late deals, apartments and cheap flights can be found by searching on our home page.

Holidayco.co.uk specialises in cheap Australian holidays, package holidays and late deals to a huge number of destinations. Find out more about Australia in our guide below.

Holidays in Australia

Australia is a small continent located between the Indian and Pacific oceans. The region is known as Oceania. Although it is the smallest continent, Australia is one of the largest countries in the world. Much of the interior is very dry and is thus sparsely populated. The main population centres are located on the coasts.

Australia is divided into seven main regions, each with its own characteristics.

Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are on the mainland. Tasmania is a large island off the southern coast.

Australia Facts At A Glance

Area: 7,617,930 km 2 including Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island

Climate: Tropical in the north, temperate in the south and east. Arid or semiarid elsewhere

Terrain: Coastal plains in the south, much desert elsewhere.

Population: 20 Million

Languages: English, some Aboriginal languages

Currency: Australian Dollar

Time Zone: GMT +10 hours most areas

International Dialling Code: +61

Regions of Australia

Western Australia is a large territory containing a great deal of arid land in the centre. The southwest is fertile and more densely poppulted. It contains the regional caital, Perth. In the north lies the rugged coastline of Kimberley with its spectacular scenery. The region has been inhabited by Aboriginal people for at least 30,000 years.

Western Australia is an excellent destination for those seeking adventure. On the coasts you can go surfing, sport fishing, sailing, diving or parascending. Inland there is hiking, horse riding, climing and caving to enjoy, plus cruises on the region's great rivers. Tours of the outback in 4WD vehicles are also very popular.

The region exeirences considerbale climatic variation, from mediterranenan to tropical or desert. In the south temperatures range form 8 °C to 15 °C in winter (June to August) and 14 °C to 24 °C in summer (December to February). In the north it is warmer - 15 °C to 30 °C or more in winter and 25 °C to 35 °C in summer. The inland deserts are subject to greater extremes.

Northern Territory with its capital at Darwin, is a tropical region surrounded by rainforest. Darwin is a large and modern city with good night life and a wide selection of bnars and restaurants. Darwin's climate is troical year round, with temerateures above 30 ° C at all times. Visitors can expect 6-10 hours of sunshine a day, with April to October seeing the most sun.

Darwin makes a good base for holidays in the region. There are some unique attractions close by including the Indo acific Marine Exhiitoin and the Darwin Aviation Museum. The Musuem and Art Gallery contains an impressive array of Aboriginal art.

Close to Darwin lies Litchfield National Park, which boasts amazing scenery including waterfalls, rainforest and swimming holes. The Katherine River region with its sectacualr gorges can e explored on a river cruise.

Further inland is the central region with its Aoriginal sacred sites and incredible scenery. This area is not very accessible except to 4WD vehicles. Alice Springs makes a good base for exploring the interior. Many visitors choose to view the sights from a balloon or light aircraft.

Why not search our database of cheap Australian holidays now by visiting the holidayco.co.uk homepage and using the search facility.