About 180 kilometres south of Brisbane and 800 kilometres north of Sydney, the Byron Bay area is Australia’s eastern-most mainland coastal region. Byron Bay enjoys a mild sub-tropical climate, with summer temperatures averaging 25 to 30 degrees Celsius and average winter temperatures only slightly lower at 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. The area’s economy is based mainly on tourism and agriculture, with an estimated 1.7 million tourists visiting each year. Thriving small businesses focus on alternative, cultural and knowledge industries, and the area is home to a steadily growing population of writers, artists and filmmakers.

The town of Byron Bay is renowned for the rich diversity of its weekend markets, restaurants, shops and fashion outlets. The Byron Bay area including the hilly hinterland is also known as something of a mecca for alternative lifestylers who have enriched the local culture and economy with an enormous variety of small alternative food, art, craft, health and natural therapy industries. An area of spectacular natural beauty and glorious beaches, outdoor activities abound in Byron Bay, ranging from bushwalking and climbing in the nearby hills to surfing, diving, snorkelling, whale watching, gliding, hang-gliding, horse riding and bike riding.

The north coast of New South Wales is the traditional country of the Bunjalung people. Two sub-groups of the Bunjalung frequented the Byron Bay area, the Arakwal in the south and the Minjunbal in the north. Aboriginal people lived in and visited the Byron Bay area for over 20,000 years. They knew the area as Walgun (The Shoulder), a place of plenty with sheltered sandy beaches, abundant seafood, wildlife and rainforest fruits, and permanent clean spring water. Unfortunately, many coastal Aboriginal sites have been lost to sandmining and development, but the remaining sites provide strong evidence of a vibrant and versatile culture that thrived in an abundant natural environment. Middens, ceremonial Bora rings, burial sites and specially marked trees have all been recorded in the area. The surviving midden and camp site at Cape Byron’s Palm Valley is definitely the oldest of its type in the region at over 1,000 years old.

Cape Byron is one of Byron Bay’s main natural attractions, and is located just 3 km from the Byron Bay Post Office. Cape Byron has a well-deserved international reputation as one of the most beautiful locations in the world, boasting lush rainforest, rocky cliff faces, magnificent views of the Byron Bay hinterland and ocean, and excellent vantage points for watching whales and dolphins from the Cape Byron headland. At least two hours should be allowed for a comfortable walk around Cape Byron’s 5km walking trail. The trail passes through coastal heath, littoral rainforest, banksia forest and many beautiful vantage points. Cape Byron’s Aboriginal heritage lives on today, with members of the Arakwal clan, traditional custodians of the Byron Bay area, playing an active role in the preservation of traditional sites.

Welcome to Australia Travel, a site devote to anyone planning on being a tourist to Australia. This site gives travel advice and some great links that are are going to save you money on your visit to Australia. The top tourist spots in Australia tend to be Sydney, the Gold Coast and Cairns, they are certainly the most visited.

I’ve lived in all these places so can give you some great advice. (For advice of Melboure, Perth, Adeliade, Tasmania and other aussie places see upcoming blogs)

There are numerous other great places to visit as well and I’ll give tips where I can.

Sydney
Sydney is a huge diverse metropolis with numerous cultures and ethnicities living within the city. The central city is where you will want to spend most of your time as the surburbs hold little in the way for tourists. Some surburbs are no go zones being ethnic gettos with drug problems and the like. However the central city and the eastern beaches are safe and great places to visit.

The Beaches – you are spoilt for choice here. Beautiful yellow sand, rolling waves and patrolled. Follow the advice of the surf life savers with their traditional yellow and red hats. Bondi of course is the most famous with numerous bars, cafes and shops. But Maroubra is probably better for surfing and swimming. Catch the Manly ferry and walk across to the ocean beach and there is a lovely walk to the heads passing numerous restaurants. Cronulla beach is nice to the south with some nice walks as well.

