Astonishing Australia- All you should know before travelling to Australia

                                                                    

A land of kangaroos, amazing wildlife, stunning sceneries, and a plethora of marine and fun activities, Australia is an ideal destination for an adventure junkie, nature enthusiast, beach lover or a party freak. Millions of travelers come here to get and unforgettable and memorable experience, to  enjoy the unimaginable vistas, surf in the ocean and revel on its untouched islands.

How to reach Australia from India ?

The only direct flight to Australia from India is operated by Air India and it is from New Delhi to Sydney and lasts 12 hours 25 minutes.

There are numerous flights operating from India to Australia with carriers such as Thai Airways, Qantas Airways and Cathay Pacific.

There are 30 largest airport and airlines in Australia.

One of the famous International Airport is Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport.

Average cost of flight from Delhi, India to Australia – approx. 20 –  25k/pp

Average cost of flight from Mumbai, India to Australia – approx. Rs. 32 – 35k /pp

Average cost of flight from Kolkata, India to Australia – approx. Rs. 28 – 32k/ pp

Average cost of flight from Chennai , India to Australia – approx. Rs. 25 –  30k/ pp

Licenses and permits Required

Indians need to have a passport and visa to visit Australia .

Visa cost- approx. 9000/pp

Major cities to visit in Australia

  • Sydney
  • Melbourne
  • Perth
  • Alidade
  • Cairns
  • Gold coast

Places to visit in Australia

  • Great Ocean Road – Spectacular Formations
  • Kakadu National Park – Witness Rich Wilderness
  • Blue Mountains National Park – For A Day Trip
  • Fraser Island – For A Pleasant Weather
  • Uluru – Striking Visuals
  • Heide Museum of Modern Art – A Unique Place
  • Harbour Bridge – An Engineering Marvel
  • Sydney Opera House – An Architectural Masterpiece
  • Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art – Popular Arts
  • Carlton Gardens – The Oldest Sites
  • Great Barrier Reef – Scuba Diving Hub
  • Yara Valley – A Spectacular Experience
  • Sea World Marine Park – Amuse Yourself
  • Skiing At Snowy Mountains – Enjoy Snow Sports
  • Sky Diving In Melbourne – A Breath-taking Experience
  • Melbourne Chapel Street – For Shopaholics
  • Pitt Street Mall In Sydney – An Iconic Place
  • Queen Street Mall In Brisbane – An Instant Delight
  • King Street In Perth – Lots Of Choices
  • Rundle Mall In Adelaide – A Great Shopping Place
  • Bondi Beach – A Heavenly Beach
  • Daintree National Park – Nature’s Delight
  • Broome – The Once Pearl Capital
  • Cradle Mountain – Lake St. Clair National Park
  • The Sydney Tower – Enjoy Panoramic Views
  • Royal Botanic Garden – Acres Of Themed Yards
  • Taronga Zoo – Amazing Wildlife
  • Hyde Park – A Sprawling Picnic Spot
  • Barangaroo Reserve – For An Evening Stroll
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales – Notable Works
  • Chinatown – Feast Upon Asian Meals
  • St. Mary’s Cathedral – Get Spiritual
  • Broome Historical Museum – Some Fascinating History
  • Hahndorf – An Unlike Experience
  • Barossa Valley – With The Finest Wineries
  • Cleland Conservation Park – Rich Flora And Fauna
  • Rottnest Island – A Natural Beauty
  • Nambung National Park
  • Byron Bay

Famous Food and cuisines

  • Vegemite
  • Tim Tams
  • Meat pies
  • Anzac Biscuits
  • Pavlova
  • Wit Chetty grub
  • Lamingtons
  • Fairy bread
  • Chicken Parma

                                  

Local restaurants in Australia

  • St. George workers club
  • The harbor
  • Wildflower
  • Ferment Asian
  • Muse Restaurant

Indian Restaurants in Australia

  • The spice room
  • Flavor of India Edgecliff
  • Malabar South Indian Restaurant
  • Zaaffran
  • Masala Theory

