A holiday to Australia gives you everything you imagine – and a lot more in total luxury. There’s the sun, the beaches, the Great Barrier Reef and the outback, the koalas and kangaroos. Australia also has glittering, cosmopolitan cities – and restaurants where you get fine wines and some of the world’s finest cuisine.
Geographically, the island is only slightly smaller than the USA. It is hardly surprising then that for those wanting to see as much as possible within a limited timeframe, take advantage of Australia network of domestic flights, while the rail system allows high speed land connections from north to south and east to west. A Journeys of Distinction luxury tour of Australia allows you to take the overnight Ghan train option on our ‘Very Best of Australia’ which is now offered as an alternative means of travel through the outback from Alice Springs to Adelaide. Honed and shaped to offer an insight into Australia’s diversity this 26 day tour includes all those ‘not to be missed’ renowned locations.
Alternatively, our ‘Highlights of Australia and New Zealand’ is ideal for those who can take the opportunity to visit two very different countries in our 31 day luxury tour.
Our Australia Holiday Highlights
• Seeing Ayers Rock (Uluru) at sunset. The light cast over this spectacular rock formation creates a spectacle of breathtaking colour, and dine under a patchwork of stars at the Sounds of Silence dinner.
• Visiting the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest living thing, and seeing the rich colourful coral through the clear waters and the abundance of marine life.
• Exploring the cosmopolitan and attractive cities of the coast, staying in excellent centrally located hotels, for example the Four Seasons Sydney with Opera house views.
• Experience relaxed Australian lifestyle, with dinner cruises, visits to wildlife parks and picturesque offshore islands
Where is Australia?
Australia is the world’s largest island, located ‘Down Under’ between the Pacific and Indian Ocean and separated from New Zealand by the Tasman Sea. Ranging from tropical environments of the north, to the huge red centre with its amazing outback landscapes and to the southern coastline with a Mediterranean climate, Australia offers a great range of environments.
Australian Cuisine
Australian cuisine does not have a particular style in itself, but Australia is increasingly becoming well regarded due to its excellent restaurants and world class chefs, offering a fusion of styles and ingredients influenced by its different immigrant groups, both European and Asian. You will find dishes using excellent fresh ingredients – seafood, fish, meat and creative vegetarian food and salads. Plus of course, Australia has a thriving wine culture, it is the fourth largest exporter in the world, with vineyards dotted around Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. Australians are of course also partial to an ice cold beer at the end of a hot day.
Did You Know?
The largest living thing is...
The Great Barrier Reef. It is made up of 2,900 individual coral reefs, has 900 islands and covers an area larger than Great Britain.
The Koala Bear is...
actually not a bear but a marsupial and spends 75% of its lifetime sleeping!
There are seven types of boomerang...
They are the 'returning', 'hunting', 'hook', 'club', 'U shape', 'Y shape' and the 'cross'.
Australia is the world’s largest island, with a population of 21.7 million people. The federation of Australia was formed in 1901 and ties with the United Kingdom were severed in 1986 when the Australia Act was passed.
The country is classed as a megadiverse climate, this is seen in its array of rainforests and arid land. It is also seen in the fact that the Australian Alps receive more snow than Switzerland.