Shopping:- There is plenty of shopping to be done in Sydney. If your from the UK or the USA then the exchange rate makes it even better for you. In the Central CBD are plenty of shops, one of my favourites is the Victoria building. Great design with traditional features. If you’re there on the hour go to the very top where there is a large clock. On the hour it shows scenes of British royality with a bit of a fanfare.

Hop on the monorail and go to Darling habour (see picture left as seen from the top of Sydney tower). Plenty of places to buy t-shirts and other souvenirs. Also on the ground floor is the best tasting fudge shop I’ve been to. I recommend the apricot favoured fudge. If your travelling around in the inner city buy a rail circle hopper ticket which allows you to get on and off the train as many times a day as you wish and includes Redfern station which is right next to paddy’s markets. Another place to check out is China town just to the south of the CBD.

Attractions:- No visit to Sydney would be complete without the mandatory visit to the Sydney Opera house – an icon of Australia. From there walk to the ferry terminal which attracts numerous entertainers and gives a good view of the habour. Continue around towards the Sydney habour bridge and you will run into “the Rocks” and see what old Sydney looked like. Lots of bars and places to eat with more shopping. Hyde park is another place to visit. At night it is lit up with lights in the trees. Bring an apple and feed the possums up in the trees. Kings Cross and Oxford street are center of “night life”.

Greater Sydney:- If you head out to the blue mountains via train or car Katoomba has great views of the Blue Mountains as well as walking tracks. Take the cable car across the gorge and look a thousand feet straight down or take the ‘railway’ and go down to the bottom. I recommend sitting right at the front if possible. Take in a view of the three sisters. One of my favourite place to visit in the Blue Mountains is the Jenolan Caves. Numerous caves to chose from and beautiful to see. Just a tip going down the road to the caves make sure you chose a low gear or you will burn out your brakes.

Gold Coast
The center of the Gold Coast is Surfers Paradise. A very long strip of yellow sand beach, however the name is not entirely correct The better surfing on the coast is found off the kirra point breaks and Coolangatta has the whitest sand and bluest water. Surfers Paradise may be more appropriately named for its after hours activities. Orchid Ave and the surrounding streets are a hot bed of night life with numerous nightclubs and other going ons. In the summer time is it just one event after another with the Indy car series, then schoolies, then Christmas and the New Year Fireworks – Standing room only as Surfers is packed out at this time. Generally safe though except for the odd drunk idiot looking for a fight.

Theme Parks – the Gold Coast has numerous theme parks including Seaworld, Dreamworld, Movie World, Wet n Wild, and Currumbin Bird Sanctuary. For more on these see the link on the side for (Gold Coast theme Parks or Seaworld Nara Resort).

The Gold Coast’s Hinderland also has much to offer. Early morning balloon rides, walking tracks and O’Reilly’s. O’Reilly’s is a bit of a drive but its worth the trip just to hand feed the brightly coloured parrots. Also there is a tree top walk with a walkway high up in the trees – not for those afraid of heights. There is also a guest house for those who would like an overnight stay.

Cairns
Cairns is the main gateway to the Great Barrier reef. Viewed from the air the reef shows its true form a series of small reefs and Islands. Beautiful seen from the air as emerald coloured jewels they are even better close up. A Boat trip out to the reef takes over an hour depending on where on the reef they stop. The best view is obviously for the scuba divers. Be warned though the waters are dangerous with numerous creatures that can kill so follow the local advice. Sharks, Jellyfish, Snakes, Stone Fish, Deadly blue ring octopus and yes stingrays (although Steve Irwin was only the third person in Australia to die from a stingray so don’t get too carried away). Of course it your sensible there is much beauty that will stay with you for the rest of you life. Colourful tropical fish and multi-coloured coral. In closer to shore are Crocodiles, and yes they can even be found out to sea. Mine you my whole time in Cairns (over two years) the only Croc.s I saw were in a local crocodile farm and on a river boat trip on the Daintree. However further up Cape York they get alot more numerous so follow the local signs and be careful.

