Moving to Australia requires you to have an in depth understanding of its geography, culture and climatic conditions. If you are interested in moving to Australia for good, or simply want to travel to this amazing continent for a holiday, then you must read on…
Australia is best described as the largest island in the world; the smallest continent in the world, it is renowned for its scenic beaches, open spaces and picturesque deserts. Although, Australia was once a British colony, today it is a multicultural society with a growing metropolitan population that lives and works in major cities such as Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne.
With a population of 22.62 million, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world in terms of land area. It is dubbed “down under” as it is in the south of the equator and is famous for its beautiful coastline that extends up to 36,000 km. Home to 3000 national reserves, approximately 70% of the Australian landscape is a semi arid desert. Towards the southern hemisphere are the islands of New Zealand and Tasmania, while the larger neighbors include Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and the Colonies of New Caledonia.
Multi-state/territorial, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia are the popular regions in Australia. However, all these regions do not necessarily enjoy an official status. All these regions within the Australian mainland have different geographical and topographical features.
The Australian region is broadly divided into 16 capital regions that have a historical background that dates back to ancient times. The capital region partly covers the city of Canberra too. One of the major native drainage systems of this region is the Lake Eyre Basin that spreads all over portions of South Australia, Queensland, Western New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Of all the important agricultural lands of Australia, the Murray Darling Basin is by far the most fertile sites and caters to 70% of the irrigation for Australia. The Murray Darling Basin flows through the states of Victoria, Southern Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and the capital territory. Northern Australia includes Northern Territory, Queensland as well as the thickly populated city of Brisbane. Nullarbor stretches approximately 1200 km from west of Western Australia to east and South Australia, and consists of arid or semi-arid strips of land, without trees and almost flat.
The Outback comprises of territories that are remote and are situated in and around Western Australia and Western Territory, where as the NSW stretches from the central coast, Greater Western Sydney, Blue Mountains, Wollongong, New England, Sapphire Coast, Snowy Mountains, Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, Northern Rivers to the city of Sydney. Tasmania comprises of the Midlands, West Coast and the Central Highlands. South Australia extends from Eyre Peninsula, Adelaide Plains, Barossa Valley, Fleurieu Peninsula, Copper Triangle, Kangaroo Island, Mid North, Riverland and Yorke Peninsula. It also comprises of Victoria and Western Australia with its largest City Perth that is surrounded by the Vineyards, Margaret river and Albany.
Australia is the largest island surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean on the east, the Indian Ocean on the west and the Tasmanian Sea on the southeast, thereby distinguishing its friendly neighbor, New Zealand. The northern neighbors include East Timor, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and they are separated by the Timor Sea and the Arafura Sea, while the Coral Sea lies in the northeast.
Modern Australia is heavily populated along the southeastern and eastern coastlines, while the interiors of the mainland are semi-arid. New South Wales and Victoria are regarded as the most populous regions within Australia. Australia has large strips of land that are under agricultural cultivation; however, it is good to know that the environmentalists are also taking steps to preserve the native forests and the national parks.
Today, Australia is focused on the conservation and management of its Great Barrier Reef, a unique ecology for corals and fish. However, some of the issues that continue to bother Australia are loss of biodiversity, salinity and pollution.
Australia has been blessed with diverse climatic conditions, especially as it is an island that it is located in the southern hemisphere. The winter months extend from June to August, while summer is from December to February. Australia’s northern territory is hot, humid and has tropical climate, while the southern part is temperate. But on the whole, Australia receives a fair amount of sunshine, i.e., 3000 hours a year. The central part of Australia is arid and dry while the coastline districts receive torrential rainfall. Temperature in Tasmania is similar to England, while day time in Darwin is 30°C (86°F), and night temperatures are usually 15-20°C (59-68°F). The Southern region has been exposed to freezing conditions in the winter and the Southeast home to the snowy mountains experiences heavy snowfall. The summer is wet while the winter months are extremely dry. The southern region of Australia experiences higher degrees of variation in temperature as rainfall is prevalent in the south, while the region beyond the Great Dividing Range receives heavy rainfall during the winter.
Moving to Australia can be quite fun, but only if you are fully aware of the geographical, climatic and regional conditions; once you are sure about moving to Australia, you need to indulge in a thorough research on the continent.
The best part is that this is a community site, hence can help you get answers to your doubts and questions that are very specific to your concerns and issues that are associated with moving to Australia.
Visit the region and city pages to learn more about specific areas in Australia and visit http://wikitravel.org/en/Australiafor more information on Australia including: getting into Australia, getting around, what to see, do, talk, buy, eat, drink, learn, sleep, work, respect, stay healthy and staying safe in Australia.
Ask them below in the ‘reply’ section and I will get back to you asap. You might also find the answers in the questions other visitors have asked.
Hi… I’m JJ Smith.
I’m the creator and editor of Moving to Australia and have been for 10 years! I know everything there is to know about New Zealanders moving their families and life to Australia. Either from first hand experiences and research or through the questions from visitors to this website… and I’m here to help!
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