Victoria/ VIC ( Melbourne)

The facts
Victoria is the second largest state in Australia by population with 5.2 million people in a land area of 227,420 square kilometres. The capital, Melbourne, is the arts centre of Australia, and people are drawn to the romance of grand old buildings, fantastic dining, and an abundance of arts events. Melbourne has an exciting multicultural society with a history of both European and Asian immigration.

What makes Victoria unique?
Victoria has some of the country’s best museums and entertainment venues. Victoria is known for its sporting events, such as the Grand Prix and the Melbourne Cup, its incredible scenery and its network of regional cities. There are ski fields and beaches, along with wine-growing regions and industrial centres.

Melbourne has lots of festivals, including the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival. The Arts Precinct is the epitome of Melbourne’s high-class culture and comprises the National Gallery of Victoria, Victorian Arts Centre, the Melbourne Concert Hall, Theatres Building and the Performing Arts Museum. Melbourne has numerous education institutions, both in the city and in the surrounding areas.

Outside of the capital, the Mornington Peninsula is a popular summer resort for Victorians, as is Phillip Island where you can watch the Penguin Parade. Seal Rocks has Australia’s largest colony of fur seals.

Along the coastline to the west of Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road is one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world. Nearby, the Grampians National Park stretches for 90 kilometres. A diverse mix of plant and animal life surrounds many Aboriginal rock painting sites.

Geelong is Victoria’s second largest city and it has a range of educational institutions. West of Melbourne, there are institutions at Melton, Sunbury, Ballarat and Warrnambool. To the north of Melbourne, international students attend institutions at Bendigo, Beechworth, Shepparton and Wodonga.

In the high country you’ll find Victoria’s ski fields. There are a whole lot of other activities to enjoy here throughout the year including bushwalking, canoeing, white-water rafting, rock climbing, hang-gliding and mountain bike riding.

The Gippsland region showcases some stunning scenery, and Wilson’s Promontory National Park in the South East Lakes region has great tracks for hiking. Finally, the town of Glenrowan has a historical significance to all Australians. It was here that Australia’s larrikin hero, a bushranger named Ned Kelly, was finally caught. His reported last words are world famous: “Such is life”.

University campuses in Victoria
Australian Catholic University
Central Queensland University (Melbourne International Campus)
Deakin University
James Cook University (Melbourne Campus)
La Trobe University
Monash International
RMIT University
Swinburne University of Technology
University of Ballarat
University of Melbourne
Victoria University

Getting there and getting around
Melbourne has a busy international airport with flights from many countries around the world. Trains and airplanes travel between cities in Victoria. A car ferry runs from Melbourne to Tasmania.

You can travel around Melbourne by bus, train or tram. In regional cities, buses are the most common form of transport.

Find out more
www.visitvictoria.com (tourist information)
www.vic.gov.au(Victorian Government services)
www.heraldsun.news.com.au and www.theage.com.au (Melbourne newspapers)
www.onlinenewspapers.com/australi.htm (links to newspapers around Victoria)
www.citysearch.com.au (nightlife and events)

Tasmania/ TAZ (Hobart)

The facts
Tasmania is Australia’s only island state. It is 240 kilometres south of the mainland between Victoria and Antarctica. It maintains a high quality of life and relaxed, easy-going atmosphere. Tasmania has an area of 67,800 square kilometres and a population of only 495,000 people.

Hobart, the state capital, is Australia’s second oldest city. Temperature averages range from 9 degrees overnight in summer to 18 during the day, and 6 degrees overnight in winter to 15 during the day.

What makes Tasmania unique?
Tasmania is only accessible from the mainland by sea or air. This isolation has helped preserve its wilderness, resulting in around 20 per cent of the state being World Heritage-listed. Tasmania attracts tourists from around the world for outdoor activities such as bushwalking, kayaking and climbing in its stunning environment. Tasmania is also known for its arts culture and gourmet delights such as dairy products, smoked salmon and wine.

