Australia – General info

With an area of 7,682,300 square kilometres, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world and thus 21 times the size of Germany. It is divided into two climate zones. The northern half (Brisbane – Alice Springs line) represents the tropics, the southern half the temperate climate. Australia has a population of 18 million.

Australia is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is 350 km away from Asia, 13,000 km from South America. The coastline is 19,700 km long. The average annual income is $23,600 .

Life expectancy is 78 years on average. Colloquial language is English. Australia is becoming more and more a holiday destination for us Europeans. Whereas in the past you could travel up to 36 hours by plane due to the numerous stops, today it is possible to reach Australia in less than 24 hours with modern aircraft. Usually, only one stopover is necessary per route. Australia is a country of stark contrasts with the adventurous interior and the (sub)tropical rainforest on the other.

There are miles of deserted sandy beaches with a pleasantly temperate ocean. The cities are world-class. But there are also the small, dreamy villages, where you can still understand the adventure romance of gold mining and opal hunting.

The national holiday is 26.1.

The time zones from west to east are CET + 7 hours, 8 1/2, 9 hours.
Currency
The currency is the Australian dollar ($A or AUD) = 100 cents.
Politics
The states of Australia are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and the Capital Territory.
Population
Of Australia’s approximately 18 million inhabitants, most live in coastal areas or large cities. The inhabitants come from many different countries.

The indigenous people are the Aborigines, who represent a minority on the continent with about 220,000 people. They live mainly in the north of the country and are still partly housed in reserves.

The majority are whites, of which about 85% are of British origin. The remaining inhabitants come mainly from other European countries. Recently, the proportion of Asians has continued to increase to 8%. More than 2/3 of the continent is extremely sparsely populated. Well over 90% of the entire population lives in the SE of Australia. The majority of them live in the big cities.

Tropical zone
The tropical zone is the closest zone to the equator and extends to the Tropic of Capricorn. Hot and humid temperatures with monsoon-like rainfall are present in summer. Uniformly warm temperatures, on the other hand, in winter.

A distinction is made between the wet season (November-April) and the dry season (May-October). In the rainy season, heavy rainfall prevails, which causes the rivers to overflow. This leads to large-scale flooding. In addition, large cyclones often form. Many roads often become impassable during this time. The Australians then speak of so-called floodways, which are created. In the process, entire cities are cut off from the outside world.

On the coasts in the north of the country, the temperatures seem more bearable due to the south-east trade winds than in the humid interior.

Subtropics
The subtropics are located in a narrow area along the coastal areas of Queensland and Western Australia. The temperatures here are more pleasant, but the tropical influence with its humid and hot climate all year round can still be felt.
Continental climate
The continental climate is found in the middle of the continent. In the summer months, it is extremely hot during the day. The winters are warm, although the nights are sometimes frosty. Rain is very rare inland. When it rains, it is short and heavy. Rivers then swell quickly and meters high, entire land masses are washed away. However, the rainwater seeps away as quickly as it came. Then fresh plants sprout from the moist soil everywhere. The roads and slopes are then hardly passable.

Temperate zone
Most of the population lives in the south of the country. This is probably also directly related to the more pleasant temperatures. In the south, hot summers and mild winters predominate. Often a fresh wind blows from Antarctic regions in the evening, the “Southerly Buster” in Sydney or the “Fremantle Doctor” in Perth.

Due to Australia’s isolated location, some endemic archetypes of fauna have been preserved. There are many rare animals in Australia.

The most famous animals are the kangaroos (called “Roos” for short). There are 45 species of these. They belong to the genus of marsupials. The kangaroo species of different sizes have adapted optimally to the most adverse living conditions. In all species, the young animals are born as embryos. The 3-8 cm tall young are born incompletely developed and are fed on a teat in the mother’s breast pouch for eight months. The kangaroo is the heraldic animal on the flag of the Commonwealth, along with the emu. The smallest kangaroos are the kangaroo rats with only about 23 cm in size. The largest are the “Red Giant Kangaroos”. They grow up to 2 m tall and can jump up to 10 m. The Wallabies are an independent group. They reach a size of 45 cm to 1.20 m. Then there are the tree kangaroos that live in trees. The kangaroos are best observed in the wild at dawn and dusk. It is not uncommon for them to be seen at campsites in national parks.

