About Australia (for study)

Australia is the world’s smallest continent and the largest island. It is like nowhere else in the world. It has an area as big as mainland of the United States but has a population of only 20 million people.

It’s a friendly, young, adventurous and stylish nation that welcomes international students. The entire country has unique animals and a fabulous climate. Aussies like the great outdoors, they love sport, worship their beaches, having BBQs with their mates and eating out at the 1000’s of multicultural restaurants.

The population is comprised of over 130 nationalities which makes Australia one of the most multicultural countries in the world. This broad ethnic mix has created a rich cultural blend of languages, fashions, architecture and cuisines..

The Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for over 50,000 years and it is believed they are the oldest,
continuous civilisation in the world. You can enjoy a tour with an Aboriginal guide to learn about their unique relationship with the country and listen to their stories that have been handed down for generations.

You can also view their rock art which is the oldest in the world. When Aussies go to the beach they try and wear as little as possible.
Australia is a land of extremes so make sure you come prepared. Up in the mountains down in the southern part of the continent its cold and snows from June to October).

Up further north its hot and humid from November through to March. Sharpen your spirit with an Australian adventure.

Credit: Tourism Australia Copyright

There are literally endless adventures you can take including a boat ride in the tropical rivers where you’ll see crocodiles as you cruise by. You can drive for days through the red deserts in the outback where kangaroos, lizards and emus thrive.

Along the coastal plains you can visit the rainforests where there are prehistoric plants like the 200 million year old Wollemi Pine.

The tree is thought to be one of the world’s oldest and rarest plants dating back to the age of the dinosaurs.

There are less than 100 trees known to exist in the wild. The remarkable discovery of the Wollemi Pine in the Blue Mountains near Sydney was an essential factor in the park being created as a World Heritage area in December 2000.

If you’re into adventure travel you can do a vast range of thrill seeking activities like rock-climbing, white water rafting, bungy jumping, ballooning, abseiling, skydiving, scuba diving, para-sailing and horse riding.

Australia is vast with over 46,000 kms of coastline, over 3,000 national parks and 15 World Heritage sites.
Many beautiful national parks are quite close to the major cities like the Blue Mountains National Park which has incredible mountain trails, flora and fauna and is only an hour away from Sydney. Tours run to almost all the national parks downunder.

The wildlife is often thought of as quite frankly - weird. Australia has kangaroos which bounce along at a rapid clip, wombats which look like big ungainly dogs, cuddly fluffy koalas who spend most of time asleep in gum trees, platypus that live in rivers and have a duck-like beak and fur, wild dingos, emus which are a peculiar looking animal with a long neck and a funny haircut!

There are over 1000 bird species in Australia with one of the most famous being the kookaburras which laughs almost like a human, and pretty pink galahs.

Because Australia is so multicultural you will notice there is a very sophisticated cafe society just like in Europe. Aussie restaurants provide outstanding food, wine and service. You can walk down the street and see a Thai restaurant next to an Italian trattoria alongside a Greek food house with a fish and chip shop.

Starting at the budget level there are endless accommodation options including hostels, backpacker lodges, motels, cabins, camping grounds through to boutique hotels and resorts and onto major international hotel chains.

You can also get away from it all staying in wilderness lodges, romantic tropical island resorts, B&Bs and very friendly farm and home stays.

If its entertainment your after you wont be disappointed. This is after all the country that produced such
singing greats as Cold Chisel, Silverchair, Midnight Oil, INXS, AC/DC and Kylie Minogue. Its film stars include Mel Gibson, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman,Cate Blanchett, Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, Anthony LaPaglia and Eric Bana

Australia is truly a gem in the South Pacific with its amazing natural and man made icons such as Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park, the Daintree rainforest, the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge which you can walk right over the top of, the ever-popular Gold Coast and the amazing Skyrail near Cairns.

So do your self a favour. Come and visit Australia. For an international student its the adventure of a lifetime.

Source: www.StudyinAustralia.com