One of the most popular holiday destinations in the world and pretty much as far away as it’s possible to get from the UK, thanks to sharp drops in the cost of flights to Australia, the land down under is now easier to get to than ever before. Australia is a massive country, and makes up the most part of the continent of Australasia. It is a country made famous by its iconic desert outback, tropical rainforests, sunny beaches, and iconic landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and Ayers Rock or Uluru.

Australia covers 2,967,909 square miles which mainly consists of desert and scrub land, and is known as the Bush, or the Outback. In spite of its gigantic land mass, the population of Australia remains comparatively small at around 20 million. This population is scattered around the various coastlines, and centred around the large cities of Sydney and Melbourne and several other smaller cities. The climate in Australia is one of its key pulling factors for holidays. Though it varies depending on where you are, the prevailing climate is hot and sunny. In the South, in Victoria, the weather is milder and contains more variation between winter and summer. In the Northern Territory, the weather is tropical, with sunny and rainy seasons, and in Queensland, the weather is hot and sunny all year round with very little variation.

Because of the size of Australia, choosing a holiday there can be daunting. There is a huge variety of different activities to see and do, and for this reason, a great number of people choose extended breaks in Australia, or go backpacking there for months on end. For most people though, this is not possible, and for these people, it is necessary to pick and choose which area you wish to see and stay in. A flight to Australia can take you to all the major cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Brisbane and Darwin, and will invariably include a stop off somewhere along the way as the trip takes more than 20 hours. Where you fly to, will depend on which activity you wish to pursue.

The most popular holiday destination in Australia is the East coast, which consists of both New South Wales and Queensland. All the way up the East coast of Australia are long sandy beaches, and clean blue sea. A holiday starting in Sydney will most likely include a couple of days looking around this modern, multicultural city before heading up the coast to take in some more relaxed beach resorts. At the top end of the East coast, in Far North Quesnland is the small city of Cairns. This has become a centre of tourism thanks to its proximity to the Great Barrier reef. One of the most well known scuba diving destinations in the World, the Great Barrier Reef covers an area of over 300, 000 square km, and is a protected area. In between these two well known destinations are a whole host of secluded coves, beaches, and small towns only accessible by car. A popular option is to rent a car or camper van and spend time exploring the more secluded area’s of Australia.

The Queensland coastline boasts some of the most attractive holiday weather, and beaches in the world, but for the slightly more adventurous, Australia offers a great deal more. If you head to Far North Queensland, you find yourself in thick tropical rainforest. Head into the outback and stunning scenery awaits you. There are numerous gorges, waterfalls, and other areas of beauty waiting to be explored. Should you wish to fly to Darwin, or take the long drive there (It resides on a far northern point on the coast), you will find a charming multicultural town full of surprising characters, and unpolluted beaches. Take the drive through the center, and you will encounter long empty roads, surrounded by desert peppered with strange outposts of civilisation. In the center of Australia lies Ayers Rock, now known by its aboriginal name of Uluru, which is an iconic sight. For those who wish to avoid the crowds on the East coast, Australia’s West coast, because of its isolation is a welcome change. Most visitors to Australia don’t get further east than Melbourne, but for those that do, there is a vast region and a laid back population (making up ¾ of the states population) with many a secluded beach and beauty spot. If you fly to Perth, the capital city of West Australia, you will get a completely different experience to the other capitals.