Australia - Useful Information Our Style of Holidays The locations we select are remote, often wild and difficult to reach - they are well off the beaten tourist track. We try to ensure that you do not see the coaches and minibuses that sometimes characterise Australia's better known tourist sights. The accommodation is not designed to conform to a checklist of 5 star standards, but is innovative and locally inspired, and hosted with a truly Australian sense of humour. The guides we use are often conservationists in their own right, always local, and share their expertise and passion for Australia's natural and cultural heritage. What we seek to provide is more than just a holiday experience and we know that comfortable accommodation and the best food is fundamental to enjoying a country's natural experiences. We appreciate that it is the little touches that really make the difference. Our Role in your Travel Plans Australia's size makes it impossible to see the whole country in one trip. It can also be hard to decide which regions, properties and sights you are able to fit into a holiday. We are continually heading out on trips to update our knowledge and in association with our partners in Australia, to discover great places and meet interesting people around the country. This local knowledge and quality feedback will help match our itineraries to your hopes and expectations. Special Interest Trips If you have more specific travel requirements we offer support on the ground and can arrange special interest, exclusive group and family holidays to enjoy Aboriginal rock art, fishing, wildlife conservation, bush walking, diving or bird watching. Climate Much of Australia is warm or hot throughout the year, and even along the cooler southern coasts the winters are considered quite mild, sometimes cold, and skies are often clear. Only Tasmania, which is in the same latitude as New Zealand, has a temperate climate comparable with that of Britain or northwest Europe. The most favourable months to visit the Northern Territory, Kimberley and Tropical Northern Queensland is April to November. The southern half of this vast continent experiences opposite seasons to the northern hemisphere, with autumn from March to May, winter June to August, spring in September to October and the summer months are December to February. The best months to visit the southern areas of Australia are November to March, but even though cooler temperatures are experienced in the autumn and spring, the weather can be very pleasant and mild during these seasons. Travel Highlights The cosmopolitan cities are home to a fine selection of restaurants and museums. Most travellers arrive in Sydney, Australia's largest city. Walk around the famous Rocks area with its historical buildings, museums, cobbled streets and waterside shops, cafes and restaurants. For those who enjoy the performing arts, enjoy a performance at the Sydney Opera House or the world renowned Sydney Theatre Company. A great way to view the city is from the air, either by light aircraft or helicopter. The Sydney Harbour Bridge Walk has also become a firm favourite. Once you leave the cities the size of the country becomes apparent. The sight of the colours changing over Uluru - formerly Ayres Rock - is one of the most memorable on earth. Combine this with a trip to The Olgas and an Aboriginal art excursion and you will begin to get an understanding of the area. From the "red centre" to the coastal areas, the differences could not be more distinct. A visit to the Great Barrier Reef is a must for all who enjoy snorkelling and diving. The Daintree rainforest possess one of the greatest concentrations of primitive flowering plants in the world and is thought to be older than any other tropical forest. "Don't try to attempt too much", is a useful guide. Map Personal & Exclusive Everywhere you go, you will experience the genuine warmth and hospitality of your Australian hosts as they welcome you into their homes, show you their properties share their stories and take you to some of the most remote places. You will come away with an experience few other visitors have had, and with new friends from the places you have stayed in along the way. Passionate About the Ingredients Australia's food is one of the great surprises of the country....the freshest ingredients, often straight from the sea, whether you are at one of Sydney's famed harbour side restaurants or enjoying a grilled coral trout and chilled beer beside a camp fire. The BBQ is an Australian institution and the locals are the finest exponents in its use, your chance to savour prime Australian beef. And the wine … ...best drunk under a canopy of stars that stretch from one outback horizon to the other. Our hosts cater to travellers who expect the best and we are passionate about each vital ingredient that goes into your Australian journey. Take it Fast Take it Slow Take your Time… What's on your agenda? wildlife viewing, a little fishing, bush walking, aerial sightseeing, glorious beaches, blue skies... the sun! Culture Australia is a multicultural society and as a consequence of this cultural mix Australia's restaurants are renowned for their uniquely diverse cuisine. With a rich artistic heritage and a vibrant contemporary art scene modern Aboriginal art has undergone a revival in the last two decades as artists have explored ways to both preserve their ancient values and share them with a wider community. The Australian continent is an extraordinarily diverse environment, with the world’s oldest landscape and a unique flora and fauna. Geology and climate are the two main factors responsible. The paucity of nutrients and isolation of the continent for millions of years since breaking away from the old Gondwanan southern landmass, has resulted in extreme specialisation in plant and animal species. The northern shores of the country are dominated by a wet monsoon in the summer months, and dry tropical climate throughout the rest of the year. The interior (essentially the outback) receives little rainfall, supporting a multitude of ephemerals when the rains do finally come, and a controlled cycle of reproduction amongst the resident mammals. The more populated and fertile eastern seaboard is backed by the Great Dividing Range, a plateau rather than mountain range, with a spectrum of forest type from tropical through temperate rainforest to wet sclerophyll forest. On the inside of the ranges, the vegetation changes rapidly through dry sclerophyll (mainly eucalypts) to open woodland (acacia dominated) and the dry scrub and saltbush country and semi-desert of the interior. The South-eastern and South-western corners of the continent, and Tasmania have a more Mediterranean climate and tend to receive their rainfall in the southern hemisphere’s winter months. Visas British & American passport holders do require a visa. Please refer to our General Information page for full details. Passports must be valid for six months after your intended date of visit. Time Difference GMT + 10 hrs, except Western Australia is GMT + 8 hrs. Currency Australian dollars. Traveller's Cheque exchange, all major credit cards are recognised and ATMs & 24 hour cash machines are widely availabile. Flights Daily flights from London Heathrow to Sydney with Qantas, Emirates and British Airways. Flying time approx. 21 hrs & 40 mins to Sydney and approx. 18 hours to Perth. Internal Flights from Sydney Melbourne - 1 hour, 20 minutes Adelaide - 2 hours Hobart - 2 hours, 30 minutes Brisbane - 1 hour, 30 minutes Cairns - 3 hours Alice Springs - 3 hours, 15 minutes Darwin - 4 hours, 30 minutes Perth - 5 hours