MODERN AUSTRALIAAustralia's breezy lifestyle is perhaps its mostenthralling and exhilarating draw and the reasonso many visitors return time after time. Australiais a social experience and wherever you go,whether dining in the cities, watching sport,relaxing on the beach or exploring the Outbackyou will find a warmhearted welcome and awillingness to share.THE OUTBACKAlthough most of Australia's population lives inthe narrow coastal regions, many of the realcharacters inhabit the dusty interior of theOutback. As the roads head away from themajor cities the trappings of sophistication fallaway, and it is in the Outback stations wherejackaroos herd cattle by motorbike andhelicopter that you can still feel awe at theexpansive horizons and wild beauty thatseduced the first settlers. Exploring the Outbackis best done by 4WD vehicle and a sample ofhighlights include the remote red sands of CapeLeveque and the Kimberley in Western Australia(page 53), the saltpans of the Gawler Ranges inSouth Australia (page 65) and the openexpanses of the Northern Territory (page 40).CITIESAustralia's cities are sophisticated, with anoutdoor café lifestyle that blends the cultures ofthe world into an easy society. Sydney'sgorgeous views of the Opera House, theHarbour Bridge and its wonderful beaches makeit an integral part of anyone's first visit toAustralia. Melbourne is equally enticing to thosein the know, fuelling the generations' old rivalrybetween these two cities. Elegant Adelaide ischarming and surrounded by some of Australia'sbest wine regions as well as having thewonderful Kangaroo Island on its doorstep. Asthe hub of Western Australia, Perth issurrounded by a plethora of attractions, fromthe beautiful beaches to the historicalarchitecture of Fremantle and the rolling wineregions of the Swan Valley.EXPERIENCE AUSTRALIA11FOOD & DRINKThough Australians gravitate naturally to thebarbecue, their cuisine has come a long wayover the last few years. The influences ofimmigrants from the Mediterranean, spices fromneighbours in the Pacific and Asia, and anabundance of homegrown produce haveevolved into Australia's fashionable 'fusion'cuisine. Each of the southern states takeconsiderable pride in their wines, many ofworld-class quality and all eminently drinkable.Australia's key growing areas include the HunterValley (page 17) in New South Wales, the YarraValley (page 68) on the outskirts of Melbourne,Clare and Barossa valleys (page 62) in SouthAustralia and the Margaret River (page 48) inWestern Australia. Once you reach the Outback,however, you are more likely to celebrateAustralia's long-lived culinary achievements: theice-cold beer and the hot meat pie.BEACH LIFEYou don't need a surfboard to appreciate theendless white sands that ring Australia. InSydney you can choose from the shelteredSydney Harbour or the hustle of Bondi or Manlybeach. Follow the coast north or south anddifferent atmospheres make every beachdistinctive, from the somewhat hippy flavour ofByron Bay to the seclusion of Jervis Bay.Between Melbourne and Adelaide lies the GreatOcean Road with the Twelve Apostles, thrivingseal colonies and the famous Bells Beach. BairdBay lies west of Adelaide with wildlife inabundance, while on the West Coast are someof Australia's most majestic, sweeping, whitesand beaches facing the Indian Ocean, fromremote Cape Leveque in the north to Perth's citybeaches. Probably the most idyllic shores arethose found in Queensland, from the blisteringwhite crushed coral of Whitehaven beach in theWhitsunday Islands and the secluded bays ofsome of the remote Great Barrier Reef islands tothe rainforest that creeps along the sands ofCape Tribulation.SPECIAL EVENTSAustralia does not take sport seriously; it iscompletely obsessive about it and attending asporting event certainly gives you an insight intothe country's psyche. Do not limit yourself tointernational sports such as cricket and rugby:perhaps the best game to come out of Australiais 'Aussie Rules', a rough and fast gamesomewhere between rugby and Gaelic football.There are numerous events taking place inAustralia throughout the year so why not takeone in during your visit? Melbourne hosts theMelbourne Cup, Australia's Grand National, inNovember and then the Grand Prix in March.Broome sees the Shinju Matsuri Pearl Festivalwith its dragon boat racing on the last weekendof August and Alice Springs witnesses thebizarre, dryland boat races of the Henley-on-Todd Regatta in early October. Whatever yourinterests just ask our specialists for details ofevents taking place during your visit.Melbourne

ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA Fascinating but now threatened, Aboriginalpeople trod lightly on the land for 40,000 years,nomadic communities speaking a rainbow ofdifferent languages, few of which have everbeen recorded or researched. Their liveschanged forever 200 years ago with the arrivalof European settlers. In Tasmania they werevirtually wiped out, while in the major citiestoday - despite many possibly well-meaningattempts at integration - Aboriginalcommunities remain largely marginalised. Onlyin the past few years has recognition of their artand culture begun to surface in Australia.BELIEFSAboriginal beliefs are tied to the land, with theconcept of 'Dreaming' linked to when AncestralBeings created the world, infusing every hillockand dip, every animal and plant with a spiritualsignificance. The spirits that created the landinfuse the present, and the stories from the pastdictate the rules and social practices that carrythrough to the present day. The Aboriginal wayof life was ill-equipped to survive the strongmaterialist values of the convicts and economicmigrants who flooded into the country, and youhave to search to discover Australia's trueAboriginal heritage. Pockets of Aboriginalculture do remain in the cities, but most stronglyin the Outback, in lands too remote to bereached by the tarmac tentacles of modernAustralia, and we take every opportunity tocarefully and sensitively introduce our travellersto this ancient culture.12EXPERIENCE ABORIGINALCULTUREA third of the people of the Northern Territoryare Aboriginal and we have chosen to workprimarily with guides and Aboriginal groupswho take small numbers of visitors into areasthat would otherwise be inaccessible, wherelearning of their values and creation stories willadd another layer to this already remarkableterritory. The most astounding rock art sites inArnhem Land are protected by the regionalAboriginal Elders and our local partner, Sab LordSafaris (page 39), is granted exclusive access tomany of them. At the Red Centre, you can visitthe Gunya Titjikala Community (page 43), whoallow small groups of visitors to stay and enjoytraditional food, dancing and storytelling, givingan authentic experience. Aboriginal culture canalso be experienced in other parts of Australiaand again, where possible, we use Aboriginalguides such as Arthur at Angorichina Station(page 63) or Willie at Mungumby Lodge (page29) who will introduce you to sacred sites, rockart and give you an insight in to this ancientculture. At Cape Leveque in Western Australiayou can stay at Aboriginal-owned Kooljamancamp (page 53) and we can even offer thechance to travel back in time to the untouchedislands of the Torres Straits (page 29), wherefew visitors are permitted and the lifestyle of theislanders survives relatively unchanged.Throughout our operations in Australia, we takecare to include the continent's originalinhabitants and use operators who supportorganisations such as the Mutitjulu Foundation,which works to relieve poverty and enhancehealthcare amongst Aboriginal communities. Inthe national parks we are aware of theDreamtime beliefs that permeate every featureof the landscape, and sensitively search out therare sites of Aboriginal art that remain.Garma festival, Arnhem LandAboriginal rock art