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Australia i
Australia and New Zealand

Australia

Capital: Canberra · 8 regions · 4,901 places

AU AUUS travel advisory: 1/4
Population
24.99M
Area
7.69M km²
Capital
Canberra
Currency
AUD
Power plugs
I
230 V
Calling code
+61

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world, and is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent. It is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including large deserts centrally and tropical rainforests along the coast. Read more — Wikipedia

When to go

Best places in Australia in October

Townsville i
99 Australia

Townsville

Queensland · Australia
29° / 20° 41 mm Oct
Ayr i
99 Australia

Ayr

Queensland · Australia
30° / 19° 34 mm Oct
98 Australia

Bowen

Queensland · Australia
29° / 21° 37 mm Oct
Mackay i
97 Australia

Mackay

Queensland · Australia
29° / 19° 58 mm Oct
Cannonvale i
97 Australia

Cannonvale

Queensland · Australia
28° / 20° 50 mm Oct
97 Australia

Red Hill

Queensland · Australia
30° / 18° 52 mm Oct
Cairns i
96 Australia

Cairns

Queensland · Australia
30° / 21° 49 mm Oct
Redlynch i
96 Australia

Redlynch

Queensland · Australia
29° / 20° 79 mm Oct
Go score

When to go in Australia: month-by-month

Go score by month for the main destinations; green means great weather.

placesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sydney787877817464697178817982
Melbourne848683766047465260677984
Brisbane797777838288869295868381
Perth1009394867762576477889699
Adelaide939493927360566274849192
Gold Coast797677828187859092858281
Newcastle787878827566707279818082
Sunshine Coast797778838289879395878482
Canberra788279755742414759687983
Central Coast787877827364697179818082
Logan City797777838288859294858381
Geelong858783766048475361677884
Wollongong767876817464697177797881
Hobart757766564030293543496068
Water temperature

Sea temperature along the coast of Australia

placesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Darwin30°30°30°30°29°27°26°26°28°30°31°31°
Karama30°30°30°30°29°27°26°26°28°30°31°31°
Leanyer30°30°30°30°29°27°26°26°28°30°31°31°
Larrakeyah30°30°30°30°29°27°26°26°28°30°31°31°
Stuart Park30°30°30°30°29°27°26°26°28°30°31°31°
Nightcliff30°30°30°30°29°27°26°26°28°30°31°31°
Rapid Creek30°30°30°30°29°27°26°26°28°30°31°31°
Coconut Grove30°30°30°30°29°27°26°26°28°30°31°31°
Malak30°30°30°30°29°27°26°26°28°30°31°31°
Derby30°30°31°30°28°25°24°23°25°28°30°30°
All holiday types

More ways to travel in Australia

All holiday types
National parks577Waterfalls80Caves29Volcanoes5Glaciers18Lakes19Canyons4Deserts13Island holidays68History3Museums35World Heritage19Cathedrals18Skiing14Paragliding37Surfing42Diving56Hiking19Golf19Theme parks37Zoos & aquariums48Lighthouses54Beaches176Summer holidaysWinter sun
Rainy season in Australia Month by month
Top End November–MarchTropical North Queensland November–AprilKimberley January–March
Cyclone season: Queensland Cyclone season: Northern Australia
Nature Calendar

Seasonal spectacles in Australia

Nature calendar
Tulip season Canberra (Floriade) September Lavender season Bridestowe Estate (Tasmania) January Jacaranda season Grafton, Brisbane (New Farm Park), Sydney (Kirribilli) November Wildflowers & superblooms Western Australia (Kalbarri) August Autumn foliage Bright, Victoria April Southern lights Hobart (kunanyi / Mt Wellington), Bruny Island June Milky Way season Uluṟu June Sea turtle nesting Mon Repos (Bundaberg) January Whale watching Hervey Bay September Whale sharks Ningaloo Reef (Exmouth) May Grape harvest Barossa Valley March
Tourist density

Tourism in Australia

How many visitors come, how concentrated tourism is, and when the country is busiest.

International visitors a year
9.47M
2019
World rank by arrivals
#44
Visitors per resident
0.38
Visitors per km²
1.2

Most popular destinations in Australia

  1. 1SydneyVery high
  2. 2MelbourneHigh
  3. 3AdelaideHigh
  4. 4CanberraVery high
  5. 5BrisbaneHigh
  6. 6PerthHigh
  7. 7DarwinVery high
  8. 8HobartVery high
  9. 9Alice SpringsHigh
  10. 10CairnsHigh
  11. 11Sydney CBDHigh
  12. 12NewcastleHigh
Practical

Australia: practical information

Plugs, money, emergency numbers, safety and typical prices: what to know before you go.

Power plugs
I
Voltage
230 V · 50 Hz
Driving
Drive on the left
Currency

Australian Dollar

AUD · $

1 USD ≈ 1.424 AUD

Languages
English
Calling code
+61
Emergency numbers
Safety & travel advice
1
Exercise normal precautionsUS travel advisory
No travel warningsUK travel advice · Mar 19, 2026
Read the full advice
Typical prices
  • Meal, casual restaurantA$30.00≈ $21.00
  • CappuccinoA$6.80≈ $4.80
  • Beer (0.5 l)A$10.00≈ $7.20
  • Bottled water (1.5 l)A$3.00≈ $2.10
  • Taxi, 5 kmA$22.00≈ $15.00
  • Public transport ticketA$3.90≈ $2.80
  • Mid-range hotel, per nightA$225≈ $160

Estimated from Australia’s consumer price level — real prices vary by place and season. Prices are about 94% of US levels.

Upcoming public holidays
  • Dec 25Christmas Day
  • Dec 26St. Stephen's Day
  • Dec 28St. Stephen's Day (substitute day)
  • Jan 1New Year's Day
  • Jan 26Australia Day

Regions of Australia

8

Largest cities in Australia

Sydney i
81 Australia

Sydney

New South Wales · Australia
22° / 13° 83 mm Oct
Melbourne i
67 Australia

Melbourne

Victoria · Australia
19° / 10° 68 mm Oct
Brisbane i
86 Australia

Brisbane

Queensland · Australia
27° / 15° 92 mm Oct
Perth i
88 Australia

Perth

Western Australia · Australia
22° / 12° 46 mm Oct
Adelaide i
84 Australia

Adelaide

South Australia · Australia
21° / 11° 50 mm Oct
Gold Coast i
85 Australia

Gold Coast

Queensland · Australia
26° / 15° 100 mm Oct
Newcastle i
81 Australia

Newcastle

New South Wales · Australia
22° / 14° 79 mm Oct
87 Australia

Sunshine Coast

Queensland · Australia
26° / 15° 93 mm Oct
UNESCO

World Heritage sites in Australia

Great Barrier Reef i

Great Barrier Reef

Port Douglas · 37 km
Sydney Opera House i

Sydney Opera House

The Rocks · 1 km
Heard Island and McDonald Islands i

Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Macquarie Island i

Macquarie Island
Kakadu National Park i

Kakadu National Park

Kakadu · 16 km
K'gari i

K'gari

Urangan · 25 km
Purnululu National Park i

Purnululu National Park

Halls Creek · 127 km
Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park i

Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park

Yulara · 9 km
Tasmanian Wilderness i

Tasmanian Wilderness

Hobart · 100 km
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia i

Gondwana Rainforests of Australia

Moree · 28 km
Willandra Lakes Region i

Willandra Lakes Region

Mildura · 107 km
Australian Convict Sites i

Australian Convict Sites

Maroota · 9 km

Main airports