Australia Cruise - from Sydney - 119120

Brisbane or 'Brissie', as the city is familiarly known to Australians, is on the east coast of southern Queensland. Beautifully sited by the Brisbane river, it has many sights, lively shopping streets, a huge variety of restaurants and a very broad and ambitious cultural programme. Sights include: the Botanic Gardens, the Lone Pine Sanctuary with its Koalas and Kangaroos, Brisbane City Hall, the pedestrian area at Queen Street Mall , Roma Street Parkland, South Bank Parklands, the viewing point at Mt. Coot-tha Lookout, with its fantastic view of Brisbane and the suburbs.

Founded in 1864 by Robert Towns, the city today has a double name ("Townsville"). It is the starting point for excursions to Magnetic Island (lined with palm-trees and paradise beaches) but Townsville itself also has a lot to offer. Townsville's aquarium, the Great Barrier Reef Wonderland, is a first-class aquarium with a live coral reef, which visitors can even walk through thanks to the glass underwater tunnel. The colourful Great Barrier Reef lies just off the coast of Townsville. Here, visitors can dive to the huge area of coral or swim in the shallow waters.

Cairns, the capital of the "Far North" region is full of that tropical lust for life. As the secret "backpacker capital" of Australia, it has an almost magical pull on young travellers thanks to the seemingly limitless recreational activities it has to offer. It is far easier to reach the Great Barrier Reef from here than from central Queensland. The crystal-clear waters, palm-lined islands and sandbanks attract divers and snorkellers in particular, making the two offshore islands, Green Island and Fitzroy Island, hugely popular holiday destinations. The outer reef loved by divers is around 50 km away. In the near vicinity are untouched sections of coast and a mysterious wilderness of rainforest backed by a high mountain range.

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.

Broome, the centre of the pearl industry, lies on the Indian Ocean. The town is surrounded by wide, white sandy beaches with turquoise-blue water and the reddish-orange coloured cliffs along the shoreline. Thanks to the former pearl divers, the town has an Asian touch and still has a Chinatown area. In the 19th century, Broome was one of the most famous pearl harbours in the world. In 1910, 400 boats met 80% of the worldwide demand for mother-of-pearl. Today, the Australian port relies mainly on tourism. Sights include: Cable Beach, the Japanese cemetery, Broome Historical Society Museum, the historic outdoor cinema "Sun Pictures", where you can watch a film from the comfort of your deckchair.

In the middle of the West Australian coast, 1,100 km North of Perth, lies the small town of Exmouth. It was built in 1967 primarily as a communications base for the US marines, who left in the early 1990s. Part of the base has been used by the Australian marines, the other section has been converted into accommodation. Exmouth is first and foremost the starting point for tours to Ningaloo Reef Marine Park, the largest coral reef in Western Australia. From November to March visitors can see the turtles that come to the beach to lay their eggs. A special highlight for visitors is being able to dive with the largest fish in the world, the whale shark, at the fantastic Ningaloo Reef.

The port of Geraldton is located to the North of Perth in Champion Bay. Since the sun shines an average of 8 hours a day here, the city is also known as "Sun City". The Abrolhos Islands lie before the coast of the city; these are banks of coral and islands that until very recently caused many, many ships to sink. The most famous of these was the Batavia, a trading and passenger ship that sank in 1629 with around 300 people on board. The survivors' story is re-told at the Geraldton Museum with finds, photographs and a gripping film. The city with the second-largest port in all of Western Australia also has a number of other interesting sights: St. Francis Xavier cathedral, the Shell Museum and the view point at Mount Scott.

Fremantle was founded in 1829 and was the capital of western Australia in the early 19th century. For many migrants, the harbour represented the gateway to the land "Down Under" and Fremantle developed into a multicultural town. It is most famous for its market.

Albany is the oldest town in Western Australia located on the King George Sound. It was founded in 1826 as a prison settlement. Today, the town is best known for being the holiday and tourist centre of the Great Southern Region. Sights include: the Mount Clarence monument, the Residency Museum, the Old Post Office and the gorge known as "The Gap".

Adelaide, with a population of 1.08 million, is the capital of South Australia. It proudly calls itself the "Festival City", since it hosts the largest cultural festical in the entire Asia Pacific region every other year in February/March. The streets of the inner city of Adelaide have a grid -iron layout. The most important street in the city is "Rundle Street" which has a large number of department stores, small shops, boutiques and restaurants. But there are still lovely old houses at Adelaide's port, like the police station dating from 1860, a warehouse (1865) and numerous historic residential buildings. Other sights include: "Old Parliament House" dating back to 1855, the Migration Museum, the Australian Museum and two universities (founded in 1847 and 1966).

Melbourne is an Australian metropolis founded by settlers in 1835. Unlike Sydney or Hobart, Melbourne was never a prison colony. The city has an individual tradition with beautiful architecture and enchanting art and culture. As well as the settlers, you will also encounter the indigenous people of Austrialia, the Aborigines, in the city. Melbourne has a large number of shopping, cultural, sport and recreational facilities, making it extremely attractive to visitors. Sights include: the city's tram system, the Botanic Gardens, Melbourne University, the Convention Centre and Carlton District Crown.

The seafarers' town lies at the mouth of the Derwent River at the foot of Mount Wellington. The capital of the smallest Australian state (Tasmania) was founded in 1803 as a prison colony. Nowadays, Hobart's image is shaped by houses from the colonial era and spacious parks. The town is also home to the 'tasmanian devil'. Sights include: Anglesea Barracks, the parliament building and the "Cascade" brewery.