Hobart is a modern city with a vibrant market and restaurant scene. It is proud of its colonial heritage. Battery Point is the city’s historical heart, with 90 buildings around the city well preserved and classified by the National Trust. Launceston is the second-largest city in Tasmania and the base for the ski fields at Ben Lomond National Park and Mount Mawson. Institutions and their campuses can be found in Hobart, Launceston, Beaconsfield and other large regional towns.

The south-east coast has flavoursome fruits, scrumptious salmon and wonderful wines. Bruny Island is home to plenty of wildlife, including fairy penguins and reptile species. The Hartz Mountains National Park has stunning mountains, glacial lakes, alpine moorlands and dense rainforests. On the Tasman Peninsula is the historical Port Arthur, a prison used in colonial times to house convicts from Britain.

The north-west has Aboriginal rock engravings, evidence of the Aboriginal tribes who took shelter in the caves along the coast thousands of years ago. The west of the state is the least populated region, with many mountains, grass plains, rivers, lakes, rainforests and a stunning coastline. The Franklin-Gordon Rivers National Park and the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Parks are World Heritage-listed areas that should be explored with a sense of wonder that places so sublime still exist in the modern world.

University campuses in Tasmania
Australian Maritime College
University of Tasmania

Getting there and getting around
You can fly into Hobart. Your route from home may involve flying into Melbourne and then a short flight to Hobart. There is also a ferry link between Melbourne and Tasmania.

Tasmania’s public transport system revolves around buses. There are flights between major cities.

Find out more
www.discovertasmania.com.au (tourist information)
www.tas.gov.au (Tasmanian Government services)
www.themercury.news.com.au (Hobart's newspaper)
www.onlinenewspapers.com/australi.htm (links to newspapers around Tasmania)
www.citysearch.com.au (nightlife and events)

South Australia/ SA (Adelaide)

The facts
South Australia is home to around 1.6 million people spread across 984,277 square kilometres of land. The state’s capital, Adelaide, has a relaxed lifestyle with numerous lush parks and beautiful beaches.

In summer, Adelaide averages 13 degrees overnight to 24 degrees during the day, and in winter, 9 degrees overnight to 19 during the day. In the north of the state, temperatures are extreme. In the famous opal mining town of Coober Pedy, it can soar above 50 degrees in the summer!

What makes South Australia unique?
South Australia was the first in the world to allow women to stand for parliament. Its people are polite and sophisticated. South Australia is famous for its wineries, wildlife and natural attractions.

Adelaide is renowned for its arts and culture, particularly the Festival of the Arts and the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Adelaide has a multicultural society and numerous educational institutions. There are also campuses and institutions in Mawson Lakes, Roseworthy and Whyalla.

Around Adelaide are the Barossa Valley, the Clare Valley and the McLaren Vale - important wine-growing regions for Australia. The Flinders Ranges offer some of the most stunning scenery in the country. Spectacular rugged mountains, lakes scattered throughout, and a carpet of wildflowers in spring-time have inspired many Aboriginal Dreaming stories. Along the Sturt Highway from Port Augusta north, you’ll find lots of small outback towns with much character. Coober Pedy is one such town. This mining town produces about 80 per cent of the world’s opals.

University campuses in SA
Flinders University
University of Adelaide
University of South Australia

Getting there and getting around
Adelaide has an international airport. For travel around Adelaide, you can take a bus, train or tram. In regional towns, transport is by bus. Travel between towns is by bus, train and plane.

Find out more
http://www.southaustralia.com (tourist information)
http://www.sa.gov.au (SA Government services)
www.theadvertiser.news.com.au (Adelaide's newspaper)
www.onlinenewspapers.com/australi.htm (links to newspapers around SA)www.citysearch.com.au (nightlife and events)

Queensland/ QLD ( Brisbane/ Gold Coast)

The facts
Queensland is in the north-east of Australia. It covers an enormous amount of land (1,727,200 square kilometres) yet doesn’t have the population to fill it. Only 4.2 million people live in Queensland and the majority of them are on the coast.

Brisbane, the capital, is a cosmopolitan city. In summer, average temperatures range from 18 degrees overnight to a balmy 28 degrees in the day, and in winter, 14 degrees overnight to 24 degrees in the day. In Cairns, a regional centre to the north, the weather is tropical with an average of 22 degrees on summer nights and 31 during the day. Winter in Cairns can be warmer than some of the southern summers, with temperatures averaging 20 degrees overnight to 26 degrees during the day.

