Activities in Australia

by Paul Day

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 travelling 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.