You should be careful when driving at night outside of cities, as kangaroos are attracted to the light of the headlights and often end up in the radiator of the car. The same applies to grazing cattle. The Aussies therefore have so-called roo bars or bill bars on their wagons as additional ram protection.

Despite its appearance, the koala is not a bear, but a marsupial. It is one of Australia’s best-known and most popular animals. The word “koala” comes from the Aborigines and means “no water”. Koalas drink very little water and doze in the eucalyptus trees for most of the day. The eucalyptus leaves are the preferred source of food. They are said to have a narcotic effect. Koalas rarely leave the trees. Their claws make them good climbers. The number of animals up to 60 cm in size is said to be around 308,000 animals.

Around half of the koalas are infected with the infectious disease chlamydia. They can cause the animals to go blind or become infertile. The “national mascot” koala is also suffering from the decline of its natural habitat.

The wombat is also a marsupial. The animals living in Western Australia grow up to 1 m long and are not welcome by farmers because of their burrowing work.

The Tasmanian devil, also a marsupial, is a carnivore. He looks like a little black dog.

Possums (also opossums) are small marsupials that live mainly and in many species on trees. Because of their strong reproduction and herbivorous lust, they are extremely unpopular.

Other small marsupials, such as the nocturnal numbat, are hardly found in the wild. Like many other small animals (insects, lizards), they are threatened with extinction because they often fall victim to introduced animal species such as cats and foxes.

The flightless emu, Australia’s second heraldic animal, resembles the African ostrich. The fast-running emus grow up to 1.60 m tall and live mainly in the dry savannahs of Australia. The male takes over the rearing of the young.

The platypus is unique in the animal world. The very shy animals are found in rivers and lakes in eastern Australia, on Tasmania and on Kangoroo Island. Characteristics are the duck-like beak, the claws with webbed feet and the seal-like fur.

The Australian greyhound is the dingo. It was probably introduced to Australia by the indigenous people. He cannot bark and is usually shy. Sometimes you can watch him at campsites rummaging through waste. The dingo does not occur in New South Wales and southern South Australia due to the dingo fence. The fence with a length of 9,600 km is intended to protect sheep farming in the south.

Reptiles found in Australia include two species of crocodiles, the smaller of which, the Australian crocodile, lives in the fresh waters of the interior. The larger saltwater crocodile is at home in the swamps and estuaries on the north coast and can reach a length of up to six meters. It can be dangerous for humans. Other numerous lizard species include geckos, skinks, agamas and monitor lizards, including the giant monitor lizard. Furthermore, the Australian fauna includes 100 species of venomous snakes, the most dangerous of which are the taipan, native to the north of the country, and the death otters. The tiger otter, the copperhead and the black viper are other poisonous snakes.

The colourful Australian birdlife is unique. One of the most famous birds is the kookaburra. With its typical sounds, it remains in the memory of the visitor for a long time.

The lyrebird, a ratite, is known to be a good voice imitator. There are over 300 species of parrots that populate the trees in large flocks and in all colors even in the cities. The most common species are budgies and cockatoos. The black cockatoo is rather rare. However, with a little luck, it can also be observed in the wild. Not to forget the large number of water birds, pelicans and swans in the coastal regions. Inland, numerous birds of prey such as buzzards, falcons and eagles can be found.

Particularly noteworthy is the fantastic underwater world of Australia. On diving and snorkeling safaris on the Great Barrier Reef and on the Ningallo Reef (Western Australia) you can get an impression of the enormous biodiversity of fish. The most well-known freshwater and edible fish is the baramundi, a perch that occurs in several species. Some whale species are native to the southern waters, and seal colonies occur on the Bass Strait islands and in Tasmania. Edible fish and shellfish exist in large populations. It is also home to about 70 species of sharks. Lungfish, sometimes referred to as a “living fossil,” breathe through a lung, rather than through gills like other fish. Penguins and seals live on the coasts of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. There is also a variety of species of insects, spiders and earthworms in the field of invertebrates. Most insect species from this evolutionary period are found in Australia and include flies, beetles, butterflies, bees and ants.

The giant termites in the north of Australia build huge termite mounds that reach a height of up to six meters. Earthworms occur in great diversity; the giant worms in Victoria are particularly striking.

Many Australian spider species are poisonous, including the well-known funnel-web spiders and red-backed spiders.

On the Australian continent you will find its own distinct vegetation with about 20,000 different plant species. More than 90 percent of the plant species found here are endemic (occur only here).

