Travel Guide to Australia

Facts and Figures

History and People

Australia is a city which is about 40,000 years old. The first people to live in Australia were called Aboriginals. The Aboriginals came by boat from the islands which is now called as Indonesia. They lived in all parts of Australia. The lives of the peoples were simple, as they had very few needs. They lived by hunting, fishing and gathering food. They lived in groups, and they spoke many different languages. It was hard for Australians to communicate since they spoke many different languages. Until 1901, Australia was not a country, it was six separate colonies managed by Britain. In the 1960s and 1970s Australia became one of the richest countries in the world, because it could mine a lot of iron and other things from the ground that other countries wanted to buy. Companies from United States and Europe came to Australia to increase their profits, and many Australians got jobs with them. Today Australia is a rich, peaceful and democratic country.

Shopping

Birkenhead Point

Situated just off Victoria Road and near the famous Bay Run, Birkenhead point offers a gathering of fantastic factory outlets which really do have negotiable rates. Among the factory outlets the famous are the Kathmandu factory outlet, Brands United, Marcs and fcuk.

Glebe Markets - Saturdays

situated in the Glebe Primary school off Glebe Point Road, Glebe Markets are great because there is a large range of attractive products at reasonable prices. Clothes, handmade jewellery, mirrors, bags, photo albums and notebooks are amongst the materials to be found there.

Paddington Markets – Sundays

Situated on Oxford Street, these markets likely to be somewhat costlier to reveal their location. Products are of a more polished quality, with some great designs on offer.

Rundle Mall, Adelaide

Rundle Mall in Adelaide is a good place for shopping in australia. Considered the largest pedestrian shopping mall with over 800 shops and 14 interconnected walkways. You will find bounty of choices for the latest fashions in clothing, jewellery, gifts and accessories from around the world and Australia.

Cuisines

Breakfast

The breakfast in Australia is generally light due to the warm weather there. It usually consists of cereals, toast with a spread and fruit. A heavier cooked breakfast will often include fried bacon, egg, mushroom, baked beans, sausages, tomatoes, toast with spread. Beverages taken at breakfast include tea, coffee, flavored milk, or juice. A popular breakfast food in Australia is Vegemite, a black, salty spread similar to Marmite, applied to toast or bread.

Dinner

Common choices for dinner would be roast meat and vegetables, pasta, pizza, casseroles, barbecued meat, vegetables, salad, soup and stir-fries. A standard cafe or restaurant in Australia might offer sandwiches and focaccias, a range of pasta, risotto, salad or curry dishes, steak, chicken or other meat-based dishes, cakes or other desserts, and juices, red and white wine, soft drink, beer, and coffee.

Fairs and Festivals

Sydney Festival

Sydney Festival was launched by the Sydney Committee, the NSW State Government and the City of Sydney with a view to drawing people into the city centre during the summers in the month of January. The Festival offers a program of around 300 performances and 80 events connecting more than 1000 artists from Australia and abroad covering dance, theatre, music, visual arts, cross media and forums. It is held for three weeks.

National Multicultural Festival, Canberra

The National Multicultural Festival is an annual event in Canberra which displays music and dances from around the world performed by local, interstate, and occasionally, international artists.

Perth International Arts Festival The festival was formed in 1953 by the University of Western Australia, making it the oldest international arts festival in Australia. Activities consists of theatre, dance, music, film, visual arts and literature, happening right across the state. Artists from around the world have participated in the Festival including the Israeli born clarinetist Chen Halevi.

Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts

The Adelaide Festival of Arts is one of the world`s great arts festivals. Every two years, it turns Adelaide into an arts and entertainment hub for artists and audiences from around the world, with a feast of theatre, film, dance, opera and more. The Adelaide Festival of Arts also hosts the exciting Writers Week and the South Australian Short Film Awards.

Brisbane Festival

Brisbane Festival intrigue, delight and inspire with its diverse program of dance, music, theatre, conversation and visual arts bursting across the city and suburbs for three exciting weeks. It is held every two years in Brisbane, Australia.

Darwin Festival

The Darwin Festival is a festivity of the city's individuality, rejoicing multicultural community, youthful energy, tropical climate and great lifestyle. The cultural program provides a treat of local, national and international performances to stimulate, inspire and entertain. It includes opera, cabaret, dance, music, film, comedy, the visual arts and workshops - including music and dance from native, Indonesian and Pacific Island communities.

Melbourne International Arts Festival

Melbourne International Arts Festival has a status for presenting exclusive international and Australian events in the fields of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia, free and outdoor events over 17 days each October.