Activities in Australia - Things to do in Australia
Being one of the most popular tourist destinations, you will find many different exciting activities that you can do across Australia.
There are numerous activities for those active and sporty people, there are also activities for those people who are into the arts, culture and music. There is truly something for everyone!
If you are a student at an Australian school, TAFE institute or University, you may be able to find sporting or cultural clubs at your education institute that organises regular outings and trips of your prefered activity. So, do keep an eye out for these clubs and organisations.
Furthermore, if you are experienced in an activity such as bush walking and you prefer to go solo, even though it is not advisable, but there are also plenty of opportunities for that too. Just make sure that you do all the necessary research and make sure that you are well prepared and you should be good to go!
Must-sees and must-dos
Everyone who visits Australia enjoys visiting some of the most famous landmarks and attractions of Australia. In Sydney you can view the famous Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour. In Canberra, you can visit The Parliament House and the National Gallery of Australia. In Melbourne, look out for the Federation Square and the National Gallery of Victoria. When visiting Brisbane, you must check out the Gold Coast and other amazing beaches and surfing sites there, including Palm Beach and Mermaid Beach. Of course there is also the Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Island and Lizard Island. Uluru's Ayers Rock is also a must see. You might also want to check out the Kangaroo Island to say hello to some of the unique Australian wildlife including Kangaroos, Koalas, Wallabies, Echidnas and Platypuses. Oh and don't forget your cameras!
Bush walking, hiking and trekking
If you are a relatively active person who enjoys a bit of tranquillity and who enjoys exploring the outdoor in a country with vast land, rare faunas and floras, then you will need to make sure that you go bush walking, hiking or trekking around various spots in Australia. Popular spots for these activities are usually in Australian National Parks, Forests and Reserves. You can find many notable National Parks such as the Royal National Park, the World Heritage Blue Mountains National Park, and the Morton National Park in various parts of Australia. If you are very experienced and prefer to go solo, you can go walking, hiking or trekking by yourself almost everywhere in Australia... from mountains to forests to rain forests and desert areas.
Water sports
Australia is very well known for its beaches and its huge variety of water activities. Australia has more beaches than any other nation, so it is not surprising to find about 11,011 beaches along the the huge coastline of Australia. Surfing and simply going to the beach is extremely popular among Australians and many tourists. Other activities that you can enjoy include fishing, diving, jet boating, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, kitesurfing and windsurfing etc. Some of the most popular beaches include Bondi Beach in Sydney, Bells Beach in Victoria, Cottesloe in Perth and Gold Coast in Queensland and the list goes on!
Winter sports
Skiing is a popular winter sport. The most well known ski destinations include Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, and Selwyn Snowfields in New South Wales; Falls Creek, Mount Buller and Mount Baw Baw in Victoria; and Ben Lomond and Mount Mawson in Tasmania. Also, since Australia has mild winters, many outdoor sports can be played all year round with football and rugby being the two most popular.
Extreme sports
If you are into extreme sports, there are also numerous spots all across Australia (but mostly in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland) that will allow you to get your adrenaline pumping with activities such as bungee jumping, abseiling and skydiving.
Festivals and other relaxing activities
There are hundreds of festivals held each year across Australia. For example, every year, you can visit Sydney in January for the Sydney Festival, you can participate in the National Multicultural Festival in Canberra in February, you can also visit Brisbane in July for the Brisbane Festival and you can go down to Melbourne in October for the Melbourne International Arts Festival etc. There are many more different kinds of festivals held during the year in different parts of Australia, you can go to the culture.gov.au website to get more detailed information and for a list of all Australian cultural, art and music events and festivals.
Other activities people enjoy doing is simply walking around cities, taking in the amazing scenery and views that Australia has to offer. Most people also enjoy bird watching, wildlife viewing and visiting Australian zoos and Parks.
Book Activities in Australia
Tourism
Many tourist attractions are located throughout Australia. Queensland actually has one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Barrier Reef. Travel companies and travel agencies operated throughout the most remote areas of Australia, including the outback and country areas.
Buses, trains, planes, and tram tickets can be booked and purchased for national travel. Routes usually start and finish in major cities and pass through many rural towns on their journey. Even hire cars are available for hire, but remember, if you are traveling by car and you are feeling tired and need sleep, pull over and take a rest.
Most of the roads in Australia are sealed with bitumen and vehicles travel on the left hand side of the road. Street lights operate at night time in most suburban streets. To travel on some roads or bridges in some major cities, a toll will have to be paid. Also you will have to pay a fee for most car parks in the city areas.
Some popular tourist attractions are:
➢   The Great Barrier Reef
➢   Hamilton Island
➢   Uluru (aka Ayers Rock)
➢   Blue Mountains
➢   Many National Parks and Wildlife Reserve
➢   The Kimberlys
➢   The Sydney Harbour Bridge
➢   Victorian Ski Fields
➢   Great Ocean Road
➢   Whitsunday Islands
➢   Barossa Valley
To book a holiday or go on a tour in Australia, you can get in contact with your local travel agent and book a holiday.
It is suggested that you do not enter the outback and desert regions of Australia without letting some one know beforehand. It is suggested that you use a Global Positioning System (GPS) or travel with a party or travel group. The outback is a large place and you may become lost.
