World Guide

Australia

Country · Oceania, Australia and New Zealand

Uluru
Pictured: Uluru · Photo: Thomas Schoch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Located in Oceania, Australia spans over 7.6 million square kilometers and is home to approximately 27.6 million people. The capital is Canberra, and the country offers diverse experiences ranging from expansive natural wonders and wildlife to major urban centers.

Highlights

This guide covers 62 sights across the country. Natural landmarks are a central feature, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, as well as the Outback and the Great Dividing Range. Notable mountains include Mount Kosciuszko and the Australian Alps. Cultural and architectural landmarks include the Sydney Opera House, Parliament House in Canberra, and the Q1 Tower. Other points of interest include the Twelve Apostles, Botany Bay, the Marree Man, and Burning Mountain. Cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, and Canberra serve as major hubs, while Australia Zoo offers wildlife encounters. Historical sites like the Batavia wreck site and Fremantle also draw interest.

Food and drink

Australian cuisine includes items such as the meat pie, the pie floater, and the halal snack pack. Sweet options include the lamington, frog cake, Anzac biscuit, chocolate crackles, and white Christmas. Other local foods include damper, bush bread, the cruffin, and the hamdog.

When to go

The weather in Canberra is warmest from December to February, with daily highs reaching 24 °C to 27 °C, making these months suitable for outdoor activities. Temperatures drop significantly during the winter months of June and July, with highs of 10 °C to 11 °C and lows near 2 °C. Rainfall is spread throughout the year, with slightly higher precipitation in the spring and summer months of October, November, and December.

Practical notes

The currency is the Australian dollar. English is the primary language. The country operates on 230 volts with type I plugs. Traffic drives on the left side of the road. Australia spans multiple time zones, including UTC+08:00, UTC+08:45, UTC+09:30, UTC+10:00, and UTC+10:30.

Cities

Food and drink to try in Australia

  • Lamington
  • Frog cake
  • Anzac biscuit
  • Damper
  • Meat pie
  • Halal snack pack
  • Pie floater
  • Cruffin
  • White Christmas
  • Hamdog
  • Bush bread
  • Chocolate crackles

Top sights in Australia

  1. UluruUluru
  2. Sydney Opera HouseUNESCOSydney Opera HouseSydney
  3. Great Barrier ReefUNESCOGreat Barrier Reef
  4. OutbackOutback
  5. Mount KosciuszkoMount Kosciuszko
  6. Stadium AustraliaStadium AustraliaSydney
  7. Australia ZooAustralia Zoo
  8. BataviaBatavia
  9. FremantleFremantlePerth
  10. Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing Range
  11. Botany BayBotany BaySydney
  12. The Twelve ApostlesThe Twelve Apostles
  1. Q1 Tower · Gold Coast
  2. Marree Man · Marree
  3. Bass Strait
  4. Australian Alps
  5. Daintree Rainforest
  6. Parliament House, Canberra · Canberra
  7. Burning Mountain · Murrurundi
  8. Sydney SuperDome · Sydney
  9. Flinders Street railway station · Melbourne
  10. High Court of Australia · Canberra
  11. Taronga Zoo · Sydney
  12. Sydney Tower · Sydney
  13. Kakadu National ParkUNESCO
  14. Principality of Hutt River · Kalbarri
  15. Finke River
  16. Central railway station, Sydney · Sydney
  17. Circular Quay · Sydney
  18. Australian War Memorial · Canberra
  19. St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney · Sydney
  20. Melbourne Park · Melbourne
  21. Kata Tjuta
  22. Royal Exhibition Building · Melbourne
  23. Stuart Highway
  24. Art Gallery of New South Wales · Sydney
  25. Queen Victoria Building · Sydney
  26. Fremantle Prison · PerthUNESCO
  27. Mount Wellington · Hobart
  28. Eureka Tower · Melbourne
  29. National Gallery of Victoria · Melbourne
  30. Wolfe Creek Crater
  31. Parkes Observatory
  32. Shrine of Remembrance · Melbourne
  33. Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex · Canberra
  34. Watarrka National Park
  35. Government House, Canberra · Canberra
  36. Mount Augustus
  37. Glass House Mountains
  38. RAAF Woomera Range Complex
  39. Melbourne Zoo · Melbourne
  40. St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne · Melbourne
  41. Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National ParkUNESCO
  42. Darling Harbour · Sydney
  43. Cockatoo Island · SydneyUNESCO
  44. Ningaloo CoastUNESCO
  45. Gondwana RainforestsUNESCO
  46. Wet Tropics of QueenslandUNESCO
  47. Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney · SydneyUNESCO
  48. Budj BimUNESCO
  49. Lamington National ParkUNESCO
  50. Cascades Female Factory · HobartUNESCO

UNESCO sites in Australia →

Weather by month

The warmest month is January, with an average high of 27 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C272623191511101215182224
Average low, °C14141285322571012
Rainfall, mm555648424658626161637064
Rainy days131012777676101111

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Canberra (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

Also worth a look

Neighbouring countries and territories