1.Brisbane
Brisbane, the third largest City of Australia, is the capital of Queensland, the second largest state of Australia. Around 1.8 million people reside in this vibrant city, enjoying the excellent climate all year round. Whether you're looking for information as a tourist or local, this lens will tell you all. Geography
Brisbane is situated on the Brisbane river, 15 km from Moreton Bay. It's 1,000 km north of Sydney and 1,700 km south of Cairns. Brisbane is close to many attractions like the Gold Coast (45 mins), the Sunshine Coast (1 hr), Fraser Island (2 hrs), Byron Bay (2 hrs), and many many more!
The greater Brisbane region lies on the coastal plain east of the Great Dividing Range though the city is very hilly in some areas, and the urban area is punctuated by large hills reaching up to 300 metres such as Mount Coot-tha, Mount Gravatt, Whites Hill and Stephens Mountain.
From Sydney it will take about 10 hours by car or 1.5 hours by plane to get to Brisbane. Brisbane has a domestic and international airport, with access to many direct international flights from Europe, Asia and the US.Climate
Brisbane has a subtropical climate with hot, moist summers and mild, dry winters. Brisbane is subject to high humidity, mainly from November through to April. Summer thunderstorms are common, and Brisbane frequently experiences hailstorms, cyclonic winds and more recently severe drought during the summer months.Getting around
There are many ways of getting to, from and around Brisbane.
Trains
The Citytrain network extends from the centre of Brisbane south to Beenleigh and Robina on the Gold Coast, north to Ferny Grove, Shorncliffe, Caboolture and Gympie, east to Cleveland and west to Ipswich and Rosewood. (follow this link for a detailed map: http://www.citytrain.com.au/stations/citytrain_maps/citytrain_maps.asp )
Ferries
Being ferried across the water is a relaxing way to travel. No gridlock, no road rage - just hop on board and enjoy the scenery from a new perspective. A must-do for people who visit the city for the first time! Use the Journey Planner (http://www.translink.com.au/ ) for timetables.Buses
There is a public busservice and several privately owned busservices. There's even a free bus loop service that circles Brisbane's central business district and provides access to central station, Queen St Mall, Botanic Gardens, Riverside Centre and King George Square. Use the Journey Planner for timetables(http://www.translink.com.au/).Planes
Qantas, Virgin Blue, Singapore Airlines and American Airlines are but a few of the airlines that operate on Brisbane International Airport. There's even a fast train taking you directly into Brisbane city or to the Gold Coast. Check out the airport's website for more detailed information (http://www.bne.com.au/ ).
2. Melbourne
Melbourne is set around the shores of Port Phillip Bay. The city itself, laid out in a large rectangle and boasting a lively and cosmopolitan pulse, sits on the northern banks of the Yarra River, about five kilometres from the bay.
CBD
One glance at a map and it’s obvious that Melbourne is a planned city: a tidy, balanced grid of neatly angled streets. But beneath this sense of everything in its place restraint lies a restless creative energy constantly pushing back at the city’s seeming conservatism. The CBD is made up of precincts – distinct enclaves each with its own flavour and charm. Some are just a lane or two, while others cover the banks of the Yarra River or a busy CBD street.City fringe
Extending around the bay are a number of inner suburbs, each with its own distinct character and personality. A short tram ride from the city centre, Melbourne’s suburban neighbourhoods are a must see for anyone wanting to experience what life here is really all about.
capital: the most important town or city of a country, usually where the central government operates from
punctuate: to interrupt sth at intervals
domestic: of or inside a particular country; not foreign or international
subtropical: in or connected with regions that are near tropical parts of the world
extend: to make sth longer or larger
gridlock: a situation in which there are so many cars in the streets of a town
that the traffic cannot move at all
access: a way of entering or reaching a place
operate: to work in a particular way or from a particular place
cosmopolitan: containing people of different types or from different countries, and influenced by their culture
restraint: a rule, a fact, an idea, etc. that limits or controls what people can do
conservatism: the tendency to resist great or sudden change
fringe: the outer edge of an area or a group
By Connie Weng
3. Cairns
Great Barrier Reef is a world-famous tourist attraction. Cairns, a city in Tropical North Queensland, Australia, is well known for it. Cairns tourism means the Great Barrier Reef, tropical rainforest, and the many adventures, including flying, bungy jumping, rafting, diving, horse riding or even motor biking. More relaxed is Cairns golf and Cairns fishing.
