A-Z Top 2 Countries||Austria & Australia (pt2)
Firstly HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY to all my fellow Aussies (this post couldn't be more fitting for today). Secondly Welcome back to part 2 of my very first new series of 2016 'A-Z Top 2 Countries- Austria and Australia' the first post focused on everything you must see and do in Austria.
This part will be focusing on the wonders of Australia. Please let me know if you have been to Australia and what you got up to on your trip I would love to hear all about it.
Best Time to Go...
Australia is one of those amazing countries which is good to visit all year round! Australia is so large it is hard to pinpoint exact climate details, it varies A LOT! Australia experiences temperate weather most of the year. One of the first things to note when booking a trip to Australia is that it is a country in the Southern Hemisphere and its seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere.
December-February is Summer, March-May is Autumn, June-August is Winter and September to November is Spring.
The Northern States typically experience warm weather throughout the year. Southern States usually have much more mild winters in comparison.
Australia is also one of the driest continents on earth, its average rainfall per year is less that 600 mm.
Like I mentioned above the countries weather is varied to make it easy I am now going to write a bit about the weather in each of the main states in Australia.
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| Photo taken from Goggle Maps. |
-Sydney-
Sydney is located on the East coast and is the state capital of New South Wales, it is the most populous city in Australia.
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| Photo Credit: The Telegraph |
Sydney enjoys a sunny, Mediterranean style climate all year round and is said to have more than 340 sunny days in one year. (Sounds like my kind of place) The Average Max temperature in the summer here is around 26 degrees Celsius and it is usually very humid. Unlike in England where January is freezing cold, in Sydney it is the warmest month (18 degrees Celsius- 25 degrees Celsius on average).
In the winter the coldest month is July which again is the opposite for us here in Europe, we usually associate July as being warm, but here in Sydney temperatures drop a little to around 16 degrees Celsius. (Still far far warmer than England even in the summer.)
Sydney and Australia overall sees very little rain but when it does the rainfall is usually the highest between March and June.
-Melbourne-
Melbourne is the capital and most famous coastal city in the Australian state of Victoria.
It has different climate zones, from the hot and dry regions of the North west to its Alpine snow fields in the North East, it has changeable weather all year round. Locals often say 'expect four seasons in one day' and they could be right. Generally the city offers warm to hot summers and cool winters. Average highs in the summer are 25 degrees Celsius and in the winter around 14 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is at its highest between May and October.
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| Photo Credit: Wiki Images |
-Brisbane-
Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and is one of the oldest cities in Australia. Some notable places found in Brisbane is Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, two very popular coastal towns which attract millions of tourists a year. Brisbane has what is known as a subtropical climate and is very warm and sunny all year round. The summer months are from December to February, you can expect highs of up to 30 degrees Celsius during this time. Winter is generally mild and dry but Brisbane receives very high rainfall which cause occasional floods in the area. Winter temperatures usually reach around 17 degrees Celsius and are warm throughout.
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| Photo Credit: Wikiimages |
-Perth-
Perth is the capital of Western Australia and has a number of climate zone's due to its vast size. The Southwest has mild, wet winters and rather hot but dry summers. Perth apparently has more sunny days annually than anywhere else in Australia. The hottest month is February with highs of up to 31 degrees Celsius. Winters are usually cool and wet. Temperatures in winter usually are between 18-21 degrees Celsius.
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| Photo Credit: Ausitravel |
So now we have that cleared up lets move on to the fun stuff, what should you see and do whilst here?...
Where to Stay...
Australia has lots of great hotels. To make it a bit more simple for you all I have decided to pick my favourite hotel from one of the places I really want to visit the most in Australia and that is Sydney. Of course there are loads of fantastic hotels in the country but it would be impossible to list them all.. so here is my top recommendation for your trip.
-QT Hotel, Sydney-
£££ 5*
Location: 49 Market St, Sydney CBD
I have chosen the 5 star boutique 'QT Hotel' because it sounds different t0 some of the other more traditional chain hotels I am used to staying in. On it's website it describes itself as 'an eclectic mix of design and art, style and luxury-with a touch of quirk'. One of the main things that stood out to me when first looking at this hotel is the rooms. I love how modern and luxurious the décor is in all rooms. All rooms come with luxurious bedding, free wi-fi in the rooms, walk in showers and most also include bath tubs too.
