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Australia is an immensely popular country for Brits jetting off on a long-stay holiday. Its mixture of vast, foreign landscape so different to the cities and greenery of the UK and the friendly culture of the English-speaking locals means that travellers can enjoy an adventurous trip without feeling out of their depth.
 Although the culture may seem familiar to Brits in many ways, do not be deceived, as there is plenty to discover behind the modern, multicultural Australia. The country has a fascinating history, from the Aboriginal Dreamtime to the settlement of the British and the use of the nation to house convicts.
Two of the most popular cities to visit in Australia are Melbourne and Sydney, with impressive skylines and a fantastic urban culture to experience. Melbourne is celebrated for its fashion, food and good living; with a range of restaurants and alfresco dining, jazz, wine bars, cafes and boutiques. The Royal Botanic Gardens are a particular highlight, and sports fans should not miss an AFL game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Take a break from city life and head out to various regions of Victoria, such as Yarra Valley, which is well-known for its wines. These areas are great for spotting Australian wildlife in its natural habitat, but for a sure sighting of kangaroos and koalas visitors can also head to one of the country’s many wildlife centres.
 Other things visitors can do around the Melbourne area include relaxing on the beach down at St Kilda, exploring the city on a Harley Davidson tour, watching the Little Penguins on Phillip Island and Enjoying dinner aboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant.
Highlights of Sydney include the world-famous harbour, natural beauty and outdoor lifestyle. Visitors can cruise the harbour and climb up Sydney Harbour Bridge, as long as they are not afraid of heights. The culture in the city is immense with opera, theatre and ballet all on offer at Sydney Opera House. It has a vibrant nightlife and those looking for a spot of retail therapy on their trip should head to the city and browse some of its world-class shops.
The Blue Mountains, which is a World Heritage Listed Area, features one million hectares of exotic forests, high sandstone cliffs, tranquil underground rivers and waterfalls, and caverns and canyons. Visitors often embark on a mountain biking trip to explore the area, while bushwalks, climbing rocks, canyoning and abseiling are also available.
 People in the UK wanting to see all the wonders Australia has to offer will have to fly to the other side of the world to do so, which can be a costly experience, and in terms of long haul travel, Brits can’t get much further than Australia. This makes it all the more important to invest in travel insurance. Although no-one wants to imagine something going wrong on their trip, if anything were to occur in Australia, they could end up severely out of pocket, with medical and repatriation costs sky high. Staysure offers long haul travel insurance that covers more than 220 pre-existing medical conditions, as well as repatriation costs, which lends travellers peace of mind when heading to a country as exotic as Australia.
Copyright © 2012 Marcos Lujan
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