Great Barrier Reef:
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest World Heritage Area, extending over 2000 kilometers and covering an area of over 350,000 sq km. It is probably the best known marine protected area in the world, including over 2800 individual reefs and more than 1000 islands. The Great Barrier Reef's great diversity reflects the maturity of the ecosystem which has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years. It is the world's most extensive coral reef system and is one of the world's richest areas in terms of faunal (pertaining to animals) diversity.
The Great Barrier Reef is larger than the whole of the United Kingdom. The reef is close to Cairns and many trips are organized to the reef daily. Most trips offer a diving option, snorkeling (swimming with a tube in one's mouth that allows a swimmer to take in air while under water), glass bottom boats and submarine (naval vessel that can operate underwater as well as on the surface).
Kuranda Village:
Kuranda is a lovely little town, very touristy but well worth a visit even if it's just for the iron works around the town as everywhere you look there are hoards (carefully collected and guarded store) of irons works created into huge animals or small details on railings. Also on the paths there are glass tiles imprinted of various designs which the kids loved to follow, they might be little feet or hands, or ants or noses. They are very expensive. Don't go spending any money on things like the didgeridoos (a long wooden musical instrument, played especially in Australia) there.
Kuranda Railway:
The Skyrail:
The Skyrail is a cable car ride over the mountains skimming over the rainforest below with a couple of stops on the way to let you have a look around. Even though the railway stops at the famous Barron Falls, the first stop you make allows you to walk to various lookouts and to see the Falls from different aspects.
Crocodile spotting:
A cheap cruise is offered down the Hull River in Mission Beach. Tourists can set up crab pots to catch a few mud crabs. The crocodiles can be spotted not difficultly. They are saltwater crocodiles and usually more than three meters long.
Once the sun sets, people can head back up the river with a lookout scanning the river from an 11 o'clock to 2 o'clock position in front of the boat. If you are directly behind the spotlight, you will see red eyes appear from nowhere. Using this method plenty of crocodiles can be spotted.
A crocodile farm can be visited where wild crocs (short for crocodiles informally) are bred for their leather - handbags or shoes for the Italian market mainly. The wild crocs are caught from various surrounding rivers and some of them are so big that it is amazing to see these huge beasts up close and personal.
3. Cairns
Great Barrier Reef is a world-famous tourist attraction. Cairns, a city in Tropical North Queensland, Australia, is well known for it. Cairns tourism means the Great Barrier Reef, tropical rainforest, and the many adventures, including flying, bungy jumping, rafting, diving, horse riding or even motor biking. More relaxed is Cairns golf and Cairns fishing.
Great Barrier Reef:
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest World Heritage Area, extending over 2000 kilometers and covering an area of over 350,000 sq km. It is probably the best known marine protected area in the world, including over 2800 individual reefs and more than 1000 islands. The Great Barrier Reef's great diversity reflects the maturity of the ecosystem which has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years. It is the world's most extensive coral reef system and is one of the world's richest areas in terms of faunal (pertaining to animals) diversity. 
The Great Barrier Reef is larger than the whole of the United Kingdom. The reef is close to Cairns and many trips are organized to the reef daily. Most trips offer a diving option, snorkeling (swimming with a tube in one's mouth that allows a swimmer to take in air while under water), glass bottom boats and submarine (naval vessel that can operate underwater as well as on the surface). 
On the surface of the coral (red, pink or white hard substance formed on the sea bed from the skeletons of tiny animals known as polyps) sea, a large pontoon (similar to floating bridge) has been built for tourists closely observe the reefs and corals.