Cairns is a Tropical environment and as such is VERY HOT year round (In the wet season expect late afternoon rain – see picture left). The Esplanade has been reworked and numerous tourist now sunbake on it. The central city is a backpackers heaven and numerous night clubs, bars, restaurants cafes carter for almost every taste but obviously seafood is a specialty.

A visit to the Daintree (where rainforest meets the reef) can be relaxing. Though I recommend you take in a boat ride and see Crocodiles in their natural environment. We saw four on our trip with a tiny year old one and a large one capable of making you lunch.

Kurranda is about an hours drive uphill, or you can take the scenic cable skyway or the kurranda train. Views of the Barron Falls and Tropical rainforest abound. Kurranda has a little market village feel about it. In the picture left you see it in full flow but sometimes it can almost be none existant as water is diverted for the Stanmore hydro power station and due to the impact of the dry.

Australia, the land down under and the home of the Aborigines is a place that is rich of so many things, from its very colorful past and culture to its well-kept wildlife and outstanding natural resources.

One such natural resource is the Great Barrier Reef, it is considered to be one of the natural wonders of the world since it is the world?s largest coral reef ecosystem and it is also the only living organic collective that is visible from the Earth’s orbit. However, contrary to popular belief, the reef is not a continuous barrier, but a broken maze of coral reefs and coral cays.

The Great Barrier Reef is composed of roughly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands that stretch for 2,600 kilometers in the Coral Sea in north-east Australia. It is the home of diverse forms of marine life, there is an estimated 1,500 species of fish living in the reef and more than 300 species of hard, more than 4,000 mollusk species, over 400 species of sponges have been identified and many other marine species.

Due to its vast biodiversity, warm clear waters and its astounding view, the reef is a very popular destination for tourists, most of those are scuba divers, may they be first timers or professionals, who want to experience and see the wonderful life under the sea. Because of this great interest to the reef, many cities along the Queensland coast offer boat trips to the reef on a daily basis while several continental islands have been turned into resorts to be able to take part in the boom of tourism in Australia.

Every year, the number of tourists in Australia doubles and because of this increase in human activity in the Reef, pollutants have also increased and the reef has suffered damage. The increase in pollutants in the Reef has been a considerable concern of the Australian government because it has been Australia?s first World Heritage Area. The protection and preservation of the beauty and the lives depending on the Reef is very important that?s why they have created a committee whose only aim is the protection of the Reef and it is called the Marine Park Authority. Then, in 2003, the Australian and Queensland Governments, in partnership with a wide range of industry and community groups, have developed the Reef Water Quality Protection Reef Plan (the Reef Plan) as a combined effort to protect the Reef.

The reef represents the maturity of the existence as well as the ongoing changes and evolution of life here on earth. The diverse life forms within the Great Barrier Reef show us the beauty of life as well as the importance of having a symbiotic relationship with our environment. The Reef?s existence is important not only to humans but to the immediate species benefiting from this large ecosystem. Protection and preservation is what we should and what we need to do for them to survive and continue to exist and proliferate for many years to come.

The process of obtaining a visa for Australia and New Zealand can be a complex process. The complexity of the process depends largely on the type of visa being applied for and the evidence you have in support of your application. For instance, short term tourists who are passport holders from certain countries (if there is no adverse record against their name) have free entry to New Zealand and are granted a visa when they arrive at the New Zealand airport. The current list of countries is located  Best check this passport status well in advance of ticket purchase and making travel plans.

Australia has a different system. If a potential tourist holds an acceptable passport and has no adverse immigration alert against their name, they may apply over the internet at the Australian government for an Electronic Tourist visa. They can only do this whilst they are outside Australia. Again, check the passport status and your status will in advance of ticket purchase and making travel plans.

