Australia Cruise - from Singapore - 112648

Singapore is a city state at the lower end of the Malay Peninsula, only around 100 km North of the equator. Today the city is one of the most important ports and trading centres in South East Asia. Singapore has a population of over 3 million, including first and foremost Chinese, Malaysians and Indians. Europeans and other ethnic groups round off the city of many nationalities and four official languages. Visitors will notice the spotlessly clean and well-kept roads and squares; Singapore is also one of the safest cities in the world. Some interesting buildings dating from the colonial era have been placed under preservation order, including several former British administrative buildings and Raffles Hotel, whose guests included many authors. From the southern shore of the Singapore River visitors can take a boat trip around the river and Marina Bay. Sights include: the shopping street Orchard Road, Chinatown, Little India, Singapore River, the Botanic Gardens, the zoo and Fort Canning.

Komodo is one of the Lesser Sunda lslands, a part of Indonesia as yet almost untouched by tourism. It could have been the set for the film "Jurassic Park", with its prehistoric animals the Komodo dragons and its unique landscape of craggy mountains, grasslands and forests with dried-up riverbeds. There are no roads and only a single village. Not far from Komodo are some of the most beautiful islands with a huge diversity of plant and animal life and fantastic areas for snorkelling in untouched coral colonies.

The relaxed atmosphere of the outback dominates in Darwin too. The nearby wilderness of Cockatoo National Park boasts cave paintings and aboriginal art, rock formations that are more than 20,000 years old, and the dense lush Australian rainforest with many many waterfalls.

King George river is widely known as one of Australia’s most spectacular rivers. Rising in Ashton Range, it crosses Drysdale Rover National Park in Kimberley region of Western Australia before it eventually flows into the sea at Koolama Bay. King George Falls can probably be named as the river’s most popular spot. Its impressive twin waterfalls and steep red sand cliffs can be found in the movie Australia. Visitors can admire the natural beauty by boat as the falls are situated 8 kilometers away from a town by the sea.

Hunter River flows through New South Wales in Australia. Rising in Liverpool Range, it eventually flows into the harbor of Newcastle. Its first name Coal River comes from the coal mines that have been discovered in the 18th century. However, the river has been renamed in honor to governor John Hunter. The surrounding area named Hunter Valley is famous for its wine, cheese and fruits that are planted at various vineyards and orchards. Two highways connect locals directly to Sydney.

The protected area Vansittart Bay lies at Kimberley Coast in the north of Australia. Exploring the nature, visitors will find many small islands and caves. Spectacles of nature like waterfalls or a wide range of biodiversity mark the unique beauty of Vansittart Bay. Cave paintings that are told to belong to the oldest ones of Australia can be admired. Besides, the sight of a crashed plane from World War II attract visitors from all over the world.

The relaxed atmosphere of the outback dominates in Darwin too. The nearby wilderness of Cockatoo National Park boasts cave paintings and aboriginal art, rock formations that are more than 20,000 years old, and the dense lush Australian rainforest with many many waterfalls.