What makes Queensland unique?
Queensland has lots of sun, beautiful beaches, coral reefs, rare and unusual wildlife, and some of the most spectacular rainforests you’ll ever see.

Brisbane is brimming with cultural attractions including the Brisbane City Gallery, Parliament House, Botanic Gardens, Queensland Museum and Queensland Art Gallery. Brisbane is home to many institutions including universities, vocational institutes and schools. South of Brisbane is the Gold Coast, which includes Surfers Paradise, and attracts holiday-makers from around the world. There are many educational institutions on the Gold Coast.

North of Brisbane is the Sunshine Coast which has great beaches, as well as the Glass House Mountains, a group of volcanic crags with peaks of up to 300 metres. International students attend institutions in Noosa and Maroochydore.

The Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven wonders of the world, is further north on the Capricorn Coast. Cities and towns with institutions on the northern coast of Queensland include Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns.

University campuses in Queensland
Australian Catholic University
Bond University
Central Queensland University
Griffith University
Griffith University - Queensland College of Art
James Cook University
Queensland University of Technology
University of Canberra - Brisbane Campus
University of Queensland
University of Southern Queensland
University of the Sunshine Coast

Getting there and getting around
Brisbane and Cairns have international airports. In Brisbane, you can travel by bus, train or ferry. In regional towns, the main transport is buses. Between towns, you can travel by train, bus or plane.

Find out more
www.queenslandholidays.com.au (tourist information)
www.qld.gov.au (QLD Government services)
www.thecouriermail.news.com.au (Brisbane's newspaper)
www.onlinenewspapers.com/australi.htm (links to newspapers around Queensland)
www.citysearch.com.au (nightlife and events)

Northern Territory/ NT (Darwin)

The facts
The Northern Territory is at the top of Australia and is renowned for its natural wonders and Aboriginal history and culture. The Territory is large, with 1.35 million square kilometres but only 220,000 residents. Most people live in the capital, Darwin, which sits on the coast of the Timor Sea. The other major towns are Katherine and Alice Springs.

The days are hot all year round. Darwin has a tropical climate with average temperatures in summer of 25 degrees overnight and 33 degrees in the day, and in winter, 21 degrees overnight to 31 degrees in the day.

What makes the NT unique?
The Territory is where you’ll find the sights of outback Australia – striking red earth set against the endless blue sky and Uluru (Ayers Rock). There are many national parks with amazing scenery. The Aboriginal culture is the longest surviving continuous culture in history, and the Territory is where you’ll find evidence of this through ancient artifacts and rock carvings.

Darwin is a multicultural city with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Attractions include the Botanical Gardens, the Territory Wildlife Park, the Museum and Art Gallery and Mindil Beach markets. International students attend institutions in Darwin and Katherine. Katherine is a great city for experiencing Aboriginal culture and art before heading south to Alice Springs and Uluru.

Kakadu National Park boasts hundreds of species of wildlife and over 5,000 Aboriginal rock art sites dating back almost 20,000 years. Kings Canyon, though in the middle of the desert, is a magnificent gorge where you will find an area full of lush palms. Near Alice Springs is Uluru (Ayers Rock), the largest monolith in the world and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) - giant rounded rocks jutting out of the ground .

University campuses in the NT
Charles Darwin University

Getting there and getting around
Darwin has an international airport. Buses are available in Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs and some of the other larger towns. Travel between towns is by bus, train or plane.

Find out more
www.travelnt.com (tourist information)
www.nt.gov.au (NT Government services)
www.ntnews.com.au (Darwin's newspaper)
www.citysearch.com.au (nightlife and events)

New South Wales/NSW (Sydney)

The facts
New South Wales is one of Australia’s most popular states. In an area about the size of Britain, 6.9 million people enjoy bustling cities, wide open spaces and everything in between. The capital of NSW is Sydney.

Temperatures in Sydney are mild. Summer averages lows of 16 degrees overnight and highs of 24 during the day. Winter sees lows of 12 degrees overnight and 20 degrees during the day.

