If you are looking to get away from Australia’s popular resort towns, but are still looking for great weather, friendly service, and pristine beaches, Mackay is the place for you. Located about six hundred miles north of Brisbane, Mackay is the sugar capital of Australia as the area produces more than one-third of Australia’s cane sugar crops. The region is home to fantastic beaches, many of which are patrolled year round, and is also a popular place for fishing. There are several islands off the coast where visitors can indulge in a luxurious stay at a romantic resort or where they can get close to the land by camping. St. Bees Island is a great place to see koalas, and the neighbouring Keswick Island is known for its reef diving.
The most popular park in the region is Eungella National Park. This is Queensland’s most ecologically diverse park, and is a great place to visit because many of the walking tracks are relatively short and easy, allowing everyone to enjoy the scenery. There are also two scenic drives and a multitude of picnic spots. Be sure to visit Sky Window for the exceptional views and the Broken River viewing platform where, if you’re lucky, you might spot a platypus!
Cape Hillsborough National Park is another popular place, mainly because its resident wallaby population is inordinately friendly and makes a morning trek down to the beach. For your safety and theirs, please don’t feed the wildlife, no matter how friendly they appear. Here the rainforests cover the mountains and extend right up to the sandy edge of the beach and in the water beyond lies the Great Barrier Reef.
The city of Mackay itself makes a great stop as well, with a new modern art centre and their local botanical gardens. With excellent accommodation and dining, it is a great place to start your exploration of this remarkable area.
As the sixth largest country in the world, Australia actually has a proportionately small population of about twenty million people. It is the only country to control an entire continent and its islands, and is made up of six states and two territories. Western Australia is the largest state and is about the same size as Western Europe! Australia is also both the flattest and the driest continent in the world. Because it is located beneath the equator, Australia’s summers occur over North American winters, and winter over North American summers. If you want to spend Christmas on the beach, Australia is the place to go!
Prior to western exploration, Aboriginal people lived throughout the continent in culturally diverse groups. The first European contact with Australia came in 1606 with the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon, however it wasn’t until 1770 when Captain James Cook led a scientific exploration to the area that it was claimed as part of the British Empire. Britain used Australia as a penal colony, sending convicts as indentured labour to the new country. It wasn’t until the 1850s, with the gold rush, that the first settlers of Australia began to make their way there under their own free will. The Commonwealth of Australia was created in 1901 and it gained its independence in 1931. A major civil rights action occurred in 1967 when Australians voted overwhelmingly to allow the government to pass legislation to improve the lives of Aboriginal people throughout the nation.
Australia has a wide variety of climates, with desert, tropics, subtropics, plains, and rainforests, not to mention mountains and snowfields. Tourism is major industry in Australia, and visitors from all over the world are flocking there to enjoy the warm hospitality, tropical weather, and unique natural features. Natural resources are also important to Australia and make up a large proportion of their world exports.
If you’re looking for an Australian luxury vacation package, it doesn’t get much better than a visit to the Whitsundays region of Queensland. Here you can experience the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef in as luxurious accommodations as you can afford. The Whitsundays area is home to an amazing seventy-four separate islands, some of which are home to exclusive and private resorts where guests can immerse themselves in luxury while enjoying the unique setting of the Great Barrier Reef.
With warm, tropical temperatures, crystal clear water, and an incredible array of sealife, it’s no wonder that this area has so many resorts. If island life suits you, try the five star boutique hotel, the Beach Club, on Hamilton Island, the area’s largest inhabited island. Looking for something a little more private? Check out the Hayman Island Resort. As the only facilities on the island, this five star resort offers luxurious rooms, lovely gardens, and a unique swimming pool. There is no end of things to do on the island, both outdoor and water activities as well as in the resort’s spa.
If staying on the mainland seems more your speed, the resort town of Airlie Beach offers no end of fantastic accommodation. The Martinique Whitsundays resort is known as one of the best, and its unique architecture was inspired by the French Caribbean style. Just entering the resort is a journey in itself, as guests make their way into the lobby via a walkway over the pool. The exclusive Coral Sea Resort is another fantastic facility with luxury apartments and penthouses, two swimming pools, and unique dining.
Travelers can also enjoy trips to the Great Barrier Reef in utter luxury due to the wealth of luxury cruises available in the area. Whether you wish to travel by yacht, catamaran, or on the fastest vessel in the harbour, the ReefJet, you’ll find what you are looking for here. Helicopter flights over the region are also popular.
Prior to western exploration, Aboriginal people lived throughout the continent in culturally diverse groups. The first European contact with 