In the tropical north you will find extensive rainforests with lianas and ferns.

Mangroves grow in the coastal area of Australia. The swamps are the habitat of countless plant species. The special features of the rainforest also include a wide variety of orchid species.

Large eucalyptus forests are particularly common. There are far more than 400 species of the eucalyptus tree (Gumtree). One of the hardest woods in the world is the Jarrah eucalyptus in Western Australia. Other species, such as the Swamp Gum in Tasmania, grow up to 80 m high. The tallest trees in the world are the Karri eucalyptus in the southwest and the Mountain Ash Tree in the southeast with heights of over 100 m.

In the dried-up riverbeds inland, the River Red Gum is often found. Of particular note are the extensive eucalyptus forests of the Blue Mountains in the Sydney hinterland. The blue fumes that the trees emit have given them their name. Eucalyptus leaves are also used as medicinal plants. The Desert Oak is able to store water for a very long time. The tree usually leaves its branches hanging, only after rainfall does it open.

The Grass Tree, like the eucalyptus, is found throughout Australia. Its top consists of a large tuft, from the middle of which light reed leaves grow during the flowering period. The tropical zone falls within the monsoon climate range and is heavily forested.

Rainforests are found on the northeastern coast of Queensland. Palms, ferns and vines thrive in large numbers between the deciduous trees. Mangrove forests stretch along the mud holes and inlets of the low northern coastline. Plants such as the purple Telopea, the red-gold Banksie and the scarlet Firewheel trees can be found here. Inland, the savannah landscape dominates with low-growing trees.

In the temperate zone, hardwood trees dominate. It has mallee scrubs and other scrub species, shrub-shaped sand heather.

Alpine vegetation is found in the Australian Alps and the mountainous landscapes of Tasmania. Along the east coast up to and including Tasmania there are stands of pines and conifers. After eucalypts, pines are in second place because of their economic importance. In the wooded areas of the warm and well-irrigated southeastern and southwestern areas, eucalyptus predominates, of which there are over 500 species and can reach a height of over 90 meters. In the undergrowth of the eucalyptus trees of the southeast, acacia and tree ferns thrive.

In the dry zone (scrub land, bush), only specially adapted plants thrive. In the less dense regions inland, red and green kangaroo paws, boroniums, wax flowers, bottle trees, lamp cleaner trees and smaller eucalyptus species thrive. Acacia trees come in around 900 different species. The Golden Acacia is the national floral symbol of Australia and appears on the country’s coat of arms. In the dry interior of the country, the mulga bush is found. Deserts in the sense of pure sand deserts are hardly found, mostly vegetation is present.

The Spinifix grass is widespread in the interior. It grows practically everywhere. The spread of the prickly cactus was a problem for a long time, as it made many areas practically inaccessible. In addition to the native flora, there are about 2,000 subsequently introduced plant species in Australia.

About 50,000 years before Christ, the immigration of the Australian aborigines from Southeast Asia began over land bridges that still existed at that time, over the Indonesian Islands and New Guinea. The sea level was much lower before the end of the Ice Age about 12000 years ago, New Guinea and Tasmania belonged to the Australian mainland at this time.

About 30,000 years before Christ, the first settlements of the indigenous people were established in Australia.

About 10,000 years before Christ, Tasmania broke away from the continent. Pedro Fernandez de Quiros landed in the New Hebrides in 1606 and called it ‘Terra Australis’. Spanish explorer Luis Vaez de Torres sails through the strait between New Guinea and Australia (Torres Strait) and discovers that New Guinea is not part of the legendary unknown southland.

In the same year, the Dutchman Willem Jansz sailed on the coast of Western Australia in 1616, near Shark Bay (Dirk Hartog Island).

In 1642, Abel Janszoon Tasman discovered the southern tip of Tasmania (until 1856 Van Diemen’s Land) and the South Island of New Zealand.

Willem de Vlamingh, the last of the Dutch navigators so important for the history of discovery, explored Rottnest Island (off Perth/WA) and the Swan River in the southwest in 1696.

William Dampier explores the northwest coast in 1699 and discovers the islands of the Dampier Archipelago.

In 1768, Chevalier Antoine de Bougainville was prevented by the Great Barrier Reef from claiming the east coast for France.