What makes NSW unique?
NSW offers any kind of life you could want. Big-city living can be found in Sydney while the coastal towns offer a relaxed life by the beach. Comfortable rural living with all the modern facilities is available in the large regional cities and smaller towns.

In Sydney you'll find famous attractions like the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australian Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens, Darling Harbour, Taronga Park Zoo and Bondi Beach. Outside of Sydney, there are hundreds of towns and beautiful sights. The Blue Mountains west of Sydney offer amazing scenery. Over the mountains is the Central West where international students attend institutions in regional cities such as Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo.

The south coast of NSW is dotted with many beachside towns. International students attend institutions in Wollongong, an hour south of Sydney, and then further south-west, in the regional centres of Wagga Wagga and Albury. The Snowy Mountains region has great ski-fields and the highest mountain in Australia, Mt Kosciusko.

In the north west of the state, Tamworth is Australia’s country music capital and people from all over the world flock there every year for its Country Music Festival. Armidale and Tamworth are home to numerous educational institutions.

The north coast of NSW has resort towns and large regional centres. Newcastle is home to one of the country’s largest seaports and is known for its surf culture and music scene. Further north, Byron Bay is a popular tourist attraction with its white beaches, an alternative lifestyle and relaxed atmosphere. Cities and towns with educational institutions in this area include: Gosford; Newcastle; Port Macquarie; Coffs Harbour; Grafton; and Lismore.

University campuses in NSW
Australian Catholic University
Central Queensland University (Sydney International Campus)
Charles Sturt University
Deakin University (NSW Campus)
James Cook University (Sydney Campus)
Macquarie University
Southern Cross University
University of New England
University of New South Wales
University of Newcastle
University of Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
University of Western Sydney
University of Wollongong

Getting there and getting around
Sydney has an international airport. You can travel to regional cities by plane, bus or train.

Sydney uses buses, trains and ferries for public transport. Most regional towns have bus networks, while the cities of Wollongong and Newcastle have suburban trains.

Find out more
www.visitnsw.com.au (tourist information)
www.nsw.gov.au (NSW Government services)
www.smh.com.au and www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au (Sydney newspapers)
www.onlinenewspapers.com/australi.htm (links to newspapers around NSW)
www.citysearch.com.au (nightlife and events)

Australian Capital Territory /ACT (Canberra)

The facts
The Australian Capital Territory contains Canberra, the capital of Australia. The ACT covers 4,067 square kilometres and has a population of around 340,000. It is about 150 kilometres inland from the east coast of Australia and is encircled by New South Wales.

Canberra is hot in summer and cold in winter. It has four distinct seasons. In summer, while temperatures average 9 degrees overnight to 23 degrees during the day, you can swelter in 35-degree heat. In winter, temperatures average 3 degrees overnight to 16 degrees in the day.

What makes the ACT unique?
Canberra is the capital of Australia and home to Parliament House and the Federal Government. Most embassies in Australia are in Canberra, resulting in a multicultural community. The large student population can take advantage of the many galleries and museums. The city is known as “the bush capital” because of the many trees and parks within the city and its proximity to bushland. Lake Burley Griffin in the centre of the city is used for boat cruises, sailing, sailboarding and fishing.

Canberra has many national museums and places of significance. Parliament House, Old Parliament House, the National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the Australian War Memorial are the major drawcards.

The ACT encourages sports and outdoor activities with its numerous bike paths, sports centres and swimming pools. The Australian Institute of Sport has facilities which can be used by the public. You can also go bushwalking, camping, trail-bike riding and horse-riding.

Canberra is home to four universities and a number of vocational institutes, schools and English language colleges.

University campuses in the ACT

Australian Catholic University (Canberra campus)
Australian National University
University of Canberra
University of NSW (Duntroon College)

Getting there and getting around
Canberra has an airport, train station and bus station. It is a 30-minute flight from Sydney or a three-hour bus trip.

Canberra has a bus network and good bike paths.

Find out more
www.visitcanberra.com.au (tourist information)
www.act.gov.au (ACT Government services)
www.canberratimes.com.au (Canberra's newspaper)
www.citysearch.com.au (nightlife and events)