Australia

Australia is a country and continent surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its major cities – Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide – are coastal. Its capital, Canberra, is inland. The country is known for its Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, a vast interior desert wilderness called the Outback, and unique animal species like kangaroos and duck-billed platypuses.
The Outback's arid Red Centre region is home to the remote town of Alice Springs, a hub for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The park is the site of the Olgas geologic formation and Uluru (Ayers Rock), both sacred to the local indigenous people. Closer to the east coast, Cairns’ Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and Canberra’s National Museum of Australia both explore Aboriginal culture. The country is also known for outdoor activities like snorkelling, surfing, adventure sports and hiking. Visitors can explore rainforests, desert, beaches and alpine ranges, as well the Barossa Valley's vineyards, known for their Shiraz wines.