In Depth

When most people think of Australia, they conjure up romantic images of skipping kangaroos, dusty red deserts, and golden sand. They see the Sydney Opera House, perhaps, or maybe the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They imagine drawling accents and slouch hats, and people who wrestle crocodiles for the fun of it. Of course, it's all that -- and more. This huge continent is truly remarkable. There are rolling green hills, thick ancient rainforests, historic towns, vast areas of sparsely inhabited Outback, thousands of beaches to choose from, unique animals and plants, cosmopolitan cities, and intriguing Aboriginal cultures to explore.

Most people visiting for the first time head to Sydney, or perhaps Melbourne if they have relatives there. They explore the Red Centre and the giant rock known these days as Uluru; or they take to the warm waters and dive or snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. It's also often the places that come to them by chance, or deeper research, that remain locked in their memory forever. Who could forget wandering around an opal field with its underground houses? Or riding a horse through the Snowy Mountains? Or skiing through the gum trees? Or snorkeling with whale sharks in Western Australia? Or marveling at the thousands of koalas on Kangaroo Island? Or traveling dusty tracks more suitable to emus in the company of an Outback postman? Of course, no experience is complete without a little background information, which is where this chapter comes in.