In a country with almost 26 million inhabitants and an area of 7.6 million square kilometers, people can be easily distributed. In Australia, just three people live on average per square kilometer, most of them in the metropolises. TRAVELBOOK presents 7 cities in Australia that are definitely worth a visit:
Many tourists travel to Australia mainly because of the numerous natural highlights. But in addition to imposing mountains such as Ayers Rock, called Uluru in the language of the Aborigines, unique rock formations such as the “Three Sisters” or the Great Barrier Reef, which is popular with divers from all over the world, visits to Australia’s cities are also worthwhile. TRAVELBOOK shows 7 must-see cities in Australia.
The largest of all cities in Australia: Sydney
Australia’s largest city is Sydney. It is located in the east of the state of New South Wales and attracts tourists primarily with its world-famous sights. These include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. 5.3 million people live in the city.
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Metropolis with quality of life: Melbourne
Melbourne in south-east Australia is the second largest city in Australia (almost 5.6 million inhabitants). The city is famous for the many immigrants from countless countries and for its very special quality of life, which has already received several awards.
Travel to the Gold Coast – from Brisbane
Brisbane, located in northeastern Australia, has a population of just over two million (making it the third largest city in Australia). The city, like so many in Australia, was originally a penal colony. It owes its name to the governor Sir Thomas Brisbane. The city is located directly on the Brisbane River, which characterizes the city but has caused severe flooding on several occasions. Brisbane is a university city with a vibrant culture. Tourists use it as a base for the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast holiday regions. The many single-family houses in the city area are striking, some of them were built in the traditional Queenslander style. The skyscrapers came into existence only recently.
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The most remote of all big cities in Australia: Perth
The city of Perth with a population of 2 million is located in the southwest of Australia. It is the most remote of Australia’s major cities. The nearest city, Alice Springs, is a whopping 1,991 kilometers (as the crow flies!) away, and Adelaide is 2,130 kilometers as the crow flies. Perth is known for its museums and galleries, including the Western Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. At the Australian Maritime Museum you can see the racing yacht Australia II, which competed in the America’s Cup. Very popular with the people is Kings Park in the bushland, which also includes a botanical garden.
White dream beaches, magnificent coral reefs, hip cafés and cool surfer spots: In this episode of Around the world in 5 minutes going to Perth in Australia. Travel blogger Coco, known on YouTube and Instagram as “small town coco“ is known. From where you have the best view, which bike tour you absolutely have to do and what is worthwhile when it rains – Coco was in Perth with the camper and reveals her very personal tips:
The city of festivals: Adelaide
Adelaide (almost 1.3 million inhabitants) is the capital of the state of South Australia, it was named in 1837 after the British Queen Adelaide. Many tourists associate the city with festivals, for example the Glenelg Festival and the Adelaide Festival of Arts take place in Adelaide. If you look closely, Adelaide actually only has about 18,000 residents living right in the heart of the city. The higher number arises from the neighboring towns, which are added to Adelaide.
The climate of the city is very pleasant. In the Australian summer (December to February) it can get as hot as 28 degrees, but the average annual temperature is 21.4 degrees. It doesn’t rain much, which has earned Adelaide the nickname ‘Driest city in the driest state in the driest country in the world’s driest continent’. August is the wettest with eleven rainy days.
The park ring that surrounds the entire city and consists of 27 individual parks is attractive. It is a remnant of the old city fortifications. The city also has some interesting museums (such as the South Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of South Australia) and the Warrawong Sanctuary, in which a 14-hectare stretch of Australian bush has been restored and populated with the animals that were originally native to the area.
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The capital: Canberra
The capital of Australia, Canberra, is only the eighth largest metropolis in Australia – it has a population of just 395,000. It owes its existence to a dispute between Sydney and Melbourne, both of which wanted to become the capital. As a compromise, the city of Canberra was built between the two brawlers in 1913 and became the capital in 1927.
It’s obvious that it was planned, but that’s no disadvantage because Canberra is a garden city. The focal point is Capital Hill, which can be reached from all major roads. At the top is the government building Parliament House. Other attractions include the monuments in the Parkes area, such as the Old Parliament House, the National Archives and several museums.
In general, there are many exhibitions in Canberra and some historic buildings. Interesting is the so-called tent embassy, which was created in 1972 to emphasize the rights of the indigenous people of Australia.
Small town in the heart of Australia: Alice Springs
There is another well-known city: Alice Springs. It is also the only major town in central Australia and you have to drive at least 1500 kilometers to reach the nearest major city. Alice Springs was created when the telegraph line was laid across Australia in 1872. Because only a limited distance could be bridged, telegraph stations were built. One of them was Alice Springs, which is now one of Australia’s smaller towns. A spring that wasn’t actually one and a lady named Alice gave the new place its name. Today, just over 24,000 people live in Alice Springs, in the middle of the outback.
The city is also connected by an airport, from which destinations such as the Uluru (Ayers Rock) can reach. Despite its small size, Alice Springs is charming. There are several museums, as well as some older buildings and the old telegraph station, which is also a museum today.
(Text: Silke Böttcher)