Compared with other Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne, Perth is quiet and almost like a ve

The land "down under" offers a smorgasbord discount car rentals las vegas of natural holiday wonders, whether it be the lush rivers and forests of its south, the winter ski fields of its alps, the dry desolation of its Outback interior, the tropical wonders of its north, its fringe of white sandy beaches, or the awesome Great Barrier Reef that snakes along Australia's eastern coastline.
The best known Australian city, Sydney , is arguably the most beautiful in the world, but holiday travellers can choose to visit several unique state capitals or travel through any number of coastal and rural towns.
The country is immense and foreigners should budet for this if they're planning a cheap Australia holiday.: Australian travel is expensive because discount car rentals las vegas everything is far away and flights are necessary discount car rentals las vegas unless you enjoy long car journeys.
Australia has very few health discount car rentals las vegas risks as long as you know how to protect yourself from the sun. Some people from the northern hemisphere have trouble adapting discount car rentals las vegas to Australia's stifling heat if their holiday travel is between December and March.
Travel discount car rentals las vegas in the far north is very humid and rainy during the Australian summer and although the vegetation is lush, the seas are sometimes infested with jellyfish that sting. Crocodiles can also get a bit snappy in the northern rivers and coastal seas.
Winter in most southern states is similar to summer in many European countries, although Melbourne and Hobart can be particularly chilly. The best time to holiday discount car rentals las vegas in Queensland or the far north is from May to September.
The Australian music scene is also successful discount car rentals las vegas on the world stage with commercial artists including the Bee Gees, INXS, Midnight Oil, Kylie Minogue, AC/DC and silverchair, and famous actors including Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush and Cate Blanchett.
Budget travellers would be lucky to survive comfortably during their Australia holiday on US$60 a day for food, accommodation and travel. Food isn't as cheap as it used to be in Australia but the quality remains excellent.
Domestic flights are reasonably priced but it's well worth checking the internet for cheap plane tickets or discount price wars which occasionally flare between the few competing airlines (mostly Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Blue).
Tipping is not expected in most places and if you don't tip in a ritzy restaurant, it usually discount car rentals las vegas won't raise an eyebrow. Australian taxi drivers will appreciate your leaving the change but even that's not necessary.
In both 2005 and 2006, a survey by Lonely Planet rated Australia as the favourite destination in the world for travellers, both in terms of where they'd like to have a holiday and the best holiday destination they've ever visited.
Tourists can pay to walk atop the main arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. In late 2006 a new route was opened which allows tourists to walk through the heart of this engineering marvel amid its giant rivets and girders before reaching discount car rentals las vegas the top of the bridge, 134 metres above the harbour waters. The BridgeClimb Sydney service provides escorts for the climb to the top of the bridge span, for which stringent safety cords and clothing are required, and the off-season adult price is AUS$169 on weekends or at twilight.
Tourists discount car rentals las vegas can buy a one hour tour of the Sydney Opera House costing AUS$23 for adults, available every 30 minutes from 9am to 5pm and taking in various sections of the building including its theatres and halls. The Opera House is home to The Sydney Symphony, The Australian Ballet, Opera Australia and the Sydney Theatre Company, making it one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world with about 2,400 events presented each year.
Launched in 2005, the Harbour Circle Walk is a 26 kilometre circuit around the western half of Sydney Harbour, covering The Rocks, the harbour bridge, Gladesville Bridge and returning to the city via Anzac Bridge. Walk maps and notes can be downloaded here .
Sydney was ranked the world's top city in 2007 in an annual international tourist poll by the US-based Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Sydney scored 87.7, beating Florence (86.8), San Francisco (85.9) and Bangkok (85.8). Readers commented on Sydney's "ambience and friendliness".
Major features to see during a walking tour of the central city include the enormous Melbourne Cricket Ground, Federation Square, Southbank, the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (undergoing a massive refurbishment due for completion in 2009), Telstra Dome and the revitalised Docklands area.
For more intimate shops, art galleries, music, fashion, cafes and restaurants, check out small inner city alleys and arcades such as Degraves St, Flinders Lane, Centre Place, Royal Arcade, Block Arcade, Tattersalls Lane and Collins St.
Away from the hundreds of kilometres of water frontage, Perth's urban landscape is very flat apart from a hill escarpment to the east. A large proportion of the local population is relatively wealthy thanks to the vast resource treasures of the West Australian hinterland.
The city has an international discount car rentals las vegas reputation for its cleanliness and safety, although this is regarded by some tourists as a reflection of its staid, conservative attitude and unimpressive nightlife. Perth has been tagged Dullsville by the local media.
The locals are very friendly and helpful, and the city has a good public transport system by international standards. Perth has a hotpotch of regulated and unregulated shopping hours. Most shops close after 6pm although supermarkets are open all week and usually discount car rentals las vegas till 9pm.
Compared with other Australian cities like Sydney discount car rentals las vegas and Melbourne, Perth is quiet and almost like a very big country town. Tourists from the eastern states of Australia often prefer to holiday away from Perth in country locations such as Margaret River and Broome.
A travel survey of 27,000 readers published in September 2005 by Britain's Guardian and Observer newspapers voted Perth the "favourite discount car rentals las vegas overseas city" based on travel satisfaction criteria, beating discount car rentals las vegas all other cities discount car rentals las vegas including Paris, New York and Hong Kong.
Broome is a mecca for tourists seeking a warm, lazy, subtropical holiday hideaway with palm trees, great fishing and awesome beaches, discount car rentals las vegas although stinging jellyfish can be a problem between November and March.
Also in the north of WA, Ningaloo is one of only two coral reefs in the world that are formed on the western side of a continent. The reef is protected within the Ningaloo Marine Park which stretches 260 kilometres from Bundegi Beach near the town of Exmouth to Amherst Point south of Coral Bay. Exmouth provides an ideal base from which to explore the fishing, diving discount car rentals las vegas and snorkeling delights of Ningaloo Reef, as well as the Cape Range National Park about a half hour drive south of the town. The peak holiday season for this region is April through to the end of October, July being the busiest month of the year. Exmouth provides lodges, resorts, hotels, chalets, backpacker hostels and campsites to fit the budget of most travellers.
Australia travel tip ... The historic port city of Fremantle near Perth will host the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships. The two week competition is expected to draw about 5000 visitors and will be Fremantle's biggest sailing event since the America's Cup in 1987.
Tourists can cruise the nearby discount car rentals las vegas Adelaide River and watch jumping crocodiles, discount car rentals las vegas as well as wild pigs and buffalo on the river banks. Nearby Litchfield National Park attracts about 250,000 visitors each year and its main attractions are spring-fed waterfalls and holes at Buley Rockhole, Wangi Falls, discount car rentals las vegas Sandy Creek, Tolmer Falls and Florence Falls.