AUSTRALIA - an introduction for tourists

Aside from being the capitals of their respective states or territories, what are Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Canberra, Darwin and Perth like? Here in the US, we mainly hear about Sydney or Melbourne. Which are the hip places to be? Which are more retirees? Which are the most expensive? Which have the best colleges?

Oops, I think I just used up my allotment of questions....

margo, Africa is the "oldest" continent. c.i.

Sheesh, Jes!

Adelaide. A planned city from the onset. Small, contained, refined. Respectable. But home to the famed bunny, Dlowan, so.....
Has a great arts festival every two years. It's small enough to be very liveable, although it can sometimes be too small, and people may know your business. I'm sure Deb will weigh in here - when she surfaces.

Hobart. Small city. Cool climate, livable. Not considered as hip as some other cities in Oz. Not too much to see and do - so a relaxing time. I don't think we have any A2K'ers from Tasmania.

Perth. On the far west of the country. A nice small city, quite modern, and thriving. Doesn't get too many tourists because of it's isolation, except perhaps from South Africa, and Asia. Easy living, and quite lively. The other end destination of the long distance train, the Indian pacific, fron Sydney. Takes about 2-3 days. Perth has good beaches, and the wine growing regions are quite close.

Brisbane. A middle sized city and a bit provincial. On the eastern seaboard - and close to the Gold Coast - think Miami, retirement heaven. Lots of golf tourists. The best parts are outside Brisbane - the Sunshine Coast and the gold coast hinterland are lovely. Otherwise, don't bother (Sydney opinion only here!)

Darwin. A really interesting city. So close to Asia, that here is a high Asian population, and a big aboriginal population - more than any of the other cities. Fantastic cultural mix, but can be a bit rough. Well into the tropics , so hot and humid. A starting point for Kakadu National Park, a Northern Territory must see. They are currently building a railway line through to Alice Springs, so you will be able to travel from Adelaide to Darwin by train!

As to colleges - this is not exactly my area. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide all have good recognised universities, and there universities in all the capital cities and some regional towns. The college / university system here is a bit different to the US. It depends on what you want to study, and where you want to live, mostly.

Cost of living is highest in Sydney, mostly due to high real estate costs. Because of isolation, some things may be more expensive in some areas. The smaller cities are much cheaper places to live - but Sydney is probably the most interesting, exciting, vibrant, and just plain beautiful! (spoken as a Sydney-ite!). Melbourne is good, but the weather..... Adelaide, nice but small. (puts on crash helmet and waits for bunny to arrive!)

Feel free to ask any further questions that may add some interest to this forum. I'm off to console myself with some toast and Vegemite, and a cup of tea. And then to (horror) work! Monday morning, Yecccchhhh!

Thanks, margo! You've given me a much, much clearer picture of your home!

bookmarking

Margo-marking...

margo, Have you any idea what the "cost of living" is for the places you describe? In other words, what's the cost of a home or apartment? Cost of food and utilities? Cost of medical care/insurance? What kind of retirement benefits do you get from the government? Is there an "average" social security benefit? c.i.

Margo
Thanks so much for posting this. I am very curious about Australia, but didn't want to push my questions on you guys. I'll be watching for awhile and am sure I'll have some questions to ask myself.

Oh, while I'm here I should ask what kinds of animals are popular there and in what parts.

I have asked the other Oz A2K'ers to contribute, and they'd better turn up, or else

Here goes....

c.i., Australia is considered to be geologically the oldest continent.

Cost of living. Well - this is a sort of tourist thread, and the questions you ask are not exactly touristic, but....how much do you have to spend? Are you planning to relocate?

I know the cost of living in Sydney. According to a friend from L.A., visiting last year, it's about the same as L.A. So, if it costs $5 there, it'll cost about $5 here. The advantage for tourists is in the exchange rate - $AUS1 is worth about 60c US. The cost of living in Sydney is greatly affected by the cost of housing, which follows.

Sydney is a city of 4 and a half million people, so the cost of an apartment varies with where you are. The cheapest, meanest, 2-bedroom, basic apartment, in a not-too-good area, with limited amenities, would be about $250,000 (all prices in $AUS). A luxury 2-bedroom apartment, in a good area, perhaps (but not necessarily) with harbour views, could cost $2- 3 million. The most expensive house sold in Sydney, in the last 12 months, was $22 million. This was a pretty ritzy number, on the harbour, and ever so slightly out of my price range. I didn't go the the inspections, so who knows what it was like!

Food and utilities - you gets what you pays for. I'm not sure how to answer this. Certainly, good food in restaurants is easily available, and you can eat well quite cheaply.

Medical care / insurance. There's universal health coverage, Medicare, in Australia. This is augmented by private health insurance, for those who wish it. Private health insurance is subsidised by the government. The price of drugs is strictly controlled by the government also, by way of subsidy for all the necessary ones. (e.g. Viagra is not subsidised!). This gives us some of the lowest drug costs in the world - a fact which causes problems for and with the pharmaceutical companies.