Sports
The government department which controls the sporting sector of Australia is the Australian Sports Commission. This government department is in control of the Australian Institute if Sport (AIS). This institute teaches students how to play sport and additional information a sportsman needs to play a professional sport, such as nutrition.
Throughout Australia you can find all types of clubs and teams for all different types of sports. The larger cities have arenas and football parks throughout the suburban areas, such as Subiaco Oval, Rod Laver Arena, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Education is sport begins at a very early stage in a students life. Sporting events start at Primary School level and can progress to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) which can progress your sporting career to world-class international levels. Schools and colleges may organize teams for the students to play sport in their own time, and Physical Education (or P.E.) is taught as a lesson at high school. After high school there are many options to play sports, either at home with your kids, in an amateur club representing your local suburb, or on a world-class professional level representing Australia in an internationally recognised sport.
Some of Australia’s popular major sports played are:
➢   Aussie-Rules Football
➢   Rugby League
➢   Rugby Union
➢   Cricket
➢   Soccer
➢   Swimming
➢   Surfing
➢   Athletics
➢   Waterskiing
➢   Wakeboarding
Clubs
Clubs are for people who wish to associate with other people with the same hobbies or interests. Clubs can be run either at a clubhouse or via a website, and meet at regular meetings. Many social and ethnic clubs are open to the public in most towns and cities. Some popular clubs are
➢   Car clubs (Commodore, rotaries, panel vans etc.)
➢   Hobby clubs (Remote Control Car, art clubs)
➢   Ethnic clubs (German, Italian etc.)
➢   Sporting Clubs
➢   Gymnasiums ands health clubs
➢   Church and religious groups
Most clubs are governed by a chairperson or president or spokesman for the club. Some clubs charge a fee for club visits. Meetings are held on a regular basis, where you can meet people with the same interests and have a fun time.
Entertainment
Local news papers and magazines have all the information you need on different activities in your local area. Also flyers, message boards, television advertisements and radio advertisements and word of mouth are good sources of information for entertainment events. Some popular entertainment activities are:
➢   Movies
➢   Festivals
➢   Concerts
➢   Radio stations
➢   Television programs
Remember to add your entertainment costs to your budget if you decide to move to Australia to study or live. Some events can be rather expensive, such as the international music concerts.
Entertainment venues are found everywhere throughout the suburban areas. Some venues such as nightclubs hotels and restaurants can be open until very late at night. Such venues include:
➢   Hotels and Nightclubs
➢   Picture theatres
➢   Video hire shops
➢   Internet café
➢   Wineries
➢   Markets
➢   Restaurants and diners
If you would like to get out the city areas and enjoy an outdoors activity then maybe you could try:
➢   4WD
➢   Parasailing
➢   Abseiling
➢   Motorcycle tours
➢   Diving
➢   Caving
➢   Skydiving
So if you do decide to stay for a visit or forever, I can guarantee wherever you are in Australia you will always have something to kill the boredom.
Australians are naturally out doorsy people, with the amazing outback and spectacular beaches it is know wonder most of the activities undertaken here are based out doors.
When one asks what there is to do in Australia it will usually be answered with Boating, Camping or Fishing! There are many other options as well though. Rock climbing and abseiling are favourites, bike riding, motor bike riding, horse riding, bush walking, surfing, cricket and the all time favourite footy.
AFL or Australian Rules Football is Australia's favourite sport, if visiting Victoria and in particular if stopping in Melbourne it is a must to visit the MCG or Melbourne Cricket Ground the home of AFL. The MCG has it's own museum dedicated to the game.
It is all about sport though, each state has their own grape growing region. Australians are very proud of their local produce with many markets open on the week end which show case all the locally grown goods. Wineries also offer tours and tastings as well as many now having their own cafes on sight. A trip to the many wine areas of Australia is a great day trip.
Each major city has their own story to tell, to help them do so they all have many heritage listed buildings, art galleries and museums for tourists to visit and learn a little more about the city. The local zoo's are always a huge attraction, with so many species of animals which are native to Australia but also deeply endangered the bid to increase awareness is huge. Zoo's and Aquariums around Australia all use their profits to helping with environmental research and wildlife rehabilitation.
There are many shops and entertainment venues located right across the country, although whilst in Australia one can't go past a good old fashioned Aussie Barbeque. A Barbie as they are known to the locals is a time to catch up with friends and become one with the out doors.
The only way to find out how much there is to do in Australia is to come and visit your self. There is no better time then know to start exploring this great land.
Do you think of Sea, Sun and Sand when you think of Australia?
Unfortunately, that's all most people do have in mind. But being Down Under means much more than that and I'm not just talking about the extensive rainforests or pristine ski slopes or the undiscovered beauty of the Outback.
Australia is a place where thinking is unconfined. Tradition is recognised, but does not limit the way Australians approach the future. There are no blind spots in the Australian approach to life, and everywhere people are encouraged to find solutions to problems, not just come up with more problems.
Australians have a tradition of calling bald men curly. It's part of the national sense of humour, but it also shows that people are thinking outside the box, are imagining what could be, not just seeing what is there.
When people limit Australia to Sun, Sea and Sand, they are showing their own constrained vision of the world, inherited from centuries of insulated culture. Australians have an unfettered view of their own country and potential. Anything they can think of doing can be done: the education, the environment, the cultural support - it is all there waiting. Think big.
Chris P., Australia