Facts about Australia

  • If you visit one new beach in Australia every day, it would take over 27 years to see them all.
  • Each year, Brisbane hosts the world championships of cockroach racing.
  • Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano.
  • Australia has three times more sheep than people.
  • The largest Greek population in the world beside Athens in Greece can be found in Melbourne Victoria.
  • An Australian man once tried to sell New Zealand on eBay.
  • The Austalian Alps receive more snowfall than Switzerland. Maybe it’s time to change that Euro Trip idea?
  • Most of Australia’s exotic flora and fauna cannot be found anywhere else in the world. A selfie with cuddly marsupials like koalas, quokkas, wombats and kangaroos are only possible in Australia. Though I would suggest a wide berth to dangerous (usually venomous) animals like the blue ring octopus, the stone fish and funnel web spider.
  • Australia was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote in 1902.
  • Per capita, Australians spend more money on gambling than any other nation, with over 80 percent of Australian adults engage in gambling of some kind. Also, 20 percent of the world’s poker machines are found in Australia.
  • Did you know that Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital?
  • Australia is home to the longest fence in the world. Originally built to keep dingos away from fertile land, the fence is now 5,614 km long.
  • There are 60 designated wine regions in Australia, producing approximately 1.35 trillion bottles of wine every year.

Don’ts for Tourists visiting Australia

·        Don’t stay anywhere suburban and away from public transport

·        Don’t ever swim at just any beach (beware of crocs, stingers, sharks etc.)

·        Don’t assume kangaroos are cuddly creatures

·        Never hike in the Outback alone

·        Don’t talk loudly on a quiet carriage during peak-hour commute

·        DO tip if you enjoyed the service, but a gratuity is usually included in your bill and tips are not expected.

Things to do in Australia

·        Sail the Whitsundays

·        Hike Cradle Mountain

·        See an Uluru sunset

·        Go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef

·        Visit the quokkas on Rottnest Island

·        Kayak down the Noosa Everglades

·        Go wine tasting in South Australia

·        Take a walk on the wild side in Kakadu

·        Dive into Florence Falls

·        Go white water rafting in Cairns

·        Explore the Blue Mountains

·        Go ziplining in the Daintree

·        Cruise the Katherine Gorge

Standard itinerary for 6 Nights 7 Days

 Day 1

Arrive at Airport prior to 3p.m. met by representative and transfer to hotel.

After lunch, Take an easy stroll along the Derwent River or explore Constitution Dock’s many yachts, boats, and fishing trawlers. This lively area, also the finishing line for the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, is an energizing kick off to your Tassie adventures.

 After getting acquainted with the city, join your Travel Director for a Welcome Reception including Tasmanian cuisine such as fresh Pacific oysters, catch of the day, and grain-fed beef paired with local wines and beer. It’s a fresh and delicious start to your adventures in beautiful Tassie.


Day 2

Salamanca Market and More

Your first full day in Tasmania gets off to the perfect start grazing its food scene at the famous Salamanca Market. In this feast for the senses, smell and taste local cheeses, pickles, crepes, oysters, truffles, cider, and more.

Senses awake, you’re ready for a sightseeing tour of this capital city. You’ll stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, before learning a bit of history at Battery Point – a maritime village built in 1804.

See Hobart’s famous Cascade Brewery before driving up to Mt. Nelson Lookout to soak in views of the city. After a big day, ask your Travel Director for restaurant recommendations and raise a glass to the end of your day. Cheers!


Day 3

Harbourside Village of Strahan

Head out of Hobart today for your first taste of dramatic landscapes to the cascading waterfalls of Russell Falls in Mt. Field National Park. Then wind your way to Australia’s deepest lake, Lake St. Clair at 160 metres deep.

Pause at the peaceful water of this lake whose aboriginal name means “sleeping water” and snap a few photos to remember the moment. You’ll then continue your scenic journey through the rainforest bordered road of World Heritage protected Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, passing through the old mining town of Queenstown, before arriving in the seaside township of Strahan.