In 1769, James Cook discovered the North Island of New Zealand on his first trip around the world and circled both islands. Cook explores the east coast of ‘New Holland’ in 1770 and anchors in Botany Bay. In the Great Barrier Reef north of Cairns, the “Endeavour” runs aground on a reef and needs to be repaired (Cooktown). On Possesion Island, he took possession of the eastern part of the continent for the British King George III and returned to London via the Torres Strait via Batavia (now Jakarta).

On 18 January 1788 the “First Fleet” landed in Botany Bay. 11 ships under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip with 1030 people, including 736 convicts, reach Australia after an eight-month voyage. He considered Botany Bay to be an unfavorable place and sailed north to Port Jackson, which Cook had marked on the maps but had not explored closely. Phillip found one of the best natural harbours in the world here.

On 26 January, the date on which Australia Day is celebrated today, the first permanent European settlement was established in the far inland part of Port Jackson in Australia and was named Sydney after the British Home Secretary, Lord Sydney, who was responsible for the colonisation plans.

The French captain Galaup de la Perouse reaches Botany Bay six days after the “First Fleet”, but on the way home the ship and crew are lost.
Bruni D’Entrecasteaux explores the south coast of Tasmania, the Dervent River and the channel between Bruny Island and the main island in 1792.
The first free settlers arrive.

In 1798, Goerge Bass and Matthew Flinders sail around Tasmania, which had previously been thought to be the southern tip of the continent. They discovered the Tamar River and explore the Bass Strait between Tasmania and Victoria.

Matthew Flinders sailed around the entire continent of Australia in 1802, meeting his French rival Thomas Nicolas Baudin (off Adelaide). On his way home, Flinders was arrested in Mauritius and held in French custody for seven years. In 1804, Hobart (Tasmania) was founded on the Derwent River near Sullivan Cove by David Collins.

In 1820, Sydney had about 26,000 inhabitants, 10,000 of whom were convicts. During this time, the “squatter period” begins. In the wake of researchers, pioneers penetrate the hinterland, which has not yet been cleared for settlement, occupy it without allocation and begin to breed livestock. It was not until much later that the “squatters” were legally recognized as landowners by the colonial administration.

Fremantle takes possession of Western Australia for Great Britain in 1829. Perth is founded. In 1831, the proclamation of the colony of Western Australia takes place.

In 1836, South Australia was established as a colony.

The days when most of Australia lived on steaks and pies are now over. Immigrants from all parts of the world have enormously enriched the range of dishes.

Especially in the larger cities, many first-class restaurants and cafés can be found. However, pies and hamburgers have not disappeared from the menu. In the café, breakfast options range from English breakfasts with scrambled eggs, ham, hashbrowns (grated fried potatoes) and toast to muesli and excellent croissants, cappuccini and espressos.

For the main meals, the dinner (also called “tea”), there are different flavors. Take-aways (as in America) are varied in their offer.

However, the barbecue (BBQ for short) is indispensable for the Aussies. This is a real cult. All meat dishes (beef, pork and lamb) are good and extremely cheap. The dishes made of kangaroo and emu meat that are specially offered in Australia are almost fat-free and very tasty. The meat is somewhat reminiscent of our local game meat. Australians also eat crocodile meat, which is compared to chicken or pork in taste.
Restaurants
Restaurants without a so-called “alcohol license” can be recognized by the fact that they are labeled “BYO” (“Bring your own”). If the door says “BYO and licensed”, the guest can consume drinks they have brought with them as well as use the in-house drinks. For a small fee (corkage), guests are also provided with glasses for alcoholic beverages.
Seafood
Particularly noteworthy is the variety of fish and seafood on the coasts of Australia. Particularly noteworthy here are:

Cray fish, Blue Swimmer Crabs, King Prawns, Balmain Bugs, Yabbies, Mudcrabs, Sydney Rock Oysters, Tasmanian Oysters and Scallops. Barramundi is particularly appreciated as a food fish. The salmon from Tasmania is also a delecat esse.
Beer
Australia is known as a beer-drinking nation. No wonder, because in the hot climate, the cool hop juice tastes particularly delicious. The selection of beers is huge. Each state has its own types of beer. Queenslanders like to drink the varieties “Fourex” (XXXX) and Powers, while Western Australians like to drink “Swan”, Victorians prefer “VB”. In New South Wales, people drink “Tooheys”. There are also the beers offered by smaller local breweries, such as Cascade in Tasmania and Redback in Western Australia.
Wines
Australian wines have been in increasing demand lately. The preferred grape varieties among the white wines are Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. In addition, there is the widely used Rhine Riesling.