Kuranda Village:
Kuranda is a lovely little town, very touristy but well worth a visit even if it's just for the iron works around the town as everywhere you look there are hoards (carefully collected and guarded store) of irons works created into huge animals or small details on railings. Also on the paths there are glass tiles imprinted of various designs which the kids loved to follow, they might be little feet or hands, or ants or noses. They are very expensive. Don't go spending any money on things like the didgeridoos (a long wooden musical instrument, played especially in Australia) there.
Kuranda Railway: The railway ride is an amazing experience traveling through loads of tunnels (15 altogether) past waterfalls, all of which is surrounded by beautiful scenery – very well worth it. Barron Falls is one of the most attracting spots. This waterfall is pretty spectacular and well worth a few films in the old camera.
The Skyrail:
Crocodile spotting:
A cheap cruise is offered down the Hull River in Mission Beach. Tourists can set up crab pots to catch a few mud crabs. The crocodiles can be spotted not difficultly. They are saltwater crocodiles and usually more than three meters long.
Once the sun sets, people can head back up the river with a lookout scanning the river from an 11 o'clock to 2 o'clock position in front of the boat. If you are directly behind the spotlight, you will see red eyes appear from nowhere. Using this method plenty of crocodiles can be spotted.
A crocodile farm can be visited where wild crocs (short for crocodiles informally) are bred for their leather - handbags or shoes for the Italian market mainly. The wild crocs are caught from various surrounding rivers and some of them are so big that it is amazing to see these huge beasts up close and personal.
TRY IF YOU STILL REMEMBER!!!
1. Where does Cairns locate in Australia?
2. What tourist attraction in Australia is the best known marine protected area in the world?
3. Which is larger, Great Barrier Reef or the UK?
4. Which word in the above passage means swimming with a tube in a swimmer's mouth for him/her to take in air underwater?
5. What vehicles can people take to enjoy the coral sea and its underwater living things?
6. What has been built for tourists to closely observe the coral sea, like a floating bridge?
7. Which falls can we see along the railway in Kuranda?
8. What can we skim over by skyrail in Kuranda?
By Teresa
4. Tasmania
Tasmania crams a lot of diversity into a small island. It is the most southerly (towards or in the south) Australian state, with cool weather and a climate having four distinct seasons. It's an island rugged mountains, rivers, beaches, bays and sheltered inlets with many of Australia's best preserved historical sites.
A quiet unhurried part of the world with sleepy villages and old stone cottages conjuring up (to perform clever tricks in which you seem to make things appear, disappear, or change by magic) images of parts of rural England.
Tasmania has exceptionally fresh air, pure water, fertile soil and is a producer of many gourmet (producing or relating to very good food and drink) foods to Australia and the world. Tasmanian seafood is also well known to world markets and a thriving dairy industry makes good use of the soft lush pastures (land or a field that is covered with grass and is used for cattle, sheep etc to feed on).
Cradle Mountain
Cradle is the starting point for the world-famous Overland Track (one of Australia's most famous bush walks), a magnificent 6 day walk that will take you through the heart of some of the finest mountain terrain. The Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park shares a "Twin Parks" agreement with the World Heritage listed Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve in the People's Republic of China.
Hobart
The city receives national prominence in early January each year at the conclusion of the famous Sydney-Hobart yacht (light sailing-boat, esp one built specifically for racing ) race. Hobart has managed to retain much of it's colonial historical sites. More than 90 buildings have been classified by the National Trust with the majority being in the Macquarie and Davey Streets area.
Tasman Peninsula
Port Arthur The Breathing Rock in Bruny Island
The Breathing Rock is a formation with a gap right at the water level, and as the waves go in and out, the gap alternates between sucking in the water and forcefully blowing it out.
Before
After
TRY IF YOU STILL REMEMBER!!!