After a day in nature, you’ll be dazzled by Strahan’s massive Macquarie Harbour, seven times the size of Sydney Harbour, as you arrive at your hillside hotel. Here we’ll toast to a big day over dinner at Strahan Village’s View 42 Restaurant and Bar diving into a seafood feast of oysters, prawns, mussels, and more that you’ve already come to love on your Tasmania tour.


Day 4

Cruise into the Wilderness

Jump into the wilderness and take to the river this morning on a guided cruise on the Gordon River with a Local Specialist. Look out the floor-to-ceiling windows to the dark waters, stained amber by Button-grass tannins, reflecting this untouched wilderness.

Stop for a bit of history and Dive Into Culture at the isolated Sarah Island, once a site of a penal colony, and gain insights into Tasmania’s convict history. Hear the stories and learn about the natural environment, the flora and fauna as you stroll among the 3,000-year-old pine once used in shipbuilding.

Visit the Hells Gates the notoriously treacherous entrance to the harbour before docking and going on your way, passing through the mining towns of Rosebery and Tullah. You’ll travel deep into the alpine forest of Cradle Mountain National Park arriving at your Stays With Stories accommodation.

Celebrate the natural beauty you’ve seen today with local beer and wine or continue your exploration on the property’s wilderness boardwalk. Be sure to check out the hotel’s art gallery that showcases the Cradle Mountain wilderness through the works of Tasmanian artists.


Day 5

Explore Dramatic Cradle Mountain

Waking in the heart of Cradle Mountain National Park, get ready to explore more of this beautiful, protected landscape.

You’ll begin at Waldheim Chalet for a bit of history. Learn how after summiting the peak, Gustav Weindorfer and his wife Kate were compelled to build Waldheim (meaning “home in the forest”) Chalet to give tourists the opportunity to enjoy the natural surroundings.

Get better acquainted with the land on a boardwalk stroll with your Travel Director through the forest on the shores of Dove Lake, gazing up at the towering, jagged peaks of Cradle Mountain and perhaps dolerite peak on a clear day. Look around nearby too, as Bennetts wallabies, echidnas, and padymelons also make their home here.

Want to see more unique Tasmanian wildlife? Consider joining an optional experience learning about and getting close (but not too close!) to the Tasmanian Devil. Or join an evening animal spotting experience viewing nocturnal mammals and marsupials including wallabies, wombats, and possums in their native night-time habitat. A creature is always stirring in fascinating Tasmania.


Day 6

Charming Launceston

Today is a big day for Tassie’s food and flavours and you’ll kick it off at Hellyers Road Whisky Distillery in Burnie, home to one of Australia’s best single malt distilled whiskies.

 Get an inside peek as you see what’s distilling, learn how to taste with a Local Specialist, and even choose to pour and wax seal your very own bottle to take home – a totally unique and tasty souvenir. Next up, get acquainted with rural life at Mount Gnomon Farm on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Hidden high in the hills, here you’ll Connect with Locals meeting passionate fifth-generation farmer Guy who’ll share his story and give you a tour of his apple orchard. Then sit down to a farm-to-fork, cider-paired Be My Guest lunch served in his beautiful barn overlooking his well-stocked veggie garden. After a quick stop in Sheffield, the ‘Town of Murals,’ you’ll head through the Meander Valley to the historic city of Launceston for a good night’s rest.


Day 7

Farewell Launceston

It’s your last day in Tasmania and there’s still plenty to see. Culture, wildlife, and history combine at Launceston’s Cataract Gorge. This rare natural phenomenon unites bushland with neat Victorian gardens, replete with ferns and exotic plants. 

Take an easy walk around the Basin and across the historic suspension bridge or get a bird’s eye view aboard the world’s longest single span chairlift. Then it’s time for a scenic and yummy stop at Josef Chromy Wines.

 We can’t think of a better way to end your time in Tassie than raising a glass or two sampling the specialties of the region including Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Once you’ve been treated to a few pours, sit down to a meat and cheese platter and your main course paired with Pepik Pinot Noir and views of the winery’s English gardens, picturesque lake and vineyards.

Feeling full and happy, all good things must come to an end. After experiencing so many beautiful places together, bid your travel companions a warm farewell before your transfer to Launceston Airport (flights to depart after 5pm).

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