When it comes to red wines, Shiraz is the first choice. But the varieties Cabernet, Sauvignon, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Merlot also thrive. There are over 600 wineries in Australia, especially in the areas of Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
The bush food
Typical for Australia is the “Bush Tucker”, a traditional food of the Australian aborigines. “Bush eating” includes everything that thrives wild in nature or can also be hunted and collected. These include snakes, goannas and possums. The nuts of the pandanus palm as well as fruits and bush tomatoes can also be mentioned here.

Hotels
Hotels in Australia are usually found in central locations in the big cities and holiday areas. All categories are present. From cheap dormitories to luxury accommodation, everything is available here. Caution is advised with the given stars, as the classification is often self-assigned and rarely meets the European standard. The network of hotels is dense in Australia, but rather narrow in the outback.

In Australia, the term hotel is only associated with the license to serve alcohol. In the countryside, the small hotels sometimes actually give their two to three rooms to travelers. If dust is clearly visible on the duvet, you shouldn’t be surprised. You may be the first guest in years.
Motels
Motels can be found everywhere on the arterial roads of larger cities. In the outbacks they are rather less to be found. Well-known chains such as Best Western and Flag Choice Hotels offer hotel voucher systems – also through tour operators in Europe. Cheaper chains of “(low) budget motels” are e.g. Golden Chain Motor Inns, Budget Motel, Sundowner Motor Inns or Metro Inns. Their facilities are simpler (swimming pool rare), there is less service (room service is sometimes non-existent) or they are a bit off the beaten track. They are also not as widespread and are usually limited to certain regions.

Apartments
Anyone who has to spend more than a few days in a foreign city particularly appreciates an environment tailored to their personal needs. “Serviced Apartments” is the name of the solution for all those who do not want to do without the independence and individuality of their own apartment or the service and comfort of a hotel.

Resort / Holiday Resorts
Resorts and holiday resorts can be found in areas of particular tourist interest, especially in Queensland along the coast and on the islands.

Bed & Breakfast
In AUSTRALIEN-INFO.DE you will find a very detailed special page for planning a bed and breakfast holiday.

Farm & Homestays
Accommodation on the farms and fruit farms comparable to a farm holiday in Europe. The advantage is the integration into the host family. Accommodations vary from simple to luxurious. In Australia in slightly different dimensions than in Europe. The large cattle and sheep farms in the outback are usually happy to have contact with the stranger and offer the traveller a direct insight into the everyday life of Australian country life in addition to accommodation.

Cabins & On-Site-Vans
These are small holiday homes that are located on campsites or with private landlords. Especially for tent travelers, they are an alternative in the cooler winter months in the south or during the rainy season in the north.

Youth Hostels
These are spread all over the country, both in cities and in the countryside.

Backpacker Hostels
Backpacker guesthouses are simple guesthouses in a private style. Also suitable for longer stays, usually with a very lively atmosphere. Since the owners sometimes change quickly, you should not rely on tips from two or three years ago. It is highly recommended to use up-to-date information here – for example, from a more recent edition of a travel guide.

Campsites
The campsites are usually equipped with a laundry room (washing machine / dryer) and cooking facilities as well as a lounge and TV room. In some cases, disposal facilities for chemical toilets are also available. They often have swimming pools and tennis courts.

Free or wild camping
Free camping is allowed as long as you do not spend the night on private property. However, the ranchers and owners are usually willing to allow camping on their property by arrangement, you just have to make contact. For us, this was an excellent opportunity to get in touch with the local population. Bush campsites are rest areas that are specially designed for overnight stays in tents and motorhomes. They are particularly suitable for nature-oriented travellers. Campsites can be found all over the country, but mainly in the national parks.

Basics
You can find accommodation in Australia almost always and everywhere, if you are not traveling in the high season in the months of January and February. You can defuse this time by booking in advance. We did make our trip by motorhome and were thus independent of hotel accommodation and the like. However, a combination of both is also a good idea from time to time.

The first people to settle on the continent of Australia were the Aborigines (lat. “ab origine” = “from the beginning”). The general terms “Aboriginal” or “Aborigine” come from the Europeans and are not used by the indigenous people.

In Australia, you can find the term “Indigenous People”. The various clans and tribes give themselves names such as “Yolngu” (north), “Murri” (east), “Koori” (southeast), “Nanga” (south), “Nyungar” (southwest), “Wonghi” (west) and many other names.