1. Where does Tasmania locate?
2. How is the weather and climate in Tasmania?
3. What Tasmanian food is well known in the world?
4. What has been mentioned above as one of the most famous bush walks in Australia?
5. What are the first two oldest cities in Australia?
6. What is Tasmania's number one tour destination?
7. How does the Breathing Rock work?
By Teresa
5. Gold Coast
Attractions
Beachfront esplanades, shopping precincts, exhilarating theme parks and relaxing restaurants. Gold Coast city attractions are diverse and colourful in nature. A wealth of attractions, entertainment, facilities and services for visitors and residents to enjoy.
Beaches and walks--Holidays by the sea, endless coastal strips, 40 patrolled beaches, fantastic foreshore areas and walks.
Theme parks--Thrills and spills to get your heart pumping- so much to see and do at our city theme parks.
· Dreamworld
· Seaworld
· Wet n' Wild Water Park
Shopping & markets--Endless shopping choices including resort, unique lifestyle centres, malls, retails centres.
· Pacific Fair (Broadbeach)· Harbour Town
· Robina Town Centre
Food, wine and dining
On Australia's Gold Coast good food and good wine is partnered with inspiring natural settings - from the ocean front to the rainforest. Memorable venues unite with the finest local produce, most creative culinary talent and a range of events that celebrate the passion behind this city's food, wine and dining experiences.
The Gold Coast's 500 restaurants and cafés use an abundance of fresh local produce to inspire dynamic menus. The best local produce is also transformed into gourmet products by devoted local residents.
With a selection of cuisines far surpassing any other Australian regional city, the Gold Coast offers the finest in modern Australian fare and the flavour of the Mediterranean, Asia or the Americas.
History and heritage
The Gold Coast has a unique and diverse cultural heritage ranging from traditional indigenous ownership, european settlement of the hinterland to coastal strip development.
In the late 1950s and 60s, the development of the city's beach strip was rapid. From Southport to Coolangatta holiday houses, motels and guesthouses were built to capture the fun and holiday atmosphere of the Gold Coast. This development has played an integral role in shaping the Gold Coast's history, settlement and lifestyle.
Many of the city's places and structures still exist today. These include:
· the fish trap built by the traditional owners of the coast
· the earliest post office for the region established in the 1870s
· farmhouses
· the first high-rise building
· bathing pavilions
· original motels
Transport and parking
Transport choices are many and varied on the Gold Coast, catering for residents and the large number of visitors to the City.
Road--From Brisbane, the Gold Coast is a 40 minute journey south along the eight lane Pacific Motorway.
Buses--Buses service areas from as far south as Pottsville and Murwillumbah in New South Wales to as far north as Beenleigh in Queensland. For information on public bus timetables, phone TransLink on 13 12 30.
Train--Trains run at regular intervals from Brisbane to the Gold Coast. Bus connections to Surfers Paradise are available from the Helensvale, Robina and Varsity Lakes stations.
Taxis--The Gold Coast City's largest taxi fleet is Gold Coast Cabs.Phone 131 008 for bookings
Airlines--The Gold Coast region is serviced by the Gold Coast International Airport, with frequent domestic services from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Hobart, and International services from New Zealand, Japan and Asia. Brisbane's International Airport also provides links with the United States and Europe.
Accommodations
· Family friendly accommodation
· Holiday Accommodation
Australia’s Gold Coast allows you to choose the style, location and level of accommodation to suit your holiday needs.Indulge at one of many luxury hotels, stay for a while in one of Australia’s best apartment resorts, forget about the world in a hinterland retreat or grab a beach shack and some friends for the ultimate short break.The region’s year round weather ensures an unforgettable stay whether basking in secluded opulence, pitching a tent on top of a mountain or taking a houseboat to a myriad of island getaways.As Australia’s favourite holiday destination there are literally thousands of places to stay, it’s just a matter of deciding upon your own special space, as whether it’s you and the kids on a camping trip or your escape into 5 star luxury, Australia’s Gold Coast has it all..See more, please check http://www.verygoldcoast.com.au/
By--Bei Huang (Angela)
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