Alternatively, speak to an immigration professional. These professionals can research your status and eligibility if you have any concerns. If you do not meet the criteria of these stream line passport holder processes, you may still be eligible for a tourist visa but have to submit documentation in support of your application.

If you have health issues, have a background that New Zealand or Australian authorities may consider unacceptable (you will not know this until you try to enter the country and your name is picked up on the immigration computer systems) or been previously excluded from entry to any country, you may need help. Get this help well in advance of your travel. You will also be denied entry to Australia or New Zealand once you arrive if immigration authorities suspect that you are not a legitimate tourist who will depart the country within 3 months of arrival.

Student visas are maybe a means by which an applicant can eventually obtain permanent residency. But take particular care here. Both Australian and New Zealand guidelines for student visas and their possible conversion at the end of the study to permanent visas do change on a regular basis. For instance, you may start a course of studies with the intention of, at the completion of those studies, applying for permanent residency based upon your academic qualifications. Only to find the government at the end of the study no longer needs those qualifications.

Applicants for the spouse visa, partner visa, skill visas and business visas have to go through a rather long and at times complex process of collecting appropriate evidence and submitting documents in support of their application. Some people feel confident in doing the process themselves, others reply n the expertise of trained and experienced migration professionals.

General Requirements for Australia and New Zealand:

In general ? business visa applicants must have an employment background, be that background of success at a senior executive level in a company, or have prior successful business ownership in order to be eligible for a business visa. They then have to submit business proposals and get approval from both the government immigration authorities and the local area they wish to set up their business.

The skill visa requires an academic background and experience in the chosen occupation. The governments of New Zealand and Australia are discerning about which occupations they want and require the academic training and employment history to meet their standards. For New Zealand, but not as important for Australia, the candidate must have an employment offer (there are exceptions here).

The spouse visa and the partner visa both rely on a sponsor being a permanent resident or citizen of the country they intend to move to. Evidence of co habitation and possibly witness statements are also required to back up the application.

For both Australia and New Zealand, candidates must meet health requirements and character clearances prior to any visa being granted. In every case, visa applicants must have sufficient funds to support themselves.

As the weather in North America starts getting colder and colder, many residents travel south to enjoy the sun and the warmer temperatures. But are they traveling far enough south? Instead of traveling to the south-east or south-west, maybe you should consider traveling a little further, all the way to Australia. Since Australia is on the opposite side of the equator from North America, the seasons are opposite as well. As we are moving towards winter, Australia is moving towards summer, with beautiful weather and beautiful beaches.

Of course the weather is only one reason to travel to Australia, which provides beautiful scenery and gorgeous sites year round. The temperature in Australia is moderate all year, which means no matter when you visit you will have great beach weather. There is an added benefit of going to Australia during our winter, since you get to experience the great summer climate in Australia, and you also get to avoid the cold here, but really any time of year is a great time to visit.

A trip to Australias Gold Coast is a trip to a tropical paradise. The Gold Coast beaches are majestic white sand beaches where you can swim or tan. There are numerous water activities available on the Gold Coast, underwater diving, surfing, swimming, are all an amazing experience. Surfers Paradise offers great surfing all day, and an excellent nightlife scene so you can continue having a great time long after the sun goes down. The Gold Coast region of Australia is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world, with some of the finest beaches that you will ever see.

In just a fourteen hour plane ride, you can be in paradise, among the rainforests, beaches, sounds of the ocean and natures wonderful creatures. An Australian vacation will provide your with a natural environment, adventurous theme parks, fabulous swimming, relaxing boat trips and deep sea diving.

There are very touristy areas with all the most modern facilities and some accommodations that are nestled right in the heart of the rainforest themselves. There is shopping and galleries, music and rides. If golf is your thing, you will find some of the most incredible courses in the world scattered across this breathtaking countryside. No matter where you choose to stay or what you choose to see, be sure to put the Gold Coast region of Australia on vacation hot spots for the winter months. A tropical getaway may be just what you need to kick those winter blues.