AUSTRALIA

                                                   AUSTRALIA

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, covering a land area of over 7,680,000 km². It is sandwiched by the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. As it is an island, it has no neighbouring countries, but it is near Papua New Guinea and Indonesia (north) and New  Zealand

Australia comprises six states and two territories: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland,South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and the Australian Antarctic territory.

MELBOURNE

Australia is geographically diverse, partly owing to its immense size. The centre of the continent is desert, known to Australians as the Outback. The vast majority of the population is concentrated around the eastern and south-eastern coasts.

 HOBBIES AND SPORTS

Their summer team sports like CRICKET have a great following and you will see the teams all dressed in their whites playing cricket on ovals all over the country and if they do not play they love to watch and applaud their favourite teams. Then there is tennis, couples smashing the white or yellow ball from one side of the net to the other, double's or singles, day and night. Tennis is played in just about every city or town in Australia.

And of course they LOVE our HORSES. Horses have been the backbone of a growing nation and very important over the last 200 years. Little wonder then that they love to race them as well.

Their sports are also a surfing nation; they love swimming and diving, SURFBOARDING or kneeboard riding, surf-skiing, wind-sailing, kite-surfing or just spending time on the BEACH with mates and friends.

GIRAFFE

Other pastimes like FISHING, has a tremendous following and there are fishing tackle shops everywhere. Great fishing spots are still to be found and all year round you will find kids on the wharfs, mates out rock fishing or sitting in the tinny (small steel boat) on a quite RIVER, right up to those that enjoy the big boat OFF-SHORE Marlin or catching sail-fish.

The Aussie weekends are spent doing any number of pastimes, DANCING, GARDENING, HIKING OR BUSHWALKING, SCUBA DIVING , HORSES riding or just spending time with friends enjoying a glass of WINE or a beer.

BEACH

MUSIC

Australia has a long tradition of country music, which has developed a style quite distinct from its US counterpart. The early roots of Australian country are related to folk traditions of Ireland, England, Scotland and many diverse nations. "Botany Bay" from the late 19th century is one example.Waltzing Matilda, often regarded by foreigners as Australia's unofficial national anthem, is a quintessential Australian country song, influenced more by Celtic folk ballads than by American Country and Western music. This strain of Australian country music, with lyrics focusing on strictly Australian subjects, is generally known as "bush music" or "bush band music." The most successful Australian bush band is Melbourne's The Bushwackers, active since the early 1970s.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC

Children's music in Australia developed gradually over the latter half of the 20th century. The most recognised performers in that period were those associated with the long-running Australian Broadacsting Corporation series Playschool, including veteran actor-musicianDon Spencer and actor and singer Noni Hazlehurst.

Australia has produced a wide variety of rock and popular music, from the internationally renowned work of the Bee Gees, AC/DC, INXS,Nick Cave, Savage Garden, the Seekers, or pop diva Kylie Minogue to the popular local content of John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes or Paul Kelly. Indigenous Australian music and Australian jazz have also had cross-over influence on this genre.

The earliest western musical influences in Australia can be traced back to two distinct sources: in the first settlements, the large body of convicts, soldiers and sailors who brought the traditional folk music of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland; and the first free settlers, some of whom had been exposed.  Very little music has survived from this early period, although there are samples of music originating from Hobart and Sydney that date back to the early 19th century.

THE SYDNEY BRIDGE

    SIGHTS

There are many interesting sights that attract many tourists from all over the world:

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the biggest group of coral reefs in the world. It is more than 2,000 km long and lies off the north-eastern coast of Australia.



The coral that forms the reef is made up of skeletons of dead water animals called polyps . They are small but often light up in many bright colours. These colourful reefs and the bright colours of fish and other water animals make the Great Barrier Reef a beautiful underwater garden.

Today, the reef is a national park which millions of tourists visit every year. But there are also many problems. Oil companies have found oil in this part of the ocean and want to start drilling , but the government is working hard to protect it.

The Sydney Opera House

  The Sydney Opera House is the most famous building in the city. It has two roofs that look like sails. A masterpiece of architecture , it stands on a peninsula that reaches into Sydney Harbour. More than 6,000 people can visit concerts, operas, theatre performances and other events. The Opera House was opened in 1973.  

Ayers Rock

Ayers Rock is a big rock that rises over 300 metres high from the plains of the Northern Territory. It is about 2.4 km long and 1.6 km wide and it takes you almost 2 hours to walk around it. The rock is often called “Uluru”, an aboriginal name.

The rock is made out of sandstone and glows red during sunrise and sunset . The Aborigines worship the rock and decorated the caves in it with paintings. Today, the land around Ayers Rock is a national park but is owned by the Aborigines.

 Kakadu National Park Kakadu National Park lies in Australia’s Northern Territory and covers about 20,000 sq. km . It is a wetland with over 200 kinds of birds and 1,000 plant species . It is also the home of Australian crocodiles.

    FOOD

The lamington is often referred to as the “National Cake of Australia.” The National Trust of Queensland even named the lamington one of Australia’s favorite icons.

This square-shaped sponge cake is coated in a layer of chocolate icing and desiccated coconut.

It sometimes comes in two halves with a layer of cream or jam in the middle. Found commonly throughout cafes as a perfect accompaniment to tea and coffee, it's also often baked for fundraisers.

The iconic Australian ad with aul Hogan, the star of the original Crocodile Dundee movie, is inviting our overseas visitors to wack another shrimp on the barbie..

A Barbie, for those who are not acquainted, is a barbeque not a blonde doll. The New Zealanders are more creative and have a hungie... where the meat is cooked under the ground - and is a real experience to taste. Australians are a little more simple, yet there is less fuss in a bbq and you can have one without having to dig a big hole in the backyard, or burying a whole animal.

A barbeque is when your meat is cooked over an open fire or on an outdoor grill.

The usual barbeque consists of meat, lamb chops and sausages - often wrapped in bread and butter with tomato sauce and then consumed at an outdoor table with lots of salads. Coleslaw and fresh garden salads. A beer is generally stuck to the free hand of any male attending and the women would generally be drinking a chardy - or possibly a sauvigion blanc.

If you are a real bbq traditionalist, the man of the house must cook with an apron and bbq tongs. Music must be loud, or the cricket or football on the radio, if no backyard game is being played. Thongs and beach chairs added... . If in summer, there would usually be a sprinkler for the kids or a water slide if no swimming pool (water restrictions allowing) or even a childs wading pool if no swimming pool (water restrictions allowing).....and you have a traditional aussie bbq.le

Nowadays, the meat selection for the traditional barbeque has changed slightly. With wonderful marinades and chicken and kebabs and all sorts of marvellous meat combinations. Yet the traditional bbq is still an australian favorite

                    TRADITION

References : 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia

http://www.travellerspoint.com/guide/Australia/

http://wikitravel.org/en/Australia

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/sights

http://www.insightguides.com/destinations/asia-pacific/australia/top-attractions

http://www.english-online.at/geography/australia/australia-sights-and-tourist-attractions.htm

https://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/people_culture.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Australia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_cuisine

http://travel.cnn.com/sydney/eat/40-foods-australians-call-their-own-651613

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Australia

http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-music

http://www.australiamyland.com.au/pastimes.html