Here are a few examples of each room they have on offer and their prices per night (not including breakfast)
QT KING $269 per night
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| Photo Credit: QTSydney.com |
QT DELUXE KING $304 per night
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| Photo Credit: Australiantraveller |
QT EXECUTIVE KING $359 per night
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| Photo Credit: QThotel Sydney |
QT JUNIOR SUITE $474 per night
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| Photo Credit: getlostmagazine |
QT CORNER SUITE $544 per night
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| Photo Credit: Quickbeds |
The Hotels also have outstanding restaurants and bars for you to visit. If you are staying in Sydney you should check out its two restaurants and bar/lounge called 'Gowings bar and grill' which rustles up the famous meats from the grill including steaks, chicken and beef. If that doesn't take your fancy why not try 'Parlour Lane Roasters' which is actually located just next door to the entrance of the hotel and is described as a 'bustling street side cafe' on its website. You can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner here and it is open Mon-Fri 6:30am- late, Sat 8am-late and Sun 8am-12pm.
This cafe tends to be a bit more laid back than the restaurant and it serves salads, baguettes, burgers and pasta type dishes.
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| Photo Credit: Tripadvisor |
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| Photo Credit: theaurereview |
What to do/see...
Planning a trip to Australia can be a monumental task if you don't know what part you want to stay in or what you want to see there is just so much to take in it is no wonder people set aside months here, but if you are someone like me with a job you have to go back to you will need to pack in a lot on your trip below is a list of things you should see/do in each state of Australia which will hopefully make your planning A LOT easier. (In no particular order)
Sydney
1. Sydney Opera House
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| Photo Credit: Wiki |
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| Photo Credit: 123rf |
3. Bondi Beach
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| Photo Credit: Pinterest |
4. Manly Beach
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| Photo Credit: Australia.com |
5. Circular Quay
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| Photo Credit: tonygentilcore |
Melbourne
1. Melbourne City Centre/ Flinders St Station
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| Photo Credit: TravelVictoria.com |
2. Great Ocean Road
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| Photo Credit: Melbournevisitors.com.au |
3. Melbourne Cricket Ground
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| Stadia-Magazine |
4. Melbourne Star
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| Photo Credit: dingus.in |
5. Eureka Tower
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| Photo Credit: globalholidays |
Brisbane
1. Mount Coot-tha
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| Photo Credit: thegirlthatruns |
2. South Bank Parklands
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| Photo Credit: Wikipedia |
3. Chung Tian Temple
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| Photo Credit: Youtube |
4. Mount Glorious
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| Photo Credit: mustdobrisbane |
5. Cathedral of St Stephen
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| Photo Credit: catherdralofstephen |
Perth
1. Adventure World
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| Add caption: themeparkreview |
2. Penguin Island
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| Photo Credit: buggybuddys |
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| Photo Credit: tripadvisor |
3. His Majesty's Theatre
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| Photo Credit: Heritageperth |
4. Fremantle Prison
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| Photo Credit: lonelyplanet |
5. Swan Valley
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| Photo Credit: experiencecoz |
So there we have just a few of the famous sites you can find in each state in Australia. Of course there are thousands more you can look up. I would love to know if you have visited any and what your favourites are....
Where to eat..
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| Photo Credit: sea dining |
So with that in mind I will now give you an example of one amazing restaurant you need to try in each state of the country. I particularly love restaurants with a city view, so will focus manly on these.
If you know any more good ones feel free to share the love.
Sydney
Aria
£££
Location: 1 Macquarie St, Sydney
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| Photo Credit: your-restaurant |
Melbourne
Vue De Monde
£££
Location: 55 Rialto Towers, 525 Collins St, Melbourne
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| Photo Credit: Vueevents |
Brisbane
The Balfour Kitchen
££
Location: 37 Balfour St, New Farm, Brisbane
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| Photo Credit: mrandmrssmith.com |
Perth
Halo Restaurant
££
Location: Barrack St, Perth
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| Photo Credit: wapropertynews.venturaid |
So there we have one example of an amazing restaurant with a view in each state of Australia. Of course there are hundreds more and if you have been to any you are dying to share with us please feel free.
That brings us to the end of my first A-Z Top 2 Countries. I hope you have enjoyed reading all about each country.
THE COUNTRY I WOULD MOST LIKE TO VISIT IS...
AUSTRALIA
Although I have loved writing about Austria and seeing what it has to offer as a country but having since wrote all about Australia as well I have my heart set to visit. I love the sunny carefree vibe of the whole country and the sites look amazing. I especially want to visit Sydney!
What is your favourite country out of the two in the series and why?
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