Australia
A little bit of history...
This extraordinary land gave birth to one of the worlds most diverse peoples – the Aborigines. It’s estimated that when the British settled in Australia in the 18th century there were over 300,000 Aboriginal people speaking as many as 250 different languages. Aboriginal society largely consisted of tribal groups living in harmony with nature. These remarkable people were self-confessed wanderers taking only what they needed and sleeping beneath the stars as they continually moved across this vast land.
But all this changed in 1778 when Captain Arthur Phillip established the first settlement in Australia. The fleet of 11 ships that arrived at Sydney Cove carried with it a host of petty criminals as well as four companies of marines to watch over them. The convicts sent to Australia usually had relatively short sentences but as the chance of returning to England was near impossible, transportation was viewed as a life sentence. Despite the presence of vast number of indigenous people, the new settlers considered Australia to be unoccupied.
The concept of ownership was completely foreign to the aborigines and as a result the new settlers took their land from them without signing any treaties or providing any compensation. The Aboriginal people, with their small tribal groups, were in no position to coordinate an effective resistance and were unceremoniously driven from their land by force. Over the next one hundred and fifty years the Aboriginal population declined steeply, partly because of this forceful invasion and partly because the British carried diseases that the Aborigines were completely unprepared for.
The Aboriginal people had successfully adapted their way of life to suit their changing environment for 40,000 years but the European colonisation of Australia hit them hard. Despite this, the Aboriginal culture survives still, and one would hope, will forever. In 1972 Australia’s indigenous people were given back limited rights to their own land and the situation has been steadily improving ever since.
In the 1851 gold was discovered just west of the Blue Mountains and when the discovery was made public that same year it provoked a mass influx of settlers. By 1952 over 1,800 Europeans were arriving every week. This mass influx of migrants coupled with a couple of large discoveries successfully boosted the Australian economy and led the way to a new social order.
On January 1 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia was born as a dominion of the British Empire and thirty years later the Statute of Westminster saw its rise to independence (though it wouldn’t completely sever its ties with England until the Australia Act was passed in 1986).
After World War II, Australia encouraged mass immigration from Europe, and after the White Australian policy was abolished in the 1970’s, the rest of the world as well. Thus Australia today is a multicultural society with huge Greek, Italian and Asian populations.
Best time to go...
Australia is a great place to visit all year round and many travellers decide to spend a year or more travelling across the country. If you don’t want to go away for that long then you need to decide exactly what you want to do before you go.
If you’re looking for an all-round trip and plan to experience a little bit of everything then you’re going to want to travel in the autumn (March-May) or the spring (September-November) when the weather is mild and the land particularly beautiful. You can do anything and go anywhere at this time of year without any discomfort or inconveniences.
If your trip to Australia will see you relaxing on the beach, riding waves and generally taking advantage of the countries divine climate then you’ll need to head out in the summer (between December and February). Southern Australia is your desired location but whatever you do, don’t forget the sun tan lotion! In the northern regions of Australia these are the wettest months of the year and it’s extremely humid but also incredibly beautiful. Plant-life flourishes in the north and travellers will be astounded by picturesque countryside and overflowing rivers.
If, however, you’re planning a trip to the outback or a ski holiday then you’ll want to travel between June and August. It’s simply too hot in the summer months to visit the outback but this is one of Australia’s main attractions and you won’t want to miss out! This is also a great time to visit Queensland’s rainforests and coral reefs! For skiing you’ll need to head to the south, Victoria is particularly popular at this time of year.
Getting around...
In a country as vast and diverse as Australia transport becomes a major issue. Flying is the most popular form of travel because the distance between A and B can be as much as 4000km! There are international airports across the country and flights to Australia’s more remote destinations are not hard to come by (though they may prove to be expensive). Qantas is Australia’s main domestic airline and backpackers are likely to become particularly fond of its budget sister-company, Jetstar.
Buses and trains are a desirable alternative to flying and can provide some incredible sights along the way. If you’re swaying toward buses there is one company you are going to need to remember – Greyhound Australia. They have the widest coach/bus network in Australia and will be able to get you from one place to the next with relative ease. Buses are generally faster than trains but if you’re travelling overnight you’ll find that trains are a whole lot more comfortable. Trains can be expensive in Australia and the budget traveller will probably opt for a bus journey to save the pennies.
Renting or hiring a car is a great way to get around Australia especially if you’re travelling in a group. Buying a car may seem a tad extreme but considering the size of the country and the cost of travelling for a group of people it actually works out as one of the less expensive travel options.
Useful links
www.lonelyplanet.comLonely Planet are leaders in the travel guide sector and their website is a great source of travel information.
www.fco.gov.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.
www.Australia.com
The official website of the Australian Tourist Commission.
www.qantas.com.au
Australia’s leading domestic airline.
www.about-australia.com
A useful website with a whole load of information about the country, including travel information and advice.
www.australiaadventures.com
Don’t let the simple design of this website put you off, it’s absolutely packed full of information for adventure travellers in Australia.
www.iexplore.com
A great website for information about Australia and it’s many attractions.
www.jetstar.com
Australia leading budget airline.
www.greyhound.com.au
Greyhound has the largest coach/bus network in Australia.