The Aborigines had discovered the land long before the white man and developed their own language and culture. Their lives were perfectly adapted to the requirements of the country. The social order was well developed and its abilities and knowledge of nature still amaze civilized people today. Just 200 years ago, the existence of this primitive people was unknown to Europeans. The “Terra Australis”, the southern continent, had not yet been discovered. Until this time, Aborigines were able to live undisturbed in harmony with nature and wrap up a complex culture. But after the settlement by the Europeans, the Aborigines were in danger of extinction or complete adaptation, which was pushed by the white man.

With the demise of numerous tribes, much of the Aboriginal culture was lost. In doing so, they also lost their identity and their will to live. Although conditions have improved for the Aborigines today, they are still in a disadvantaged position.
History of the indigenous people
Based on current finds, the scientists assume that the Aborigines came from Asia about 50,000 years ago and immigrated to Australia. During the last cold season, the inhabitants of Southeast Asia spread southwards and settled the Australian mainland. This was possible because the sea level had receded sharply as a result of the Ice Age, leaving only a narrow strait separating the Asian islands from the Australian continent. The abundant food supply of the tropical north and the unspoilt nature of Australia enabled the Aborigines to quickly establish themselves throughout the continent.

When the sea level rose again in the later period as a result of the fading ice age, the Aborigines were isolated in this way. They could then no longer mix with other breeds. The nomadic tribes lived in practical huts or under windscreens made of twigs or bark. Long spears, boomerangs and spear throwers were used for hunting. The women carried a club made of hardwood as a weapon.

The boomerang was used as a hunting weapon or for fighting and also as a tool. There were two types, the returning and the non-returning boomerang (kylie).

The Aborigines lived as hunters and gatherers and roamed the country as wandering nomads. They never developed any kind of sedentariness. Because of the wealth and size of the country, this was not necessary. They found in their country everything they needed to live. Their social organization was developed, but only up to the level of the tribe. Each tribe owned a piece of land, the yield of which was lived. The Aborigines did not know the concept of property.

When the first convict transports of the British arrived and with the subsequent settlement by the “whites” after 1788, the saddest chapter in the long history of the Aborigines began. The settlement by the white man had a devastating influence on the indigenous people. They were hunted and treated as subhumans. Various attempts to resettle the tribes failed because the religious ties to their territories were too strong.

Of the estimated 300,000 Aborigines at the beginning of the 18th century, only about 75,000 remained in 1947. It was not until the middle of the 20th century that Australians began to treat their indigenous people in a more humane way. However, there was no protection or resettlement of the Aborigines living there at that time.

In 1994, the government paid the Aborigines $14 million in compensation for nuclear tests carried out in the desert. However, the contamination of this area and the suffering of the Aborigines caused by it could not be compensated for with money. However, it was a first sign of a change in thinking at the political level as well.

In 1960, the indigenous people were recognized as having civil rights, which also went hand in hand with the right to vote. The Aboriginal Land Rights Act, passed in 1976, returned large tribal territories to the original owners. In 1983, an important sanctuary, Uluru (Ayers Rock), was handed over to them.

However, the self-determination demanded by the indigenous people and promised several times by liberal-minded politicians has not yet been contractually realized.

The livelihoods of the natives remain critical: 60 percent have an annual income of less than $12,000 and 50 percent live mostly on government funds. High unemployment and alcoholism, as well as the reluctance to work in the white man’s economic system, are the biggest problems today.

A particularly common type of travel in Australia is backpacking. Australia’s popularity as a destination for young tourists from all over the world continues to grow.

The need for cheap, satisfactory hostels is therefore steadily increasing.

This has been taken into account with many new buildings, at least on the east coast of Australia.

The competition for the favor of backpackers is so great that many houses are not only cheap but also state-of-the-art. Of course, you can’t compare a backpacker inn with a hotel, but compared to German youth hostels, they are very luxuriously furnished.

Queensland is home to many sailboat and car rental companies that compete fiercely for the backpacker customer base. It is often advertised with special offers and promotions that can save a lot of money on almost any activity in the metropolises.

A special feature that is not limited to Queensland is the backpacker trail from Sydney to Cooktown.

You can travel from one city to the next and take advantage of the backpacker hostels up or down the coast. This is a particularly cheap and organizationally secure alternative for backpacker travelers in Australia.