Retirement benefits and pensions. There is a government pension system, for the retired, unemployed, disabled, etc. I'm not too sure just how much it is now (fortunately), but I have to say it's not much. There is big emphasis on superannuation as a way of planning for retirement.


Gezzy. Animals? Most popular animal at my place is the Possum-cat, sitting to the left here. And he wasn't real popular this morning I'm not too sure what you mean by "popular"?
Our native animals are quite distinctive, but almost all the Oz A2K'ers live in cities, so native animals are not a factor. I've asked Moondoggy, and Hartmut, both of whom live out of the main cities, to respond, but I'm not certain they will.
Outside the cities and in national parks, kangaroos, wallabies, etc., are easily seen. In the country they are often in pest numbers, and need regular culling. (Kangaroos make good eating, too!). Koalas are not often seen. Their numbers are dwindling, and they are nocturnal animals who live high in treetops, so they're often not seen. Apparently some of the parks in southern Queensland have an abundance, but it's a while since I've seen one in the wild.

Some of the birds are spectacular, and you can often see these in cities.

All other poisonous, stinging and bitey critters are around, some even in the cities, but you'd have to be unlucky (or stupid) to come across one that would put you in danger.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Wilso and I will have a bash at answering them.

Thanks a million Margo ;-) I lknow I'll be back with more questions.

cool site:

http://www.australianaustralia.com/fauna.html

Pueo
What a great site. Thanks ;-)

As you'd probably already know, most of the Oz population lives in cities, particularly those around the eastern coastline. Margo in Sydney (aka "Sin City" ), dlowan in Adelaide, which I've always known as "the city of churches", but I suspect Deb has has far more colourful names & descriptions of the place.
I live in city no 2, Melbourne, which we're told is "the world's most livable city". Actually it's a very good place to be. I love it. Feel free to ask away about anything you'd like to know more about.
Here's a brief introduction:

Melbourne
Australia's second city is a place of contradictions and hidden charms. A leafy, bayside community on the 'upside-down', brown Yarra River, it is cosmopolitan, suburban, cultivated, football crazy, conservative and a haven for the avant-garde. Visitors come for its shopping, restaurants, nightlife and sporting calendar, encouraging many Melburnians to believe that they live in one of the most civilised cities in the world.

Population: 3.4 million
Country: Australia
Time: GMT/UTC +10
Telephone Area Code: 03

Illawarra is the region of New South Wales south of Sydney stretching from the Southern Highlands to the Pacific Ocean. The region contains seaside resorts as well as lush rural countryside. The Illawarra has contrasting landscapes, lifestyles and attractions.
The Illawarra stretches from Seven Mile Beach in the south to Stanwell Tops in the north and includes some spectacular coastline. Inland, nestled along the mountain escarpment, lie valleys, rainforest and waterfalls along with rural paddocks and farmland.
Kiama is home of 'The Blowhole', the beaches, river and rainforest. Just a short drive away, at Jamberoo is the Minnamurra Rainforest with many species of ferns, trees and wildlife. Nearby is the Jamberoo Recreation Park.
Further north is the thriving city of Wollongong. There is an abundance of patrolled beaches and scenic tourist drives along the coast.


The South Coast is the region between the Illawarra and the Victorian border with the Great Dividing Range as it's western border. The region includes Nowra, Batemans Bay, Cooma and Bega. A coastline of sensational, unspoilt beaches and coastline are the regions main drawcard, however there are also the hills, hinterland, wilderness and dairy farming areas.
The area has an focus on "cultural tourism" with an abundance of artistic, creative and historical features as well as the natural environmental attractions.


Illawarra population approx 250 000

Illawarra facts.

Wollongong is just one hour by road or train south of the Sydney CBD, and less than an hour from Sydney Airport

The Nan Tien Temple, located at Berkeley, 5 kilometres south of Wollonong it is the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern hemisphere and is open to the public.

Wollongong Universitywas named Australian University of the Year, 1999-2000, and has an outstanding international reputation.

Lake Illawarra provides an abundance of fresh prawns in season, and fish all year round. Along with the various water sports including sailing, skiing and windsurfing. (not so true at the moment-this lake has been badly affected by the drought, and is the subject of much controversy)

Wollongong has a mild, sunny coastal climate with winter temperatures averaging 17 degrees and a summer average of 27 degrees tempered with sea breezes. Most rainfall occurs betwen February and June.

Wollongong's rich multicultural background is celebrated through the annual Viva La Gong Festival. The festival showcases the region's cultural and performing arts in novel and innovative ways. The diverse activities are well attended and range from concert recitals and song and dance spectaculars through to street parades and food fairs.

....and most importantly, Wollongong is the home of....Wilso!

Wollongong has a mild, sunny coastal climate with winter temperatures averaging 17 degrees and a summer average of 27 degrees tempered with sea breezes. Most rainfall occurs betwen February and June.


we're talking celsius right?

Yep

Looking from Stanwell Tops down the coast