1,000 kilometres south of Darwin. Tennant Creek is the main service centre for cattle stations in the surrounding Barkly Tablelands.
The rugged MacDonnell Ranges stretch like a spine for 400km to the east and west of Alice Springs. Beyond the Ranges is the remote desert wilderness of the Simpson Desert.